Patent Publication Number: US-2011047896-A1

Title: Centering ground spike for supporting a vertical pole

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Vertically positioned poles are routinely utilized to support elevated birdfeeders, birdhouses, planters, lights, and similar containers and objects. Critical to maintaining such items in place is the manner in which the respective supporting poles are embedded into the ground. A wide variety of systems have been devised which attempt to keep poles rigid and vertical, while still maintaining feeders, birdhouses, planters, etc. atop the poles. Most of these systems have significant disadvantages and limitations. Many with spiked or similarly pointed members are difficult to drive into the ground or set up. Others cannot bear the weight of the objects they are supporting. Most have inadequate means to maintain the pole in a vertical position and no or insufficient means to permit the adjustment of poles to keep them vertical. These pole systems also do not have members which can support poles of varying diameters and still permit adjustments to maintain the poles in vertical orientation, especially when the poles are supporting elevated objects. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is thus the object of the present invention to provide a centering ground spike for supporting a vertical pole which overcomes the disadvantages and limitations of such prior devices. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a centering ground spike for supporting a vertical pole which is configured to be readily driven into the ground and, once so positioned, can readily accept a vertically standing pole. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a centering ground spike for supporting a vertical pole which can accept poles having a variety of different diameters. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a centering ground spike for supporting a vertical pole which has means for adjusting the pole, to maintain it in vertical position, regardless of the diameter of the pole. 
     It is still another object of the present invention to provide a centering ground spike for supporting a vertical pole which will bear the weight of bird feeders, birdhouses, planters, lights, or other objects which would be elevated and supported on the pole. 
     These and other objects are accomplished by the present invention, a centering ground spike for supporting a vertical pole comprises an integral body having a top member and a downwardly extending hollow, main body section. The main section extends down to a hollow, cone shaped section which forms a point. A first cavity is enclosed between the top member and the main section, and a contiguous second cavity is formed within the cone shaped section. An opening through the top member permits the insertion of a support pole into the first cavity. The end of the pole within the cavity rests on the intersection of the interior surface of the walls of the main section and cone shaped section or on an interior surface of the wall of the cone shaped section. The pole itself is maintained in vertical position by a locking ring with adjustment screws which are tightened around the outer surface of the pole. The size of the opening through the top member and the tapered shape of the cone shaped section permit the ground spike to accept and vertically support poles of various diameters. In alternate embodiments, the bottom end of the pole will rest on inverted cone shaped walls which extend into the main body section cavity. 
     The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention, itself, however, both as to its design, construction and use, together with additional features and advantages thereof, are best understood upon review of the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of the centering ground spike of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an elevation view of the centering ground spike of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is another elevation view of the centering ground spike of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a third elevation view of the centering ground spike of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a top view of the centering ground spike of the present invention with support pole inserted therein. 
         FIG. 6  is a top view of the centering ground spike of the present invention with an alternatively sized support pole inserted therein. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view taken from  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view taken from  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 9  is a bottom view of the centering ground spike of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is a top view of the centering ground spike of the present invention. 
         FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 12  is a partial cutaway, isometric view of another embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Centering ground spike  1  comprises elongated, integral unitary body  2  having top member  4  at its upper end and downwardly extending hollow main section  3  with outer wall  5 . The width of main section  3  or, if circular, its diameter, remains substantially the same as it extends vertically downward from top member  4 , although in manufacture, this section may be slightly tapered downward. Main section  3  merges into hollow, cone shaped lower section  6  with outer walls  7  which terminate at point  8 . Side fins  9 ,  10 , and  11  are located on the external surface of wall  5  of main section  3  and are tapered from top member  4  to cone section  6 . 
     As best seen in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , cavity  14  is formed within the hollow space of main section  3 , between top member  4  and cone shaped section  6 . Cavity  15  extends downward from the lower end of wall  5  to internal tip  17  of cone shaped section  6 . Cavities  14  and  15  are contiguous and thus extend as one elongated cavity from top member  4  to internal tip  17 . Opening  16 , shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , extends through top member  4  into cavity  14 . 
     Locking ring  18  is located adjacent to top member  4  and is secured thereto. Locking ring  18  is shown as being circular in shape in order to conform with the shape of common circular diameter poles, e.g. poles  20  and  21 . However, it is contemplated that locking ring  18  can be any shape which conforms to the shape of the pole being used, and the invention is not to be considered restricted by the shape of the locking ring or of the pole. Threaded adjustment screws  21 ,  22 , and  23  extend through the threaded openings in locking ring  18 . The screws extend over opening  16  of top member  4 . 
     In use, centering ground spike  1  is driven into the ground such that its top member  4  is substantially flush with the ground&#39;s surface. Tapered side fins  9 ,  10 , and  11  greatly assist in this process. Adjustment screws  21 ,  22 , and  23  within the openings in locking ring  18  are loosened and retreated back a sufficient distance to allow pole  20  ( FIG. 7 ) to be inserted through locking ring  18 , into opening  16 , and then dropped into and through cavity  14 , until end  30  of pole  20  contacts the approximate intersection of the interior surface of wall  5  of main section  3  and the interior surface of wall  7  of cone shaped section  6 . Once pole  20  is so positioned, adjustment screws  21 ,  22 , and  23  are tightened within the openings in locking ring  18  so they each contact the pole. The screws are then alternately tightened both to set and maintain pole  20  in a vertical position and to secure the pole in that position. Thus, guided by locking ring  18 , held within centering ground spike  1  by contact with walls  5  and  7 , and secured by adjustment screws  21 ,  22 , and  23 , pole  20  is maintained and locked in vertical position for use in immoveably supporting elevated items such as bird feeders, birdhouses, planters, or lighting fixtures. 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 8 , the unique configuration of centering ground spike  1 , having tapered cone shaped section  6 , not only is designed to maintain and secure embedded poles in vertical position, but it also will accommodate poles having different diameters. Opening  16  through top member  4  is large enough to accept any commercially available sized pole. Any such sized pole is inserted into and through cavity  14  until it either contacts the intersection of the interior surfaces of walls  5  and  7 , or it continues into cavity  15  and contacts any point along the interior surface of wall  7 . Obviously, poles of smaller diameters will contact wall  7  lower down in cavity  15 , towards interior tip  17 . Once in place within cavity  14  or cavity  14  and cavity  15 , adjustment screws  21 ,  22 , and  23  through the openings in locking ring  18  are tightened around the pole to secure it vertically within body  2  of centering ground spike  1 . Again, the degree of tightening of the screws is dependent upon the diameter size of the pole. 
       FIG. 11  shows an alternate embodiment of the invention in which outer wall  5  of main section  3  terminates at bottom wall  30 , which then extends upward from the lower end of the main section into cavity  14  to form inverted cone  32 . The lower section in this embodiment comprises pointed spear tip shaped element  34  which is an integral part of or which can be permanently connected to main section  3  and which extends down from the lower surfaces of bottom wall  30  and cone  32  of the main section. 
       FIG. 12  shows still another embodiment of the invention in which outer wall  5  terminates at bottom wall  40 , which extends across main section  3 . Separate, pyramid shaped tapered member  42 , secured to the upper surface of bottom wall  40 , extends upward from the lower end of main section  3  into cavity  14 . The lower section in this embodiment comprises spear tip shaped element  44  which also can be an integral part of or permanently connected to main section  3  and which extends down from the lower surfaces of bottom wall  40  of the main section. 
     Thus, the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12  depict additional means for accommodating vertical poles of varying diameters, such as pole  24  shown in  FIG. 11 . 
     Certain novel features and components of this invention are disclosed in detail in order to make the invention clear in at least one form thereof. However, it is to be clearly understood that the invention as disclosed is not necessarily limited to the exact form and details as disclosed, since it is apparent that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.