Abstract:
An adjustable post stabilization support device that includes a multiple sided post receiving sleeve having oppositely disposed pairs of extensible ground engagement leg assemblies thereon. Locking cam levers securing the sleeves on said posts with the extensible leg assemblies being hinged to the bottom of the sleeve. Each of the leg assemblies is independently adjustable and has a ground engagement foot on its extensible portion. Vertical orientation provided for alignment of the sleeve and associated post by two horizontal planes.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     This invention relates to post supporting devices that are used to temporarily hold a fence post or the like and vertical alignment in the ground during installation. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     Prior art devices have been directed to fence posts and the like that are inserted into the ground by digging a hole, placing the post within and filling around the post with concrete and allowing it to set. The installation of such a post is difficult and time consuming requiring a temporary support to be used to hold the post in an upright vertical position (plum) while the cement hardens. Typically, such temporary supports are made on site by the use of scrap lumber nailed to the post and to a stake driven into the ground on two vertical planes. Such temporary supports are required in two directions to assume proper vertical alignment. 
     Prior art is directed to permanent brace systems that can be reused and require less time to set up. More specifically, most prior art is directed to semi-permanent fence post supports used to brace and hold metal fence post that are driven directly into the ground. Such fence bracing is used on corner support posts or where high lateral loads would be encountered, such as gate supports and the like. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 3,809,346, a fence post support is disclosed having a post engagement socket extending from a ground engagement base plate extending under the socket. Pairs of angularly apertured brackets receive drift pins that are driven into the ground at angles to hold the socket base in vertical position. 
     Prior art patents directed towards fence post supports for fence posts driven into the ground can also be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,104,074, 5,192,055, and 5,460,344. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,074 a fence post support can be seen having a pair of tubular braces that are held on the fence post by a collar that slips over the post and bearing elements which are pivotally secured to the ends of the respective tubular braces. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,055, a portable brace assembly for fence posts having a pair of interengaging posts brackets as disclosed. Multiple adjustable legs extend from the upper bracket while the lower post engagement bracket have ground engagement members which are adjusted to correspond to ground surface variations. 
     A fence support can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,344 wherein a pair of legs are temporarily secured to a metal fence post by an engagement collar. Each leg has a ground engagement pin sleeve for guiding a pin within aligned configuration utilizing a secondary leg assembly so multiple legs can extend from a single post engagement fitting or interengage with a second post in spaced relation thereto. 
     Finally, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,522, a fence post trim collar is claimed having a collar with hinge sections to be placed around the base of the post to prevent the growth of vegetations thereabout. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a post alignment and support device that includes an adjustable post engagement sleeve removably secured to the post. Pairs of multiple leg assemblies extend from the sleeve to provide a four-point support for the post. Each leg assembly has an extensible ground engagement leg portion that can be extended or retracted to the required length to maintain the post in a true vertical upright alignment until a foundation material about the post is set. Leveling devices are integrated within the sleeve for ease of vertical alignment by corresponding horizontal planes. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the invention in use on a post set in the ground; 
     FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the post engagement portion of the invention; 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view illustrating the cam locking assembly of the invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a left side elevational view of the invention with portions broken away; 
     FIG. 5 is a right side elevational view of the invention with portions broken away; 
     FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the invention; 
     FIG. 7 is an enlarged partial front elevational view of an adjustable leg assembly; 
     FIG. 8 is an enlarged partial side elevational view of the leg assembly as seen in FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 9 is a section on lines  9 — 9  of FIG. 8; 
     FIG. 10 is a front elevational view of an alternate form of the invention showing a removable portion of the engagement sleeve; 
     FIG. 11 is an enlarged section of the alternate form of the invention illustrating the engagement of the removable panel to the main sleeve; 
     FIG. 12 is a second alternate form of the invention illustrating a hinge configuration for a removable panel of the sleeve; and 
     FIG. 13 is a partial side elevational view of the hinged removable panel illustrating an engagement locking latching mechanism thereto. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. 1,  2  and  3  of the drawings, a post support  10  can be seen having a post engagement portion  11  and multiple ground stabilization portions  12 . The post engagement portion  11  is comprised of a generally rectangular retaining sleeve  13  having multiple sides  14 ,  15 ,  16  and  17 . Each of the respective sides  14 - 17  is of a generally rectangular configuration and of equal height and width and defines a post engagement area  18  within. A locking post engagement assembly  19  is centered within the respective sides  14  and  17  having a pair of spaced parallel mounting lugs  20  extending therefrom. An opening at  21  is defined between the upstanding lugs  20  which are apertured at  22  for receiving a pivot pin  23  on which is positioned a movable cam arm  24 . The cam arm  24 , best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings has a cam portion  25  with a corresponding contoured cam engagement surface  25 A thereon. A handle extension  26  extends integrally from the cam portion  25  which has an off center mounting aperture for the pivot pin  23 , noted above. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 6 of the drawings, it will be seen that the retaining sleeve  13  when positioned on a post  27  can be locked thereto by rotation of the respective cam arms  24  indicated by directional arrows A engaging the post  27  forcing the respective sleeve sides  15  and  16  against the post. The cam arms  26  so engage as indicated by the broken lines in FIG. 3 of the drawings will lock in a deployed position due to the respective cam surfaces  25 A as will be evident to those skilled in the art. 
     The multiple ground stabilizer portions  12  are each defined by adjustable leg assemblies  28 , best seen in FIGS. 1,  4 ,  6 ,  7 ,  8  and  9  of the drawings. Each leg assembly  28  has three tubular leg elements  29 ,  30 , and  31 . The leg elements  29  and  31  are secured at the respective upper ends to a hinge mounting fitting  32  which has a pair of leg engagement plates  32 A and  32 B and sleeve engagement plate  33 . A hinge pin  34  interconnects the respective hinge plate portions as in a typical hinge configuration. The leg elements  28  and  31  are tapered on their hinge engagement ends  35  and have respective effacing registration channels  36  that extend longitudinally their entire length. The channels  36  are keyed to registerably accept corresponding ribs  37  &amp;  38  on oppositely disposed longitudinal sides of the center leg  30  as seen in FIG. 7 of the drawings. A leg locking clamp assembly  39  is used to lock the center leg  30  when extended. The clamp assembly  39  has a front and back leg engagement plates  40 A and  40 B interconnected by an adjustment bolt  41  that extends through said respective plates and the central leg  30 . An adjustment knob  42  is threadably secured on the free end of the adjustment bolt  41  allowing for compression of the hereinbefore described engagement plates  40 A and  40 B against the abutting legs  29 ,  30  and  31  frictionally locking and holding the center leg  30  in position when extended as best seen in FIGS. 7 and 8 of the drawings. 
     In use, the post support  10  is positioned on the post  27  that has been inserted within a hole  43  in the ground indicated at  44  and filled thereabout by foundation material such as concrete  45  as best seen in FIG. 1 of the drawings. The retaining sleeve  13  is temporarily secured in place by the activation rotation of the respective cam arms  24  of the locking engagement assemblies  19  as hereinbefore described. 
     The leg assemblies  28  are then deployed and the post  27  is vertically aligned (plum) by using a pair of horizontally oriented bevel levels  46  that are mounted on the outside surface of respective sleeve sides  15  and  16  in oppositely disposed relation to the locking engagement cam assemblies  19  as best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawings. As required, the center legs  30  are extended from the respective leg assemblies at an appropriate support angle illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings required to hold the post  27  in the vertically aligned position until the cement  45  is set. Each of the center ground engaging legs  30  has earth engagement stake  47  extending from its free end. A small footpad  48  extends from each of the center legs  30  adjacent the ground engagement stake for insertion of same by applying pressure thereto as will be understood by those skilled in the art. The leg assemblies  28  are then locked in their extended adjusted position by rotation of the adjustment knob  42  drawing the respective engagement plates  40 A and  40 B together as noted above. 
     Referring now to FIG. 10 of the drawings, an alternate form of the invention can be seen wherein a post support  50  is illustrated having a removable side panel  51 . The removable panel  51  will allow the post support  50  to be used in situation where it is impractical to slip a post engagement sleeve  52  over the end of the post for removal once it has been secured in the ground due to the height of the post which may occur in certain applications. Removable side panel  51  has oppositely disposed engagement edge beads  53  thereon for sliding engagement within corresponding edge channels  54  formed on respective adjacent sleeve panels  55  and  56  of the engagement sleeve. The respective edge channels  54  have closed ends at  57  to prevent the removable panel  51  from sliding therethrough. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 12 and 13 of the drawings, a second alternate form of the invention can be seen in which a hinged panel  58  is hinged to its respective adjacent side panel  59  on an alternate sleeve assembly  60 . The panel  58  can then be hinged outwardly from an adjacent side support panel  61 . The side support panel  59  is formed with a plurality of longitudinally spaced hinge elements  62 . The hinged panel  58  has corresponding registered hinge elements  63  and a quick release latch  64  illustrated in FIG. 13 of the drawings. The quick release latch has flexible hasp element  65  that frictionally engages an upstanding ridge  66  to secure same when in secured position. 
     In the preferred form and the alternate form, the panels are preferably made of molded synthetic resin material and is important to note that in all of the alternate forms discussed, the removable hinged panel would preferably have the bubble levels  46 A thereon maintaining the fixed panel for locking engagement assembly. 
     It will be evident from the above description that the leg assemblies  28  will be used with the alternate post engagement sleeves to provide the post stabilization and support needed to effect the proper setting of the post  27  as hereinbefore described.