Patent ID: 7694487

Claim:
The method of installing a post in soil so the post extends upwardly from the soil surface which comprises: (a) removing soil to provide an excavation having a substantially horizontal bottom; (b) setting an anchor within said excavation upon said substantially horizontal bottom, wherein the anchor comprises: a flange extending horizontally, for resting on said substantially horizontal bottom of the excavation, to support the anchor; and, a vertically extending sleeve, attached to the flange, having a bore adapted for slidably receiving a tubular post from above; the sleeve having at least one port in the side thereof at an elevation which is equal or higher than the elevation of the top surface of said horizontally extending flange where it attaches to the sleeve; a stop within said bore, for limiting the downward motion of the lower end of a post which is slidably inserted into the sleeve from above, to prevent the bottom of the slidably-received post from blocking said at least one port; (c) leveling the anchor to the extent needed, to make the sleeve vertical; (d) slidably inserting a tubular post downwardly into the bore of the sleeve, so the post contacts the stop; the post having a lengthwise interior for running of electrical conductors; (e) running at least one electrical conduit or conductor within the excavation and through said at least one port and into the bore of the sleeve, so that the electrical conduit or conductor runs generally horizontally on or above the upper surface of said flange and vertically upward through the interior of said sleeve; and, (f) backfilling the excavation with soil or other material to cover the flange, so the top of the sleeve is near to or above the surface of the soil, and so, when said tubular post is inserted into the sleeve, said tubular post extends vertically upwardly from the surface of the soil; wherein, during use of said post, the flange of the anchor inhibits tilting or vertical movement of the post by engagement with soil.