Patent ID: 8375606

Claim:
A method of removing a rigid elongate object from the earth, with a human operated, powered mobile vehicle having a lift arm, the rigid elongate object having a first portion embedded in the earth and a second portion protruding from the earth comprising: a) moving the powered mobile vehicle into proximity to the rigid elongate object with a substantially flat plate attached to the lift arm of the powered mobile vehicle, the flat plate having an inward facing surface and an outward facing surface and a rectangular opening having a top wall, a bottom wall and a width substantially greater than a width of a cross-section of the rigid elongate object, wherein the flat plate hangs vertically from the lift arm and can move in an arc relative to the lift arm and into proximity with the rigid elongate object; b) moving the powered vehicle in a first direction to cause the respective inward or outward surface of the flat plate to contact the rigid elongate object and project the upper end of the rigid elongate object through the rectangular opening in the plate; c) lowering the lift arm such that the plate slides down the length of the rigid elongate object until the top wall of the rectangular opening is below an upper end of the rigid elongate object with the flat plate in a tilted configuration relative to the plane of the axis of the rigid elongate object; and d) raising the lift arm and the flat plate whereby the top and bottom walls of the rectangular opening engage opposite sides of the rigid elongate object with sufficient force to retain the rigid elongate object in the rectangular opening when upward force by the lift arm is applied to the flat plate to pull the rigid elongate object from the earth.