Earth mount assembly for target traps

Feb. 10, 1970 g. c. luebkeman 3,494,581

EARTH MOUNT ASSEMBLY FOR TARGET TRAPS Filed Aug. 14, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1

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Feb. 10, 1970

g. c. luebkeman 3,494,581

EARTH MOUNT ASSEMBLY FOR TARGET TRAPS

Filed Aug. 14, 1967

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Sheets-Sheet 2

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3,494,581

Patented Feb. 10, 1970

United States Patent Office

2

3,494,581 EARTH MOUNT ASSEMBLY FOR TARGET TRAPS

George C. Luebkeman, Cincinnati, Ohio (% Trius Products, Inc., 32 Porter St., Cleves, Ohio 45002) 5

Filed Aug. 14, 1967, Ser. No. 660,275 Int. Cl. A45f 3/44; E02d 5/74

U.S. Cl. 248—156 11 Claims

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

An anchorage for mounting a target trap firmly upon the surface of the earth, said anchorage comprising a hold-down member and an earth mount which cooperate when assembled to fix a vibratile device, such as a target ¹⁵trap, upon the earth’s surface.

This invention relates to an earth mount assembly and is particularly directed to a portable earth mount com- ²θ prising two parts which cooperate when assembled upon the earth to ensure a firmly set mounting for outdoor vibratile devices, such as target traps, or the like.

An object of this invention is to provide a rugged, yet simplified device that may be assembled and set up ²⁵on the earth in a minimum time to expedite the placement and removal of a portable target trap earth mount.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a portable mount having the foregoing characteristics two cooperative parts susceptible of ready placement upon the earth and which cooperate to produce a stabilized mount for target traps which, in operation, create intermittent vibrations.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying ³⁵drawing, wherein like reference numerals indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view taken from a side of one form of my earth mount assembly; a target trap being ⁴⁰shown in dotted lines therein as exemplary of the type of vibratile device which may be positioned upon the earth with said assembly.

FIG. 2 is a fragmental, top plan view of the earth mount assembly shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 3—3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged section taken on line 4—4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a section like that depicted in FIG. 4 showing a modification of my earth mount assembly. ⁵⁰

FIG. 6 is a fragmental, side elevational view of another modified form of my earth mount assembly.

FIG. 7 is a section taken on line 7—7 of FIG. 6.

FIGS. 8 through 11 are fragmental, sectional views _geach showing a further modification of my earth mount assembly.

With particular reference to FIGS. 1-4 of the drawings, the earth mount depicted therein is associated with an elongated base member 10 preferably in the form of θο a wood plank. The forward end of the plank may be connected to a lateral stabilizing board 11; a conventional target trap 12 devised to throw clay birds 13 for target shooting being mounted on the forward end of the member 10 as by bolts 14, or the like. 65

A first part for the earth mount comprises a yieldable hold-down member 15 disposed above the rear portion of the base member 10 in spaced apart relationship therewith and movable toward and away from said base member. The forward end of the hold-down member is pivotally mounted on an intermediate portion of the base member by a hinge means which takes the form of a U-shaped bracket 16 fixed upon the member 10 and having its legs 17 and 18 straddling the end of the hold-down member. A pin 19 mounted on and extending between the bracket legs is received in a bearing hole 20 formed laterally through the hold-down member 15.

As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 the terminal rear end portion 21 of the base member 10 extends beyond the common end portion 22 of the hold-down member 15, the said end portions of both members being provided with vertically aligned slots 23 and 24 which open out into the common ends of the said members 10 and 15, respectively.

An expansile means such as a coil spring 25 is associated with the hold-down member and is positioned between the base member 10 and the hold-down member 15. This spring is located between the hinge means 16 and the slotted ends of the members thereof and is preferably disposed closely adjacent said slotted ends. The upper end coil of the spring is preferably connected to the underside of the hold-down member 15 and the lower end coil of the spring is connected to the upper face of the base member by a conventional connector (not shown).

The mount part described hereinbefore is adapted to cooperate with a second earth anchor part, generally indicated in the drawings by the reference number 26, said part comprising an upstanding shank 27 adapted to be fixedly imbedded in the earth 28 through the expedient of turning it on its axis by a handle 29 fixed to its upper end; a screw member'30 (FIG. 1) being fixed on its lower end which upon rotatory movement of the shank advances itself and the shank into the earth.

A mechanical leverage means is connected to the holddown member to compress the expansile spring 25 and comprises external threads 31 formed on the shank which are engaged by the internal threads of a nut 32 manually rotatable by a lever arm 33 integral therewith. An inverted cup-shaped washer 34 is loose on the shank beneath the nut 32, the downturned rim of the washer being preferably received in an annular groove 35 (FIG. 4) formed in the upper surface of the hold-down member 15 around the rear portion of the slot 24 formed therein.

With reference to FIG. 5 which depicts a slight modification of the earth mount assembly shown in FIGS. 1-4, a pair of springs 36—36 are substituted for the single spring 25, the springs 36 being disposed on opposite sides of the anchor shank 27 and in lateral alignment therewith.

It will therefore be understood that a spring compressing device and mechanical leverage means comprises the threaded connection between the shank 27 of the earth anchor and the manually rotated nut 32 and the abutment of the nut 32 against the hold-down member 15 through the washer 34.

With reference to the modification illustrated in FIGS.

and 7 of the drawings the hold-down member 150 is

V-shaped in plan and embraces the shank 27 of the earth

3,494,581 mchor. Three expansile springs 37 are connected to the mderside of the hold-down member 36 and each has its ower coil connected to the base member 10. The mechanical leverage means for compressing the spring is a nanually rotatable nut 38 threaded to the shank 27 and rearing against the upper face of the hold-down member J6 around the inside corner of said member.

Now with reference to FIGS. 8 through 11 of the drawngs there is shown slightly different modifications of my assembly, each modification having a hold-down member 15 hinged at one end on an intermediate portion of the ?ase member 10 by the bracket 16.

In the assembly shown in FIG. 8 the shank 27 is prodded with a shoulder 39 bearing upon the hold-down nember 15, the spring compressing device and mechanical leverage means being a screw member 40 threaded in a tapped bore 41 formed through the hold-down member and bearing at its lower end against an expansile spring 42 which has its lower coil in engagement with he base member. The assembly shown in FIG. 9 is similar to that shown in FIG. 8 except that the spring compressing device and mechanical leverage means is a screw 43 passing through a hole 44 in the hold-down member 15 and threaded at its lower end in a tapped bore 45 in the base, an expansile spring 46 encircling the screw 43 and bearing at its upper end against the hold-down member 15 and at its lower end engaging a shoulder 47 an the screw 43.

Turning to FIGS. 10 and 11 of the drawing the numeral 48 is an expansile spring encircling the shank 27 ind having its upper coil bearing against a shoulder 49 formed on the shank, the lower end of the spring engaging the upper face of the hold-down member. The spring compressing device and mechanical leverage means comprises a screw member 50 threaded in a tapped bore 51 formed through the hold-down member, the lower end af the screw member being in engagement with the upper face of the base member. The spring compressing device and mechanical leverage means in the modification shown in FIG. 11 is similar to the assembly depicted in FIG. 10 except that a screw member 52 has its lower end threaded in a tapped bore 53 in the base member and freely extends through a hole 54 in the hold-down member, a shoulder 55 on the screw member bearing against the underside of the hold-down member.

To assemble the earth mount shown in FIGS. 1—4 of he drawing the second earth anchor part 26 is first manually screwed into the ground until the shank 27 is fixed therein with the nut 32 and the washer 34 located at the top of the threaded portion 31 of the shank. Next the base member 10 and the hold-down member 15 of the first part are moved longitudinally relative to the fixed earth anchor in a direction to enter the shank 27 into the slots in said members ad until the projected end of the shank is located at the closed, forward ends of the slots. Fhe washer is then placed in position upon the hold-down member and the spring compressing device and mechanical leverage means is made operative when the nut 32 is manually turned down upon the washer by means of the lever 33 until the proper tension is built up in the expansile means 25 which transmits downward holding pressure an the base member 10 to firmly place my mount assemaly upon the earth 28 for operation of the target trap. Removal of this earth mount is accomplished by a reversal of the above described steps it being understood hat the mechanical leverage means is first moved upwardly on the anchor shank to release the spring pressure an the base, the base member and the hold-down member then being slid away from the shank and the anchor hereafter unscrewed out of the earth. The foregoing method is substantially followed in the assemblies shown in FIGS. 5 through 11 of the drawings with obvious differences depending upon the mechanical parts of each assembly.