Earth-anchor.

Application filed December 9,1904. Serial Ho, 236,101.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Ezra C. Holden and Harry Holden, citizens of the United States, residing at Des Moines, in the county of Polk 5 and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Earth-Anchor, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of our invention are to provide a folding earth-anchor of simple, durable, io and inexpensive construction in which there are rods for holding the body portion of the anchor at substantially right angles to the rods when it is placed in position in the ground for use15 A further object is to provide means which are attached to the body portion adjacent to the ends, so that the body portion may be turned readily from a position at substantially right angles to the rods to a position where 20 the attaching points of these rods come substantially in line with them, so that the body portion can be inserted into a hole of comparatively small diameter and then turned by the rods attached to it, so that the ends of 25 the body portion will enter the ground at the sides of the hole and be held firmly in that position when the hole is filled up.

Our invention consists in certain details in the construction, arrangement, and combina30 tion of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in our claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which—

Figure 1 shows the complete device in the ground and connected with a post in the manner in which it is ordinarily used. Fig. 2 is a detail view showing the anchor in its folded position, and Fig. 3 is a detail view 40 showing the anchor in the earth in its unfolded position.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, we have used the reference-numeral 10 to indicate a curved body portion which is sub45 stantially semicircular in cross-section and has rounded ends. In one end of the body portion and adjacent to the top of each side of it is a loop 13. In the other end of the body portion and near the upper portion of each 50 side of it is a loop 14. Extending around one end of the body portion and through the loops 13 is a metal strap 15, having an opening 16 in each end of it. Extending around the other end of the body portion and through 55 the loops 14 is the metal strap 17, having a loop 18 at each end of it. Pivotally attached to the loops 16 is a rod 19, which has two diverging portions 20 and 21 at its lower end that are passed through the openings 16 and secured to the strap 15. Pivotally attached 60 to the strap 17 is the rod 22, having two diverging portions similar to the diverging portions 20 and 21 of the rod 19, which are passed through the openings 18 and are secured to the strap 17.. At the'upper end of 65 the rod 19 is a loop 23 and at the upper end of the rod 22 is a loop 24. Attached at one end to these loops 23 and 24 is a cable 25, which cable is attached at its other end to a post or other object when the device is in 7° use. By thus attaching the cable 25 to the loops 23 and 24 the body portion of the anchor is held in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings—that is, the device is unfolded and in position for maintaining 75 the anchor in the ground surface.

In practical use and assuming that it is desired to place the anchor in the ground for holding the post or other object in position against any strain which may be upon it a 80 hole is made in the ground at the desired angle to the ground surface and the body portion is swung to the position shown in Fig. 2 and inserted into this hole, the hole being only of sufficient size to admit the anchor 85 when in the position shown in said figure— that is, folded. When the anchor reaches the bottom of the hole, the upper end of the rod 19, if that rod happens to be the one which is deepest in the ground, is drawn upwardly, 9° which will cause the rounded end 12 of the body portion 10 to enter the ground at one side of the hole, and as the drawing is continued the body portion of the device will be swung into the position shown in Fig. 3 and 95 the loops 23 and 24 will be adjacent to each other. The.hole is then filled up with earth and the cable 25 is attached to the loops 23 and 24 and to a post or other object. In dig-, ging the hole a post-auger is preferably used, iog When the cable 25 is attached to both loops 23 and 24, it will be seen that the anchor cannot be swung from the position shown in Fig.

to that shown in Fig. 2, owing to the fact that there is a draft on each end of it. When 105 it is desired to remove the anchor from the ground, one of the rods 19 or 22 is released and the other is drawn upwardly, and this will cause one end of the body portion 10 to be drawn upwardly and the anchor can no be easily removed from the ground without digging when power is applied to one of these

809,374 rods, as the pulling· on one of these rods causes the body to be easily swung· from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 2. There are various ways of attaching the rods to the 5 body of the anchor, and we do not intend to limit ourselves to any specific way of attaching these rods to the anchor, as there are various ways of pivotally connecting the rods to the body of the anchor, any of which would to be efficient for the purposes described, and cables could also be attached to the body portion and practically the same result would be accomplished.