Abstract: An improved wing-type ground anchor. The ground anchor includes a central body portion, wings radiating laterally from the body portion, and a leg portion at the front end of the body portion GROUND ANCHOR that operates like a star-point drill for penetrating the ground. The sides of the leg portion each include a plurality of sharpened leading side edges which are longitudinally offset from each other. Each of the wings also includes a plurality of sharpened leading side edges which are longitudinally offset with respect to each other. The offset leading side edges and wing edges progressively extend greater distances laterally outward from the body portion along the length of the leg portion and the wings. Since smaller side edges and wing edges are advanced first, the staged side and wing edges facilitate passage of the ground anchor through soil.

Abstract: A ground anchor for securing posts in the ground is provided. The ground anchor comprises a leg having a lower portion that is connected to a barb and an upper portion that is connected to a fin structure. The leg further comprises two sidewalls that meet at a corner and terminate at two diverging ends. The lower barb extends upward from the lower portion of the leg at a non-vertical angle. The barb provides additional resistance to any uplifting forces imposed upon the post or the anchor and further displaces or clears out soil from beneath the fin structure to facilitate the insertion of the post therethrough. The fin structure comprises a central crease portion disposed between two diverging fins. The fin structure is attached to the leg so that the central crease is disposed opposite to the corner of the leg. Each of the diverging fins are connected to one of the diverging ends of the sidewalls of the upper portion of the leg.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for driving a ground anchor and associated anchor rod into the ground. The ground anchor is held securely relative to a drive gad which is reciprocated bi-directionally with an actuator. One end of the anchor rod is pivotally connected to the ground anchor. Another end of the anchor rod is connected either to the drive gad or to the actuator so that the anchor rod is caused to vibrate positively in phase with the anchor. The vibrating anchor liquefies the ground and can be pushed easily through the ground to a desired anchoring position.

Abstract: Ground anchors are installed by drive rods or gads connected in end to end relation by sleeves or couplers which accommodate sliding of adjacent rod ends into abutting relation under impact or compression loads and which retain the rods in connected string relation under tension loads. The sleeves have smooth rolled internal rope type threads in their end portions separated by a slide chamber receiving mating threads on end portions of adjacent rods which are threaded through and beyond the internal threads into the slide chamber. The rods slide in the sleeves and ends of adjoining rods will abut under compression loads and separate under tension loads while still being retained in end to end relation. A string of drive rods is successively built up to be impacted successively from ground level.

Abstract: A ground rod driver is provided with a clamp mechanism which transmits impact blows from a driving tool such as a jackhammer to an intermediate portion of the rod at a convenient level above the ground to drive the clamped portion to ground level and which then releases the rod under the action of the same driving tool so that it may be raised above the ground and reclamped to the rod for driving the next increment of rod length into the ground. The driver receiving impact blows from the tool will automatically grip the rod when the impact tool is in a driving position and will automatically release the rod when the impact tool is in a releasing position. A ground plate surrounds the rod to bottom the driver for the release step. Specifically, the impact tool engages a wedge in the driver in its driving position to clamp the driver on the rod and is rotated 90.degree. to engage release blocks on the driver when the wedge is bottomed on the plate for releasing the rod.

Abstract: Rods, tubes, posts, and the like rod structures are driven into the ground by a device which is successively clamped to selected intermediate portions of the lengths of these rods to avoid heretofore involved awkwardness, instability, and unsafe driving conditions encountered when the top ends of long rods are engaged to force the rods into the ground. The device is easily and quickly clamped to the rod at a level close to the ground to be impacted by a driving tool such as a jackhammer at a convenient reachable height. When the device is driven to ground level, it is easily released from the rod and raised to a starting level and then reclamped for the next driving increment. The successive raising and driving steps are repeated until the rod is driven to a desired depth in the ground. When the top end of the rod approaches ground level, the device can be mounted over this end and impacted to drive the rod further into the ground.