System for setting grading stakes
A system comprising components which facilitate a one-man stake ribbon setting process for grading a plot of land. The components include primarily a pair of rule holders which precisely position a rule immediately in front of a reference stake which has already had a ribbon set to accurately indicate exact grade. The rule holders, which cooperate with that reference stake, position the rule directly behind and in line with the grade locating nail and where it can be readily used to set the precise position of the ribbon requiring a second worker to hold the rule. An additional optional component of the invention comprises a sighting scope rule guide which is advantageously employed at the next stake to further enhance the accuracy of ribbon setting. This guide attaches to the sighting scope using a scope adapter and has a rule guide with an attached pointer showing the single worker the precise rule measurement on the rule when his scope is precisely level in viewing the ribbon on the remote reference stake.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of land grading such as at new construction sites. The invention relates more specifically to a system for facilitating the setting of grading stakes by one worker.
2. Background Art
The proper grading of a plot of land at a new construction site is usually determined by architects. The desired ground level is typically designated at a plurality of spaced locations identified by nails or other point locaters. At each such nail an adjacent grading stake provides coded instructions as to how much ground dirt has to be removed or added to provide the designated height or grade at that specific location. The actual removal or addition of ground dirt is carried out by mechanized earth movers such as backhoes and the like. The operators of such vehicles cannot be expected to interpret the cryptic code of the instructions on each grading stake before removing or adding dirt at each location. Doing so would slow the grading process to a crawl which would make grading a much too expensive task.
In order to avoid the need for the earth mover operators to carefully read grading stake instructions and thus slow the use of expensive heavy equipment, workers first set a colored ribbon on each stake. The color and precise height of each such ribbon provides the operators with an easy to interpret, expedient indication of the desired grade at each stake. The color tells the operator that the grade should be one foot, two feet, etc. below or above the precise location of the ribbon. Moreover, by having workers first set the colored ribbons, one grading stake can be used as a height reference for others nearby, thereby reducing the risk that there will be grading errors from one stake to the next. In conventional ribbon setting, two workers are required. One worker sets the ribbon color and location on a reference stake after interpreting the architect's code on that stake while a second worker holds a measurement rule against that stake. The second worker then sets the ribbon color and location of the next stake by sighting the reference stake ribbon using a sighting scope with a built-in level. He then adjusts the ribbon according to the instruction code for that stake. The workers then repeat this process for all of the stakes in a plot of land. In that manner, all of the grading stakes over a large plot of land may be properly “ribboned”, while being based on a unitary reference height that assures accurate grading.
While this two-worker process reduces costs by expediting the use of expensive earth movers, the need for at least two grading setters to work together, is not an efficient labor expense compared to having one worker carry out this process in the same period of time. It would thus be highly advantageous if it were possible to carry out the ribbon setting process using only one worker who could perform this process in substantially the same amount of time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides a system comprising components which facilitate a one-man stake ribbon setting process for grading a plot of land. The components include primarily a pair of rule holders which precisely position a rule immediately in front of a reference stake which has already had a ribbon set to accurately indicate exact grade. The rule holders, which cooperate with that reference stake, position the rule directly behind and in line with the grade locating nail and where it can be readily used to set the precise position of the ribbon requiring a second worker to hold the rule.
An additional optional component of the invention comprises a sighting scope rule guide which is advantageously employed at the next stake to further enhance the accuracy of ribbon setting. This guide attaches to the sighting scope using a scope adapter and has a rule guide with an attached pointer showing the single worker the precise rule measurement on the rule when his scope is precisely level in viewing the ribbon on the remote reference stake.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe aforementioned objects and advantages of the present invention, as well as additional objects and advantages thereof, will be more fully understood hereinafter as a result of a detailed description of a preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the following drawings in which:
Referring to the accompanying drawings and
An optional additional feature of the present invention is shown best in
As seen in
Having thus disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be apparent that numerous variations and addition as may be made to the invention while achieving the function and advantages of the disclosed embodiment. Accordingly, the scope hereof is limited only by the appended claims and their equivalents.
Claims
1. A system for use in setting ribbons on grading stakes on a plot of land to be graded, each such grading stake designating the desired height of the grade at an adjacent location identified by a location pointer such as a nail head;
- the system comprising:
- a lower rule holder releasibly affixed to a grading stake adjacent said pointer;
- an upper rule holder releasibly affixed to said grading stake adjacent an upper end of said grading stake;
- each of said lower and upper rule holders having a rule retainer for receiving a measuring rule in alignment with said grading stake and said pointer;
- whereby one man can set a ribbon on said grading stake using said rule which is supported by said lower and upper holders.
2. A system for holding a measuring rule against a grading stake to enable precise positioning of a grading ribbon on the stake by one worker; the system comprising:
- at least one holder having a first channel for receiving said stake and a second channel for receiving said measuring rule.
3. The system recited in claim 2 comprising at least two said holders, one of said holders being configured for attachment to said stake closer to a selected first end of said stake and another of said holders being configured for attachment to said stake closer to a selected second end of said stake.
4. The system recited in claim 2 further comprising a sighting scope having a level for viewing a ribbon on a remote first grading stake; and
- an adapter attachably affixed to said scope and having a guide for slideable engagement with a rule at an adjacent second grading stake for indicating on said rule a position corresponding to said viewed ribbon on said remote first grading stake.
5. A system for use in setting ribbons on grading stakes on a plot of land to be graded; the system comprising:
- a sighting scope having a level for viewing a ribbon on a remote first grading stake; and
- an adapter attachably affixed to said scope and having a guide for slideable engagement with a rule at an adjacent second grading stake for indicating on said rule a position corresponding to said viewed ribbon on said remote first grading stake.
6. The system recited in claim 5 wherein said guide comprises a pointer for precisely pointing to a location on said rule and wherein said pointer is aligned with said sighting scope.
Type: Application
Filed: May 7, 2004
Publication Date: Nov 10, 2005
Inventor: Alan Norsworthy (Irvine, CA)
Application Number: 10/841,912