Post puller

Abstract

An improved device designed to pull embedded objects such as fence posts, sign posts, small trees, tree stumps and the like out of the earth that is compact, simple to operate, and available in bumper or tail mounted versions. The improved device is operated by a master key or toggle switch in the cab of a truck or other vehicle, which energizes a solenoid connected to the battery to power a hydraulic pump. The pump controls a hydraulic cylinder up and down and the pump is a typical commercially available pump with a pressure setting of 2600 lbs. One version mounts easily to the frame under the front bumper of the truck or other vehicle with two mounting brackets, leaving the bumper intact. The portable unit has its own battery, which is plugged into the trailer light plug on the back of a truck or other vehicle to charge it while driving.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

None

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable

SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to an improved device for pulling embedded objects such as fence posts, sign-posts, small trees, tree stumps and the like out of the earth with ease. The invention mounts easily to the frame of a vehicle such as a pick-up or similar truck and employs a pump operated from a master switch.

A number of patents purport to describe devices designed to remove objects from the ground can be found in the prior art. These patents primarily deal with the removal of tree stumps and the like. Typically, these devices utilize a pulley or lever system, and some use hydraulic or electrical motors, combustion engines, or extendible hydraulic cylinders. U.S. Pat. No. 2,796,233 to Stanford, for example, discloses an apparatus that can be towed behind a vehicle. After arriving at the stump or tree in question, the device is released from the towing vehicle, placed in an operating position wherein a wire sling is tied around the stump before the removal operation can begin.

These prior art devices, while effective for some uses, are not generally applicable to the removal of a large number of ground embedded structures, particularly posts or other structures of significant length such as those used to support fencing, road signs and traffic control devices. U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,188 to Salman provides a good example. It is useful in removing a single object, but would be extremely inefficient for pulling multiple stumps over a broad area. The device would have to be hauled to each location, unloaded, and placed in lifting position for each individual stump.

Typically, fence posts are extracted by tying one end of a cable to a tractor or truck and the other end of the cable to the fence post and then placing the tractor or truck in gear, exerting horizontal force on the fence post. Such an operation is usually performed by two people, one to drive the tractor or truck and one to tie the cable or chain to each fence post. It is often the case that the fence post is not easily removed by such a method.

Several devices are adapted for use with a tractor, front-end loader, or other vehicle with a hydraulic system. U.S. Pat. No. 3,526,387 to Fleming, discloses a post puller having a metal plate base with a flared opening for straddling a post, and a pair of uprights pivotally mounted on opposite sides of the flared opening. A single hydraulic cylinder is pivotally mounted to the base and connected to a vehicle hydraulic system. A lever arm connected between the cylinder arm and the two uprights, operates a chain with a post-gripping fixture depending from the lever arm.

There are several problems associated with the post pullers described above and the ones known in the art. The devices are typically expensive to produce or they are heavy or overly complex to operate. A person operating these devices must stand immediately adjacent to the object to be removed, which can result in injury.

An effective post-pulling device must be strong enough to lift large objects embedded in the ground. However, for greater maneuverability, the apparatus should be compact and relatively lightweight. It is therefore a principle object of the present invention to provide an improved device for removing ground embedded structures such as fence posts, sign posts, small trees, tree stumps and other similar objects. These objects can be efficiently uprooted in a one-person operation with a device that is simple to operate, compact in size, and adaptable to a variety of objects.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved device that can be mounted to a truck or other vehicle, wherein a master key switch in the cab of the vehicle engages the device. The device can be quickly set up and operated, avoids injury with a remote control, and can mount on the front or back of a vehicle.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an improved device which can be controlled by the existing hydraulic controls of the truck or other vehicle, and provide a device that is portable and can be mounted to a hitch receiver of a vehicle.

These and other objects will become apparent from the accompanying drawings and the description, which follows.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides an improved device designed primarily for pulling embedded objects such as fence posts, sign posts, small trees, tree stumps and the like out of the earth with ease. It is compact in size, simple to operate, and available in vehicle-attached and stand alone versions.

The present invention is operated by a master key or toggle switch in the cab of a truck or other vehicle, which energizes a solenoid connected to the battery to power a hydraulic pump. The pump controls a hydraulic cylinder up and down and the pump is a typical commercially available pump with a pressure setting of approximately 2600 lbs. The key or toggle switch is mounted in the cab of the truck or other vehicle so that unauthorized persons cannot activate the post puller.

The post puller comes in two versions. One version mounts easily to the frame under the front bumper of the truck or other vehicle with two mounting brackets, leaving the bumper intact. When mounted properly the device is very stable. An alternate version is a portable unit that mounts easily to the hitch receiver of the truck or other vehicle. The portable unit has its own battery, which is plugged into the trailer light plug on the back of a truck or other vehicle to charge it while driving.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a schematic that illustrates the electrical connections and operating mechanisms of an ezee puller of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a hydraulic cylinder used in the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the post puller of the present invention that is mounted to a front bumper of a truck.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the post puller of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a front view of another post puller of the present invention that is mounted to a hitch receiver of a truck and is portable.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the post puller of FIG. 5.

FIGURES—REFERENCE NUMERALS

• 10A . . . Truck mounted post puller
• 10B . . . Portable post puller
• 11 . . . Key/Toggle Switch
• 12 . . . Solenoid
• 13 . . . Battery
• 14 . . . Pump
• 15 . . . Lever
• 16 . . . Hydraulic Cylinder
• 16A . . . Hydraulic Cylinder Support Member
• 17 . . . Hook
• 18 . . . Pump Mounting Bracket
• 19 . . . Legs
• 20 . . . Leg Support
• 21A . . . Motor Housing
• 21B . . . Chain or other Accessory Housing
• 22 . . . Tailgate mount
• 23 . . . Support Strut

DESCRIPTION

The embodiments of the present invention are illustrated as shown in FIGS. 1 through 6. An improved device designed primarily for pulling embedded objects such as fence posts, sign posts, small trees, tree stumps and the like out of the earth with ease and known as a post puller 10 is described. It is compact in size, simple to operate, and available in different colors. The post puller 10 is operated by a master key or toggle switch 11 in the cab of a truck or other vehicle, as shown in FIG. 1, which energizes a solenoid 12 under the hood of a truck or other vehicle that gives power from the truck battery 13 to a pump 14. The pump has a lever or a handle 15 to energize a hydraulic cylinder 16, up and down.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the hydraulic cylinder 16 used in the present invention and comprises of a main tube and an inner tube, whereby the inner tube has a hook 17 to which a chain (not shown) is attached. The pump 14 is commercially available with a pressure setting of 2600 lbs. The key or toggle switch 11 is mounted in the cab of the truck or other vehicle so that any unauthorized person cannot activate the ezee puller.

The ezee puller 10 comes in two versions. One version 10A, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, mounts easily to the frame under the front bumper of the truck or other vehicle with two mounting brackets 18 (not shown), leaving the bumper intact. When mounted properly the device is very stable. The ezee puller 10A comprises of a main support member having two legs 19 in parallel that are spaced apart for engaging on the ground, the key or toggle switch 11, the solenoid 12, the pump 14, the lever/handle 15, and the hydraulic cylinder 16. The ezee puller 10A also has a covered housing 20 on either side of the hydraulic cylinder, as shown in FIG. 4, to hold a motor (not shown) and accessories such as a chain (not shown), etc. Supporting structures are provided in order to hold the motor.

The second version 10B, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, is a portable unit that mounts easily to the hitch receiver of the truck or other vehicle. The portable unit 10B has its own battery 13 which gets plugged into the trailer light plug on the back of the truck or other vehicle so that it gets charged while driving. The portable unit 10B comprises of a main support member having six legs 19, the key or toggle switch 11, the solenoid 12, the battery 13, the pump 14, the lever/handle 15, and the hydraulic cylinder 16. Referring to FIG. 6, a pair of mounting bracket 18 is used and six legs (two of them not shown) are spaced apart. Leg supports 19A are provided on either side of the hydraulic cylinder.

These pullers are of compact size, for example, 9″(W)×57″(L)×30″(H) and available in bright yellow or orange or white colors so that they are visible. The hydraulic cylinder 16 travel distance is about 12″ and come with a three-year warranty. The ezee puller 10 comes with a key lock (not shown) on chain box and there is a one-year warranty on parts and labor.

Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, various modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustration and not limitation.

The operation of the ezee puller 10 is much simpler than other pullers and is discussed herein. The ezee puller is aligned with an object to be pulled such as fence posts, sign posts, small trees, tree stumps and the like. The key or toggle switch 11 is turned on to power up the pump 14. Then, legs 19 are lowered and adjusted as necessary. One end of a chain (not shown) is then attached to the object to be pulled out and other end of the chain is attached to a hook 17 that is embedded onto inner tube of the hydraulic cylinder 16. The lever or handle 15 is pulled to activate the hydraulic cylinder 16 in the upward direction and is pushed to lower the hydraulic cylinder 16 in the downward direction. The legs 19 are readjusted if necessary to stabilize the puller and they may sink in soft dirt. When the object is coming out of the ground, the chain on the object might need to be adjusted and the object pulled again depending on the depth of the object being pulled.

All features disclosed in this specification, including any accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings, may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

While specific apparatus has been disclosed in the preceding description, it should be understood that these specifics have been given for the purpose of disclosing the principles of the present invention and that many variations thereof will become apparent to those who are versed in the art. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is to be determined by the appended claims.

Any element in a claim that does not explicitly state “means for” performing a specified function, or “step for” performing a specific function, is not to be interpreted as a “means” or “step” clause as specified in 35 U.S.C. § 112, paragraph 6. In particular, the use of “step of” in the claims herein is not intended to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112, paragraph 6.

Claims

1. An improved device designed for pulling embedded objects out of the earth and attached to a front bumper of a truck or other vehicle, comprising:

a) a main support member having a first leg and a second leg in parallel that are spaced apart for engaging on the ground;

b) a commercially available pump;

c) a lever/handle attached to said pump to energize a hydraulic cylinder up and down;

d) the hydraulic cylinder attached to said main support member and consists of an inner tube and a outer tube, said hydraulic cylinder providing efficient lifting power;

e) an attachment means that is embedded onto inner tube of said hydraulic cylinder;

f) an engagement means, one end of which is attached to the object to be pulled out and the other end being attached to said attachment means;

g) a key or toggle switch to power up the pump;

h) a mounting means to mount said main support member to a frame under the front bumper of the truck or other vehicle.

2. The improved device according to claim 1, wherein said legs can be moved in a vertical direction and are readjusted if necessary to stabilize the device and they may sink in soft dirt.

3. The improved device according to claim 1, wherein power to the pump is obtained from a truck or other vehicle battery.

4. The improved device according to claim 1, wherein the travel distance of said hydraulic cylinder is approximately about 12 inches.

5. The improved device according to claim 1, wherein said attachment means comprises a hook.

6. The improved device according to claim 1, wherein said engagement means comprises a chain.

7. The improved device according to claim 1, wherein said key or toggle switch is mounted in the cab of the truck or other vehicle for safety reasons so that any unauthorized person cannot activate said device.

8. The improved device according to claim 1, whereby two mounting brackets are used for said mounting purpose and such a mounting leaves the bumper intact.

9. The improved device according to claim 1, wherein said device is bright yellow in color so that it is visible.

10. The improved device according to claim 1, wherein said device is orange or white in color.

11. A portable device designed for pulling embedded objects out of the earth and attached to a hitch receiver of a truck or other vehicle, comprising:

a) a main support member having a plurality of legs in parallel that are spaced apart for engaging on the ground;

b) a commercially available pump;

c) a lever/handle attached to said pump to energize a hydraulic cylinder up and down;

d) the hydraulic cylinder attached to said main support member and consists of an inner tube and a outer tube, said hydraulic cylinder providing efficient lifting power;

e) an attachment means that is embedded onto inner tube of said hydraulic cylinder;

f) an engagement means, one end of which is attached to the object to be pulled out and the other end being attached to said attachment means;

g) a key or toggle switch to power up the pump;

h) a battery unit which gets plugged into the trailer light plug on the back of the truck or other vehicle so that it gets charged while driving;

i) a mounting means to mount said main support member to the hitch receiver of the truck or other vehicle.

12. The portable device according to claim 11, wherein there are six legs which can be moved in a vertical direction and readjusted if necessary to stabilize the device and they may sink in soft dirt.

13. The portable device according to claim 11, wherein the travel distance of said hydraulic cylinder is approximately about 12 inches.

14. The portable device according to claim 11, wherein said attachment means comprises a hook.

15. The portable device according to claim 11, wherein said engagement means comprises a chain.

16. The portable device according to claim 11, wherein said key or toggle switch is mounted in the cab of the truck or other vehicle for safety reasons so that any unauthorized person cannot activate said device.

17. The portable device according to claim 11, wherein said device is bright yellow in color so that it is visible.

18. The portable device according to claim 11, wherein said device is orange or white in color.