NON-MECHANICAL ANCHOR

Abstract

A non-mechanical, anchor for securing a temporary shelter to ice or soil.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Non-mechanical anchors are not new to the art. However, the use of the present invention as a non-mechanical anchor that is simple and easy is new.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,494,300 entitled, “Ice Anchor”, issued to Blank on Feb. 24, 2009 teaches an ice non-mechanical anchor and method of use for securing or rescuing a vehicle which becomes stuck, or trapped while on a frozen surface of a body of water.

The ice non-mechanical anchor may include blades which form a shaft and fit into an opening in the ice, and plates that limit insertion of the non-mechanical anchor into the hole and define an attachment area for a safety device such as a rope, chain or cable, which may include a tensioning device. When lateral force is placed on the shaft by tensioning the safety device, the outer surfaces or the blades engage the inner wall of the hole and oppose the lateral forces, allowing the vehicle to be removed from the gap or opening in the ice.

This device is limited it that its only application taught in the patent is for ice. The current invention has capability of being used on ice and land. The prior art device teaches the use of blades to engage the ice to oppose force placed upon the non-mechanical anchor. The current device overcomes this limitation by using the entire outside surface of the non-mechanical anchor to resist opposing force thereby transferring the force to the entire outside surface. It has been discovered that the present invention has a larger surface area thus giving the present invention greater utility over the prior art.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,157,256 entitled, “Ice Non-Mechanical Anchor”, issued to Latta on Nov. 17, 1964 teaches an ice non-mechanical anchor that must be frozen into a surface in order to be used.

The present invention utilizes predrilled openings such as an ice auger to quickly and easily place the present invention into that opening and attach it to a temporary shelter to secure it in place for use.

The time that the prior art device requires to freeze into place requires a longer preparation time to make it affective. The present invention can be utilized as soon as the holes are drilled and the shelter is erected. This alone gives the present invention a greater utility over the Latta device.

There are also inherent, problems with current systems for anchoring temporary shelters. Some user's utilize ice screws that are difficult to secure into the ice and must be hand screwed into the ice, which is time consuming.

The present invention is a non-mechanical anchor that solves common problems. It is a quick, and simple way to non-mechanical anchor a variety of items such as an ice shanty, both portable and fixed. Another application is the common hunting blind tents that are of a pop up variety and need to have non-mechanical anchoring systems to keep them in place while in use.

These temporary shelters provide shelter from the outdoor elements which in turn allows the sportsman to stay outdoors for longer periods of time, increasing their ability to be more productive. Under some conditions this is hampered by wind levels that the current non-mechanical anchoring means will not withstand, forcing an abrupt end to the outdoor activity. The present device eliminates these problems by providing simple and easy way to completely secure temporary shelters.

THE INVENTION

The present Invention is a non-mechanical anchor for use in ice or soil. The non-mechanical anchor comprises a cylindrical body that has an interior surface, an outside surface and a handle. The handle extends above a top surface of the cylindrical body. The handle has two legs. Each leg has a near end and a distal end with a crossbar extending between the near ends and attached to the near ends.

Each distal end of the legs is fixedly attached to the interior surface. The legs are located opposite each other with a crossbar that has an opening through it.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a full top view of the non-mechanical anchor from.

FIG. 2 is a full front view of the non-mechanical anchor.

FIG. 3 is a full side view of the non-mechanical anchor.

FIG. 4 is a full front view of the non-mechanical anchor with an eye bolt inserted into the top of the handle.

FIG. 5 is a full side view of the non-mechanical anchor from with an eye bolt and wherein the device is inserted in the ice.

FIG. 6 illustrates a temporary shelter secured by a pair of non-mechanical anchors in ice.

FIG. 7 illustrates a temporary shelter secured by a pair of non-mechanical anchors in soil.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the non-mechanical anchor 2 from the top 36. The non-mechanical anchor 2 has a cylindrical body 4. The cylindrical body has a top surface 10. The cylindrical body 4 has an inside surface 6 and an outside surface 8. The non-mechanical anchor 2 has a handle 12. The handle 12 has a first leg 14 and a second leg 16. The handle 12 is joined by both the first leg 1 and the second leg 16 by the cross member 26. The cross member 26 of the handle 12 has an opening therethrough 28 to accommodate an eye bolt 30 not shown here.

FIG. 2 shows the non-mechanical anchor 2 from the front 38. The cylindrical body 4 has an inside surface 6 and an outside surface 6. The cylindrical body 4 has a top surface 10. The handle 12 of the non-mechanical anchor 2 has a first leg 14 and a second leg 16. Each of the first leg 14 and the second leg 16 have a first leg 14 near end 18 and a distal end 20, and a second leg 16 near end 22 and a second leg 16 distal end 24.

The near end 18 of the first leg 14 attaches to the handle 12 and the distal end 20 attaches to the inside surface 6 of the cylindrical body 4. The near end 22 of the second leg 16 attaches to the handle 12 and the distal end 24 attaches to the inside surface 6 of the cylindrical body 4. Also shown is the cross member 26 of the non-mechanical anchor with an opening 28 through it.

FIG. 3 shows the non-mechanical anchor 2 from the side 40. The cylindrical body 4 has an inside surface 6 and outside surface 8. Also shown is the top surface 10 of the top 36. The handle 12 has a first leg 14 that has a near end 18 and a distal end 20. The near end 18 of the first leg 14 attaches to the cross member 26. The distal end 20 of the first leg 14 attaches to the inside surface 6. The cross member 26 has an opening therethrough 28. Also visible is the front 40.

FIG. 4 shows the non-mechanical anchor 2 from the front 38 with an eye bolt 30 inserted into the handle 12. The eye bolt 30 is used to secure a strap 34 (not shown here) to secure the temporary shelter 32 (not shown here) to the non-mechanical anchor 2.

FIG. 5 shows the non-mechanical anchor 2 from the side 40 with the eye bolt 30 and the device 2 inserted into the ice 42. The non-mechanical anchor 2 is placed slightly below the top surface 48 of the ice 42. It is critical that the non-mechanical anchor 2 be placed below the top surface 48 of the ice 42 to prevent the non-mechanical anchor from pulling free.

FIG. 6 shows a temporary shelter 32 secured by a pair of non-mechanical anchors 2 in ice 42. The non-mechanical anchors 2 are inserted into the ice 42 and the strap 34 is attached to the non-mechanical anchor 2 at the eye bolt 30. The other end of the strap 34 is attached to the temporary shelter 32 at the non-mechanical anchoring loop 44 and is tightened. The force that is exerted against the strap 34 is transferred to the non-mechanical anchor 2 and the non-mechanical anchor 2 is resistant to the force because of the surface area placed below the ice 42 prevents the non-mechanical anchor 2 from becoming dislodged from the hole that is placed in the ice 42. The user uses an auger to predrill holes in the ice 42 to accept the non-mechanical anchor.

FIG. 7 shows a temporary shelter 32 secured by a pair of non-mechanical anchors in soil 44. The non-mechanical anchors 2 are inserted into the soil 44 and the strap 34 is attached to the non-mechanical anchor 2 at the eye bolt 30. The other end of the strap 34 is attached to the temporary shelter 32 at the non-mechanical anchor loop 44 and is tightened.

The force that is exerted against the strap 34 is transferred to the non-mechanical anchor 2 and the non-mechanical anchor 2 is resistant to the force because of the surface area placed below the soil prevents the non-mechanical anchor 2 from becoming dislodged from the hole that is placed in the soil 44. The user uses an auger to predrill holes in the soil 44 to accept the non-mechanical anchor 2.

The term temporary shelter is used to describe any type of outdoor shelter that is used to protect an outdoorsman from the elements and may include but is not limited to portable ice shanties, ice shanties, pop up hunting blinds, hunting blinds, tents, canopies and the like.

The diameter size of the of the cylindrical body 4 is 1 inch to 24 inches with a preferred size ranging from 4 to 12 inches, and most preferably 6 to 8 inches.

The height of the cylindrical body 4 is 1 inch to 24 inches with a preferred size being 2 inches to 12 inches and most preferably 6 inches to 8 inches.

Claims

1. A non-mechanical anchor for use in ice or soil, said non-mechanical anchor comprising:

i. a cylindrical body having an interior surface and an outside surface;

ii. a handle, said handle extending above a top surface of said cylindrical body, said handle having two legs, each leg having a near end and a distil end and a crossbar extending between said leg's near ends and attached to said near ends;

iii. each said distal end of said legs being fixedly attached to said interior surface, said legs being located opposite each other;

iv. said crossbar having an opening therethrough.