Post sleeve positioning apparatus and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11015367-B2
Application number	US-201916249743-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2019
Priority date	Mar 11, 2016
Publication date	May 25, 2021
Grant date	May 25, 2021

Abstract

A post sleeve installation system can include a plurality of post sleeve installation devices and at least one spacing beam or mechanism. The spacing beam or mechanism can include end portions that rotate about multiple independent axes and can be coupled to a pair of post sleeve installation devices to determine or control the relative locations and orientations between two post sleeves. The post sleeve installation system can be used to install post sleeves for posts for a fence, a rail or other structure supported by posts.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for positioning post sleeves, the system comprising:
a first post sleeve installation device configured to receive a first post sleeve;
a second post sleeve installation device configured to receive a second post sleeve; and
a spacing mechanism coupleable between the first and second post sleeve installation devices to determine or control an elevation of the first post sleeve relative to the second post sleeve, the spacing mechanism having an adjustable pitch.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the spacing mechanism comprises a spacing beam configured to be coupled at a first end to the first post sleeve installation device and at a second end to the second post sleeve installation device.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the adjustable pitch of the spacing mechanism enables the spacing mechanism to be oriented at a plurality of non-zero pitches.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the spacing mechanism includes a main body having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, and wherein the spacing mechanism includes a hinge and a joint at the first end of the main body.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the hinge has a horizontal pivot axis that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the main body, and wherein the joint has a pivot axis that is perpendicular to the horizontal pivot axis of the hinge.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the joint includes a first radial encoder to sense an angular rotation of the joint and the hinge includes a second radial encoder to sense an angular rotation of the hinge.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the main body includes telescoping portions and a main body sensor configured to sense a change in length of the main body.

8. The system of claim 7 , further comprising:
a controller configured to receive signals from the first and second radial encoders and the main body sensor and output data indicative of a position and an elevation of the first post sleeve installation device with respect to the second post sleeve installation device.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the spacing mechanism includes a main body having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, and wherein the spacing mechanism includes a respective hinge and a respective joint at each of the first and second ends of the main body, each hinge having a horizontal pivot axis that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the main body, and each joint having a pivot axis that is perpendicular to the horizontal pivot axis of the hinge.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the first post sleeve installation device includes a vertical coupling shaft and an end of the spacing mechanism includes an internal cavity configured to receive the vertical coupling shaft.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the vertical coupling shaft has a bottom end having a cross-sectional shape comprising a first square and the internal cavity has an opening having a cross-sectional shape comprising a second square corresponding to the first square.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the first post sleeve installation device includes a plurality of vertical coupling shafts, and the end of the spacing mechanism is selectively coupleable to one of the plurality of vertical coupling shafts.

13. A method of installing fence post sleeves, comprising:
installing a first fence post sleeve using an installation device; and
adjusting an elevation of a second fence post sleeve relative to the first fence post sleeve using the installation device, the installation device including a spacing mechanism oriented at a non-zero pitch.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein adjusting the elevation of the second fence post sleeve includes determining, using a controller, the elevation of the second fence post sleeve relative to the first fence post sleeve based on a signal, received by the controller, corresponding to the non-zero pitch.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising communicating a signal corresponding to the elevation of the second fence post sleeve relative to the first fence post sleeve to a remote database.

Assignees

• Knudsen N Eric

Inventors

• Knudsen N Eric

Classifications

• E04H12/347

  Arrangements for setting poles in the ground · CPC title

• E04H17/263 Primary

  for erecting posts (pile driving E02D7/00) · CPC title

• G01B21/16

  for measuring distance of clearance between spaced objects · CPC title

• G01C5/00

  Measuring height; Measuring distances transverse to line of sight; Levelling between separated points; Surveyors' levels (G01C3/20, G01C3/30 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01B5/14

  for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures (G01B5/24 takes precedence) · CPC title