The present invention refers to ground anchoring devi¬ ces, which are to be screwed into the soil. The part of the device extending above a ground plate can be different¬ ly shaped, suited to a variety of uses. The important part of the invention pertains to the helical member retaining the device in position.

A general desire is that the screwing into the soil should occur with a small input of power, but the ground engaging portion must possess sufficient rigidly to with¬ stand the lateral forces, which may be applied to the portion of the device projecting above ground.

A device according to the invention is characterized in that the helical member is formed as an open helix, and that at least one stay is attched to the plate in a posi¬ tion to support said helix.

The helix may be attached directly to the plate and at least two stay rods, preferably located diametrically oppo¬ site to each other are attached to the plate, within the helix, extending downwardly across at least two windings thereof and attached thereto. The helix _? as well as the stay rods _; may then made from profile bars having a sub¬ stantially semicircular cross-section, or consist of a flat bar being wound into a helix, or alternatively a tu¬ be being cut along a helical line, and then expanded long¬ itudinally.

The stay may alternat vely be formed as a tubular mem¬ ber to the edge portion of which, remote from the plate,the helix projects. The stay tube is then preferably adjacent to the plate provided with at least one opening for forcing out soil.

The invention will below be described with reference to the accompanying drawings , which by way of example show so¬ me embodiments of anchoring devices having differently shap¬ ed helical members. Figure 1 shows a fence post, provided with a helical member according to the invention, Figures 2 and 3 show detail views of elements attached to the post for holding barbed wire or other fencing material, _

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Figure k is an end view, seen from below of the helical member, Figure shows an anchoring device adapted to receive a bar or the like to be maintained in upright po¬ sition, and Figure 6 shows an anchoring device carrying an eye-bolt to be used for staying or tieing purposes. Figure 1 shows a fence post 10 having a screw member 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention, and conne ted to the post stanchion12 by means of a plate 13 _» which, in use, will rest upon the ground. The plate is preferab¬ ly circular and has a slightly vaulted form.

The stanchion 12 is preferably formed from a square-sec¬ tion pipe, and is at suitable distances above the ground provided with brackets 1 to carry fence wire or the like. The bracket is shown on a larger scale in Figure 3« The upper end of the pipe is closed by a removable stopper 15 _» the shape of which is better shown in Figure 2. When screw¬ ing the post into the soil the stopper 15 is removed and a wrench mating with the passage in the pipe is inserted for rotating the pipe, so the helical member 11 works itself down into the soil _{# it}

The stopper 15 may be made of plastic, and has two up¬ wardly directed ears 17- Each of those is at one of its vertical edges provided with a slot 18. The slots are di¬ rected in opposite directions, so it is possible to fit a fence wire between the ears, and then straighten it, so it will be jammed into the slots 18. It will thus not be ne¬ cessary to fix the wire to the post.

The shape of brackets 1 is better shown in Figure 3« In each bracket there are two notches 19 suited to receive barbed wire, and two .slots 20 suited to receive rope or wire for temporary fencing purposes. There are further two holes 21 in each bracket, by means of which it is possible to attach battens or boards to the post to form an enclosur

The slots 19 and 20 are, to each side of the post mem¬ ber 12, turned in opposite direction, so it is possible to stretch a vire over one bracket, and below an adjacent

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bracket, and so on while simultaneously changing from in¬ side the posts to outside thereof. In such a manner a sa¬ tisfactory retension of the wire is obtained to a row of fence posts without any tying or other manner of locking.

The helical member is here formed as an open helix, i.e. it has no core, it is just a bar wound around an ima¬ ginary, cylindrical, core. In the embodiment shown in Fi¬ gure 1 the helix is formed by a bar 22 having about semi- -circular cross-section, which is attached directly to pla¬ te 13« The open helix will offer a low reistance only^ du¬ ring the screwing into the soil , but it will have a low capacity to withstand forces acting sidewardly upon the post member. In order to remove this drawback two stays 23 are attached to plate 13» within the open helix and extending downwards over a few windings of the helix, to which they are attached. The stays 23- re also preferably manufac¬ tured from a bar having a semi-circular cross-section. Two stays are preferably located diametrically opposite each other, within the helix. Due to heir shape they will only add insignificantly to the resistance during the screwing down operation, but they will brace the helix in a very satisfactory manner*.

Figure 5 shows a modified embodiment of a ground an¬ chor device, which here includes a short length of tubing 2 provided with a suitable number of locking screws 26. The short tube may be used for receiving a pole carrying for instance a drying rack, or a garden umbrella, or an outdoor Christmas tree. The helical member is formed in a slightly different manner from the previous one. A tube 27 is attached to the plate 13 and the helix 28 issues from the edge of the tube remote from the plate. Here the tube 27 is the stay which takes care of possible lateral forces acting upon the pole. When the helix works its way down¬ wards soil will be forced up into the tube , and this is therefore provided with at least one opening 29, just be¬ low plate 13, where excess soil may be squeezed out.

The helix 28 may, as with the embodiment according to Figure 1 , consist of a flat bar having doout semi-circular

cross-section, but it can also be formed directly from the tube. In this embodiment tubes 5 and 27 may be in¬ tegral and have circular cross-section. The combined tu¬ be is passed through a hole in the plate and welded theret The lower end of tube 27 can be cut along a helical line,a the helix 28 is there formed by expanding the cut tube par longitudinally.

Figue 6 shows a further, modified embodiment. The portion above the plate is here formed as an eye bolt 3 , which may be used for various staying purposes, and the helical member 1 is formed by a flat bar being wound alon an helical path, and welded to the lower face of the plate 13« Within the helix there are two stays 23, which are we ded to the plate and to some of the adjacent windings of t helix. The stays may, as with the embodiment according to Figure 1 ,advantageously be formed from pieces of bars hav¬ ing a semi-circular cross-section.

All components, i.e. posts and other upwardly directe members, the plate and the helical member are made of stee and welded together, and may be galvanized or anti-corrosi treated in any suitable manner. The helical members may b modified in many ways, and as is evident rom the drawings there are many fields of use for devices according to the vention. It is for instance possible to mount arcuate tra oms between parallel rows of posts of the type shown in Fi gure 1 or Figure , t° carry tarpaulins or the like to tem porarily provide shelters for goods to be stored out of doo