Apparatus and method for raising buried housings

This application claims benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 60/294,214 filed on May 31, 2001.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention pertains to an apparatus and method for lifting buried housings or other articles and, more specifically, to the field of lifting buried housings which surround either irrigation components or electrical equipment such as might be found on a golf course.

2. Discussion of Prior Art

For various reasons, it is often necessary to raise certain objects. Therefore, a variety of mechanisms have been designed for lifting objects ranging from vehicle engines to man-hole covers. Sometimes it is also necessary to raise buried objects, such as coffins. In any event, the devices used for these purposes are generally, specifically constructed for their particular use. In other words, the devices are dedicated for use in a particular field and are not readily re-configured to perform non-designated tasks.

There also exist other environments in which buried objects sometimes need to be raised. In particular, at golf courses, certain residences and commercial establishments, it is often common to find in-ground sprinkler and/or wiring systems. In some situations, it is necessary to access certain sections of these systems for repair or control purposes. For example, water control valves and junction boxes associated with sprinkler and wiring systems often need to be made available. Although arranging these system sections above ground level is sometimes a potential solution, often times, above ground mountings are not a viable option. In the case of golf courses, a sprinkler control valve or other system component may have to be located right in the middle of a fairway, directly adjacent a putting green or in another location which would make an above-ground mounting impermissible.

For this reason, it is not uncommon to bury a housing or box which surrounds the buried system component or section, with the housing having a cover which is substantially level with the surrounding ground surface. With this arrangement, the cover can be easily removed, while being generally unobtrusive when arranged atop the housing. Unfortunately, due to weather, natural settling and the like, buried irrigation or electrical housings will settle below the surface of the ground. When that occurs, particularly in the case of a golf course, it becomes desirable to raise the housing so that the cover is maintained with its upper surface even with the surrounding landscape.

When such a housing sinks, it is necessary to excavate the earth, raise the housing, support the housing at a desired level, back-fill the soil, and reseed the area. Obviously, this is a labor intensive process which requires several hours to accomplish, not to mention the time required for the grass to regenerate.

Based on the above, there exists a need in the art for an apparatus and method for use in connection with lifting buried housings which have settled or otherwise sunk below a desired ground level in a cost and time effective manner. In addition, there exists a need for an apparatus and method for lifting a buried housing without the need to excavate the area surrounding the housing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is particularly directed to a method and apparatus for raising buried housings without the need to excavate the surrounding earth. This ability will reduce both labor costs and the time required for the landscape to replenish itself.

The buried housing raiser arrangement of this invention includes a frame, a plurality of support legs, a plurality of lifting members for attaching the frame to the buried housing, and a device for raising the frame, and thereby the buried housing, relative to a supporting ground surface. While it is understood that this invention contemplates the ability to raise and lower a variety of buried articles, and by buried it is meant both fully and partially buried articles, the invention has particular applicability in connection with raising buried housing used to surround buried irrigation or electrical components, such as those typically found on a golf course.

In accordance with the invention, when it becomes necessary to raise a buried housing, the apparatus of the invention is placed above the housing, and the lifting members are positioned on the frame so as to be located above the housing. The lifting members are then attached to the housing, thereby interconnecting the frame and the buried housing. Thereafter, the entire frame is raised relative to the ground in order to draw the housing from the ground to a desired height. Once the housing is raised, the void below the housing is back-filled, the housing is disconnected from the frame and the apparatus is removed. Finally, the housing and the surrounding ground area can be tamped into place. In this manner the buried housing can be efficiently re-positioned with minimal effort and disturbance of the surrounding landscape.

Additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts in the several views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1

is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the housing raising apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2

is an enlarged perspective view of a support member incorporated in the apparatus of

FIG. 1

;

FIG. 3

is a perspective view of a lifting arrangement incorporated in the apparatus of

FIG. 1

;

FIG. 4

is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the lifting arrangement of

FIG. 3

;

FIG. 5

is a partial perspective view of the apparatus of

FIG. 1

in an initial lifting position;

FIG. 6

is an elevational side view of a portion of the apparatus in a subsequent lifting position;

FIG. 7

is an elevational side view of a portion of the apparatus in a final lifting stage; and

FIG. 8

is a perspective view of the apparatus of

FIG. 1

illustrating the positioning of the apparatus on un-even terrain.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With initial reference to

FIG. 1

, the housing lifter apparatus of the invention is generally indicated at

1

. As shown, apparatus

1

includes a frame

3

defined by an upper crossbar section

5

and a lower crossbar section

6

. At the terminal end

7

of each of the upper and lower crossbar sections

5

,

6

is mounted a guide tube

8

. More specifically, each guide tube

8

includes an upper end

9

, which is welded or otherwise fixedly secured to a respective terminal end

7

, and a lower end

10

. As shown, upper crossbar section

5

and lower crossbar section

6

are pivotally joined proximate their midpoints by a fastener

12

. In this manner, upper and lower crossbar sections

5

and

6

can pivot relative to one another about an upright rotational axis defined by fastener

12

. The purpose of this pivoting motion is really two fold, i.e., to enable angular adjustments between upper and lower crossbar sections

5

and

6

depending on the particular terrain at the job to be performed and to enable the frame

3

to be arranged in a more compact configuration for transport and storage purposes. As also shown in this figure, frame

3

includes a plurality of support leg assemblies generally indicated at

14

.

Referring to

FIG. 2

, each support leg assembly

14

includes a threaded rod

16

having a first end

17

and a second end

18

. First end

17

hingedly supports a foot plate

22

. More particularly, each foot plate

22

is defined by a base plate

25

and a pair of space, substantially parallel extending mounting rails

27

and

28

. Foot plate

22

is pivotally attached to first end

17

by a fastener unit

30

extending through rail

27

, first end

17

of rod

16

and rail

28

. Although a nut and bolt combination is preferably utilized for this connection, any known type of fastening arrangement which accommodates pivoting of foot plate

22

relative to rod

16

could be utilized. As will be discussed more fully below, foot plates

22

are adapted to rest upon a ground surface to support frame

3

above a buried housing to be raised. The second end

18

of each rod

16

has positioned thereon an end stop

40

in the form of an elastomeric ring. End stop

40

defines a cushioned upper extension limit for frame

3

along rods

16

and is retained from coming off second end

18

by means of a pin

42

extending through second end

18

above end stop

40

.

As clearly shown in each of

FIGS. 1 and 2

, each rod

16

is preferably threaded along its entire length from first end

17

to second end

18

. Positioned below each guide tube

8

is a lifting collar

50

. Lifting collar

50

is threadably engaged with rod

16

such that rotation of lifting collar

50

in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, will serve to raise or lower frame

3

relative to a respective support leg assembly

14

. In the most preferred embodiment, lifting collar

50

is rotatably supported by a flange ring

54

which is fixed to the lower end

10

of guide tube

8

. A pair of arms

56

,

57

extend in opposite directions from lifting collar

50

and act as handles which can be grasped by a user to rotate collar

50

, thereby adjusting the desired height of frame

3

relative to support leg assembly

14

.

Referring now to

FIGS. 1

,

3

and

4

, mounted on each of upper and lower crossbar sections

5

and

6

of frame

3

are spaced, adjustable brackets

63

. In the most preferred form of the invention, upper and lower crossbar sections

5

and

6

have generally rectangular cross-sections. Brackets

63

have a corresponding, but slightly enlarged cross-section such that brackets

63

are adapted to slide along crossbar sections

5

and

6

between fastener

12

and a respective guide tube

8

. Adjustable brackets

63

may be locked in a desired position along a respective crossbar section

5

,

6

by the tightening of a locking bolt

75

, which is threaded through a locking nut

77

that is welded or otherwise fixed to bracket

63

, against crossbar section

5

,

6

. Projecting from adjustable bracket

63

is a flange

80

which is adapted to receive one end of a lifting element

92

. Lifting element

92

is shown in the form of a chain having a plurality of links

95

. However, it is contemplated that a variety of elements may be used for this purpose such as, for example, a rope, metal cable or lifting strap. In the preferred embodiment shown, flange

80

is formed with an open ended slot

98

for supporting the lifting element

92

in a desired, adjustable position as will be further detailed below. Provided at an end of lifting element

92

is a lifting member

100

which takes the form of a hook. As will become more fully evident below, lifting member

100

can take a variety of forms, particularly depending on the specific structure of the buried article to be raised.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, the method of using apparatus

1

will be described in accordance with a preferred application, i.e., the raising of buried housings which surround subterranean irrigation or electrical devices. Referring to

FIGS. 5-7

, lifting apparatus

1

is partially shown positioned above a buried housing

110

. Buried housing

110

is shown to cover a portion of an irrigation pipe

115

having an associated valve

117

. However, it is contemplated that housing

110

could be used to protect not only irrigation pipe

115

, but other elements used for irrigation, electrical devices or any other objects located below the surface of the ground which require access.

At this point, it should be realized that there is a desired height for housing

110

relative to a ground surface

120

. In the scenario presented, for whatever reason, e.g. settling, housing

110

has shifted to the recessed position of FIG.

5

and it is desired to raise housing

110

to a fully supported position which is substantially flush with ground surface

120

. As indicated above, this invention has particular applicability in raising buried irrigation or electrical housings

110

provided on a golf course wherein maintaining a proper height for housing

110

, which would have an associated cover (not shown), is considered extremely important. In any event, in order to raise buried housing

110

, apparatus

1

is placed above housing

110

with the intersecting axes of upper and lower crossbar sections

5

and

6

being generally positioned above the midpoint of housing

110

.

At this point, frame

3

is in a generally lowered position that is parallel to or tracts the contour of the ground surface

120

through the adjustment of the individual leg leveling assemblies

14

. Next, each lifting member

100

is engaged with housing

110

. In the preferred embodiment shown, housing

110

has an annular, upper lip

130

which is undercut such that lifting members

100

can engage housing

110

behind lip

130

. With brackets

63

positioned along crossbar sections

5

and

6

basically corresponding to the dimensions of housing

110

, locking bolts

75

are tightened to fix brackets

63

in place. Thereafter, lifting elements

92

are straightened and a respective link

95

is placed within each slot

98

.

FIG. 5

illustrates that a link

95

can further be looped over a respective locking bolt

75

as well. By the sequential rotation of collars

50

through arms

56

and

57

, frame

3

is shifted vertically relative to foot plates

22

. Concurrent with the lifting of frame

3

is the raising of housing

110

. Once housing

110

reaches a desired level as represented in

FIG. 6

, a void

150

created beneath housing

10

can be back-filled as shown in FIG.

7

. Then, frame

3

can be lowered through arms

56

and

57

until lifting members

100

can be disengaged from housing

110

. At this point, apparatus

1

can be removed and, aside from possibly patting down the ground surface

120

about housing

110

, the job is complete. Therefore, with apparatus

1

, the task of raising housing

110

is greatly simplified. In general, this overall process takes a small fraction of the time needed to raise housing

110

versus excavating the area surrounding housing

110

as done in the past.

The lifting apparatus

1

of the present invention can be adapted to lift objects from a wide range of surfaces.

FIG. 8

depicts lifting apparatus

1

on an inclined surface

160

showing the adaptability of apparatus

1

as it is supported on leg assemblies

14

. As illustrated by this figure, frame

3

can be supported at various angles. That is, since the terrain in which housing

110

is buried can range from horizontal to some angle with respect to the horizontal, and it is desired to lift housing

110

to a position flush with this terrain, frame

3

may itself have to assume a non-level position or a level position on a non-level terrain. In any event, this can be readily accommodated by the individual adjustments that can be made through each support leg assembly

14

. Obviously, this potential adjustment arrangement enhances the versatility of apparatus

1

.

Although described with reference to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be readily understood that various changes and/or modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit thereof. For instance, the particular configuration or attachment of lifting members

100

to housing

110

can greatly vary depending on the desired construction of these components. In addition, it should be noted that the overall apparatus

1

can be used to suspend housing

110

during initial installation. In any event, as should be readily apparent, apparatus

1

defines a versatile device which can be used to perform needed functions on a wide range of varying sized and shaped housings in an economical and efficient manner. In any event, the invention is only intended to be limited by the scope of the following claims.