Adjustable screw-in post support

Abstract

An adjustable screw-in post support for use in supporting a post vertically above the ground. The adjustable screw-in post support has a shaft with a helical blade affixed thereto at one end and a shaft plate affixed thereto at the opposite end. The post support also includes a post-receiving unit mounted atop a base plate. The shaft and base plate cooperate with one-another to provide adjustment of the post-receiving unit relative to one-another and are held together by a fastener.

1 . An adjustable post support for supporting a post above the ground comprising: 
 a shaft having an upper end and a lower end wherein said lower end has at least one helical blade thereon and said upper end has a first curved dome;    a post-receiving unit having a second curved dome, said first and second domes nesting with one-another to provide a ball and socket type adjustable connection between said shaft and said post-receiving unit, said post-receiving unit also having opposed first and second side walls extending from said second curved dome; and    fastening means for tightening said first and second domes together.    
   
   
       2 . The post support of  claim 1  wherein said post-receiving-unit further comprises opposed third and fourth side walls extending generally between said first and second side walls.  
   
   
       3 . The post support of  claim 2  wherein said third and fourth side walls have bottom edges that are spaced from said second curved dome to define opposed generally rectangular slots in said unit.  
   
   
       4 . The post support of  claim 3  wherein a bottom side of said slots is defined by said second curved dome.  
   
   
       5 . The post support of  claim 3  or  4  wherein each of said slots is dimensioned to accommodate a standard sized cut of lumber.  
   
   
       6 . The post support of  claim 1  wherein said first and second walls are spaced from one another a distance substantially equal to one dimension of a standard size of dimensioned lumber.  
   
   
       7 . The post support of  claim 2  or  3  wherein said post-receiving unit further comprising at least one pair of opposed, parallel and spaced flanges extending outwardly from said first and third walls, said flanges being adapted to be drawn towards one another.  
   
   
       8 . The post support of  claim 1  wherein said first and second curved domes are curved towards said shaft.  
   
   
       9 . The post support of  claim 1  wherein said first and second curved domes are curved away from said shaft.  
   
   
       10 . The post support of  claim 1  further comprising locking means for locking said first and second domes together against rotation relative to one-another.  
   
   
       11 . The post support of  claim 10  wherein said locking means comprises a pin.  
   
   
       12 . The post support of  claim 1  wherein said fastening means comprises a threaded bolt and a corresponding threaded nut.  
   
   
       13 . The post support of  claim 12  wherein said bolt comprises an enlarged bolt head.  
   
   
       14 . An adjustable post support for supporting a post above the ground comprising: 
 a shaft having an upper end and a lower end wherein said lower end has at least one helical blade thereon and said upper end has a first curved dome;    a post-receiving unit having 
 a second curved dome, said first and second domes nesting with one-another to provide a ball and socket type adjustable connection between said shaft and said post-receiving unit;  
 opposed first and second side walls extending from said second curved dome and opposed third and fourth side walls extending generally between said first and second side walls;  
 at least one pair of opposed, parallel and spaced flanges extending outwardly from said first and third walls, said flanges being adapted to be drawn towards one-another;  
   and    fastening means for tightening said first and second domes together.    
   
   
       15 . An adjustable post support for supporting a post above the ground comprising: 
 a shaft having an upper end and a lower end wherein said lower end has at least one helical blade thereon and said upper end has a first curved dome;    a post-receiving unit having: 
 a second curved dome, said first and second domes nesting with one-another to provide a ball and socket type adjustable connection between said shaft and said post-receiving unit;  
 opposed first and second side walls extending from said second curved dome and opposed third and fourth side walls extending generally between said first and second side walls, said third and fourth side walls having bottom edges that are spaced from said second curved dome to define opposed generally rectangular slots in said unit, one of said bottom edges being spaced further from said second dome than said other bottom edge; and  
 at least one pair of opposed, parallel and spaced flanges extending outwardly from said first and third walls, said flanges being adapted to be drawn towards one-another;  
   and    fastening means for tightening said first and second domes together.    
   
   
       16 . An adjustable post support for supporting a post above the ground comprising: 
 a shaft having an upper end and a lower end wherein said lower end has at least one helical blade thereon;    a post-receiving unit having a base plate and opposed first and second side walls extending substantially perpendicular from said base plate;    a shaft plate connected to said upper end of said shaft, said shaft plate cooperating with said base plate for adjustment of said post-receiving unit relative to said shaft; and    fastening means for tightening said base plate and said shaft plate together.    
   
   
       17 . The adjustable post support of  claim 16  wherein said base plate and said shaft plate are each curved domes, said domes nesting with one-another to provide a ball and socket type adjustable connection between said shaft and said post- receiving unit.  
   
   
       18 . The adjustable post support of  claim 16  wherein said base plate comprises a dome curved towards said shaft plate to provide a pivot point for said post-receiving unit to pivot about said shaft plate.  
   
   
       19 . The adjustable post support of  claim 18  wherein said shaft plate comprises a divot for receiving said dome of said base plate.  
   
   
       20 . The post support of  claim 16  further comprising locking means for locking said first and second domes together against rotation relative to each other.  
   
   
       21 . The post support of  claim 20  wherein said locking means comprises a pin.  
   
   
       22 . The post support of  claim 16  wherein said fastening means comprises a threaded bolt and a corresponding threaded nut.  
   
   
       23 . The post support of  claim 22  wherein said bolt comprises an enlarged bolt head.