Ground anchor

DETAILED DESCRIPTION According to the present invention there is provided a ground anchor comprising a tubular socket with a closed bottom, the socket being intended to be inserted in the ground, means for preventing rotation of the socket in the ground, a diametral slot in the closed bottom of the socket, and a twisted flat bar adapted to pass along the socket and through the slot.
The tubular socket may be adapted to receive a tubular member to be anchored.
Alternatively the tubular socket may carry a flange as its upper surface to which a bracket or other attachment member can be fastened.
Rotation of the socket in the ground may be prevented by radially extending wings mounted on the outside of the socket.
Alternatively the socket may be of a non-round shape to prevent rotation.
In order to further stabilise the socket in the ground, hinged lock members can be pivoted around the periphery of the socket, with the lock members being rotated into the ground once the socket has been inserted in the ground.
The lock members preferably have a surface which extends in a direction tangential to the axis of the socket.
The twisted bar is preferably sharpened or pointed at one end and has a driving head at the other end.
The driving head preferably included a flange which will not pass through the diametral slot, and a threaded socket which can be engaged from within the tubular socket to withdraw the flat bar.
The tubular socket and the flat bar may be sold separately.