Footing plates

Abstract

A footing plate ( 10 ) including a planar web ( 12 ) through or from which a plurality of tubes ( 14 ) pass, the tubes ( 14 ) being adjacent to the edges of the planar web ( 12 ) and being disposed at angles to the planar web ( 12 ), none of the angles being 90°, the tubes ( 14 ) being sized to permit the passage therethrough of pins ( 18 ) for fixing into underlying ground, the upper face of the planar web ( 12 ) optionally being provided with a plurality of holes to accept bolts for retaining means to receiving a post, pole or upright structural beam, the planar web ( 12 ) also being provided with a downwardly extending flange ( 16 ) from at least one of the edges of the planar web ( 12 ).

1 - 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . A footing plate including a planar web through which a plurality of tubes pass, said tubes being adjacent the edges of the planar web and being disposed at angles to the planar web, none of said angles being 90°, said tubes being sized to permit the passage therethrough of pins for fixing into underlying ground, said planar web being provided with a downwardly extending flange on at least one of the edges of said planar web. 
     
     
         10 . A footing plate as claimed in  claim 9  wherein said upper face of said planar web is provided with a plurality of holes to accept bolts for retaining means for receiving a post, pole or upright structural beam. 
     
     
         11 . A footing plate as claimed in  claim 9  wherein said tubes are offset from the edges of the planar web. 
     
     
         12 . A footing plate as claimed in  claim 9  wherein the underside of said planar web is provided with at least one rib for strengthening said planar web. 
     
     
         13 . A footing plate as claimed in  claim 12  wherein said at least one rib is joined to at least one downwardly extending flange. 
     
     
         14 . A footing plate as claims in  claim 9  wherein said planar web has the outline of either a square, rhombus, rectangle, parallelogram, trapezium, triangle or other polygon, or a circle, oval or ellipse. 
     
     
         15 . A footing plate including a planar web from which a plurality of tubes originate and descend, said tubes being adjacent the edges of the planar web and being disposed at angles to the planar web, none of said angles being 90°, said tubes being sized to permit the passage therethrough of pins for fixing thereof into underlying ground, the planar web being provided with a downwardly extending flange on at least one of the edges of the planar web. 
     
     
         16 . A footing plate as claimed in  claim 15  wherein said means for receiving a post or a structural beam has a socket which has a cross-sectional shape selected from the groups of circular, square, rectangular, hexagonal or prismatic shapes.