MEMBER TILTING METHOD AND APPARATUS

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to removing and/or replacing elongate generally vertical members, such as utility poles, trees, etc., and, include a tilting apparatus having a lower support member pivotally coupled to a lower support member, two or more elongate member couplers positioned to secure the elongate member to the upper and lower support members, and an actuator coupled to the upper and lower support members to control pivotal movement of the upper support member relative to the lower support member and tilt the upper portion of the elongate member.

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Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to Provisional Patent Application No. 61/039,749, filed on Mar. 26, 2008, and incorporates that application herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the present invention relate to the field of elongate generally vertical members, such as utility poles, trees, etc., and, in particular, to apparatus and methods for tilting such members from the vertical or upright position.

BACKGROUND

Utility poles are used to carry conductors over a long distance. A utility pole may also carry utility equipment. There are several types of utility poles, which carry conductors and equipments for a variety of different types of utilities, e.g., electrical, street lighting, communication, cable television, traffic signals, etc. Historically, utility poles have been primarily made of wood, but many are also made of other materials such as steel, concrete, and/or composites (fiberglass). Utility conductors may be mounted on the utility poles through insulators to insulate the energized conductors from the pole.

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an example utility system 10. The utility system 10 may include a plurality of utility poles 12a, 12b, and 12c, configured to carry a plurality of conductors 22 and 24. The utility system may be used for various purposes, including but not limited to, power, telephone, communication, cable television, street/traffic lighting, etc. In various embodiments, utility pole 12a may include an upright or generally vertical section 14a, a horizontal section 16a, and one or more supports 18a, although numerous other configurations of utility poles are possible. The conductors 22 and 24 may be coupled to the horizontal arm 16a using one or more insulators (not shown).

It is not uncommon that one or more of the utility poles and/or the conductors must be replaced for a variety of reasons, e.g., damage in the poles and/or conductors, upgrading the utility conductors, etc. Likewise, it may be necessary to replace the poles and/or the conductors without disruption of the utility services. To prevent disruption of the utility service, a utility pole and/or the conductors may be replaced while the conductors are still energized. This results in additional challenges in pole and/or conductor replacement.

In a conventional system, a wire-spreading method is most commonly utilized to replace one pole or a series of poles, and/or the associated conductors. As discussed herein, a series of poles may refer to a plurality of consecutively placed poles carrying the same conductors. For example, consecutively placed poles 12a, 12b, and 12c carry the same conductors 22 and 24, and form a series of poles.

FIGS. 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d illustrate a conventional wire-spreading technique to replace a series of utility poles, and/or the associated conductors. FIG. 2a is the top view of the utility system of FIG. 1, with a series of poles 12a, 12b, 12c with horizontal arms 16a, 16b, and 16c, respectively, on which conductors 22 and 24 are mounted. In the wire-spreading method, temporary horizontal arms (auxiliary arms) 30a, 30b, and 30c may be cantilevered off the vertical arm in each of the poles 12a, 12b, and 12c, respectively, as illustrated in FIG. 2b. In various embodiments, auxiliary arms 30a, 30b, and 30c may be substantially longer than the corresponding horizontal arms 16a, 16b, and 16c, respectively. The energized conductors 22 and 24 may then be unfastened from the insulators mounted on the horizontal arms 16a, 16b, and 16c, and transferred and fastened to insulators mounted on the newly installed auxiliary arms 30a, 30b, and 30c, as illustrated in FIG. 2c. As a result, the conductors 22 and 24 may now be more spread out, thereby creating an overhead space in between the conductors.

A new series of new or replacement poles 36a, 36b, and 36c (shown in dotted lines) may then be installed adjacent to the existing poles 12a, 12b, and 12c, aligned with the old series of poles, as illustrated in FIG. 2d. New conductors 32 and 34 (shown in dotted lines) may then be installed on the new poles 36a, 36b, and 36c using the newly created overhead space. Once ready, utility service may be switched from the old conductors 22 and 24 to the newly installed conductors 32 and 34.

As the wire-spreading method involves shifting the conductors from the existing horizontal arm of a utility pole to its auxiliary arm, extra precaution may be needed to shift the conductors if the conductors are energized. This may amount to an increase in manpower certified to handle energized conductors, thereby increasing the total manpower cost. Additionally, installing the auxiliary arm may also need extra precaution as it involves working very close to the horizontal arm carrying energized conductors.

The other conventional utility poles and/or utility conductor replacement technique may utilize a pole leaning method to replace a series of poles. In such a technique, soil, concrete, or other base support of each of the utility poles is first removed from the base in a desired direction in which the poles are to be leaned. A boom truck may hold the pole upright while excavation is taking place. Once excavated, the pole or series of poles may be tilted, along with the attached conductors, until the poles and conductors are displaced enough that the new poles and conductors may be put in position. This technique is particularly dangerous and precarious.

Both the wire-spreading method and the pole leaning method require a full crew equipped with various equipment, including but not limited to, excavators, boom trucks, and support trucks. Additionally, both methods require a substantial number of crews, and are limited by the full crew's ability to lean poles or spread wires, which may require a substantial amount of time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described by way of exemplary embodiments, but not limitations, illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like references denote similar elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an example utility system including a plurality of utility poles and utility conductors;

FIGS. 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d illustrate a conventional wire-spreading technique to replace a series of utility poles, and/or the associated conductors;

FIGS. 3A, 3Bb, and 3C illustrate an elongate member tilting apparatus in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a method of replacing elongate members in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 5A, 5B, 5C and 5D illustrate exemplary member couplers in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention;

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate an elongate member tilting apparatus in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention;

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate a member tilting apparatus in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention;

FIGS. 8A, 8B and 8C illustrate a member tilting apparatus in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention

FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate an elongate member tilting apparatus in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention;

FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate member couplers adapted to pivot about a vertical axis in accordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 11 illustrates member tilting apparatuses in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention;

FIGS. 12A and 12B illustrates member tilting apparatuses in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention; and

FIGS. 13A and 13B illustrates member tilting apparatuses in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.

 DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout, and in which are shown, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment, but they may. Furthermore, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and the like, as used with respect to embodiments of the present invention, are synonymous.

The phrase “A and/or B” means (A), (B), or (A and B). The phrase “A, B, and/or C” means (A), (B), (C), (A and B), (A and C), (B and C) or (A, B and C). The phrase “(A) B” means (A B) or (B), that is, A is optional.

Various operations may be described as multiple discrete operations in turn, in a manner that may be helpful in understanding embodiments of the present invention; however, the order of description should not be construed to imply that these operations are order dependent.

The description may use perspective-based descriptions such as up/down, back/front, and top/bottom. Such descriptions are merely used to facilitate the discussion and are not intended to restrict the application of embodiments of the present invention.

The terms “coupled” and “connected,” along with their derivatives, may be used. It should be understood that these terms are not intended as synonyms for each other. Rather, in particular embodiments, “connected” may be used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact with each other. “Coupled” may mean that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact. However, “coupled” may also mean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other, but yet still cooperate or interact with each other.

In various embodiments, an elongate member tilting and/or removal apparatus may be configured to tilt, for example, utility poles and/or trees from their generally upright or vertical position to a desired angle to allow replacement of conductors or other overhead service lines. In various embodiments, the elongate member tilting apparatus may further and controllably tilt the elongate member from the desired angle to a position where the elongate member may rest on the ground or be otherwise supported. So positioned, the elongate member may be further broken down and removed as desired. In various embodiments, the elongate member tilting apparatus may be used to controllably tilt the elongate member using a variety of techniques, including, but not limited to, tension, compression and/or a combination of the two.

FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C illustrate a compression based elongate member tilting apparatus in accordance with various embodiments. Tilting apparatus 50 may include a first or upper support member 52 and a second or lower support member 54. Upper support member 52 may be coupled to an upper portion 46 of an elongate member 12 and lower support member 54 may be coupled to a lower portion 44 of an elongate member 12. Upper support member 52 may be coupled to lower support member 54 through a pivotal connection 56 having a generally horizontal pivot axis 58. An actuator 60 may be coupled to the upper support member 52 and the lower support member 54 and adapted to controllably pivot the upper support member 54 about the pivot axis 58. In various embodiments, a compression based tilting apparatus may include apparatuses where the upper support member pivots towards the lower support member in an acute angular fashion or for example, in an angular direction from also 180 degrees to zero degrees on the vertical (see, e.g. FIGS. 3, 6, 7, 9, 11, and 12). In various embodiments, a tension based tilting apparatus may include apparatuses where the upper support member pivots about a horizontal axis away from the lower support member in an obtuse angular fashion or in an angular direction from about 180 degrees to 360 degrees on the vertical.

FIG. 4 illustrates a flow chart of a utility pole tilting method 80, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. The method of FIG. 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3A-3C. Referring to FIGS. 3a and 4, in various embodiments, at 82, the tilting apparatus 50 may be secured to an elongate member such as utility pole 12, as previously discussed. At 84, the elongate member 12 may be cut at a position between the upper and lower support members, thereby separating the lower portion 44 from the upper portion 46. As would be apparent, after cutting the pole, the lower pole portion 44 remains secured to the ground and hence unmovable, while the upper portion 46 only remains coupled to the lower portion through the tilting apparatus 50.

In various embodiments, a section may be removed, thereby creating a discernable gap to facilitate tilting of the elongate member. The length of the pole to be cut (i.e. the length of the gap) may depend on various factors, e.g., size of tilting apparatus 50, cross sectional diameter of the pole 12 (a large diameter may necessitate a larger length of the gap), how much tilt the pole must achieve, etc. The position of the cut and/or the gap may also depend on several factors, e.g., tilting member coupling points, integrity of the pole, etc.

Once cut, at 86 the upper portion 46 may be partially tilted by an angle A° from the upright axis 48 using the actuator 60, thereby causing the upper pole portion 46 to pivot about pivot axis 58. This results in a tilt of the upper portion 46 of the pole. In various embodiments, with the tilting of the upper portion 46, the associated conductors (not shown) may shift accordingly, which may allow, for example, positioning of new poles without interference with the conductors on the tilted poles (e.g. FIG. 3B). In various embodiments, every pole in a series of poles may be tilted by substantially same angle A°, thereby creating an overhead space without any conductors. A series of new poles may then be erected, each new pole adjacent to a corresponding old pole, and new conductors may be installed on the newly installed series of poles, using the newly created overhead space. As would be readily apparent, in various embodiments, only a single pole (instead of a series of pole) may also be tilted.

Until the new conductors are energized, the existing conductors on the partially tilted poles may continue to remain energized. Additionally, partially tilting the poles, as described above, may not involve any contact with, or alteration of the energized conductors, and hence, may be safely carried out even while the conductors are energized.

The partial angle of tilt A° may depend on various factors, including, for example, the amount of load the tilting apparatus 50 may bear, the amount of overhead space needed to install new conductors, any minimum distance requirement between the still energized conductors in the partially tilted pole and the ground, any building or other obstacle near the pole which may restrict the amount of tilt, etc. In various embodiments, the angle A° may be between 5° and 30°. In various embodiments, the angle A° may be between 15° and 25°. And in some embodiments, the angle A° may be between about 18° and 22°.

Once the new conductors are installed and energized, and the existing conductors on the pole 12 may be de-energized at 88. At 90, once the conductors are removed, the actuator may be further actuated to cause further tilting of the pole to a resting or lower configuration for further breakdown and/or removal (e.g. FIG. 3C).

In various embodiments, upper support member 52 may have one or more member couplers 62 that are configured to secure the upper support member 52 to the upper portion 46. Likewise, lower support member 54 may have one or more member couplers 62 adapted to secure the lower support member 54 to the lower portion 44 of the elongate member 12. FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C illustrate various examples of member couplers 62 in accordance with various embodiments. Referring to FIG. 5A, the coupler 62 may include an elongate member cradle 70, which may be configured to support or engage the elongate member to help prevent shifting of the pole portions 44 and 46 with respect to the tilting apparatus 50.

A retaining member 76 may be adjustably coupled to the cradle 70 and/or one of the upper and lower support members 52 and 54. Retaining member 76 may be tightened in order to secure the elongate member to the respective upper and/or lower support members 52 and 54 and resist rotational, lateral or other relative movement. In various embodiments, as illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B, a retaining member 76, which may be a chain, may be wrapped around the member and coupled to the cradle 70 by way of a hook connection, eyebolt or some other adjustable connector. The chain may then be tightened using, for example, the eyebolts or other adjustment mechanisms 78. In various other embodiments, a variety of other retaining members such as cables, straps or other flexible members may be used to properly couple the upper and lower support members 52 and 54 to the elongate member.

In various embodiments, the cradle 70 may have a shape that ensures that there is engagement between the cradle and the elongate member over an area that is more than just a point contact. In various embodiments, the cradle 70 may be an angled v-block configuration 72 or may be for example, radiused. In various embodiments, the cradle 70 may be sized to provide appropriate support for differing diameter elongated members. In various embodiments, the elongate member engaging portion of the cradle 70 may include gripping features 74 to help resist movement of the elongate member once secured.

As illustrated in FIG. 5C, an opposing V blocks 72 and 72′ may engage the elongate member on opposite sides and, using retaining members 76, which as illustrated are cross bolts, may serve to clamp the member in position. In various embodiments, the cross sectional diameter of the v-blocks may be adjustable to fit the diameter of a member. For example, the member coupler of FIG. 5C may be adjusted to have a diameter of 14″ and in FIG. 5D may have a diameter of about 8″.

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate views of an elongate member tilting apparatus in accordance with various embodiments. Similar to the apparatus discussed in FIG. 3, apparatus 50 includes an upper support member 52 pivotally coupled to lower support member about pivot 56. A plurality of member couplers 62 are attached to upper and lower support members 52 and 54, and are configured to secure the elongate ember to the tilting apparatus 50.

Elongate member tilting apparatus 50 may include a primary or first actuator 60 removably coupled to the upper and lower support members 52 and 54. First actuator 60 may cause upper support member 52 to pivot about pivot 56 to induce tilting of the upper portion of the elongate member. As Illustrated, primary actuator 60 may be a turn buckle type actuator including actuator first end 75 threadably engaged with actuator body 61. Actuator second end 77 may also be threadably engaged with actuator body 61. Rotation of actuator body in a first direction may cause axial contraction of the first and second ends 75 and 77, which in turn may induce tilting of the upper portion of the elongate member. In various embodiments, the primary actuator may be actuated to produce some tension in the elongate member so that it may be cut between the upper and lower portions without, for example, pinching the blade of the cutter.

In various embodiments, a secondary or second actuator 61 may be removably positioned between the upper and lower support members, and which may be adapted to induce a greater degree of movement between the upper support member 52 and the lower support member 54. In various embodiments, the secondary actuator may be a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder. In embodiments where multiple tilting apparatuses are used on a string of utility poles for example, a single hydraulic or pneumatic secondary actuator may used and moved from one apparatus to the next. I various embodiments, a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder may be used for the primary actuator as well. Using a mechanical actuator such as a turnbuckle for the initial tilt may be advantageous as it is less susceptible to unintended movement that may be present in hydraulic and pneumatic systems, such as bled off.

In various embodiments, the pivot 56 and pivot axis 58 may be offset from a vertical centerline passing through the upper and lower support members 52 and 54 when in the upright position. The offset may allow for better clearance of the upper portion of the elongate member upon tilting. The offset may also allow for better strength of the frame of the tilting apparatus.

In various embodiments, and as illustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6B, a stabilizer 80 may be coupled to the lower support member to help provide additional lateral support for the tilting apparatus. In one embodiment, the stabilizer 80 may have portions adapted to have jacks or other supports couple thereto and engage the ground. This additional support may help more broadly distribute the forces acting on the lower support member, which may be useful in situations such as when the ground surrounding the elongate member is unstable or when the integrity of the lower portion of the elongate member is of low. In various embodiments, the stabilizer 80 may be removable in a hitch type receiver fashion.

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate an elongate member tilting apparatus in accordance with various embodiments. Tilting apparatus 50 may include an upper support member 52 pivotally coupled to a lower support member 54 about a pivot 56. Actuator 60 may be coupled to the upper support member 52 and the lower support member 54. A first end 75 of actuator 60 may be pivotally coupled to the tilting apparatus 50 generally at or near the pivot 56. A second end 77 of the actuator 60 may be pivotally coupled to the first end of a first and second brace 67 and 69. First brace 67 may have a second end coupled to an upper end of the upper support member. Second brace 69 may have a second end coupled to a lower end of the lower support member. Actuating actuator 60 may cause tilting of the upper support member 52 about the pivot 56, and thus tilting of the upper portion 46 of the elongate member in a controlled manner. As with other embodiments the actuator may be a mechanical based actuator, a fluid based actuator or some other form.

FIGS. 8A, 8B and 8C illustrate a tension based elongate member tilting apparatus and method in accordance with various embodiments. Tilting apparatus 50 may be secured to an elongate member such as pole 12 and adapted to tilt the pole a desired distance/angle A from the upright or generally vertical position. In various embodiments, the tilting apparatus 50 may include an upper support member 52 coupled to the coupled to an upper portion 46 of member 12 by member couplers 62. A lower support member 54 may be coupled to a lower portion 44 of member 12 by member couples 62. Upper support member 52 and lower support member 54 may be coupled about pivot 56. Tilting apparatus 50 may also include one or more secondary support members, e.g. tension members 53, coupled to the upper support member 52 to add tension accommodating strength.

An actuator 60 may be coupled to the upper support member 52 and the lower support member 54 and be adapted to control pivotal movement of the upper support member about the pivot. In one embodiment, the actuator may be a jack type mechanism that may be adapted to allow controlled movement of the upper support member 52. Again, in various embodiments, a variety of actuators may be used, including, but not limited to screw jacks, hydraulic jacks, etc. In other embodiments, a boom truck may be used to allow the upper section to pivot a desired amount.

In various embodiments, a guy wire 88 may couple the elongate member tilting apparatus to the vertical arm of the elongate member position 89 to provide additional stability during the tilting operation. A guy wire may be used in tension based embodiments or compression based embodiments.

In various embodiments, partially tilting the pole from the position of FIG. 8A to the position of FIG. 8B may create less tension on the jacking mechanism actuator 60 as compared to fully tilting the pole from the position of FIG. 8B to the position of FIG. 8C. In various embodiments, a relatively low cost, light duty jack (e.g., a mechanical screw jack) may be utilized to partially tilt the pole from the position of FIG. 8A to the position of FIG. 8B. However, when tilting the pole to the ground, a heavy duty adjustment actuator such as a large hydraulic jack may be coupled to the jacking mechanism and used to assist in lowering the pole to the ground. In various embodiments, a single heavy duty actuator may be used to lower the poles from the tilted position to the horizontal position as a means of saving the cost of having multiple heavy adjustment actuators.

FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate an elongate member tilting apparatus using a compression method, in accordance with various embodiments. A tilting apparatus 50 may include an upper support member 52 pivotally coupled to a lower support member 54 about pivot 56. In various embodiments, clamp type screw member couplers may be used to secure the tilting apparatus to the elongate member 12. A variety of other types of fastening devices may also be used to secure the tilting mechanism to the elongate member, including, but not limited to the chain and V block clamps illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B.

In various embodiments, a first actuator 60 may be coupled between the upper support member and the lower support member and provide a controlled, but limited amount of pivotal movement of the upper support member 52 about the pivot 56. In one embodiment, a bracket 90 may be pivotally coupled to the lower support member 54 and the first actuator 60. A support member 75 (e.g. a telescoping compression support member) may be coupled to an upper part of the upper support member and the bracket 90. First actuator 60 may be a jacking mechanism such as a hand crank, hydraulic jack, etc. and further adapted to move a lower end of a movement control member (e.g. bracket) 118 toward the lower support member 54 as illustrated in FIG. 9B. As bracket 90 moves toward lower portion 44 of member 12, second support member 75 moves in a downward direction.

In various embodiments, support 75 may be a second actuator, which may allow for further tilting of the upper portion 46 of the elongate member 12 to a generally horizontal position for further breakdown. Again, as a potential cost saving measure, a single actuator may be coupled and decoupled from several tilting apparatuses along a line of tilted poles to complete tilting to the ground and allow for pole removal.

Because utility line conductors span many poles, a tremendous amount of tension is created. If the tilting apparatus is not coupled to the pole just right, the tension in the lines may prevent tilting of the pole to the desired angle. Accordingly, in various embodiments, the upper and lower support member couplers may also include a vertical pivot 96 that may allow for some degree of rotation about a vertical axis 98 in order to facilitate the pole tilting and avoiding undesirable resistance of the lines. FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate an example embodiment of such a vertical pivot.

FIG. 11 illustrates an elongate member tilting apparatus in accordance with various embodiments. Similar to the embodiment disclosed with respect to FIGS. 3A-3C, the member couplers 62 may be coupled to the upper and lower member supports 52 and 54 via a vertical pivot 96, thus resulting in a vertical pivot 98. In various embodiments, where a vertical pivot is used in either the upper support member or the lower support member, in order to prevent the pole sections from rotating relative to the support member once the conductors or other tension causing obstruction is released, a lock may be used to prevent further pivoting or rotation of the elongate member portion relative to the vertical axis as the upper portion of the elongate member is lowered to the ground.

In various embodiments, the locking mechanism can be a variety of known devices. In one embodiment, the cradle may have one or more holes disposed therein. Likewise, the support member bracket may also have one or more holes disposed therein. A pin or other lock could engage the two holes that are closest to alignment when the pole is in the initial tilt, but before the conductor or other obstructions are removed. In other embodiments, a clamping mechanism may also be used, for example.

FIG. 12 illustrates an elongate member tilting apparatus in accordance with various embodiments. Similar to the example illustrated in FIGS. 7A and 7B, an upper support member 52 and lower support member 54 may be coupled to an elongate member via member couplers 62. An actuator 60 may have a first end coupled to the upper and/or lower support members at a first connection point 87 (e.g. near the pivot point), and a second end coupled at a second connection point 85 to braces 75 and 77, which extend from the upper portion of the upper support member and the lower portion of the lower support member.

In various embodiments the actuator 60 may act as a scissor type jack, where actuation causes the distance between the first connection point and the second connection point to change and thus cause movement of the upper support member about the pivot 56.

FIG. 13 illustrates a member tilting apparatus in accordance with various embodiments. Upper support member 52 may be pivotally coupled to lower support member 54 at pivot 65. As illustrated, the pivot 56 is well below the member cut area, which may be useful for lowering the moment arm for members with, for example, lower integrity foundations.

Although used here for tilting utility poles, in various embodiments, the tilting apparatuses may be used to controllably tilt other vertical members, such as trees. Further, while fluid driven and mechanical driven actuators have been used in the example embodiments, other actuators, such as a boom truck or other piece of equipment may control the pivoting of the main support members about the pivot point.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art and others, that a wide variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations may be substituted for the specific embodiment shown and described without departing from the scope of the present invention. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the embodiment discussed herein. Therefore, it is manifested and intended that the invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. An elongate member tilting apparatus, comprising

A lower support member having one or more elongate member couplers positioned to secure the lower support member to a lower portion of the elongate member;
An upper support member having one or more elongate member couplers positioned to secure the upper support member to an upper portion of the elongate member;
A pivotal connection between the lower support member and the upper support member, the pivotal connection having a generally horizontal pivot axis about which the upper support member and the lower support member pivot; and
An actuator coupled to the upper support member and the lower support member, wherein the actuator controls pivotal movement of the upper support member about the pivot axis to tilt the upper portion of the elongate member.

2. The elongate member tilting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tilting apparatus is compression based such that the upper support member pivots about the horizontal pivot axis towards the lower support member in an acute angular fashion.

3. The elongate member tilting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator is adapted to tilt the upper support member to a first angle desired by a user to facilitate elongate member replacement.

4. The elongate member tilting apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first angle is in the range of 5 degrees to 30 degrees.

5. The elongate member tilting apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first angle is in the range of 18 degrees to 22 degrees.

6. The elongate member tilting apparatus of claim 3, wherein the actuator is adapted to tilt the upper support member about the pivot to a point beyond the first angle to a desired second angle.

7. The elongate member tilting apparatus of claim 6, wherein the desired second angle is between 80 and 110 degrees from the generally upright position.

8. The elongate member tilting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator includes:

a first actuator removably coupled to the upper support member and the lower support member and adapted to tilt the upper support member to the first angle; and
wherein a second actuator is removably coupled to the upper support member and the lower support member and adapted to tilt the upper support member past the first angle.

9. The elongate member tilting apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first actuator includes a turnbuckle and the second actuator includes a hydraulic cylinder.

10. The elongate member tilting apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a movement control member coupled to the first actuator and the lower support member and which limits the movement of the upper support member to the first angle.

11. The elongate member tilting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the member couplers include a cradle adapted to support a portion of a cross sectional profile of the elongate member.

12. The elongate member tilting apparatus of claim 11, wherein the cradle is laterally adjustable to accommodate different elongate member cross sectional profiles.

13. The elongate member tilting apparatus of claim 11, wherein the cradle is a v-block with an angular gullet region.

14. The elongate member tilting apparatus of claim 11, wherein the cradle is has a radiused bottom portion of the gullet region.

15. The elongate member tilting apparatus of claim 11, wherein the cradle includes gripping members on a face of the cradle adapted to engage the elongate member to resist movement of the elongate member in the cradle.

16. The elongate member tilting apparatus of claim 11, wherein the couplers further comprise retaining members adapted to adjustably couple to the cradle and secure the elongate member to the tilting apparatus.

17. The elongate member tilting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the member couplers are pivotally coupled to the upper support member and the lower support member such that they pivot about an axis parallels to an elongate axis of the respective upper and lower support member.

18. The elongate member tilting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a stabilizer coupled to the lower support member and adapted to engage the ground to provide additional lateral support.

19. The elongate member tilting apparatus of claim 18, wherein the stabilizer is removably coupled to the lower support member and is adapted to couple to extenders that engage the ground.

20. The elongate member tilting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

A first brace having a first brace first end and a first brace second end, the first brace first end pivotally coupled to an upper portion of the upper support member;
A second brace having a second brace first end and a second brace second end, the second brace first end being pivotally coupled to a lower portion of the lower support member; and
wherein the actuator has a first end pivotally coupled to the upper support member and the lower support member at the pivotal connection, and a second end pivotally coupled to first brace second end and the second brace second end; and
wherein actuation of the actuator causes tilting of the upper portion of the elongate member.

21. The elongate member tilting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elongate member is tension based and the upper support member is configured to pivot about the pivot point in an obtuse angular fashion relative to the lower support member.

22. The elongate member tilting apparatus of claim 21, further comprising tension members coupled to the upper support member to provide additional support.

23. The elongate member tilting apparatus of claim 1, wherein a guy wire is coupled between the upper support member and an upper portion of the elongate member to better control tilting of the elongate member.

24. A method for tilting elongate members, comprising:

securing a tilting apparatus to an elongate member by coupling an upper support member to an upper portion of the elongate member and coupling a lower support portion to a lower portion of the elongate member;
providing an actuator coupled between the upper support member and the lower support member;
cutting the elongate member into an upper portion and a lower portion; and
tilting the upper section of the pole to a first angle by actuating the actuator.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein tilting the elongate member further includes tilting utility poles for replacement, comprising:

Replacing one or more of the tilted elongate members with one or more new elongate members;
Moving or replacing the conductors from the tilted elongate members to the replaced elongate members.
Patent History
Publication number: 20090245994
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 26, 2009
Publication Date: Oct 1, 2009
Inventor: Daniel Ritola (LaCenter, WA)
Application Number: 12/412,170
Classifications
Current U.S. Class: Plural Article Turning Members Coact Sequentially To Reorient Single Article (414/774); Of Reorienting Article (414/816)
International Classification: B21B 39/22 (20060101);