Abstract: A vibration damping mechanism for utility poles includes a cylindrical hollow tube including a sidewall having outer and inner side surfaces. The inner side surface forms an elongated inner chamber defining a longitudinal axis and having longitudinally spaced upper and lower ends. An unrestricted cylindrical rod disposed in the chamber is capable of limited movement in the chamber to damp oscillations. A section of the tube's sidewall is flat to form vertical flats along the outer and inner side surfaces. Formed portions of the sidewall disposed at respective upper and lower ends of the chamber are bent inwardly to extend across, and close, the upper and lower chamber ends, respectively. The lower one of the formed portions is shaped to define a raised pivot engaging a bottom face of the rod at a location laterally inwardly of the rod's outer side face.

Abstract: An embeddable breakaway utility pole comprises separate upper and lower aluminum pole pieces, wherein the lower pole piece is to be embedded below ground surface. The upper and lower pole pieces are interconnected by a weld which defines a breakaway zone enabling the upper pole piece to break off the lower pole piece in response to vehicular impact. The weld can be connected to a backer ring which provides a guide surface that axially aligns the pole pieces. Alternatively, the pole can be formed of a single pole piece which is welded between its ends to form a weakened region that defines the breakaway zone.

Abstract: A highway lighting apparatus includes a lighting fixture, and a vibration damper. The vibration damper includes a housing having a ball chamber, the chamber being of square shape. One or two vibration damping balls are mounted in the chamber for independent free rolling movement therein. If two balls are used, the ball diameter is shorter than one-half of each of the four chamber sides. If the damper is used on a pole having a side-mounted light fixture, the housing would include a downwardly open socket receiving the top end of the pole, with a center axis of the pole coinciding with respective center axes of the chamber and the socket. In the case where the damper is used on a pole having a top-mounted light fixture, the damper would be mounted below the light fixture on a side of the pole.

Abstract: A breakaway transformer base for a lighting pole includes four upstanding corner members (preferably formed of aluminum castings), and four side sheets. Each side sheet is attached to two of the corner members, e.g., by welds or fasteners, thereby interconnecting the corner members. Each corner member forms bolt holes for enabling the base to be bolted to a lighting standard and to an anchored foundation.

Abstract: A frame for reinforcing a handhole of a round metallic utility pole, includes a generally elliptical body defining a major axis and a minor axis and forming a generally elliptical outer periphery, and a generally elliptical inner periphery bordering an opening extending through front and back sides of the body, the opening defining a center axis of the frame. A flange is formed integrally with the body and projects forwardly therefrom at a location spaced inwardly from the outer periphery, wherein the flange is separated from the outer periphery by a forwardly facing shoulder surface of the body. The flange includes an outer flank facing outwardly and intersecting the shoulder surface, wherein the flange outer flank forms an oblique angle with the center axis as seen in a sectional view taken along the major axis, and lies substantially parallel to the center axis as seen in a sectional view taken along the minor axis.