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.
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 FIELDEmbodiments 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.
BACKGROUNDUtility 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.
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.
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
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 26, 2009
Publication Date: Oct 1, 2009
Inventor: Daniel Ritola (LaCenter, WA)
Application Number: 12/412,170
International Classification: B21B 39/22 (20060101);