Rods Patents (Class 174/3)
  • Patent number: 6515220
    Abstract: An improved grounding electrode system includes a moisture collector connected to a grounding electrode. The electrode may have a perforated conductive tubular assembly having at least two circular conductive collars. The whole electrode assembly is buried in the earth with the top end exposed and surrounded by an osmotic conductor. The tubular assembly can be filled with a chemical which enhances the soil conductivity. The moisture collector is preferably a mesh screen to condense moisture from the air and pipe it to the inside of the grounding electrode and/or to the surrounding soil. An osmotic conductor may be inside the electrode and/or in the surrounding soil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Assignee: Lightning Eliminators & Consultants, Inc.
    Inventor: Roy B. Carpenter, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6498291
    Abstract: When static electricity builds up in the earth, it is suddenly discharged in a destructive bolt of electricity which can cause fires, property damage and loss of life. The present invention collects this static electricity from the earth before it can build up, and dissipates it to the atmosphere gradually so as to prevent fires, property damage and loss of life. A plurality of relatively long underground wires conduct the electricity from the ground to a metal pole which extends from the ground upwardly approximately 40 feet or more, and the pole dissipates the electricity to the atmosphere. In one embodiment, a U-shaped top fixture on the pole increases the dissipation of electricity to the atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2002
    Inventor: James William Brammer
  • Publication number: 20020170725
    Abstract: A lightning suppression system for a power supply line including an enclosure with an interior volume, a first coil positioned within the interior volume of the enclosure, a second coil positioned within the interior volume of the enclosure, and a third coil positioned within the interior volume of the enclosure. The power supply line is connected to the leads of the first, second and third coils. A conductive grit fills a portion of the interior volume of the enclosure. A grounding rod is connected by a conductive line to the enclosure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2001
    Publication date: November 21, 2002
    Inventors: William J. Fowler, Benjamin P. Fowler
  • Publication number: 20020162671
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for mobile lightning protection. In one embodiment of the present invention, a lightning interception rod is positioned above a vehicle. In one embodiment, the rod connects to four down-conductors to conduct the current supplied by the lightning towards the ground. In one embodiment, the four down-conductors are positioned in a rectangular configuration. In one embodiment, down-conductors are covered by a insulating material. In one embodiment, the insulating material is a 3 mm thick layer of polymer. In one embodiment, one or more chains are attached to the vehicle and allowed to contact the ground. In one embodiment, two chains are attached to the vehicle. One chain is positioned at the front of the vehicle and another chain is positioned at the back of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2001
    Publication date: November 7, 2002
    Inventor: Mat Darveniza
  • Publication number: 20020070039
    Abstract: When static electricity builds up in the earth, it is suddenly discharged in a destructive bolt of electricity which can cause fires, property damage and loss of life. The present invention collects this static electricity from the earth before it can build up, and dissipates it to the atmosphere gradually so as to prevent fires, property damage and loss of life. A plurality of relatively long underground wires conduct the electricity from the ground to a metal pole which extends from the ground upwardly approximately 40 feet or more, and the pole dissipates the electricity to the atmosphere. In one embodiment, a U-shaped top fixture on the pole increases the dissipation of electricity to the atmosphere.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2002
    Publication date: June 13, 2002
    Inventor: James William Brammer
  • Patent number: 6369317
    Abstract: A lightning rod system including both methods and specific types of lightning rod protection apparatus, which address the need for lightning rod safety features to deter impalement and minimize injury when humans inadvertently fall upon or strike the projecting air terminal through use of a hebetative contagious impact surface (10) on an end cap(s). The system involves lightning rod system components such as humanized quantal rod (3) or coil spring coupler (13) engineered to be responsive within the range of forces achieved when a human of average size and weight falls onto the projecting air terminal from a standing surface level with that on which the lightning rod system is mounted to. The lightning rod system also involves a method and engineered components to retrofit existing lightning rod assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: National Lightning Protection Corporation
    Inventor: Robert W. Rapp
  • Patent number: 6320119
    Abstract: Air terminals of two types having curved surface electrodes that act passively or dynamically to minimize or further reduce corona during the close approach of the down leader. In the first type, a fully grounded passive terminal, suitably located and comprising a conductive curved surface of a given radius on a grounded rod of given height, is located and suitably dimensioned in order to minimize corona discharges until the median field rises to a level sufficient to support streamer to leader conversion, as described below. In the second type, dynamic action is achieved by allowing the curved surface to float upwardly in voltage by use of capacitive coupling to the approaching leader. The raising of voltage being in the same polarity as the leader, acts to reduce the electric field immediately above, with consequent reduction in corona.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Assignee: Erico International Corporation
    Inventor: John Richard Gumley
  • Patent number: 6307149
    Abstract: This invention is directed towards a lightning prevention system that prevents lightning strikes by draining the ambient static charge before the electrical potential reaches the electrical breakdown point of the atmosphere. This invention suppresses the radiation of a secondary incoming radio wave (IRW) by reducing the electromagnetic interaction of an incoming IRW with components of this invention. To this end, this invention consists of a static charge dissipater and a grounding line. The static charge dissipater is a conductive tube that contains a large number of small diameter conductive wires that are partially inside the conductive tube. The single grounding line consists of an application appropriate length of small gauge wire. To prevent the radiation of a secondary IRW, ferrite beads are spaced equally along the grounding line at an application appropriate distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: FCC/Enforcement Bureau
    Inventors: Richard Ralph Zini, William Carles Houston, William Ferrel Bentley, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6288327
    Abstract: A grounding device for conducting current into the earth through protrusions which engage thereinto. The protrusions are integrally affixed on a base plate and extend from only one surface plane thereof. Protrusions having tapered configurations are included for compatibility with the surface and subsurface characteristics of the earth. Structural particulars regarding the base plate and the protrusions are also incorporated to enhance the bearing pressure between the protrusions and the earth. Such particulars may be incorporated to cause flexure in the grounding device that is employed under a wheel of a vehicle which is temporarily grounded therethrough and thereby enhance the bearing pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventor: John M. Tobias
  • Patent number: 6167896
    Abstract: A lightning shelter for people is formed from a plurality of elongate electrically conductive members first ends of which are held conjoined between a pair of metal plates. Each member extends away from and depends from its first end to define a frame and the second end of each member has an electrically conductive spike drivable into the ground on which the shelter stands. The outer surface of each elongate member is electrically insulated e.g. with a layer of polyethylene. A further electrically conductive member is removably mountable on the frame on the plates to extend normally away from said frame. In moving from its first to its second end each elongate member extend firstly through a curved portion (quarter circle) and then through a generally straight portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2001
    Inventor: Henry Roy Smith
  • Patent number: 6069314
    Abstract: A lightning rod is enshrouded by a large number of electrically isolated metallic points. When a storm cloud passes overhead, a charge is induced in the lightning rod, causing the metallic points positioned near the lightning rod to emit sparks, causing the air about the points to become ionized. These produced ions are accelerated by an electric field produced by two metallic plates, one being electrically connected to the induced charge in the lightning rod and the other being electrically isolated from the charge induced in the lightning rod. The acceleration of the produced ions is strong enough to produce more ions through an avalanching effect created when ions collide with other air molecules in the presence of the strong electric field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2000
    Inventor: Manuel Domingo Varela
  • Patent number: 5998731
    Abstract: The lightning rod of the present invention is an absorbed type lightning rod which absorbs all lightning stroke current. This absorbed type lightning rod includes a conductive pole, a circular cone-shaped primary rod having an acute point, placed on the top of the pole, and a secondary rod having an acute point lower than that of the primary rod. In this lightning rod, the lightning induction of the primary rod is enhanced by the secondary rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: Etsuko Takamura
    Inventor: Mitsunori Takamura
  • Patent number: 5657197
    Abstract: As part of the operating mode of a lightning protection system in which lightning rods are moved from concealed positions to deployed positions as required for use in a storm with lightning phenomena, a testing procedure which monitors the movement noted during the long intervals which usually transpire between such storms to assure operability when needed, and which testing is done at night when the deployed positions are not aesthetically and otherwise objectionable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1997
    Inventors: William H. Skinner, II, John Murtha, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5638248
    Abstract: A static dissipator for dispersing the electrical charge on a structure into the atmosphere in order to prevent lightning strikes comprises an electrically conductive core which includes a plurality of twisted cables. A plurality of wire filaments extends outwardly from the core. Each of the wire filaments has an end in the form of a fine dissipation point. A housing is secured around the wire filaments. The housing has a plurality of openings formed therein. A threaded connector extends from the bottom of the core for connecting the static dissipator to a fixed structure to be protected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 10, 1997
    Inventor: W. Gregg Fawthrop
  • Patent number: 5370921
    Abstract: A lightning strike coating composition for composites. The composite is multilayered and comprises (i) a prepreg containing layer, (ii) a lightweight, highly conductive metallic wire screen or foil layer, and (iii) a sheet of lightweight carrier fabric containing (a) on one side a coating of a highly filled, thermoset resin in which the filler comprises a multimodal combination of filler particles, and (b) optionally, on the other side an adhesive joining it to layer (ii); wherein the layers are bonded to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1994
    Assignee: The Dexter Corporation
    Inventor: Calvin P. Cedarleaf
  • Patent number: 5073678
    Abstract: Underwriters Laboratories lists lightning protection components as described in their UL 96, Third Edition Publication. The present invention improves on the basic lightning rod systems. The improvement provides a multiplicity of points extending in all directions from the top of a supporting rod which is designed to fit the conventional lightning rod mounting bases. The points are separated and configured to produce maximum ionization current commensurate and configured to carry an above average lightning strike current flow. The result is a hybrid lightning air terminal and lightning prevention system module named the Spline Ball Terminal (SBT). The SBT partially equalizes the charge differential between the protected site and the cloud thereby preventing many strokes from occurring. If a high energy stroke does enter the protected zone, then the SBT acts like a traditional UL approved lightning rod, but with much greater efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1991
    Assignee: Lightning Eliminators & Consultants, Inc.
    Inventor: Roy B. Carpenter, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4910636
    Abstract: An electrical dissipator comprising a multiplicity of fine electrically conductive wires having their proximate ends fitted into a hole in an electrically conductive base member and secured therein by crimping to securely grip the ends of the wires. One embodiment of the base member comprises a hollow tube allowing connection over an existing traditional lightning rod. In another embodiment, the base member comprises a solid rod or hollow tube having its proximal end threaded to allow the traditional lightning rod to be unthreaded from its threaded base and replaced. In a third embodiment, the base member comprises an apertured flange for bolting to the structure to be protected from lightning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 20, 1990
    Assignee: Lightning Master Corporation
    Inventors: Charlton Sadler, Bruce Kaiser
  • Patent number: 4760213
    Abstract: A lightning conductor having an electrically conductive surface element insulated from an earth rod. The surface element is substantially continuous, but has an aperture defining an air gap. The air gap is located near the top of the earth rod. In atmospheric conditions existing before lightning discharges, arcing occurs between the surface element and the earth rod. This creates plasma about the tip of the earth rod, leading to upward leader formation. A high impedance static drain may be connected between the surface element and the earth rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 26, 1988
    Inventor: John R. Gumley
  • Patent number: 4752854
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for protecting against lightning. An atmospheric potential tapping member is disposed for this purpose in the atmospheric field prone to lightning to collect a voltage (U.sub.c) which, before there is a real threat of the lightning striking, has a value which remains within a lower voltage range (U.sub.b) a capacitor is progressively charged with the voltage U.sub.c and a few tens of microseconds before there is a real threat of the lightning striking a given place, the atmospheric field will undergo a sudden increase and will therefore influence, relatively in the same way, the voltage collected which will rise up to and into a range (U.sub.h) of voltages greater than that (U.sub.b) where it was situated up to then. This potential gradient is detected with respect to time, and the evolution of the potential gradient (dv/dt) detected with respect to time is monitored in this upper range (U.sub.h) of voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1986
    Date of Patent: June 21, 1988
    Assignee: Indelec Sarl
    Inventors: Louis Lefort, Pascal Boilloz, Monique Lefort, Bernard Lambin
  • Patent number: 4728748
    Abstract: Lightning conductor with a piezoelectric device for starting the corona effect. A lightning conductor pole rests on a support fixed by means of a ball. Under the action of the wind, the pole moves out of the vertical position until a shoulder abuts against a flange of the support. With the wind continuing to act on the pole, the latter exerts a considerable force on the support and the reaction force or torque is transmitted to the piezoelectric device by means of the ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 1, 1988
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique
    Inventors: Andre Robert, Michel Roubinet, Jacques Baumann
  • Patent number: 4652694
    Abstract: The invention relates to a corona discharge lightning rod comprising a tip which is isolated from the ground and having a base which is connected via discharge means to the ground, said lightning rod being suitable for ionizing the ambient atmosphere at the end of its tip. An electric circuit is provided for periodically reducing the potential of the tip to a value which is too low to maintain corona discharge, thereby producing periodic and intermittent corona discharge pulses. Preferably, the tip is electrically connected to a potential generator such that the potential (V.sub.0) applied to the tip is a variable potential in the form of recurrent wave trains, and such that the peak value of the first half cycle of the train having a polarity opposite to the polarity of the ambient atmosphere is greater than the threshold at which the corona effect takes place. This need only occur in the presence of the natural amplification (V.sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1987
    Assignee: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
    Inventors: Max Goldman, Alice Goldman, Stephane Kuhn, Pierre-Emmanuel Langlois, Gerard Berger
  • Patent number: 4565900
    Abstract: A lightning rod structure comprises a steel rod for connection to the ground, the rod extending upwardly from a central hub, and the structure further including an accelerator associated with the hub. The accelerator includes upper metal deflector arms radiating from the hub and each formed with a series of holes, and further arms of dielectric material radiating from the hub below the deflector arms. The further arms carry upwardly extending exciter needles centered on the holes in the upper arms. In use, a potential difference is created between the rod which is positively charged and the needles which become negatively charged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 21, 1986
    Inventor: Angel I. Arnau
  • Patent number: 4540844
    Abstract: In this device a point (100) is brought to a high tension potential by a generator (300). The grounding in case of lightning is effected by a rod (210) brought to the potential of the earth. A spark-gap device is constituted by the base (120) of the point and a crown (240) connected to the rod (210). According to the invention, to protect the dielectric interval of this spark gap, the base of the point is extended downwardly by a flared skirt (130) that covers the crown (240), at least partially, the visible portion (231) of the insulating sheath (230) is hollowed so as to remove its surface (232) from the armatures of the spark gap and there is given to the interior of the skirt (130) a surface condition that makes it possible to avoid any punctual deformation of the electric field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1985
    Assignee: Societe Francaise Helita
    Inventors: Michel Sautereau, Roger Nicod, Pierre Langlois
  • Patent number: 4518816
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a lightning conductor with a piezoelectric device for initiating the corona effect.It comprises a metal rod terminated by a tip and connected to the ground by an electric conductor. In the vicinity of the tip are provided one or more electrodes, which are electrically connected to one or more piezoelectric crystals, on which a means exerts a mechanical pressure. This makes it possible to raise the electrodes to an adequate potential for producing charged particles in the vicinity of the tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1985
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique
    Inventor: Andre Robert
  • Patent number: 4480146
    Abstract: An electrically conductive device (6) is positioned in the vicinity of a lightning rod point (1, 2), where it is electrically isolated from the lightning rod (1) and the ground conductor (3). This device (6) comprises a first component (7) extending radially from the lightning rod (1) and having terminal spikes (8, 9, 10) for facilitating the adjustment of said component to the potential of the surrounding atmosphere. The device (6) also comprises a second component (11) terminated by an electrode (12), which is positioned at a sufficiently short distance from the lightning rod (1) and in such a manner that a discharge takes place between the electrode (12) and the lightning rod (1) as a result of the voltage developing across the gap between said conductive device (6) and the lightning rod (1).The advantage of the system is that the efficiency of the lightning protector is greatly improved by comparison with lightning protectors provided with a radio-active source, while operating without such a source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 30, 1984
    Assignee: Energie Froide International SA
    Inventor: Cesare G. Invernizzi