AU744377B2

AU744377B2 - Metal pole

Info

Publication number: AU744377B2
Application number: AU98144/98A
Authority: AU
Inventors: John Kralic
Original assignee: BHP STEEL AIS Pty Ltd
Current assignee: BHP STEEL (AIS) Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1997-12-23
Filing date: 1998-12-22
Publication date: 2002-02-21
Anticipated expiration: 2018-12-22
Also published as: AU9814498A

Description

AUSTRALIA

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Applicant(s): BHP STEEL (AIS) PTY LTD AN000 019 625 Invention Title: Metal Pole The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: -2 METTAL POLES The present invention relates to metal poles and more particularly but not exclusively to hollow tubular poles for utilities such as electricity distribution and street lighting.

Hitherto, steel utility poles have generally comprised cylindrical or polygonal tubular members having a uniform and constant cross-section which decreases in size along its longitudinal axis to define a tapered elongate pole.

Typically tapered steel poles are prefabricated in continuous lengths off-site and transported to site for installation.

See..:In use as utility poles, it is often necessary to have *15 poles which are excessively long and heavy, thereby fabrication, transportation, handling and installation may become excessively expensive, time consuming and labour intensive.

In particular, tapered steel poles of this kind may be 20 excessively expensive due to high production costs generally applicable to their fabrication.

An object of the present invention is to address one or more of the above identified deficiencies of the prior art. In a preferred aspect, the present invention was 25 devised particularly but not exclusively to replace continuously tapered metal poles.

The-present invention provides a metal pole formed of longitudinally axially aligned tubular segments joined end to end, said pole having at least: a first segment, a second segment, and a third segment, wherein said second segment extends between said first segment and said third segment and said second segment is 3 0000 0*0 e 6009

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provided with a constant cross-section which decreases in size along its longitudinal axis to define a tapered segment, and said first segment and said third segment are each provided with a uniform and constant cross-section along their longitudinal axis.

According to a preferred aspect, the present invention also provides a metal utility pole formed of longitudinally axially aligned tubular segments joined end to end, said pole having at least: a first segment formed of cylindrical tubular pipe, a second segment formed of tapered tubular pipe and a third segment formed of cylindrical tubular pipe, wherein the second segment extends between said first segment and said third segment.

15 It is preferred that the first segment has an outer dimension which substantially corresponds to an outer dimension of one end of the second segment and the third segment has an outer dimension which substantially corresponds to that of the other end of the second segment.

20 It is preferred that the second segment provides a minor portion of the overall length of the pole.

It is preferred that the first segment has a length substantially corresponding to that of the third segment.

Preferably the second segment has a length which is a 25 minor portion of the length of the first segment.

Preferably the first segment and the third segment each comprise generic or otherwise standard commercially available pipe.

Preferably the segments are jointed by welding or other non detachable coupling means.

The invention extends to a method of fabricating a metal pole comprising the steps of; providing three or more tubular segments being at least: 00 S.

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0 00 0 0 S 00 S 9 0 4 a first segment, a second segment and third segment; longitudinally axially aligning the tubular segments; and joining the segments end to end so that said second segment extends between said first segment and said third segment; wherein said second segment is provided with a crosssection which decreases in size along its longitudinal axis to define a tapered segment, and said first segment and said third segment are each of a substantially constant cross-section along their longitudinal axis.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Figure 1 is a schematic view of a pole in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.

With reference to the drawing, Figure 1 shows 20 diagrammatically a pole in accordance with one embodiment oooo of the invention, the metal pole being formed of longitudinally axially aligned tubular segments joined end to end. The pole has a first segment 1 being a lower segment, a second segment 2 being an intermediate segment 25 and third segment 3 being an upper segment.

°The first segment 1 is a generic or otherwise standard commercially available cylindrical pipe having an outer diameter of, for example, 324 numm with a wall thickness of, ooooo for example, 6.4 mm. The first segment has a nominal length of, for example, 6000 mm.

S. The second segment 2 is a tapered pipe of circular cross-section formed with a wall thickness of, for example, having an outer diameter of, for example, 324 mm at an end adapted to be jointed to the first segment 1, said outer diameter uniformly and continuously reducing over the length of the segment, nominally, for example, 2800 mm, to an outer diameter of, for example, 219 rma at another end adapted to be jointed to the third segment 3, thereby to provide a tapered tubular pipe segment.

The third segment 3 is a generic or otherwise standard commercially available cylindrical pipe having an outer diameter of, for example, 219 mm with a wall thickness of, for example, 4.8 mm. The third segment 3 has a nominal length of, for example, 6000 mmu.

The segments 1, 2 and 3 are joined end to end with the see* second segment 2 interposed between the first and third %fee:segments, 1 and 3, respectively to provide an elongate *@C,15 pole.

The segments. 1, 2 and 3 are fixedly jointed to one

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another by welding or other af fixture operation.

Quick release and detachable fastenings, that is to say, other than fastenings providing fixed or permanent 20 joints between the segments may be provided. For example, the segment ends may be joined by threaded screw fastening or may be provided with coupling members, threaded or otherwise.

The segments are made of sheet metal such as steel 25 sheets typically 5-6 mm in thickness.

usually the steel is galvanised to resist corrosion.

The pole may include a part which usually includes switch gear and wiring (not shown) for controlling lights or other equipment mounted thereto.

The segments 1, 2 and 3 are tubes of substantially circular cross-section having a substantially constant wall thickness along their longitudinal axis. However, in other embodiments they may be tubes of polygonal cross-section.

-6 The preferred embodiment described above provides a steel pole formed, at least in major part, from generic or otherwise standard commercially available tubing or pipes of standard size and shape thereby keeping fabrication costs to a minimum.

The cost of fabrication of a utility pole in accordance with this embodiment of the invention may be considerably reduced in that the utility pole of this embodiment of the present invention requires only a segment of its overall length to be especially formed as a tapered tube with the bulk of the length of the pole being of less expensive, standard commercially available pipe segments.

see: The preferred embodiment of the invention provides a ***so:visually unobtrusive utility pole giving the appearance of 0 e .15 a continually tapered pole without the high costs involved in fabricating a continually tapered pole.

Additionally it limits the amount of special fabrication of tapered sections generally applicable to prior art tapered utility poles and introduces cost effective generic pipe thereby dramatically reducing coast.

The construction of a pole in accordance with a so *preferred embodiment of the invention is relatively simple requiring only two or more tubular segments joined end to end with an intermediate tapered tubular segment.

:25 The utility pole of the preferred embodiment may be transported to site in segments, then the segments may be joined together before installation.

Transport and handling of segments of relatively short length is generally less cumbersome and more readily achieved than that of utility poles of standard length.

Embodiments of the present invention may provide a not insubstantial cost saving in fabrication and installation of utility poles.

-7 Many modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing f rom the spirit and scope of the invention.

For example, the joints between the segments may be provided with a coupling member, for example in the form of collars, interposed between and into the ends of the segments to facilitate alignent and jointing.

A coupling may be provided between ends of adjacent segments, the coupling having one end portion with an external diameter corresponding to the internal diameter of one segment at another end portion having an internal 0:04, good diameter corresponding to the external diameter of the good other adjacent segment so that the segments may be fastened together by inserting the coupling end portions *.00 o. 15 respectively over said one segment and into said other 0 segment.

*0 in the claims which follow and in the preceding suimmary of doe, the invention, except where the context requires otherwise *20 due to express language or necessary implication, the word do "comprising- is used in the sense of "including", that is :the features specified may be associated with further *0 0 features in various embodiments of the invention.

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Claims

2. A metal utility pole formed of longitudinally axially aligned tubular segments joined end to end, said pole 20 having at least: •a first segment formed of cylindrical tubular pipe, a second segment formed of tapered tubular pipe and a third segment formed of cylindrical tubular pipe, wherein the second segment extends between said first 25 segment and said third segment.
3. A metal pole as defined in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein S"the first segment has an outer dimension which substantially corresponds to an outer dimension of one end of the second segment and the third segment has an outer dimension which substantially corresponds to that of the other end of the second segment.
9- 4. A metal pole as defined in any one of the preceding claims wherein the second segment provides a minor portion of the overall length of the pole. 5. A metal pole as defined in any o ne of the preceding claims wherein the first segment has a length substantially corresponding to that of the third segment. 6. A metal pole as defined in any one of the preceding claims wherein the second segment has a length which is a minor portion of the length of the first segment. 0 S 0@6e 6 15 96 S *0 6666 @6 6* 6 7. A metal pole as defined in any one of the preceding claims wherein the first segment and the third segment each comprise generic or otherwise standard commercially available pipe. @9 @6 6 9 @6 66@@ 6@ 06 6 0S 66 6.6*9. S 8. A metal-pole as defined in any one of the preceding claims wherein--the segments are jointed by welding or other 20 non detachable coupling means. 9. A metal pole as defined in any one of the preceding claims wherein the segments are formed of steel. 25 10. A metal pole substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
11. A method of fabricating a metal pole comprising the steps of: providing three or more tubular segments being at least: a first segment, a second segment, and 10 a third segment; longitudinally axially aligning the tubular segments; and joining the segments end to end so that said second segment extends between said first segment and said third segment; wherein said second segment is provided with a cross- section which decreases in size along its longitudinal axis to define a tapered segment, and said first segment and said third segment are each of a substantially constant cross-section along their longitudinal axis.
12. A method of fabricating a metal pole substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 1 9 t h day of December 2001 BHP STEEL (AIS) PTY LTD By Its Patent Attorneys 20 GRIFFITH HACK .4 Jo«. *a oo S Al ~p~i ~~i