CA1135391A - Test station apparatus for flush mounting - Google Patents

Test station apparatus for flush mounting

Info

Publication number
CA1135391A
CA1135391A CA000346930A CA346930A CA1135391A CA 1135391 A CA1135391 A CA 1135391A CA 000346930 A CA000346930 A CA 000346930A CA 346930 A CA346930 A CA 346930A CA 1135391 A CA1135391 A CA 1135391A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
carrier
housing
test station
station apparatus
wall
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA000346930A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Frank W. Borin
Jeffrey G. Thomas
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1135391A publication Critical patent/CA1135391A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • HELECTRICITY
    • H02GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02GINSTALLATION OF ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES, OR OF COMBINED OPTICAL AND ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES
    • H02G9/00Installations of electric cables or lines in or on the ground or water
    • H02G9/10Installations of electric cables or lines in or on the ground or water in cable chambers, e.g. in manhole or in handhole

Landscapes

  • Testing Resistance To Weather, Investigating Materials By Mechanical Methods (AREA)
  • Prevention Of Electric Corrosion (AREA)
  • Laying Of Electric Cables Or Lines Outside (AREA)
  • Measuring Leads Or Probes (AREA)
  • Testing Of Short-Circuits, Discontinuities, Leakage, Or Incorrect Line Connections (AREA)
  • Materials For Medical Uses (AREA)

Abstract

TEST STATION APPARATUS
FOR FLUSH MOUNTING

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
Electrical currents and potentials in test leads associated with underground piping, cables and the like are monitored through the use of a cathodic test station for flush mounting in the ground. The test station includes a hollow cylindrical housing having a flanged upper end and an implanted lower end receiving test leads and anchored in the ground by a bar extending therethrough and by ribs projecting radially from the outer surface of the housing. A carrier forms an airtight pocket within side walls projecting from a solid end wall having a flange extending outwardly for recessed support on a shelf in the flanged upper end of the housing. A clip within the air-tight pocket of the carrier extends across the face of the end wall with ends of the clip spaced from the end wall to support a mounting wall of a terminal block member. The mounting wall has a configuration to pass beyond the ends of the clip so that rotation of the terminal block member moves an inclined support surface into a tightly fitting engagement between the end wall and the clip. Entrapped air in the airtight pocket of the carrier prevents ingress of water. A fastener releasably secures the carrier to the housing.

Description

`` 113539~

TEST STATION APPARATUS
FOR FLUSH MOUNTING
This invention relates to a cathodic test station apparatus for mounting in a flush relation with the ground surface and providing by means of a removable carrier access to test leads while coupled to terminals on a block member that is removably supported within an airtight poc]cet formed in the carrier. More particularly, the present invention is addressed to such a cathodic test station apparatus embodying anchoring members to not only maintain the desired flush-mounting arrangement but also to prevent rotation of the implanted apparatus, a major part of which is made of plastic material for noncorrosive and electrically protective use.
A cathodic test station is used to provide aboveground access to lead wires for monitoring of electrical currents and potentials associated with numerous types of underground piping, cables and other metallic structures. The test station provides terminals to which the leads are con-nected for measuring underground structure-to-soil potentials, cathodic protection anode currents, the resistive integrity of insulation between various types of underground structures including a pipe, its casing or carrier. Such test stations are also used to detect and measure stray electrical currents in underground or subterranean structures as well as for reading electrical potential.
When a test station apparatus is made of cast aluminum, it is subject to destructive corrosion and offers no protection to personnel against electrical shock. A test station of this type, when embedded in streets or sidewalks, .~ s 1~3539~

becomes filled with surface and subsurface water, causing deterioration of the internal parts. At subfreezing tem-peratures, the formation of ice prevents access to the terminals and breakage of the cast structure. Even if plastic material is used to form the test station, the ingress of water deteriorates the bared ends of lead wires and test terminals. The formation of ice within the test station prevents access to the terminals.
It it an object of the present invention to provide a cathodic test station apparatus providing a flush-mounting load-bearing subterranean structure including a removable carrier forming an airtight pocket wherein a terminal support member is carried for coupling to leads extending beneath the ground surface.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cathodic test station apparatus embodying an improved anchor arrangement to not only maintain the appara-tus at the desired flush-mounting relation with the ground but at the same time prevent rotary movement of the test station apparatus about a vertical axis for protection against damage to test leads coupled to the apparatus.
It is still a further object of the present inven-tion to provide a cathodic test station apparatus wherein plastic material is used to form the essential parts of the apparatus to provide protection for users of the apparatus against electrical shock and at the same time embody a design to prevent the infiltration of water into the apparatus by providing an airtight pocket in a carrier for a terminal board that is removably supported in a housing.
-2-1~3539~

More particularly, according to the present invention there is provided a cathodic test station apparatus for coupling leads from piping, cables and the like to a device responsive to an electrical current or potential comprising a generally hollow housing having a flanged upper end extending essentially flush with the ground surface for access from aboveground after subter-ranean implantation such that the lower end extends into the ground for protectively receiving test leads passed into the housing, a carrier defining an airtight pocket within side wall means projecting from a solid end wall and having a flange extending outwardly therefrom for recessed support by the flanged upper end of the housing, clamp means supported by the carrier, the clamp means having a support surface projecting into the airtight pocket of the carrier at a spaced relation from the solid end wall thereof, a terminal block member for support within the airtight pocket of the carrier, the terminal block member including a mounting wall having a configuration to pass beyond the support surface of the clamp means and for coming into retaining engagement therewith upon rotation within the airtight pocket, the terminal block means further including a terminal carrier plate extending from the mounting wall thereof within the airtight pocket of the carrier such that the airtight pocket of the carrier prevents ingress of water into the carrier by entrapped air therein, and means to releasably secure the carrier to the housing at the flanged ends thereof.
In the preferred form, the aforesaid housing has a generally tubular configuration and the carrier has a generally cylindrical outer wall to fit within the housing.

'~A'' ~ 53~

To prevent rotation of the housing in the ground, radially-projecting ribs extend at spaced-apart locations along the substantial part of the outer surface of the housing. An anchor rod supported by the lower end of the housing extends outwardly into the ground for maintaining the upper end of the housing flush with the ground. In the airtight poc]cet of the carrier, an array of support surfaces extends from the end wall to engage the mountiny wall of the terminal block. The clip preferably ta]ces the form of a back section with a depending section at opposite ends each having a support web for releasable engagement with the mounting wall. The back section extends along a recess formed in the array of support surfaces on the end wall of the carrier. Implanted in the end wall is a magnetic insert retained in place by the back section of the clip for detecting the implantation site of the housing through a metal detector. The housing includes a support ledge within the upper end thereof to receive the flange of the carrier. The housing further includes an internal ledge to support the lower end of the carrier to thereby provide structural integrity and withstand imposed loads by vehicle traffic aboveground.
These features and advantages of the present invention, as well as others, will be more fully understood when the following description is read in light of the accom panying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is an elevational view in section through the cathodic test station apparatus of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II

of Fig. l;

i~S;39~

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of Fig. l;
Fig. 4 is an isometric view of a terminal plate member forming part of the test station apparatus of the present invention; and F~g. 5 is an isometric view of the clip apparatus used to support the terminal plate member shown in Fig. 4 and forming part of the test station apparatus.
As shown in Figs. 1-3, the preferred form of the cathodic test station apparatus of the present invention includes a generally tubular-shaped housing 10 with the upper end thereof enlarged by a flange 11 which forms a shelf recess on which a flange of a carrier 12 is supported.
As will be described in greater detail hereinafter, the carrier includes a solid end wall 13 which is supported by the outwardly-extending flange to form a nested flush relation in the shelf recess in the housing 10. When implanted in the ground, the upper ends of the housing and carrier are radially positioned in flush relation with the surface of the ground. This avoids excessive impact loading upon the test station by a vehicle or other traffic moving along the surface of the ground. An anchor tube or rod 1~ is passed through an opening at each of diametrically opposite sites at the lower end of the housing 10 to extend outwardly therefrom into the soil and prevent a raising or lowering of the housing at the implantation site. The housing also includes a lower shelf surface 15 an~an upper shelf surface 16 forming additional load-bearing surfaces primarily against the downward movement of the housing, Large ribs 17 and small ribs 18 extend radially at spaced-apart locations from S39~

the outer side wall surface of the housing forming cavity areas therebetween into which soil is received to form an anchor against rotation by the housing about a vertical axis. This anchoring of the housing resists an imposed force on one upper edge of the housing tending to produce rotation.
The carrier 12 is a unitary member with a tubular wall section 19 extending from the end wall 13. The space enclosed by the tubular wall and end wall forms an airtight pocket 20 into which there is releasably received a terminal block member 22. As best shown in Fig. 4 but also shown in Figs. 1-3, the texminal block member 22 includes a carrier plate 23 having a plurality of openings such as shown at 24 to receive terminal members, not shown, for the attachment of test leads fed into the housing 10 and passed therealonq into the airtiqht Pocket 20. The carrier plate projects from a lateral base or mountinq wall made uP of arcuate seqments 25 and 26 at each side of the plate, Each seqment 25 has an inclined face surface formed bv a proqres-sivelv increased thickness to the seqment. The smallestthickness of seqment 25 is extended bv seqment 26 havinq a uniform thickness. The inclined face surfaces of seqments 25 lie at oPposite sides of Plate 23. The seqments 26 have flats forminq outer side edqes that extend between annular edqes of seqments 25. The terminal block member 22 is releasablv attached within the airtiqht Pocket 20 bv Passinq, -as a leading end, the portion of the base or mounting wall made up of segments 25 and 26 into the airtight pocket with the flat side edges of segments 26 arranged to pass between projected ends of a clip member 27.

39i As shown in Fig. 5, the clip essentially comprises a back section 28 having at opposite ends upstanding side walls 29 that carry reverse bent portions 30. The bent portions 30 form the support surfaces which, after the base or mounting wall of the terminal block member is inserted beyond the edges, are brought first into engagement with the uniformly thick sections 26 and thence upon continued rotation with the inclined surface of segments 25. The back section 28 of the clip extends along a recess within an array of projecting support knobs or surfaces 31. These support surfaces engage the back surface of the base of the terminal block member. The back plate section 28 of the clip overlies one exposed face surface of an insert 32 made of magnetic ceramic material. The insert 32 is used to locate the site of the test station apparatus in the event the top surface thereof is not readily detachable. A
threaded fastener 33 includes, for example, a bolt extending into the side wall of housing 10 and receives at its upper end a nut passed into a suitably dimensioned opening in the flange of the carrier. The fastener 33 is used to maintain the carrier in a supported position within the housing in which the carrier is preferably dimensioned so that the bottom end thereof engages a ledge 34 used to provide additional load-bearing support for the carrier. The fastener 33 is also used to prevent displacement of the carrier from the housing due to a buoyant force created by the airtight pocket 20 should water infiltrate into the housing 10. In this way, the fastener prevents the carrier from simply floating on the surface of the water and rising out of the housing as the water level increases.

~ .
3~3~

Although the invention has been shown in connection with a certain specific embodiment, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in form and arrangement of parts may be made to suit re~uirements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (11)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A cathodic test station apparatus for coupling electrical leads from piping, cables and the like to a device responsive to an electrical current or potential comprising a generally hollow housing having a flanged upper end for extending essentially flush with the ground surface for access from aboveground after subterranean implantation such that the lower end extends into the ground for protectively receiving test leads passed into the housing, a carrier defining an airtight pocket within side wall means projecting from a solid end wall and having a flange extending outwardly therefrom for recessed support by the flanged upper end of said housing, clamp means supported by said carrier, said clamp means having a support surface projecting into the airtight pocket of said carrier at a spaced relation from the solid end wall thereof, a terminal block member for support within the airtight pocket of said carrier, said terminal block member including a mounting wall having a configuration to pass beyond the support surface of said clamp means and for coming into retaining engagement therewith upon rotation within the airtight pocket, and said terminal block member further including a terminal carrier plate extending from the mounting wall thereof to extend within the airtight pocket of said carrier such that the airtight pocket of the carrier prevents ingress of water into the carrier by entrapped air within.
2. The cathodic test station apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said housing has a generally tubular configuration and wherein said carrier has a generally cylindrical outer wall surface to fit into the housing.
3. The cathodic test station apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said housing includes radially projecting and spaced-apart ribs substantially along the length at the outside surface thereof to anchor against rotation in the ground after subterranean implantation.
4. The cathodic test station apparatus according to claim 3 further including an anchor red supported by the lower end of said housing to extend outwardly into the ground for maintaining the upper end of the housing flush with the ground.
5. The cathodic test station apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the end wall of said carrier includes an array of support surfaces extending from said end wall into said airtight pocket to engage the mounting wall of said terminal block member.
6. The cathodic test station apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said clamp means includes a cross wall extending between said support surfaces on the end wall of the carrier.
7. The cathodic test station apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said clamp means comprises a back section with a depending section at opposite ends each having a support web for releasable engagement with said mounting wall.
8. The cathodic test station apparatus according to claim 1 or 7 further comprising a magnetic insert implanted within the end wall of said carrier and retained by said clamp means for detecting the implantation site of said housing.
9. The cathodic test station apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said housing includes a support ledge within the upper end thereof to receive the flange of said carrier.
10. The cathodic test station apparatus according to claim 1 or 9 further comprising fastening means to releasably interconnect said housing and said carrier.
11. The cathodic test station apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said housing includes an internal ledge to support the lower end of said carrier.
CA000346930A 1979-03-12 1980-03-04 Test station apparatus for flush mounting Expired CA1135391A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US1998979A 1979-03-12 1979-03-12
US19,989 1979-03-12

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1135391A true CA1135391A (en) 1982-11-09

Family

ID=21796156

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000346930A Expired CA1135391A (en) 1979-03-12 1980-03-04 Test station apparatus for flush mounting

Country Status (9)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0015579B1 (en)
JP (1) JPS5820529B2 (en)
AU (1) AU520502B2 (en)
CA (1) CA1135391A (en)
DE (1) DE3062105D1 (en)
DK (1) DK104480A (en)
GB (1) GB2050075B (en)
NO (1) NO800689L (en)
SG (1) SG27883G (en)

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE8708258U1 (en) * 1987-06-11 1988-04-07 Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Ag, 69115 Heidelberg Protection device for one cable end
US5150247A (en) * 1989-10-30 1992-09-22 Broadband Technologies, Inc. Fiber optic telecommunication system employing continuous downlink, burst uplink transmission format with preset uplink guard band
NO20100279A1 (en) * 2010-02-24 2011-01-10 Sverre Norstein Cargo bank for use in testing electrical systems

Family Cites Families (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3466380A (en) * 1967-07-12 1969-09-09 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Underground distribution closure
US3466379A (en) * 1967-08-25 1969-09-09 Karl L Lohman Underground utility cable or conduit terminal
US3482030A (en) * 1968-09-30 1969-12-02 Pepco Products Corp Underground electrical conductor housing with inner bell-jar housing
FR2030570A5 (en) * 1969-02-05 1970-11-13 Vitramon Inc
AU418271B2 (en) * 1969-05-21 1971-10-26 Low voltage underground connection box
JPS51136495U (en) * 1975-04-24 1976-11-04
CA1079387A (en) * 1977-04-18 1980-06-10 Norris E. Cott Test station apparatus

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPS5820529B2 (en) 1983-04-23
EP0015579B1 (en) 1983-02-23
DK104480A (en) 1980-09-13
AU5578880A (en) 1980-09-18
JPS55131220A (en) 1980-10-11
DE3062105D1 (en) 1983-03-31
SG27883G (en) 1984-04-19
NO800689L (en) 1980-09-15
AU520502B2 (en) 1982-02-04
GB2050075B (en) 1983-02-02
GB2050075A (en) 1980-12-31
EP0015579A1 (en) 1980-09-17

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