CA2192757A1 - Pole climbing apparatus - Google Patents

Pole climbing apparatus

Info

Publication number
CA2192757A1
CA2192757A1 CA 2192757 CA2192757A CA2192757A1 CA 2192757 A1 CA2192757 A1 CA 2192757A1 CA 2192757 CA2192757 CA 2192757 CA 2192757 A CA2192757 A CA 2192757A CA 2192757 A1 CA2192757 A1 CA 2192757A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
pole
truck
truck means
rollers
engaging
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.)
Abandoned
Application number
CA 2192757
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Ed Dyck
Ray Plett
Bob Reimer
Lloyd Moore
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.)
POLE HUGGERS Ltd
Original Assignee
POLE HUGGERS Ltd
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 POLE HUGGERS Ltd filed Critical POLE HUGGERS Ltd
Publication of CA2192757A1 publication Critical patent/CA2192757A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

Links

Abstract

A pole climbing apparatus has a frame carrying two pairs of fixed rollers that are vertically spaced and arranged in a V configuration to engage one side of a pole. A movable roller engages the opposite side of the pole and is biased against the pole by a pneumatic cylinder. All of the rollers are driven to move the climbing apparatus up and down the pole.

Description

POLE CLIMBING APPARATUS
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a pole climbing apparatus.
BACKGROUND
A pole climbing apparatus has various uses. It may serve as a platform for automated sandblasting and painting of service poles and lamp standards. It may be used as a platform for elevating lights, cameras or any other equipment to desired heights on a standing pole.
Prior pole climbing apparatus has not proven truly reliable for a number of reasons. These include difficulties in radially clamping the devices to poles, especially to poles of varying size such as tapered lamp standards. With lamp standards there is also a problem of following any curvature of a standard where it bends to a horizontal orientation at the lamp head. Prior designs have also required significant clearance around a standard before the climbing apparatus could be attached.
The present invention is concerned with an improved pole climbing apparatus.
SUMMARY
According to the present invention there is provided a pole climbing apparatus comprising:
a frame having a pole receiving opening therein;
a plurality of pole engaging truck means mounted on the frame at circumferentially spaced positions around the pole receiving opening, the pole engaging truck means including:
first truck means at two circumferentially spaced positions for engaging a pole at axially spaced positions along the pole; and second truck means at a third circumferential position for engaging the pole at a position axially between the axially spaced positions of the first truck means;
clamp means for urging the first and second truck means towards one another for clamping a pole therebetween; and drive means for driving the truck means along a pole clamped therebetween.
Preferably the apparatus includes a fixed truck with rollers arranged in a V-formation array along one side of the pole, and a moving truck with a roller that can be driven against the opposite side of the pole.
This produces the necessary lateral stability with a relatively simple operating system. The second, moving truck is preferably biased against the pole by a pneumatic cylinder so that variations in pole size will not produce a significant effect on the clamping force.
In the preferred embodiment of the climber, both trucks are driven by a common gear train to maintain a uniform speed of the two trucks. The gear train may include a self-locking component, for example a worm gear drive, for safety purposes.
The unit is preferably driven pneumatically using a double redundant air motor. This includes three pneumatic motors driving a single planetary gear train. Failure of any one of the motors still allows operation of the apparatus at a reduced speed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the present invention:
Figure 1 is an isometric view of a pole climbing apparatus according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a schematic isometric showing the roller layout of -the two trucks;
Figure 3 is a plan view with the cover omitted and the frame shown in broken line for the sake of clarity;
Figure 4 is a back view of the fixed truck drive mechanism;
Figure 5 is an isometric of the pneumatic motor assembly; and Figure 6 is a schematic of the pneumatic circuit.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a pole climbing apparatus 10. It is shown mounted on a pole 12 illustrated in broken line. The apparatus 10 has a rectangular housing 14 providing a platform on which a variety of appliances or devices may be mounted. The housing has an opening 16 in one side for receiving the pole 12.
At one end of the housing 14 is a fixed truck 18 facing one side of the opening 16. At the opposite side of the opening is a clamping 15 truck 20 that is retracted into the housing and will extend into clamping engagement with the pole 12 when the climber is in use. The arrangement of the drive rollers of the two trucks is illustrated most particularly in Figure 2. As shown in that Figure, two parallel fixed truck rollers 22 and 24 are spaced axially along the pole 12 to engage the pole tangentially. Two 20 additional parallel fixed truck rollers 26 and 28 are likewise spaced axiallyalong the pole 12 to engage the pole tangentially. The rollers 22 and 24 are spaced circumferentially from the rollers 26 and 28 to provide a V
configuration. The clamping truck 20 carries a roller 30 that is circumferentially spaced from the fixed truck rollers 22 - 28 and engages the 25 pole tangentially, midway between the two sets of fixed truck rollers. This provides a stable support for the climbing apparatus on the pole, resisting tilting of the climbing apparatus in any direction.

The internal construction and operation of the apparatus is illustrated most particularly in Figures 3 and 4. As shown in Figure 3, the apparatus is mounted in a rectangular frame 32 fabricated from light weight metal channel. The frame provides the support for the external housing 5 illustrated in Figure 1.
The fixed truck assembly 18 has two box-like housings 34 and 36. The housing 34 accommodates the rollers 22 and 24, while the housing 36 accommodates the rollers 26 and 28. These two housings are mounted on the frame 32 in a V-arrangement, with both housings opening to the 10 center of the frame, where the rollers will confront the pole. A V-shaped web 38 joins the two housings to maintain their proper alignment. The rollers are mounted in the two housings using appropriate bearings (not shown) .
The rollers 22 and 26 are coupled by an upper drive shaft 40 15 with two universal joints 42 and 44. This ensures that the two rollers rotatein unison at the same speed. Similarly, a lower drive shaft 46 connects the two rollers 24 and 28 to ensure that they also rotate in unison. To drive the rollers, the outer ends of rollers 22 and 24 are fitted with chain sprockets 52 and 54 respectively. A chain 56 engages around the sprocket 52 and a 20 sprocket 58 located between the two rollers. Similarly, a chain 60 links the sprocket 54 to a center sprocket 62, coaxial with the sprocket 58. Idlers 64 and 66 mounted on the housing 34 maintain tension in the chains. The sprockets 58 and 62 are mounted on a common drive shaft 68 so that rotation of the drive shaft will drive all of the fixed truck rollers at the same 25 speed and in the same direction. The drive shaft 68 is connected through a set of bevel gears 70 to a drive shaft 72. For the sake of clarity, the support bearings for the drive shafts 68 and 72 are not shown.

2~ 927~7 The drive shaft 72 is driven through a chain drive 74 from a gearbox 76. The input of gearbox 76 is an output shaft 78 of a worm gear gearbox 80. The worm gear is driven from below by an air motor that will be described more fully in the following. The gearbox 80 has another 5 output shaft 82 that leads to a further right angle gearbox 84. The output of gearbox 84 is through a drive shaft 86 to the clamping truck 20. To accommodate movements of this truck, the drive shaft 86 incorporates two universal joints 88 and 90 and a spline 92 that allows the shaft to expand and contract in length.
The clamping truck roller 30 is mounted in a clamping truck housing 94. This is supported on the frame 32 by a four bar linkage 96.
The linkage includes two arms 98 and 100 connected to the housing 94 by respective pivots 102 and 104 and to the apparatus frame by pivots 106 and 108 respectively.
Movement of the clamping truck is effected using two pneumatic cylinders 110. Only one of these is illustrated, the other being directly below the illustrated cylinder as shown in Figure 3. The cylinder is connected to the frame by a lug 112 and a pin 114. The rod end of the cylinder is connected to a lug 118 that is pinned to the housing 94 by the pivot 102. Actuation of the cylinders 110 will move the clamping truck housing 94 and thus roller 30 towards and away from the V formed by the rollers 22 - 28 to clamp a pole between the two trucks. When the gearbox 80 is driven, it drives all of the rollers in the same direction, causing the climbing apparatus to travel up or down a pole on which it is mounted.
The worm gear is driven by a motor 120 illustrated in Figure 5.
The motor has a housing 122 containing three identical motor units 124, 126 and 128. These are pneumatic or air motors of the type used in pneumatic drills or wrenches. They are highly reliable, relatively high speed, low torque motors fitted with integral planetary gear trains to provide a reduced speed, higher torque output. The three motors are arranged in parallel to drive a common planetary gear train 130. The gear train includes 5 three planet gears 132 connected to the output shafts of the respective motors and a sun gear 134 coupled to the output shaft of the composite motor. This composite motor is relatively light in weight and provides the requisite high torque output while providing an added safety factor in that if any one of the motors should fail, the other two will carry on operating.
The pneumatic circuitry for the apparatus is illustrated in Figure 6. That drawing illustrates six air lines 136 for the three motors. These are all connected through a manifold 138 to two lines 140. The lines 140 extend to a remote console 142 where they are connected to a three-way valve 144 that allows the motors to be driven in either direction. The 15 console is connected through two air lines 146 to the cylinder 110. A valve 148 on the console is used to control the application of air pressure to these lines.
The climbing apparatus described in the foregoing is a compact unit with a relatively simple operating system. It can be used reliably on 20 poles of a variety of different sizes, including poles that taper and that are curved to a horizontal orientation near the top. The location of the fixed truck adjacent one end of the climbing apparatus allows it to be used where there is very little clearance between the pole and some other object. No variable position or pressure sensitive controls of the rollers is required as 25 the clamping roller automatically follows the contour of the pole, exerting asubstantially uniform force on the pole under the influence of a constant pneumatic pressure applied to the cylinder 110.

21 927~7 While one embodiment of the present invention has been described in the foregoing, it is to be understood that other embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention. The invention is to be considered limited solely by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (11)

1. A pole climbing apparatus comprising:
a frame having a pole receiving opening therein;
a plurality of pole engaging truck means mounted on the frame at circumferentially spaced positions around the pole receiving opening, the pole engaging truck means including:
first truck means at at least two circumferentially spaced positions for engaging a pole at axially spaced positions along the pole; and second truck means at a third circumferential position for engaging the pole at a position axially between the axially spaced positions of the first truck means;
clamp means for urging the first and second truck means towards one another for clamping a pole therebetween; and drive means for driving the truck means of a pole clamped therebetween.
2. Apparatus according to Claim 1 including first truck mounting means mounting the first truck means at fixed positions on the frame.
3. Apparatus according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein the first truck means comprise a plurality of rollers arranged in a V.
4. Apparatus according to Claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the first truck means comprise four rollers.
5. Apparatus according to any preceding Claim wherein the clamp means comprise means of mounting the second truck means for movement towards the first truck means.
6. Apparatus according to Claim 5 wherein the clamp means further comprise pneumatic cylinder.
7. Apparatus according to any preceding Claim wherein the second truck means comprise a single roller.
8. Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the drive means comprise a gear train coupled to the first and second truck means for driving the first and second truck means at substantially the same speed.
9. Apparatus according to Claim 8 wherein the drive means comprise means for self-locking the gear train.
10. Apparatus according to any preceding Claim wherein the drive means comprise an air motor.
11. Apparatus according to Claim 10 wherein the air motor comprises three motor units, independently operable, and a planetary gear train driven by the three motors.
CA 2192757 1995-12-15 1996-12-12 Pole climbing apparatus Abandoned CA2192757A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US872295P 1995-12-15 1995-12-15
US60/008722 1995-12-15

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2192757A1 true CA2192757A1 (en) 1997-06-16

Family

ID=21733286

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA 2192757 Abandoned CA2192757A1 (en) 1995-12-15 1996-12-12 Pole climbing apparatus

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CA (1) CA2192757A1 (en)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2357277A (en) * 1999-12-16 2001-06-20 Tecsec Europ Ltd Equipment assembly deployment method and apparatus
WO2009118409A1 (en) * 2008-03-28 2009-10-01 Thales Robot for climbing posts
CN108454723A (en) * 2018-05-17 2018-08-28 香港中文大学(深圳) A kind of cable climbing robot

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2357277A (en) * 1999-12-16 2001-06-20 Tecsec Europ Ltd Equipment assembly deployment method and apparatus
GB2357277B (en) * 1999-12-16 2002-06-19 Tecsec Europ Ltd Equipment deployment method and apparatus
US6868598B2 (en) 1999-12-16 2005-03-22 Tecsec Europe Limited Equipment deployment method and apparatus
WO2009118409A1 (en) * 2008-03-28 2009-10-01 Thales Robot for climbing posts
FR2929228A1 (en) * 2008-03-28 2009-10-02 Thales Sa POKER ROBOT ROBOT.
US8978792B2 (en) 2008-03-28 2015-03-17 Thales Robot for climbing posts
CN108454723A (en) * 2018-05-17 2018-08-28 香港中文大学(深圳) A kind of cable climbing robot
CN108454723B (en) * 2018-05-17 2024-01-05 香港中文大学(深圳) Cable climbing robot

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