Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
  • E04H12/00—Towers; Masts or poles; Chimney stacks; Water-towers; Methods of erecting such structures
  • E04H12/02—Structures made of specified materials
  • E04H12/08—Structures made of specified materials of metal
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
  • B21C—MANUFACTURE OF METAL SHEETS, WIRE, RODS, TUBES OR PROFILES, OTHERWISE THAN BY ROLLING; AUXILIARY OPERATIONS USED IN CONNECTION WITH METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL
  • B21C37/00—Manufacture of metal sheets, bars, wire, tubes or like semi-manufactured products, not otherwise provided for; Manufacture of tubes of special shape
  • B21C37/06—Manufacture of metal sheets, bars, wire, tubes or like semi-manufactured products, not otherwise provided for; Manufacture of tubes of special shape of tubes or metal hoses; Combined procedures for making tubes, e.g. for making multi-wall tubes
  • B21C37/08—Making tubes with welded or soldered seams
  • B21C37/0803—Making tubes with welded or soldered seams the tubes having a special shape, e.g. polygonal tubes
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E01—CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS, RAILWAYS, OR BRIDGES
  • E01F—ADDITIONAL WORK, SUCH AS EQUIPPING ROADS OR THE CONSTRUCTION OF PLATFORMS, HELICOPTER LANDING STAGES, SIGNS, SNOW FENCES, OR THE LIKE
  • E01F9/00—Arrangement of road signs or traffic signals; Arrangements for enforcing caution
  • E01F9/60—Upright bodies, e.g. marker posts or bollards; Supports for road signs
  • E01F9/623—Upright bodies, e.g. marker posts or bollards; Supports for road signs characterised by form or by structural features, e.g. for enabling displacement or deflection
  • E01F9/631—Upright bodies, e.g. marker posts or bollards; Supports for road signs characterised by form or by structural features, e.g. for enabling displacement or deflection specially adapted for breaking, disengaging, collapsing or permanently deforming when deflected or displaced, e.g. by vehicle impact

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a yieldable pole with polygonal or round cross-section and longitudinal stiffeners on at least portions of its periphery.
• the invention also relates to such a pole.
• EP-0994982 describes a safety pole with polygonal cross-section consisting of two halves of sheet metal which have been joined. Every polygon side has a longitudinal reinforcement in form of a flat steel bar which is fastened with a thermoplastic to the sheet. This pole is sturdy and withstands wind forces, and it yields when run into.
• the objects of invention are fulfilled with a pole where the stiffeners are folds which provide three layers of sheet on at least a portion of the periphery of the pole.
• the entire cross-section of the pole or portions of it is/are roll formed from a flat blank respectively from flat blanks and longitudinal folds are formed which make said stiffeners, and finally the joint respectively the joints is/are finalized.
• Figure 1 is a side view of an inventive pole
• Figure 2 is a cross-section along the line 2-2 in figure 1.
• Figure 3 is a cross-section along the line 3-3 in figure 1.
• Figure 4 corresponds to figure 3 but shows a modified cross-section
• Figures 5-7 are sections of a pole with alternative cross-section where
• Figure 6 corresponds to figure 3.
• Figure 7 corresponds to figure 4.
• Figures 8-10 are sections of a pole with modified cross-section where
• Figure 9 corresponds to figure 3.
• Figure 10 corresponds to figure 4.
• Figure 11-13 are sections of a pole with modified cross-section where
• Figure 12 corresponds to figure 3.
• Figure 13 corresponds to figure 4.
• Figures 14-17 are cross-sections of alternative pole designs.
• Figure 1 shows a pole which for example may be a lamp post.
• the pole is conically tapered upwards. It has a polygonal cross-section and is octagonal, but may have another number of corners. It is roll formed from a sheet metal strip and has a sole longitudinal joint 11.
• the polygon sides are indicated at 12-19 and the corners between the polygon sides are indicated at 20-27.
• the cross-section is symmetrical.
• Every other polygon side 12-15 is flat and every other side 16-19 has an inward fold which will be described with reference to the polygon side 18.
• the sheet Centrally on the side, the sheet is folded inwards in both directions so that a slot 30 is formed on the centre of the side and the inwards folded portions 31,32 extend in different directions along the side and fold back in bends 34,35 to a common portion 36 so that the biggest portion of the polygon side provides three layers of sheet steel, but the side has a single sheet closest to the corners. It may be advantageous, but not necessary, to have a single sheet closest to every corner on at least one tenth of the width of the pole on at least a part of the length of the pole - the lower part which may be run into. It is advantageous that the inward fold extends in both directions and is symmetrical, but this is not an absolute necessity.
• Figure 3 shows that the inward fold 31-35 has the same size along the whole length of the pole in spite of the polygon side 18 diminishing upwards.
• Figure 4 shows a modified embodiment where also the width of the inward folds decreased upwards.
• the slots are inevitable but can be formed very narrow. It is impossible to form them completely tight, but it is advantageous that there are slots so that the inward folds 31-35 are aired by the wind.
• the longitudinal joint can be welded, suitably laser welded, directly in the roll forming machine.
• the pole can be manufactured from hot-dip galvanized sheet steel. Then, the zinc heals the laser weld and additional surface treatment is not required. It is also possible to make the pole from coil coated sheet steel and place the painted sides of the edges of the joint together and heat the paint so that the joint is glued by the paint. UV hardened glue can also be utilized. Alternatively, the joint could be folded or made in another way and the pole could be made from stainless sheet steel.
• the inward folds 31-35 are reinforcements or stiffeners that provide sturdiness to the pole so that it withstands wind forces.
• the corners, not being reinforced, are easily deformed when run into and initiate the deformation of the pole so that the pole by yielding takes up collision energy and decelerate the colliding vehicle relatively smoothly.
• the figures 5-7 show a pole modified such that all polygon sides have inward folds and not every other side as in preceding figures.
• the joint 11 is then not placed on the centre of a side but in a corner.
• the shown example embodiments according to figures 1-7 show a pole of conical shape.
• the simplest way to manufacture a pole is with a constant cross-section along its length since the machine will be the least complicated.
• a machine for manufacturing a conical pole with constant size of the inward fold 31-35 along the length of the pole is slightly more complicated.
• a further more complicated machine is required for manufacturing a conical pole with varying size of the inward fold.
• the upper portion of the pole does not always need reinforcements in the form of inward folds, but to completely end the inward folds and have an upper portion without inward folds requires a still more complicated machine. It is also possible to roll form a pole with a constant cross-section on a lower portion and with a conical upper portion.
• the shown embodiments seem to be suitable compromises for the manufacturing of a pole of good characteristics and low weight with a not too complicated and expensive machine.
• FIGs 8-10 and 11-13 respectively show two example embodiments where the stiffeners are located on the outside of the pole.
• the pole according to figure 8 has a similar stiffener in the form of a fold as the pole of figure 2, but the fold in figure 8 is external and has been given reference numerals 40-45 which correspond to reference numerals 30-35 in figure 2. Since the folds are similar, they are not particularly described for figure 8, but reference is made to figure 2.
• the joint 11 is shown extending outwardly in figure 8, but could suitably be made extending inwardly as shown in figure 2.
• Figure 9 shows a fold 41-45 which is the same along the side of the pole although the polygon side becomes narrower, and figure 10 shows a modification where the fold tapers as the polygon side tapers.
• Figure 8 shows a fold on every other polygon side.
• a fold is shown on every polygon side but the two variations are otherwise similar.
• Figures 14-17 show examples of alternative cross-sections with folds in the corners instead of on the sides.
• the poles according to these embodiments may have a different number of polygon sides and a reinforcement fold on every corner or have one or more corners without folds between the corners which have folds. With that many polygon sides that are shown, the pole gives the impression of being round.
• the corners either have a slot or lacks folds, which results in that the comers of the pole can be deformed when run into and can initiate further deformation.
• the roll forming can be made from a coiled flat strip which is both cut lengthwise and on the sides directly in connection with the roll forming, but can also be made from pre- manufactured individual flat blanks.
• the entire cross-section of the pole is formed in one roll forming operation.
• two blanks can be roll formed to two half sections in two roll forming operations and then be joined, preferably by two longitudinal welds.
• a roll forming machine to roll form half the cross-section will be simpler and cheaper than a machine to roll form an entire cross-section.
• three of more portions can be roll formed and then joined by longitudinal joints.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Materials Engineering (AREA)
• Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Body Structure For Vehicles (AREA)
• Bending Of Plates, Rods, And Pipes (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=39864164

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

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Citations (3)

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• 2007
  • 2007-04-13 SE SE0700926A patent/SE531195C2/sv not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2008
  • 2008-03-14 WO PCT/SE2008/000196 patent/WO2008127168A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2008-03-14 SE SE0800593A patent/SE532316C2/sv not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2008-03-14 EP EP08724128.7A patent/EP2147161A4/de not_active Withdrawn

Patent Citations (3)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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