US1943766A

US1943766A - Pole clamp

Info

Publication number: US1943766A
Application number: US396224A
Authority: US
Inventors: John J Macdonald
Original assignee: FRANK M SIMPSON
Current assignee: FRANK M SIMPSON
Priority date: 1929-09-30
Filing date: 1929-09-30
Publication date: 1934-01-16
Anticipated expiration: 1951-01-16

Description

Jan. 16, 1934.

J. J. M DONALD POLE CLAMP Filed Sept. 30, 1929 Patented Jan. 16, 1934 UNETD STATES PATENT OFFICE assignor to Frank M. Simpson,

Canada Montreal,

Application September 30, 1929 Serial No. 396,224

7 Claims. (01. 189--33) This invention relates to improvements in cross arm supports and the object of the invention is to provide a support quickly and easily adjustable to the size or" the pole to which it is to be applied and adaptable to cross arms of different sizes and cross sections. A further object is to provide a cross arm support which will obviate the use of the usual braces and will hold a cross arm rigidly in relation to a pole. A still further object is to provide a cross arm support which may be attached to a pole without checking into the pole or boring bolt holes therein. Another object is to provide a cross arm support which may, if desired, be attached to a pole by means of a single bolt and which will hold a cross arm rigidly to the pole without the use of braces. Various other objects and the advantages of the invention may be ascertained from the following description and the accompanying drawing.

Briefly, the device comprises a pair of similar rectangular plates relatively adjustable in their longitudinal direction, each of said plates having on one side flanges curved on their edges to engage a pole and on the other side lugs or flanges to snugly embrace a cross arm. The plates are provided with registering apertures for passage of fastening means to secure them in proper adjustment and to a pole and cross arm.

. In the accompanying drawing which illustrates an acceptable form of the invention, but to the details of which the invention is not confined, as numerous modifications are possible;-

Fig. l is a plan view of one form of support in position on a pole.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the support.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the pole side of the device.

Figs. 4 and 5 are elevations of the. plates separated and illustrating their relation to each other.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, 11 and 12 designate a pair of similar oblong plates, the width of which is approximately equal to the 4 depth of a cross arm with which the device is to be used. Each of the plates is provided toward one end and on its long edges with approximately triangular opposite flanges l3 projecting from the front face of the plate, i. e., the face which will be next to a pole, and at approximately right angles to the plane of the plate. The inner edges l -i of these flanges, that is, the edges re mote from the plate ends diverge and may be concavely curved, the curvature preferably correspondingsubstantially to the surface curvature of the smallest pole for which the device is adapted. It will be understood, however, that the shape of the flanges, their angular relation to the plates and the exact edge curvature are not material and may be varied as desired, and that the flanges may be integral with the plates or separately formed and subsequently attached. Each plate is provided on its long edges at each end with opposite lugs or flanges 15 projecting from the rear face of the plate, preferably in slightly divergent relation to facilitate application to and ensure tight grip on a cross arm, but the lugs on the upper edges may be omitted.

Diagonally opposite corners of the plates are provided with apertures 16 arranged in series and so disposed that when the plates are superposed the apertures will register in a great many different adjustments and permit the passage of fastenings therethrough to hold the plates in the desired adjustment. These apertures are preferably slots arranged angularly at a slight inclination to the transverse direction of the plates, the inclination or pitch being preferably half the spacing of the slots. Also, the slots at opposite ends of the plates are oppositely inclined so that when the plates are superposed the slots of one plate will cross the slots of the other plate and enable the plates to be fastened in an infinite variety of adjustments.

Each plate is provided along its central longitudinal line with a series of longitudinally extending slots l7, l8 and 19, correspondingly numbered slots of the two plates being formed and disposed to register in whatever adjustment the plates are set to provide a central opening and two elongated openings at opposite ends thereof in every adjustment of the plates, as clearly shown in Figure 3. As will be seen by comparison of Figures 4 and 5, the slot 19 of each plate registers with the slot 1'? of the other plate and the two slots is register with each other.

It will be seen that the

plates

11 and 12 are exactly alike and may be stamped out of sheet metal with a single die and that, when assembled, one between the flanges of .the other, the plates may be relatively adjusted in their longitudinal direction but are held in alignment by the flanges and lugs. The limits of adjustment are determined by engagement of the lugs and flanges of one plate with those of the other plate. A greater range of adjustment may be obtained by omitting the lugs from the plate nearest the pole or, conversely, the same range of adjustment may be obtained with shorter plates if the plate next the pole is formed without lugs.

The support is applied as followsz--two plates are assembled in superposed relation, so that the curved edges 14 of the flanges 13 of the two plates are facing, as clearly shown in Figure 1. If one of the plates should be without lugs 15, it is placed below the lug bearing plate and the two plates are then placed on a cross arm, designated 20, which will then be embraced between the lugs of the outermost plate 11. If lugs are provided on only one edge, these lugs will be placed against the bottom of the cross arm. The plates are adjusted longitudinally until their flanges 13 are of such distance apart that their curved edges Will bite slightly into the curved surface of a pole when applied thereto,

cross arm and support are now ready for attachment to a pole either by means of a single through bolt (not shown) or by means of a U- bolt 23. If a through bolt is used, it will pass through the pole through the apertures 18 of the plates and through the cross arm and, when the nut is tightened, will draw the cross arm toward the pole, so that the curved edges of the support flanges 13, which constitute pole embracing jaws, will bite into the pole sufficiently to hold the cross arm and support against rocking and at the same time resist splitting of the pole. The preferable method. of attachment is by means of a U -bolt which passes around the pole and through the registering

apertures

17 and 19 of the plates and through the cross arm. When the nuts of this bolt are tightened up, they draw the cross arm and support toward the pole, so that the edges of the flanges 13 will bite into the pole and hold the cross arm and support against rocking. The U-bolt is preferable to a through bolt, since it does not weaken the pole or necessitate an opening which invites rotting of the pole but, on the contrary, resists splitting of the pole. The U-bolt is further preferable because the double support which it affords adds to the stability of the structure and enables the cross arm to be ad' justed around the pole. The biting of the flanges 13 into the poles is obviously crosswise of the grain, so that there is no possibility of the support slipping down on the pole even when a U-bolt is used and, if the nuts are properly tightened, the engagement is sufficiently tight, so that there is no possibility of the cross arm twisting around the pole. Furthermore, the engagement is substantially at opposite sides of the pole so that great stability is ensured. While the central part of the U-bolt where it encircles the pole may be either round or flat, it is preferred to make the same of channel section, as indicated in Figures 3. and 2, so that the bolt as well as the flanges 13 of the support will bite into the pole and thus increase the grip. The lugs 15 of the plates embrace the cross arm at a considerable distance on each side of the pole and hold the same against rocking in a vertical plane. If only one of the plates is provided with lugs, the effect is the same. Owing to the fact that the lugs 15 snugly embrace the cross arm that the and flanges of the plates engage the edges of the plates and hold them rigidly in alignment with. one another and with the cross arm, it will be evident that the support is rigidly held to the cross arm against rocking, i. e., relative movement in a vertical plane. The engagement of the flanges with the pole has been found so much more effective than the old method of checking the cross arm into the pole that the usual angle braces are unnecessary.

If the curved edges of the flanges are suitably designed, a single size of support will serve for all sizes of poles in general use, but it is obvious that, if desired, the device may be made in a variety of sizes according to the sizes of poles on which it is to be used. Using this support, cross arms may be attached to poles more easily and more quickly than is generally the case, particularly when a U-bolt is used.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is l. A cross arm support comprising a pair of plates, flanges on said plates adapted to engage edgewise with a pole, one of said plates being embraced between the flanges of the other plate, and lugs on said embraced plate embracing the other plate and adapted to embrace a cross arm, and means to clamp the plates between a pole and a cross arm.

2. A cross arm support comprising a pair of oblong superposed plates relatively adjustable in their longitudinal direction, flanges on said plates adapted to engage edgewise with a pole, lugs on said plates adapted to engage a cross arm, each of said plates being formed with a series of inclined slots, the slots of one plate inclining oppositely to the slots of the other plate in the superposed relation of the plates, whereby the slots of the two plates will be in register in any adjustment of the plates, fastening means engaged in said slots securing the plates in an adjustment which spaces the flanges thereof suitably to the size of pole to which they are to be applied, and means for clamping the plates between a pole and a cross arm.

3. A cross arm support compri ing a pair of oblong superposed plates relatively adjustable in their longitudinal direction, flanges on said plates adapted to engage edgewise with a pole, lugs on said plates adapted to engage a cross arm, each of said plates being formed at diagonally opposite corners with a series of inclined slots, the slots in one corner being oppositely inclined to the slots of the diagonally opposite corner whereby the slots of one plate are oppositely inclined to the slots of the other plate with which they register, fastening means engaged in said slots securing the plates in an adjustment which spaces the flanges thereof suitably to the size of pole to which they are to be applied, and means for clamping the plates between a pole and a cross arm.

4. A cross arm support element including an oblong body; a plurality of elongated slots in said oblong body along the central longitudinal line thereof; a pair of transversely opposed pole contact flanges on the long edges of said oblong body towards one end thereof; and a pair of cross arm contact lugs at each end of said body extending from the long edges thereof in transversely opposed relation.

5. A cross arm support element including an oblong body; a plurality of elongated slots in said oblong body along the central longitudinal line th reof; a plurality of slots in diagonally opposite corners of said oblong body; a pair of transversely opposed pole contact flanges on the 7 long edges of said oblong body towards one end thereof; and a pair of cross arm contact lugs at each end of said body extending from the long edges thereof in transversely opposed relation.

6. A cross arm support element including an oblong body; a plurality of elongated slots in said oblong body along the central longitudinal line thereof; a plurality of slots in corners of' 7. A cross arm support element in the form of a pressed metal oblong body having transversely opposed pole contact flanges extending from the long edges of said oblong body in close proximity to one end thereof; cross arm engaging lugs extending from the long edges of said oblong body in opposed relation from the ends of said oblong body and in the opposite direction to the aforesaid flanges; a plurality of elongated slots in said oblong body extending along the central longitudinal line thereof; and a plurality of slots in corners of said oblong body inclined with respect to said elongated slots.

JOHN J. MACDONALD.