TOWER CONNECTOR
First Claim
1. A connector assembly for affixing a main tower to a lower base structure, the connector assembly comprising two connector portions, a first one of said connector portions being for affixing at an upper end of said lower base structure and a second one of said connector portions being for affixing at a lower end of said tower, one of said connector portions having a ring and the other of said connector portions having a collar, the ring defining a ring axis and the collar defining a collar axis and having an opening for receiving the ring, and said connector portions including clamping means for clamping engagement of the ring within the collar, wherein:
- the ring includes a seat and the collar includes an abutment, the abutment being in contact with the seat for transferring the weight of said tower to said base structure when the ring is clamped within the collar by the clamping means;
the ring has a main body and a flange, the flange extending radially outwards from the main body of the ring and said flange providing said seat; and
the contact between the seat and the abutment is along an interface that permits tilt adjustment of the ring axis and collar axis prior to said clamping engagement of the ring within the collar.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to a connector assembly (20) for joining a main tower (102) to a base structure (104) where the axial alignment of the tower to the base structure needs to be adjustable, and to a method of using such a connector assembly to assemble a tower structure.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A connector assembly for affixing a main tower to a lower base structure, the connector assembly comprising two connector portions, a first one of said connector portions being for affixing at an upper end of said lower base structure and a second one of said connector portions being for affixing at a lower end of said tower, one of said connector portions having a ring and the other of said connector portions having a collar, the ring defining a ring axis and the collar defining a collar axis and having an opening for receiving the ring, and said connector portions including clamping means for clamping engagement of the ring within the collar, wherein:
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the ring includes a seat and the collar includes an abutment, the abutment being in contact with the seat for transferring the weight of said tower to said base structure when the ring is clamped within the collar by the clamping means; the ring has a main body and a flange, the flange extending radially outwards from the main body of the ring and said flange providing said seat; and the contact between the seat and the abutment is along an interface that permits tilt adjustment of the ring axis and collar axis prior to said clamping engagement of the ring within the collar. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A turbine tower, comprising a main tower for supporting a turbine generator, a lower base structure for supporting said main tower, and a connector assembly for affixing the main tower to the lower base structure, the connector assembly comprising two connector portions, a first one of said connector portions being for affixing at an upper end of said lower base structure and a second one of said connector portions being for affixing at a lower end of said tower, one of said connector portions having a ring and the other of said connector portions having a collar, the ring defining a ring axis and the collar defining a collar axis and having an opening for receiving the ring, and said connector portions including clamping means for clamping engagement of the ring within the collar, wherein:
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the ring includes a seat and the collar includes an abutment, the abutment being in contact with the seat for transferring the weight of said tower to said base structure when the ring is clamped within the collar by the clamping means; the ring has a main body and a flange, the flange extending radially outwards from the main body of the ring and said flange providing said seat; the contact between the seat and the abutment is along an interface that permits tilt adjustment of the ring axis and collar axis prior to said clamping engagement of the ring within the collar; and one of the connector portions is affixed to a lower end of the main tower and the other of the connector portions is affixed to an upper end of the lower base structure. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of assembling a turbine tower, the turbine tower comprising a main tower for supporting a turbine generator, a lower base structure for supporting said main tower, and a connector assembly for affixing the main tower to the lower base structure, the connector assembly comprising two connector portions, one of said connector portions having a ring and the other of said connector portions having a collar, the ring defining a ring axis and the collar defining a collar axis, the ring having a main body and a flange, the flange extending radially outwards from the main body of the ring and the collar and ring having mating surfaces shaped so as to allow tilt adjustment of said axes, said mating surfaces including a surface of said flange and said connector portions including clamping means, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
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affixing a first one of said connector portions to a supporting surface of the earth; joining a first one of said connector portions at an upper end of said lower base structure; joining a second one of said connector portions at a lower end of said main tower; bringing the free ends of the of the ring and the collar together until said mating surfaces come into contact; adjusting the tilt of said axes to achieve a desired orientation of the main tower with respect to vertical; using the clamping means to clamp the ring within the collar in order to fix the orientation of the main tower with respect to vertical. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification