Lightweight line tower kit

• US 4,934,114 A
• Filed: 01/28/1988
• Issued: 06/19/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lindsey Manufacturing Co.
• Original Assignee: Lindsey Manufacturing Co.
• Inventors: Lindsey, Keith E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Safavi, Michael
• Application Number:
  US07/149,938
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 52/651, 52/40, 52/637, 52/638, 52/648, 182/178, 403/380, 403/363, 403/339
• US Class Current: 52/40
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 12/10 Truss-like structures
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 12/24 Cross arms

Abstract

Disclosed is a kit of low cost, light weight, corrosion resistant components, including a plurality of extruded members, certain ones of which components are factory preassembled into climbable and unclimbable tower units selected one of which are adapted to be rigidly connected end-to-end by overlapping couplings into a tower at an installation site to support a power line or other load. The couplings and the overlapping surfaces of the tower units have teeth that mesh to lock the couplings in place. The tower is specially suitable for erection in confined areas to heights in excess of one hundred feet to support power conductors. A number of components are selectively attachable to the tower in a wide variety of ways to support high tension insulators in suspension and/or cantilever fashion and to anchor guy cabling to the tower.

Claims

1. A kit for the assembly at an erection site of a lightweight modular power line tower or the like load supporting structure comprising:

a plurality of factory prefabricated elongated generally tubular tower units formed primarily of a strong lightweight material including at least one ground supportable unit and at least one other unit;

means for securing said tower units rigidly together in axially aligned relation at the erection site, the securing means comprising a plurality of couplings adapted to secure said tower units in abutting end to end relationship with the couplings overlapping portions of the length of the tower units adjacent their abutting ends when assembled, means for securing the couplings to portions of the tower units, and at least one column of teeth formed along the length of each coupling and matching teeth formed along the portions of the tower units; and

means for securing insulated power line support means to a climbable one of said tower units.

2. A kit as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said other tower unit has openings transversely of axially spaced apart areas adapted for occupation by elongated load supporting means extending transversely of said other tower unit and including means for clamping said load supporting means to said other tower unit.

3. A kit as defined in claim 2 characterized in that said load supporting means is tubular in cross section.

4. A kit as defined in claim 1 in which the other tower unit has sides characterized in the provision of means anchorable to one side of said other tower unit for securing one end of a high tension insulator thereto.

5. A kit as defined in claim 1 characterized in the provision of a pair of high tension insulators each having an inboard end and an outboard end and first and second means rigidly clampable to axially spaced apart points on said other tower unit for supporting the pair of high tension insulators in a vertical plane from one side of said tower unit with the inboard ends of said insulators anchored to a respective one of said first and second means and the outboard ends thereof connected together.

6. A kit as defined in claim 5 characterized in the provision of third means rigidly clampable to said other tower unit axially spaced from one of said first and second means and utilizable therewith to similarly support a second pair of high tension insulators.

7. A kit as defined in claim 5 characterized in the provision of fourth and fifth means rigidly clampable to the opposite side of said other tower unit from said first and second means, said fourth and fifth means being clampable to said tower unit in axially spaced relation and operable to similarly support a third pair of high tension insulators.

8. A kit as defined in claim 1 characterized in the provision of means for rigidly clamping an elongated high tension insulator to one of the other units in cantilever fashion.

9. A kit as defined in claim 1 in which the tower units each have a plurality of sides characterized in the provision of separate means for rigidly clamping a plurality of axially spaced apart high tension insulators to said other tower unit in cantilever fashion.

10. A kit as defined in claim 9 characterized in that some insulator clamping means are on one side of said tower unit and the rest on the opposite side thereof.

11. A kit as defined in claim 9 characterized in that all of said insulator clamping means are located on the same side of said tower unit.

12. A kit as defined in claim 1 additionally comprising base anchorage means for said ground supportable tower unit comprising an elongated tubular member adapted to be buried upright;

plate means attached crosswise at the upper end of the tubular member;

a plurality of upright angle members arranged in a ring with one end secured to said plate means; and

fastener means adapted to clamp said angle members to said ground supportable tower unit.

13. A kit as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said tower units include diagonal cross braces at axially spaced apart points therealong.

14. A kit as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said tower units include a plurality of members extruded from aluminum and coextensive in length with said tower units;

and including means for holding said members rigidly welded to one another.

15. A kit as defined in claim 14 characterized in that the extruded members of said ground supportable unit are spaced apart and rigidly interconnected by welding to bridging plate means effective to thwart attempts of unauthorized persons to ascend said tower.

16. A kit as defined in claim 14 characterized in that said extruded members of said ground supportable tower unit are interconnected at spaced apart levels by aluminum structural bracing strips and serving additionally as foot steps for use by workmen engaged in tower erection and servicing operations.

17. A kit as defined in claim 16 characterized in that said bracing strips cooperate with said extruded members in forming aligned pairs of transverse openings crosswise of said other tower units useful in providing supports for other components including cross arms.

18. A kit as defined in claim 14 characterized in that said extruded members include groove means opening inwardly and sized to seat and hold, against rotation, means having threaded openings for threaded fasteners.

20. A kit as defined in claim 1 additionally comprising fittings adapted to be bolted to said other tower unit to facilitate connection of a guy line to said tower.

21. A kit as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said ground supportable tower unit comprises a plurality of elongated generally parallel extruded aluminum, corner members arranged to form adjacent lateral edges and imperforate plates welded to the adjacent lateral edges to provide a unitary tubular housing having a generally continuous exterior surface.

22. A kit as defined in claim 1 additionally comprising a foundation unit comprising a tube adapted to be anchored in the ground in an upright position;

and means secured to the upper end thereof adapted to secure the lower end of said ground supportable tower unit thereto in an upright position.

23. The kit of claim 1 in which the material is aluminum.

24. The kit of claim 23 in which the ground supportable unit has a closed outer surface.

25. The kit of claim 24 in which the other unit has a lattice work outer surface.

26. The kit of claim 22 in which the securing means comprises a plurality of upright angle irons for receiving one end of the unclimbable unit.

19. A kit for the assembly at the erection site of a lightweight modular power line tower or the like load supporting structure comprising:

a plurality of factory prefabricated elongated generally tubular tower units formed primarily of a strong lightweight material including at least one ground supportable unit and at least one other unit;

means for securing said tower units rigidly together in axially aligned relation at the erection site; and

a foundation unit comprising a tube adapted to be anchored in the ground in an upright position and a plurality of upright angle irons secured to the upper end of the tube and adapted to receive one end of the ground supportable unit in an upright position.

27. A lightweight modular power line tower comprising:

a foundation module buried in the ground at an installation sight;

an axially elongated first tower module having an imperforate outer surface;

means for removably securing the first tower module to the foundation module to extend upwardly from the ground;

an axially elongated second tower module having an open outer surface, the first and second modules being in end to end abutting relationship;

coupling means overlapping and interlocking with portions of the length of the first and second modules thereby removably securing the second tower module to the first tower module to extend upwardly therefrom in axial alignment, the coupling means being interlocked by a column of teeth along its length that mesh with teeth on the modules;

at least one electrical insulator; and

means for attaching the electrical insulator to the second tower module.

28. The modular tower of claim 27 in which the second tower module comprises a plurality of interconnected units removably secured together.

29. The modular tower of claim 27 in which the foundation module comprises a tube buried in the ground and a plurality of angle irons spaced to receive the first tower module.

30. The modular tower of claim 27 in which the attaching means is a cross arm extending outwardly from the second tower module.

31. The tower of claim 27 in which the modules each have four corner members and the coupling means are angle irons that overlap the respective corner members adjacent the abutting ends of the modules.

32. The tower of claim 27 in which the modules each have four mutually perpendicular faces and the coupling means are bridging plates that overlap the respective faces adjacent the abutting ends of the modules.

33. The tower of claim 27 in which the teeth on each coupling means are formed by protrusions from the surface of such coupling and the teeth on each module are formed by grooves formed in the surface of such module.

34. A kit for the assembly at the erection site of a lightweight modular power line tower or the like load supporting structure comprising:

a plurality of factory prefabricated elongated generally tubular tower units formed primarily of a strong lightweight material including at least one ground supportable unit and at least one other unit;

means for securing said tower units rigidly together in axially aligned relation at the erection site;

base anchorage means for said ground supportable tower unit comprising an elongated tubular member adapted to be buried upright;

plate means attached crosswise at the upper end of the tubular member;

a plurality of upright angle members arranged in a ring with one end secured to said plate means; and

fastener means adapted to clamp said angle members to said ground supportable tower unit.

35. A kit for the assembly at an erection site of a lightweight modular power line tower or the like load supporting structure comprising:

a plurality of factory prefabricated elongated generally, tubular tower units formed primarily of a strong lightweight material including at least one ground supportable unit and at least one other unit, said tower units including a plurality of members extruded from aluminum and coextensive in length with said tower units, means for holding said extruded members rigidly to one another, fastener means comprising threaded nuts and bolts adapted to connect the tower units end to end, openings passing through the extruded members to receive the bolts, and groove means in said extruded members opening inwardly at the openings and sized to seat and hold the nuts against rotation;

a plurality of couplings adapted to secure said tower units in abutting end to end relationship with the coupling overlapping portions of the length of the tower units adjacent their abutting ends when assembled, openings passing through the couplings to receive the bolts; and

means for securing insulated power line support means to the other tower unit.

36. A kit as defined in claim 35 characterized in that said means with threaded openings comprises an elongated member provided with means for holding the same captively assembled lengthwise of said groove in said extruded member;

and said elongated member having a plurality of threaded openings distributed therealong and in registry with a respective opening through said extruded member.