Universal pole foundation

• US 9,777,456 B1
• Filed: 01/11/2017
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exposure Illumination Architects Inc.
• Original Assignee: Daniel S. Spiro
• Inventors: Spiro, Daniel S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maestri, Patrick J
• Application Number:
  US15/404,051
• Time in Patent Office: 265 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 2300/00 Materials
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 2600/00 Miscellaneous
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 27/42 Foundations for poles, masts or chimneys sockets or holders for poles or masts per se E04H12/22
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 12/2269 in a socket
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 12/2284 Means for adjusting the orientation of the post or pole
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 12/2292 Holders used for protection, repair or reinforcement of the post or pole E04H12/2276 takes precedence

Abstract

A pre-fabricated pole foundation provided employing a cavity to retain pole assembly of different profile, shape, size, and material interchangeably, a tapered structure onto which the pole rests, and recesses in the pole cavity wall enabling foundation hoisting, plumbing and anchoring, whereas the cavity wall is capable to accommodate for electronic devices enclosure and fill material provides structural support to an embedded pole or the embedded pole and foundation.

Claims

1. A pre-fabricated pole foundation comprising:

a cavity section having a pole cavity and a cavity wall;

a bridge section at the bottom of the cavity section;

a core section having core walls; and

a base section, wherein;

the bridge section includes a tapered structure located on a top end of the bridge section adjacent to a bottom end of the pole cavity and accessible within the cavity wall, the tapered structure comprising openings;

the tapered structure supports a pole received and embedded within the cavity section and operates as a pivot point to plumb the pole using removable alignment devices;

the tapered structure accommodates poles of dissimilar cross-sectional profiles, dimensions and material interchangeably; and

the pre-fabricated pole foundation receives fill material through the top end of the foundation cavity and through the openings in the bridge structure and fill voids throughout the core, bridge and pole cavity sections from the pre-fabricated pole foundation'"'"'s base upwardly wherein the fill material provides lateral support between the cavity wall and an embedded pole and maintains alignment of the embedded pole.

2. The pre-fabricated pole foundation of claim 1, wherein said pre-fabricated pole foundation and pole are configured to be separately removed from each other intact and re-used.

3. The pre-fabricated pole foundation of claim 1, further comprising at least one opening in the cavity wall for retaining one of power enclosures, data device enclosures, or combinations thereof.

4. The pre-fabricated pole foundation of claim 1, further comprising an opening extending through a vertical center, wherein the opening is configured to receive a ground wire through the foundation vertical center for connecting to a spike mounted to the base section for grounding a pole assembly.

5. A pre-fabricated pole foundation of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of recesses extending radially in the pole cavity inner wall providing anchoring locations to at least a pole hoisting device, a pole plumb device and a pole anchoring device.

6. The pre-fabricated pole foundation of claim 5, further comprising leader bores extending radially through the cavity wall and through the recesses located in an interior surface of the cavity wall, wherein the recesses receive and retain plates and bolts that facilitate pole plumbing and retain at least one plate and bolt for anchoring.

7. The pre-fabricated pole foundation of claim 6, wherein the plates facilitate hoisting locations for the pre-fabricated pole foundation.

8. The pre-fabricated pole foundation of claim 1, wherein the pre-fabricated pole foundation is formed of a non-corrosive material.

30. The pre-fabricated pole foundation of claim 1, wherein the bottom of the foundation base is configured to rest on a spread footing or piling, wherein the contact surface optionally employs a keyed connection.

9. A pre-fabricated pole foundation comprising:

a cavity section having a pole cavity and a cavity wall;

a bridge section located directly below the pole cavity section, the bridge section comprising a keyed surface;

a keyed tapered structure removably coupled to the keyed surface of the bridge section;

a core section having core walls, the core section located directly below the bridge section; and

a base section located directly below the core section, wherein;

the keyed tapered structure is configured to support a pole and operates as a pivot point to plumb the pole using removable alignment devices; and

the keyed tapered structure accommodates poles of dissimilar cross-sectional profiles, dimensions and material interchangeably.

10. The pre-fabricated pole foundation of claim 9, wherein a portion of the tapered structure is horizontally rotatable and another portion is keyed to the bridge section.

11. The pre-fabricated pole foundation of claim 9, wherein the pole cavity comprises linear grooves or protrusions and the tapered structure having an outer parameter with corresponding grooves or protrusions to facilitate sliding the tapered structure into position.

12. The pre-fabricated pole foundation of claim 9, wherein the pre-fabricated pole foundation is configured to receive a fill material from opening on top of the pole cavity and fill voids from the core up through the bridge section to a pre-set level below top of pole cavity wherein the fill material provides structural support to the embedded pole and the pre-fabricated pole foundation as a whole.

13. The pre-fabricated pole foundation of claim 9, further comprising at least one opening in the cavity wall for retaining one of power enclosures, data device enclosures, or combinations thereof.

14. The pre-fabricated pole foundation of claim 9, further comprising an opening extending through a vertical center, wherein the opening is configured to receive a ground wire through the foundation vertical center for connecting to a spike mounted to the base section for grounding a pole assembly.

15. The pre-fabricated pole foundation of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of recesses extending radially inside the pole cavity providing anchoring locations to at least pole hoisting device, pole plumbing device and pole anchoring device.

16. The pre-fabricated pole foundation of claim 15, further comprising leader bores extending radially through the cavity wall and through recesses located in an interior surface of the cavity wall, wherein the recesses receive and retain plates and bolts that to facilitate pole plumbing and retain at least one plate and one bolt for anchoring.

17. The pre-fabricated pole foundation of claim 16, wherein the recessed plates facilitate hoisting locations for the pre-fabricated pole foundation.

18. The pre-fabricated pole foundation of claim 9, wherein the pre-fabricated pole foundation is formed of a non-corrosive material.

19. A method of installing a pre-fabricated pole foundation and a pole assembly, the method comprising:

forming bore within a portion of ground soil;

hoisting and lowering a pre-fabricated pole foundation within the bore, wherein the pre-fabricated pole foundation comprises;

a cavity section having a pole cavity and cavity wall;

a bridge section having an integral or a detachable tapered structure located on a bottom end of the pole cavity within the cavity wall;

a core section having core walls; and

a base section;

hoisting and lowering a pole assembly within the pole cavity of the cavity section of the pre-fabricated pole foundation;

supporting the pole assembly on the tapered structure;

pivoting the pole assembly on the tapered structure in response to operation of removable alignment devices to plumb the pole assembly;

filling with fill material open voids, in the core section and bridge section and between the pole assembly and cavity wall through the cavity section, wherein the fill material is level below a top of the cavity section;

maintaining pole alignment in response to support provided by the fill material; and

capping a top opening of the cavity with a hardened material.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising diverting moisture collection in and around the pole through the granular material.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising grounding a pole assembly in response to extending a ground wire through a foundation vertical center opening and connecting the ground wire to a spike mounted to the base section.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the tapered structure accommodates pole assemblies of dissimilar cross-sectional profiles, dimensions and material interchangeably.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the pole cavity wall retains at least one enclosure and power and/or data reach the enclosure through pole cavity wall and/or pole cavity and said enclosure is accessible from pole cavity exterior.

31. The method of claim 19, further comprising removing the removable alignment devices and maintaining alignment in response to the lateral support provided by the fill material.

24. A pre-fabricated pole foundation comprising:

an upper portion having a pole cavity for receiving and retaining a pole within a cavity wall; and

a lower portion located below the upper portion, wherein the upper portion includes a tapered structure located at the bottom end of the pole cavity within the cavity wall, and wherein

the tapered structure supports the pole and operate as a pivot point to plumb the pole using removable alignment devices wherein the tapered structure accommodates poles of dissimilar cross-sectional profiles, dimensions, and material interchangeably wherein the tapered structure is unitary with the bottom end of the pole cavity or detachable from the bottom end of the pole cavity; and

a plurality of recesses in the inside of the pole cavity walls provide anchoring location to at least pole hoisting devices, pole plumb devices and pole anchoring devices, wherein the pole cavity is configured to receive fill material through the pole cavity top end and fill voids in the lower portion and between the cavity wall and the pole exterior surface to provide lateral support to the pole and maintains alignment of the embedded pole after removing the removable alignment devices.

25. The pre-fabricated pole foundation of claim 24, wherein the pre-fabricated pole foundation and the pole are configured to be separately removed from each other intact and re-used.

26. The pre-fabricated pole foundation of claim 24, further comprising at least one opening in the cavity wall for retaining one of power enclosures, data device enclosures, or combinations thereof.

27. The pre-fabricated pole foundation of claim 24, further comprising an opening extending through a vertical center, wherein the opening is configured to receive a ground wire through the foundation vertical center for connecting to a spike mounted to the base section for grounding a pole assembly.

28. The pre-fabricated pole foundation of claim 24, further comprising leader bores extending radially through the cavity wall and through recesses located in an interior surface of the cavity wall, wherein the recesses receive and retain plates and bolts that to facilitate pole plumbing and anchoring.

29. The pre-fabricated pole foundation of claim 28, wherein the recessed plates facilitate hoisting locations for the pre-fabricated pole foundation.