Illumination – With static structure – Pavement
Patent
1995-06-29
1998-07-28
Husar, Stephen F.
Illumination
With static structure
Pavement
362285, 362430, 174 57, 404 26, 404 72, E01F 900
Patent
active
057854092
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
This invention relates to height and azimuth adjustable container apparatus and methods and overlay protection plate apparatus and associated methods for embedded container light supports and the alignment of their light fixtures. In one aspect, the invention relates to height and azimuth adjustable containers and overlay protection plate apparatus for specialized, set-in-the-ground lighting systems utilized for the purpose of guiding pilots during approach to an airport runway and during the landing and taxi of aircraft.
2. Background
Conventional lighting fixtures forming part of specialized, set-in-the-ground airport lighting systems are mounted on certain steel containers. The steel containers for these airport inset lights can be one-part or two-part and, sometimes, three-part containers and are set below the surface of runways, taxiways, and other aircraft ground traffic areas. The bottom sections of the containers are sometimes called shallow light bases. The top sections are called fixed-length extensions and are manufactured in different fixed lengths and diameters. Flat spacer rings are installed between the extensions and the lighting fixtures for further providing height and azimuth adjustments. These conventional steel containers, in addition to serving as bases for mounting the lighting fixtures, also serve as transformer housings and junction boxes to bring electrical power to the lighting fixtures.
In the installation of airport runway touchdown zone, centerline, and edge lighting systems, as well as in the construction or installation of taxiway centerline and edge lighting systems, and other lighting systems, these containers are embedded in the runway, taxiway, and other pavements at the time the runway and taxiway pavements are poured (concrete) or placed (bituminous). These containers, hereinafter referred to as embedded containers, vary in length and diameter. The conventional, existing art containers provide an inverted flange at their top portion, which flange has a standard set of threaded holes to allow for the runway, taxiway, edge, and other light fixtures to be bolted onto them above the pavement surface, or to allow for the top section of the container to be bolted onto the bottom section, if it is a two-section container. A great majority of these existing, conventional containers are two section containers, bolted together at their inverted flanges. The light fixture is then bolted onto the top inverted flange of the top section of the two-section container. The top section of the two-section container is referred to as the fixed-length extension, which is part of the old art embedded containers.
These embedded containers below the pavement surface serve as light fixture bases. They also serve as transformer housings and junction boxes. Depending on the location where these containers are installed, they are exposed to varying degrees and types of forces applied to them by the aircraft and other vehicular traffic in that location. For example, runway and taxiway centerline light fixtures, and the containers they are bolted onto, are subjected to direct aircraft and other heavy vehicular loading applied to the top flange of the container and transmitted down to its walls.
The top portions of the lighting fixtures are installed at a close tolerance, slightly above the pavement surface. Installations of the containers and their lighting fixtures are required on two different occasions. The first is when the runways, taxiways, and other aircraft ground traffic areas are built for the first time. The second is for resurfacing or repaving of the runways, taxiways, and other aircraft ground traffic areas. The latter is the most common, i.e., most frequent.
The light fixtures installed on the embedded containers, otherwise known as airport inset lights, have to be aligned with respect to each other in a precise, straight line on the horizontal plane known as azimuth correction, and their height has to be set within a fixed, strict tole
REFERENCES:
patent: 4622435 (1986-11-01), Trainor et al.
patent: 5431510 (1995-07-01), Reinert, Sr.
patent: 5541362 (1996-07-01), Reinert, Sr.
Glantz Douglas G.
Husar Stephen F.
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