Electricity: conductors and insulators – Overhead – Towers – poles or posts
Patent
1986-04-17
1988-03-01
Askin, Laramie E.
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Overhead
Towers, poles or posts
52697, 174149R, 174168, H02G 720, E04H 1224, H01B 1716
Patent
active
047287497
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a utility pole assembly including a cross-arm which provides support for electrical conductors. In particular, the present invention relates to a utility pole assembly including a cross-arm that is both insulating and supportive.
Although the present invention will be described with particular reference to a cross-arm assembly of ceramic bricks or blocks which are manufactured from essentially non-conducting material, the scope of the present invention is not so limited and may extend to other applications of the bricks or blocks and cross-arm assembly and to other forms of the support assembly.
Cross-arms for utility poles, such as those carrying electrical conductors and insulators, are most usually made of wood and are provided with metal fittings. The wood deteriorates in time, caused by water impregnating the matrix of the wood thus destroying its structure. In addition, the wooden poles when wet or impregnated with moisture can be electrically conductive, particularly so when metal fittings are used to secure the cross-arms. Thus, existing cross-arms of power poles have at least two deficiencies, that of premature ageing and deterioration necessitating replacement at a high cost of both labor and replacement materials, and that of the unwarranted conduction of stray currents to undesirable parts of the pole assembly which presents a safety problem since it may cause shock or other injuries to operators or people in the vicinity of the poles.
Therefore, it is an aim of the present invention to at least provide a cross-arm assembly or cross-arm element which at least alleviates one of the problems of prior art cross-arms or cross-arm elements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an element suitable for use in a cross-arm assembly for a utility pole for supporting an electrical conductor in an insulated condition, in use, comprising a body portion and a top portion, said top portion being provided with conductor support means for supporting an electrical conductor in position in an insulated condition and wherein said body portion is provided with means for connecting said element to adjacent similar elements for forming said assembly.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a cross-arm assembly for a utility pole for supporting at least one electrical conductor in an insulated condition, in use, comprising a plurality of similar elements of a substantially insulating material interconnected together so as to form the cross-arm, each of said elements having a body portion and a top portion, said body portion being provided with means permitting adjacent ones of the elements to be fastened together and the top portion being provided with means to support the electrical conductor, and wherein at least one of the elements is connected to the pole in use.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a utility pole having at least one cross-arm assembly wherein the cross-arm assembly comprises a plurality of similar insulating elements of the form defined above.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will now be described by way of example with particular reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one form of the ceramic block of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross section view of the block of FIG. 1 taken along the line 2--2 of FIG. 3;
FIG. 3 is a view of a utility pole having a cross-arm assembly in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a cross-section view along 4--4 of FIG. 3; and
FIG. 5 is a more detailed front view of the block in the cross-arm assembly .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In FIG. 1 there is shown a block 2 made of a ceramic material which is non-conductive and may be glazed or impregnated with polymer so as to be moisture- or water-proof. The composition of the ceramic block is such that even if the glaze is damaged or deterio
REFERENCES:
patent: 342324 (1886-05-01), Brandon
patent: 617062 (1899-01-01), Taliaferro
patent: 809743 (1906-01-01), Petery
patent: 3207840 (1965-09-01), Sharp
Askin Laramie E.
R.F.D. Consultants Pty. Ltd.
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