Tilt towers and methods of affixing tilt towers to a support device partly embedded in the earth.
Tilt towers are typically provided for use with antennas, for example, in positive train control (PCT) towers. These tilt towers typically include a foundation engaging a mast and swing tube, the mast and swing tube connected by an axle. One such tilt tower may be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/473,848, filed May 17, 2012, published Nov. 22, 2012, which application is incorporated by reference herein. One end of the swing tube is normally attached near to the mast the ground and the second end of the swing tube extends well past the removed end of the mast and has an antenna assembly on the removed end thereof. When servicing of the antenna is required, the near end of the swing tube may be released where it fastens to the mast close to the ground and, with a rope on the antenna end of the swing tube, it can be rotated down to ground level for servicing.
Typically masts have a flange which engages four bolts set into a ground embedded precast concrete mass. At an assembly site, a backhoe is used to dig out the soil and the precast concrete foundation is placed in the excavated area. The precast foundation may include an access channel for receiving the coax assembly from the bottom of the mast. A trench may be dug out adjacent the precast mass and the coax assembly, entrained through the precast, may be laid in the trench, typically in conduit, to an equipment or signal bungalow nearby. The coax assembly is engaged to equipment in the signal bungalow in ways known in the art.
A tilt tower and pipe auger anchor assembly comprising a tilt tower having a mast and a swing tube and a coax cable engaging both the mast and the swing tube, the mast has a near end, the near end has a mast flange plate with fastener holes therethrough. A pipe auger anchor has walls defining a generally hollow elongated body having a near end and a removed end, the near end including a pipe auger anchor flange plate mateable with the mast flange plate. The pipe auger anchor flange plate has fastener openings therein and fixedly attached to the near end perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the hollow elongated body and an auger at the removed end. The auger provides a penetration force when the body is rotated and the auger is engaged with the ground.
Applicants disclose a tilt tower and pipe auger assembly 10. The tilt tower and pipe auger assembly 10 includes a tilt tower 12 as known in the art. A coax assembly 13 is engaged with the tilt tower and partly entrained within a mast tube 16, typically entering at a near end 16a thereof and exiting at a port 16c thereof. Removed end 16b of mast 16 includes an axle 20 for engagement of a swing tube 18 as known in the art. Swing tube 18a has a near end 18a from which coax assembly, when the swing tube is in a normal or use position, may extend thereinto and enter the low end of the mast tube as best seen in
It is seen that mast 16 is typically longitudinal and may have a flange plate 22 rigidly attached as, for example, by weldment (see
Pipe auger anchor 14 is seen, in one embodiment, to include an auger body 26 of a near end 26a and a removed end 26b. At the removed end 26b of auger body 26 is an auger 28. Auger 28 may be configured in a number of different ways and may include a helical member 30 and a longitudinal member 32. Auger 28 is configured such that, upon placement against the earth, typically soil, with the longitudinal axis of the auger body 26 generally perpendicular thereto, rotation thereof will provide a penetration force to the pipe auger anchor and it may penetrate the earth. Equipment, known in the art, will provide power to rotate augers into the earth. Rotation of pipe auger anchor into the earth is provided and a hole may be partially (a starter hole) or completely excavated as seen in
For example, if the coax port is approximately 2.5 inches by 12 inches (about 30 sq. in.), then a total of about thirty square inches of port reinforcement member, typically plate steel, will be used to weld up the weld members around the port. Moreover, if the thickness of auger body is about ¼ inch, the wall members defining the port reinforcement members will be typically at least about ¼ inch thick.
By providing port reinforcement members, including welded up plate steel about the coax port, a weakness in auger body 26 will be substantially alleviated. For example, auger body 26 may vibrate when a mast, stimulated by winds or other forces, begins to vibrate at a harmonic frequency defined by the geometry and materials of the tilt tower assembly. Such harmonic vibrations can be destructive and may cause failure at non-reinforced coax ports. Port reinforcement members, such as those illustrated or other suitable members, are helpful in providing reinforcement about the coax ports and avoiding destructive failure.
It may be seen that near end 26a has a mating flange plate 42 attached by weldment 44 or other suitable means. Moreover, it is seen that mating flange plate 42 is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of auger body 26 and may be dimensioned similarly to flange plate 22 of mast tube 16. Mating flange plate 42 may include a hold-down bolt access area, which may be multiple slots 46 as seen, for example, in
As seen in the detail portion of
Turning to
In summary, regarding reinforcements of the port, it is seen that the reinforcement members may be plate or cylindrical or other suitable steel, and may be fully inside the body, fully outside the body or partially inside or outside. Moreover, square, rectangular or cylindrical steel may be used or any other suitable shape.
Although the invention has been described with reference to a specific embodiment, this description is not meant to be construed in a limiting sense. On the contrary, various modifications of the disclosed embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the description of the invention. It is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will cover such modifications, alternatives, and equivalents that fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
This application claims the benefit of, priority to and includes herein by reference, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/776,231, filed Mar. 11, 2013.
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