Patent ID: 8007196
Filing Date: 2011-08-30
Classification: F16B,G21C,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A coupling system comprising: a first pole section having a tubular female end portion including a pair of opposing substantially J-shaped connecting slots, each J-shaped connecting slot having a backbone section open at a distal end of the female end portion; a second pole section having a first pin extending through a male end portion of the second pole section, and a second pin extending through a locking assembly portion of the second pole, and external threads between the first and second pins; a cylindrical locking nut including an internally threaded body portion and a neck portion with a pair of opposing external flat sides extending a length of the neck portion; a locking sleeve having an internal cavity with internal flat lips and a plurality of locking recesses along a distal end of the locking sleeve, wherein the coupling system is selectively assembled with the J-shaped slots receiving the first pin to rotationally fix the first pole section within the second pole section, the body portion threaded onto the external threads such that the body portion abuts against the female end portion to axially fix the first pole section within the second pole section, the external flat sides received within the flat lips to rotationally fix the nut within the sleeve, and a biasing member being received within the sleeve to bias the sleeve axially away from the nut such that the recesses are biased against the second pin to resist rotation of the sleeve relative to the second pin, and the coupling system is selectively disassembled when the sleeve is forced away from the second pin toward the nut to compress the biasing member and allow for unthreading of the body portion and removal of the first pin from the J-shaped connecting slots.