Lighting standard support

A pole support including a housing that defines a base portion for mounting on a support surface, a cavity for accommodating electrical equipment, a receiver opening for receiving a pole and communicating with the cavity, an access opening providing physical access to the cavity, and a plurality of bolt holes physically accessible externally of the cavity. Covering the access opening is a door that can be opened to expose the electrical gear in the cavity. Also removably secured to the housing are covers for retaining bolts disposed in the bolt holes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates generally to pole supports and, more particularly, 
to bases for supporting lighting standards. 
Vertical standards are used extensively to support lighting equipment such 
as traffic lights, floodlights, etc. Generally, the standards are mounted 
on hollow bases that accommodate electrical gear associated with the 
lighting equipment supported. In most instances the bases are secured to a 
primary support surface with internally located bolts. Because the 
interior of the base is typically crowded with electrical cables and other 
gear, access to the internal bolts is limited. Consequently, installation 
or removal of the pole bases is rather difficult and time consuming. 
Another problem associated with prior lighting standard bases stems from 
the common use of lightweight materials such as aluminum. Although 
desirable for other reasons, the threaded openings in aluminum bases often 
fail to offer the structural strength required to support relatively heavy 
metal standards. 
The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide an improved base for 
lighting standards. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The invention is a pole support including a housing that defines a base 
portion for mounting on a support surface, a cavity for accommodating 
electrical equipment, a receiver opening for receiving a pole and 
communicating with the cavity, an access opening providing physical access 
to the cavity, and a plurality of bolt holes physically accessible 
externally of the cavity. Covering the access opening is a door that can 
be opened to expose the electrical gear in the cavity. Also removably 
secured to the housing are covers for retaining bolts disposed in the bolt 
holes. The use of external retaining bolts greatly simplifies installation 
of the pole support while the bolt covers protect the bolts from grime and 
corrosion and enhance the overall appearance of the structure. 
One feature of the invention is a method of fabricating the housing 
including the steps of forming a mold with a cavity having the shape of 
the desired housing, forming an annular insert of a high strength material 
such as steel, internally threading the annular insert, positioning the 
annular insert in the mold cavity in a position surrounding the receiver 
opening, filling the mold cavity with a molten material such as aluminum 
having less weight and strength than the material used for the insert, and 
removing from the mold as an integral unit the cast housing and annular 
insert. By integrally casting a lightweight housing with a high strength 
threaded insert, the finished product is easily handled, of reasonable 
cost and able to reliably accommodate threaded engagement with a 
relatively heavy metal post. 
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the housing comprises a 
pedestal portion extending from the base portion in the form of a 
truncated pyramid, the vertex of which defines the receiver opening, and 
bolt holes that open into recesses located at the intersections of the 
bases forming the truncated pyramid. The bolt covers extend over the 
recesses and conform to the natural shape of the pyramid. Preferably, the 
pedestal portion has the form of an octahedron and the bolt receiving 
recesses are located at alternate intersections of the faces forming the 
octahedron.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the invention comprises a support 11 for a 
pole 12 of the type typically utilized to support traffic signal lights 
(not shown). The support 11 includes a housing 13 formed by a pedestal 
portion 14 that extends out of an octagonally shaped base portion 15. As 
shown in the drawings, the pedestal 14 is a truncated pyramid having the 
form of an octahedron. The faces 16 have concave lower portions 17 that 
meet the upper peripheral edge of the base portion 15. 
Defined by the housing 13 is an internal cavity 21 for accommodating 
electrical gear such as cables and the like associated with the lights 
(not shown) normally supported by the pole 12. Physical access to the 
cavity 21 is provided by an access opening 22 (FIG. 2) formed in two faces 
of the pedestal portion 14. A door 23 covers the access opening 22 and is 
removable to provide access to the cavity 21. Removably securing the door 
23 to the housing 13 are machine screws 24 that penetrate adjacent faces 
16 of the pedestal portion 14. The shape of the cover 23 conforms to the 
full faces 16 of the pyramidal pedestal portion 14. 
Also defined by the outer surface of the housing 13 are a plurality of 
concave recesses 31 located at alternate intersections of the faces 16 
forming the pedestal portion 14. The recesses 31 extend through the base 
portion 15 and terminate with bolt holes 32. Received by the bolt holes 32 
are anchor bolts 33 that are used to anchor the support 11 to a suitable 
support surface. Each of the recesses 31 is closed by a cover 34 with a 
lower lip 35 that is removably secured to the base portion 15 with a 
machine screw 36. The covers 34 conform to the natural shape of the 
pedestal and base portions 14 and 15. 
As shown in FIG. 3, the housing 13 defines a receiver opening 41 at the 
vertex of the pyramidal pedestal portion 14. The receiver opening 14 
communicates with the cavity 21 and is internally threaded to accommodate 
an externally threaded pipe 12. In a preferred embodiment, the opening 41 
is formed by an annular insert 42 made of a material having greater 
strength than the remainder of the housing 13. 
According to a preferred method of the invention, the housing 13 is a sand 
casting of a suitable material such as aluminum alloy. A mold is formed 
with a mold cavity conforming to the desired shape of the housing 13 and 
the insert 42 is positioned in the cavity so as to establish the receiver 
opening 41. Preferably the insert 42 is a length of internally threaded 
pipe made of a high strength material such as steel. Prior to insertion 
into the mold cavity, holes are drilled in the insert 42 to provide 
recesses 43. Upon filling of the mold, the recesses 43 fill with molten 
aluminum which after hardening establishes a bond that enhances the 
structural integrity of the integrally formed housing 13 and annular 
insert 42. 
Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are 
possible in light of the above teachings. It is to be understood, 
therefore, that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as 
specifically described.