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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/189,730, filed Mar. 16, 2000, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a steel pole step assembly. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE RELATED ART 
     Utility poles are commonly used to suspend telephone and electrical transmission and distribution wires in the air. The wires are usually suspended high enough so that pedestrians, cars, trucks, and other vehicles can safely pass under the wires. Utility poles have conventionally been made of wood. However, the use of steel utility poles is increasing. 
     Utility poles, whether wood or steel, are normally not provided with steps at least at the lower levels so as to prevent unauthorized personnel from climbing the pole. However, authorized personnel such as technicians must have a way to climb a pole. For wood poles, one method involves the use of spiked boots that enables a technician to dig a spike attached to the boot into the side of the pole so that he or she can climb the pole. 
     For steel poles, various types of special step devices have been proposed. For example, one type of device available from AB Chance Company, Centralia, Mo., involves an assembly that includes a cinch nut fastened to the pole and a step lug that slides over the cinch nut. The cinch nut and step lug are separate parts. The cinch nuts are normally fastened to the pole permanently. When the utility technician arrives, he or she simply places the step lugs over the cinch nuts, and removes them after the job is complete. A drawback of this device is the requirement for specific hardware, i.e., the cinch nuts, to be permanently affixed to poles. Moreover, the step can only be used with poles having the cinch nuts attached thereto. 
     Another type of device available from Valmont Company comprises a steel rod, bracket, and pair of nuts. The steel rod is inserted through a small opening in the side of the utility pole. The bracket is slipped over the rod and tightened against the pole with the nuts. A limitation of this device is that it requires a technician using the device to have a wrench whenever the technician is installing or removing the step. If not, the technician must climb back down the pole to retrieve the wrench. Furthermore, the cinch nuts may require retightening and, when the nuts are over-tightened, the step displays ductile behavior. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention, which is defined by the claims set out at the end of this disclosure, is intended to solve at least some of the problems noted above. A step assembly is provided that can be easily slipped into an opening in the side of the utility pole and locked in place, and then easily removed after use. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the step assembly includes a step member having first and second legs, which are connected at one end and open at the opposite end. The legs are configured to be insertable into an opening in a utility pole and include tabs protruding upwardly from the legs at their open ends. The tabs engage an inner surface of the pole and help retain the step assembly in place. The step assembly also includes a lever member that is rotatably attached to the step member. The lever member includes an enlarged portion that can be forced between the legs to urge the legs apart and lock the step assembly in place. 
     The step assembly is inserted into the opening in the utility pole by pressing the legs of the step assembly toward each other at the free end. The free end of the step member is then inserted into the opening in the utility pole. The legs of the step assembly are released such that the legs spread apart and press against the sides of the opening. The lever member is then rotated such that the enlarged portion is forced between the legs of the step assembly to lock the step assembly in place. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like parts throughout. 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective side view of a steel pole step assembly of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of the steel pole step assembly with the internal components shown in phantom view. 
     FIG. 3 is a front view of the steel pole step assembly. 
     FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the steel pole step assembly. 
     FIG. 5 is a side view of the step assembly showing it in two different positions as it is being inserted into an opening of a steel utility pole. A first position is shown in phantom, and a second position is shown in solid line. 
     FIG. 6 is a side view of the step assembly after it has been inserted into the opening in the utility pole. 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the step assembly showing the step assembly in alignment with the opening in the utility pole. 
     FIG. 8 is a top view of the step assembly. 
    
    
     Before explaining embodiments invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments or being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In the drawings, a preferred embodiment of the steel pole step assembly in accordance with the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 at the reference numeral  10 . The step assembly is for use with utility poles that are hollow and that have openings therein. The openings are typically round, 1⅛ inch diameter openings or rectangular openings. However, the step assembly  10  can also be used with utility poles having openings of other shapes. The preferred embodiment of the steel pole step assembly is particularly well suited for use on steel poles having openings therein. 
     The steel pole step assembly  10  is essentially constructed from four components, a step member  12 , a lever member  14 , an assembly screw  16  and a lock nut  18 . The step member  12  is essentially an elongated U-shaped member forming a first leg  20  and a second leg  22  that may be squeezed together and spread apart. As illustrated particularly in FIGS. 1 and 2, at the open end of the step member, each leg has an upwardly protruding tab  26  and a set of inwardly extending slots  28 , including one slot that extends downwardly and one slot that extends upwardly. The tabs  26  and slots  28  are designed so that, when the open end of the U-shaped step member  12  is squeezed together, that end may be inserted into an opening in the side of the steel utility pole. 
     At the other end of the step member  12  is a connector portion  32  that retains the first and second legs  20 ,  22  together to form a closed, U-shaped portion  34 . The connector portion  32  preferably extends beyond the top of the legs  20 ,  22  to provide a catch, which reduces the possibility of the user&#39;s foot slipping off the end of the step member  12 . 
     The lever member  14  is planar and generally L-shaped having a long leg  36  and a short leg  38  that extends laterally from the long leg  36 . At the top of the long leg  36  is an expanded, circular, end portion  40 . A protrusion  42  (FIG. 2) laterally extends from a side of the expanded portion  40  that is opposite from a side from which the short leg  38  laterally extends. The protrusion  42  has a hole (not shown) therethrough that receives the assembly screw  16 . The lever member  14  is rotatably fastened to the step member  12  at a hole (not shown) in the first leg  22  by inserting the assembly screw  16  through the holes and attaching the lock nut  18  to the assembly screw  16 . Alternatively, a rivet or other equivalent means for fastening the lever member  14  to the step member  12  may be used 
     The range of motion through which the lever member  14  can rotate starts with the lever member  14  being in a position in which its long leg  36  is generally parallel to and against the legs  20 ,  22  of the step member  12  and ends with a position in which the long leg  36  is generally perpendicular to the legs  20 ,  24 . When the lever member is in the generally parallel position, the expanded portion  40  is retracted away from the legs  20 ,  22  so that the legs  20 ,  22  can be squeezed together. 
     When the lever member  14  is rotated into the generally perpendicular position, the lever member  14  becomes locked into place by virtue of the expanded portion  40  of the lever member  14  being forced in between the first and second legs  20 ,  22 . In the perpendicular position, the expanded portion  40  of the lever member  14  is forced between the first and second legs  20 ,  22 . The expanded portion  40  urges the first and second legs  20 ,  22 , including the tabs  26 , away from each other at the open end of the step member  12 . When the lever member  12  is in the perpendicular position, the legs  20 ,  22  cannot be squeezed together because the expanded portion  40  hinders their movement. 
     Short leg  38  of the lever member  14  preferably includes an elongated opening  48  therethrough to provide a structure for a user to easily insert one or more fingers to grasp the short leg  38  to assist in rotating the lever member  14 . The short leg  38  has a length such that when it is rotated away from the first and second legs  20 ,  22  of the step member  12  and into the generally perpendicular, locked position, an end  50  of the short leg  38  abuts against an outer surface of the pole to assure that the expanded portion  40  is not rotated too far but that it is in the proper position between the two legs  20 ,  22 . Additionally, when the lever member is rotated downward position and the end  50  of short leg  38  abuts against the surface of the pole as shown in FIG. 6, there is a space between the long leg  36  of the lever member  14  and surface of the pole. When removing the assembly, the user is able to put his or her fingers either into opening  48  or into the space between the pole and long leg  36  in order to rotate the lever member upwards. 
     Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, when inserted inside the utility pole, upper and lower interior edges  52  and  54  of the tabs  26  rest against the pole at two, spaced-apart locations. The curvature of the pole holds the tabs  26  and rest of the step assembly  10  in place. Thus, even though the opening is, for example, round, the step assembly  10  will not move once it is inserted into the opening and the expanded portion  40  of the lever member  14  is forced between the first and second legs  20 ,  22 . 
     Now referring to FIG. 7, the step assembly  10  may include flanges  56  that extend laterally outwardly from the protruding tabs  26  of the open end of the step member  12 . The flanges  56  strengthen the protruding tabs  26  and help guide the tabs  26  into the opening in the utility pole. The step assembly  10  may also include flanges  58  that extend laterally outwardly from an upper surface of the first and second legs  20 ,  22  of the step member  12 . The flanges  58  provide a larger surface area on which a user&#39;s foot is placed, thereby providing greater stability to the user. The flanges  58  also add greater strength to the legs  20 ,  22 , due to the bend of the metal. 
     In use and operation, the steel pole step assembly  10  disclosed herein is installed onto a steel utility pole in essentially the following manner. Referring back to FIG. 5, the lever member  14  is first placed into the unlocked, parallel position by rotating the long leg  36  toward the closed, U-shaped portion  34  of the step member  12 . The user then squeezes the open ends of the step member  12  so that the two legs  20 ,  22  come together as is shown in FIG.  8 . Referring now to the phantom lines of FIG. 5, the open end of the step member  12  is then tilted and the tabs  26  are inserted through the opening and into the interior of the hollow cylindrical utility pole. The step assembly  10  is then tilted downwardly as is shown in the solid lines of FIG. 5 so that the slots  28  on step member  12  become engaged into the walls of the metal pole with the upper slots  28  engaging an upper portion of the opening and the lower slots  28  engaging a lower portion of the opening. The user then releases the pressure on the open ends of the step member  12 . With the release of pressure, the two legs  20 ,  26  of the step assembly  10  spread apart to engage vertical portions of the utility pole opening. The step assembly is thereby placed in a position so that the upper surface of the step member  12  protrudes perpendicularly outward from the side of the utility pole. 
     The step assembly  10  is locked into place by rotating the long leg  36  of the lever member  14  downward until the end  50  of the short leg  38  abuts against the outer wall of the pole. In the perpendicular position, the expanded portion  40  of the lever member  14  is forced in between the first and second legs  20 ,  22  of the step member  12 . When this occurs, the open ends of the first and second legs  20 ,  22  of the step member  12  are spread apart so that the tabs  26  are effectively locked into the interior of the pole. The combination of spreading the open end of the step member  12  apart, in cooperation with the circumference of the cylindrical pole, both locks the step assembly  10  in place and prevents it from rotating or becoming loose. Multiple step assemblies  10  can be used to climb the utility pole. 
     The step assembly  10  may be removed by rotating the long leg  36  of the lever member  14  away from the pole and into the parallel position so that the expanded portion  40  is again retracted away from the legs  20 ,  22  of the step member  12  as is shown in FIG  5 . The open ends of the member  12  are squeezed together, and the step assembly  10  is lifted and tipped out of the opening as is shown in the phantom lines of FIG.  5 . This quickly and easily removes the step assembly  10  from the pole such that it can be used in another opening or it can be completely removed from the pole and used at a different location. 
     It is understood that the various preferred embodiments are shown and described above to illustrate different possible features of the invention and the varying ways in which these features may be combined. Apart from combining the different features of the above embodiments in varying ways, other modifications are also considered to be within the scope of the invention. For example, the step assembly can be used with poles made from other non-wood materials such as ceramics, plastics, fiberglass and other materials. Additionally, the step assembly can be used on structures other than poles. Such structures include, but are not limited to, planar structures such as walls. 
     The invention is not intended to be limited to the preferred embodiments described above, but rather is intended to be limited only by the claims set out below. Thus, the invention encompasses all alternate embodiments that fall literally or equivalently within the scope of these claims.

Summary:
A step assembly is provided that can be easily slipped into a utility pole opening and locked in place, and then easily removed after use. The step assembly includes 1) a step member having first and second legs, which are connected at one end and open at the opposite end and 2) a lever member that is rotatably attached to the step member and that urges the first and second legs apart. The free end of the legs include tabs protruding upwardly. The step assembly is inserted into the utility pole opening by pressing the legs toward each other. The step assembly is then inserted into the opening. The legs are released such that the legs spread apart and press against the opening&#39;s sides. The lever member is then rotated, forcing the enlarged portion between the legs of the step assembly to lock the step assembly in place.