Patent Publication Number: US-2007116515-A1

Title: Protective utility pole base covers

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
      This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/739,907 filed Nov. 23, 2005, which is herein incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to protective covers for bases of utility poles such as street light poles, in particular covers for raised concrete bases for light poles.  
     BACKGROUND INFORMATION  
      Utility poles such as light poles located in parking lots and along roadways are often mounted on concrete bases. These bases typically extend well above grade level to protect the pole from damage by vehicles. This is an effective design for securely holding the pole and also protecting it from damage. However, the concrete base itself often becomes worn or damaged due to weathering and vehicle impacts and may need replaced or repaired. The poles are usually bolted onto anchors extending from the pole base. Such bolts and anchors tend to rust and deteriorate due to exposure to the elements. Aside from being unsightly, the rusted hardware and weathered or damaged pole bases may become structurally unsound.  
      The present invention has been developed in light of the foregoing.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention provides a protective utility pole base cover that will provide protection for pole bases. In one embodiment, the protective cover comprises a protective, plastic cover for a concrete pole base having a cover wall, a cover top and a cover boot. The cover wall is made of interlocking slats with raised reinforcement portions. A two-piece cover top covers the top of the pole base. A cover boot encircles the pole and fills the gap between the cover top and the pole.  
      An aspect of the invention is to provide a protective utility pole base cover comprising a cover wall structured and arranged for mounting around a periphery of a utility pole base and a cover top mountable on the cover wall structured and arranged to cover the utility pole base and encircle a utility pole mounted on the utility pole base.  
      Another aspect of the invention is to provide a method of assembling a protective utility pole base cover around the base of a utility pole comprising placing a cover wall around the base of the utility pole, mounting a cover top on the cover wall above the base and around the utility pole and mounting a cover boot on the cover top which seals against the utility pole.  
      A further aspect of the invention is to provide a utility pole base and protective cover assembly comprising a utility pole base, a cover wall structured and arranged for mounting around a periphery of a utility pole base and a cover top mountable on the cover wall structured and arranged to cover the utility pole base and encircle a utility pole mounted on the utility pole base. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is perspective view of a protective utility pole base cover in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view showing components of the protective utility pole base cover of  FIG. 1 .  
       FIG. 3  top view of an interlocking portion of a cover wall according one embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 4  is a more detailed view of exploded perspective view of a cover boot according to one embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of another protective utility pole base cover in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a protective utility pole base cover  1  surrounds a pole base  2 . The protective utility pole base cover  1  includes a cover wall  4  surrounding the pole base  2 , a cover top  5  on top of the cover wall and a cover boot  6  on top of the cover top  5  and surrounding a utility pole  3 . The utility pole  3  may be a light pole, or any other structure mounted on top of a pole base. The pole base  2  may be a concrete structure embedded in the ground for supporting the utility pole. The protective utility pole base cover  1  has an outer diameter, shown as D in  FIG. 1 . The outer diameter D is for example, between 1 and 3 feet. The protective utility pole base cover  1  also has an overall height, shown as H T  in  FIG. 1 . The height H T  is for example, between 1 and 4 feet. The cover wall  4  has a wall height, shown as H w  in  FIG. 1 . The height H w  is for example, between 1 foot and 3 feet. The cover top  5  and the cover boot  6  have a combined height, shown as H c  in  FIG. 1 . The height H c  is for example, between 3 and 24 inches.  
      In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , the cover wall  4  is made up of slats  8 . The individual slats  8  may have a raised reinforcement portion  12  to provide rigidity for the slat  8  and provide protection for the pole base  2 . Reinforcement portions  10  may be vertical or of other orientation. The slats  8  connect together by way of interlocking portions  10 . The interlocking portions  10  may have a slide or slip lock with interlocking shapes that hold the sections together.  
      Different embodiments of the present invention may have varying numbers of wall sections, for example, one embodiment may have two interlocking or otherwise fastened semi-circular sections. Another embodiment may have a one-piece cover wall  4 . The cover wall may have one or more cover wall sections which are secured with mechanical fasteners or adhesive. The one or more cover wall sections may also have reinforcement portions  10 .  
       FIG. 3  shows an example of a slip lock joint according to one embodiment of the present invention. Each slat  8  may have a reinforcement portion  12  and two interlocking portions  10 . The interlocking portions  10  of each slat  8  are congruently shaped to fit the reinforcement portions  10  of other slats  8 . Slats  8  may be substantially flat so that each interlocking portion rotates to conform to the pole base  2 , or the slats  8  may be formed to have a radius matched to the radius of the pole base  2 . The slats may also be flexible enough to conform to the pole base  2  without pre-formed bends.  
      In one embodiment, the height of the protective utility pole base cover  1  is adjustable by cutting the cover wall to conform with the height of the pole base  2  and/or to conform to the terrain surrounding the pole base  2 . The top and bottom of the cover wall  4  may be trimmed to conform to the top of the pole base  2  or bottom where the sections touch the ground.  
      The cover top  5  is mounted on the cover wall  4  and covers the utility pole base  2 , with an opening that surrounds the utility pole  3 . The cover top  5  may optionally be mechanically secured or friction fit to the cover wall  4 , however this is not required. The cover top  5  may be made up of two semi-circular sections joined together to make one cover top  5  that encircles the pole  3 . Each cover top section  7  has a sidewall  14  and a top surface  15 . The cover top sections  7  may be held together by cover top locking tabs  22 . Each of the cover top locking tabs  22  is overlapped by the opposite cover top section  7 . Overlapping the cover top locking tabs  22  with the opposite cover top section enable the sections to be fastened together. In one embodiment, mechanical fasteners running through the cover top locking holes  24  and into the cover top locking tab  22  of the opposite cover top section  7  hold the cover top sections  7  together. The mechanical fasteners may be, for example, plastic or metal pins or plastic or metal screws. Each cover top section  7  may also have a sidewall  14  protruding axially along the pole base  2 . The sidewall  14  assists in securing the slats  8  to the pole base  2  and fills any gaps between the slats  8  and cover top  5 . Other embodiments of the present invention may include a one-piece cover top  5  or a plurality of cover top sections  7 .  
      The cover boot  6  sits on top of the cover top  5 . The cover boot  6  is also made of two cover boot sections  9  which are shown in greater detail in  FIG. 4 . The cover boot sections  9  shown in the embodiment depicted in  FIGS. 2 and 4  are each equal halves of a hemisphere. Each cover boot section  9  has a pole opening  16  which substantially conforms to a cross-section of the pole  3 . This cross-section may be for example, rectangular, square or circular. The pole opening  9  may be equipped with a gasket to seal tightly to the pole  3  to keep water from entering the protective utility pole base cover  1 . The gasket may be a rubber portion fitted between the cover boot  6  and the pole  3  or may be caulking, for example silicon, between the cover boot  6  and the pole  3 . The gasket prevents water from getting inside protective utility pole base cover  1 . Each cover boot section  6  also has a boot locking tab  18  that is overlapped by the opposite cover boot section  9 . In one embodiment, the bolt locking tab  18  interlocks with the opposite cover boot section  9  through the use of mechanical fasteners, such as plastic pins through bolt locking holes  20 . Other embodiments of the present invention may include a one-piece cover boot  6  or a plurality of cover boot sections  9 .  
      A beneficial feature of the cover boot  6  that it is not attached to the cover top  5 . This allows the cover boot to float or have radial flexibility in relation to a central longitudinal axis of the pole base  2 . The flexibility allows the cover boot  6  to fit tightly against the pole and still cover the pole base  2  while resting on an appropriately sized cover wall  4 . Radial flexibility is beneficial because the poles  3  are often not concentric with or center on the pole bases  2 . This could require that an oversized cover wall  4  be used or that a custom made cover be made if the cover boot  6  where radially fixed. The radial movement of the cover boot  6  in relation to the cover top  5  and cover wall  4  remedies this problem as it relates to providing a cover for the pole.  
      In another embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 5 , a one-piece cover wall  34  surrounds a pole base  32 . The one-piece cover wall  34  is either hinged or flexible enough to be installed around pole base  32 . A cover top  35  is mounted on and secured to the one-piece cover wall  34  as described above. The cover top is a two piece design having a sidewall protruding axially along the pole base as described above. The cover top  35  may have an upwardly and inwardly projecting top surface which provides a transition from the one-piece cover wall  34  to a cover boot  36  which sits atop the cover top  55 . The cover boot  35  wraps around the pole  33  a seals against water. A skirt  37  may be placed around the bottom of the protective utility pole base cover  1 . The skirt  37  may be a one or two-piece ring that fits over the one-piece cover wall  34  and covers any gap between the cover wall  4  and the ground. The skirt and sidewall of the top cover may provide the means for holding the one-piece cover wall  34  in place around the periphery of the pole base  32 . Alternatively, mechanical fasteners or adhesive may also be used to hold opposite circumferential ends of the one-piece cover wall  34  together.  
      The protective utility pole base cover  1  may be constructed of a material suitable for exposure to an outside environment. Non-metallic materials, such as plastics may be used for this application due to their resistance to deterioration. Many plastics, such as polyethylene, also demonstrate excellent strength and resiliency, which make them suitable for protecting a pole base  2 . Other materials, including metallic materials, may be used in fabrication of all or part of the pole base cover without departing form the invention. However, plastics are often the preferred material for this application.  
      The pole base cover may include additional aesthetic features dependent on the setting to provide a more appealing appearance. Aesthetic features may include additional molding incorporated in as separate elements of the pole base cover. Color selection may also be varied according to the setting.  
      Whereas particular embodiments of this invention have been described above for purposes of illustration, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that numerous variations of the details of the present invention may be made without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims.