Patent Publication Number: US-2003234091-A1

Title: Steel tube useful in pole, pylon, or tower, filled at least partially with cementitious material, and comprising plural sections bolted to one another at end flanges

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] This invention pertains to an improvement in a steel tube, which is useful in a pole, pylon, or tower and which comprises plural sections having end flanges and being bolted together at the flanges.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] Heretofore, it has been known for a pole, pylon, or tower, which is useful to support antennas or to perform other similar or dissimilar functions, to comprise a steel tube or steel tubes and for each tube to comprise plural sections having end flanges and being bolted together at the flanges. This invention provides an improvement, which is useful when it is desired for a steel tube to be so used to be at least partially filled with a cementitious material, such as grout, which is pumped into the steel tube and which is allowed to cure.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003] This invention provides an improvement in a steel tube, as described above, wherein the flanges contacted by the cementitious material being pumped have means, which may comprise gaskets, to prevent the cementitious material from being extruded between the flanges contacted by the cementitious material before the cementitious material has cured.  
       [0004] In a preferred embodiment, in which the flanges are external flanges and in which said means comprise internal gaskets, the tube sections meeting at the flanges having the gaskets have notches, within which the gaskets are seated, so as to allow the flanges having the gaskets to have flange-to-flange contact, except where the gaskets are seated in the notches. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0005]FIG. 1 is a schematic elevation of a tower comprising steel tubes, which are filled at least partially with a cementitious material, as contemplated by this invention. FIG. 2 is a greatly enlarged, fragmentary detail illustrating two tube sections, which are bolted to one another at end flanges and which have a gasket between the flanges, as contemplated by this invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT  
     [0006] As illustrated, a tower  10 , which is useful to support antennas or to perform other similar or dissimilar functions, comprises upright steel tubes  20 , which are made in plural sections  22  having external end flanges  24 , which are bolted to one another by nuts  26  and bolts  28 , in a manner conventional in tower construction.  
     [0007] Each steel tube  20  is filled at least partially with a cementitious material C, such as grout, which is pumped into the steel tube  20  and which is allowed to cure. The flanges  24  contacted by the cementitious material C have gaskets  30  to prevent the cementitious material C from being extruded between the flanges  24  contacted by the cementitious material C before the cementitious material C has cured.  
     [0008] Moreover, the tube sections  22  meeting at the flanges  24  having the gaskets  30  have notches  32 , within which the gaskets  30  are seated, so as to allow the flanges  24  having the gaskets  30  to have flange-to-flange contact, as illustrated in FIG. 2, except where the gaskets  30  are seated in the notches  32 .