Patent Publication Number: US-2015070916-A1

Title: Lighting poles with accessible electrics

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention is generally directed toward street or highway overhead lighting, and more particularly, to an adjustable and rotatable street or highway overhead light. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Many prior street overhead lighting devices have been developed in recent years. Although some are adjustable in height, these street overhead lighting devices cannot be adjusted in height with a simple mechanism, and cannot be rotated to illuminate the desired side of the road or highway. 
     Considering that the high-mast poles of most street or highway overhead lights can reach up to 120 feet in height, the routine and regular maintenance, such as replacing or cleaning the lights, requires tremendous efforts using bucket trucks to get access to the lights at that height, and further requires closing the street or highway resulting in unnecessary traffic. 
     For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,092,707, issued to Millerbernd, discloses a light supporting frame and carriage mounted for vertical movement on a hollow tower. A hoisting motor with cable and pulleys are provided to raise and lower the light member. 
     Another approach is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,348,717, issued to Thompson, in which a support ring with centering means as it is raised and lowered on a pole 1, and further including a cable on a cable sheave. 
     One of the disadvantages associated with these prior art adjustable street or highway overhead lights is that their mechanisms do not allow for an easy adjustment of height. Yet another disadvantage with these prior art street or highway overhead lights is that they do not provide for a mechanism to be able to rotate the lighting device. 
     It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a street or highway overhead light and mechanism that allows for an easy adjustment of height thereof, and further allows for the rotation of the light to a desired degree of rotation. 
     Notwithstanding the above, it is presently believed that there may be a significant demand in the marketplace for a street or highway overhead light having an adjustable mechanism with the above-stated features of the present invention. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     These problems and others are addressed by the present invention which comprises an adjustable street light having a pole having a first end and a second end, an anchor member, wherein the second end of the pole is attached to the anchor member. A sleeve member slidably mounted on said pole, a pair of opposing arms pivotally attached to the sleeve member, and a pair of light housings each attached to an end of the pair of opposing arms. The adjustable street light also includes a gear mechanism for rotating the sleeve member, and a gear mechanism for raising the sleeve member up and down along the pole. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other objects of the present invention will be appreciated and understood by those skilled in the art from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention and the following drawings of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an adjustable street or highway overhead light in a raised configuration in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the street or highway overhead light shown in  FIG. 1  in a lowered and rotated position; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the street or highway overhead light shown in  FIG. 1  in a raised position; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the street or highway overhead light shown in  FIG. 1  in a first lowered position; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the street or highway overhead light shown in  FIG. 4  in a first lowered position but rotated at a 90 degree angle; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the street or highway overhead light shown in  FIG. 5  in a second lowered position still at a 90 degree angle; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the street or highway overhead light shown in  FIG. 6  with the arms in folded configuration; 
         FIG. 8  is a front sectional view of the gear mechanism for the adjustable apparatus of the street or highway overhead light in accordance with the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 ; and, 
         FIG. 9  is a rear sectional view of the gear mechanism for the adjustable apparatus of the street or highway overhead light in accordance with the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     For the purpose of promoting and understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings. Referring now to the drawings, and more specifically to  FIGS. 1 to 6 , wherein the showings are for the purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention only and not for the purpose of limiting the same, a highway overhead light is generally illustrated at  10  and includes a pole  12  having a first end  14  and second  16 . The pole is generally made of material such as, but not limited to, aluminum or steel, and preferably has a cylindrical shape and configuration. However, other shapes and configurations such a square is contemplated to be within the scope of the present invention. 
     The second end  16  of the pole  12  is secured and embedded into the ground using an anchor base  18  or any other attachment means that can secure the second end  16  of the pole into a foundation in order to keep the pole fixed into the ground in an upright position. 
     The highway overhead light  10  includes a first arm  24  and an opposing second arm  26 . Each arm  24 ,  26  includes a light housing  28  secured at the opposing ends of each first and second arms  24 ,  26 . The light housing  28  supports and houses a light source such as incandescent light bulbs or high intensity discharge lamps. 
     A sleeve member  20  is adapted to slidably fit over the pole  12  and includes a pair of opposing securing members  22  each adapted having the ends of first and second arms  24 ,  26  to pivotally attached thereto. As will be explained in greater detail herein, the pivoting attachment allows for the first and second arms  24 ,  26  to pivot in a vertical direction to the extent that allows each of the first and second arms  24 ,  26  become aligned and parallel with the pole  12 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , the pole includes a first pair of opposing rack teeth  30  disposed on an outer surface of the pole  10  and extending from a point proximate to the first end  14  of the pole  12  and terminating at smooth portion  32  on the outer surface of the pole  12 . A pair of second opposing rack teeth  34  oriented at 90 degrees relative to the first pair of opposing rack teeth  30  is positioned below the smooth portion of the pole  12  and extends down along the outer surface of the pole  12  to a position proximate the anchor base  18 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the raising and lowering mechanism of the sleeve member  20  is generally illustrated at  36 . A pinion gear  38  is attached to the sleeve member  20  and engages with a second pinion gear  40  rotatable by a rotating mechanism such as an electric motor  42  which allows for the rotation of the sleeve member  20 . 
     A pair of opposing gears  44  are also operably attached to the sleeve member  20  and are rotatable by a rotating mechanism such as, but not limited to, an electric motor  46 . The gears  44  mesh with and engage the corresponding first or second pair of opposing rack teeth  30 ,  34 , the rotation of which allow for the movement of the sleeve member  20  up and down, thereby raising the opposing arms  24 ,  26  and provide easy access to the light housings  28  for regular maintenance or cleaning. 
     In order to rotate the sleeve member  20  and thereby rotate the first and second arms  24 ,  26  by 90 degrees, the sleeve is lowered to a position over the smooth outer surface of the pole  12  in order to disengage from the gearing mechanism and be able to rotate freely. 
     While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, various modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustration only, and this description should not be construed as limiting to the several claims appended hereto.