Abstract:
A mounting bracket for attaching a luminaire support arm to a support pole. In one embodiment, the mounting bracket includes a hook, which is secured to the support pole, and a bracket, which is attachable to the hook. In a second embodiment, the bracket is secured to the support pole without the use of the hook. In both embodiments, the support arm is selectively vertically and rotatably received by the bracket.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates to a mounting bracket assembly and more particularly to a mounting bracket assembly for attaching a luminaire support arm or pipe to a support pole with the support pole being comprised of wood, concrete, metal or composite/fiberglass. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Streetlights or luminaires are usually mounted at the end of a support arm or support pipe which is attached at its other end to a support pole by a mounting bracket. If the support pole is wood, the mounting bracket must be screwed or bolted to the support pole. Frequently, the support pipe and mounting bracket are welded together at the factory which requires that both the support pole and mounting bracket be lifted to the upper end of the pole for attachment thereto. The fact that the support pipe and mounting bracket are of welded construction severely detracts from the vertical and angular adjustability of the support pipe with respect to the mounting bracket. Additionally, the conventional mounting brackets are of a welded construction which may result in the bracket having a heat affected zone around the weld which may result in lowering the fatigue resistance of the bracket. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A mounting bracket assembly of non-welded construction is described for attaching a luminaire support arm or pipe to a wood, concrete, metal or composite/fiberglass support pole which has a through bolt opening formed therein. The bracket assembly includes a support hook which is attached to the support pole at the desired location. The support hook includes: (a) a first upstanding side wall; (b) a second upstanding side wall horizontally spaced from the first side wall; (c) a third wall extending between the first and second side walls adjacent the inner ends thereof with the third wall having a bolt opening formed therein; (d) a first hook portion extending upwardly from the upper end of the first side wall adjacent the outer end thereof; (e) a second hook portion extending upwardly from the upper end of the second side wall adjacent the outer end thereof with a through bolt extending through the bolt opening in the third wall and through the through bolt opening in the pole to secure the support hook to the pole. 
   The mounting bracket assembly also includes a bracket comprising: (a) a first upstanding side wall; (b) a second upstanding side wall horizontally spaced from the first side wall; and (c) an upstanding, semi-cylindrical tubular portion at the outer ends of the first and second side walls with the first and second side walls having upper and lower bolt openings formed therein. The inner surface of the tubular portion is provided with ribs which are spaced 15° apart. An upper bolt extends through the upper bolt openings in the first and second side walls of the bracket and a lower bolt extends through the lower bolt openings in the first and second side walls of the bracket. The upper bolt is pivotally supported upon the upper ends of the first and second side walls of the hook inwardly of the hook portions with the lower bolt being positioned below the lower ends of the first and second side walls of the hook. The semi-cylindrical tubular portion is adapted to have an end of a luminaire or light support arm or pipe therein. The upper and lower bolts, upon being tightened, draw the first and second side walls of the bracket towards one another to cause the semi-cylindrical tubular portion and ribs to frictionally engage the support arm therein. The support arm is selectively vertically and rotatably adjustably mounted in the tubular portion. 
   The bracket further includes first and second upstanding flanges which extend laterally from the inner ends of the first and second side walls of the bracket, respectively, with lag bolts or screws extending through the flanges to secure the bracket to the pole. 
   It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide an improved mounting bracket for attaching a luminaire support arm or pipe to a wood, concrete, metal or composite/fiberglass support pole. 
   A further object of the invention is to provide a mounting bracket assembly for attaching a luminaire support arm or pipe to a support pole wherein a support hook is first attached to the pole and a mounting bracket is then pivotally supported upon the support hook with the inner end of the support pipe then being inserted into the bracket and secured therein. 
   A further object of the invention is to provide a mounting bracket assembly for attaching a luminaire support arm or pipe to a support pole which enables the support arm to be more easily attached to the wood pole through the use of the mounting bracket assembly. 
   Yet another object of the invention is to provide a mounting bracket assembly for attaching a luminaire support arm or pipe to a support pole in such a manner that the support arm or pipe may be vertically adjusted with respect to the mounting bracket or may be radially adjusted with respect to the mounting bracket. 
   A further object of the invention is to provide a mounting bracket of non-welded construction which increases the design loads of the support arm and which greatly enhances the fatigue resistance of the bracket. 
   These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a partial side view of a wood support pole having the mounting bracket assembly of this invention mounted thereon and which supports a support pipe and luminaire; 
       FIG. 2  is an enlarged sectional view seen on lines  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the mounting bracket assembly of this invention and its relationship with respect to a support pipe; 
       FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view of the mounting bracket assembly of this invention; 
       FIG. 5  is a cut away side view illustrating the manner in which the mounting bracket is secured to the support hook; 
       FIG. 6  is a view similar to  FIG. 5  except that the mounting bracket has been positioned on the support hook; 
       FIG. 7  is a partial sectional view illustrating the mounting bracket securing the support pipe to the support pole. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The mounting bracket assembly of this invention is referred to generally by the reference numeral  10  and includes two basic parts, namely, a hook  12  and a bracket  14 . The mounting bracket assembly of this invention is designed to support one end of a metal support arm or pipe  16  which normally will support a luminaire  17  at the other end thereof. The reference numeral  18  refers to a wood support pole have a cylindrical configuration. Although a wood support pole  18  is illustrated, the pole  18  may be constructed of concrete, composite/fiberglass or metal such as steel or aluminum. 
   Hook  12  includes upstanding side walls  20  and  22  and an end wall  24  extending therebetween outwardly of the inner ends thereof, as seen in  FIG. 4 . Preferably, hook  12  is comprised of an extruded aluminum material of one-piece construction. Side wall  20  includes an upper end  26 , lower end  28 , outer end  30  and inner end  32 . Similarly, side wall  22  includes an upper end  34 , lower end  36 , outer end  38  and inner end  40 . End wall  24  includes a bolt opening  42  extending therethrough. Preferably, the inner ends  32  and  40  of side walls  20  and  22  include tapered portions  44  and  46 , as seen in  FIG. 4 , to form tooth-like portions which will be drawn into the exterior surface of the pole  18  as will be described hereinafter. An upstanding hook portion  48  extends upwardly from side wall  20  adjacent outer end  30 . Similarly, hook portion  50  extends upwardly from side wall  22  adjacent outer end  38  thereof. Hook  12  is adapted to be secured to the pole  18  by means of a through bolt  52  which extends through bolt opening  42  and a through opening  54  formed or drilled in pole  18 . 
   Bracket  14  is also preferably constructed of an extruded aluminum material so as to be of one-piece construction. Bracket  14  includes horizontally spaced-apart and vertically disposed side walls  56  and  58 . For purposes of description, side wall  56  will be described as having an upper end  60  and a lower end  62 . Also for purposes of description, side wall  56  will be described as having an inner end  64  and an outer end  66 . Further, side wall  58  will be described as having an upper end  68 , lower end  70 , inner end  72  and outer end  74 . 
   Bracket  14  includes a semi-cylindrical-shaped tubular portion  76  having an upper end  78  and a lower end  80 . The interior surface of tubular portion  76  is preferably provided with spaced-apart ribs  82  which extend therefrom for gripping engagement with the end of the support arm  16 . The ribs  82  are preferably spaced-apart 15°. Preferably, the ribs  82  coincide or register with index grooves  83  on the exterior surface of the tubular portion  76  to assist with the optional angular or radial orientation of the support arm  16  with respect to the bracket  14 . Preferably, tubular portion  76  includes inwardly extending portions  84  and  86  so as to permit the tubular portion  76  to additionally extend around the circumference of the support arm  16 . 
   Side wall  56  is provided with vertically spaced bolt openings  86  and  88  while side wall  58  is provided with vertically spaced bolt openings  90  and  92 . An upper bolt  94  extends through bolt openings  90  and  86  and has a nut  96  mounted on one end thereof. Similarly, bolt  98  extends through bolt openings  92  and  88  and has a nut  100  mounted thereon. 
   Preferably, the bracket  14  also includes laterally extending flanges  102  and  104  which extend laterally from the inner ends  64  and  72  of side walls  56  and  58 , respectively. Preferably, flange  102  is provided with spaced-apart openings  106  and  108  while flange  104  is provided with vertically spaced openings  110  and  112 . Preferably, the horizontal cross section of the flanges  102  and  104  is slightly arcuate so as to conform to the exterior surface of the pole  18 . Lag bolts or screws  114 ,  116 ,  118  and  120  may be extended through the bolt openings  106 ,  108 ,  110  and  112  to additionally secure the bracket  14  to the pole, as will be described hereinafter. In some cases only a single bolt opening will be provided in each of the flanges  102  and  104  dependent upon the wishes of the client. Further, even though the flanges  102  and  104  have a pair of bolt openings formed therein, in some cases only a single lag bolt will extend through each of the flanges. 
   The mounting bracket assembly  10  is mounted on the pole  18  as will now be described. The through bolt  52  is extended through the bolt opening  42  of the hook  12  and the through bolt  52  is extended through the hole  54  in the pole  18 . A nut  122  will be loosely threadably mounted on the threaded end of the bolt  52  so that the hook  12  may move slightly with respect to the pole  18  during the installation procedure. The bolts  92  and  94  will be extended through the bolt openings in the side walls  56  and  58 , as previously described, but the nuts  96  and  100  thereon will not be tightened at this time. The bracket  14  is then maneuvered with respect to hook  12  ( FIG. 5 ) so that the bolt  94  is positioned above the side walls  26  and  34  of hook  12  inwardly of the hook portions  48  and  50  with the side walls  56  and  58  of bracket  14  being positioned outwardly of side walls  26  and  34  of hook  12 , respectively. The bracket  14  is then pivotally moved ( FIG. 6 ) so that the lower bolt  92  is moved below the lower ends of the side walls  26  and  34 . At this time, the nut on the through bolt  52  is tightened so that the tooth-like inner ends of side walls  20  and  22  are drawn into “biting” engagement with the exterior surface of the pole  18  so as to be partially embedded in the pole  18 . 
   The end of the support arm  16  is the inserted downwardly into the tubular portion  76 . At that time, when the support arm is positioned in the desired vertical position and the desired angular or radial position with respect to bracket  14 , the nuts  96  and  100  are tightened which draws the side walls  56  and  58  of bracket  14  towards one another so that the tubular portion  76  closes around the support arm  16  with the ribs or teeth  82  being drawn into frictional engagement with the exterior surface of the support arm  16 . When the support arm  16  has been firmly secured within the tubular portion  76 , the lag bolts  114 ,  116 ,  118  and  120  are preferably extended through the openings  106 ,  108 ,  110  and  112 , respectively, to draw the flanges  102  and  104  into engagement with the exterior surface of the pole  18 . The use of the lag bolts  114 ,  116 ,  118  and  120  in the openings  106 ,  108 ,  110  and  112  prevents the bracket  14  from pivoting upwardly and outwardly with respect to the hook  12  which could cause disengagement of the bracket  14  from the hook  12 . When the bolt  94  is resting upon the upper ends of the side walls  24  and  26  of hook  12 , even before the lag bolts have been extended through the openings in the flanges, the positioning of the bolt  92  below the lower ends of the side walls  26  and  34  prevents the bracket  14  from moving upwardly with respect to the hook  12 . 
   Thus it can be seen that a novel mounting bracket assembly has been provided to attach a support arm of a luminaire or the like to a wood pole. The mounting bracket assembly  10  permits the hook  12  to be first secured to the pole  18  with the bracket  14  then being attached thereto prior to the support arm being received within the bracket. The bracket assembly  10  permits the support arm  16  to be selectively vertically mounted within the bracket  14  and selectively radially mounted therein. Further, many different styles of support arms  16  may be used with the bracket  14 . Additionally, brackets  14  having different diameter tubular portions  76  may be used with the hook  12 . The mounting bracket assembly  10  permits the installation of support arms and luminaires onto a support pole in a much more convenient manner than heretofore possible. 
   The non-welded construction of the mounting bracket eliminates heat affected zones in the bracket which allows the increasing of the design loads on the support arm by at least 15% and greatly enhances the fatigue resistance of the bracket. 
   Thus it can be seen that the invention accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives.