Abstract:
A handhole compartment for utility poles. The compartment includes an oval sidewall sized to be received in the handhole, and a removable cover. The cover is equipped with a latch at each end. A foot on the end of the latch engages a notch in the sidewall. The foot is controlled by rotating the head of the latch on the top of the cover using an Allen wrench. The latch eliminates the need to align and thread bolts. The cover is molded plastic so that warping, common to metal covers, is virtually eliminated and so that the desired shape and size can be reproduced consistently. A lip on the edge of the cover provides a seal around the edge of the sidewall.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to compartments with removable covers and, more particularly, to handhole compartments for utility poles. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Traffic control devices, street lights and other equipment supported on utility poles are supplied by wiring contained inside the pole. An access opening or “handhole”is provided in the side of the pole, usually about knee height, for accessing the wiring. Electrical connections, such as terminals and fuse disconnects, may be supported inside the handhole. These handholes are enclosed by covered compartments. 
     While conventional handhole compartments offer some protection against the elements, there is a need for improvement in the covers for these compartments. More specifically, there is a need for a cover design that resists deformation so that a good seal can be maintained for the life of the cover. There is also a need for a cover that can be opened and closed easily without having to align inside, non-visible components. Finally, there is a need for cover that can be manufactured uniformly and inexpensively. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention comprises a handhole compartment for installation in the handhole of a utility pole. The compartment comprises a sidewall forming an enclosure sized to be received in the handhole. The sidewall has a front edge that defines a front access opening. At least one latch receiver is provided in the sidewall. A cover is included, the cover being sized to occlude the front access opening. The cover has a body portion circumscribed by an edge. A latch depends from the cover and comprises a foot movable between a latched position and an unlatched position. In the latched position, the foot non-threadedly engages the latch receiver in the sidewall to secure the cover over the access opening. In the unlatched position, the foot is disengaged from the latch receiver. 
     In another aspect, the invention is directed to a cover assembly for a handhole compartment comprising a sidewall having a front edge defining a front access opening and a latch receiver in the sidewall. The cover assembly comprises a cover sized to occlude the front access opening of the compartment, the cover having a body portion circumscribed by an edge. The cover assembly further comprises a latch depending from the cover and comprising a foot movable between latched position and an unlatched position. In the latched position, the foot non-threadedly engages the latch receiver in the sidewall to secure the cover over the access opening. In the unlatched position, the foot is disengaged from the latch receiver. 
     In yet another aspect, the present invention is directed to utility pole assembly. The utility pole assembly comprises a hollow shaft with a handhole in the side. The handhole is fitted with a compartment comprising a sidewall forming an enclosure sized to be received in the handhole, the sidewall having a front edge that defines a front access opening. At least one latch receiver is provided in the sidewall. Also included is a cover sized to occlude the front access opening, the cover having a body portion circumscribed by an edge. A latch depends from the cover and comprises a foot movable between a latched position and an unlatched position. In the latched position, the foot non-threadedly engages the latch receiver in the sidewall to secure the cover over the access opening. In the unlatched position, the foot is disengaged from the latch receiver. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a utility pole with a handhole compartment in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged, exploded perspective view of the handhole compartment seen in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged, side elevational view of the latch of the handhole compartment of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 is sectional, fragmented, side elevational view of the handhole compartment of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway, side elevational, sectional view of a second embodiment of the handhole compartment of the present invention showing the latch in the latched position. In this embodiment, the latch receiver is a nut welded to the inside surface of the sidewall. 
     FIG. 6 is a fragmented, front view of the embodiment of FIG. 5 with the cover partially cut away to show the latch in the latched position. 
     FIG. 7 is a fragmented, front view of the embodiment of FIG. 5 with the cover partially cut away to show the latch in the unlatched position. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Turning now to the drawings in general and to FIG. 1 in particular, there is shown therein a utility pole constructed in accordance with the present invention and designated generally by the reference numeral  10 . The utility pole  10  comprises a vertically positioned, hollow shaft  12  on which a traffic control device, such as the traffic signal light  14 , is mounted. As used herein, “traffic control device” refers to any signal, sign or device supported by or over or near a roadway, railroad, or walkway for affecting vehicular or pedestrian traffic, or both. This includes traffic signals and signs for controlling the direction and flow of automotive and railroad vehicles and pedestrian traffic, as well as warning devices, such as lights, signs and horns for all forms of vehicular and pedestrian traffic, such as railroad crossing signals. 
     At its bottom the pole  10  is supported by a base  16 . The wiring  18 , indicated in broken lines, which supplies the light  14  extends up through the shaft  12 . The utility pole  10  is provided with a handhole compartment  20  through which the wiring  18  may be accessed. 
     Turning now to FIG. 2, the handhole compartment  20  will be described. The compartment  20  comprises a sidewall  24  preferably formed of metal. The sidewall  24  forms an enclosure sized to be received in the handhole  26  of the shaft  12 . As depicted in the drawings, most handholes in utility poles are elongated ovals. Thus, the sidewall  24  preferably is shaped likewise, forming an elongate enclosure with a first end  28  and a second end  30 . The sidewall  24  has a front edge  32  forming a front access opening  34  and a rear edge  36  forming a rear opening  38 . 
     The rear opening  38  may be completely open, partially occluded or fully occluded. In the embodiment shown, the rear opening  38  is partially occluded by a back plate  40 . In most instances, it will be desirable to support one or more terminal blocks  42  and  44  inside the sidewall for connection to the wiring  18  supplying the traffic signal light  14  or other traffic control device (See FIG.  1 ). Other devices, such as fuse disconnects or luminaire fuses, may be utilized as well. The terminal blocks  42  and  44  preferably are mounted to the back plate  40  by screws  46  or in some other suitable fashion. 
     Referring still to FIG. 2, the sidewall  24  is provided with at least one latch receiver. In the case of the elongated oval compartment illustrated herein, the sidewall  24  is provided with two latch receivers, one at each of the first and second ends  28  and  30 . Preferably, the latch receivers take the form of a slots  48  and  50 . 
     The handhole compartment  20  further comprises a cover assembly  52  comprising a cover  54  sized to occlude the front opening  34 . Preferably, the cover  54  is an elongated oval with a body portion  56  circumscribed by an edge  58 . In the embodiments shown herein, the body portion  56  is generally planar, though a convex or concave body would serve equally well. 
     In the preferred practice of this invention, the cover  54  is integrally formed of plastic or metal, as by vacuum molding or stamping. Preferably, the cover  54  is provided with reinforcing ribs  60  and grooves  62 . It is also advantageous to provide the edge  58  of the cover with a depending lip  64 . The lip  64  is positioned to surround the front edge  32  of the sidewall  24  to provide a better seal against the elements. Although not shown herein, a compressible weatherproofing strip or seal member could be applied inside the lip  64  to improve the seal of the compartment still further. 
     With continuing reference to FIG. 2, at least one latch depends from the cover  54 . In the embodiment herein, comprising an elongate cover  54  with two ends  68  and  70 , two latches  72  and  74  are provided, one at each end, corresponding to the slots  48  and  50 . 
     The preferred latch is illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, to which attention now is directed. As the latches  72  and  74  are similarly formed, only one will be described in detail. The latch  72  comprises a stem  78 , preferably threaded, with a first end  80  and a second end  82 . The latch  72  depends from the cover  54  (FIG.  4 ). A head  84  is provided on the first end  80 . The head  84  preferably is rotatably mounted in the body portion  56  of the cover  54 . 
     The head  84  preferably is provided with a recess (not shown in FIG. 3) for receiving an Allen wrench for operating the latch  72  in a manner yet to be described. Of course, if a flat head screw driver is to be used, a slot or groove would be provided in the head of the latch. Similarly, a cross-groove would be used to accommodate a Phillips head screwdriver. Still further, a protrusion on the head could be provided, in lieu of the recess or slot, for use with a crescent wrench. Yet another alternative would be a handle of some sort permanently affixed to the head. As will now be understood, it is only necessary that the head be engageable from outside the compartment. 
     With continued reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the latch  72  comprises a foot  88  movable between a latched position (see the latch  72  in FIG. 4) and an unlatched position (see the latch  74  in FIG.  4 ). The foot  88  preferably has a body  90  attached to the second end  82  of the stem  78 . The foot  88  has a first end  92  and a second end  94 . The first end  92  is adapted to non-threadedly engage the slot  48  (FIG. 4) to place the foot  88  in the latched position thereby securing the cover  54  over the front access opening  34  (FIG.  2 ). That is, the first end  92  of the foot  88  moves in and out of the slot  48  by simply rotating the head  84  of the stem  78 . There is no need to align the end  92  with the slot  48 . Rather, the end  92  is aligned with the slot  48  by the position and dimensions of the stem  78  and the foot  88 . The second end  94  of the foot  88  terminates in an extension member  96  which extends upward toward the inside surface  98  of the cover  54  for a purpose which will become apparent. 
     The body  90  of the foot  88  preferably is threadedly engaged with the second end  82  of the stem  78  so that the foot can be moved longitudinally along the stem by rotating the stem relative to the foot. In this way, when stem  78  is rotated clockwise (when using a right-handed screw and viewed from outside the compartment) the foot  88  is rotated into the slot  48  until the end  92  of the foot engages the right side of the slot and cannot rotate further. Then, continued clockwise rotation of the stem  78  will draw the foot  88  upward on the stem thereby drawing the cover  54  into closer engagement with the sidewall  24 . More specifically, as seen in FIG. 4, the first end  92  will be drawn toward engagement with the top edge  100  of the slot  48 . Likewise, the extension member  96  will be drawn toward engagement with the inside surface  98  of the cover  54 , keeping the foot  88  in stable, vertical alignment. This provides a snug fit between the cover  54  and sidewall  24  improving the seal therebetween. 
     Counter-clockwise rotation of the head  84  will move the foot  88  along the stem  78  away from the cover  54 . When the frictional engagement between the end  92  of the foot  88  and the slot  48  is released, the foot will rotate with the stem  78  until the end  92  is out of the slot  48 , disengaging the latch. 
     Referring still to FIGS. 3 and 4, the latch  72  may be provided with a nut  104  on the second end  82  of the stem  78  to prevent the foot  88  from coming off the stem. A coil spring  106  may be provided on the stem  78  between a first washer  108  and a second washer  110  near the first and second ends  80  and  82 , respectively, of the stem  78 . A spacer  112  may be provided between the inside surface  98  of the cover  54  and the first washer  108 . The spring  106  should be sized to maintain a slight pressure between the washers  108  and  110 , so as to maintain the foot  88  snugly between the washer  110  and the nut  104 . This maintains the position of the foot  88  near the end  82  of the stem  78  when the latch  72  is disengaged. In this way, the end  92  of the foot  88  will be aligned with the slot  48  when it is desired to move the latch  72  into the engaged position. 
     Turning now to FIGS. 5,  6  and  7 , another embodiment of the invention will be described. In this embodiment, the cover assembly  52 A comprises a modified latch  72 A that is designed to engage a latch receiver in the form of a protrusion inwardly extending from the sidewall  24 . An example of such a protrusion is the nut  48 A, which is welded to the inside of the sidewall  24  in many conventional handhole compartments. Thus, the present invention provides a cover assembly  52 A that can be conveniently retrofitted to existing sidewalls. 
     In this embodiment, the cover  54  is similar to the cover  54  in the embodiment of FIGS. 2-4. The latch  72 A comprises a threaded stem  78 , head  84 , nut  104 , coil spring  106 , washers  108  and  110 , and spacer  112 , all of which are formed similarly and function similarly to corresponding elements of the previous embodiment. As in the previous embodiment, the foot  88 A comprises a first end  92 A and a second end  94 A with an extension member  96 A. The foot  88 A is threadedly mounted on the stem  78  as in the previous embodiment, and the extension member  96 A is sized to engage the inner surface  98  of the cover when the latch  72 A is engaged, also as previously described. The end  92 A of the foot  88 A is shorter than in the first embodiment, though, so as to fit under the nut  48 A and inside the sidewall  24 , as best seen in FIG.  5 . 
     The operation of the latch  72 A is illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. When the head  84  is rotated clockwise the end  92 A moves to the right and engages the sidewall  24  under the nut  48 A. As the head  84  is rotate further (see FIG.  5 ), the foot  88 A is pulled upward on the stem  78  moving the end  92 A into engagement with the nut  48 A and the extension member  96 A into engagement with the inside surface  98  of the cover  54 . As shown in FIG. 7, the latch  72 A is disengaged by rotating the head  84  counter-clockwise, which loosens the engagement of the foot  88 A and rotates the end  92 A away from the sidewall  24  and out from under the nut  48 A. 
     Now it will be appreciated that the present invention provides a significant improvement in handhole compartments and particularly in cover assemblies for handhole compartments. The latch of this invention is self-guiding so that no manual alignment of internal, non-visible components is required to engage the latch. The latch is simple to operate from the outside of the compartment. The cover is provided with a depending lip that better encloses the compartment by overlapping the sidewall. The cover can be molded of plastic or stamped in metal sheets, so that the shape and configuration of the cover is uniformly reproducible. Similarly, covers so formed will maintain their original shapes longer and thereby provided a better seal over the access opening for the life of the cover. Advantageously, the latch can be modified easily to be retrofitted to the sidewalls of existing conventional compartments. 
     Changes can be made in the combination and arrangement of the various parts and elements described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.