Patent ID: 6935025

Claim:
Apparatus for reinforcing one or more load-bearing sections of an existing lattice tower assembly, which load-bearing sections each have a predetermined compression load, the apparatus comprising: (A) two leg members, (B) at least one brace member, sized and configured for connection to both of the leg members, (C) at least one connecting plate sized and configured for attachment to a respective flange plate of the section of the tower assembly and for attachment to an end of one of the leg members, which flange plate is attached to or integral with the section of the tower assembly, the leg members, the at least one brace member and at least one connecting plate being sized and configured for attachment to one another to form a panel or a plurality of panels, such that the two leg members bear at least a portion of the compression load when installed, and transfer means for transferring a portion of the compression load from the one or more load-bearing sections to the leg members so that the one or more load-bearing sections have a compression load that is lower than the predetermined compression load.