Patent Document

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The invention relates to an improvement to the general type of hot stick device, a representative example of which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,196, namely, a multi-section telescopic pole for manipulating a tool from a position a selected distance away from a workpiece and, more particularly, to an improved button capturing groove on the inside of the pole sections. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Telescopic hot sticks are typically used in a high voltage electrical environment as well as other environments where a long reach is needed to access a workpiece located at a remote location, such as on a power pole or the like. Hot sticks are typically constructed of a suitable dielectric material and include a tool holder at an extremity thereof. The tool holder is adaptable to engage a wide array of different tools or the like. One such hot stick is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,196, the entirety of the disclosure in this patent being incorporated herein by reference. 
         [0003]    The hot stick disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,196 allows a user to perform a wide variety of tasks such as opening and closing various types of switches, replacing fuses, pruning tree limbs or replacing lamps in street circuits and rooms with high ceilings. Since the workpiece may be as far as 30 feet or more away from a user, the telescoping hot stick or pole provide a variable length to accommodate these tasks. 
         [0004]    In U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,196, the tubular sections are non-circular. It is desirous to provide tubular sections that are circular in cross section. One of the issues that arises when the user wishes to extend or collapse the pole sections that are circular in cross section is that the button does not easily become aligned with the button receiving opening when the respective pole sections are being extended relative to one another. That is, the user must be careful not to over extend the pole sections relative to one another because the inner pole section may inadvertently be moved axially beyond the end of the outer pole section. Furthermore, the user must also rotate one pole section relative to the other pole section while adjusting the relative axial positions of the two pole sections until the button and the button opening become axially aligned with one another to allow the button to enter into the button opening to thereby securing the pole sections together and prevent relative rotation therebetween. 
         [0005]    Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a telescoping pole assembly having circular cross sections which includes a pole locking assembly having an internal annular groove adjacent to an end of the pole section remote from the proximal end and having a button receiving opening in the annular groove, the annular groove being configured to capture the button when the button is slidingly moved from the proximal end toward the distal end of the pole section so that once the button has been captured in the annular groove, all that the user need do thereafter is to rotate one pole section relative to another to align the button now captured in the annular groove with the button receiving opening to secure the two pole sections together. 
         [0006]    It is a further object of this invention to enable any two mutually adjacent and telescoped pole sections to be separated from one another without the use of tools. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The objects and purposes of the invention have been met by providing a multi-section telescoping pole for manipulating a tool located at a distal end from a proximal position a selected distance away from a workpiece and including a tubular first section having a female end and a predetermined shape such as circular, the first section having a first aperture and an interior which defines an axial path and has an interior surface which is uniform about a periphery thereof. A second section has a male end slidably engaged within the interior of the first section through the female end and having a second aperture and a predetermined shape corresponding to the shape of the first section and being slidable along the axial path. An internal annular groove is provided adjacent to an end of the pole section remote from the proximal end and having a button receiving opening in the groove, the annular groove being configured to capture the button when the button is slidingly moved from the proximal end toward the distal end of pole section so that once the button has been captured in the annular groove, all that the user need do thereafter is to rotate one pole section relative to another to align the button now captured in the annular groove with the button receiving opening to cause the button to enter, caused by the urging of a resilient member, the button receiving opening to secure the two pole sections together. In addition, once the button is urged radially inwardly so that the radially outwardly facing surface of the button becomes located radially inside the interior surface, the telescoped pole sections can be moved axially relative to one another in either direction. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a broken front elevational view of the telescoping hot stick of the invention illustrated in the fully extended position; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a front elevational view of the telescoping hot stick illustrating a plurality of sections collapsed one within the other; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a sectional view of cooperating male and female ends of adjacent sections and of a locking assembly illustrated in engagement as viewed in the direction of arrows  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view as viewed in the direction of arrows  4 - 4  of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is an exploded partial perspective view of the male and female ends of adjacent sections and an exploded sectional view of a locking assembly therebetween as viewed in direction of the arrows  5 - 5  of  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a partial perspective view of an extremity of the telescoping hot stick illustrating a tool holder; 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a longitudinal sectional view of two tubular sections joined telescopically together; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a longitudinal sectional view of a distal end of a modified tubular section and showing in broken lines multiple positions of a button as it transitions axially along the interior of the tubular section. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0016]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , the telescopic hot stick or pole of the invention is generally designated by reference numeral  10 . The telescoping hot stick  10  includes a predetermined number of similar length, tubular sections  12 , i.e.  12 A- 12 E, slidably engaged one with the other which provide a variable length for the hot stick  10 , a corresponding number of locking assemblies  14 , i.e.  14 A- 14 D, provided between each adjacent section  12  for securing the adjacent sections  12  in extended engagement, and a tool holder  16  at an extremity  18  thereof. To shorten the overall length of the hot stick  10 , each section  12  is readily movable as described herein. Each of the tubular sections  12 A- 12 E has a circular cross section. 
         [0017]    Each tubular section  12 A- 12 D is generally of the same construction except each successive section  12 B- 12 D is of a smaller diameter. The distal-most tubular section  12 E generally will be of a differing construction that does not embrace the thickened wall feature described below. Only the tubular section  12 B will be described in detail, it being understood that the tubular section  12 A is of a larger diameter and the successively following sections  12 C and  12 D are of successively smaller diameters. For convenience, the reference numbers used in describing the tubular section  12 B will be used in describing the remaining tubular sections except that the particular tubular section will be referenced by the suffix letter that corresponds to that particular tubular section. 
         [0018]    Referring to  FIG. 7 , the elongate tubular section  12 B has a uniform outer diameter throughout its length. On the other hand, the interior wall surface  21  of the section  12 B is composed of a first interior wall surface segment  22  that has a first inner diameter D 1  extending from the left proximal end  23  toward a distal end  24  a finite distance away from the proximal end  23  and a second interior wall surface segment  26  that has a second inner diameter D 2  smaller than the diameter D 1  extending from the distal end  24  a finite distance away from the distal end toward the proximal end  23 . An inclined ramp  27  having an inclined transition surface  28  (see also  FIG. 8 ) joins the mutually adjacent ends of the first and second interior wall surface segments  22  and  26 . 
         [0019]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , the locking assembly  14 B includes an end wall portion  31  and a mounting section  32  which are formed of a polymer or any other suitable material. The mounting section  32  is formed with an outer periphery  33  having a circular cross-sectional shape and outer dimension conforming in a close-fit relation to the inner diameter D 1  ( FIG. 7 ) of the interior wall surface segment  22  at the male end  34  so as to permit insertion of the mounting section  32  within the male end  34 . To limit the extent of insertion of the mounting section  32  therein, the end wall portion  31  is dimensioned so as to form an annular flange  36  which extends radially outward so as to be flush or below flush with the outer periphery  29  of the male end  34 . The annular flange  36  ( FIG. 5 ) abuts against an end face  37  of the male end  34  when the locking assembly  14 B is fully inserted therein to close off the male end  34 . The male end  34  is configured to be slidingly inserted into an adjacent female end  35  of the next following tubular section. 
         [0020]    The locking assemblies  14 B- 14 E are each secured inside the respective male end of each section  12 B- 12 E, respectively, by any conventional and conveniently available means. 
         [0021]    The tubular section  12 B ( FIG. 5 ) has an aperture  40  adjacent the proximal end  23  thereof. Furthermore, the mounting section  32  of the locking assembly  14 B includes a pocket  41  the bottom of which defines a spring seat  42 . A button  43  is reciprocally movably received in the pocket  41  and projects through the aperture  40  when the locking assembly is fully assembled within the male end  34 . A resilient member, here a compression spring  44  is retained between the spring seat  42  and an opposing spring seat  46  formed on the button  43 . To keep the button  43  within the pocket  41 , when the locking assembly  14 B is secured within the male end  34 , outwardly extending flanges  47  are stepped so as to contact the internal wall surface segment  22  at the male end  34  when the button  43  is extended as seen in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0022]    The second interior wall surface segment  26  ( FIG. 7 ) has therein, between the ramp  27  and the distal end  24 , an annular groove  50   FIG. 8 . The depth of the annular groove  50  is, in this particular embodiment, of a diameter that is approximately equal to the diameter D 1  and of an axially oriented width “W” that is slightly greater than the corresponding axially extending length dimension of the button  43 . An aperture  51  is located within the annular groove  50 , which aperture is configured to receive the button  43  and without interfering with the ability of the button to move reciprocally radially inwardly and outwardly therein while the button is aligned with the aperture. 
         [0023]    A modified construction adjacent the distal end of a tubular section is shown in  FIG. 8 . It is, for purposes of this disclosure, assumed that the tubular section can be any one of the many sections involved in this hot stick environment but tubular section  12 B has been selected as the particular section for the modified construction and the modified section has been identified by the reference character  12 B′. Here, the circular tubular section  12 B′ has a uniform wall thickness along its entire length from the proximal end to the distal end. A sleeve  52  circular in cross section of a finite length less than the overall length of the section  12 B′ and having an outer diameter approximately equaling the inner diameter D 1  of the tubular section  12 B′ is inserted into the distal end  24  and affixed to the tubular section  12 B′ by any convenient means, such as, for example, by an adhesive, by sonic welding or utilizing self-adhering materials. It is also within the scope of this invention to mold the product so that the thickened portion is integral with the remainder of the tubular section. The ramp  27  is provided at the proximal end of the sleeve either, such as being a molded construction of the sleeve, before the sleeve is inserted into the tubular section  12 B′ or is a molded feature on the tube or it is machined into the proximal end of the sleeve after the sleeve has been fixedly secured to the inside of the tubular section  12 B′. The annular groove  50  is also provided in the sleeve  52  and is either present at the time of inserting the sleeve into the tubular section  12 B′ or is machined into the sleeve after the sleeve has been fixedly secured to the tubular section  12 B′. The characteristics of the annular groove  50  in the sleeve  52  are the same as the annular groove  50  described above. An aperture  51  is provided in the tubular section  12 B′ and the opens into the annular groove  50  and is configured to receive the button  43  and without interfering with the ability of the button to move reciprocally radially inwardly and outwardly therein while the button is aligned with and received in the aperture  51 . 
         [0024]    The thickened wall thickness at the distal end of each of the tubular sections  12 A- 12 D as well at the distal end of each tubular section having a sleeve  52  inserted and affixed thereto, or is a molded feature of the tube, is designed to have sufficient axial length and a close-fit slidingly engaged relation with a next immediately adjacent inner telescoped tubular section so that the mutually adjacent male ends  34  and female ends  35  of the respective tubular sections will remain coaxial and amply supported with little or no detectable relative movement therebetween when in the extended relation. 
         [0025]    To extend the telescoping sections from the  FIG. 2  position to the  FIG. 1  position, the user simply pulls the inner disposed tubular sections sequentially axially outwardly of the proximal tubular section so that the respective buttons  43  will slidingly transition along respective (A) first interior wall surface segments  22 , (B) the surfaces  28  of the ramps  27  and (C) the second interior wall surface segments  26  to a position where the respective buttons will become aligned with the respective annular grooves, at which time the respective springs  44  will urge the respective buttons into the respective annular grooves as shown in the respective positions “A”, “B” and “C” for the respective buttons  43  shown in the representative example of  FIG. 8 . Thereafter, the pole containing the button  43  will be rotated relative to the groove containing pole to cause the button to become axially aligned with opening  51  and the spring  44  will urge the button through the opening  51  to thereby lock the poles together so that no relative movement will occur therebetween. It is to be recognized that the button  51  can also be urged by application of a manual force to it radially inwardly to that the top surface of the button becomes oriented radially inside the inner surface  26  of the thicker portion of the tube to thereafter facilitate the relative axial movement between the tube sections for purpose of collapsing the pole sections one within the other, or extending any distal section relative to the immediate proximal section for the purpose of removal of the distal pole section from the proximal pole section and all without the use of tools. 
         [0026]    Although particular preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in detail for illustrative purposes to demonstrate the improvement over known constructions, it will be recognized that variations or modifications of the disclosed apparatus of the invention, including the rearrangement of parts, lie within the scope of the present invention.

Technology Category: 4