IES20070174A2 - Overhead line marker - Google Patents

Abstract

A device (120) for indicating the presence of an overhead power or telecommunication line, has a pair of base members (90) each having four recesses (101, 104) (two not shown) in which two concrete blocks (115) are positioned, in use, to weigh down the base members (90). Each base member (90) has a centrally positioned cylindrically shaped socket (112), in which an upright elongate member (121) is located. A bridging section (122) is connected to each upright elongate member (121) at their top points (123). In use a device (120) is positioned to each side of an overhead power or telecommunication line and the height of the bridging section (122 above the surface below provides an indication of the maximum height of a vehicle that can safely pass under the line. <Figure 14>

Description

This invention relates to a device for indicating the presence of an overhead power or telecommunication line and, in particular, to a device for installation on public roads, construction sites or on agricultural land as part of health and safety requirements.

Overhead power lines pose a significant risk for any machinery operating below them. Vehicles do not actually need to strike overhead power lines for injury to occur as electricity can arc a surprising distance depending on voltage and conditions. If possible, lines should be diverted prior to work commencing in their vicinity. If it is not reasonably practicable, then it is vital that precautions are put in place if vehicles have to operate or pass under or near power lines. These precautions include: a) The avoidance of work under or near power-lines where possible; b) The use of goalposts to restrict access above a certain height and to enforce die lowering of all appendages to a safe level. By the term “goalposts” in this context is meant a device having an upright placed on each side of the path under the overhead wire, with a length of bunting or other connecting piece joining the tops of the uprights; c) Barriers and bunting should be used to alert drivers and to ensure that die only access to the danger zone is through the goalposts; I 070 174 d) Tipping areas must be assessed to make sure they remain risk free during unloading; e) Appropriate signage must be put in place and all drivers made aware of the potential risk.

If work must be carried out below power lines, and it is possible that cranes, excavators and other vehicles can reach the danger zone, the lines should be isolated and earthed before work begins. If this is not possible physical safeguards (such as chains on the boom) may be required to prevent vehicles reaching into the danger area.

Goalposts should ideally be located at the entrance to a site or, if there is equipment such as cranes, teleporters or dump trucks on site, at either side of the danger zone. If power lines lie directly across a road, it is recommended that goalposts should be located at least 6 metres on either side of the lines, if made of rigid non-conducting material. If the goalposts are made of plastics or other flexible materials then they must be located 12 metres from the power lines on either side.

Although overhead telecommunication lines do not pose the same danger as overhead power lines nevertheless damage to such lines can result in loss of communications, which could be costly in terms of lost business productivity etc.

A typical device for indicating the presence of overhead wires is constructed by placing a wooden upright on each side of the path under the wires. The uprights are either embedded in the ground or placed in £ 0 7Q 174 barrels and held therein by rocks or other ballast material. A length of bunting is then tied between the tops of the uprights with the bunting crossing the path in the line of vision of a driver of a vehicle.

A problem with the device described above is that an upright embedded in the ground can become loose over time, depending on the weather conditions, and will tend to collapse.

Where the uprights are placed in barrels they can also become loose and collapse.

Furthermore, for both methods of securing the uprights, described above, relocation of the device, for any reason, can take some time and effort leading to delays in the construction work on a site.

It is an object of die present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the devices hereinbefore described.

Accordingly, the invention provides a device for indicating the presence of an overhead power or telecommunication line, the device comprising a pair of base members, a recess formed in each base member, the recess being of a suitable shape for accommodating a concrete block, as ballast, in use, an elongate upright member receivable in a mounting means in each base member, each elongate upright member having means for attaching a length of warning material therebetween, the attaching means being mounted at the end of each elongate upright member remote from the base member. ^ 070 174 By concrete block herein is meant additionally any block of like dimensions and weight to a concrete block.

An advantage of the device in accordance with the invention is 5 that the base member can be weighed down and stabilised, in use by placing a concrete block in the recess provided. As the dimensions of concrete blocks are standardised, such blocks should be readily available on site.

A further advantage of the device is that it can be moved from one 10 location to another with minimum effort.

Preferably each base member has a plurality of recesses arranged about the mounting means.

The arrangement of the recesses about the mounting means results in a stable device, as the ballast is distributed evenly about the mounting means.

In one embodiment of the invention the base members are stackable.

An advantage of stackable base members is that they can be stored and transported, while taking up a minimum space.

In a further embodiment of the invention each elongate upright member is formable from inter-connectable sections. «070174 An advantage of an elongate upright member formed from interconnectable sections is that the height of the device can be set for a particular site location.

The invention will be further illustrated by the following 5 description of an embodiment thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a base member for a first embodiment of a device for indicating the presence of an overhead power or telecommunication line in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view from above of the base member of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line ΠΙ-III of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a front view of a base section of an elongate upright member of the first embodiment of the device in accordance with the invention; Fig. 5 is a front view of an intermediate section of an elongate upright member of the first embodiment of the device in accordance with the invention; Fig. 6 is a front view of an intermediate half-section of an elongate upright member of the first embodiment of the device in accordance with the invention; IE 070 1 74 Fig. 7 is a front view of a top section of an elongate upright member of the first embodiment of the device in accordance with the invention; Fig. 8 is a detailed view of an attaching means circled in Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is an exploded view of the first embodiment of the device in accordance with the invention; Fig. 10 is a view of a pair of the first embodiments of the device in accordance with the invention, in use; Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a base member for a second 10 embodiment of a device in accordance with the invention; Fig. 12 is perspective view of the base member of Fig. 11 with four concrete blocks in die recesses therein; Fig. 13 is a perspective view of four of the base members of Fig. in a stacked condition; and Fig. 14 is a view of the second embodiment of the device in accordance with the invention, fully assembled.

Referring to Fig. 1 there is indicated, generally at 10, a base member for a first embodiment of a device for indicating the presence of an overhead power or telecommunication line in accordance with the invention. The base member 10 is rectangular in shape having two long sides 11,12, two short sides 13,14 and a base section 15 and is open at IE 0 70 174 Ί the top. A handle 16 is set into the short side 13 and a corresponding handle 17 is set into the short side 14.

The base member 10 is divided into two recesses 18,19, each of which is of a suitable shape for accommodating two concrete blocks, which act as ballast, in use. Mounting means, shown generally at 20, for receiving an elongate upright member (not shown), is located in the base member 10 between the recesses 18,19. The mounting means 20 has a centrally positioned cylindrically shaped socket 21 in which the elongate upright member is receivable. The socket 21 is reinforced on four sides by rib sections 22,23, 24, 25, two of which rib sections 22, 25 also define a side of the recess 18,19, respectively.

Referring to Fig. 2 the base member 10 is illustrated from above.

A plurality of slots 26 are located in the base section 15 and are designed to help rainwater to drain out of the base member, in use. The socket 21 has four locating grooves 27 cut into inner surface 28 (see Fig. 3) thereof.

Referring to Fig. 4 there is indicated, generally at 30, a base section of an elongate upright member of the first embodiment of the device in accordance with the invention. The base section 30 is a hollow plastics cylindrical pole 31 having a connecter 32 at lower end 33 thereof. The connecter 32 has four longitudinal flanges 34 on the surface 35 thereof, which flanges 34 are locatable in the corresponding grooves 27 in the socket 21 of the base member 10 (Figs. 2 and 3). A socket 36 (not visible) in other end 37 of the pole 31 is adapted for the receipt of a IE 0 70 1 74 further section of the elongate member and has four inner grooves (not shown).

Referring to Fig. 5 there is indicated, generally at 40, an intermediate section of an elongate upright member of the first embodiment of the device in accordance with the invention. The intermediate section 40 is a hollow plastics cylindrical pole 41 having a connecter 42 at the lower end 43 thereof. The connecter 42 has four longitudinal flanges 44 on surface 45 thereof, which flanges 44 are locatable in the corresponding grooves of the socket 36 in the base section 30 (Fig. 4). In turn the pole 41 has a socket 46 (not visible) in the other end 47 thereof, the socket 46 being adapted for receipt of a further section of the elongate member. The socket 46 has four inner grooves (not shown).

Referring to Fig. 6 there is indicated, generally at 50, an intermediate half-section of an elongate upright member of the first embodiment of the device in accordance with the invention. The intermediate section 50 is a hollow plastics cylindrical pole 51 having a connecter 52 at the lower end 53 thereof. The connecter 52 has four longitudinal flanges 54 on the surface 55 thereof, which flanges 54 are locatable in the corresponding grooves of the socket 36 in the base section 30 (Fig. 4) and in the socket 46 in the intermediate section 40. In turn the pole 51 has a socket 56 (not visible) in the other end 57 thereof, the socket 56 being adapted for receipt of a further section of the elongate member. The socket 56 has four inner grooves (not shown). £ 070 174 Referring to Fig. 7 there is indicated, generally at 60, a top section of an elongate upright member of the first embodiment of the device in accordance with the invention. The top section 60 is a hollow plastics cylindrical pole 61 having a connecter 62 at the lower end 63 thereof.

The connecter 62 has four longitudinal flanges 64 on surface 65 thereof, which flanges 64 are locatable in the corresponding grooves of the socket 36 in the base section 30 (Fig. 4), the socket 46 in the intermediate section 40 (Fig. 5) and the socket 56 in the intermediate half-section 50.

The top section 60 has means 66 for attaching a length of warning material thereto, namely high visibility bunting, means 66 being located at end 67 of the pole 61.

Referring to Fig. 8 the means 66 is shown in more detail and is in the form of a hoop 69 which is embedded in the top solid surface 70 of the pole 61.

Referring to Fig. 9 there is indicated, generally at 70, one half of the first embodiment of a device in accordance with the invention in an exploded view. Two concrete blocks 71 are shown positioned adjacent to each side of the base member 10, prior to assembly of the device 70.

Two of the concrete blocks 71 are placed in each of the recesses 18,19, in use, so as to secure the base member 10 in position. The upright elongate member, shown generally at 75 is assembled from a base section 30, two intermediate sections 40, an intermediate half-section 50 and a top section 60.

IE 0 70 174 Referring to Fig. 10 shows two sets of base members 10 placed on opposite sides of a road 80 and to each side of a pair of telecommunication wires 81, which traverse the road 80. An upright elongate member 70 is located in each base member 10 and a length of bunting 82 is strung between the opposing upright elongate members 70 at a height above the road 80 which is less than that of the wires 81. Thus, a driver of a vehicle approaching the wires 81 is warned of their presence and is provided with a visual and tangible indication, in the form of the lengths of bunting 82, of the height by which the vehicle must not exceed if he is to avoid hitting the wires 81.

Referring to Fig. 11 there is indicated, generally at 90, a perspective view of a base member for a second embodiment of a device in accordance with the invention. The base member 90 is of generally circular outline and has a bottom section 91 on which a circular raised wall 92 is located around the periphery of the bottom section 91. The circular raised wall 92 is separated into four parts 93, 94, 95, 96 by four cutaway sections 97,98,99, 100. Four recesses 101, 102, 103, 104 are set into the base member 90, each recess 101,102,103,104 being of a suitable shape for accommodating a concrete block. The shape of each recess 101, 102,103,104 is defined by the shape of inner surfaces 105, 106, 107, 108 of the four parts 93, 94,95, 96, and a centrally positioned mounting means 109 in the form of a square shaped plinth 110 on which a crown-shaped top portion 111 is located.

The crown-shaped top portion 111 has a centrally positioned cylindrically shaped socket 112 in which an elongate upright member is IE 0 70 174 receivable. The socket 112 is reinforced on four sides by rib sections 113. A slot 114 is cut out of each recess 101,102,103, 104, for drainage purposes.

Referring to Fig. 12 the base member 90 is illustrated, in use, with a pair of concrete blocks 115 in each recess 101,102,103,104. The cutaway sections 97,98 (not visible), 99, and 100 facilitate the insertion and removal of the concrete blocks 115 in the base member 90.

Referring to Fig. 13 there is illustrated a stacked set of four base members 90. Due to the shape of the plinth 110, the base members 90 align when stacked, with slots 114 on each base member 90 in line with the corresponding slots 114 on adjacent base members 90. This alignment of slots 114 facilitates the stowing of sections of the upright elongate members within the slots 114 of the stacked base members 90, for storage or transport.

Referring to Fig. 14 there is indicated, generally at 120, the second embodiment of the device according to the invention in assembled form ready for use and with the concrete blocks 115 positioned in the four recesses 101,104 and 102, 103(not visible) of the base members 90. Each base member 90 also has an upright elongate member 121 located in the centrally positioned cylindrically shaped socket 112. A bridging section 122 is connected to each upright elongate member 121 at their top points 123. «070 174 In use a device 120 is positioned to each side of an overhead power or telecommunication line and the height of the bridging section 122 above the surface below provides an indication of the maximum height of a vehicle that can safely pass under the line.

Claims (5)

1. Claims: 1. A device for indicating the presence of an overhead power or telecommunication line, the device comprising a pair of base members, a recess formed in each base member, the recess being of a 5 suitable shape for accommodating a concrete block, as ballast, in use, an elongate upright member receivable in a mounting means in each base member, each elongate upright member having means for attaching a length of warning material therebetween, the attaching means being mounted at the end of each elongate upright member remote from the 10 base member.

2. A device according to Claim 1, wherein each base member has a plurality of recesses arranged about the mounting means.

3. A device according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the base members are stackable. 15

4. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein each elongate upright member is formable from inter-connectable sections.

5. A device according to Claim 1 for indicating the presence of an overhead power or telecommunication line, substantially as hereinbefore described with particular reference to and as illustrated in 20 Figs. 1-10, and Figs. 11-14 of the accompanying drawings.