Rods, rod-type cables, environmental protection materials with rods, and installation methods for environmental protection materials.

Abstract

To provide a rod-type cable that can be manually connected by a worker to obtain the desired length, and a rod equipped with a joint to facilitate the connection work. [Solution] The three mutually orthogonal axes are designated as the X, Y, and Z axes. The rod 1 has a reinforced steel rod body 10 extending in the X-axis direction, with first and second connecting joints 20A and 220B integrally provided at both ends. The first and second connecting joints 20A and 20B each have a winding axis in the Z-axis direction and are wound in one turn. They have a spiral shape with a gap between the wires wider than the outer diameter of the rod body 10, and first and second arm sections 24A and 24B extending from the first and second engaging sections 23A and 23B. The curved portions on the winding start end sides of each first engaging section 23A and second engaging section 23B are designated as first and second engaging recesses 231A and 231B. When connecting two rods 1, the opposing first engaging recess 231A and second engaging recess 231B are crossed and engaged with each other.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for connecting rods having rigidity such as steel wires or reinforcing bars to form a cable.

Background Art

[0002] As a technique for preventing soil erosion caused by rainwater or the like on sloping ground or the like, environmental protection materials such as slope protection materials have been proposed (Patent Document 1). The environmental protection material disclosed in Patent Document 1 is formed in a cylindrical skeleton structure and installed horizontally on the sloping ground of the mountainside. The environmental protection material is installed along a direction in which the longitudinal direction is orthogonal to the flow direction of soil, sand, gravel, etc. A wire cable, which is a cable body, is inserted along the longitudinal direction through the central portion in the radial direction into one environmental protection material installed on a sloping ground or the like. When a plurality of environmental protection materials are connected in series, both insertion ends of the wire cables inserted into adjacent environmental protection materials are connected by a coil winding connection portion, and the insertion ends extending outward in the longitudinal direction from the environmental protection materials at both ends are connected to anchor piles via anchor portions to hold the environmental protection materials.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The wire cable disclosed in Patent Document 1 is prepared in advance corresponding to the length of the installation location of the environmental protection material, and the environmental protection material and the wire cable are separately brought to the installation site. A predetermined number of environmental protection materials are arranged side by side at a predetermined installation location to form a row of materials, and then a long wire cable is inserted into the central hollow hole portion of the environmental protection material from one end side of the row of materials. Then, the other end of the wire cable penetrating from the other end side of the row of materials is pulled, and the other end of the wire cable is attached to an anchor.

[0005] Incidentally, because wire cables are flexible, when inserting them into environmental protection materials from one end of a material row, even if the tip is lifted, the tip of the wire cable does not lift up in the same way and is fed in while hanging down. For this reason, workers installing environmental protection materials need to guide the inserted tip of the wire cable so that it does not come out of the hollow hole in the environmental protection material.

[0006] Furthermore, space must be secured at one end of the material row to place the wire cable. For example, if space equal to the length of the wire cable cannot be secured, the worker will need to unwind and feed the coiled wire cable.

[0007] This type of work can be performed in a relatively comfortable posture when the surface on which the material rows are installed is a gentle slope, but on steep slopes, it is necessary to ensure a safe working posture while performing the work.

[0008] Furthermore, long wire cables become heavy, making it difficult for a single worker to carry them over steep mountain paths or other challenging terrain.

[0009] The object of the present invention is to provide a rod-type cable that can be manually connected by a worker to obtain a desired length, and a rod equipped with a joint that facilitates the connection work.

[0010] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a construction method that allows for the easy and safe installation of environmental protection materials using rod-type cables. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The rod of the first invention that realizes the object of the present invention is a rod of a predetermined length made of a rigid metal rod-shaped member used in a rod-type cable, having three mutually orthogonal axes as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, a rod body portion extending linearly along the X-axis direction, a first connecting joint formed at one end of the rod body portion, and a second connecting joint formed at the other end of the rod body portion, wherein the first connecting joint is wound in a spiral shape by the rod-shaped member extending from one end of the rod body portion, with a gap larger than the outer diameter of the rod-shaped member in one turn around a winding axis along the Z-axis direction that passes through a first winding center position located away from the rod body portion along the Y-axis direction, and has a first engaging portion formed thereon that opens toward the other end of the rod body portion, and the The first connecting joint has a first arm portion extending from the tip of the engagement portion parallel to the rod body portion and in the opposite direction to the other end of the rod body portion. The second connecting joint has a second engagement portion formed by the rod-shaped member extending from the other end of the rod body portion, which is wound in a spiral shape in one turn around a winding axis in the Z-axis direction that passes through a second winding center position located away from the rod body portion in the Y-axis direction, with a gap larger than the outer diameter of the rod-shaped member, and which opens toward the other end of the rod body portion. The second connecting joint has a second arm portion extending from the tip of the second engagement portion parallel to the rod body portion and in the opposite direction to one end of the rod body portion. The first connecting joint and the second connecting joint are arranged rotationally symmetrically around the Y-axis or Z-axis with respect to the center of the length of the rod body portion.

[0012] A rod of the second invention that realizes the object of the present invention is the rod of the first invention, wherein the first winding center and the second winding center can be positioned offset from the rod body along the Y-axis by the radius of the first engaging portion and the radius of the second engaging portion, respectively.

[0013] A third rod of the present invention that realizes the object of the present invention is the rod of the first invention, wherein the first arm portion and the second arm portion can have a length equal to or greater than the sum of the diameter of the first engaging portion and the diameter of the second engaging portion.

[0014] A rod-type cable of the fourth invention that realizes the object of the present invention is a rod-type cable configured by connecting a plurality of rods of any of the first to third inventions in series, wherein the first engaging recess of the first connecting joint of one of the connecting rods and the second engaging recess of the second connecting joint of the other connecting rod are crossed and engaged with each other, thereby connecting one rod and the other rod in series, and the first connecting joint and the second connecting joint can be configured to rotate relative to each other around the Y axis and Z axis while the first engaging recess and the second engaging recess are engaged.

[0015] A fifth rod-type cable of the present invention that realizes the object of the present invention can be configured as a rod-type cable of the fourth invention, having the following features: a first tilt suppression member formed in a spiral shape by winding wire in multiple turns to integrally enclose the rod body portion of the other rod and the first arm portion of the first connecting joint of the one rod along its length direction, with the first engagement recess of the first connecting joint of one of the connecting rods intersecting and engaging with each other; and a second tilt suppression member formed in a spiral shape by winding wire in multiple turns to integrally enclose the rod body portion of the one rod and the second arm portion of the second connecting joint of the other rod along its length direction, thereby suppressing relative tilting between the rod body portion and the first arm portion; and

[0016] A rod-type cable of the sixth invention that realizes the object of the present invention can be configured as a rod-type cable of the fourth invention, wherein the first engaging recess of the first connecting joint of one of the connecting rods and the second engaging recess of the second connecting joint of the other connecting rod are engaged with each other by crossing them, and the rod body of the other rod and the first arm of the first connecting joint of the one rod are integrally enclosed along the longitudinal direction, thereby suppressing relative tilting between the rod body of the other rod and the first arm, and a third tilt suppressing member formed in a spiral shape by winding a wire in multiple turns is provided to integrally enclose the rod body of the one rod and the second arm of the second connecting joint of the other rod along the longitudinal direction, thereby suppressing relative tilting between the rod body of the one rod and the second arm.

[0017] A seventh rod-type cable of the present invention that realizes the objectives of the present invention is a rod-type cable of the fifth invention in which the first tilt-restraining member and the second tilt-restraining member can be configured to have compression spring properties.

[0018] An eighth rod-type cable of the present invention that realizes the objectives of the present invention is the rod-type cable of the sixth invention, wherein the third tilt-restraining member can be configured to have compression spring properties.

[0019] The ninth invention, which realizes the objectives of the present invention, is an environmental protection material with a rod, comprising a rod according to any of the first to third inventions, and one or more cylindrical environmental protection materials through which the rod body portion of the rod is inserted, wherein the environmental protection material has a central space formed in the center along its length through which the rod body portion is inserted.

[0020] The tenth invention, which realizes the objectives of the present invention, is an environmental protection material with a rod, comprising a group of rods arranged in parallel in multiple sets, each of the rods according to the first to third inventions, and one or more cylindrical environmental protection materials through which the rod body portion of each rod in the group of rods is inserted, wherein the environmental protection material has a central space formed in the center along the longitudinal direction, through which the rod body portion of each rod is inserted, and a rod holder that restricts the radial movement of the rods is fixedly arranged on the inner circumferential surface of the central space along the axial direction of the central space.

[0021] The eleventh invention, which realizes the objective of the present invention, is a method for constructing environmental protection materials, wherein the rod-attached environmental protection material of the ninth invention is installed on an inclined surface, and in a single-unit construction state in which only one rod-attached environmental protection material is installed, the rod inserted through the single rod-attached environmental protection material is used as the main rod, and rods having the same structure as the main rod are connected to the first connecting joint and the second connecting joint as the first extension rod and the second extension rod, respectively, and the first extension rod and the second extension rod are spread out in an inverted V shape toward the upstream side of the inclination, and the first or second connecting joint provided at the tip of the first extension rod and the second extension rod is connected to an anchor driven into the ground, or the In a configuration where multiple rod-equipped environmental protection materials are installed in series, the rods inserted through each of the multiple rod-equipped environmental protection materials are used as the main rods, connecting the first and second connecting joints that face each other. Rods with the same structure as the main rods are then connected to the first or second connecting joints at both ends of the connected main rods as the first and second extension rods, respectively. The first and second extension rods are then spread out in an inverted V-shape facing the upstream side of the slope, and the first or second connecting joints provided at the tips of the first and second extension rods are connected to anchors driven into the ground.

[0022] A method for constructing environmental protection materials according to the twelfth invention, which realizes the objective of the present invention, is a method for constructing environmental protection materials for installing rod-attached environmental protection materials of the tenth invention on an inclined surface, wherein in a single-unit construction state in which only one rod-attached environmental protection material is installed, each rod of the rod group inserted through the single rod-attached environmental protection material is used as the main rod, and rods having the same structure as the main rods are connected to each main rod of the rod group as the first extension rod and the second extension rod, respectively, to the first connecting joint and the second connecting joint, respectively, and the first extension rod and the second extension rod connected to each main rod of the rod group are spread out in an inverted V shape toward the upstream side of the inclined surface, and the first or second connecting joint provided at the tip of the first extension rod and the second extension rod connected to each main rod of the rod group is anchored to the installation surface. In a configuration where multiple rod-attached environmental protection materials are connected or multiple rod-attached environmental protection materials are connected in series, each rod of the rod group inserted through each of the multiple rod-attached environmental protection materials is used as the main rod, and the first and second connecting joints facing each other are connected. Rods with the same structure as the main rods are connected to the first or second connecting joints at both ends of the connected main rods of the rod group as the first and second extension rods, respectively. The first and second extension rods corresponding to each main rod of the rod group are arranged in an inverted V-shape facing the upstream side of the slope, and the first or second connecting joints provided at the tips of the first and second extension rods corresponding to the main rods of the rod group are connected to anchors driven into the ground. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] According to the first and fourth inventions, since the first connecting joint and the second connecting joint are arranged rotationally symmetrically about the center in the length direction of the rod main body part around the Y-axis or Z-axis, when a plurality of rods are connected in series, the first engaging recess of the first connecting joint and the second engaging recess of the second connecting joint are located on both sides in the Y-axis direction centered on the X-axis direction which is the length direction of the rod main body. When connecting two rods, if the first engaging recess of one rod and the second engaging recess of the other rod are crossed and engaged with each other, the engaging part is substantially located on the axis of each rod main body. Therefore, in a rod-type cable in which a large number of rods are connected, the engaging parts are located on substantially the same axis, and a large number of rods can be connected in a substantially straight line.

[0024] According to the second invention, the first arm part and the second arm part can be arranged at the same level position in the Z-axis direction, which facilitates the connecting operation, and also enables the heights in the Z-axis direction to be aligned, making the handling of the rod good.

[0025] According to the third invention, in the connected state where the first engaging recess and the second engaging recess of the corresponding connecting joints of two rods are engaged with each other, since the first and second arm parts have a length equal to or greater than the sum of the diameters of the first engaging part and the second engaging part, the connected state can be reliably maintained.

[0026] According to the fourth invention, since the connection between the rods can be performed without applying force by a manual engagement operation, the rod connection work can be safely performed even on an inclined surface with a poor scaffold, and a rod-type cable with a desired number of rods can be provided by connecting the rods on an inclined surface, for example.

[0027] Also, an operator can manually separate and transport a predetermined number of rods and connect them at a work site such as a mountainous area, for example, to obtain a rod-type cable with a desired length. Therefore, it can be surely transported even to a work site at the end of a steep mountain path.

[0028] Furthermore, the connected rod-type cables can bend and tilt relative to each other at the connection point, allowing them to be used in places where bending is required or where an overall curved configuration is necessary.

[0029] According to the fifth and seventh inventions, when a large tensile force is applied to the rod, the first tilt-restraining member and the second tilt-restraining member can prevent the winding state of the first and second connecting joints from unraveling. Furthermore, when a bending force is applied between the connecting rods, the first and second tilt-restraining members contract, and when the bending force is released, the elastic force of the first and second tilt-restraining members causes the connecting rods to elastically return to their original connected state. For this reason, the rod-type cable can function like a wire cable with flexible elasticity.

[0030] According to the sixth and eighth inventions, a rod-type cable, which consists of multiple rods connected together, does not break in the middle, and therefore can function as a single, rigid, long rod.

[0031] According to the ninth invention, since the rods are pre-attached to the environmental protection materials and the materials are unitized, the troublesome work of attaching wire cables to the environmental protection materials at the construction site, as in the past, is eliminated.

[0032] According to the tenth invention, the pressure of flowing soil and gravel acting on the environmental protection material is distributed and supported by multiple sets of rod-type cables, so that the environmental protection material can be reliably held in place. In addition, since the radial movement of the rods is restricted by the rod holder, the parallel-arranged rods are held in place at the predetermined position.

[0033] According to the 11th and 12th inventions, the construction work for installing environmental protection materials on an inclined surface consists almost entirely of connecting rods, eliminating the need for special tools. Moreover, workers only need to manually connect the rods and engage the joints, allowing for safe construction even in places with poor footing. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0034] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the rod and rod-type cable according to the present invention, with the locking member attached. [Figure 2] (a) is a perspective view of the rod shown in Figure 1, and (b) is a perspective view of the rod-type cable with the locking member not yet attached. [Figure 3] (a) is an X-Y plan view of a rod-type cable locked with the locking member shown in Figure 1, and (b) is an X-Z plan view of the rod-type cable locked with the locking member shown in Figure 1, and is a view taken along arrow AA in (a). [Figure 4] (a) is a perspective view of the rod shown in Figure 2(a), (b) is a view of (a) taken along arrow BB, (c) is an enlarged view of parts A and B in (b), and (d) is an enlarged view of (a) taken along arrow CC. [Figure 5] (a) is an XY plan view of the rod-type cable shown in Figure 2(b), and (b) is a view of (a) from the DD arrow. [Figure 6] (a), (b), and (c) are perspective views showing an example of the procedure for engaging the connecting joints of the rod-type cable shown in Figure 2(b). [Figure 7] Figure 1 illustrates a safety mechanism in which a rod-type cable bends at the connection point when an external force is applied to the rod-type cable with the locking member shown in Figure 1 attached. (a) is an XY plan view, seen from the opposite side to Figure 3(a), and (b) is a perspective view. [Figure 8] A second embodiment of the rod-type cable is shown, where (a) is a perspective view of the rod-type cable, (b) is an X-Y plan view of the rod-type cable locked with a locking member, and (c) is an X-Z plan view of the rod-type cable locked with a locking member, and is a view from arrow EE in (b). [Figure 9] This is a perspective view showing a third embodiment of the present invention, in which the rod-attached environmental protection material is installed on a gently sloping surface. [Figure 10] This is a top view of Figure 9. [Figure 11] Figure 9 is a front view. [Figure 12]Figure 9 shows the state with the fourth locking member attached to the connection between the extension rod and the main rod, where (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a front view of (a), and (c) is a partial enlargement of the connection part of (b). [Figure 13] The rod mounting device is shown, with (a) being a front view, (b) being a perspective view, and (c) being a front view with the screw attachment screwed onto the anchor. [Figure 14] This is a perspective view showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention, in which the rod-attached environmental protection material is installed on a steep slope. [Figure 15] This is a top view of Figure 14. [Figure 16] The fifth embodiment is shown, and the schematic diagrams of other embodiments of the rod-type cable are as follows: (a) is a configuration in which extension rods are connected to two main rods, (b) is a configuration in which extension rods are connected to three main rods, (c) is a configuration in which extension rods are connected to four main rods, and (d) is a diagram in which two extension rods are configured on each side. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0035] The present invention will be described below based on embodiments shown in the drawings.

[0036] First Embodiment Figures 1 to 7 show first embodiments of rods and rod-type cables.

[0037] In the first embodiment, the rod 1 is configured such that two rods 1 (first rod 1A, second rod 1B) can be connected in series by engaging connecting joints 20 (first connecting joint 20A, second connecting joint 20B) integrally formed at both ends of the rod body 10, thereby forming a first rod type cable 30A.

[0038] Figure 1 shows a first-rod type cable 30A in which two rods 1 (first rod 1A, second rod 1B) are connected in series. In Figure 1, at the connection point between the first rod 1A on the left and the second rod 1B on the right, a locking member 40 (first locking member 40A, second locking member 40B) formed in the shape of a compression coil spring is placed. This locking member has a tilt suppression function that suppresses the relative tilting of the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B and integrates the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B into a single rigid rod.

[0039] In Figures 1 to 7, the three mutually orthogonal axes are referred to as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, and the axial direction of the rod body 10 is defined as the X-axis, which will be used for the explanation below.

[0040] Figure 1 is a top perspective view of the assembled first rod-type cable 30A, Figure 2(a) is a top perspective view of the rod 1 before the locking members 40 (first locking member 40A, second locking member 40B) are attached, and Figure 2(b) is a top perspective view of the first rod-type cable 30A before the locking members 40 (first locking member 40A, second locking member 40B) are attached. Figure 3(a) is a top view of the first rod-type cable 30A in the XY plane, and Figure 3(b) is a front view in the XZ plane, showing the view from arrow AA in Figure 3(a). Figure 4(a) is a top perspective view of the rod 1, Figure 4(b) is the view from arrow BB in Figure 4(a), Figure 4(c) is an enlarged view of parts A and B in Figure 4(b), and Figure 4(d) shows the view from arrow CC in Figure 4(a).

[0041] The rod 1, shown in Figure 2(a), is made of a steel round bar and has a straight rod body 10 of length L1. A first connecting joint 20A is bent and formed at one end of the rod body 10, and a second connecting joint 20B is bent and formed at the other end of the rod body 10. The first connecting joint 20A has a first engaging portion 23A bent and formed by winding a rod-shaped member extending from one end of the rod body 10, which extends in the X-axis direction, spirally for only one turn (one turn's worth) at a first pitch P1 (see Figure 4(d)). Furthermore, a first arm portion 24A with a length L2 is formed extending linearly along the X-axis direction from the winding end of the first engaging portion 23A. A mild steel wire (AZA-30H: manufactured by Nichia Steel Co., Ltd., diameter 10 mm) can be used as an example of the rod-shaped member.

[0042] The first connecting joint 20A has a spiral first engaging portion 23A that has a first winding axis L3 in the Z-axis direction and is wound counterclockwise around the first winding center O1 with an inner diameter D6 for one turn (see Figure 4(c)). That is, in Figures 4(a) and 4(d), the first engaging portion 23A is located above the rod body portion 10. The first engaging portion 23A has a first engaging recess 231A formed in a concave shape with the semi-circular portion at the beginning of the winding facing the other end of the rod body portion 10, and a first opening 232A opens toward the other end of the rod body portion 10, which is in front of the first engaging recess 231A.

[0043] The first opening 232A forms the gap between the wires of the first engaging portion 23A, which is a helical body. If the outer diameter of the rod-shaped member is d1, then, as shown in Figure 4(c), the first gap C1 of the first opening 232A is made larger than the outer diameter d1. Therefore, the first pitch P1 of the first engaging portion 23A is set to a value greater than the sum of the first gap C1 and the outer diameter d1 (P1 > C1 + d1).

[0044] Furthermore, when the Z-axis is considered as the vertical direction, the first winding center O1 is located to the left of the rod body 10 when viewed from one end to the other, as shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b). The distance H1 from the outer circumference of the rod body 10 to the first winding center O1 is set to half the inner diameter D6 (radius) of the first engagement portion 23A, so that the first arm portion 24A and the rod body 10 are in the same position in the Y-axis direction. The first arm portion 24A extends along the X-axis direction in the opposite direction from the other end of the rod body 10.

[0045] The second connecting joint 20B has a spiral second engaging portion 23B that is wound counterclockwise around the second winding center O2 with an inner diameter D7 for one turn, and has a second winding axis L4 in the Z-axis direction and is positioned opposite to the first connecting joint 20A. That is, in Figures 4(a) and 4(d), the second engaging portion 23B is located below the rod body portion 10. The second engaging portion 23B has a second engaging recess 231B formed in a concave shape with the semi-circular portion at the beginning of the winding facing the other end of the rod body portion 10, and a second opening 232B opens toward one end of the rod body portion 10, which is in front of the second engaging recess 231B.

[0046] The first connecting joint 20A and the second connecting joint 20B have their first engaging portion 23A and second engaging portion 23B formed in a counterclockwise direction, but they may also be formed in a clockwise direction.

[0047] The second opening 232B forms the gap between the wires of the spiral second engaging portion 23B. If the outer diameter of the rod-shaped member is d1, the second gap C2 of the second opening 232B is larger than the outer diameter d1. Therefore, the second pitch P2 of the second engaging portion 23B is set to a value greater than the sum of the second gap C2 and the outer diameter d1 (P2 > C2 + d1).

[0048] Furthermore, when the Z-axis is considered as the vertical direction, the second winding center O2 is located to the left of the rod body 10 when viewed from one end to the other, as shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b). The distance H2 from the outer circumference of the rod body 10 to the second winding center O2 is set to half the inner diameter D7 (radius) of the second engagement portion 23B, so that the second arm portion 24B and the rod body 10 are in the same position in the Y-axis direction. The second arm portion 24B extends along the X-axis direction in the opposite direction from one end of the rod body 10.

[0049] In this embodiment, the inner diameter D6 of the first engaging portion 23A in the first connecting joint 20A and the inner diameter D7 of the second engaging portion 23B in the second connecting joint 20B are set to the same value, and the length L1 of the first arm portion 24A and the length L2 of the second arm portion 24B are set to the same length. In addition, the first gap C1 and the second gap C2 are set to the same value, and therefore the values ​​of the first pitch P1 and the second pitch P2 are also the same value.

[0050] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4(a), the first connecting joint 20A and the second connecting joint 20B are arranged such that the first engaging portion 23A and the second engaging portion 23B are rotationally symmetrical around the Y axis with respect to the center of the length of the rod body 10. Therefore, the first engaging recess 230A and the second engaging recess 230B are positioned facing each other, and the first arm portion 24A and the second arm portion 24B extend away from each other.

[0051] Two rods, a first rod 1A and a second rod 1B, each having a first connecting joint 20A and a second connecting joint 20B formed at both ends of the rod body 10, are engaged with the second engaging recess 231B of the second connecting joint 20B of the first rod 1A by crossing the first engaging recess 231A of the first connecting joint 20A of the second rod 1B, as shown in Figures 1, 2(b), and 3. When the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B are pulled toward each other along the X-axis in this engaged state, the engagement between the first engaging recess 231A and the second engaging recess 231B prevents them from moving toward each other in the pulling direction.

[0052] In the connected state of the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B, the first engaging recess 231A and the second engaging recess 231B, which engage with each other, are restricted from moving away from each other in the X-axis direction, but are permitted to rotate in the rotational direction around the Y-axis and Z-axis. Therefore, the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B are connected so as to be rotatable around the Y-axis and Z-axis, with the engaging portion of the first engaging recess 231A and the second engaging recess 231B, which form the connecting portion, as a fulcrum.

[0053] After connection, the second locking member 40B attached to the rod body portion 10 of the first rod 1A (referred to as the first rod body portion 10A) encloses the other end of the first rod body portion 10A and the first arm portion 24A of the first connecting joint 20A of the second rod 1B. Similarly, the first locking member 40A attached to the rod body portion 10 of the second rod 1B (referred to as the second rod body portion 10B) encloses one end of the second rod body portion 10B and the second arm portion 24B of the second connecting joint 20B of the first rod 1A. The first rod body portion 10A and the first arm portion 24A of the second rod 1B are bound together by the second locking member 40B, and the second rod body portion 10B and the second arm portion 24B of the second connecting joint 20B of the first rod 1A are bound together by the first locking member 40A. Therefore, relative tilting between the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B is prevented, with the engagement portion between the first engagement recess 231A and the second engagement recess 231B, which intersect and engage with each other, acting as a fulcrum. Consequently, the first rod type cable 30A becomes a single rod along the X-axis direction with the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B integrated, and does not bend at the connection point. The method of connecting the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B will be described below with reference to Figures 4, 5, and 6.

[0054] Figure 6(a) shows the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B connected to the first connecting joint 20A, and the second connecting joint 20B connected to the first engaging part 23A and the second engaging part 23B, with the first winding axis L3 and the second winding axis L4 oriented in the Z-axis direction. In this state, the orientation of the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B is referred to as upward.

[0055] First, the first engaging portion 23A of the first connecting joint 20A of the second rod 1B is passed through the first rod body portion 10A of the first rod 1A, and the first rod body portion 10A is fitted between the spirally formed wires of this first engaging portion 23A. At the same time, the second engaging portion 23B of the second connecting joint 20B of the first rod 1A faces the second rod body portion 10B of the second rod 1B, and the wires of this second engaging portion 23B are fitted into the opposing second rod body portion 10B.

[0056] Next, as shown in Figure 6(b), when the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B are pulled in the directions of arrows A and B, the second connecting joint 230B of the first rod 1A and the first connecting joint 230A of the second rod 1B move closer together, the second engaging recess 231B of the second connecting joint 230B and the first engaging recess 231A of the first connecting joint 230A face each other, and when they are pulled further, the first engaging recess 231A and the second engaging recess 231B intersect and engage with each other, preventing the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B from moving away from each other, as shown in Figure 5.

[0057] Since the first engaging recess 231A and the second engaging recess 231B are curved and twisted in a helical shape, the first engaging recess 231A and the second engaging recess 231B engage along the helical surface, and the first engaging portion 23A and the second engaging portion 23B face approximately upward. When the first engaging portion 23A and the second engaging portion 23B of the connecting portion face upward, the first engaging portion 23A and the second engaging portion 23B of the first connecting joint 22A and the second connecting joint 22B at both ends of the first rod-type cable 30A also face approximately upward.

[0058] After the engagement between the first engagement recess 231A and the second engagement recess 231B at the connecting portion is completed, the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B are adjusted as shown in Figure 6(c) so that the first arm portion 24A of the second rod 1B is parallel to the first rod body portion 10A of the first rod 1A, and the second arm portion 24B of the first rod 1A is parallel to the second rod body portion 10B of the second rod 1B.

[0059] When the second connecting joint 22B of the first rod 1A and the first connecting joint 22A of the second rod 1B are connected, the second engaging recess 231B of the second connecting joint 22B and the first engaging recess 231A of the first connecting joint 231A are positioned in opposite directions with respect to the first rod body 10A and the second rod body 10B. Therefore, the engaging portions of the second engaging recess 231B and the first engaging recess 231A are located on the axes of the first rod body 10A and the second rod body 10B. Thus, in the first rod type cable 30A, the multiple rods 1 to be connected are aligned substantially on the same axis, and a single, bundled cable is obtained.

[0060] At the connection point between the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B, as shown in Figure 5(b), the first arm portion 24A of the second rod 1B, the first rod body portion 10A of the first rod 1A, the second rod body portion 10B of the second rod 1B, and the second arm portion 24B of the first rod 1B are arranged in order from top to bottom along the Z axis. Then, the first arm portion 24A of the second rod 1B and the first rod body portion 10A of the first rod 1A overlap in the X axis direction (this overlapping portion is referred to as the first overlapping portion 25A), and the second rod body portion 10B of the second rod 1B and the second arm portion 24B of the first rod 1B overlap (this overlapping portion is referred to as the second overlapping portion 25B).

[0061] As shown in Figure 2(a), two locking members 40 (first locking member 40A, second locking member 40B) may be pre-attached to the rod body portion 10 of the rod 1. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 2(b), when two rods 1 (first rod 1A and second rod 1B) are connected to form the first rod type cable 30A, one locking member 40 may be attached to each of the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B.

[0062] The first locking member 40A and the second locking member 40B, which are formed in the shape of a compression coil spring, have an open-end configuration in which a wire is wound multiple times at a third pitch P3. The third pitch P3 is set so that the gap between the wires is greater than the outer diameter d1 of the rod-shaped member of the rod 1. One way to attach the locking member 40 to the rod body 10 is to rotate the locking member 40 while inserting the gap between the wires of the locking member 40 into the rod body 10 from one end of the wound wire of the locking member 40, thereby twisting the locking member 40 into the rod body 10 and attaching the inner diameter portion of the locking member 40 to the rod body 10.

[0063] In Figure 6(c), the first locking member 40A, which has been previously attached to the first rod body portion 10A of the first rod 1A, is slid into the first overlapping portion 25A to enclose the first rod body portion 10A and the first arm portion 24A of the second rod 1B. The tip of the first locking member 40A is screwed into and engages with the second engaging portion 23B of the first rod body portion 10A, preventing movement in the reverse direction. Similarly, the second locking member 40B is slid into enclose the second rod body portion 10B and the second arm portion 24B of the first rod 1A. The second locking member 40B engages with the first engaging portion 23A of the second rod 1B, preventing movement in the reverse direction.

[0064] The first locking member 40A holds the rod body portion 10A of the first rod 1A and the first arm portion 24A of the connecting second rod 1B so as to be bound together, and the second locking member 40B holds the second rod body portion 10B of the second rod 1B and the second arm portion 24B of the connecting first rod 1A so as to be bound together, so that the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B become one, and relative tilting between the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B is prevented with the engagement portion of the first engagement recess 231A and the second engagement recess 231B, which intersect and engage with each other, as a fulcrum.

[0065] The first locking member 40A and the second locking member 40B are equipped with an expansion prevention function that prevents the first engagement portion 23A and the second engagement portion 23B, which have a single-turn configuration, from unwinding and expanding the inner diameter even when a large tensile force is applied in the X-axis direction when the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B are connected.

[0066] On the other hand, the connecting mechanism using the first locking member 40A and the second locking member 40B has a safety function that prevents bending deformation from occurring in the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B due to large bending stress being applied to the first rod-type cable 30A. This safety function will be explained with reference to Figure 7.

[0067] The connecting mechanism engages the second engaging recess 231B of the first rod 1A with the first engaging recess 231A of the second rod 1B by crossing them, so that the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B can tilt relative to each other, with the mutually engaged portion acting as a fulcrum (tilting fulcrum). The first locking member 40A and the second locking member 40B, which enclose the first overlapping portion 25A and the second overlapping portion 25B, function as compression coil springs. For example, when an external force F acts on the first rod-type cable 30A, a tilting force acts on the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B, causing them to tilt and expand in directions opposite to each other, with the tilting fulcrum acting as the fulcrum.

[0068] In other words, a tilting force acts on the first rod body portion 10A of the first overlapping portion 25A and the first arm portion 24A of the second rod 1B in a direction that causes them to spread apart from each other, with the tilting fulcrum as the pivot point. Similarly, a tilting force acts on the second rod body portion 10B of the second overlapping portion 25B and the second arm portion 24B of the first rod 1A in a direction that causes them to spread apart from each other, with the tilting fulcrum as the pivot point. The first locking member 40A and the second locking member 40B are elastically compressed by the compressive action of the tilting force and return to their original positions when the tilting force is released.

[0069] By setting the spring force of the first locking member 40A and the second locking member 40B to a large value, the rigidity of the first rod-type cable 30A formed by the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B can be increased. Furthermore, by setting the spring force to a value at which the elastic compression of the first locking member 40A and the second locking member 40B begins before bending deformation occurs in the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B, the first rod-type cable 30A can be kept in a nearly straight shape under normal use, and when a large external force is applied, it will bend around the tilting pivot point of the connecting part, thereby preventing bending deformation of the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B that constitute the first rod-type cable 30A.

[0070] Conversely, by setting the spring force of the first locking member 40A and the second locking member 40B to be weaker, the connecting portion can be used as a pivot point, and the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B can be bent into a V-shape with the connecting portion as the pivot point.

[0071] By making the lengths of the first locking member 40A and the second locking member 40B shorter than the length L2 of the first arm portion 24A and the second arm portion 24B, the first arm portion 24A and the second arm portion 24B move smoothly within the first locking member 40A and the second locking member 40B when the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B tilt relative to each other.

[0072] Furthermore, the length L2 of the first arm portion 24A and the second arm portion 24B is greater than or equal to the sum of the outer diameters of the first engaging portion 23A and the second engaging portion 23B, and is longer than the total length of the first locking member 40A. The second arm portion 24B overlaps the first rod body portion 10A with a sufficient length, and the first arm portion 24A overlaps the second rod body portion 10B, enclosing them in a way that they are bound together by the first locking member 40A and the second locking member 40B.

[0073] In other words, taking the first overlapping portion 25A shown in Figure 3(a) as an example, the first arm portion 24A connected to the first engaging recess 231A extends toward the first connecting joint 20A side of the first rod 1A via the first engaging portion 23A and the second engaging portion 23B. For this reason, in order for the first rod body portion 10A and the first arm portion 24A to overlap and be enclosed within the first locking member 40A, the first arm portion 24A must have a length greater than or equal to the sum of the outer diameters of the first engaging portion 23A and the second engaging portion 23B, and furthermore, it must be longer than the total length of the first locking member 40A.

[0074] In this embodiment, the first locking member 40A and the second locking member 40B are inserted into the first overlapping portion 25A and the second overlapping portion 25B from the tip side of the first arm portion 24A and the second arm portion 24B, respectively, and tighten the first overlapping portion 25A and the second overlapping portion 25B with a loose tightening force. Therefore, even if a force is applied to the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B in opposing directions while the first engaging recess 231A and the second engaging recess 231B are engaged, the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B will not slide and the length of the first rod-type cable 30A will not shorten unless the force is large.

[0075] Such a tightening force can be set to the same as, or slightly smaller than, the value obtained by adding the gap between the first rod body 10A and the first arm 24A in the first overlapping portion 25A (referred to as the gap between wires) to the sum of the outer diameters (d1) of the wires of the first rod body 10A and the first arm 24A (2 × d1) (referred to as the gap between wires) (referred to as the outer diameter of the overlapping portion). When the first locking member 40A is pushed into the first overlapping portion 25A, both wires elastically deform to reduce the gap between wires, and the first locking member 40A is inserted while resisting this elastic force. Considering the outer diameter tolerances of the wires of the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B, and the manufacturing tolerances of the first connecting joint 20A and the second connecting joint 20B, the inner diameter of the first locking member 40A is set to be slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the overlapping portion, and the first arm portion 24A can be easily inserted into the first overlapping portion 25A by holding it down with your hand.

[0076] In the first embodiment, as shown in Figure 4(a), the first connecting joint 20A and the second connecting joint 20B are arranged rotationally symmetrically around the Y-axis with respect to the center of the rod body 10 in the longitudinal direction, with respect to the first engaging portion 23A and the second engaging portion 23B. However, for example, the second connecting joint 20B may be rotated 180 degrees around the X-axis. In this case, the first connecting joint 20A and the second connecting joint 20B are arranged rotationally symmetrically around the Z-axis with respect to the center of the rod body 10 in the longitudinal direction, with respect to the first engaging portion 23A and the second engaging portion 23B.

[0077] Second Embodiment Figure 8 shows a second embodiment. In this embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the same components as those shown in Figures 1 to 7, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0078] In this embodiment, a third locking member 40C, which is a tilting restraint member, is attached to the connecting portion of the second rod-type cable 30B. The third locking member 40C has a compression spring shape in which a wire material such as steel wire is wound multiple times in a spiral shape with an inner diameter D8 and a fourth pitch P4. The length of the third locking member 40C is shorter than the distance between the tips of the first arm portion 24A and the second arm portion 24B, and longer than the distance between the outer ends of the first engaging portion 23A and the second engaging portion 23B in the X-axis direction, when the second rod-type cable 30B is in an engaged state in which the first engaging recess 231A and the second engaging recess 231B are engaged at the connecting portion.

[0079] Furthermore, the inner diameter D8 of the third locking member 40C is such that, in the engaged state, as shown in Figure 8(c), it encompasses the distance between the outer ends of the first overlapping portion 25A and the second overlapping portion 25B in the Z-axis direction, and as shown in Figures 8(a) and (b), it is such that the third locking member 40C can fit inside the first engaging portion 23A and the second engaging portion 23B. Here, the third gap between the wires of the third locking member 40C is denoted as C3. The fourth pitch P4 of the third locking member 40C is set such that, if the diameter of the wire of the third locking member 40C is d2, the distance that the wire of the first engaging portion 23A (outer diameter d1) can pass through the third gap C3 is such that (C3>d1) (P4>d1+d2).

[0080] In this embodiment, the second rod-type cable 30B is connected by rotating the third locking member 40C, which is pre-attached to the first rod body 10A or the second rod body 10B, toward the connecting portion, and passing the tip of the third locking member 40C through the first engaging portion 23A and the second engaging portion 23B. As a result, the relative tilting of the first rod body 10A and the first arm portion 24A of the first overlapping portion 25A, and the second rod body 10B and the second arm portion 24B of the second overlapping portion 25B, with the engaging portion as the pivot point, is simultaneously restrained, and the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B become a single connected rod.

[0081] In the first embodiment described above, the first rod-type cable 30A connects the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B using two locking members, a first locking member 40A and a second locking member 40B. In contrast, in the second embodiment, the second rod-type cable 30B can simultaneously restrain the first overlapping portion 25A and the second overlapping portion 25B with a single third locking member 40C. Therefore, even if an external force is applied in the X-axis direction that would unwind the winding state of the first engaging portion 23A and the second engaging portion 23B, this can be prevented. Furthermore, the time required to attach the locking members to the connecting portion can be shortened.

[0082] Furthermore, since the third locking member 40C passes through the second engaging portion 23B of the first rod 1A and the first engaging portion 23A of the second rod 1B, even if the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B are pushed in directions opposite to each other, their movement in those directions is restricted, preventing the engagement at the connecting portion from being released.

[0083] The third locking member 40C is made of a wire with compression spring properties, and, similar to the first locking member 40A and the second locking member 40B of the first embodiment, when a large external force is applied to the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B, it absorbs the relative tilting of the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B with the connecting portion (engaging portion) as the fulcrum by elastically compressing, thereby preventing damage to the second rod type cable 30B. When the external force is released, the second rod type cable 30B returns to its original position.

[0084] Furthermore, similar to the first embodiment, by weakening the spring force of the third locking member 40C, the first rod 1A and the second rod 1B can be bent into a V-shape with the connecting portion as a fulcrum.

[0085] The rod 1 and rod-type cables 30A and 30B of the first and second embodiments described above can be used as support members instead of wire ropes, for example. For example, when using rod-type cables 30A and 30B in remote mountainous areas where walking is required, if the rod 1 is made to a length and weight that can be carried by one person, it can be transported to the remote mountainous area, assembled, and used. In addition to being used individually as fences, the rod-type cables 30A and 30B can also be used as a means of supporting environmental conservation materials by threading them through the environmental conservation materials like skewers when installing them on slopes.

[0086] Third Embodiment Figures 9, 10, and 11 show a third embodiment.

[0087] Figure 9 shows a construction method in which a single environmental protection material (a single environmental protection material) 50 is installed, for example, on a gently sloping surface GL1, using a rod-type cable 30 formed by connecting three rods 1.

[0088] The environmental protection material 50 has, for example, a hollow section 51 through which a rod 1 is inserted in the radial center, and is formed as a skeleton structure in which steel wires are stretched three-dimensionally around the axis of the hollow section 51 and radially along the longitudinal direction of the hollow section 51. Specifically, it is composed of a main helical body 60 and a sub-helical body 61 formed in a helical structure. The main helical body 60 is a compressed coil shape in which a wire material such as iron is wound in multiple turns at a predetermined inner diameter and pitch, to a predetermined free length, for example 1 m, and both wire ends are open (open-ended). On the other hand, the sub-helical body 61 is a compressed coil shape in which a wire material such as steel wire is wound in multiple turns at a predetermined inner diameter and pitch to a predetermined free length, and both wire ends are open-ended. The sub-helical body 61 is positioned between the two wire ends of the main helical body 60, with its inner diameter passing through the wire ends of the main helical body 60. The inner diameter and pitch of the main helical body 60 are set to be larger than those of the sub-helical body 61. Alternatively, the sub-helical body 61 may be formed by dividing it into multiple sub-helical body sections and connecting them.

[0089] The sub-helical body 61, which is embedded in the wire of the main helical body 60, has numerous loop-shaped loop sections 62 formed by the wire constituting the sub-helical body 61, extending radially outward from the main helical body 60. Each of the loop sections 62 serves as a trapping section that captures soil, gravel, and other debris, including fallen leaves and branches, flowing along the gently sloping surface GL1.

[0090] In the environmental conservation material 50, flowing sediment and gravel, including fallen leaves and branches, are captured in the loop section (capture section) 62, and water passes through the space of the capture section 62 and the main spiral body 60. Then, sediment accumulates on the front side of the environmental conservation material 50 that is hit by the flowing sediment and gravel. This prevents soil erosion at the installation site of the environmental conservation material 50 and promotes the recovery of degraded land.

[0091] Since the main helical body 60 and the sub-helical body 61 are spring structures, the environmental protection material 50 has flexible elasticity and is characterized by the ability of the axis of the main helical body 60 along its axial direction to freely bend and deform into a U-shape or S-shape.

[0092] In this embodiment, a rod holder 70 in the shape of a compression coil spring is attached to the inner circumferential surface of the hollow portion 51 of the environmental protection material 50, and a rod 1 constituting the rod-type cable 30 is inserted into the rod holder 70. The rod holder 70 extends along the axial direction of the environmental protection material 50 and is formed to the same length as the free length of the main helical body 60 by winding a wire material in multiple turns at a predetermined pitch and a predetermined inner diameter, for example, like the main helical body 60. The inner diameter of the rod holder 70 is smaller than the inner diameter of the hollow portion 51. The rod holder 70 is fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the hollow portion 51 of the main helical body 60 by screwing one end of the wire into one end of the main helical body 60 so that it intertwines with the sub-helical body 61.

[0093] The rod holder 70 has flexible elasticity, and the environmental protection material 50 deforms in accordance with the deformation of the rod holder 70. One rod holder 70 is attached to the environmental protection material 50 shown in Figure 9, and it is installed on the gently sloping surface GL1 as shown in Figure 9. As shown in Figure 9, the rod holder 70 is positioned on the side closer to the slope in the left-right direction (the 9 o'clock position on a clock face). The rod 1 is pre-inserted into the rod holder 70, and this rod 1 is referred to as the main rod 1M. After the environmental protection material 50 with the main rod 1M pre-inserted is installed in the predetermined position, rods 1 (referred to as extension rods 1E) are connected to the first connecting joint 20A and the second connecting joint 20B at both ends of the main rod 1M, respectively. Thus, a rod-type cable 30 is constructed with three rods 1: one main rod 1M and two extension rods 1E.

[0094] As shown in Figure 9, when the environmental protection material 50 is installed on a slope, it receives soil, fallen leaves and branches flowing from the upstream side of the gently sloping surface GL1 on the upstream side (front side) of the environmental protection material 50, and the fallen leaves and branches and soil that pass in front of it are trapped inside the environmental protection material 50, and the water is drained downstream. For this reason, in order to withstand the forces of flowing soil, fallen leaves and branches and water flow acting on the environmental protection material 50, the left and right extension rods 1E are positioned upstream of the environmental protection material 50 and are arranged in an inverted V-shape as shown in Figure 10. In this embodiment, the expansion angle of the left and right extension rods 1E is set to 120°. Even if an external force acts on the environmental protection material 50 in the axial direction (left and right direction) of the main rod 1M, a component force of the external force acts on the extension rods 1E. Therefore, the extension rods 1E can prevent the environmental protection material 50 from moving in the left and right direction.

[0095] In this embodiment, one environmental protection material 50 is provided on one main rod 1M, but multiple environmental protection materials 50 may be arranged in series on one main rod 1M. Also, although the main rod 1M is inserted through the rod holder 70, the rod holder 70 is not required. When installing the environmental protection material 50 on a gently sloping surface GL1, even if only one set (group) of rod-type cables 30 is used and the main rod 1M is positioned at the 9 o'clock position on a clock face, as shown in Figure 9, it can withstand external forces such as soil and gravel acting on the environmental protection material 50 and maintain its orientation during installation.

[0096] As shown in Figure 12, the second connecting joint 20B of the left extension rod 1E and the first connecting joint 20A of the main rod 1M are connected at an angle, and although not shown, the right extension rod 1E is similarly connected to the second connecting joint 20B of the main rod 1M. In this angled connection state, a fourth locking member 40D, configured similarly to the third locking member 40C, is screwed into the connection in the Y-axis direction to prevent the connection between the first connecting joint 20A and the second connecting joint 20B from being released. Specifically, as shown in Figure 12(c), the fourth locking member 40D is screwed in so that it encloses the engagement portion between the first engagement recess 231A and the second engagement recess 231B. Note that the fourth locking member 40D is screwed in in the Y-axis direction to fix the connection between the first connecting joint 20A and the second connecting joint 20B, but is not limited to this.

[0097] Figure 13 shows a rod mounting device 90 for attaching the tip of the extension rod 1E to the anchor 80. The rod mounting device 90 consists of an anchor 80 made of threaded steel bar, a screw body 82 that is screwed into the anchor 80, a first connecting member 81 that is attached to the first connecting joint 20A side of the extension rod 1E, and a second connecting member 83 that is attached to the anchor 80 and connected to the first connecting member 81. The first connecting member 81 and the second connecting member 83 are coil structures formed in the shape of a compression coil spring, similar to the third locking member 40C described above, and are intertwined so as to be perpendicular to each other. The inner diameter hole of the first engaging portion 23A of the first connecting joint 20A of the extension rod 1E is inserted into the anchor 80, and the second connecting member 83 is connected so as to be intertwined with the first engaging portion 23A. The first connecting member 81 is connected so as to be intertwined with the first engaging portion 23A.

[0098] The first engaging portion 23A of the extension rod 1E is passed through the anchor 80, and then the second connecting member 83 is rotated while passing through the anchor 80 until it contacts the ground and interlocks with the first engaging portion 23A. In this state, the vertical position of the first connecting joint 20A of the extension rod 1E is determined. Next, the first connecting member 81 is rotated while interlocking with the first engaging portion 23A and the second connecting member 83 until it reaches the first arm portion 24A. Therefore, a large tensile force is applied to the extension rod 1E, preventing the first engaging portion 23A from expanding, and the movement of the extension rod 1E in the X-axis direction is restricted. Finally, the screw fastener 82 is screwed in from the upper end of the anchor 80, and the arm portion 82c engages with the upper end of the second connecting member 83, preventing the first connecting joint 20A of the extension rod 1E from coming out of the anchor 80.

[0099] The anchor 80 shown in Fig. 13 uses a threaded bar steel (JIS G3112·2020) as shown in Fig. 13(c), and the lower end is formed into a pointed shape. The threaded bar steel has a thread (pitch) 80b spirally formed at a predetermined pitch, for example, in a right-hand thread direction on the outer peripheral surface of a bar steel body 80a with a diameter D1. The bar steel body 80a is formed, in a cross-sectional view, by opposing first pair of sides 80c and second pair of sides 80d whose sides are formed as flat surfaces, and opposing third pair of sides 80e and fourth pair of sides 80f formed as arc surfaces with the same radius that are continuously provided to the first pair of sides 80c and the second pair of sides 80d. Spiral threads 80b are protrudingly formed at a predetermined pitch on the surfaces of the third pair of sides 80e and the fourth pair of sides 80f, and a threaded bar 80g with an outer diameter D2 is formed over the entire axial length.

[0100] The screwing body 82 is formed by winding a wire rod with a circular cross-section a plurality of turns in a right-hand direction with a predetermined pitch in a spiral shape, and is composed of a cylindrical screwing body main body portion 82a that forms a circular inner peripheral portion, and an arm portion 8fc extending from a terminal wire 82b at one end side terminal of the screwing body main body portion 82a. As the wire rod of the screwing body main body portion 82a, an iron wire, a steel wire (such as a stainless steel wire, a zinc-plated steel wire, a zinc-aluminum-plated steel wire, etc.) is used.

[0101] The pitch of the screwing body main body portion 82a is set to the same value as or slightly larger than the pitch of the threaded bar 80g. The terminal wires at both ends of the screwing body main body portion 82a are in an open form (hereinafter referred to as an open end). The screwing body 82 is screwed into the anchor 80 by holding the arm portion 82c by hand. Let the inner diameter of the screwing body main body portion 82a be D3, the outer diameter be D5, and the wire diameter of the wire rod be dw. The inner diameter D3 is set to a value larger than the diameter D1 of the bar steel body 80a of the anchor 80 and smaller than the outer diameter D2 of the thread (D1 < D3 < D2). The wire diameter dw of the screwing body 82 is set to a value smaller than the pitch between the threaded bars 80g, and a gap is set so that each turn does not result in a tight winding where adjacent wires contact each other.

[0102] When the screw body 82 is screwed in the tightening direction, it rotates around the anchor 80 in a right-hand direction. At this time, the wire in the inner diameter portion of the screw body body 82a that is screwed around the anchor 80 always comes into frictional contact with the node 80b of the screw node 80g. As a result, when the arm portion 82c is grasped and the screw body 82 is rotated around the right-hand direction, the wire wound around the right-hand direction of the screw body body 82a curves outward in the radial direction, so that the inner diameter D3 of the inner diameter portion of the screw body body 82a becomes larger (referred to as a loose winding state), and the screw body 82 screws smoothly around the screw node 80g of the anchor 80.

[0103] Then, when the rotation of the screw body 82 in the right-hand direction is stopped, the inner diameter of the loosely wound screw body 82a returns to its original inner diameter D3, and the screw body 82 stops in that position. If, from this stopped state, the arm portion 82c is grasped by hand and an attempt is made to rotate the screw body 82 in a counterclockwise direction, the wire wound around the right-hand screw of the screw body 82a bends inward in the radial direction, and a force acts in a direction that reduces the inner diameter D3 of the inner diameter of the screw body 82a. As a result, the inner diameter of the screw body 82a tightens around the anchor 80, and the screw body 82 stops moving. This prevents the screw body 82 from coming loose from the anchor 80.

[0104] As mentioned above, the environmental protection material 50 is installed horizontally on a slope, for example, on a hillside, in order to prevent soil erosion caused by rainwater, etc., and is installed with its longitudinal direction perpendicular to the direction of flow of soil and gravel.

[0105] The installation sites for the environmental protection materials 50 are degraded areas on mountaintops and slopes where landslides have occurred or are likely to occur. Therefore, the materials are transported to the installation sites by hand along mountain paths from forest roads accessible by trucks, or by using monorails or similar means. In this case, the transportable size is appropriate, for example, about 1 meter, from the standpoint of safety during the work. For this reason, if the width of the installation site is narrow, one unit of environmental protection material 50 is sufficient, but if it is several meters wide, multiple units of environmental protection material 50 will be connected in series and used.

[0106] Fourth Embodiment Figures 14 and 15 show a fourth embodiment.

[0107] In the third embodiment, a single environmental protection material 50 installed on a gently sloping surface GL1 is held stationary using a set of rod-type cables 30 consisting of three rods 1. In contrast, in the fourth embodiment, as shown in Figure 14, a single environmental protection material 50 installed on a steeply sloping surface GL2 is held stationary using two sets of rod-type cables 30, each consisting of three rods.

[0108] The environmental protection material 50 installed on the steep slope GL2 shown in Figure 14 has rod holders 70 attached to the upper and lower sides of the inner circumferential surface of the hollow section 51 on the upstream side. Hereinafter, the upper rod holder will be referred to as the first rod holder 70A and the lower rod holder as the second rod holder 70B. In Figure 14, the first rod holder 70A is installed at the 11 o'clock position and the second rod holder 70B is installed at the 7 o'clock position when viewed on a clock face. The rod-type cable 30 inserted through the first rod holder 70A will be referred to as the upper rod-type cable 301, and the rod-type cable 30 inserted through the second rod holder 70B will be referred to as the lower rod-type cable 302. Similar to the third embodiment, extension rods 1E are connected to both the left and right ends of the main rod 1M of the upper rod-type cable 301 and the lower rod-type cable 302. In a top view, the left and right extension rods 1E expand at a 120° angle in an inverted V shape.

[0109] In Figure 14, at the connection points between the left and right extension rods 1E of the upper rod-type cable 301 and the lower rod-type cable 302 and the main rod 1M, the first engaging recess 231A and the second engaging recess 231B, which engage with each other, are rotatably engaged around the X, Y, and Z axes. As a result, the extension rod 1E can tilt, for example, in the direction of arrow J, bringing the tip of the extension rod 1E, the first connecting portion 20A and the second connecting portion 20B, closer to the ground on the steeply sloping surface GL2. Then, the anchor 80 of the rod mounting device 90 shown in Figure 13 is driven into the ground by passing it through the holes in the first engaging portion 23A of the first connecting portion 20A and the second engaging portion 23B of the second connecting portion 20B, which are the tip of the extension rod 1E. In this case, the orientation of the holes in the first engaging portion 23A of the first connecting portion 20A and the second engaging portion 23B of the second connecting portion 20B can be freely adjusted, so the axis of each hole can be oriented perpendicular to the ground, and the anchor 80 can be driven perpendicular to the ground. The installation site where the environmental protection material 50 is installed is generally uneven and not flat. However, since the orientation of each hole can be changed to match the terrain of the installation site, the work of attaching the rod-type cable 30 to the ground can be made easier.

[0110] In Figure 14, the upper rod-type cable 301 and the lower rod-type cable 302 receive the pressure of soil, gravel, etc. flowing down the steep slope GL2, preventing the environmental protection material 50 from moving downstream. At the same time, the upper rod-type cable 301 suppresses the clockwise moment acting on the environmental protection material 50, and the lower rod-type cable 302 suppresses the counterclockwise moment acting on the environmental protection material 50, thereby keeping the environmental protection material 50 stationary relative to the installation surface.

[0111] Fifth Embodiment Figure 16 shows another embodiment of the rod-type cable 30, where (a) two main rods 1M are connected in series, with the second connecting joint 20B of the left extension rod 1E connected to the first connecting joint 20A of the left main rod 1M, and the first connecting joint 20A of the right extension rod 1E connected to the second connecting joint 20B of the right main rod 1M. The hollow portion 51 of the environmental protection material 50 is inserted through each main rod 1M to hold the environmental protection material 50. (b) shows an embodiment in which three main rods 1M are connected in series, and (c) shows an embodiment in which four main rods 1M are connected in series, with the environmental protection material 50 supported on each main rod 1M. An extension rod 1E is connected to each of the outermost main rods 1M. The left and right extension rods 1E expand in an inverted V shape in plan view, with an expansion angle of 120°. Furthermore, each extension rod 1E is inclined at a 30° angle with respect to the X-axis of the main rod 1M.

[0112] Figure 16(d) shows a configuration with two extension rods 1E on each side. The resultant force line is defined as the axis passing through the engagement point between the main rod 1M and the extension rod 1E at an angle of 30° to the X-axis of the main rod 1M. The component force lines are defined as axes at ± α angles from the resultant force line. The extension rods 1E are positioned on each component force line and engaged with the main rod 1M at the aforementioned engagement point. In Figure 16(b), the force acting on the main rod 1M is supported by one extension rod 1E on each side, but in Figure 16(b), this force is distributed and supported by two extension rods 1E. Therefore, the tensile strength can be reduced by reducing the diameter of the extension rods 1E on the component force lines. Note that the extension rods 1E are positioned at positions shifted by an angle α clockwise and counterclockwise with respect to the resultant force line, but this is not limited to this configuration; two extension rods 1E may be provided on each side. Also, although multiple extension rods are provided on each side, the number of extension rods on each side may differ. Furthermore, while the example uses the case where three units of environmental conservation material 50 are installed, it is not limited to this.

[0113] In each of the embodiments described above, the lengths of the main rod 1M and the extension rod 1E are not particularly limited and do not have to be the same length. For example, they can be 1m and 50cm, etc. The lengths of the main rod 1M and the extension rod 1E may also be different. Furthermore, the rod holder 70 described above is optional. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0114] 1: Rod 1A: First rod 1B: Second rod 1M: Main rod 1E: Extension rod 10: Rod body section 10A: First rod body section 10B: Second rod body section 20: Connecting joint 20A: First connecting joint 20B: Second connecting joint 20A: First connecting joint 20B: Second connecting joint 23A: First engaging part 23B: Second engaging part 231A: First engagement recess 231B: Second engagement recess 232A: 1st opening 232B: 2nd opening 24A: First arm section 24B: Second arm section 25A: First overlapping section 25B: Second overlapping section 30: Rod-type cable 30A: First rod type cable 30B: Second rod type cable 40: Locking member 40A: First locking member 40B: Second locking member 40C: Third locking member 40D: Fourth locking member 50: Environmental protection materials (individual environmental protection materials) 51: Hollow parts 60: Main helix 61: Sub-helix 62: Loop section 70: Rod holder 80: Anchor 80a: Steel bar body 80b: Knot 80c: 1st opposite side 80d: 2nd opposite side 80e: 3rd opposite side 80f: 4th opposite side 90: Rod mounting device 81: First connecting member 83: Second connecting member 82: Screw-in part 82a: Screw-in part main body 82b: Terminal wire 82c: Arm part 70A: First rod holder 70B: Second rod holder 301: Upper rod type cable 302: Lower rod type cable L3: First rotation axis L4: Second rotation axis O1: 1st volume center O2: 2nd volume center C1: First gap C2: Second gap C3: Third gap D1: Diameter D2: Outer diameter D3: Inner diameter D5: Outer diameter dw: Wire diameter D6: Inner diameter D7: Inner diameter D8: Inner diameter d1: Outer diameter d2: Diameter P1: 1st pitch P2: 2nd pitch P3: 3rd pitch P4: 4th pitch GL1: Gentle slope GL2: Steep slope H1 distance H2: distance

Claims

1. A rod of a predetermined length, composed of a rigid metal rod-shaped member used in a rod-type cable, wherein three mutually orthogonal axes are defined as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. A rod body that extends linearly along the X-axis, A first connecting joint formed at one end of the rod body, A second connecting joint formed at the other end of the rod body, It has, The first connecting joint has a first engaging portion in which a first engaging recess is formed that opens toward the other end of the rod body, and a first arm portion that extends from the tip of the first engaging portion parallel to the rod body and in the opposite direction to the other end of the rod body, with the rod-shaped member extending from one end of the rod body and winding in a spiral shape with a gap larger than the outer diameter of the rod-shaped member in one turn around a winding axis in the Z-axis direction that passes through a first winding center position located away from the rod body in the Y-axis direction, and has a first engaging portion that extends from the tip of the first engaging portion parallel to the rod body and in the opposite direction to the other end of the rod body. The second connecting joint is wound in a spiral shape by the rod-shaped member extending from the other end of the rod body, with a gap larger than the outer diameter of the rod-shaped member in one turn, around a winding axis in the Z-axis direction that passes through a second winding center position located away from the rod body in the Y-axis direction, and has a second engaging portion with a second engaging recess formed therein that opens toward the other end of the rod body, and a second arm portion extending from the tip of the second engaging portion parallel to the rod body and in the opposite direction to one end of the rod body. The rod is characterized in that the first connecting joint and the second connecting joint are arranged rotationally symmetrically around the Y-axis or Z-axis with respect to the center of the length of the rod body.

2. In the rod according to claim 1, The rod is characterized in that the first winding center and the second winding center are positioned at locations offset from the rod body along the Y-axis direction by the radius of the first engagement portion and the radius of the second engagement portion, respectively.

3. In the rod according to claim 1, The rod is characterized in that the first arm portion and the second arm portion have a length equal to or greater than the sum of the diameters of the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion.

4. A rod-type cable configured by connecting a plurality of rods according to any one of claims 1 to 3 in series, A rod-type cable characterized in that one rod and the other rod are connected in series by intersecting and engaging the first engaging recess of the first connecting joint of one of the connecting rods and the second engaging recess of the second connecting joint of the other rod, and the first connecting joint and the second connecting joint are rotatable relative to each other around the Y and Z axes while the first engaging recess and the second engaging recess are engaged.

5. In the rod-type cable described in claim 4, With the first engaging recess of the first connecting joint of one of the connecting rods and the second engaging recess of the second connecting joint of the other connecting rod intersecting and engaging with each other, a first tilt suppressing member is formed in a spiral shape by winding a wire material in multiple turns to integrally enclose the rod body of the other rod and the first arm of the first connecting joint of the one rod along its length, thereby suppressing relative tilting between the rod body and the first arm. A rod-type cable characterized by having a second tilt-preventing member formed in a spiral shape by winding wire in multiple turns, which integrally encloses the rod body portion of one of the aforementioned rods and the second arm portion of the second connecting joint of the other rod along its longitudinal direction, and which suppresses relative tilting between the rod body portion and the second arm portion.

6. In the rod-type cable described in claim 4, A rod-type cable characterized by having a third tilt suppression member formed in a spiral shape by winding wire in multiple turns, which integrally encloses the rod body portion of the other rod and the first arm portion of the first connecting joint of the other rod along its length direction, thereby suppressing relative tilting between the rod body portion of the other rod and the first arm portion, while the first engagement recess of the first connecting joint of one of the connecting rods is engaged with the first engagement recess of the first connecting joint of the other rod by crossing them with each other.

7. In the rod-type cable described in claim 5, A rod-type cable characterized in that the first tilt-restraining member and the second tilt-restraining member have compression spring properties.

8. In the rod-type cable described in claim 6, The rod-type cable is characterized in that the third tilt-preventing member has compression spring properties.

9. An environmental protection material with a rod, comprising a rod according to any one of claims 1 to 3, and one or more cylindrical environmental protection materials through which the rod body portion of the rod is inserted, wherein the environmental protection material has a central space formed in the center along its length through which the rod body portion is inserted.

10. A rod group comprising a plurality of sets of rods arranged in parallel according to any one of claims 1 to 3, and one or more cylindrical environmental protection materials through which the rod body portion of each rod in the rod group is inserted, The aforementioned environmental protection material is characterized in that a central space is formed in the center along the length direction, the rod body portions of each rod are inserted through it, and rod holders that restrict the radial movement of the rods are fixedly arranged on the inner circumferential surface of the central space along the axial direction of the central space.

11. A method for installing environmental protection materials with rods as described in claim 9 on an inclined surface, In a single-unit installation configuration where only one of the rod-equipped environmental protection materials is installed, the rod inserted through the single rod-equipped environmental protection material is used as the main rod, and rods with the same structure as the main rod are connected to the first and second connecting joints as the first and second extension rods, respectively. The first and second extension rods are arranged in an inverted V-shape facing the upstream side of the slope, and the first or second connecting joints provided at the tips of the first and second extension rods are connected to anchors driven into the ground. Alternatively, in a multiple-unit installation configuration where multiple rod-equipped environmental protection materials are connected in series, The method for constructing environmental conservation materials involves connecting the first and second connecting joints, which face each other, using the rods inserted through multiple rod-equipped environmental conservation materials as main rods; connecting rods having the same structure as the main rods to the first or second connecting joints at both ends of the connected main rods as first and second extension rods, respectively; arranging the first and second extension rods in an inverted V-shape facing the upstream side of the slope; and connecting the first or second connecting joints provided at the tips of the first and second extension rods to anchors driven into the ground.

12. A method for installing environmental protection materials with rods as described in claim 10 on an inclined surface, In a single-unit installation configuration where only one of the rod-equipped environmental protection materials is installed, each rod of the rod group inserted into the single rod-equipped environmental protection material is used as the main rod, and rods with the same structure as the main rods are connected to the first and second connecting joints as the first and second extension rods, respectively, to each main rod of the rod group. The first and second extension rods connected to each main rod of the rod group are spread out in an inverted V shape facing the upstream side of the slope, and the first or second connecting joints provided at the tips of the first and second extension rods connected to each main rod of the rod group are connected to anchors driven into the installation surface, or the rod-equipped environmental protection materials are installed in a configuration in which multiple units are connected in series. In a multi-unit construction state, each rod of the rod group inserted into each of the multi-unit rod-equipped environmental conservation materials is used as the main rod, and the first connecting joint and the second connecting joint facing each other are connected; rods having the same structure as the main rods are connected as the first extension rod and the second extension rod to each of the first connecting joints or each of the second connecting joints at both ends of the state in which the multiple main rods of the rod group are connected; the first extension rod and the second extension rod corresponding to each main rod of the rod group are spread out in an inverted V shape toward the upstream side of the slope; and the first or second connecting joint provided at the tip of the first extension rod and the second extension rod corresponding to the main rod of the rod group are connected to anchors driven into the ground.

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