Anchor system for supporting utility structure

Abstract

An anchor system for supporting a utility structure with a connecting guy wire is disclosed. The anchor system comprises: a ground anchor formed to be generally planar in shape having an inner surface around a center axis of the ground anchor to define an inner space extending between a top opening and a bottom opening, wherein the bottom opening is larger than the top opening; an anchor rod including a first end portion, a second end portion, and a rod body therebetween, the second end portion being shaped to be a wedge tapered longitudinally toward the rod body, wherein the shape and dimensions are configured to conform to the inner space; a crimp coupler crimped on the first end portion; and an eyenut for coupling the guy wire to the crimp coupler. The ground anchor and the anchor rod may be made of non-metallic composite material.

Description

BACKGROUND

[0001] In today's utility infrastructure, multiple hardware pieces are used to support and stabilize utility structures such as poles, towers, and aerial masts for power distribution and communication. The supporting hardware, including guy wires, ground anchors, and connecting devices, are typically made of galvanized steel. Thus, especially the parts below ground surface are prone to corrosion, deterioration, and eventual breakage, which potentially cause tremendously hazardous conditions. In an effort to prevent such hazards from occurring, utility companies must frequently replace the underground parts.

[0002] In view of the above problems associated with the supporting hardware typically made of galvanized steel, this document describes a new type of supporting hardware that is practically corrosion-free.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0003] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a general view, in which an example of a utility structure is supported by supporting hardware.

[0004] FIG. 2 (Prior Art) illustrates an exploded view of an example of a prior-art anchor system.

[0005] FIG. 3 illustrates a top perspective view of an anchor system, according to an embodiment, in an assembled configuration.

[0006] FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a top view and a bottom view of the ground anchor, respectively.

[0007] FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the ground anchor, taken along A-A shown in FIG. 4, and outlines another cross-sectional view of the ground anchor, taken along A′-A′ shown in FIG. 4, in broken lines.

[0008] FIG. 7 illustrates a side view of the anchor rod, the crimp coupler crimped on the first end portion (not visible) of the anchor rod, and the eyenut detached from the crimp coupler.

[0009] FIG. 8 illustrates a cross-sectional view, taken along B-B shown in FIG. 7, of the top portion including the first end portion of the anchor rod and the crimp coupler crimped thereon.

[0010] FIG. 9 illustrates an exploded view of the anchor system, according to the embodiment.

[0011] FIG. 10 illustrates a bottom perspective view of the anchor system, according to the embodiment, in an assembled configurationDETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a general view, in which an example of a utility structure 100 is supported by supporting hardware. These utility structures, such as poles, towers, and aerial masts, are of considerable heights and not self-supporting in place. For example, a standard utility pole in the United States is about 40 ft long and is buried about 6 ft deep in the ground. The power lines and / or communication lines, often attached with associated utility equipment, are mounted on the utility structures. Because of the enormous tension force arising from the power and / or communication lines between the utility structures, the supporting hardware including guy wires, ground anchors, and various connecting devices are utilized to support the unbalanced lateral loads, secure the structures to be upright, and prevent the structures from moving.

[0013] A guy wire is a cable or rope typically comprising multiple wires of galvanized steel and structured to bear high tension. In the general view illustrated in FIG. 1, one end of a guy wire 102 is fastened, via a nut-and-bolt fastener 104, to a point high up on the utility structure 100, and the other end is connected to a point just above the ground 106, forming a diagonal line. Two or more guy wires 102 may be used to form the diagonal line, and the wire ends at the connection may be protected by an insulator 108. As illustrated in FIG. 1, a guy wrap may be formed at each guy end portion for connecting to other hardware piece or guy wire. One line of guy wire as well as two or more guy wires connected in series that are used to connect to a utility structure are herein collectively called a connecting guy wire or simply a guy wire. A coupling element such as an eyenut 110 can be used to couple the end of the guy wire to an anchor rod 112. Examples of eyenuts include a thimble eyenut, twin eyenut, and triple eyenut, which are structured to hold a guy wrap with one round, two rounds, and three rounds, respectively. The anchor rod 112 is positioned to extend longitudinally from the diagonally formed guy wire 102. A large portion of the rod body is buried underground. The end portion of the anchor rod 112 is fastened to the center of a ground anchor 114, which is buried underground at about 9 ft deep, for example. The ground anchor 114 has a generally planar shape, e.g., in the shape of a disk, a round plate, a square plate, radially formed blades, etc. Another example is a cross-plate anchor which includes two generally rectangular plates stacked in a crossed arrangement. These planar anchors are so structured as to be positioned lateral to the anchor rod 112 at its end portion, to provide an underground securing point for resisting the strong tension force transmitted through the anchor rod 112 and the guy wire 102. The set of hardware pieces for supporting a utility structure with a connecting guy wire is herein termed an “anchor system,” which includes an eyenut 110 and any parts below, such as an anchor rod 112 and a ground anchor 114, used in or in proximity to the ground.

[0014] FIG. 2 (Prior Art) illustrates an exploded view of an example of a prior-art anchor system 200. This prior-art anchor system 200 comprises an anchor rod 202 having first and second threaded end portions 204 and 206 and a rod body therebetween, an eyenut 208, a ground anchor 210, and a nut 212. The eyenut 208, e.g., a triple eyenut in this example, comprising an eye section and a nut section is a coupling element used to couple a guy wire, such as the one shown generally in FIG. 1, to the anchor rod 202. A guy wrap is formed at the end portion of the guy wire to wrap around the eye section for connecting thereto. A threaded inner surface is formed in the nut section of the eyenut 208 for fastening to the first threaded end portion 204 of the anchor rod 202. The second threaded end portion 206 is inserted through a hole 214 formed vertically at the center of the ground anchor 210, and the nut 212 is fastened to the protruded portion of the second threaded end portion 206 below the ground anchor 210. A cap nut is used as the nut 212 in the example illustrated in FIG. 2 (Prior Art). A hex nut, square nut, or other type of nut, with or without one or more washers, can also be used for fastening. In conventional anchor systems made of galvanized steel, such as the example in FIG. 2 (Prior Art), a nut-and-bolt combination is typically used as the fastening means of hardware pieces.

[0015] The conventional supporting hardware for utility structures, as described above, includes guy wires, rods, anchors, nuts, etc., which are typically made of galvanized steel. Galvanized steel is steel that has a coating of zinc to protect it from corrosion. The zinc coating acts as a sacrificial anode, which corrodes before the steel does, thereby providing corrosion-resistance. Galvanized steel can last for decades in mild environments, but it can corrode faster in harsh conditions or when it is in contact with other metals that have different electrical potentials. Stainless steel contains a high amount of chromium, which forms chromium-rich oxides on the steel surface, providing corrosion-resistant characteristics better than galvanized steel. However, even stainless steel can corrode when exposed to acids, saline, grease, moisture, and / or heat for a prolonged period of time. The oxide film on the surface of stainless steel is continuously destroyed, eventually causing oxidation of iron, i.e., rust. Thus, especially the parts below ground surface are prone to corrosion, deterioration, and eventual breakage, which potentially cause tremendously hazardous conditions. In an effort to prevent such hazards from occurring, utility companies must frequently replace the underground parts of conventional supporting hardware.

[0016] To circumvent problems associated with corrosion of underground parts in supporting hardware, an anchor system including parts made of fiberglass, carbon-fiber, or other non-metallic composite is devised as described in the following. These non-metallic composite materials are practically corrosion-free, and offer a durable, cost-effective alternative to other materials such as steels.

[0017] FIG. 3 illustrates a top perspective view of an anchor system 300, according to an embodiment, in an assembled configuration. The anchor system 300 comprises: an anchor rod 302 elongated longitudinally and including a first end portion 304 (not visible), a second end portion 306, and a rod body therebetween; a crimp coupler 308 crimped on the first end portion 304; an eyenut 310 fastened to the crimp coupler 308; and a ground anchor 312 secured around the second end portion 306. In the present embodiment, the anchor rod 302 and the ground anchor 312 may be made of non-metallic composite material such as fiberglass, carbon-fiber, etc. As shown generally in FIG. 1, these are the parts buried in the ground in actual use situations. Specifically, the ground anchor 312 is buried at about 9 ft deep, for example, and the anchor rod 302 secured thereto is buried in the ground, except for the top portion including the first end portion 304 with the crimp coupler 308 crimped thereon. The crimp coupler 308 and the eyenut 310 may be made of metal, such as galvanized steel or stainless steel.

[0018] FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a top view and a bottom view of the ground anchor 312, respectively. FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the ground anchor 312, taken along A-A shown in FIG. 4. In this figure, another cross-sectional view of the ground anchor 312, taken along A′-A′ shown in FIG. 4, is outlined in broken lines. The ground anchor 312 is generally planar in shape having a top surface 402 and a bottom surface 404. The example of the ground anchor 312 illustrated in FIGS. 4-6 has a shape of a generally round plate, having radially formed ridges 406 on the top surface 402, the ridges 406 extending from the center to the edge. These or other patterns, including ridges and basins in various shapes, may be formed on the top surface 402 to increase the top surface area, so as to increase the anchoring resistance by increasing the amount of underground soil in contact with the top surface 402 of the ground anchor 312 in use. The shape of the ground anchor 312 in this example is generally round; however, other planar shapes such as square, rectangular, cross-plate, etc. can also be chosen according to use conditions, strength requirements, transport considerations, etc.

[0019] The ground anchor 312 is generally planar in shape and has an inner surface disposed around the center axis of the ground anchor 312 to define an inner space 408, the inner surface extending between a top opening 410 on the top surface 402 and a bottom opening 412 on the bottom surface 404, wherein the bottom opening 412 is larger than the top opening 410. In the example illustrated in FIGS. 4-6, the inner surface is cylindrically disposed around the center axis of the ground anchor 312, and extends between the top opening 410 and the bottom opening 412 that are disposed circularly around the center axis, wherein the diameter of the bottom opening 412 is larger than the diameter of the top opening 410.

[0020] FIG. 7 illustrates a side view of the anchor rod 302, the crimp coupler 308 crimped on the first end portion 304 (not visible) of the anchor rod 302, and the eyenut 310 detached from the crimp coupler 308. The anchor rod 302 is elongated longitudinally and includes the first end portion 304, the second end portion 306, and the rod body therebetween. The second end portion 306 is formed to have a shape of a wedge tapered longitudinally toward the rod body. In this example, the wedge is a generally tapered solid cylinder having top and bottom wedge surfaces that are circular and disposed laterally to the anchor rod 302, wherein the diameter of the bottom wedge surface is larger than the diameter of the top wedge surface. The dimensions and the shape of the wedge are configured to conform to the inner space 408 defined by the inner surface disposed around the center axis of the ground anchor 312, so that the wedge can be placed to fit in the inner space 408 defined by the inner surface. Instead of a tapered cylindrical shape as illustrated in FIGS. 4-7, the inner space 408 defined by the inner surface of the ground anchor 312 and the wedge may be formed to have a generally pyramid shape or other polyhedron shape.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, a guy wire is generally used for holding a utility structure, wherein one end portion of the guy wire is attached to the top portion of the utility structure. As mentioned earlier, an eyenut generally comprises an eye section and a nut section. According to the example illustrated in FIG. 7, a guy wrap can be formed at the other end portion of the guy wire to wrap around the eye section of the eyenut 310 for connecting thereto. A threaded inner surface is formed in the nut section of the eyenut 310. The crimp coupler 308 in the anchor system 300 includes a threaded protrusion 414 longitudinally formed at one end for fastening to the nut section of the eyenut 310.

[0022] FIG. 8 illustrates a cross-sectional view, taken along B-B shown in FIG. 7, of the top portion including the first end portion 304 of the anchor rod 302 and the crimp coupler 308 crimped thereon. The crimp coupler 308 is formed to have a shape of a generally hollow cylinder for crimping on the first end portion 304, and includes the threaded protrusion 414 longitudinally formed at one end for fastening to the nut section of the eyenut 310. Therefore, according to the embodiment, two coupling elements, i.e., the eyenut 310 and the crimp coupler 308, are used to couple a guy wire to the anchor rod 302 for supporting a utility structure. Namely, the eyenut 310 is used to couple the guy wire to the crimp coupler 308; and the crimp coupler 308 is used to couple the eyenut 310 connected with the guy wire to the anchor rod 302. Thus, a guy wire that is typically made of galvanized steel and connected to a utility structure can be coupled to the anchor rod 302 made of non-metallic composite material, e.g., fiberglass, carbon-fiber, etc., via two coupling elements fastened to each other by a nut-and-bolt combination, which are made of metal, e.g., galvanized steel, stainless steel, etc.

[0023] Crimping is a method of joining two or more pieces of metal or other ductile material by deforming one or more of them to hold each other. A crimping tool is used to press two or more pieces to create a crimp joint. Crimping is generally recommended for applications that require high reliability in harsh environments. High ultimate tensile strength of the crimp joint and crack-free deformation of the materials are required for high quality crimping. Crimping must not result in impermissible elongation or deformation of crimp joints. The standard requirements for crimp joints are defined in DIN EN 60352-21.

[0024] In the example illustrated in FIG. 8, the crimp coupler 308, which may be made of galvanized steel or stainless steel, is crimped on the first end portion 304 of the anchor rod 302, which may be made of non-metallic composite material such as fiberglass or carbon-fiber. The non-metallic composite material and the steel are pressed and deformed by crimping due to ductility; however, the deformation of the non-metallic composite material is microscopic, not visible, in this case in FIG. 8. The ultimate tensile strength at the crimp joint is determined by performing a tensile test, and it must meet the required tensile strength in actual use conditions for supporting a utility structure with a connecting guy wire.

[0025] FIG. 9 illustrates an exploded view of the anchor system 300. Referring back to FIGS. 4-6, the ground anchor 312 has an inner surface disposed around the center axis of the ground anchor 312 to define the inner space 408, the inner surface extending between the top opening 410 on the top surface 402 and the bottom opening 412 on the bottom surface 404, wherein the bottom opening 412 is larger than the top opening 410. To assemble the anchor system 300, the first end portion 304 (not visible) and the crimp coupler 308 crimped thereon are inserted from the bottom opening 412 of the ground anchor 312 through the inner space 408. The first end portion 304, the crimp coupler 308 crimped thereon, and the rod body of the anchor rod 302 pass through the inner space 408 until the second end portion 306 is placed to fit in the inner space 408 of the ground anchor 312. Referring back to FIG. 7, the second end portion 306 of the anchor rod 302 is formed to have a shape of a wedge tapered longitudinally toward the rod body. The dimensions and the shape of the wedge are configured to conform to the inner space 408 defined by the inner surface disposed around the center axis of the ground anchor 312. Accordingly, the second end portion 306, which has the shape of the wedge, can be secured in the inner space 408 while the anchor rod 302 is positioned longitudinally along the center axis of the ground anchor 312. The nut section of the eyenut 310 is then fastened to the threaded protrusion 414 longitudinally formed at one end of the crimp coupler 308 that is crimped on the first end portion 304 of the anchor rod 302, to complete the assembly.

[0026] FIG. 10 illustrates a bottom perspective view of the anchor system 300 in an assembled configuration. In this example, the wedge is a generally tapered solid cylinder having the top and bottom wedge surfaces that are circular and disposed laterally to the anchor rod 302, wherein the diameter of the bottom wedge surface is larger than the diameter of the top wedge surface, corresponding to the bottom opening 412 and the top opening 410 (not visible) of the ground anchor 312. Since the dimensions and the shape of the wedge are configured to conform to the inner space 408 defined by the inner surface of the ground anchor 312, the second end portion 306 of the anchor rod 302 is secured in the inner space 408 due to the wedge stoppage firmly resisting the tension force longitudinally transmitted through the anchor rod 302 while the anchor system 300 is in use for supporting a utility structure with a connecting guy wire.

[0027] In the present embodiment, the anchor rod 302 and the ground anchor 312 may be made of non-metallic composite material, e.g., fiberglass, carbon-fiber, etc. As shown generally in FIG. 1, these are the parts buried in the ground in actual use situations. Specifically, the ground anchor 312 is buried at about 9 ft deep, for example, and the anchor rod 302 fastened thereto is buried in the ground, except for the top portion including the first end portion 304 with the crimp coupler 308 crimped thereon and the eyenut 310 fastened to the crimp coupler 308. Thus, the present anchor system 300 provides corrosion-free supporting hardware based on the underground parts made of fiberglass, carbon-fiber, or other non-metallic composite material.

[0028] Brittleness, or ductility in some cases, of non-metallic composite material often poses problems in heavy-industry applications. For example, in conventional supporting hardware used to support and secure a utility structure with a connecting guy wire, nut-and-bolt combinations are typically used for the fastening mechanism to connect parts made of galvanized steel. However, the threads used for the nut-and-bolt combination, if made of non-metallic composite material, generally cannot withstand strong tension force such as 36000 lbf often required in the construction of utility structures, and will eventually undergo deformation and / or breakage and lose the fastening functionality. Here, lbf stands for pound-force, and 1 lbf is about 4.45 N. To solve this problem, the present anchor system 300 is configured to incorporate fastening mechanisms different from conventional nut-and-bolt combinations, thereby making it possible to include parts made of non-metallic composite material.

[0029] Specifically, first, a crimp coupler 308 is used for coupling the eyenut 310 to the anchor rod 302, the crimp coupler 308 being crimped on the first end portion 304 of the anchor rod 302 that may be made of non-metallic composite material such as fiberglass, carbon-fiber, etc. The crimp coupler 308 may be made of galvanized steel or stainless steel and includes the threaded protrusion 414 to fasten to the nut section of the eyenut 310 that may also be made of galvanized steel or stainless steel. Second, the second end portion 306 of the anchor rod 302 is formed to have a shape of a wedge tapered longitudinally toward the rod body, and the dimensions and the shape of the wedge are configured to conform to the inner space 408 defined by the inner surface disposed around the center axis of the ground anchor 312. Thus, the second end portion 306 of the anchor rod 302 is secured in the inner space 408 of the ground anchor 312 due to the wedge stoppage firmly resisting the tension force longitudinally transmitted through the anchor rod 302. Based on the new configurations devised for the fastening mechanisms at two end portions of the anchor rod 302, the present anchor system 300, even including parts made of non-metallic composite material, is able to sustain strong tension force, such as 36000 lbf, while in use for supporting a utility structure with a connecting guy wire under various environmental conditions.

[0030] While this document contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of an invention or of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular embodiments of the invention. Certain features that are described in this document in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be exercised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or a variation of a subcombination.

Claims

1. An anchor system for supporting a utility structure with a connecting guy wire, the anchor system comprising:a ground anchor formed to be generally planar in shape having a top surface, a bottom surface, and an inner surface disposed around a center axis of the ground anchor to define an inner space, the inner surface extending between a top opening on the top surface and a bottom opening on the bottom surface, wherein the bottom opening is larger than the top opening;an anchor rod elongated longitudinally and including a first end portion, a second end portion, and a rod body therebetween, the second end portion being formed to have a shape of a wedge tapered longitudinally toward the rod body, wherein the shape and dimensions of the wedge are configured to conform to the inner space defined by the inner surface of the ground anchor;a crimp coupler crimped on the first end portion of the anchor rod; andan eyenut for coupling the guy wire to the crimp coupler.

2. The anchor system of claim 1, whereinin an assembled configuration, the second end portion is placed to fit in the inner space defined by the inner surface of the ground anchor while the anchor rod is positioned longitudinally along the center axis of the ground anchor, and secured in the inner space for resisting tension force longitudinally transmitted through the anchor rod.

3. The anchor system of claim 1, whereinthe inner surface is cylindrically disposed around the center axis of the ground anchor, and extends between the top opening and the bottom opening that are disposed circularly around the center axis, wherein a diameter of the bottom opening is larger than a diameter of the top opening.

4. The anchor system of claim 3, whereinthe wedge is a generally tapered solid cylinder having top and bottom wedge surfaces that are circular and disposed laterally to the anchor rod, wherein a diameter of the bottom wedge surface is larger than a diameter of the top wedge surface.

5. The anchor system of claim 1, whereinthe inner space defined by the inner surface of the ground anchor and the wedge are formed to have a generally polyhedron shape.

6. The anchor system of claim 5, whereinthe inner space defined by the inner surface of the ground anchor and the wedge are formed to have a generally pyramid shape.

7. The anchor system of claim 1, whereinthe ground anchor has a shape of a generally round plate.

8. The anchor system of claim 7, whereinthe top surface of the ground anchor has radially formed ridges.

9. The anchor system of claim 1, whereinpatterns, including ridges and basins, are formed on the top surface of the ground anchor to increase a top surface area, to increase anchoring resistance by increasing the amount of underground soil in contact with the top surface of the ground anchor in use in the ground.

10. The anchor system of claim 1, whereinthe crimp coupler has a shape of a generally hollow cylinder for crimping on the first end portion, and includes a threaded protrusion longitudinally formed at one end for fastening to the eyenut.

11. The anchor system of claim 10, whereinthe eyenut comprises an eye section for connecting to the guy wire and a nut section having a threaded inner surface for fastening to the threaded protrusion of the crimp coupler.

12. The anchor system of claim 1, whereinthe crimp coupler is made of galvanized steel or stainless steel.

13. The anchor system of claim 1, whereinthe eyenut is made of galvanized steel or stainless steel.

14. The anchor system of claim 1, whereinthe ground anchor and the anchor rod are made of non-metallic composite material.

15. The anchor system of claim 14, whereinthe non-metallic composite material is fiberglass.

16. The anchor system of claim 14, whereinthe non-metallic composite material is carbon-fiber.

17. A method of assembling the anchor system for supporting a utility structure with a connecting guy wire of claim 1, the method comprising:inserting the first end portion and the crimp coupler crimped thereon from the bottom opening of the ground anchor through the inner space defined by the inner surface of the ground anchor;passing the first end portion, the crimp coupler crimped thereon, and the rod body of the anchor rod through the inner space until the second end portion is placed to fit in the inner space;securing the second end portion in the inner space while the anchor rod is positioned longitudinally along the center axis of the ground anchor; andfastening the eyenut to the crimp coupler crimped on the first end portion of the anchor rod.

18. The method of claim 17, whereinthe crimp coupler has a shape of a generally hollow cylinder for crimping on the first end portion, and includes a threaded protrusion longitudinally formed at one end, and the eyenut comprises an eye section for connecting to the guy wire and a nut section having a threaded inner surface,wherein the fastening comprises fastening the nut section of the eyenut to the threaded protrusion of the crimp coupler.

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