Utility Pole Butt Rotation and Lift for Safer Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The removal of utility poles is cumbersome and dangerous due to the weight and complexity of pole jacks, and the risk of mechanical failure and worker injury from unpredictable pole movements during the lifting process.
Innovation Solution
A method involving cutting the pole, rotating the pole butt to loosen its grip on the earth, and applying a vertical lifting force using a rotary drive and wedge or blade structures to secure and lift the pole, potentially with automated control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pole jacks are used to lift utility poles, then the pole can be freed from the ground, but the equipment is heavy and cumbersome requiring manual positioning and repeated coupling cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the pole gripping mechanism, lifting mechanism, and rotational capability into a single integrated device that attaches directly to the pole. This eliminates the need for separate pole jacks and boom equipment, allowing the device to perform multiple functions (gripping, lifting, rotating) in one unified system that is positioned once rather than requiring repeated setup cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The device serves multiple functions simultaneously: it grips the pole to prevent rotation, provides lifting capability to extract the pole from the ground, and incorporates a rotational mechanism to loosen embedded poles. This multi-functional approach replaces the need for separate pole jacks, boom arms, and rotational tools, significantly simplifying the overall operation.
2Reliability
If pole jacks are used to lift utility poles, then the pole can be removed, but the process is time consuming requiring repeated coupling and decoupling cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The device performs preliminary rotational action on the pole while still embedded in the ground, loosening it before the actual lifting operation begins. This preliminary rotation reduces the friction and grip of the surrounding earth, making the subsequent lifting process faster and more efficient, and eliminating the need for repeated coupling cycles during the extraction process.
Solution Approach 2:
The device maintains continuous engagement with the pole throughout the entire removal process. Once attached, it continuously rotates the pole to loosen it and then continuously lifts it until complete removal, without requiring detachment and re-attachment cycles. This continuous action significantly reduces the time required for pole removal.
3Reliability
If workers rock the pole back and forth to free it from the ground, then the pole can be loosened, but unpredictable movements create safety risks and mechanical stress
Solution Approach 1:
The device incorporates a controlled rotational mechanism that dynamically adjusts the pole's position during extraction. Rather than uncontrolled rocking, the system provides regulated rotation within defined limits, maintaining predictable movement throughout the extraction process. This dynamic control ensures safety while effectively loosening the pole from the ground.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates sensors and control mechanisms that monitor the pole's position, movement, and structural integrity during extraction. This feedback allows the system to adjust its actions in real-time, preventing excessive or unpredictable movements that could endanger workers or damage equipment, while still effectively freeing the pole from the ground.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Facilitates safer and more efficient pole removal by reducing manual labor, minimizing mechanical stress, and preventing unexpected pole movements, thus reducing injury and equipment damage.
Implementation Method 1
rotating the inground pole butt at least a number of aggregate degrees about its vertical axis to free the pole from the grip of the surrounding earth
Implementation Method 2
applying a substantially vertical lifting force to the pole butt during and/or after rotating the pole butt
Data Source
AI summary
The electric power industry has long standing practices for removal of aged and damaged utility power poles, which are not only time consuming, but unsafe for workers. To address this, the present inventors devised better methods, some of which entail cutting off the top portion of an inground utility pole to produce a pole butt, rotating the inground pole butt about its vertical axis to free the pole from the grip of the surrounding earth, and applying a lifting force to the pole butt during and/or after the rotation. Some embodiments implement the method using a rotary coupler, which couples a rotary drive via one or more pole collaring devices and/or one or more pole penetrating devices, to the pole butt, reducing pole butt removal time by at least half according to some estimates, while also improving safety.