Utility Pole Rotation Apparatus with Gripping Rollers
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for erecting utility poles require a large number of workers to prevent swinging and adjust the orientation of scaffold bolts, as they lack the ability to rotate the pole, making manual adjustments necessary and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A utility pole rotation apparatus with a gripping portion that surrounds the pole and includes cylindrical rollers to rotate the pole without swinging, accompanied by a sensor to detect and confirm the desired orientation of the pole's side surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a crane is used to lift the utility pole, then the pole can be erected, but the pole swings and requires multiple workers to control and guide it
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gripping portion with rollers as an intermediary device between the crane and the utility pole. The rollers contact the pole's outer surface and enable rotation control, while the gripping portion stabilizes the pole during lifting. This intermediary mechanism allows a single operator to control the pole's orientation and prevent swinging, eliminating the need for multiple workers to manually guide and stabilize the pole during erection.
2Manufacturing precision
If workers manually adjust the utility pole orientation during lifting, then the scaffold bolt orientation can be aligned, but additional workers are required for manual alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The gripping portion with rollers enables the utility pole to be self-adjusted in orientation during lifting. The operator controls the rollers to rotate the pole to the desired angle, and the pole maintains its position through the gripping mechanism's stabilization. This self-service capability allows precise orientation adjustment without requiring additional workers to manually align the scaffold bolts, as the system performs the alignment function autonomously under operator control.
3Ease of operation
If the utility pole is lifted without rotation capability, then the lifting process is simple, but the pole orientation cannot be adjusted and manual intervention is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The gripping portion serves multiple functions: it stabilizes the utility pole during lifting, enables controlled rotation to adjust orientation, and maintains the pole in the desired position throughout the erection process. This multi-functional device combines the simplicity of crane lifting with the versatility of active orientation control, allowing the operator to both lift and precisely position the pole without complex separate mechanisms.
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
This solution reduces the number of workers required to stop the pole from swinging and adjust its orientation, allowing for efficient and precise rotation of the utility pole with minimal labor, enhancing safety and reducing the need for manual adjustments.
Implementation Method 1
a roller 21 having a cylindrical shape, configured to contact the utility pole at an inner side of the gripping portion, and configured to rotate the utility pole with a longitudinal direction serving as an axis due to rotation of the roller
Data Source
AI summary
An object of the present disclosure is to provide a utility pole rotation apparatus and a position control method that can reduce not only the number of workers for adjusting an orientation of a scaffold bolt (an orientation of a side surface of the utility pole) but also the number of workers for stopping swinging of the utility pole, which cannot be simultaneously reduced in the related art.The utility pole rotation apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a gripping portion that grips a utility pole, and a roller having a cylindrical shape that contacts the utility pole at an inner side of the gripping portion and rotates the utility pole with a longitudinal direction serving as an axis due to rotation of the roller.