Connection apparatus for mounting a guyed mast

Abstract

Disclosed is a connection apparatus and foundation connection method developed in order to be used in guyed overhead line towers. The foundation connection method and connection apparatus mentioned above enables all the legs of a tower to be fixed onto a single base plate. According to the structure of foundation connection apparatus, the angle determining tubes welded to the base plate are capped with a welded treated cap plate which is connected to the bottom cone plate located at the ends of the legs of the towers by a pin. To provide angular rotation between the connection apparatus and the leg, the beveled plate is squeezed between the treated cap plate and the bottom cone plate.

Claims

1. A connection apparatus for mounting a guyed overhead line tower, the guyed overhead line tower having a plurality of legs, the connection apparatus comprising: a base plate having anchorage holes therein; an angle determining tube attached to said base plate, said angle determining tube having a treated cap plate attached to a top of said angle determining tube, the treated cap plate holding a beveled plate, the beveled plate adapted to transfer forces from one of the plurality of legs of the guyed overhead line tower to said angle determining tube and to said base plate; and a bottom cone plate, the beveled plate being positioned between the treated cap plate and said bottom cone plate so as to allow rotation via angular movement between the one leg and the connection apparatus when the treated cap plate is engaged with said bottom cone plate.

2. The connection apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a pin positioned at a mid-section of said bottom cone plate so as to limit linear movement of said bottom cone plate relative to the treated cap plate.

3. The connection apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a nut affixed to said pin.

4. A foundation connection method for mounting a guyed overhead line tower, the guyed overhead line tower having a plurality of legs, the foundation connection method comprising: engaging angle determining tubes that are angularly positioned on a single base plate so as to fix the plurality of legs of the guyed overhead line tower onto the single base plate; engaging treated cap plates to an opening section of the angle determining tubes; and sealing bottom cone plates respectively at ends of the plurality of legs of the guyed overhead line tower via a pin by placing a beveled plate therebetween.

5. The foundation connection method of claim 4, further comprising: welding the angle determining tubes to the single base plate.

6. The foundation connection method of claim 4, further comprising: welding a treated cap plate to the opening section of the angle determining tubes.

7. The foundation connection method of claim 4, further comprising: welding stiffener plates to the angle determining tubes and to the single base plate.

8. The foundation connection method of claim 4, further comprising: applying a nut to the pin during the step of sealing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) The embodiment of the present invention and additional components must be evaluated together with the figures described below, to further understand the advantages of the invention.

(2) FIG. 1; is the front schematic view of the connection apparatus,

(3) FIG. 2; is the general top schematic view of the connection apparatus,

(4) FIG. 3a; is the general schematic view of the minimum tower height leg angle configuration,

(5) FIG. 3b; is the general schematic view of the maximum tower height leg angle configuration,

(6) FIG. 3c; is the schematic display of connection apparatus location on tower and detailed view of tower legs mounted to the connection apparatus,

(7) FIG. 4a; is the schematic display of the angle of the lower conical plate at the minimum tower height.

(8) FIG. 4b; is the schematic display of the angle of the lower conical plate at the maximum tower height.

REFERENCE NUMBERS

(9) 100. Overhead line tower

(10) 101. Leg

(11) 200. Connection apparatus

(12) 201. Base plate

(13) 202. Angle determining tube

(14) 203. Stiffener plate

(15) 204. Treated cap plate

(16) 205. Bottom cone plate

(17) 206. Beveled plate

(18) 207. Pin

(19) 208. Nut

(20) 209. Welded connection

(21) 210. Drainage hole

(22) 211. Anchorage holes

(23) 212. Central dimple

(24) 213. Anchorage rods and leveling nut system

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(25) In this detailed description the connection apparatus (200) and foundation connection method during the mounting of a tower (100) that has been developed in order to be used in guyed overhead line tower (100) subject to the invention has been described only for illustration purposes to further explain the invention and without any intention of limitation of the invention.

(26) The connection apparatus (200) shown in FIG. 1, comprises at the lowermost section, a base plate (201) which has an anchorage hole (211) and a drainage hole (210) thereon, onto which all of the components are connected to. The connection to base plate (201) mentioned above is preferably carried out by means of welding. On the mentioned base plate (201) an angle determining tube (202) is provided which is connected by means of a weld connection (209) and onto which a leg (101) has been engaged for easy and safe connection. Angle determining tube (202) that has a certain calculated average angle that does not vary depending on the leg angle that may change depending on the shape and height of the tower (100), has treated cap plate (204) on top to which the tower leg (101) is connected. In order to increase rigidity of above-mentioned base plate (201) and to provide a strong connection between the angle determining tube (202) and the base plate (201) a stiffener plate (203) has been positioned. The bottom cone plate (205) onto which the leaf springs are engaged to at the end of the leg (101) is made of a hot rolled plate. The beveled plate (206) placed between the treated cap plate (204) and the bottom cone plate (205), has a semi spherical shape and it allows an angular rotation movement when the bottom cone plate (205) is being safely and strongly engaged to the treated cap plate (204). In the mid section of the mentioned bottom cone plate (205) a pin (207) has been positioned such that it allows the rotation and inclination of the leg (101) when necessary but prevents the linear movement of the bottom cone plate (205) to the treated cap plate (204). Nut (208) and pin (207) have a cavity inside for mounting Split/Cotter Pin to keep them in place.

(27) The drainage hole (210) that has been formed on the base plate (201) of the connection apparatus (200) shown in FIG. 2, allows excess zinc mixture to be released during hot dipping galvanization process. The anchorage holes (211) that have been formed on the base plate (201) enable the engagement of the anchorage rods and leveling nut system (213). Central dimple (212) positioned at the mid section of the base plate (201) enables to determine the center of the base plate (201) in order to measure adjustment alignment for base plate (201) to be fixed at its position, the apparatus comprises anchorage rods and leveling nut system (213) comprising a leveling nut in order position the plate at a desired position.

(28) The angle determining tubes (202) that are positioned angularly are welded onto the base plate (201) in order to fix both legs (101) of the tower (100) shown in FIG. 3, to a single base plate (201) and a treated cap plate (204) is welded to the opening section of the angle determining tubes (202). The bottom cone plate (205) at the ends of the legs (101) of the towers (100) are sealed by placing a beveled plate (206) there-between, via pin (207). As the surface of beveled plate (206) is circular, the leg at the top section (101) operates such that it is connected with a rotating support. As the forces received from the legs (101) are different and differ continuously according to load, large stiffener plate (203) have been welded to the base plate (201) and angle determining tubes (202) in order to balance the load distribution and to prevent deformation due to the difference of tension formed on the left and right side of the base plate (201). Moreover, as the connections are designed as rotating supports, special joiner nut (208) has been used during the mounting of the pin (207). The angle of the angle determining tubes (202) provided in the connection apparatus (200) shown in FIG. 3a and FIG. 3b, varies depending on the height of the utility tower (100), in other words depending on the leg length (101). In FIG. 3a the angle between the tower leg (101) and the vertical (X) is shown by δ for the minimum tower (100) height, while in FIG. 3b the angle between the tower leg (101) and the vertical (X) is shown by a for the maximum tower (100) height. As it is shown in the FIG. 4a, the angle δ—the angle between the bottom cone plate (205) axis and the vertical (X), corresponding to minimum tower (100) height is greater in magnitude than the angle α—the angle between the bottom cone plate (205) axis and the vertical (X), corresponding to maximum tower (100) height that is shown in FIG. 4b.

(29) The base plate (201) dimensions of connection apparatus (200) may vary according to the angle determining tubes (202) angle, length, anchorage hole (211) placement and number of holes and tower type. The foundation connection method during the mounting of above mentioned tower (100), has been developed to connect legs (101) of the tower (100) to a single connection apparatus (200) and it has been developed to ensure that the concrete foundation design application and the tower (100) is suitable with each other.