System for strengthening poles

Abstract

Disclosed is a system for strengthening a pole comprising a support element for supporting the pole; and fastening means for securing the support element to the pole; wherein the fastening means comprises a pair of mutually engaging fastening parts, including a bolt part and a corresponding nut part adapted to engage with the bolt part; and wherein the support element comprises an aperture adapted to receive a first one of the pair of fastening parts, and wherein at least one of the aperture and the first fastening part is shaped to prevent rotation of the first fastening part when located in the aperture.

1 . A system for supporting a pole, comprising:
 a support element for supporting the pole; and   fastening means for securing the support element to the pole;   wherein the fastening means comprises a pair of mutually engaging fastening parts, including a bolt part and a corresponding nut part adapted to engage with the bolt part; and   wherein the support element comprises an aperture adapted to receive a first one of the pair of fastening parts, and wherein at least one of the aperture and the first fastening part is shaped to prevent rotation of the first fastening part when located in the aperture.   
     
     
         2 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the aperture is shaped to prevent rotation of the first fastening part when located in the aperture. 
     
     
         3 . A system according to  claim 2 , wherein the first fastening part has a shaped portion having a shape corresponding to the shape of the aperture so as to prevent rotation of the first fastening part when the shaped portion is located in the aperture. 
     
     
         4 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first fastening part is the bolt part. 
     
     
         5 . A system according to  claim 4 , wherein the bolt part comprises a head and a shaped portion shaped to prevent rotation of the bolt part, the shaped portion being proximal or adjacent to the head. 
     
     
         6 . A system according to  claim 5 , wherein the bolt part is arranged, when fully inserted through the aperture, so that the head abuts a surface of the support element around the aperture and the shaped part of the bolt engages the aperture having a corresponding shape to thereby prevent rotation of the bolt. 
     
     
         7 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the aperture and/or a portion of the first fastening part has a non-circular shape selected from a rectangular or square shape. 
     
     
         8 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the second fastening part is arranged for engagement with a fastening tool to enable rotation of the second fastening part. 
     
     
         9 . A system according to  claim 8 , wherein the second fastening part comprises a head having one or more apertures for engaging complementary formations on the fastening tool. 
     
     
         10 . A system according to  claim 9 , further comprising one or more nails for insertion through the one or more apertures in the head of the second fastening part. 
     
     
         11 . A system according to  claim 10 , wherein the nails are headless nails. 
     
     
         12 . A system according to  claim 8 , wherein the second fastening part is the nut part. 
     
     
         13 . A system according to  claim 12 , wherein the nut part is arranged to be recessed into the pole. 
     
     
         14 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the support element comprises at least one support surface arranged to be placed against a surface of the pole to provide support to the pole. 
     
     
         15 . A system according to  claim 14 , wherein the aperture is located in the support surface. 
     
     
         16 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the support element further comprises a plurality of apertures for use with a plurality of respective fastening means. 
     
     
         17 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of support elements for fastening to the pole. 
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the support element further comprises:
 at least one support surface adapted to be placed in contact with the surface of the pole to thereby support the pole; and   at least one aperture adapted to receive a bolt for securing the support element to the pole, the aperture being shaped to prevent rotation of the bolt when the bolt is inserted through the aperture.   
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 18 , wherein the aperture is shaped to allow the bolt to pass through the aperture and to engage a correspondingly shaped portion of the bolt such that rotation of the bolt is prevented. 
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 18 , wherein the aperture is a non-circular shape selected from a rectangular or a square. 
     
     
         21 . The system according to  claim 18 , further comprising a pair of apertures positioned so as to receive a pair of bolts which are angled relative to one another in a plane perpendicular to the radial axis of the pole. 
     
     
         22 . The system according to  claim 21 , wherein the apertures are arranged to give an angle between the bolts, when installed, of between 70° and 110°. 
     
     
         23 . The system according to  claim 18 , wherein the support element has at least one ridge lengthwise. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the support element further comprises two curved flanges arranged for placement against the surface of the pole, the curved flanges separated by a ridge extending along the longitudinal length of the support element. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein one or both of the flanges are tapered to assist in insertion into the ground. 
     
     
         26 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a bolt for use in securing the support element to the pole, the bolt comprising a head and a shaft, the shaft including a shaped section, the shaped section shaped so as to prevent rotation of the bolt when the bolt is located in a correspondingly shaped aperture of the support element. 
     
     
         27 . The system according to  claim 26 , wherein the bolt head is arranged to substantially prevent manipulation by a fastening/unfastening tool. 
     
     
         28 . The system according to  claim 26 , wherein the bolt head lacks formations suitable for engagement by a tool and/or wherein the bolt head has a substantially smooth surface that is flat or dome-shaped. 
     
     
         29 . The system according to  claim 26 , wherein the shaft has a length of between 95% and 98% of the pole diameter. 
     
     
         30 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a nut for use in securing the support element to the pole wherein the nut has a head and a body with a threaded bore; wherein the body is adapted to be recessed into the pole with the head protruding from the pole, and wherein the bore comprises a shoulder which is adapted to guide a bolt into the bore. 
     
     
         31 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein the shoulder is one of: chamfered; or rounded. 
     
     
         32 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein the nut head has a form arranged to fit a non-standard tightening tool. 
     
     
         33 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein the nut head comprises formations adapted to engage with complementary formations on a tightening tool, the formations comprising at least one of: one or more grooves; one or more recesses; one or more apertures; or one or more protrusions. 
     
     
         34 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein the diameter of the nut body is between 130% and 180% of the bore diameter. 
     
     
         35 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein the diameter of the nut head is between 180% and 380% of the bore diameter. 
     
     
         36 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein the diameter of the nut head is at least 120% of the nut body diameter. 
     
     
         37 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein the nut head has one or more apertures adapted to receive one or more nails which can be inserted through the apertures into the pole. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein one or more of the apertures for receiving nails are also arranged to engage with corresponding formations on a tightening tool. 
     
     
         39 . A method for reinforcing a pole, the method comprising:
 placing an elongate support element adjacent to said pole;   boring at least one bore hole through said pole;   for each bore hole, boring a recess adapted to receive a respective nut;   inserting through the support element and through each said at least one bore hole a respective bolt;   inserting in each at least one recess a respective nut; and   fastening each bolt to a respective nut.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39  wherein two bore holes are angled to one-another in the radial plane of the pole and adapted to receive a bolt each. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein at least a portion of said bore hole and said recess are bored in a single step using a single tool. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising inserting headless nails through apertures in the nut into the pole. 
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a drill bit comprising a first section for drilling a bore through the pole to receive a bolt, and a second section for drilling a recess for a nut, wherein the first section has a first diameter corresponding substantially to the diameter of the bolt, and the second section has a second diameter larger than the first diameter, the second diameter corresponding to the diameter of at least a part of the nut to be recessed into the pole. 
     
     
         44 - 46 . (canceled) 
     
     
         47 . The system according to  claim 21 , wherein the apertures are arranged to give an angle between the bolts, when installed, of between 80° and 100°. 
     
     
         48 . The system according to  claim 21 , wherein the apertures are arranged to give an angle between the bolts, when installed, of substantially 90°. 
     
     
         49 . The system according to  claim 26 , wherein the shaft has a length of substantially 97% of the pole diameter.