US3430279A - Polisher for high voltage electric lines - Google Patents

Description

March 4, 1969 N. HINTZE 3,430,279

POLISHER FOR HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRIC LINES Filed May 23, 1966 Norman Hinf-ze INVENTOR United States Patent 3,430,279 POLISHER FOR HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRIC LINES Norman Hintze, Jerome, Idaho 83338 Filed May 23, 1966, Ser. No. 552,024 U.S. CI. 15-23 Int. Cl. A471 25 00; A46b 13/02; B24b 29/00 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to apparatus for polishing the exterior of high voltage electric lines.

Before attaching branch line connectors to an uninsulated high voltage electric line, it is necessary to polish the exterior of the line in the area of connector attachment to remove dirt and oxidation products, and thus insure that an effective electrical connection is made.

It is the general purpose of the present invention to provide apparatus for accomplishing this function safely, efliciently and without the necessity of first de-energizing the line.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation, of the herein described polisher for high voltage electric lines, partly broken away to show the interior construction; and

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1.

As illustrated in the drawings, the high voltage electric line polisher of my invention is driven by a motor which preferably comprises a horsepower drill motor or other rotary electric motor provided with a handle 12 and a switch 14 located conveniently to the hand of the operator. For use in the field, the motor may be driven from a portable generator or, if preferred, it may be of the self-contained, battery-operated type.

In either event, the motor is provided with a cylindrical housing having at one end an externally threaded area 16. The shaft 18 of the motor extends centrally from one end of the housing. It is provided with splines 20 for direct coupling to the polisher shaft.

Polisher shaft 22 is an elongated member which may be, for example, from 8 to 16 feet long, round in cross section, and fabricated from nonelectrically conducting material such as fiberglass or wood.

To couple the polisher shaft to the motor shaft, the inner end of the former mounts a sleeve 24, one end of which is fastened releasably to the end of the polisher shaft by means of set screw 26, and the other end of which is provided with splines 28 which mate with splines 20 on the end of motor shaft 18.

A case 30 encloses shaft 22. Like the latter, case 30 is made of electrically nonconducting material, as of fiberglass or wood. It preferably is circular in cross section, open on both ends, and somewhat shorter than shaft 22 so that the outer end of the shaft projects outwardly from the outer end of the case.

Coupling means are provided for releasably coupling the inner end of case 30 directly to the housing of motor 10. In the illustrated and preferred form of the invention, the coupling means for this purposes comprise an internally threaded section 32 present on the inner end ICC of the case and designed for threaded engagement with externally threaded section 16 of the motor housing.

Case 30 is strengthened and reinforced by means of a plurality of longitudinally spaced transverse partitions 34, 36, 38. These also may be made of fiberglass and are provided with central openings, aligned with each other and also with an opening 40 through the outer end of the case.

Partitions 34, 36, 38 serve the additional important function of providing mountings for the bearings which mount shaft 22 rotatably within the case.

Although various types of bearings may be employed, it is preferred to use simple bushings 42 made of nylon or other self-lubricating, wear-resistant material, pressed into the respective openings provided for their reception.

Shaft 22 is demountably held in its operative position by means of a pair of set collars 44, 46 disposed oppositely on shaft 22. These releasably are held in place by means of set screws, and are arranged to bear against the end surfaces of the endmost ones of bearings 42. During application of the polisher these end surfaces act as thrust bearings, taking the oppositely directed thrust of shaft 22.

The outwardly extending outer end of shaft 22 mounts a rotary brush 50. The brush may be variously designed as required to perform its assigned function of cleaning dirt and corrosion from the outer surfaces of high voltage electric lines.

Brush 50 is fixed to the outer end of a central stub shaft 52 which in turn is coupled to the outer end of shaft 22 by means of a sleeve 54 maintained releasably in position by means of set screws. In this manner brush 50 may be mounted on shaft 22 and demounted therefrom as required for easy and rapid brush replacement and interchange.

To assemble the herein described polisher, set collar 46 first is secured to shaft 22 in its proper, operative location. Shaft 22 then is inserted through all of bearings 42 until it is in its operative position, with the side face of collar 46 bearing against the inner face of the rearwardmost of bearings 42, and with the outer end of the shaft projecting outwardly from the outer end of case 30.

Motor shaft 18 is placed within the rearwardly projecting end of sleeve 24 with splines 28 on the sleeve engaging splines 20 on the shaft. Case 30 is threaded onto motor housing 10. Set collar 44 is applied and secured against the bearing end surface of the outermost bearing 42. The selected one of brushes 50 then is coupled to the outwardly projecting end of shaft 22 by means of sleeve 54.

There thus is provided a portable implement which may be used by a lineman supported by his belt on a pole mounting a high voltage electric line. By its use the lineman can polish the selected spot on the line safely and rapidly, without de-energizing the line, preliminary to attaching a branch line connector or other operation.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A polisher for high voltage electric lines comprising:

,(a) a rotary motor,

(b) an elongated shaft of electrically non-conducting material,

(c) releasable shaft coupling means coupling the inner end of the shaft to the motor and comprising splined sleeve means interconnecting the inner end of the shaft to the motor,

((1) an elongated case of electrically nonconducting material enclosing the shaft,

(e) case coupling means coupling the inner end of the case to the motor,

(f) aligned bearing means at spaced longitudinal intervals inside the case, receiving and rotatably mounting the shaft,

3 4 (g) set collar means on the shaft arranged in thrust References Cited (hbeariing relljatioirli to the shaft beazrlintg mheans, tand d UNITED STATES PATENTS g f means Onnec e e er en 1,598,411 8/1926 Allen 15-28 2, The polisher of claim 1 wherein the shaft and case 5 1833967 12/1931 Grofi 1523 are fabricated from fiberglass. 2,170,936 8/1939 Schumann.

3. The Polisher of claim 1 wherein the case is provided 2,237,999 4/1941 Newman 15' 23 X with a plurality of longitudinally spaced partitions having 2278095 3/1942 Rogers 15 28 X celrlitral aligned transverse openings therethrtlitugllr and FOREIGN PATENTS D g P P g 612,965 11/1960 Italy.

receiving the shaft.

4. The polisher of claim 1 wherein the inner end of EDWARD L ROBERTS P E the case is threaded on the motor, thereby releasably rlmary xammer coupling the case to the motor. 15

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