The arms on tubular steel transmission poles typically attach using as many as 16 bolts. It takes a small crew about a half an hour to get an arm in place, attach all of those bolts and nuts, and then tighten to specifications. Engineers at Thomas & Betts developed a connection using a pinned joint that requires a fraction of the time and fewer people to install. The “QuickPin” arm connection uses long pins instead of bolts, though made of the same material as bolts. The tapered pins can be hammered into position to force quick alignment. A flat on the pin heads lets a worker turn them so locking holes in the point end line up with the other pins. A locking rod then goes through the pins to secure them in the joint. Available only on Meyer poles, the QuickPin costs about the same as traditional arm connections but has significant time and crew savings.
Thomas & Betts
Meyer Steel Structures
www.meyersteelstructures.com
WPE
Filed Under: Components
