ANIMAL BARRIER FOR UTILITY POLE CABLE GUARD AND UTILITY POLE STRUCTURE HAVING AN ANIMAL BARRIER
A barrier for limiting entry of an animal into the interior of a cable-protecting conduit on a utility pole comprises a sheet of polymeric material adapted to be wrapped around the conduit and secured by fasteners to the utility pole. The sheet of polymeric material includes an undulating layer forming parallel flutes, and is formed with a plurality of separate, elongated, and resilient, finger-shaped parts extending from a portion of the sheet in the direction of elongation of the flutes. The finger-shaped parts are adapted to be bent downward so that they extend through an upper end opening of the cable-protecting conduit into the interior of the conduit to form a barrier.
1 . A utility pole structure having a cable guard, said structure comprising:
a utility pole extending upward from a surface;
cable means, comprising at least one cable, said cable means extending lengthwise along said utility pole from an upper portion thereof to a location below said surface;
a protective conduit extending upward along a portion of said utility pole from a location adjacent said surface to an inteediate location between said surface and said upper portion of said utility pole, a portion of said cable means extending from said location adjacent said surface to said inteediate location being surrounded by a surrounding structure comprising said protective conduit, said protective conduit having an opening at said inteediate location through which said cable means extends; and
a sheet of polymeric material secured to said utility pole on both sides of said protective conduit and extending around, and in contact with, a portion of said protective conduit adjacent said opening thereof, said barrier having a plurality of separate, elongated, and resilient, finger-shaped parts extending downward into the interior of said protective conduit, said finger- shaped parts forming a barrier for preventing entry of
an animal through said opening into the interior of said protective conduit.
2 . The utility pole structure according to claim 1 , in which said separate, elongated, finger-shaped parts extend upward along a portion of the exterior of said protective conduit adjacent said opening thereof, and are bent over an edge of said opening and extend downward into the interior of said protective conduit.
3 . The utility pole structure according to claim 1 , in which said separate, elongated, finger-shaped parts extend upward along a portion of the exterior of said protective conduit adjacent said opening thereof, and are bent over an edge of said opening and extend downward into the interior of said protective conduit, with an end portions of at least one of said finger-shaped parts being bent upward and in contact with said cable means.
4 . The utility pole structure according to claim 1 , in which said surrounding structure comprises a combination of said protective conduit and a portion of a surface of said utility pole.
5 . The utility pole structure according to claim 1 , in which said surrounding structure comprises a combination of said protective conduit and a portion of a surface of said utility pole, in which said protective conduit comprises a
part having a U-shaped horizontal cross-section with vertically extending edges and two flanges, each extending outward from one of said vertical edges and in contact with said utility pole, and fasteners securing said flanges to said utility pole, in which said sheet of polymeric material has opposite vertically extending edges, and portions adjacent said vertically extending edges, said portions being secured to said utility pole adjacent said flanges.
6 . The utility pole structure according to claim 1 , in which said surrounding structure comprises a cylindrical tube secured to said utility pole and in which said sheet of polymeric material has opposite vertically extending edges, and portions adjacent said vertically extending edges, said portions being engaged with said utility pole, and fasteners securing said portions adjacent said vertically extending edges to said utility pole.
7 . The utility pole structure according to claim 1 , in which said sheet of polymeric material comprises first and second layers, the first layer having an undulating horizontal cross-section with peaks of its undulations secured to said second layer, the undulations of said first layer foing flutes that extend in the direction of elongation of said finger-shaped parts.
8 . The utility pole structure according to claim 1 , in which said sheet of polymeric material comprises an outer
layer and at least one inner layer, said outer layer being composed of a material that protects said at least one inner layer from damage resulting from ultraviolet radiation.
9 . The utility pole structure according to claim 1 , in which said sheet of polymeric material comprises an outer layer and at least one inner layer, said outer layer being composed of a film of polyvinyl fluoride that protects said at least one inner layer from damage resulting from ultraviolet radiation.
10 . The utility pole structure according to claim 1 , in which said sheet of polymeric material comprises first, second, and third layers, the first layer having an undulating horizontal cross-section with peaks of its undulations secured to said second layer, the undulations of said first layer foing flutes on one side of said second layer that extend in the direction of elongation of said finger-shaped parts, and said third layer being secured to a surface of said second layer opposite said one side thereof and being composed of a material that protects said at second layer from damage resulting from ultraviolet radiation.
11 . The utility pole structure according to claim 1 , in which said sheet of polymeric material comprises first, second, and third layers, the first layer having an undulating horizontal cross-section with peaks of its undulations secured to said second layer, the undulations of
said first layer foing flutes on one side of said second layer that extend in the direction of elongation of said finger-shaped parts, and said third layer being secured to a surface of said second layer opposite said one side thereof and being composed of polyvinyl fluoride.
12 . A barrier for limiting entry of an animal into the interior of a protective conduit enclosing a portion of a cable means comprising at least one cable, said protective conduit extending along a utility pole and having an upper end opening through which said cable means extends, said barrier comprising a sheet of polymeric material having opposite side edges with portions adjacent said side edges adapted to be secured to a utility pole on both sides of said protective conduit, and an inteediate portion extending from one to the other of said portions adjacent said side edges and adapted to extend around, and contact, a portion of said protective conduit adjacent said upper end opening thereof, said barrier having a plurality of separate, elongated, and resilient, finger-shaped parts extending from a portion of said sheet that connects said side edges, said finger-shaped parts being adapted to be bent downward so that they extend through said upper end opening into the interior of said protective conduit to foa barrier for preventing entry of animals into said protective conduit.
13 . The barrier according to claim 12 , in which said sheet of polymeric material comprises first and second
layers, the first layer having an undulating cross-section with peaks of its undulations secured to said second layer, the undulations of said first layer foing flutes that extend in the direction of elongation of said finger-shaped parts.
14 . The barrier according to claim 12 , in which said sheet of polymeric material comprises an outer layer and at least one inner layer, said outer layer being composed of a material that protects said at least one inner layer from damage resulting from ultraviolet radiation.
15 . The barrier according to claim 12 , in which said sheet of polymeric material comprises an outer layer and at least one inner layer, said outer layer being composed of a film of polyvinyl fluoride that protects said at least one inner layer from damage resulting from ultraviolet radiation.
16 . The barrier according to claim 12 , in which said sheet of polymeric material comprises first, second, and third layers, the first layer having an undulating cross- section with peaks of its undulations secured to said second layer, the undulations of said first layer foing flutes on one side of said second layer that extend in the direction of elongation of said finger-shaped parts, and said third layer being secured to a surface of said second layer opposite said one side thereof and being composed of a material that protects said second layer from damage resulting from
ultraviolet radiation.
17 . The barrier according to claim 12 , in which said sheet of polymeric material comprises first, second, and third layers, the first layer having an undulating cross- section with peaks of its undulations secured to said second layer, the undulations of said first layer foing flutes on one side of said second layer that extend in the direction of elongation of said finger-shaped parts, and said third layer being secured to a surface of said second layer opposite said one side thereof and being composed of polyvinyl fluoride.