BREAKAWAY TRANSFORMER BASE
A transformer base for a utility pole has a housing and a cover panel. The housing has a bottom with a planar surface and a plurality of openings to receive an anchoring system to anchor the housing to a foundation, a top connectable to the utility pole, and a sidewall extending from the bottom to the top, an exterior surface, an interior surface with the interior surface defining a hollow cavity, and an access opening extending through the sidewall and having a first side edge, a second side edge, a top edge, and a bottom edge. The cover panel is removably connected to the housing to close the access opening. The sidewall has a frangible line extending circumferentially along the sidewall such that the sidewall of the housing fails in the event of a moment of force being applied to the top of the housing.
1 . A transformer base for a utility pole, comprising:
a housing having a bottom with a planar surface and a plurality of openings to receive an anchoring system to anchor the housing to a foundation, a top connectable to the utility pole, and a sidewall extending from the bottom to the top, an exterior surface, an interior surface with the interior surface defining a hollow cavity, and an access opening extending through the sidewall and having a first side edge, a second side edge, a top edge, and a bottom edge; and
a cover panel removably connected to the housing to close the access opening,
wherein the sidewall has a frangible line extending circumferentially along the sidewall such that the sidewall of the housing fails in the event of a moment of force being applied to the top of the housing.
2 . The base of claim 1 , wherein the frangible line is a groove extending along the interior surface of the housing.
3 . The base of claim 2 , wherein the groove extends parallel to the bottom of the housing.
4 . The base of claim 3 , wherein one end of the groove intersects the first side edge of the access opening, and another end of the groove intersects the second side edge of the access opening.
5 . The base of claim 1 , wherein one end of the frangible line intersects the first side edge of the access opening, and another end of the frangible line intersects the second side edge of the access opening.
6 . The base of claim 1 , wherein the frangible line is a groove extending along the exterior surface of the housing.
7 . The base of claim 1 , wherein the housing is monolithic.
8 . The base of claim 7 , wherein the housing is comprised of an aluminum alloy.
9 . The base of claim 1 , wherein the frangible line is a plurality of grooves spaced apart and extending along one of the interior surface and the exterior surface of the housing.
10 . The base of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of grooves defines a perforation pattern parallel to the bottom of the housing.
11 . The base of claim 1 , wherein the frangible line is spaced from the bottom in a range from 0.10 inches to 4.0 inches.
12 . A transformer base in combination with a utility pole, the transformer base comprising:
a housing having a bottom with a planar surface and a plurality of openings to receive an anchoring system to anchor the housing to a foundation, a top connected to the utility pole, and a sidewall extending from the bottom to the top, an exterior surface, an interior surface with the interior surface defining a hollow cavity, and an access opening extending through the sidewall and having a first side edge, a second side edge, a top edge, and a bottom edge; and
a cover panel removably connected to the housing to close the access opening,
wherein the sidewall has a frangible line extending circumferentially along the sidewall such that the sidewall of the housing fails in the event of a moment of force being applied to the top of the housing.
13 . The combination of claim 12 , wherein the frangible line is a groove extending along the interior surface of the housing.
14 . The combination of claim 13 , wherein the groove extends parallel to the bottom of the housing.
15 . The combination of claim 14 , wherein one end of the groove intersects the first side edge of the access opening, and another end of the groove intersects the second side edge of the access opening.
16 . The combination of claim 12 , wherein one end of the frangible line intersects the first side edge of the access opening, and another end of the frangible line intersects the second side edge of the access opening.
17 . The base of claim 12 , wherein the frangible line is a groove extending along the exterior surface of the housing.
18 . The combination of claim 12 , wherein the housing is monolithic.
19 . The combination of claim 18 , wherein the housing is comprised of an aluminum alloy.
20 . The combination of claim 12 , wherein the frangible line is a plurality of grooves spaced apart and extending along one of the interior surface and the exterior surface of the housing.
21 . The combination of claim 20 , wherein the plurality of grooves defines a perforation pattern parallel to the bottom of the housing.
22 . The combination of claim 12 , wherein the frangible line is spaced from the bottom in a range from 0.10 inches to 4.0 inches.