Pole shield
The present disclosure relates to a pole shield for extending around a pole structure. The pole shield comprises one or more than one sheet of composite material forming a hollow structure having an open first end and an opposed open second end. The sheet or sheets of composite material comprise from about 50% to about 80% by weight of a reinforcement impregnated with about 20% to about 50% of a polyurethane resin composition comprising a combination of a polyol component and a polyisocyanate component. Two or more pole shields may be stacked one on top of the other to form a pole shield structure which extends the height of protection of the pole structure. The pole shield can be used for protecting a pole structure from damage, such as from fire, rain, wind, sand, ice, pests, moisture or electrical. The pole shield may also be used to provide structural support to a pole structure.
1. A pole shield consisting of one or more than one sheet of composite material forming a hollow structure having an open first end and an opposed open second end for circumferentially fitting around a pole structure, each sheet of composite material comprising from about 50% to about 80% by weight of a reinforcement impregnated with about 20% to about 50% of a polyurethane resin composition comprising a combination of a polyol component and a polyisocyanate component,
wherein the polyisocyanate component is chosen from (i) a mixture of aliphatic polyisocyanate and aromatic polyisocyanate with a greater amount of aliphatic polyisocyanate than aromatic polyisocyanate or (ii) aliphatic polyisocyanate and no aromatic polyisocyanate; and
wherein the pole shield has fire resistant properties.
2. The pole shield of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement is glass.
3. The pole shield of claim 1 , wherein the polyol component comprises a plurality of OH groups that are reactive towards the polyisocyanate component and the polyisocyanate component comprises a plurality of NCO groups that are reactive towards the polyol component.
4. The pole shield of claim 3 , wherein the OH:NCO mixing ratio, by volume, of the polyurethane resin composition is from about 1.0:5.0 to about 5.0:1.0.
5. The pole shield of claim 1 , wherein the polyol component comprises a polyether polyol, a polyester polyol, or a mixture thereof.
6. The pole shield of claim 1 , wherein the polyisocyanate component comprises an aromatic isocyanate, an aliphatic isocyanate, or a mixture thereof.
7. The pole shield of claim 1 , wherein the one or more than one sheet of composite material is from about 0.2 mm to about 20.0 mm thick.
8. The pole shield of claim 1 , wherein the one or more than one sheet of composite material comprises a plurality of layers.
9. The pole shield of claim 8 , wherein the one or more than one sheet of composite material comprises between 2 and 12 layers.
10. The pole shield of claim 1 comprising one sheet of composite material that includes an opening extending from the first end to the second end and the sheet of composite material is movable between a receiving position where the opening is expanded to receive the pole structure and a closed position where the opening is reduced and the sheet of composite material circumferentially extends around the pole structure.
11. The pole shield of claim 10 , wherein said one sheet of composite material is biased in the closed position.
12. The pole shield of claim 10 , wherein in the closed position a portion of the sheet of composite material overlays another portion of the sheet of composite material.
13. The pole shield of claim 1 , wherein the hollow structure is a cylindrical tube and the cross-sectional areas of the open first end and the open second end are substantially the same.
14. The pole shield of claim 1 , wherein the hollow structure is a tapered tube and the cross-sectional area of the open first end is less than a cross-sectional area of the open second end.
15. A pole shield structure comprising two or more pole shields of claim 1 stacked one on top of the other with the open first end of a first of the pole shields connecting to the open second end of a second of the pole shields to increase the height of the pole shield extending around the pole structure.
16. The pole shield structure of claim 15 , wherein the open first end of the first pole shield overlaps with the open second end of the second pole shield.
17. The pole shield structure of claim 16 , wherein the open first end of the first pole shield is received within the open second end of the second pole shield.
18. The pole shield structure of claim 16 , wherein the open second end of the second pole shield is received within the open first end of the first pole shield.
19. The pole shield structure of claim 15 , wherein the open first end of the first pole shield is connected to the open second end of the second pole shield by a fastener.
20. The pole shield structure of claim 15 , wherein the first pole shield has a greater internal dimension than an external dimension of the second pole shield such that at least a portion of the second pole shield nests within the first pole shield when the pole shield structure is unassembled.
21. A kit for constructing a pole shield structure comprising two or more pole shields of claim 1 .
22. The kit of claim 21 , wherein a first of the pole shields has a greater internal dimension than an external dimension of a second of the pole shields, such that at least a portion of the second pole shield nests within the first pole shield.
23. The pole shield of claim 1 , wherein the polyisocyanate component is 100% aliphatic polyisocyanate.