US 12,258,769 B2
Hinge for servicing pole-mounted equipment
Stuart Buckland, Concordville, PA (US); and Nicholas Bennett, Concordville, PA (US)
Assigned to Southco, Inc., Concordville, PA (US)
Appl. No. 18/020,798
Filed by Southco, Inc., Concordville, PA (US)
PCT Filed Aug. 12, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/045688
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 10, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/036057, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 17, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/065,187, filed on Aug. 13, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0304315 A1, Sep. 28, 2023
Int. Cl. E04H 12/18 (2006.01); F16C 11/04 (2006.01)
CPC E04H 12/187 (2013.01) [F16C 11/04 (2013.01)] 27 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A controlled motion hinge assembly comprising:
a base;
a first actuator mount rotatably connected to the base to rotate about a first mount rotation axis, wherein the first actuator mount comprises a threaded bore extending along a bore axis that is perpendicular to the first mount rotation axis;
a pivot arm pivotally coupled to the base to pivot about an arm pivot axis that is parallel to and spaced from the first mount rotation axis;
a second actuator mount rotatably connected to the pivot arm to rotate about a second mount rotation axis that is parallel to and spaced from the first mount rotation axis and the arm pivot axis;
a hinge pivotally connecting the base to the pivot arm such that the pivot arm is movable relative to the base about the arm pivot axis, wherein the pivot arm is movable between an extended position in which the first mount rotation axis is spaced from the second mount rotation axis by a first distance, and a retracted position in which the first mount rotation axis is spaced from the second mount rotation axis by a second distance, the second distance being less than the first distance; and
an actuator shaft having a first shaft end, a second shaft end, and a threaded body extending along an actuator shaft axis between the first shaft end and the second shaft end, wherein:
the first shaft end is configured to receive a drive torque about the actuator shaft axis;
the second shaft end is connected to the second actuator mount to be rotatable about the actuator shaft axis at a fixed position along the actuator shaft axis; and
the threaded body is in threaded engagement with the threaded bore of the first actuator mount such that an application of the drive torque causes the first actuator mount to move along the actuator shaft axis towards and away from the second actuator mount, to thereby move the pivot arm towards the retracted position and the extended position, respectively; and
wherein the pivot arm is angularly displaced by more than 90 degrees about the arm pivot axis between the extended position and the retracted position.