US-12627094-B2 - Pedestal assembly for housing cables

US12627094B2US 12627094 B2US12627094 B2US 12627094B2US-12627094-B2

Abstract

A data transmission pedestal assembly has an exterior terminal that permits an operator to use a cable locator device to connect with the exterior terminal and locate a cable within the pedestal while the pedestal remains assembled or without having to disassemble a cover from a base of the pedestal assembly. Within the pedestal is a cable mounting bracket that has distinct through holes to permit the passage of a cable between a front compartment and a rear compartment. The through holes are offset from a vertical center axis associated with the cable mounting bracket.

Inventors

William B. Raftery
Bryan Stark

Assignees

DBJ Innovations, LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20230210

Claims (20)

1 . A data transmission pedestal assembly comprising: a cover including at least one sidewall that defines a portion of an interior space for retaining cables therein; a base configured to connect with the cover, the base including at least one sidewall; a cable mounting bracket located within the interior space of the cover; a grounding bracket located within the interior space, wherein at least one cable is mounted on the cable mounting bracket and the at least one cable is electrically coupled to the grounding bracket; and an exterior active signal terminal in electrical communication with the grounding bracket via a wire extending from the exterior active signal terminal to the grounding bracket within the interior space, wherein the exterior active signal terminal and wire transmit a signal therethrough in response to the signal being generated by a cable locator device and connected with the exterior active signal terminal, wherein the cable locator device is adapted to determine which cables are contained within the interior space of the data transmission pedestal assembly based on the generated signal while the data transmission pedestal assembly remains assembled with the cover connected to the base.
2 . The data transmission pedestal assembly of claim 1 , further comprising: a parting line established at a union of the cover with the base, wherein the exterior active signal terminal is located below the parting line.
3 . The data transmission pedestal assembly of claim 1 , further comprising: a frontal wall of the base, wherein the exterior active signal terminal is located on the frontal wall of the base.
4 . The data transmission pedestal assembly of claim 3 , further comprising: a ground indicator line on the frontal wall of the base, wherein the exterior active signal terminal is located on the frontal wall of the base above the ground indicator line.
5 . The data transmission pedestal assembly of claim 1 , further comprising: a frontal wall of the base, wherein the frontal wall defines an aperture to pass cables through the aperture into the interior space.
6 . The data transmission pedestal assembly of claim 5 , further comprising: a gasket in the aperture defined in the frontal wall of the base.
7 . The data transmission pedestal assembly of claim 6 , further comprising: a vertical slit in the gasket to permit passage through the gasket.
8 . The data transmission pedestal assembly of claim 7 , further comprising: a horizontal slit in the gasket that extends from the vertical slit.
9 . A data transmission pedestal assembly comprising: a cover including at least one sidewall that defines a portion of an interior space for retaining cables therein; a base configured to connect with the cover, the base including at least one sidewall; a cable mounting bracket located within the interior space of the cover; a grounding bracket located within the interior space, wherein at least one of the cables coupled to the grounding bracket; an exterior terminal in communication with the grounding bracket, wherein the exterior terminal is adapted to connect with a cable locator device that determines which cables are contained within the interior space of the data transmission pedestal assembly while the data transmission pedestal assembly remains assembled with the cover connected to the base; a vertical center axis; wherein the cable mounting bracket defines the interior space into a front compartment and a rear compartment; and at least one through hole formed in the cable mounting bracket to permit passage of the cable between the front compartment and the rear compartment, wherein the at least one through hole is offset from the vertical center axis.
10 . The data transmission pedestal assembly of claim 9 , further comprising: four through holes formed in the cable mounting bracket, wherein the at least one through hole is one of the four through holes.
11 . The data transmission pedestal assembly of claim 10 , wherein the four through holes comprises: a first through hole; a second through hole; a third through hole; and a fourth through hole; wherein the first and second through holes are located above the third and fourth through holes.
12 . The data transmission pedestal assembly of claim 11 , further comprising: an upper first loop support located along the vertical center axis between the first and second through holes; a lower second loop support located along the vertical center axis between the third and fourth through holes.
13 . The data transmission pedestal assembly of claim 9 , further comprising: a rectangular configuration of the at least one through hole, wherein a vertical length dimension of the at least one through hole is greater than a horizontal width dimension of the at least one through hole.
14 . The data transmission pedestal assembly of claim 1 , further comprising: a frontal wall of the cover; and a first handle on the frontal wall of the cover.
15 . The data transmission pedestal assembly of claim 14 , wherein the first handle is integrally formed in the frontal wall of the cover adjacent a top surface of the cover.
16 . The data transmission pedestal assembly of claim 14 , further comprising: a rear wall of the cover; and a second handle on the rear wall of the cover.
17 . The data transmission pedestal assembly of claim 16 , wherein the second handle is integrally formed in the rear wall of the cover adjacent a top surface of the cover.
18 . A method of use for a data transmission pedestal assembly comprising: approaching a data transmission pedestal assembly comprising: a cover including at least one sidewall that defines a portion of an interior space for retaining cables therein; a base connected with the cover, the base including at least one sidewall; a cable mounting bracket located within the interior space of the cover; a grounding bracket within the interior space, wherein at least one cable is coupled to the grounding bracket; and an exterior active signal terminal in communication with the grounding bracket via a wire extending from the exterior active signal terminal to the grounding bracket within the interior space; connecting a cable locator device to the exterior active signal terminal while the data transmission pedestal assembly remains assembled with the cover connected to the base; transmitting a signal generated from the cable locator device through the exterior active signal terminal and the wire locating, with the cable locator based on the generated signal, a cable within the assembled pedestal assembly while the data transmission pedestal assembly remains assembled with the cover connected to the base.
19 . A method of use for a data transmission pedestal assembly comprising: approaching a data transmission pedestal assembly comprising: a cover including at least one sidewall that defines a portion of an interior space for retaining cables therein; a base connected with the cover, the base including at least one sidewall; a cable mounting bracket located within the interior space of the cover; a grounding bracket within the interior space, wherein at least cable is coupled to the grounding bracket; and an exterior terminal in communication with the grounding bracket; connecting a cable locator device to the exterior terminal while the data transmission pedestal assembly remains assembled with the cover connected to the base; locating, with the cable locator, a cable within the assembled pedestal assembly while the data transmission pedestal assembly remains assembled with the cover connected to the base; and locating at least one cable that extends through a rectangular through hole in the cable mounting bracket, wherein the rectangular through hole is offset from a vertical center axis and has a vertical length dimension that is greater than a horizontal width dimension.
20 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising: removing the cover from the base after having located the cable, wherein removing the cover from the base is accomplished by lifting the cover with a handle integrally formed in the at least one sidewall of the cover.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure is directed to data transmission pedestal assemblies for housing cables or other electrical components. BACKGROUND Data transmission lines connect central distribution offices to customer locations usually through buried underground cable. In close vicinity to a customer's location, the data transmission cable is brought above ground where preselected lines of the cable are connected to an underground service line from the customer, whose line is also brought above ground. The appropriate cable lines and service line are connected by the use of terminal blocks mounted to grounded frames. These above-ground connections are then covered by a pedestal to protect the electrical connections against weather and other environmental factors, as well as against tampering and vandalism. The pedestal may be opened to facilitate service of the lines and cable and to allow additional service lines to be connected to the cable. The pedestal is designed to protect such equipment from the environment, as well as human interference. The pedestal is usually constructed as to be partially buried in the ground and to have a removable cover so that cable splices and terminations can be easily made such as on a structure known as a universal mounting plate. It is common in cable routing and distribution systems to use ground wires and cables for bonding and grounding of electrical equipment. In telephone distribution systems, for example, a pedestal may be used for service drops wherein ground wires are used to prevent electrical interference. Also, where power distribution systems use pedestals, a ground rod may be driven next to the pedestal and connected to a ground terminal within the pedestal. In such cases, space considerations and internal structure of pedestal design are significant factors for convenience of electrical wire or cable termination and wire and cable routing within the pedestal. An underground cable locator is a commonly used to locate underground fiber optic cable. A conventional underground cable locator consists of two parts—a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter puts an electrical signal onto the cable or pipe being traced, while the receiver picks up the signal, allowing the locator operator to trace the signal's patch and follow the cable being located. Locating or tracing buried cables is useful when it is needed to know the location or presence of a cable. However, since the cables are routed through the pedestal assembly, a serviceman must disassemble the pedestal before being able to connect the underground cable locator to locate or trace the cables housed within the pedestal. SUMMARY What is therefore needed is a device that allows a service technician to identified the fiber optic cables within the pedestal without having to disassemble the pedestal. The present disclosure addresses this issue and other issues by providing an improved communications pedestal having an exterior terminal that facilitates a connection with a locator device to permit a service line operator to locate a cable within pedestal without having to disassemble the pedestal (i.e., while the pedestal remains assembled with the cover attached to the base). Additionally, the pedestal has a mounting bracket including distinct and offset through holes that maintain cables in a desired location relative to the mounting bracket. In one aspect, an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may provide a data transmission pedestal assembly comprising: a cover including at least one sidewall that defines a portion of an interior space for retaining cables therein; a base configured to connect with the cover, the base including at least one sidewall; a cable mounting bracket located within the interior space of the cover; a grounding bracket located within the interior space, wherein at least one of the cables coupled to the grounding bracket; and an exterior terminal in communication with the grounding bracket, wherein the exterior terminal is adapted to connect with a cable locator device that determines which cables are contained within the interior space of the data transmission pedestal assembly while the data transmission pedestal assembly remains assembled with the cover connected to the base. This exemplary embodiment or another exemplary embodiment may further include a parting line established at a union of the cover with the base, wherein the exterior terminal is located below the parting line. This exemplary embodiment or another exemplary embodiment may further include a frontal wall of the base, wherein the exterior terminal is located on the frontal wall of the base. This exemplary embodiment or another exemplary embodiment may further include a ground indicator line on the frontal wall of the base, wherein the exterior terminal is located on the frontal wall of the base above the ground indicator line. This exemplary embodiment or another exemplary embodiment may further incl