A POLE CAPABLE OF SUPPORTING OVERHEAD ELECTRICAL OR TELEPHONE LINES, LIGHTING EQUIPMENT OR OTHER DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to a pole capable of supporting overhead electrical or telephone lines, lighting equipment or other, particularly one to be made in tubolar form from plastic, or glass-fiber reinforced plastic or metal or other material, consisting of a plurality of portions, with the object of being easily transportable and of adaptable height.

Each portion has a constant cross section, having a shape similar to that of the other portions. The dimensions of the cross section of each portion are such that one end of the portion can be inserted into the end of an adjacent portion. Means capable of forming an axial stop between two adjacent portions are provided.

In a preferred embodiment, said axial stop means comprise a tubular element to be inserted between two adjacent tubular portions, the cross section of said element being similar to those of said portions and capable of being fitted inside the element having the larger cross section and around the element having the smaller cross section. Said tubular element has at its ends, respectively, an outer edge and an inner edge, to form axial stops for the outer portion and the inner portion respectively. The outer and inner edges of the tubular axial stop element may have a cross section in the form of an arc having a circumference of the order of 270°, thus providing an aesthetically leasing design.

In another embodiment, said axial stop means comprise a ring fixed inside the outer portion at a certain distance from the edge of the portion into which the inner portion is inserted.

Said portions may have a circular, polygonal, or differently shaped cross section.

The drawing shows a nonrestrictive embodiment of the invention, and, in particular, Figs. 1 and 2 show partial side views of two different but equivalent embodiments of the invention, cut along an axial plane;

Figs. 3 and 4 show two modified embodiments; and Fig. 5 shows a tubolar element for axial stop made up of two parts.

With reference to Fig. 1, a pole-for a lighting installation, for example- comprises two portions 1,3 of circular section, one being inserted inside the other at one end with the interposition of an axial stop element 5.

The axial stop element 5 also has a circular section, such that it can be fitted inside the portion 1 and around the portion 3, and terminates at one end in an outer edge 5A and at the other in an inner edge 5B, said edges forming axial stops for the portion 1 and for the portion 3 respectively.

For assembly, the first portion 1 is inserted into the ground, directly or with the use of a footing, according to the consistency of the ground. The axial stop element 5 is then introduced into the upper end of the portion 1, causing the upper edge 5A of this element to bear on the upper end of the portion 1.

The lower end of the second portion 3 is then inserted into the element 5 until it bears on the edge 5B. The process is then continued with other portions placed above.

The portions 1,3 and the axial stop element 5 are made from plastic, glass-fiber reinforced plastic or metal, and the diameters of the corresponding sections are chosen in such a way as to leave a minimum play between them, which is just sufficient for manual assembly.

With reference to Fig. 2, a pole comprises two portions 101,103 of circular shape with a constant cross section, such that one end of one portion can be inserted with minimum joining play into one end of the other portion. A stop ring 105, capable of forming an axial stop for the inner portion 103, is fixed by expansion rivets 107 in the outer portion 101, at a distance H from the said end. The distance H is conveniently chosen to be greater than the value of the internal diameter of the outer portion 1.

Shown in Fig. 3 is a modified embodiment in which two portions 201 and 203 are fitted by an axial stop element 205. This element 205 has an outer edge 205A and an inner edge 205B having the same functions as the edges 5A and 5B. Since the cross-sections of the two portions have rather different dimensions, provision may be made for reliefs 205C with longitudinal

development to ensure the fitting, and an outer terminal edge 205E.

In the modified embodiment of Fig. 4, annular reliefs 305C are provided instead of the longitudinal reliefs 205C.

The axial stop element 5 or 205 may be made from a material other than that of the two portions 1 and 3 or 201,203.

In order to stabilize the fitting between each of the portions 1 and 3 or 201,203 and the axial stop element 5, a sealing material may be insterted whose hardening allows any play between the various elements to be eliminated.

A sealant may be used, as indicated by 209 in Fig. 3, to avoid water penetration inside the pole portions.

A stop element like that indicated by 5 or 205 may also be made in two parts, as indicated by 405 in Fig. 5, i. e. sectioned according to radial planes.