Grounding rod and coupler therefor

Claim 2

An electrical grounding rod assembly comprising a thin-walled tubular shield of stainless steel, a thin-walled tubular conductor of aluminum within said tubular shield, a core of semi-rigid material substantially filling said tubular conductor, driving point means at one end of said tubular shield which facilitates penetration into ground and substantially precludes direct contact between said tubular conductor and the ground, said assembly being flexible but sufficiently rigid to be driven into the ground.

Claim 3

An electrical grounding rod assembly comprising a thin-walled tubular shield of stainless steel, a thin-walled tubular conductor of aluminum within said tubular shield, a core of semirigid material substantially filling said tubular conductor, driving point means at one end of said tubular shield which facilitates penetration into ground and substantially precludes direct contact between said tubular conductor and the ground, said assembly being flexible but sufficiently rigid to be driven into the ground.

Claim 4

An electrical grounding rod assembly comprising a thin-walled tubular shield of stainless steel, a thin-walled tubular conductor of aluminum within said tubular shield, a core of semirigid material substantially filling said tubular conductor, driving point means at one end of said tubular shield which facilitates penetration into ground and substantially precludes direct contact between said tubular conductor and the ground, said assembly being flexible but sufficiently rigid to be driven into the ground.

Claim 5

An electrical grounding rod assembly according to claim 1 wherein said core is a plastic.

Claim 6

An electrical grounding rod assembly according to claim 1 wherein said core is a hardened, expanded, flowable material.

Claim 7

An electrical grounding rod assembly comprising a plurality of rod segments, each segment comprising a thin-walled tubular shield of corrosion resistant steel, a thin-walled tubular conductor of low impedance metal within said tubular shield, a core of semi-rigid material substantially filling said conductor tube, a rod segment coupling means between adjacent segments, said coupling means comprising an outer protective tubular envelope of corrosion resistant material, a thin-walled tubular conductor of low impedance metal within said tubular envelope in substantially fixed relation thereto, the ends of said outer protective envelope extending beyond said tubular conductor and engaging the thin-walled tubular shields of said rod segments so as to completely cover and protect said tubular conductor including the end edges thereof, stop means intermediate the ends of said tubular conductor, the ends of said rod segments to be coupled being disposed within said coupling means such that said tubular conductor overlaps said rod segment ends and forms an electrical connection therewith, said stop means of said coupling serving to substantially delimit the extent to which said rod segments may extend into said coupling; driving point means on one end of said tubular shield which facilitates penetration into ground and substantially precludes direct contact between said conductor tube and the ground, said assembly being flexible but sufficiently rigid to be driven into the ground.

Claim 8

An electrical grounding rod assembly comprising a plurality of rod segments, each segment comprising a thin-walled tubular shield of corrosion resistant steel, a thin-walled tubular conductor of low impedance metal within said tubular shield, a core of semi-rigid material substantially filling said conductor tube, a rod segment coupling means between adjacent segments, said coupling means comprising an outer protective tubular envelope of corrosion resistant material, a thin-walled tubular conductor of low impedance metal within said tubular envelope in substantially fixed relation thereto, the ends of said outer protective envelope extending beyond said tubular conductor and engaging the thin-walled tubular shields of said rod segments so as to completely cover and protect said tubular conductor including the end edges thereof, stop means intermediate the ends of said tubular conductor, the ends of said rod segments to be coupled being disposed within said coupling means such that said tubular conductor overlaps said rod segment ends and forms an electrical connection therewith, said stop means of said coupling serving to substantially delimit the extent to which said rod segments may extend into said coupling; driving point means on one end of said tubular shield which facilitates penetration into ground and substantially precludes direct contact between said conductor tube and the ground, said assembly being flexible but sufficiently rigid to be driven into the ground.

Claim 9

An electrical grounding rod assembly according to claim 4 wherein said stop means in said coupling is at least one indentation in said tubular conductor.

Claim 10

An electrical grounding rod assembly according to claim 4 wherein said stop means is a slug extending across the diameter of said tubular conductor.

Claim 11

An electrical grounding rod assembly according to claim 6 wherein said slug is a portion of said tubular conductor.

Claim 12

An electrical grounding rod assembly according to claim 7 wherein said envelope is stainless steel and said conductor tube is a material from the group consisting of aluminum and carbon steel.

Claim 13

An electrical grounding rod assembly comprising a thin-walled tubular shield of corrosion resistant steel, a thin-walled tubular conductor of low impedance metal within said tubular shield, a thin-walled tubular supporting member within said tubular conductor and forming a three-wall composite with said shield and tubular conductor, driving point means on one end of said tubular shield which facilitates penetration into ground and substantially precludes direct contact between said conductor tube and the ground, said assembly being flexible but sufficiently rigid to be driven into the ground.

Claim 14

An electrical grounding rod assembly comprising a thin-walled tubular shield of corrosion resistant steel, a thin-walled tubular conductor of low impedance metal within said tubular shield, a thin-walled tubular supporting member within said tubular conductor and forming a three-wall composite with said shield and tubular conductor, driving point means on one end of said tubular shield which facilitates penetration into ground and substantially precludes direct contact between said conductor tube and the ground, said assembly being flexible but sufficiently rigid to be driven into the ground.

Claim 15

An electrical grounding rod assembly according to claim 9 including a plastic core within said tubular supporting member.

Claim 16

An electrical grounding rod assembly comprising a plurality of rod segments, each segment comprising a thin-walled tubular shield of corrosion resistant steel, a thin-walled tubular conductor of low impedance metal within said tubular shield, a tubular supporting member within said tubular conductor and forming a three-wall composite with said shield and tubular conductor, rod segment a coupling means between adjacent segments said coupling means comprising an outer protective tubular envelope of corrosion resistant material, a thin-walled tubular conductor of low impedance metal within said tubular envelope in substantially fixed relation thereto, stop means intermediate the ends of said tubular conductor, the ends of said rod segments to be coupled being disposed within said coupling means such that said tubular conductor overlaps said rod segment ends and forms an electrical connection therewith, said stop means of said coupling serving to substantially delimit the extent to which said rod segments may extend into said coupling; driving point means on one end of said tubular shield which facilitates penetration into ground and substantially precludes direct contact between said conductor tube and the ground, said assembly being flexible but sufficiently rigid to be driven into the ground.

Claim 17

An electrical grounding rod assembly comprising a plurality of rod segments, each segment comprising a thin-walled tubular shield of corrosion resistant steel, a thin-walled tubular conductor of low impedance metal within said tubular shield, a tubular supporting member within said tubular conductor and forming a three-wall composite with said shield and tubular conductor, rod segment a coupling means between adjacent segments said coupling means comprising an outer protective tubular envelope of corrosion resistant material, a thin-walled tubular conductor of low impedance metal within said tubular envelope in substantially fixed relation thereto, stop means intermediate the ends of said tubular conductor, the ends of said rod segments to be coupled being disposed within said coupling means such that said tubular conductor overlaps said rod segment ends and forms an electrical connection therewith, said stop means of said coupling serving to substantially delimit the extent to which said rod segments may extend into said coupling; driving point means on one end of said tubular shield which facilitates penetration into ground and substantially precludes direct contact between said conductor tube and the ground, said assembly being flexible but sufficiently rigid to be driven into the ground.

Claim 18

An electrical grounding rod assembly according to claim 11 wherein said stop means in said coupling is at least one indentation in said tubular conductor.

Claim 19

An electrical grounding rod assembly according to claim 11 wherein said stop means is a slug extending across the diameter of said tubular conductor.

Claim 20

An electrical grounding rod assembly according to claim 13 wherein said slug is a portion of said tubular conductor.

Claim 21

An electrical grounding rod assembly according to claim 11 wherein said tubular envelope of said coupling means is longer than said tubular conductor and extends beyond each end thereof to engage said ground rod segments to substantially protect said tubular conductor of said coupling from corrosive contact with surrounding ground.

Claim 22

An electrical grounding rod assembly according to claim 11 wherein said envelope is stainless steel and said conductor tube is a material from the group consisting of aluminum and carbon steel.

Claim 23

An electrical grounding rod assembly according to claim 11 wherein said tubular supporting member is steel.

Claim 24

A coupling device for joining grounding rod segments comprising a hollow, elongated envelope of stainless steel, an at least partially hollow conductor member of aluminum within said envelope and in substantially fixed relationship therewith, the envelope extending beyond the edges of the conductor member and being bent inwardly at said edges to protect the same, and stop means intermediate the conductor member adapted to substantially delimit the extent to which said rod segments may extend into said at least partially hollow conductor member.

Claim 25

A coupling device for joining grounding rod segments comprising a hollow, elongated envelope of stainless steel, an at least partially hollow conductor member of aluminum within said envelope and in substantially fixed relationship therewith, the envelope extending beyond the edges of the conductor member and being bent inwardly at said edges to protect the same, and stop means intermediate the conductor member adapted to substantially delimit the extent to which said rod segments may extend into said at least partially hollow conductor member.

Claim 26

A coupling device according to claim 18 wherein said stop means in said coupling is an indentation in said conductor member.

Claim 27

A coupling device according to claim 18 wherein said stop means is a slug extending across the diameter of said conductor member.