General Order 64 (Rule 17)

Section I

(a) Electrical Supply Lines: Mean those conductors and their necessary supporting or containing structures which are located entirely or containing structures which are located entirely outside of buildings and are used for transmitting a supply of electrical energy. Signal lines, as defined below, are not included, but tower lines and trolley lines are always included in the meaning of supply lines, except as specifically indicated in the rules.

(b) Tower Lines: These are supply lines defined above, but certain governing construction details have been separated for convenience from the main section on supply lines. Tower lines will be considered as those conductors and their necessary supporting structures where the structure is made of steel or other metal, and the maximum dimensions of the structure at the ground exceeds four feet. Structures of less dimension will be classed as poles under Supply Lines.

(c) Trolley Lines or Railways Lines (Class “T” Lines): These are supply lines as defined above, but sometimes require different clearances arrangements and construction details from ordinary supply lines, hence are specifically mentioned in the rules. Trolley or Railway Lines will be considered as thpose conductors (and their necessary supporting structures) which through the contact of a trolley or other collecting device supply power to electric railways cars or locomotives, also feeders or other conductors metallically connected to such contact conductors.

(d) Signal Lines (Class “S” Lines): Mean any telephone, telegraph, messenger call, clock, fire, police alarm or other line of similar nature used exclusively for the transmission of signals or intelligence, which operates at less than 400 volts to ground or 750 volts between any two points of the circuit, provided that if the voltage exceeds 150, volts the power transmitted shall not exceed 150 watts.

Lines, such as railway signal lines above 400 volts to ground, which are not included in the above definition are considered as supply lines of the same voltage and are to be so classified.

Signal Lines not for public use coming under the above definitions may be run and operated as signal lines for public use if so desired, and if consistently so treated; private circuits of this character which are carried on the same poles with Class “H” supply lines or which are not treated consistently throughout as signal lines in accordance with these rules shall be treated as, and required to have, the same constructional requirements as Class “L” circuits. (For definition of Class “H” and “L” lines see Sec. III Rule 31, Par. (a) and (b).) Theses signal lines above referred to may be run as ordinary signal lines if they are protected by suitable lighting arresters, drainage coils, insulting transformers or other suitable protective devices to prevent the signal line voltage from normally exceeding 400 volts to ground.

(a) More than one crossarm of local telegraph or exchange telephone open wire or twisted pair.

(b) Cables containing more than 8 pairs or 15 single wires of telegraph or telephone circuits.

(c) Toll telephone or telegraph circuits.

Telegraph circuits in the above definition include only those lines used for the transmission of messages of the general public, not clock, messenger call or other special signal systems.

2. Unimportant Signal Lines (Unimportant Class “S” Lines): Are all other signal circuits than above.

(e) Circuit: Means a conductor or system of conductors and connected equipment through which an electric current is intended to flow.

(f) Lines: Mean any circuit or aggregation of circuits carried on poles or towers, and includes the supporting elements.

(g) Voltage or Volts: Means the highest mean effective working voltage between any two conductors of the circuit concerned, except that in grounded multiwire circuits, not exceeding 750 volts between outer conductors, it means the highest mean effective working voltage between any wire of the circuit and the ground.

(h) Grounded: Means connected to earth or to some extended conducting body which serves instead of the earth. A grounded system means a system permanently connected to earth in such a manner that no current which can flow in the ground wire will cause harmful voltage to exist between the grounded conductors and neighboring exposed conducting surfaces at ground potential.

(i) Open Lines: Mean Overhead lines not in conduits, and consisting of single or double horizontal direction approximately at right angles to the general direction of the line conductors.

(j) Lateral Conductor: Means in pole wiring work, a wire or cable extending in a general horizontal direction approximately at right angles to the general direction of the line conductors.

(k) Lead Wires: Mean wires commonly termed “jumpers”, “bridle wires” or “taps”.

(l) Conflicting Lines, or Lines in Conflict: Mean that the line is so situated with respect to s second line (except at crossings) that the overturning of the first line will result in contact between it poles or conductors and the conductors of the second line, assuming no conductors are broken in either line; provided, however, that lines on opposite sides of a highway, street or alley are not considered as conflicting if separated by a distance not less than 60 per cent of the height of the taller pole line, but in no case less than 20 feet. (See Appendix E, Fig. 1.)

(m) Co-linear Lines: Mean conflicting lines, parallel and adjacent, and so situated that one line is wholly or partly over the other line; often called an “overbuild”. (See Appendix E, Fig. 1.)

(n) Joint Poles or Joint Use Poles: Mean situations in which poles or tower are occupied by circuits belonging to different owners; or situations where poles or towers are occupied by two or more of the following classes of circuits of the same ownership.

1. Normal Sag: Means the difference in elevation between the highest point of support of a span and the lowest point of the conductor in the span, with no wind loading and at 60 degrees Fahrenheit unless some other temperature is specified.

2. Apparent Sag: Means the maximum departure measured vertically of a wire in a given span from a straight line between the two points of support of the span, with no wind loading and at 60 degrees Fahrenheit unless some other temperature is specified. Where the two supports are at the same level this will be the normal sag.

(p) Wire Gauges: The American Gauge (A.W.G.), otherewise known as the Brown and Sharpe (B. & S.) - Is the standard gauge for copper, aluminum and other conductors, excepting steel, for which the steel wire gauge (St. W. G.) is used throughout these rules.

(q) Practicable: Means that which may be accomplished by reasonably available means.

(r) Urban Districts: Means thickly settled communities (whether in cities or suburbs) where congested traffic often occurs. A highway, even though in the country, on which the traffic is often very heavy, is considered as urban.

(s) Rural Districts: Means all places not urban, usually in the country, but in some case within city limits.

1. Unimportant railways are sidings not exceeding four tracks, spurs, branches or lines not carrying heavy traffic.

(u) Street Railway: Means a railway, by whatsoever power operated, for public use in the conveyance of passengers or freight, which is mainly located upon, over, above, across, through or along any street, road or public thoroughfare.

(v) Climbing Space: Means the vertical space reserved along the side of a pole structure to permit ready access for linemen to equipment and lines located on the pole structure. (See Appendix E, Figs. 6, 7, 11, 12 and 13.)

(w) Lateral Working Space: Means the space reserved for working between conductor levels outside the climbing space, and to its right and left. (See Appendix E, Fig. 11.)

(x) Service Drops: Mean the connecting conductors by which a supply of electrical energy is carried from a supply or signal line to the building or premises served. (See Appendix E, Fig. 10.)

(y) Buckarm or Reverse Crossarm: Means a crossarm set at an angle (generally 90 degrees) to the line crossarm or linearm as used in these rules.