How do telescoping/extendable/retractable poles work?
I'm talking about the long poles usually used by landscapers as pole saws to cut palms and such. I know some have a twist and some have a thing to flip up, but I was wondering what actually locks it in place (the mechanics of it)?
most of them use a cam mechanism. the ones with a lever have an off center knob so when you pull the lever over the cam squeezes the inner tube. on the twist ones. if you twist the whole pole there is an eccentric cam on the end of the inner pole when you turn it it jams tight into the outer tube. or if there is a collar that you turn to lock it, the inside of the collar is tapered, and the end of the tube is tapered and slotted, so as you tighten down the collar, it squeezes the tubes together. or the better ones may have a rubber ring under the collar that squishes out to tighten it.
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