Flagpole accessories: pulley, halyard, cleat and finial

A flagpole is more than a tube. At the top, a pulley guides the line; along the shaft, guides keep it from slapping against the pole; at the bottom, a fitting holds it at the desired height; and at the base, the flange or the embedded section connects it to the foundation. This guide presents these accessories, on the basis of a Brazilian manufacturer’s technical sheet and the rules of Law 5,700.

At the top: pulley and finial

• Pulley: the wheel over which the hoisting line runs. In B&B Iluminação’s datasheet, it is a 2½-inch pulley with a V groove, on a bracket welded to the top of the pole.
• Finial: the ornament at the top of the pole. According to the Memorial of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Minas Gerais, flagpoles are often topped by round plates, balls, spearheads or symbolic elements. The Memorial’s poles have an aluminium spearhead 16 centimetres high and 5.3 centimetres in diameter.

The halyard

The halyard is the line on which the flag goes up and down. The word appears in Law 5,700 itself: the flag may be raised on a pole or halyards (article 11) and, in mourning, flies at half-mast or at half-halyard (article 17). On B&B Iluminação’s pole, the halyard is a braided line that runs in the groove of the pulley. The guide to flagpole mechanics explains how it works.

Along the shaft and at the base

• Guide washer: a 125-millimetre part welded directly to the tube which, according to B&B’s sheet, guides the line along the pole.
• Cleat: the part for tying the line, U-shaped with flanges, of 1 by 1/8-inch flat iron with a base welded to the tube. The line is tied in a figure of eight.

Fixing

An embedded pole has no visible fixing parts: according to the sheet, 1 metre of the tube sits in the ground or the foundation. A flanged pole uses:

• base plate or flange: with slotted holes for levelling the pole;
• L-shaped anchor bolts: the bolts that fix the plate to the foundation;
• brackets: the reinforcements welded between the flange and the tube.

On telescopic poles, the tubes are joined by a removable joint, with an inner sleeve and six bolts, or by a fixed joint, welded. The guide to installing a flagpole covers the foundation.

The hoist of the flag

The hoist is the part of the flag next to the pole. In the Federal University of Viçosa’s 2020 purchasing specification, flags have reinforced fabric loops at both ends of the hoist for attaching them to the pole. Under article 38 of Law 5,700, the hoist is also where a national flag on sale carries the maker’s mark and address and the date of manufacture.

Crape bow

For a flag in mourning carried in a march, article 17 provides for a crape bow tied next to the spearhead. This accessory is not used on a fixed pole, where mourning is shown by the flag at half-mast. The guide on half-mast covers both forms.

Lighting

Under article 15(3) of Law 5,700, the flag is properly lit at night. Floodlights and their installation are covered in the guide to flag lighting.

Indoor stands

For indoors, the panóplia, or pedestal, consists of a base into which the poles are fitted, according to the Memorial of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Minas Gerais. There too, the flag takes the place of honour, to the right of the table or rostrum (article 19).