U.S. patent application number 14/197784 was filed with the patent office on 2014-10-23 for maximum strength, reduce weight telescoping mast with interlocking structural elements.
This patent application is currently assigned to News Sports Microwave Rental Inc, dba NSM Surveillance. The applicant listed for this patent is News Sports Microwave Rental Inc, dba NSM Surveillance. Invention is credited to Thomas Davidson Ford, Jesse Richard Gililland, VI, John Michael Puetz.
Application Number | 20140311057 14/197784 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51727928 |
Filed Date | 2014-10-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140311057 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Puetz; John Michael ; et
al. |
October 23, 2014 |
Maximum Strength, Reduce Weight Telescoping Mast with Interlocking
Structural Elements
Abstract
A telescoping mast for deploying, retracting and securing a
payload of equipment. The mast is formulated using advantaged
geometry and comprises interlocking support legs and relatively
lightweight skins mounted between the support legs as its base
structure. In addition, some embodiments of the disclosed apparatus
provide a secure channel through the mast for cables necessary for
the operation of equipment mounted in a payload. Still further,
some embodiments of the disclosed apparatus provide a wire rope and
pulley system to raise and lower the mast and include structural
flexibility to enable the telescoping mast to be used at various
intermediate heights in between full extension and fully
retracted.
Inventors: |
Puetz; John Michael;
(Fallbrook, CA) ; Gililland, VI; Jesse Richard;
(San Diego, CA) ; Ford; Thomas Davidson; (San
Diego, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
News Sports Microwave Rental Inc, dba NSM Surveillance |
El Cajon |
CA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
News Sports Microwave Rental Inc,
dba NSM Surveillance
El Cajon
CA
|
Family ID: |
51727928 |
Appl. No.: |
14/197784 |
Filed: |
March 5, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61851251 |
Mar 5, 2013 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/121 ;
52/111 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04H 12/182
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/121 ;
52/111 |
International
Class: |
E04H 12/18 20060101
E04H012/18 |
Claims
1. A mast for deploying and retracting a payload, the mast
comprising: a) a plurality of interlocking support legs, at least
one interlocking support leg being vertically adjacent to another
and at least one interlocking support leg being horizontally
adjacent to another, each interlocking support leg having an
interlocking section to secure the support leg to each vertically
adjacent support leg in a manner that allows each support leg to
slide axially past each of the vertically adjacent support legs and
thus deploy the mast; and b) at least one skin, each skin secured
to a horizontally adjacent support leg.
2. The mast of claim 1, wherein the interlocking section securely
supports the mast at any height between fully a retracted state and
a fully deployed state.
3. The mast of claim 1, wherein the plurality of interlocking
support legs comprises four such support legs and the plurality of
skins comprises four skins.
4. The mast of claim 1, wherein the interlocking section is an
essentially S-shaped structure.
5. The mast of claim 4, wherein the support leg has an inner
surface and an outer surface and wherein the S-shaped structure
comprises a protrusion from the inner surface of the support leg
and an outwardly curling end to form a hook, the protrusion from
the inner surface engaging the hook of a vertically adjacent
support leg to securely interlock the first support leg to the
vertically adjacent support leg.
6. The mast of claim 5, wherein the interlocking section runs
essentially the entire length of the support leg.
7. The mast of claim 5, wherein the protrusion is partially
enclosed by a covering.
8. The mast of claim 7, wherein the covering is replaceable.
9. The mast of claim 1, wherein the plurality of interlocking
support legs comprises two such support legs and the plurality of
skins comprises two skins.
10. The mast of claim 9, wherein the two skins are essentially
V-shaped such that the cross-section of the mast is essentially
hexagonal.
11. The mast of claim 9, wherein the two skins are essentially
U-shaped.
12. The mast of claim 1, further comprising a section top cap
mounted across the top of each support leg and extending
inwardly.
13. The mast of claim 12, further comprising an L-bracket mounted
to the top of each skin.
14. The mast of claim 1, wherein each group of horizontally
adjacent support legs and the horizontally adjacent skins mounted
thereon form a mast section, at least one such mast section being
the inner mast section and at least one mast section being an outer
mast section, each mast section comprising at least one channel
running through the mast section to allow cables to run from the
outer mast section to the inner mast section.
15. The mast of claim 14, wherein the cables are payload cables
enclosed within the mast.
16. A mast comprising: a) telescoping mast sections, the mast
sections including an inner mast section, an outer mast section and
at least one intermediate mast section, wherein when the mast is
retracted, the inner mast section is nested within one of the
intermediate mast sections and each of the intermediate mast
sections are nested within the outer mast section such that the
mast can be deployed by at least partially withdrawing each mast
section from an adjacent mast section; b) at least one upper pulley
mounted near an upper portion of each intermediate mast section; c)
at least one upper pulley mounted near an upper portion of the
outer mast section; d) at least one lower pulley mounted near the
lower portion of each intermediate mast section in an opening
through the intermediate mast section; e) a wire rope fixed at a
tie down point near the bottom of the inner mast section and routed
up to the upper pulley mounted on the interior of a vertically
adjacent intermediate mast section, the upper pulley redirecting
the wire rope downward to the lower pulley mounted on the
vertically adjacent intermediate mast section, the lower pulley
redirecting the wire rope through the opening in the vertically
adjacent intermediate mast section and up to a next vertically
adjacent mast section, the wire rope continuing in similar fashion
through each of the at least one intermediate mast sections, the
wire rope being redirected by the lower pulley on the outer most
intermediate mast section to the upper pulley on the outer mast
section, the upper pulley mounted on the outer mast section
redirecting the wire rope down to the lower pulley mounted on the
outer mast section, the lower pulley mounted on the outer mast
section redirecting the wire rope to a take up mechanism.
17. The mast of claim 16, further including at least one lower
pulley mounted near the lower portion of the outer mast section,
the lower pulley mounted on the outer mast section being mounted in
an opening through the outer mast section.
18. The mast of claim 16, wherein each mast section comprises at
least two support legs and at least two skins mounted between the
support legs, the upper and lower pulleys being mounted on the
support legs.
19. The mast of claim 16, wherein: a) the inner mast section
further comprises a lower block mounted near the bottom of the
inner mast section; b) each intermediate mast section further
comprising an upper block and a lower block; and c) the outer mast
section further comprising an upper block and a lower block;
wherein the lower block mounted near the bottom of the inner mast
section comes into contact with the upper block mounted on a
vertically adjacent intermediate mast section restraining any
relative motion between the inner mast section and the vertically
adjacent intermediate mast section beyond the point at which
contact is made.
20. The mast of claim 19, wherein the lower block is a bracket on
which the lower pulley is mounted.
21. The mast of claim 19, wherein the upper block is a bracket on
which the upper pulley is mounted.
22. The mast of claim 19, wherein the point at which contact is
made between the upper block and the lower block ensures that a
predetermined amount of overlap remains between vertically adjacent
mast sections.
23. The mast of claim 16, wherein the mast can be deployed to any
height between the fully deployed height and the fully retracted
height.
24. The mast of claim 16, wherein the wire rope is conductive and
carries electrical signals between the base of the mast and the
payload.
25. The mast of claim 16, wherein the wire rope is conductive and
carries electrical power to the payload.
26. A telescoping mast for deploying and retracting a payload, the
mast comprising: a) A plurality of interlocking support legs, at
least one interlocking support leg being vertically adjacent to
another and at least one interlocking support leg being
horizontally adjacent to another, each interlocking support leg
having an interlocking section to secure the support leg to each
vertically adjacent support leg in a manner that allows each
support leg to slide axially past each of the vertically adjacent
support legs and thus to deploy the mast; and b) support members
connected between the horizontally adjacent support legs to provide
structural support for the mast.
27. A telescoping mast comprising: a) a first mast section having
at least one support leg and at least one skin secured to the
support leg; and b) a second mast section having at least one
support leg, each support leg of the second mast being interlocked
to a corresponding support leg of the first mast section to allow
for axial extension of the mast.
28. The telescoping mast of claim 27, wherein the first mast
section comprises four support legs and four skins forming an
octagonal outer perimeter to the mast.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority from United States
provisional application entitled "Telescoping Mast with Embedded
Payload", Ser. No. 61/851,251, filed 5 Mar. 2013, which is
incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The disclosed apparatus relates to masts for mounting
electronic and electrical equipment, and more particularly to
telescoping masts for mounting electrical and electronic
equipment.
BACKGROUND
[0003] In some cases, it is advantageous to mount electrical and/or
electronic equipment at relatively high elevations. Deploying such
equipment in a location where it will operate best can be a
challenge. Especially with equipment such as cameras, radios, radar
antennas and lighting equipment that performs best when deployed at
a relatively high elevation over an area from which information is
to be gathered, lighting is to be provided, or signals are to be
transmitted and received. Often times, such equipment is mounted on
a telescoping mast to elevate the equipment, known as a payload, to
provide optimal operational effectiveness.
[0004] In some cases, the mast is mounted in or on a vehicle or on
a trailer to allow the equipment to be mobile. In cases in which
the equipment must be elevated during operation, it is frequently
desired for the mast to place the payload at different heights, for
optimal operational use. In some cases, the mast is deployed when
the vehicle is stationary. The mast may be quickly lowered prior to
vehicle repositioning and then quickly extended to redeploy the
equipment. In other operational situations it is highly desirable
that the vehicle is in motion while the telescoping mast is
deployed at the desired height. The structural integrity of the
mast is key to successfully operating on-the-move, especially when
the mast payload has substantial weight or mast extension is
multiples of its stowed height.
[0005] There are several mechanisms for raising and lowering
telescoping masts. One method uses pneumatic systems that use
concentric tubes that fit snuggly one inside another and use air
pressure to cause the concentric tubes to elevate a payload of
equipment. Such systems require an airtight seal within the mast
and between the telescoping sections to ensure that the air
pressure developed within the mast will cause the heavy contents of
the payload at the top of the mast to rise. Another method is to
use an electric motor (or motors) to lift and lower the telescoping
sections with one or more forms of mechanical lifting mechanisms,
such as gears, lead screws, linear actuators, or wire cabling with
pulleys.
[0006] The rugged environment in which such equipment must be
deployed can create additional challenges. In some cases, the
equipment may be subjected to physical or environmental danger if
left exposed. For example, it may be necessary to deploy equipment
in a combat zone or other hostile environment. Electronic equipment
payloads require power and usually some form of control signals for
the equipment to function. Cabling is used to interconnect the
payload to the primary equipment which is typically located at or
near the base of the mast. These cables can be exposed to
environmentally hostile conditions and become a point of failure
unless the cabling is protected within the structure of the
telescoping mast.
[0007] Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a stable and secure
telescoping mast that deploys into a hostile environment from
within a secure environment and which can be retracted back into
the secure environment quickly and efficiently without the need for
personnel to place themselves at risk by attaching and detaching
payload equipment during deployment. It would also be desirable for
the cables and wires that support the equipment mounted atop the
mast to be secured both during operation of the equipment and upon
retracting the mast.
[0008] Accordingly, there is presently a need for a telescoping
mast system that can be quickly and easily deployed and retracted
at various operational heights and operate while the vehicle is
on-the-move, that secures the equipment when the equipment is not
deployed without the need for personnel to place themselves at
risk, and that secures the cables and wires associated with the
payload equipment when deployed and stowed.
SUMMARY
[0009] Various embodiments of the disclosed apparatus for
deploying, retracting, and securing a payload of equipment are
presented. Some of these embodiments are directed toward systems
having interlocking structural elements, herein referred to as
support legs and relatively lightweight skins mounted between the
support legs. In addition, some embodiments of the disclosed
apparatus provide a secure channel through which the mast cables
necessary for the operation of the equipment can be routed.
Further, some embodiments of the disclosed apparatus provide a
non-locking lift mechanism that enables operating the telescoping
sections at any desired height. Still further embodiments provide a
wire rope and serpentine pulley system to raise and lower the mast
with advantages in deploying the payload at arbitrary telescoping
heights.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The disclosed apparatus, in accordance with one or more
embodiments, is described with reference to the following figures.
The drawings are provided for purposes of illustration only and
merely depict examples of some embodiments of the disclosed
apparatus. These drawings are provided to facilitate the reader's
understanding of the disclosed apparatus. They should not be
considered to limit the breadth, scope, or applicability of the
claimed invention. It should be noted that for clarity and ease of
illustration these drawings are not necessarily made to scale.
[0011] FIG. 1 is an illustration of one embodiment of a fully
deployed mast in accordance with the present disclosure.
[0012] FIG. 2 is an illustration of the mast shown in the fully
retracted state.
[0013] FIG. 3 is an illustration of a top view of a mast.
[0014] FIG. 4 is a top view of vertically adjacent interlocked
support legs in accordance with one embodiment of the disclosed
apparatus.
[0015] FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a mast
comprising two support legs and two skins.
[0016] FIG. 6 is a top view of a hexagonal mast.
[0017] FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of the concept in
accordance with one embodiment of a wire rope and pulley
system.
[0018] FIG. 8 is a view looking down into an octagonal mast section
that is broken away at the bottom.
[0019] FIG. 9 is a view looking up into an octagonal mast section
that is broken away at the top.
[0020] FIG. 10 illustrates one embodiment of the disclosed
apparatus in which the mast is being deployed using the wire rope
and pulley system of FIG. 7.
[0021] The figures are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit
the claimed invention to the precise form disclosed. It should be
understood that the disclosed apparatus can be practiced with
modification and alteration, and that the invention should be
limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0022] FIG. 1 is an illustration of one embodiment of a fully
deployed mast 100. In one example of the disclosed apparatus, the
mast 100 comprises an outer mast section 102, a plurality of
intermediate sections 106 and an inner mast section 108. The
plurality of intermediate sections 106 and the inner section 108
allow the mast 100 to extend to a desired height. Deploying the
mast 100 allows the payload 104 to be elevated to a desired height.
In one embodiment, the mast 100 has a base (not shown) that allows
the mast 100 to be firmly fixed to a vehicle. In an alternative
embodiment, the mast may be mounted in a stationary location.
[0023] FIG. 2 is an illustration of the mast 100 shown in the fully
retracted state. The inner mast section 108 (not visible in FIG. 2)
and each of the intermediate mast sections 106 (not visible in FIG.
2) nest within one another and fit within the outer mast section
102 (as will be best seen in FIG. 3).
[0024] FIG. 3 is an illustration of a top view of one embodiment of
the mast 100. Each mast section 102, 106, 108 comprises four
support legs 201 (two of which can be seen in FIG. 2) and four
outer skins 203 (two of which can be seen in FIG. 2) forming an
octagonal outer perimeter to the mast 100. It can be seen from FIG.
3 that the support legs 201 are relatively narrow and have
essentially the same dimensions for each of the mast sections 102,
106, 108. Accordingly, the support legs 201 can all be produced
using the same process (such as extrusion). In contrast, the outer
skins 203 are relatively thin, light, and wide. In addition, those
outer skins 203 closer to the bottom of the mast 100 are wider than
those closer to the top of the mast 100. In an alternative
embodiment, the support legs 201 associated with one mast section
can have different dimension than the support legs 201 of other
mast sections. For example, the support legs 201 that are used in
higher mast sections can be thinner than the support legs 201 used
in lower mast sections, or otherwise smaller to reduce the weight
of the upper sections of the mast.
[0025] Making the outer skins 203 relatively thin increases the
interior space within the mast 100. In embodiments in which a
payload 104 is stowed within the mast 100 when fully retracted,
this additional space can be of value.
[0026] The octagonal shape forms four channels for the routing of
the power and signal cables required by electronic payloads (i.e.,
payload cables). That is, each mast section 102, 106, 108 has at
least one channel that runs through the mast section to allow
cables to run from the outer mast section 108 to the inner mast
section 102. The channels are formed between the vertically
adjacent skins 203. Routing the cables through the channels
protects the cables from damaging forces external to the mast
structure and facilitates protection from the environmental (sun,
rain, snow, hail, etc.). In addition, running the cables through
the channels prevents the cables from becoming entangled with one
another and with the external environment.
[0027] As further described below, the disclosed mast 100 can be
deployed to any height between the fully retracted state and the
fully deployed state. This is possible because the sections 102,
106, 108 do not need to be fully extended to be secured. Nor do the
sections 102, 106, 108 need to be locked to one a vertically
adjacent section (in the vertical axis of the mast) in order to
achieve optimal structural integrity. This provides flexibility in
the operation of the payload and further allows the payload be
positioned at optimal height as determined by the payload
electronics operator. Therefore, in addition to allowing the mast
100 to successfully withstand harsh environments, the disclosed
structure also allows the mast 100 to remain structurally sound
during on-the-move vehicle operations over rough road conditions
and off-road terrain. This includes, but is not limited to, having
the mast 100 mounted and extended to full height in a vehicle
traversing rough terrain at a specified top speed and at specified
lower (partial deployment) heights when it is desirable to traverse
rough terrain at higher speeds.
[0028] FIG. 4 is a top detailed view of adjacent interlocked
support legs 201 in accordance with one embodiment of the disclosed
apparatus. (FIG. 3 illustrates these support legs in context with
the remaining mast structure.) Six vertically adjacent interlocked
support legs 201a-201f are shown, and in other embodiments more or
fewer adjacent support legs may be present. Each support leg 201
has an interlocking section 401. In one embodiment of the disclosed
apparatus, the interlocking section 401 is an essentially S-shaped
structure at one end and a reverse S-shaped structure at the other
end. In one such embodiment, the interlocking section 401 has a
protrusion 403 from the inner surface 404 of the support leg 201
and an outwardly curling end that forms a hook 407. In accordance
with one embodiment of the disclosed apparatus, the interlocking
section 401 runs the entire length of the support leg 201 on both
sides. The length of the leg forms the vertical height of one mast
section. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that
other shapes, including, but not limited to U-shaped, C-shaped and
other variations of the interlocking section are within the scope
of the disclosed apparatus.
[0029] A flat skin mounting area 409 is provided at each end of the
support leg 201 to facilitate mounting the outer skins 203 (not
shown in FIG. 4) to the support legs 201. In one embodiment, tapped
screw holes 410 are provided on the mounting area 409 to facilitate
mounting the skins 203 to the support legs 201, as will be
discussed in greater detail below in connection with the discussion
of FIGS. 8 and 9. The interlocking section 401 secures each support
leg 201, such as support leg 201b, to each vertically adjacent
support leg 201a, 201c in a manner that allows each support leg
201, such as support leg 201b to slide axially past each of the
vertically adjacent support legs 201a, 201c and thus extend the
mast 100 to full height. In a typical deployment, the support legs
201 would slide past one another in order from the inner most
support leg 201f to the outer most support leg 201a, with the
support leg 201f that is on the inside getting to full extension
before the next outer vertically adjacent supporter leg 201e begins
moving. A more detailed description of the deployment mechanisms is
provided below.
[0030] In accordance with one embodiment of the disclosed
apparatus, the central portion of the support leg 201 that lies
between the interlocking section 401 is thinner than that portion
of the support leg 201 that makes up the interlocking section 401.
This reduces the weight of the support leg 201, while providing
sufficient strength to the interlocking section 401 responsible for
interlocking each support leg 201 to the adjacent support leg 201.
Alternative embodiments may have material removed (e.g., holes)
from non-critical areas of the leg structure to reduce weight while
maintaining needed structural strength.
[0031] The protrusion 403a from the inner surface 404a and the hook
407b interlock. As such, the protrusion 403a from the inner surface
404a engages the hook 407b of a vertically adjacent support leg
201b and thus securely interlocks the first support leg 201a to the
vertically adjacent support leg 201b.
[0032] The protrusions 403a of the support leg 201a are partially
enclosed by a covering 405a. The coverings 405a ensure the
protrusions 403a fit securely into the hook 407b of the adjacent
support leg 201b. In one embodiment, the covering 405 is fabricated
from a polyethylene material that is durable and provides a smooth
interface between adjacent support legs 201 to allow the adjacent
support legs 201 to slide along a longitudinal axis and thus allow
the mast 100 to smoothly deploy. In addition, the coverings 405 are
replaceable, enabling the mast 100 to be refurbished to extend the
life of the mast 100. In accordance with one embodiment of the
disclosed apparatus, when operating in a harsh environment, debris,
such as sand or pebbles, can lodge between the elements of the
support legs 201. The coverings 405 are resilient and can conform
to absorb the debris. Thus, the coverings 405 allow relatively
smooth extension and retraction of the mast 100 until service can
be performed to remove the debris, if necessary.
[0033] The support legs 201, once interlocked and fully engaged
with one another can only slide axially in the direction of the
mast actuation, minimizing all lateral movements. Each support leg
201 is structurally rigid in all directions, resulting in an
overall mast structure that is strong and rigid. The size of the
support legs 201 are scalable in all three dimensions, yielding a
fully scalable skeleton for the mast 100. This structure allows
production of a telescoping mast of various physical shapes, sizes
and load bearing capacities. No locking or additional engagement
between the sections is required to sustain structural rigidity of
the mast.
[0034] In accordance with one embodiment of the disclosed
apparatus, the shape of the support legs 201 lend themselves to
being extruded from metal or composite material, such as aluminum,
stainless steel, titanium or any other appropriate material,
including composite materials. It will be clear to those skilled in
the art that the particular material selected will depend upon the
particular needs and requirements for the mast 100, as well as cost
considerations. Likewise, in accordance with one embodiment of the
disclosed apparatus, the coverings 405 are extruded from a
particular material selected to meet the particular requirements
for the mast 100 being constructed, such as Teflon, a polymer, a
polyethylene or other such plastic.
[0035] The octagon shape of the mast 100 decreases the structural
weight when compared with a square or cylindrical shaped mast by
decreasing the material needed. Compared with square masts, the
octagon shape also provides additional aerodynamic advantages and
results in a reduced radar cross section. Furthermore, the
octagonal shape provides the necessary lateral structural strength
in multiple axes to enable the mast 100 to operate on sloped
inclines. The advantages provided by this shape can also be
realized in a hexagonal cross-section, having either 2 or 4 support
legs and either 2 or 4 cable channels for containing payload
cabling respectively as presented in FIG. 6. It will be understood
by those skilled in the art that the mast sections of the presently
disclosed apparatus can be provided in other configurations,
including mast sections with one support leg and one outer skin. In
this case, both the support leg and the outer skin are generally
C-shaped. Alternatively other numbers of support legs and outer
skins can be used to form the mast sections.
[0036] FIG. 5 shows an alternative embodiment of a mast 500
utilizing a hexagonal shape comprising two support legs 501 and
four skins 503.
[0037] FIG. 6 is a top view of a hexagonal mast 500. The support
legs 501 and skins 503 have hexagonal cross section, as is best
seen from viewing FIG. 6. The support legs 501 are essentially the
same as the support legs 201 described above. However, the skins
503 are essentially V-shaped to create an essentially hexagonal
cross section. A payload 505 is show mounted on the mast 500. In an
alternative embodiment, the skins are essentially U-shaped.
[0038] FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of the concept used by
one embodiment of a wire rope and pulley system. In accordance with
one embodiment of the disclosed apparatus, the mast 100, 500 is
deployed (i.e., each section is elevated into the fully extended
position) by means of the wire rope and pulley system 700. It will
be understood by those skilled in the art that the actual mounting
and placement of the pulleys 704, 706 is not shown in FIG. 7.
[0039] FIG. 8 is a view looking down into an octagonal mast section
that is broken away at the bottom. FIG. 8 provides additional
detail regarding the mounting and placement of the upper pulleys
704 and the mounting of the skins 203 to support legs 201.
[0040] FIG. 9 is a view looking up into an octagonal mast section
that is broken away at the top. FIG. 9 provides additional detail
regarding the mounting and placement of the lower pulleys 706 and
the mounting of the skins 203 to the support legs 201.
[0041] Referring now to FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, one continuous wire rope
702 is threaded through a series of upper pulleys 704a-704e and
lower pulleys 706a-706e for each set of vertically adjacent support
legs 201a-201f. Those skilled in the art will understand that the
term "wire rope" is defined to mean any generally flexible,
elongated rope, cord, cable, string, or other such single or
multi-stranded structure that is capable of transmitting and
redirecting a force along a line which may curve through the
pulleys to redirect the force exerted at one to the other end of
the wire rope. Accordingly, the particular material used to
fabricate the wire rope is not relevant to the disclosed apparatus,
providing the wire rope is sufficient resilient, strong, and
flexible to accomplish the task described herein. Two such sets of
six vertically adjacent support legs 201a-201f are shown in FIG. 7.
The wire rope is shown in FIG. 7 with a dashed line to distinguish
it from the support legs 706. In one embodiment, the pulleys 704,
706 are shown mounted on the support legs, however, it will be
understood by those skilled in the art that alternative embodiments
are possible in which the pulleys are mounted more generally on the
mast sections of a telescoping mast.
[0042] In one embodiment of the disclosed apparatus, the wire rope
702 is terminated on one end (i.e., the distal end) at a tie down
point 710 at, or near, the bottom of the inner most support leg
201f. The wire rope 702 is then routed up between the outer surface
712f of the support leg 201f and the inner surface 714e of the
support leg 201e to a pulley 704e at the top of the support leg
201e. The wire rope 702 is then captured by the pulley 704e and
redirected downward. The wire rope 702 continues downward between
the outer surface 712f of the support leg 201f and the inner
surface 714e of the support leg 201e to a pulley 706e at the bottom
of the support leg 201e. The pulley 706e is mounted on a bracket
901 (shown in FIG. 9) to position the pulley 706e within an opening
716e. The pulley 706e redirects the wire rope 702 through the
opening 716e in the support leg 201e and back up to a pulley 704d
near the top of the support leg 201d. This looping from upper
pulley 704 to lower pulley 706 continues in a serpentine fashion
through each pulley mounted to one of the support legs within the
same set of vertically adjacent support legs.
[0043] FIG. 10 illustrates one embodiment of the disclosed
apparatus in which the mast 100 is being deployed using the wire
rope and pulley system of FIG. 7. The proximal end of the wire rope
702 (i.e., the end opposite to the distal end) is routed to a take
up mechanism, such as a take up reel of a winch or other such
device (not shown). In accordance with one embodiment, the wire
rope 702 is routed to the take up reel by a lower pulley 706a.
Alternatively, the wire rope 702 is directly routed from the upper
pulley 704a to the take up reel. It will be understood by those
skilled in the art that any of a wide variety of take up mechanisms
may be employed to take up the wire rope 702. In one embodiment in
which a winch is used, when the winch is activated to take up the
wire rope 702, tension will be exerted along the wire rope 702 as
the wire rope 702 between the take up reel and the tie down point
710 shortens. Assuming that the wire rope and pulley system of FIG.
7-FIG. 10 is implemented in the mast 100 of FIG. 1, the support
legs and associated mast sections 102, 106, 108 will rise as
follows.
[0044] The tension caused by shortening of the wire rope 702 will
cause the inner mast section 108 (see FIG. 1) of the mast 100 to
rise first, which is highly desirable when immediate operation of
the payload is desired during partial mast extensions. The inner
mast section will rise first since the length of wire rope 702
between the tie down point 710 and the upper pulley 704e will be
least resistive to the urge to shorten, since the inner mast
section 108 is the least amount of work that can be completed.
Accordingly, as the overall length of the wire rope 702 shortens
due to the winch pulling in wire rope 702 on the take up reel, the
length 1001 between the tie down point 710 and the upper pulley
704e will shorten causing the support leg 201f to rise. The support
leg 201f is mounted as an integral part of the inner mast section
108. Therefore, the inner mast section 108 will rise.
[0045] Once the inner mast section 108 rises to full height, a
lower block 718 (see FIG. 7, not shown in FIG. 10) mounted to the
support leg 201f, will come into contact with an upper block 801
(see FIG. 8, not shown in FIG. 7 or FIG. 10) mounted on the next
outer vertically adjacent support leg 201e to restrain further
travel of the inner mast section 108. In accordance with one
embodiment, the lower and upper blocks are brackets to which the
upper and lower pulleys 704, 706 are respectively mounted. In one
embodiment of the disclosed apparatus, the travel of the inner mast
section 108 will be restrained at a point that ensures that there
is approximately 11 inches of overlap 1007 between the support leg
201f and the vertically adjacent support leg 201e. It can be seen
from FIG. 7 that there is no lower pulley 706 mounted in the
opening 716 of the support leg 201f. However, a block 718 is
mounted to the support leg 201f to stop the support leg 201f from
rising beyond a predetermined point of travel (e.g., the point at
which there is approximately 11 inches of overlap between the
adjacent support legs).
[0046] Once the inner mast section 108 has reached full height and
the block 718 comes into contact with the block 801, the mast
section 106 adjacent to the inner mast section 108 will begin to
rise. That is, as the winch continues to reel in the wire rope 702,
the wire rope will continue to shorten. When the inner mast section
108 can no longer rise, the length of wire rope 702 between the
lower pulley 716e and the upper pulley 704d will be the next length
that will shorten in response to the overall shortening of the wire
rope 702. This will in turn cause the support leg 201e to rise
until the bracket 901 (see FIG. 9) near the bottom of the support
leg 201e comes into contact with the block 801 on the vertically
adjacent support leg 201d. This process will continue until each
mast section 108, 106 has risen in turn. As shown in FIG. 10, it is
possible to securely stop the mast at any point along the full
travel. In particular, the mast 100 is shown in a partial
deployment position with the overlap 1009 being far greater than
the mast section 201d would travel to full extension.
[0047] It should be noted that the interlocking sections 401 (shown
in FIG. 4) provides sufficient stability to allow the mast sections
106, 108 to rise without the need for any further stabilization or
locking of the support legs 201 or the mast section 106, 108
generally. This enables the mast 100 to be deployed to any height
between the fully retracted position and the fully deployed
position. Simply stopping the winch that pulls the wire rope will
cause the mast to remain firmly in place at whatever height is
desired.
[0048] It should further be noted that multiple independent wire
ropes that can each be used alone or in combination to both hoist
the mast 100 and to maintain the mast 100 in a desired position.
These wire ropes 702 can be actuated together by a single motor
(not shown), or run independently by a plurality of motors. In one
embodiment in which independent motors are used, the motors are
calibrated to ensure that they remain synchronized, thus pulling
the same length of wire rope at the same rate to ensure that none
of the wire ropes 702 becomes slack and dividing the tension
equally among the wire ropes 702. In one alternative embodiment,
only two wire ropes are used, one in each of two of the opposing
support legs 201. That is, pulleys and wire ropes are installed in
only two of the four support legs 201. It should be clear that any
combination of one or more of the four wire rope and pulley systems
can be implemented. Additional wire rope systems can be implemented
for redundancy. Alternatively, fewer wire rope systems can be
implemented to reduce the cost and weight of the overall mast
100.
[0049] Once deployed, the mast 100 can be retracted by simply
uncoiling the wire rope 702 from the take up reel of the winch. The
weight of the mast 100 and payload provides sufficient drive to
ensure the steady retraction of the mast 100. Nonetheless, in some
embodiments, a retraction wire rope (not shown) is provided to
ensure that the mast 100 retracts smoothly and rapidly under all
conditions. Such a retraction wire rope can be run directly from
the top of the inner mast section 108 to a take up reel (not shown)
of a retraction winch (not shown). It should be noted that in the
event of a catastrophic failure (e.g., the wire rope 702 breaks),
the mast 100 will fall at a constantly braked rate as a result of
the gearmotors being backdriven. Additionally, the speed decreases
as the mast retracts due to the reduction in the weight of the mast
as each section comes to rest in its fully retracted state.
[0050] FIG. 8 provides additional details regarding the mounting of
the skins 201 to the support legs 201 in accordance with one
embodiment of the disclosed apparatus. Each skin 201 is mounted to
two horizontally adjacent support legs 201. Each group of
horizontally adjacent support legs 201 and the horizontally
adjacent skins mounted thereon form a mast section 102, 106, 108.
For the sake of brevity, the mounting of only one skin 201 to one
support leg 201 is discussed in detail herein. One of ordinary
skill in the art will understand how each other skin 201 and
support leg 201 are connected.
[0051] As noted above, a flat skin mounting area 409 (see FIG. 4)
is provided at each end of the support leg 201 to facilitate
mounting the outer skins 203 (not shown in FIG. 4, see FIGS. 2, 3
and 8) to the support legs 201. Tapped screw holes 410 in the
mounting area 409 provide a means by which the skins 203 can be
secured to the support legs 201. Screws 803 are inserted through a
through hole in the skins 203 and captured within the tapped screw
holes 410. In addition, to add additional structural support to the
mast section 104, 106, 108, an upper L-bracket 805 is mounted by
additional screws to the top of each skin 203. Finally, a section
top cap 807 is mounted across the top of the support leg 201 and
extends inwardly. The section top cap also mounts over the
L-brackets 805 of the two horizontally adjacent skins 203. Screw
holes 413 tapped into the top of the support legs 201 in three
places on each side of the support leg 201 provide a means to
secure the section top cap 807 to the support leg 201. Only three
such holes 413 are shown. However, it will be understood that such
holes 413 are similarly placed in each of the interlocking sections
401. Screws 809 placed through the section top cap are captured by
the L-bracket 805, thus providing additional connection between the
support leg 201 and the skin 203.
[0052] The section top cap 807 and the L-bracket 805 provide
structural support to the mast section 102, 106, 108. In addition,
the L-bracket 805 closes the top of each mast section 102, 106, 108
over the skin 203 to prevent debris from entering through the gap
between the skins 203 of vertically adjacent mast sections 102,
106, 108. Likewise, the section top cap 807 closes the top of each
mast section 102, 106, 108 over the support legs 201.
[0053] In one embodiment, a lower L-bracket 903 is mounted across
the bottom of each skin 203 (see FIG. 9). The lower L-bracket 903
provides additional structural support for the relatively thin
skins 203. In accordance with an alternative embodiment, the skins
203 can be eliminated. That is, support members, such as the
L-brackets 805, 903 and the section top caps 807 provide sufficient
structural support without the need for the skins 203. Implementing
the apparatus without the skins 203 reduces the wind resistance and
overall weight of the mast. It should be noted that in accordance
with one embodiment of the disclosed apparatus, the wire rope 702
can be made of conductive material. In one such embodiment, the
wire rope 702 can also serve as a conductor for power and signals
to be communicated from the base of the mast 100 to the payload
104.
[0054] While various embodiments of the disclosed apparatus have
been described above, it should be understood that they have been
presented by way of example only, and should not limit the claimed
invention. For example, it will be clear to those skilled in the
art that there are several ways in which the support legs 201 can
interlock to allow the resulting structural rigidity in all
directions and provide the overall mast strength.
[0055] Likewise, the various diagrams may depict an example
architectural or other configuration for the disclosed apparatus.
This is done to aid in understanding the features and functionality
that can be included in the disclosed apparatus. The claimed
invention is not restricted to the illustrated example
architectures or configurations, rather the desired features can be
implemented using a variety of alternative architectures and
configurations. Indeed, it will be apparent to one of skill in the
art how alternative functional, logical or physical partitioning
and configurations can be implemented to implement the desired
features of the disclosed apparatus. Also, a multitude of different
constituent module names other than those depicted herein can be
applied to the various partitions.
[0056] Although the disclosed apparatus is described above in terms
of various exemplary embodiments and implementations, it should be
understood that the various features, aspects, and functionality
described in one or more of the individual embodiments are not
limited in their applicability to the particular embodiment with
which they are described. Thus, the breadth and scope of the
claimed invention should not be limited by any of the
above-described exemplary embodiments.
[0057] Terms and phrases used in this document, and variations
thereof, unless otherwise expressly stated, should be construed as
open ended as opposed to limiting. As examples of the foregoing:
the term "including" should be read as meaning "including, without
limitation" or the like; the term "example" is used to provide
exemplary instances of the item in discussion, not an exhaustive or
limiting list thereof; the terms "a" or "an" should be read as
meaning "at least one," "one or more" or the like; and adjectives
such as "conventional," "traditional," "normal," "standard,"
"known" and terms of similar meaning should not be construed as
limiting the item described to a given time period or to an item
available as of a given time, but instead should be read to
encompass conventional, traditional, normal, or standard
technologies that may be available or known now or at any time in
the future. Likewise, where this document refers to technologies
that would be apparent or known to one of ordinary skill in the
art, such technologies encompass those apparent or known to the
skilled artisan now or at any time in the future.
[0058] A group of items linked with the conjunction "and" should
not be read as requiring that each and every one of those items be
present in the grouping, but rather should be read as "and/or"
unless expressly slated otherwise. Similarly, a group of items
linked with the conjunction "or" should not be read as requiring
mutual exclusivity among that group, but rather should also be read
as "and/or" unless expressly stated otherwise. Furthermore,
although items, elements or components of the disclosed apparatus
may be described or claimed in the singular, the plural is
contemplated to be within the scope thereof unless limitation to
the singular is explicitly stated.
[0059] The presence of broadening words and phrases such as "one or
more," "at least," "but not limited to" or other like phrases in
some instances shall not be read to mean that the narrower case is
intended or required in instances where such broadening phrases may
be absent. The use of the term "module" does not imply that the
components or functionality described or claimed as part of the
module are all configured in a common package. Indeed, any or all
of the various components of a module, whether control logic or
other components, can be combined in a single package or separately
maintained and can further be distributed in multiple groupings or
packages or across multiple locations.
[0060] Additionally, the various embodiments set forth herein are
described in terms of exemplary block diagrams, flow charts and
other illustrations. As will become apparent to one of ordinary
skill in the art after reading this document, the illustrated
embodiments and their various alternatives can be implemented
without confinement to the illustrated examples. For example, block
diagrams and their accompanying description should not be construed
as mandating a particular architecture or configuration.
* * * * *