U.S. patent number 3,886,560 [Application Number 05/475,158] was granted by the patent office on 1975-05-27 for antenna swivel mount.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Tandy Corporation. Invention is credited to John L. Hurst, Jack G. Mortensen.
United States Patent |
3,886,560 |
Mortensen , et al. |
May 27, 1975 |
Antenna swivel mount
Abstract
A mount for an antenna employs a base member having a
cylindrical socket which receives the cylindrical post of a swivel
member. Rotation of the swivel member is inhibited by crossed ribs
on the bottom of the swivel member that engage cooperating grooves
in the floor of the cylindrical socket under the force of a spring
that urges the members together. To rotate the swivel member, the
swivel member is lifted to cause the ribs to be disengaged from the
grooves. The swivel member can then be rotated until the ribs again
engage the grooves. Carried upon the swivel member is a square post
that can slide into a square socket in the swivel member. The
square post carries the antenna. When recessed in the square
socket, the post maintains the antenna upright. Upon sliding the
square post out of its socket, the post can be pivoted around a
shaft on the swivel member to bring the antenna into the
horizontal. The antenna can then be locked in that position by
sliding the square post to cause it to span the square socket and
rest upon ledges on the swivel member.
Inventors: |
Mortensen; Jack G. (Bedford,
TX), Hurst; John L. (Forth Worth, TX) |
Assignee: |
Tandy Corporation (Fort Worth,
TX)
|
Family
ID: |
23886432 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/475,158 |
Filed: |
May 31, 1974 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
343/882; 248/515;
343/709 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01Q
1/084 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01Q
1/08 (20060101); H01q 003/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;248/43,478A,478B
;343/709,882 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Lieberman; Eli
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Wolf, Greenfield & Sacks
Claims
We claim:
1. A mount for an antenna comprising
A base member having a cylindrical socket,
A swivel member having a cylindrical column disposed in the
cylindrical socket of the base member, the swivel member having a
generally rectangular socket therein in axial alignment with the
cylindrical socket,
detent means on the bottom of the cylindrical column and on the
floor of the cylindrical socket, engagement of the detent means
inhibiting rotation of the swivel member relative to the base
member,
resilient means urging the detent means into engagement,
a shaft carried by ears on the swivel member,
a post of generally rectangular configuration disposed between the
ears of the swivel member, the shaft extending through a
longitudinal slot in the post whereby the post can slide into the
generally rectangular socket in the swivel member and be disengaged
from that socket,
and means on the post for receiving the base end of an antenna.
2. An antenna mount according to claim 1, wherein the detent means
comprise ribs protruding from one of said members and grooves for
receiving the ribs in the other of said members.
3. An antenna mount according to claim 2, wherein the swivel member
has ledges upon which the post rests when it is slid to a position
spanning the generally rectangular socket.
Description
This invention relates in general to antennas for the reception or
transmission of electromagnetic waves and more particularly
pertains to an insulative antenna base that can be mounted upon
land vehicles and boats to support the antenna. The base support is
constructed to hold the antenna upright and is arranged to permit
the antenna to be pivoted into the horizontal position for storage
or when a reduction in height is desired. The base support allows
the antenna to be rotated and provides detented stations at 90
positions.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Where an antenna is employed upon a boat, it is often required to
have the antenna upright for long periods of time while the boat is
in open water. Inasmuch as some antennas may be directionally
sensitive, it is advantageous to mount the antenna so that it can
be rotated when desired. When the boat enters a harbor or waterway
where it must pass under obstructions such as bridges, it is
necessary to have the antenna mounted so that it can be quickly
pivoted into the horizontal and locked in that position. A suitable
antenna mount, therefore permits the antenna to be locked in the
upright position and also allows the antenna to be locked in the
horizontal position.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
The principal objective of the invention is to provide an efficient
and inexpensive insulative mount for attaching an antenna firmly
and solidly to a vehicle or other supporting structure in a manner
permitting the antenna to be securely maintained in the upright
position while enabling the antenna to be pivoted into the
horizontal position where it can be locked by a simple motion.
THE INVENTION
The invention resides in a mount for an antenna which permits the
antenna to be securely maintained in an upright position and yet
permits the antenna to be rotated or pivoted into a horizontal
position when desired. The mount employs a base member having a
cylindrical socket in which is disposed the cylindrical post of a
swivel member. Rotation of the swivel member in the socket of the
base is prevented by ribs on the bottom of the cylindrical post
that seat in grooves in the floor of the socket. The ribs are
maintained in engagement with the grooves by the force of a spring.
To rotate the swivel member, it is necessary to overcome the spring
force to the extent needed to move the ribs out of engagement with
the grooves. The swivel member then can be rotated until the ribs
come again into alignment with the grooves.
Carried upon the swivel member is a square post that can be slid
into a square socket in the swivel member. The square post carries
the antenna and when recessed in the square socket, the square post
maintains the antenna in the upright position. By sliding the
square post out of its socket, the post can be pivoted about an
axle carried by the swivel member to swing the antenna into the
horizontal position. Consequently, merely by exerting an upward
force on the antenna, the antenna can be rotated or folded into the
horizontal position or both rotated and tilted into the horizontal.
When moved to the horizontal, the antenna can be locked in that
position merely by causing the square post to rest upon ledges on
the swivel member.
THE DRAWINGS
The invention, both as to its construction and its mode of
operation, can be better understood from the detailed description
which follows when it is considered in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings in which
FIG. 1 depicts a typical antenna installation in which the
invention can be employed;
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the preferred embodiment of the
invention;
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the base of the preferred
embodiment;
FIG. 4 depicts a cross-sectional view in elevation of the preferred
embodiment of the invention in assembled form;
FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the swivel member showing its
crossed ribs; and
FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the sliding post showing the bushing
that is encased in the assembled post.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A typical antenna installation is depicted in FIG. 1 where the
upright antenna 1 is supported at its base by a mount 2 secured
atop a boat.
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the antenna mount and shows the
socket 3 in the base 4 that receives the cylindrical post 5 of the
swivel member 6. The base is molded of a insulative synthetic
material and has the exterior configuration of a truncated cone 7
disposed upon a circular pedestal 8. The pedestal, as shown in the
top view of the base depicted in FIG. 3, has holes 9, spaced around
its periphery for the passage of bolts to anchor the base to the
supporting structure of a boat or land vehicle. The botton of the
socket 3 in the base, as indicated in FIG. 3, has crossed grooves
10 which act as detents in cooperation with mating crossed ribs
that protrude from the bottom of swivel member 6. At the junction
of the crossed grooves, an aperture 11 is provided for the passage
of a bolt 12, as shown in the cross-sectional view of the assembled
mount depicted in FIG. 4.
The swivel member 6 has a truncated conical portion mounted upon
and overhanging the cylindrical post 5. The conical portion is
slotted to provide a pair of upstanding ears 13 and 14 that receive
between tham a slidable square post 15. To permit post 15 to slide
down into the swivel member, the swivel member is provided with a
square socket 16. When the post is telescoped into socket 16, the
post is rigidly held in the upright position. To permit post 15 to
slide, it is provided with longitudinal slots 17 through which
protrudes a shaft 18 whose ends are anchored in holes in the ears
of the swivel member. To facilitate sliding of the square post, the
longitudinal slots 17 have inclined sides providing ways that
receive washers 19 which are of a material having a low coefficient
of friction, such as Teflon.
When pulled out of the square socket, post 15 can pivot around
shaft 18 in the slot between ears 13 and 14. Post 15 can,
therefore, be swung in either direction from a vertical position to
a horizontal position. When in the horizontal position, the post
can be slid to cause it to span the socket and rest upon the ledges
20 and 20a. The post is thereby prevented from pivoting around
shaft 18 and the antenna is effectively locked in the horizontal
position.
The swivel member 6, as shown in the assembled view of FIG. 4, has
its cylindrical post 5 held in the socket of base 4 by a bolt 12
that extends below the floor of the socket. A spring 21 on the
shank of bolt 12, exerts a force tending to spread washer 22 and
nust 23 apart. Consequently, a compressive force is exerted between
washer 22 and the held of bolt 12 upon the interposed portions of
base 4 and swivel member 6. The swivel member 6, as shown in the
bottom view of that member depicted in FIG. 5, is provided with
crossed ribs 24 that are dimensioned to fit into the crossed
grooves 10 (FIG. 3) in the floor of the cylindrical socket in base
4. When the crossed ribs are engage in the crossed grooves, the
swivel member 6 is locked to the base by the force of spring 21 and
the swivel member then cannot be turned. By lifting square post 15,
the swivel member can be moved sufficiently to disengage the
crossed ribs from the crossed grooves and the swivel member can
then be rotated around bolt 12 as the axis. Upon the swivel member
being turned through 90.degree., the crossed ribs are brought into
alignment with the crossed grooves and if permitted to engage, act
as detents which prevent further rotation. Consequently, at each
90.degree.To of rotation, a station is reached where the aligned
crossed ribs and crossed grooves act as detents.
to permit nut 23 to be threaded onto the shank of bolt 12 and
compress spring 21 without having the bolt turn, a bolt having a
hexagonal head is employed and the floor of the square socket in
swivel member 6 is provided with a matching hexagonal recess which
accepts the head of the bolt and prevents the bolt from turning
when the nut is tightened on the shank.
The swivel member, because of its relatively intricate shape, is
preferably a molded member made of the same insulative synthetic
material as the insulative base 4. When locked together, the swivel
member and the base form a smooth sided trincated cone, as
illustrated in FIG. 4.
The square post 15, as shown in the exploded view of FIG. 6, is a
hollow member formed of two mating shell halves 25 and 26 that
encase a metallic bushing 27. The bushing is preferably of brass or
copper and is plated with nickel or a similar corrosion resistant
material. The bushing has a square collar 28 that fits into
recesses in the shell halves. The bushing has a central threaded
aperture that receives the threaded shank of a whip antenna 29. A
shielded cable 30 has its center conductor soldered or otherwise
fastened to the bottom of bushing 27. The shielded cable extends
through an aperture 31 in hollow post 15 to provide an exterior
electrical connection to the antenna.
In use, the antenna is usually maintained in the vertical position
by sliding post 15 downward into square socket 16. In the event it
is desired to rotate the antenna, by lifting the antenna upwardly,
the crossed ribs on the bottom of the swivel member can be lifted
out of the grooves 10 in the base 4 and the antenna can then be
rotated 90 before the detent members again engage.
To reduce the height of the antenna, as where a boat is required to
pass under a low bridge, the antenna can be swung to a horizontal
position by sliding the square post 15 upwardly out of its socket
and then pivoting it around the shaft 18 into the horizontal. The
antenna can then be locked in the horizontal position by sliding
the square post to cause it to span the square socket and rest upon
the ledges 20 and 20a.
Although a preferred embodiment has been illustrated in the
drawings, it is evident that changes can be made that do not alter
the essential nature of the invention. For example, the post 15 and
the socket 16 need not be square. The post and socket can be of
other shapes and still perform their intended functions. Further,
the detents formed by the ribs 24 and the groove 10 can be
interchanged in position and can be made to provide more than 4
stations, if desired.
In view of the different forms in which the invention can be
embodied, it is not intended that the invention be limited to the
precise structure depicted in the drawings. Rather, it is intended
that the invention be delimited by the appended claims.
* * * * *