U.S. patent number RE37,559 [Application Number 09/283,843] was granted by the patent office on 2002-02-26 for telescoping mast with integral payload.
Invention is credited to Edward A. Marue, Kenneth J. Pereira.
United States Patent |
RE37,559 |
Marue , et al. |
February 26, 2002 |
Telescoping mast with integral payload
Abstract
In an integrated telescoping mast-payload assembly, the payload
forms the top telescoping section.
Inventors: |
Marue; Edward A. (Tucson,
AZ), Pereira; Kenneth J. (Hanford, CA) |
Family
ID: |
26997801 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/283,843 |
Filed: |
March 31, 1999 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
|
072817 |
|
5593129 |
Jan 14, 1997 |
|
|
772167 |
Oct 7, 1991 |
5163650 |
Nov 17, 1992 |
|
Reissue of: |
353118 |
Dec 9, 1994 |
05615855 |
Apr 1, 1997 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
248/405;
248/188.5; 248/333; 248/406.1; 343/713; 343/883; 343/901; 52/117;
52/118; 52/40; 82/141 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04H
12/182 (20130101); F16B 7/105 (20130101); F16M
11/00 (20130101); F21V 21/22 (20130101); B60P
3/18 (20130101); F16M 11/046 (20130101); F16M
11/18 (20130101); B60Q 1/2657 (20130101); F16M
11/28 (20130101); H01Q 1/1235 (20130101); Y10T
82/2549 (20150115); F21W 2111/00 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E04H
12/00 (20060101); E04H 12/18 (20060101); B60Q
1/26 (20060101); F16B 7/00 (20060101); F16B
7/10 (20060101); F16M 11/20 (20060101); F16M
11/28 (20060101); F21V 21/14 (20060101); F21S
8/00 (20060101); F21V 21/22 (20060101); H01Q
1/12 (20060101); F16M 011/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;248/405,454.3,454.4,651,406.1,411,422,188.5,334.1,333,335
;343/883,878,880,901,713 ;52/67,105,118,117,40 ;82/141 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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671611 |
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Oct 1963 |
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CA |
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1260800 |
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Feb 1968 |
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DE |
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3434517 |
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Mar 1986 |
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DE |
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3611810 |
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Aug 1986 |
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DE |
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3636893 |
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Jul 1987 |
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DE |
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1430168 |
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Jan 1966 |
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FR |
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2 555 820 |
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May 1985 |
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FR |
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2 575 780 |
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Jul 1986 |
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FR |
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124268 |
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Mar 1919 |
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GB |
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Primary Examiner: Ramirez; Ramon O.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Drummond & Duckworth
Parent Case Text
This application .Iadd.is a Reissue of application Ser. No.
08/353,118, filed Dec. 9, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,615,855, and
copending with continuation application Ser. No. 09/596,850, filed
Jun. 19, 2000, which is a CIP of PCT/US94/0354 filed Mar. 31, 1994
which .Iaddend.is a Continuation-in-Part of the U.S. application
Ser. No. 08/072,817, filed Jun. 7, 1993, .Iadd.now U.S. Pat. No.
5,593,129 issued Jan. 14, 1997 .Iaddend.a national-stage
application derived from PCT international application
PCT/US92/08721, filed Oct. 6, 1992, which is, in turn, a
Continuation-in-Part of U.S. application Ser. No. 07/772,167, filed
Oct. 7, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,650, issued Nov. 17, 1992.
Claims
Having described the invention in such terms as to enable those
skilled in the art to make and use it and having identified the
presently known and preferred best modes thereof, I claim: .[.
1. In a telescoping mast assembly, including:
a plurality of nesting, telescoping mast sections, including a top
section and at least one lower section, each of said sections
having upper and lower ends, and
means for extending and retracting each of said sections relative
to the next-lower section,
the improvement comprising:
a payload, located only in said top section,
said top section, including said payload, being dimensioned to be
received and nest within the next-lower section,
at least a portion of said payload being received within said
next-lower section when said top section is fully retracted,
such that said next-lower section provides protection for said
payload when said top section is fully retracted,
said payload being a member of the group consisting of radio
antennas, lights, instrumentation and telemetry packages for
robotic vehicles, television cameras, antenna rotators,
preamplifiers, radiation sensors and electronic and
electro-mechanical instrument packages..]. .[.
2. The assembly of claim 1 mounted on a vehicle..]..[.
3. The assembly of claim 1, in which said payload is an antenna for
electromagnetic energy..]..[.
4. The assembly of claim 1, in which said lower section is
radiopaque..]..[.
5. The assembly of claim 1 which further includes:
(a) a transmission line cable for transmitting a signal to or from
said payload; and
(b) a sub-assembly for stowing and dispensing said cable when said
mast assembly is retracted and extended..]. .Iadd.
6. A telescoping mast-payload assembly for reducing the retracted
height of a mast-payload assembly and for providing protection of a
payload when said mast-payload assembly is fully retracted, said
mast-payload assembly comprising:
(a) a telescoping mast component extending and retracting along the
mast's longitudinal axis defining a mast axis, said telescoping
mast component comprising:
a telescoping mast, adapted to telescope upwardly along said mast
axis to an extended position and to telescope downwardly along said
mast axis to a retracted position, said telescoping mast
comprising:
a fixed bottom section being shaped and dimensioned to include a
hollow region for telescopically receiving a next higher mast
section;
a plurality of extending and retracting intermediate mast sections,
each section having upper and lower ends and being shaped and
dimensioned to include a hollow region for telescopically receiving
the next higher mast section; and
an extending and retracting payload section defining the top
section of said telescoping mast, said payload section shaped and
dimensioned to be telescopically received within the hollow region
of the uppermost section of said intermediate sections;
said intermediate support sections and said payload section being
constructed to telescopically retract along said mast axis within
the hollow region of the next lower mast section and to
telescopically extend along said mast axis above the next lower
mast section, said plurality of intermediate support sections
supporting said payload section when said mast is extended to said
extended position and receiving and protecting said payload section
when said top section is fully retracted; and
(b) a payload component of said assembly forming at least a portion
of said payload section and being located only in said payload
section, said payload component being shaped and dimensioned to
extend along said mast axis to be supported above the next-lower
support section when said mast-payload assembly is extended to said
extended position and to retract along said mast axis and to be at
least partially received and protected within said intermediate
support sections when said mast is fully retracted.
.Iaddend..Iadd.
7. The telescoping mast-payload assembly of claim 6 wherein the
payload is a member of the group consisting of radio antennas,
lights, television cameras, antenna rotators, preamplifiers,
radiation sensors, instrumentation and telemetry packages for
robotic vehicles, and electronic and electro-mechanical instrument
packages. .Iaddend..Iadd.
8. The telescoping mast-payload assembly of claim 6 wherein the
payload is a radio antenna. .Iaddend..Iadd.
9. The telescoping mast-payload assembly of claim 8 being mounted
on a vehicle. .Iaddend..Iadd.
10. The telescoping mast-payload assembly of claim 6 being mounted
on a vehicle. .Iaddend..Iadd.
11. The telescoping mast-payload assembly of claim 6, further
including motor drive means for extending and retracting said
payload section and said intermediate support sections relative to
said bottom section. .Iaddend..Iadd.
12. A telescoping mast-payload assembly for reducing the retracted
height of a mast-payload assembly and for providing protection of a
payload when said mast-payload assembly is fully retracted, said
mast-payload assembly comprising:
(a) a telescoping mast component extending and retracting along the
mast's longitudinal axis defining a mast axis, said telescoping
mast component comprising:
a telescoping mast, adapted to telescope upwardly along said mast
axis to an extended position and to telescope downwardly along said
mast axis to a retracted position, said telescoping mast
comprising:
a fixed bottom section being shaped and dimensioned to include a
hollow region for telescopically receiving a next higher mast
section;
a plurality of extending and retracting intermediate mast sections,
each section having upper and lower ends and being shaped and
dimensioned to include a hollow region for telescopically receiving
the next higher mast section; and
an extending and retracting payload section defining the top
section of said telescoping mast, said payload section shaped and
dimensioned to be telescopically received within the hollow region
of the uppermost section of said intermediate sections;
said intermediate support sections and said payload section being
constructed to telescopically retract along said mast axis within
the hollow region of the next lower mast section and to
telescopically extend along said mast axis above the next lower
mast section, said plurality of intermediate support sections
supporting said payload section when said mast is extended to said
extended position and receiving and protecting said payload section
when said mast is fully retracted;
(b) a payload component of said assembly forming at least a portion
of said payload section and being located only in said payload
section, said payload section being shaped and dimensioned to
extend along said mast axis to be supported above the next-lower
support section, when said mast-payload assembly is extended to
said extended position and to retract along said mast axis and to
be at least partially received and protected within said
intermediate support sections when said mast is fully retracted;
and
(c) motor drive means for extending and retracting said payload
section and said intermediate support sections relative to said
bottom section. .Iaddend..Iadd.
13. The telescoping mast-payload assembly of claim 12 wherein the
payload is a member of the group consisting of radio antennas,
lights, television cameras, antenna rotators, preamplifiers,
radiation sensors, instrumentation and telemetry packages for
robotic vehicles, and electronic and electro-mechanical instrument
packages. .Iaddend..Iadd.
14. The telescoping mast-payload assembly of claim 13 being mounted
on a vehicle. .Iaddend..Iadd.
15. The telescoping mast-payload assembly of claim 13 wherein the
payload is a radio antenna. .Iaddend..Iadd.
16. The telescoping mast-payload assembly of claim 15 being mounted
on a vehicle. .Iaddend..Iadd.
17. The telescoping mast-payload assembly of claim 12 further
comprising:
a transmission line cable for transmitting a signal to or from said
payload; and
a subassembly for stowing and dispensing said cable when said mast
assembly is retracted and extended. .Iaddend..Iadd.
18. A vehicular mounted telescoping mast-payload assembly for
reducing the retracted height of a mast-payload assembly and for
providing protection of a payload when said mast-payload assembly
is fully retracted, said mast-payload assembly comprising:
(a) a telescoping mast component extending and retracting along the
mast's longitudinal axis defining a mast axis, said telescoping
mast component comprising:
a telescoping mast, adapted to telescope upwardly along said mast
axis to an extended position and to telescope downwardly along said
mast axis to retracted position, said mast comprising:
a fixed bottom section being shaped and dimensioned to include a
hollow region for telescopically receiving a next higher mast
section;
an extending and retracting intermediate mast section, said section
having an upper and lower end and being shaped and dimensioned to
include a hollow region for telescopically receiving a next higher
mast section; and
an extending and retracting payload section defining the top
section of said telescoping mast, said payload section shaped and
dimensioned to be telescopically received within the hollow region
of the uppermost section;
said intermediate support sections and said payload section being
constructed to telescopically retract along said mast axis within
the hollow region of the next lower mast section and to
telescopically extend along said mast axis above the next lower
mast section, said intermediate support section supporting said
payload section when said mast is extended to said extended
position and receiving and protecting said payload section when
said mast is fully retracted;
(b) a payload component of said assembly forming at least a portion
of said payload section and being located only in said payload
section, said payload component being shaped and dimensioned to
extend along said mast axis to be supported above the next-lower
support section when said mast-payload assembly is extended to said
extended position and to retract along said mast axis and to be at
least partially received and protected within said intermediate
support section when said mast is fully retracted; and
(c) attachment means for attaching said bottom section to a
vehicle. .Iaddend..Iadd.
19. The telescoping mast-payload assembly of claim 18 wherein the
payload is a member of the group consisting of radio antennas,
lights, television cameras, antenna rotators, preamplifiers,
radiation sensors, instrumentation and telemetry packages for
robotic vehicles, and electronic and electro-mechanical instrument
packages. .Iaddend..Iadd.
20. The telescoping mast-payload assembly of claim 19 further
comprising:
a transmission line cable for transmitting a signal to or from said
payload; and
a subassembly for stowing and dispensing said cable when said mast
assembled is retracted and extended. .Iaddend..Iadd.
21. The telescoping mast-payload assembly of claim 18 wherein the
payload is a radio antennae. .Iaddend..Iadd.
22. The telescoping mast-payload assembly of claim 18, further
including motor drive means for extending and retracting said
payload section and said intermediate support section relative to
said bottom section. .Iaddend.
Description
This invention relates to a telescoping mast which includes an
integral payload.
More particularly, the invention pertains to an integrated
telescoping mast-payload assembly which is specially adapted for
mobile and portable use.
In another respect the invention relates to a telescoping
mast-payload assembly which is specially configured for use under
hazardous ambient conditions, in conjunction with protective
shelters for operating personnel.
Telescoping masts have been widely employed for radio antennas,
lights and a variety of other fixtures, such as instrumentation and
telemetry packages for robotic vehicles, television cameras,
mast-mounted antenna rotators, preamplifiers, radiation sensors and
similar fragile electronic and electro-mechanical instrument
packages.
Under extreme environmental conditions encountered during transport
and use of portable telescoping masts which carry such fragile or
environmentally sensitive packages, it would be highly desirable to
provide improved mechanical, electrical and other forms of
protection for the payload when the telescoping mast is retracted.
Additionally, since the nested mast height and, in turn, the
operational deployed height are often critical operational
parameters of a telescoping mast, it would be desirable to provide
a telescoping mast-payload assembly which provides minimum nested,
(fully retracted) height and in turn, maximum deployed, (fully
extended) operational height.
Accordingly, the principal object of the present invention is to
provide an improved telescoping mast-payload assembly.
Still another object of the invention is to provide such an
assembly which has minimum nested height and maximum deployable
height for a given number of telescoping mast sections.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide such an
integrated telescoping mast-payload assembly which is specially
adapted for mobile or portable use.
A further object of the invention is to provide an integrated
mast-payload assembly which protects the payload during storage and
transportation while the mast is fully retracted.
A still further object of the invention is to provide an integrated
mast-payload assembly which obviates the need to remove and
reinstall the payload during transportation and in which there is
no need for human interaction with the assembly to install or
remove a payload during storage transportation or use.
This and other, further and more specific objects of the invention
will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following
detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings in
which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an integrated telescoping
mast-payload assembly which embodies the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 1 taken
along section 2--2 thereof;
FIG. 3 is a perspective cut-away view of the cable
stowage-dispensing assembly of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-2;
FIGS. 4a-4c are, respectively, cut-away views of the radiating
antenna element of the assembly of FIGS. 1-3, cross-sectional views
thereof (along section line 4--4 of FIG. 4a) and the upper end view
thereof;
FIG. 5. depicts the assembly of FIGS. 1-4, mounted externally on an
operational vehicle, e.g., on the SICPS shelter of an HMMWV/CUCV
transporter;
FIG. 6 depicts an alternate mobile installation of the assembly of
1-4, e.g., in the antenna mast cavity of a C2V Bradley vehicle;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the
integrated telescoping mast-payload assembly of the present
invention, in which the payload package does not have a central
axial aperture, in which the mast sections have a polygonal
cross-section and which utilizes multiple axial drive screws, and
in which a cable assemble is enclosed internally of the mast and
protected thereby;
FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 7 in the fully
retracted (nested) condition, taken along section line 8--8 of FIG.
9;
FIG. 9 is a side view of the assembly of FIGS. 7-8, with the mast
fully retracted;
FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the assembly of FIGS. 8-9 taken
along section line 10--10 thereof;
FIG. 11 is a cut-away rear view depicting a mast-payload assembly
of FIGS. 7-10, mounted in the antenna mast cavity of a vehicle such
as the Bradley C2V;
Briefly, in accordance with the broadest aspects of the invention,
I provide an integrated telescoping mast-payload assembly
comprising at least two or more nesting, telescoping mast sections,
each section having an upper end and a lower end. The telescoping
sections include one or more lower sections and a top section which
is dimensioned to slidably nest within the next-lower section.
Means are provided for extending and retracting the top section
relative to the next-lower section and each of the lower sections
relative to the section next below (except for the bottom section).
A payload forms at least the upper end of the top section and at
least a portion of the payload is received within the next-lower
section when the top section is fully retracted. The lower section
or sections provide protection for the payload when the top section
is fully retracted.
According to a preferred embodiment, the assembly is mounted upon
or in a vehicle or upon or in a transportable shelter.
In another presently preferred embodiment, the payload is an
antenna for transmitting and/or receiving electro-magnetic energy
such as radio signals.
In yet another preferred embodiment, one or more of the lower
sections is radiopaque to shield the payload from stray
electro-magnetic radiation, particularly EMP, when the assembly is
retracted.
According to the best mode contemplated at present, the integrated
mast-payload assembly includes means for mechanical locking the
upper and lower sections together when the upper section is fully
extended and when it is fully retracted, but preventing relative
sequentially movement between the sections when the upper section
is between the fully retracted and fully extended positions.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention, when the nature
of the payload prevents forming it with a central longitudinal
parameter, a plurality of axial drive screws (at least two), are
employed and these drive screws are laterally spaced from the
longitudinal center line of the telescoping mast sections.
The drawings are provided to further illustrate to those skilled in
the art how to make and use the invention and are not intended as a
limitation on the scope of the invention. In the drawings, like
reference characters identify the same elements in the several
views.
Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the telescoping mast-payload assembly,
generally indicated by reference numeral 10 includes a bottom mast
section 11, a top mast section 12 and one or more lower sections
13-19. Each of the mast sections 12-19 is dimensioned to be
slidably received within the next-lower section. The top section 12
and each of the one or more lower sections 13-19 can be extended
and retracted relative to the next lower section from a fully
retracted position, as shown in FIGS. 1-2 to a fully extended
position (not shown). A single axial drive screw 21, which is
rotated by operation of an electric motor 22 which transmits
rotational force through a drive train 23, engages nuts 24 carried
internally at the bottom end of each of the mast sections 12-19.
Rotation of the axial drive screw 21 causes upward or downward
movement of the nuts 24 on the drive screw 21 and corresponding
relative motion of the mast section associated with each of the
nuts 24. Holddown locking mechanisms 25 are provided to cause
sequential deployment and retraction of each of the mast sections
12-19, to lock adjacent sections together when the mast is fully
nested and when each section is fully extended relative to its
next-lower section. A cable stowage/dispensing sub-assembly 31
includes an elongate frame 32, a moveable multi-sheave pulley 33
and a spring 34 connected to the pulley 33 which urges the pulley
33 downwardly in the direction of the arrow A. The transmission
line cable 35 is connected at its upper end to the connector
portion 36 of a antenna element 37 which forms the hollow antenna
element which forms the upper section of the telescoping assembly
10. The transmission line passes into the frame 32 forming windings
38 on the moveable pulley 33 and stationary pulley 39. A terminal
portion 41 of the cable 35 is fixed by means of a hook 42 to the
frame 32 and passes through an outlet aperture 43 to its point of
connection with another component, e.g., radio transceiver, (not
shown). Further details of the operation of the drive components
21-24, the locking devices 25 and the cable stowage/dispensing
assembly 32 are disclosed in the published international
application No. PCT/US92/08721 (International Publication Number WO
93/07395, published 15 Apr. 1993), which is incorporated herein by
reference.
FIGS. 4a-4c depict the top section 12 of the telescoping mast of
FIGS. 1-3, the major length thereof being formed as a hollow
cylinder 42 having a longitudinal bore 42. At the lower end 43 the
diameter of the bore 42 is increased to provide a socket 44 which
receives a nut which engages threads on the axial drive screw 21.
The annular shoulder 45 cooperates with the locking mechanism on
the upper end of mast section 13, in the manner previously
described, a key 46 is formed as a longitudinal shoulder on the
outer surface of the cylindrical section 41 to prevent rotation of
the upper section 12. The upper end 47 of the top section 12 is
provided with a coaxial connector 48 for attaching to rf
transmission cable 35 with the rf rotated/receiving components
which are embedded into side walls 49 of the top section 12.
FIG. 5 depicts the integrated mast-payload assembly 10 of FIGS.
1-4, mounted externally on the rear wall 51 of an SICPS shelter 52
carried on a suitable vehicle, e.g., the HMMWV/CUCV transporter.
Alternatively, as depicted in FIG. 6, the assembly 10 can be
mounted within a special radio antenna enclosure, indicated by the
dash lines 61 of an enclosed vehicle such as the Bradley C2V. In
either case, the electrical power lines, and control cables for the
drive mechanism 22 and the coaxial cable 35 are routed through the
bulkheads 51 (FIG. 5) or 63 (FIG. 6) to the interior of the
vehicle, which protectively houses the human operators, such that
the mast and payload can be extended and retracted from within
vehicles 52, 62, without requiring personnel to operate outside
these shelters.
Another embodiment of the invention is depicted in FIGS. 7-11. This
embodiment is useful when the character of the payload does not
permit it to be formed as a hollow cylinder (as shown in FIG.
4).
As shown in FIGS. 7-11, a complex payload such as the J-STARS SCDL
antenna 71 is operatively mounted on a base 72. The antenna 71 and
base 72 form the upper section 73 of a multi-section telescoping
mast comprising a plurality of intermediate lower sections 73 and a
bottom section 74, each of the sections 72-74 are formed of
aluminum frame members 75, covered and stiffened by graphite
composite panels 76. Alternatively, panels 76 can be omitted,
thereby reducing the wind load on the mast. The extended assembly
of FIG. 7 is shown in cross-section in FIGS. 8 and 10 and in a side
view in FIG. 9. In the embodiment of FIG. 7-9, the antenna cable 35
is preformed as an extensible coil 77. Power to extend and retract
the assembly is provided by an electric motor 78 and associated
drive mechanism 79. As shown in FIG. 11, the assembly of FIGS. 7-10
can also be mounted internally of a radio antenna well 91 formed in
an appropriate vehicle such as the C2V Bradley.
* * * * *