초록 ▼

Aspects of the invention relate to telescoping mast assemblies (telescoping “towers”), polygonal sided masts for use in such assemblies, methods of fabricating polygonal sided masts, methods and apparatus for sequentially actuating and deactuating hold-down and locking mechanisms in telescoping towe

Aspects of the invention relate to telescoping mast assemblies (telescoping “towers”), polygonal sided masts for use in such assemblies, methods of fabricating polygonal sided masts, methods and apparatus for sequentially actuating and deactuating hold-down and locking mechanisms in telescoping towers, and such other aspects as will be understood from the present descriptions and drawings. Telescopic towers are usable for supporting and raising to a height any type of communications payload, including, for example, radio antennas, television antennas, any type of surveillance and/or sensor payloads, including, for example, microphones, cameras, flood lights, and the like.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A telescoping mast assembly comprising: three nestable telescoping mast sections, an inner mast section, an intermediate mast section, and an outer mast section, the telescoping mast sections having hold-down and locking mechanisms;each hold-down mechanism including a hold-down actuator pad dispo

1. A telescoping mast assembly comprising: three nestable telescoping mast sections, an inner mast section, an intermediate mast section, and an outer mast section, the telescoping mast sections having hold-down and locking mechanisms;each hold-down mechanism including a hold-down actuator pad disposed on an outside surface of the inner mast section at a first vertical position and a first angular position, a first hook pivotally mounted proximate to the top of the intermediate mast section at the first angular position, and a hold-down post including a second hook fixedly mounted proximate to the top of the outer mast section at the first angular position, the first hook biased to engage the fixed hook when the inner mast section is nested within the intermediate mast section below a hold-down position, the hold-down actuator pad engaging and pivoting the first hook to release the first hook from the fixed hook when the inner mast section is nested within the intermediate mast section above the hold-down position; andeach locking mechanism including a lock pad disposed on the outside surface of the inner mast section at a second vertical position lower than the first vertical position and at a second angular position displaced from the first angular position, a lock member pivotally mounted proximate to the top of the intermediate mast section, and a pivot actuator mounted proximate to the top of the outer mast section, the pivot actuator pivoting the lock member to engage a bottom edge of the lock pad when the inner mast section is nested within the intermediate mast section above a lock position higher than the hold-down position, and pivoting the lock member to disengage the bottom edge of the lock pad when the inner mast section is nested within the intermediate mast section below the lock position. 2. The telescoping mast assembly according to claim 1 wherein the nestable telescoping mast sections have a polygonal cross-section. 3. The telescoping mast assembly according to claim 2 wherein each of the mast sections comprises multiple subsections. 4. The telescoping mast assembly according to claim 3 wherein each of the subsections is fabricated from a flat sheet material. 5. The telescopic mast assembly according to claim 4 wherein the flat sheet material is metal. 6. The telescoping mast assembly according to claim 3 wherein the telescoping mast sections are formed from two half shells. 7. The telescoping mast assembly of claim 1 further including: a base to which the outer mast section is mounted;a drive screw extending upward from the base, the drive screw including an unthreaded bottom portion, and a threaded portion located above the bottom portion, the bottom portion having a diameter less than a diameter of the threaded portion;a drive nut assembly mounted at the bottom of each of the inner mast section and the intermediate mast section, the drive nut assembly of the inner mast section engaging the threaded portion of the drive screw when the inner mast section, the intermediate mast section, and the outer mast section are in a fully nested configuration, the drive nut assembly of the intermediate mast section is positioned around the bottom portion of the drive screw when the inner mast section, the intermediate mast section, and the outer mast section are in a fully nested configuration;wherein the drive nut assembly of the intermediate mast section engages the threaded portion of the drive screw when the inner mast section is extended within the intermediate mast section an engagement distance above a position where the bottom edge of the lock pad of the inner mast section is engaged by the lock of the intermediate mast section; andwherein the drive nut assembly of the inner mast section disengages from an upper end of the threaded portion of the drive screw when the inner mast section extends within the intermediate mast section a disengagement distance above the position where the drive nut assembly of the intermediate mast section engages the threaded portion of the drive screw. 8. The telescoping mast assembly of claim 7 wherein the drive screw is coupled to a source of driving force to rotate the drive screw in a first direction to extend the inner mast section, the intermediate mast section, and the outer mast section, and in a second direction to nest the inner mast section, the intermediate mast section, and the outer mast section. 9. The telescoping mast assembly of claim 8 wherein the source of driving force is a motor. 10. The telescoping mast assembly of claim 9 further including: a lower-limit light source and a lower-limit light sensor disposed on the outer mast section;a lower-limit mirror disposed inside the inner mast section;the inner mast section, the intermediate mast section, and the outer mast section each including lower-limit alignment holes formed therein, the lower-limit light source, lower-limit mirror, lower-limit light sensor, and the lower-limit alignment holes positioned to be in optical alignment to form an optical path including the light source, the lower-limit mirror and the lower-limit sensor when the inner mast section, the intermediate mast section, and the outer mast section are in a fully nested configuration; andwherein the lower-limit sensor is coupled to the motor to turn off the motor when the inner mast section, the intermediate mast section, and the outer mast section are in the fully nested configuration. 11. The telescoping mast assembly of claim 9 further including: an upper-limit light source and an upper-limit light sensor disposed on the outer mast section;an upper limit mirror disposed inside the inner mast section;the inner mast section and the outer mast section each including upper-limit alignment holes formed therein, the upper-limit light source, upper-limit mirror, upper-limit light sensor, and the upper-limit alignment holes positioned to be in optical alignment to form an optical path including the upper-limit light source, the upper-limit mirror and the upper-limit sensor when the inner mast section, the intermediate mast section, and the outer mast section are in a fully extended configuration; andwherein the upper-limit sensor is coupled to the motor to turn off the motor when the inner mast section, the intermediate mast section, and the outer mast section are in the fully extended configuration. 12. The telescoping mast assembly of claim 7 wherein the threaded portion of the drive screw has multiple individual starts. 13. The telescoping mast assembly of claim 7 wherein the threaded portion of the drive screw employs an acme thread. 14. The telescoping mast assembly of claim 7 wherein the drive screw has a tapered upper end above an end of the threaded portion of the drive screw to guide descending drive nut assemblies onto the drive screw. 15. The telescoping mast assembly of claim 7 wherein the drive nut assemblies of the inner mast section and the intermediate mast section are resiliently mounted to their respective mast sections to provide vertical play in both an upward and downward direction. 16. The telescoping mast assembly of claim 7 wherein the drive nut assemblies of the inner mast section and the intermediate mast section have cone shaped threads at each end thereof. 17. The telescoping mast assembly of claim 1 further including a lower optical limit sensor including: a lower-limit light source and a lower-limit light sensor disposed on the outer mast section;a lower-limit mirror disposed inside the inner mast section; andthe inner mast section, the intermediate mast section, and the outer mast section each including lower-limit alignment holes formed therein, the lower-limit light source, lower-limit mirror, lower-limit light sensor, and the lower-limit alignment holes positioned to be in optical alignment to form an optical path including the light source, the lower-limit mirror and the lower-limit sensor when the inner mast section, the intermediate mast section, and the outer mast section are in a fully nested configuration. 18. The telescoping mast assembly of claim 1 further including an upper optical limit sensor including: an upper-limit light source and an upper-limit light sensor disposed on the outer mast section;an upper limit mirror disposed inside the inner mast section; andthe inner mast section and the outer mast section each including upper-limit alignment holes formed therein, the upper-limit light source, upper-limit mirror, upper-limit light sensor, and the upper-limit alignment holes positioned to be in optical alignment to form an optical path including the upper-limit light source, the upper-limit mirror and the upper-limit sensor when the inner mast section, the intermediate mast section, and the outer mast section are in a fully extended configuration.