Integrated erectable antenna system
First Claim
1. An integrated erectable antenna system comprising a platform,a post secured to and extending vertically from said platform and having an upper end spaced a predetermined distance from said platform,a mast having first and second ends and being pivotally secured adjacent to the first end to said upper end of said post for movement between a horizontal stowed position and a vertical operative position,means for pivoting said mast between said horizontal and vertical positions,an antenna assembly slidably mounted on said mast between a stowed position substantially midway between said first and second ends thereof and an operative position at said second end,means to releasably lock said assembly in said stowed and operative positions, respectively,said assembly comprising an elongated boom and a hinge mechanism, said boom having a longitudinal axis and being pivotally connected to said hinge mechanism for rotation about first and second axes extending perpendicular and parallel, respectively, to said longitudinal axis of the boom,radiating means mounted on said boom, andmeans for electrically feeding said radiating means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An integrated erectable antenna system comprises a mast pivotally mounted for rotation between a horizontal stowed position and a vertical operative position, and a log-periodic antenna assembly longitudinally slidably and pivotally mounted on the mast for movement between stowed and operative positions. The pivoted end of the mast has an extendible arm connected by cable to a hand operated winch. The antenna assembly comprises an elongated boom having many articulated transverse dipoles connected thereto over its length and foldable for stowing without disconnecting the dipole parts. The boom is hinged to the mast about one axis transverse to the latter for pivoting from a stowed position parallel to the mast to an operative position perpendicular to the mast and about another axis parallel to the boom for orienting the dipoles in either horizontal or vertical planes when the mast is in the vertical position. The entire system may be mounted on a standard size military passenger vehicle ("Jeep"), is collapsible into a space approximating the length and width of the vehicle, and is erectable to the fully operative position by one operator in less than five (5) minutes and by two operators in less than three (3) minutes.
The invention also contemplates the method of erecting this antenna system consisting of the steps extending a lever arm from the pivoted end of the mast, sliding the antenna assembly from mid-mast to the other mast end, extending the folded dipoles to full length, and pivoting the antenna assembly into the operative position perpendicular to the mast while pivoting the mast from horizontal to vertical positions by winding on a winch reel a cable attached to the lever arm.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An integrated erectable antenna system comprising a platform,
a post secured to and extending vertically from said platform and having an upper end spaced a predetermined distance from said platform, a mast having first and second ends and being pivotally secured adjacent to the first end to said upper end of said post for movement between a horizontal stowed position and a vertical operative position, means for pivoting said mast between said horizontal and vertical positions, an antenna assembly slidably mounted on said mast between a stowed position substantially midway between said first and second ends thereof and an operative position at said second end, means to releasably lock said assembly in said stowed and operative positions, respectively, said assembly comprising an elongated boom and a hinge mechanism, said boom having a longitudinal axis and being pivotally connected to said hinge mechanism for rotation about first and second axes extending perpendicular and parallel, respectively, to said longitudinal axis of the boom, radiating means mounted on said boom, and means for electrically feeding said radiating means.
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12. An erectable antenna system comprising an elongated mast having a longitudinal axis and being pivotally supported at one end for movement between a horizontal stowed position and a vertical operative position,
an antenna assembly slidably mounted on said mast between a stowed position symmetrical with said mast and an operative position at the other end of the mast opposite said one end, said assembly comprising an elongated boom and a plurality of longitudinally spaced dipoles connected to and extending transversely of said boom, said boom having a longitudinal axis and being pivotally connected to said mast for rotation about an axis transverse to said longitudinal axis whereby said boom is horizontal when said mast is in the stowed and operative positions, and means for electrically feeding said dipoles.
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16. In an antenna system having an elongated mast with an antenna assembly supported on said mast, said assembly having an elongated boom and a plurality of foldable dipoles connected to said boom, a method of erecting said system from a stowed position with the mast horizontal and said boom parallel to said mast to an operative position with the mast vertical and said boom perpendicular to said mast, consisting of the steps of
unfolding said dipoles to full operating lengths, moving said assembly from a position longitudinally symmetrical with said mast to a position at one end of the mast, and pivoting said mast about a horizontal axis at the other end thereof and simultaneously rotating said antenna assembly about a first axis perpendicular to said boom until said mast and said assembly are in said operative position with said dipoles horizontal.
Specification