Van-mounted ladder assembly with concealed radio antennas

• US 5,048,641 A
• Filed: 11/23/1990
• Issued: 09/17/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC (Brookfield Asset Management Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Jack N. Holcomb
• Inventors: Pangratz, Konrad K., Holcomb, Jack N.
• Primary Examiner(s): MACHADO, REINALDO
• Application Number:
  US07/617,780
• Time in Patent Office: 298 Days
• Field of Search: 182/129, 182/219, 182/127, 343/713, 343/720, 343/711
• US Class Current: 182/127
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3275 mounted on a horizontal surface of the vehicle, e.g. on roof, hood, trunk

Abstract

The present invention has a pair of hollow fiberglass ladders supported on top of the roof of a van by a support means including a hollow standard extending up from the roof and located between the inner sides of the two ladders. Antennas are located in the hollow outer sides of the ladders and electrical wiring for the antennas extends through hollow rungs of the ladders and through the hollow inner sides of the ladder, through the hollow standard, and down through an opening in the van roof to radio communication equipment inside the van.

Claims

1. A ladder assembly for use on a van having an opening therein, said ladder assembly comprising:

ladder support means for attachment to said van to support a ladder on said van, said support means including a standard having a hollow interior adapted to communicate with said van opening to pass electrical wiring, said standard having a side opening communicating with said hollow interior;

a ladder having first and second, opposite, elongated sides and a plurality of rungs extending between said sides;

said first side of the ladder extending next to said standard and having an opening registering with said side opening in said standard, said first side having a hollow interior extending lengthwise of said first side away from said opening in said first side;

at least one of said rungs having a hollow interior communicating with said hollow interior of said first side;

said second side of the ladder having a hollow interior communicating with the hollow interior of said one rung, said second side of the ladder being substantially transparent to RF signals;

an antenna in the hollow interior of said second side;

and electrical wiring connected to said antenna and extending therefrom through the hollow interior of said one rung, through the hollow interior of said first side, from said one rung to said standard, and through the hollow interior of said standard to pass through said opening in the van.

2. A ladder assembly according to claim 1 wherein:

said plurality of rungs include a second rung with a hollow interior communicating at its opposite ends with the hollow interior of said first side and the hollow interior of said second side of the ladder;

and further comprising;

a second antenna in the hollow interior of said second side of the ladder;

and electrical wiring connected to said second antenna and extending therefrom through the hollow interior of said second rung, through the hollow interior of said first side from said second rung to said standard, and through the hollow interior of said standard to pass through said opening in the van.

3. A ladder assembly for use on a van with a roof having an opening therein, said ladder assembly comprising:

ladder support means for attachment to said roof to support a ladder on top of the roof, said support means including a standard having a hollow interior adapted to communicate with said roof opening to pass electrical wiring, said standard having a side opening communicating with said hollow interior;

a ladder having first and second, opposite, elongated sides and a plurality of rungs extending between said sides;

said first side of the ladder extending next to said standard and having an opening registering with said side opening in said standard, said first side having a hollow interior extending lengthwise of said first side away from said opening in said first side;

at least one of said rungs having a hollow interior communicating with said hollow interior of said first side;

said second side of the ladder having a hollow interior communicating with the hollow interior of said one rung, said second side of the ladder being substantially transparent to RF signals;

an antenna in the hollow interior of said second side;

and electrical wiring connected to said antenna and extending therefrom through the hollow interior of said one rung, through the hollow interior of said first side, from said one rung to said standard, and through the hollow interior of said standard to pass down through said opening in the van roof.

4. A ladder assembly according to claim 3 wherein:

said plurality of rungs include a second rung with a hollow interior communicating at its opposite ends with the hollow interior of said first side and the hollow interior of said second side of the ladder;

and further comprising;

a second antenna in the hollow interior of said second side of the ladder;

and electrical wiring connected to said second antenna and extending therefrom through the hollow interior of said second rung, through the hollow interior of said first side from said second rung to said standard, and through the hollow interior of said standard to pass through said opening in the van roof.

5. A ladder assembly for use on a van with a roof having an opening therein, said ladder assembly comprising:

ladder support means for attachment to said roof to support two ladders on top of the roof, said support means including a standard having a hollow interior adapted to communicate with said roof opening, said support means having opposite first and second side openings communicating with said hollow interior;

first and second ladders on opposite sides of said standard, each of said ladders having inner and outer, opposite, elongated hollow sides and a plurality of hollow rungs extending between said inner and outer sides, said outer sides of said ladders being substantially transparent to RF signals;

said inner side of said first ladder having an opening therein which registers with said first side opening in said standard;

a plurality of first antennas spaced apart along the inside of said hollow outer side of said first ladder;

first electrical wiring connected to said first antennas and extending through said hollow rungs to said inner side of said first ladder, along the inside of said inner side of said first ladder to said standard, and through said standard to pass down through said opening in the van roof;

said inner side of said second ladder having an opening therein which registers with said second side opening in said standard;

a plurality of second antennas spaced apart along the inside of said hollow outer side of said second ladder;

and second electrical wiring connected to said second antennas and extending through said hollow rungs to said inner side of said second ladder, along the inside of said inner side of said second ladder to said standard, and through said standard to pass down through said opening in the van roof.

6. A ladder assembly for use on a van having an opening therein, said ladder assembly comprising:

ladder support means for attachment to said van to support a ladder on said van, said support means including a standard having a hollow interior adapted to communicate with said opening in the van, said standard having an opening communicating with said hollow interior;

a ladder having first and second, opposite, elongated sides and a plurality of rungs extending between said sides;

said first side of the ladder extending next to said standard and having an opening registering with said opening in said standard, said first side having a hollow interior extending lengthwise of said first side away from said opening in said first side for receiving electrical wiring extending from said opening in the van through the hollow interior of said standard;

at least one of said rungs having a hollow interior communicating with said hollow interior of said first side for passing said electrical wiring;

and said second side of the ladder having a hollow interior communicating with the hollow interior of said one rung for receiving said wiring and an antenna connected to said wiring, said second side of the ladder being substantially transparent to RF signals.

7. A ladder assembly for use on a van with a roof having an opening therein, said ladder assembly comprising:

ladder support means for attachment to said roof to support a ladder on top of the roof, said support means including a standard having a hollow interior adapted to communicate with said roof opening, said standard having a side opening communicating with said hollow interior;

a ladder having first and second, opposite, elongated sides and a plurality of rungs extending between said sides;

said first side of the ladder extending next to said standard and having an opening registering with said side opening in said standard, said first side having a hollow interior extending lengthwise of said first side away from said opening in said first side for receiving electrical wiring extending from said opening in the van roof through the hollow interior of said standard;

at least one of said rungs having a hollow interior communicating with said hollow interior of said first side for passing said electrical wiring;

and said second side of the ladder having a hollow interior communicating with the hollow interior of said one rung for receiving said wiring and an antenna connected to said wiring, said second side of the ladder being substantially transparent to RF signals.

8. In combination,

a van having an opening therein;

ladder support means on said van;

a ladder on said support means having a hollow interior, at least a portion of said ladder being substantially transparent to RF signals;

an antenna in the hollow interior of said ladder at said portion of the ladder which is substantially transparent to RF signals;

and electrical wiring connected to said antenna and extending through the hollow interiors of said ladder and through said opening in the van into the interior of the van.

9. In combination,

a van having a roof with an opening therein;

ladder support means on top of said roof;

a ladder on said support means having a hollow interior, at least a portion of said ladder being substantially transparent to RF signals;

an antenna in the hollow interior of said ladder at said portion of the ladder which is substantially transparent to RF signals;

and electrical wiring connected to said antenna and extending through the hollow interiors of said ladder and through said opening in the van roof into the interior of the van below said roof.

10. The combination of claim 9 wherein:

said ladder support means includes a standard having a hollow interior adapted to communicate with said opening in the van roof, said standard having a side opening therein;

said ladder has first and second, opposite, elongated sides and a plurality of rungs extending between said sides;

said first side of the ladder extends next to said standard and has an opening registering with said side opening in the standard;

said first side has a hollow interior extending lengthwise of said first side away from said standard and receiving said wiring.

11. The combination of claim 10 wherein:

at least one of said rungs has a hollow interior communicating with the hollow interior of said first side and receiving said wiring;

said second side of the ladder has a hollow interior communicating with the hollow interior of said one rung and receiving said antenna.

12. The combination of claim 11 wherein:

said plurality of rungs include a second rung with a hollow interior communicating at its opposite ends with the hollow interior of said first side and the hollow interior of said second side of the ladder;

said electrical wiring includes additional wiring extending from the hollow interior of said second side through said second rung and through said first side to said standard;

and further comprising;

a second antenna in the hollow interior of said second side and connected to said additional wiring.

13. In combination,

a van having a roof with an opening therein;

ladder support means on top of said roof for supporting two ladders above the roof, said support means including a standard having a hollow interior adapted to communicate with said opening in the van roof, said standard having opposite first and second side openings communicating with said hollow interior;

first and second ladders on opposite sides of said standard, each of said ladders having inner and outer opposite, elongated, hollow sides and a plurality of hollow rungs extending between said inner and outer sides, said outer sides of said ladders being substantially transparent to RF signals;

said inner side of said first ladder having an opening therein which registers with said first side opening in said standard;

a plurality of first antennas spaced apart along the inside of said hollow outer side of said first ladder;

first electrical wiring connected to said first antenna and extending through said hollow rungs to said inner side of said first ladder, along the inside of said inner side of said first ladder to said standard, and through said standard to pass down through said opening in the van roof;

said inner side of said second ladder having an opening therein which registers with said second side opening in said standard;

a plurality of second antennas spaced apart along the inside of said hollow outer side of said second ladder;

and second electrical wiring connected to said second antennas and extending through said hollow rungs to said inner side of said second ladder, along the inside of said inner side of said second ladder to said standard, and through said standard to pass down through said opening in the van roof.