System for raising and lowering communications equipment

• US 5,570,546 A
• Filed: 07/31/1995
• Issued: 11/05/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Summitt Manufacturing, LLC
• Original Assignee: American High MAST Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: O'Brien, David, Butterworth, Robert S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wood, Wynn E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): McTigue, Aimee E.
• Application Number:
  US08/509,311
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• Field of Search: 52/111, 52/113, 52/119, 52/120, 52/121, 343/890, 343/883, 343/874, 472/2, 472/3, 472/39
• US Class Current: 52/111
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 12/34 Arrangements for erecting or lowering towers, masts, poles, chimney stacks, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/38 with a cable
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1242 Rigid masts specially adapted for supporting an aerial

Abstract

A system for lowering and raising telecommunications equipment along a mast pole. The system comprises a mast pole, a platform means, a frame means, a plurality of lift cables, a hoisting means and a transition means. The platform means surrounds the external surface of the mast pole and is moveable along the length thereof. The platform means is arranged for mounting of telecommunications equipment thereon. The frame means is attached at the open upper end of the mast pole shaft and comprises pulley means, means for guiding at least one lift cable and means for guiding at least one telecommunications cable, i.e., signal cable or power cable. Each lift cable has a first end connected to the platform means and extends through the guiding means and through the passageway of the mast pole. The hoisting means is secured to the lower end of the mast pole and is provided for selectively raising and lowering the platform means. The pulley means includes a winch cable having a free end. The transition means is located within the passageway of the mast pole and is provided to couple the second end of the lift cables to the free end of the winch cable. The transition means also provides a means for retaining at least one telecommunications cable therein.

Claims

1. A system for lowering and raising first telecommunications equipment along a mast pole, the first telecommunications equipment being connected with second telecommunications equipment positioned at ground level by means of at least one telecommunications cable, the telecommunications cable having a first end connected to the first telecommunications equipment and a second end connected to the second telecommunications equipment, the second end of the telecommunications cable being detachable from the second telecommunications equipment to enable the lowering and raising of the first telecommunications equipment, said system comprising:

a. an elongated mast pole having an open upper end, a lower end, an external surface and a passageway extending between said open upper end and said lower end;

b. platform means surrounding the external surface of said mast pole and moveable along a length thereof, said platform means being arranged for mounting of the first telecommunications equipment thereon;

c. frame means attached to said mast pole adjacent said open upper end, said frame means comprising pulley means, means for guiding at least one lift cable and means for guiding at least one telecommunications cable;

d. at least one lift cable having a first end and a second end, said first end being connected to said platform means, said lift cable extending over said pulley means, through said guiding means and through the passageway of said mast pole;

e. hoisting means coupled to the lower end of said mast pole, said hoisting means including a winch cable having a free end, said hoisting means being provided for selectively raising said platform means to an elevated position adjacent the upper end of said mast pole and lowering said platform means to a lowered position adjacent the lower end of said mast pole; and

f. transition means located within the passageway of said mast pole, said transition means coupling the second end of said at least one lift cable to the free end of said winch cable, said transition means further comprising means for retaining at least one telecommunications cable.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said hoisting means comprises a winch drum on which said winch cable is wound, said winch drum being located at the lower end of said mast pole.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said hoisting means further comprises a motor coupled to said winch drum.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said hoisting means further comprises a first gearing means, said first gearing means being interposed between said motor and said winch drum and having a first end coupled to said motor and a second end coupled to said winch drum.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said hoisting means further comprises a second gearing means, said second gearing means being interposed between said first gearing means and said winch drum and having a first end coupled to said first gearing means and a second end coupled to said winch drum.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said first gearing means comprises an in-line reducer and said second gearing means comprises a right-angle reducer.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said hoisting means further comprises a frequency inverter coupled to said motor.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said mast pole tapers uniformly over its entire length from its lower end toward its upper end.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said transition means comprises at least one lift cable opening extending therethrough for coupling the second end of said at least one lift cable to said transition means.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said transition means further comprises a winch cable opening extending therethrough for coupling the free end of said winch cable to said transition means.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising a winch cable connection means positioned within said winch cable opening of said transition means for coupling the free end of said winch cable to said transition means.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said winch cable connection means comprises a ball bearing swivel.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein said transition means comprises a central portion and wherein said winch cable opening is located in the central portion of said transition means.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for retaining at least one telecommunications cable of said transition means comprises means for retaining at least one signal cable.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said means for retaining at least one signal cable comprises at least one signal cable opening extending through said transition means and a cable grip attached thereto.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said at least one signal cable opening is threaded.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for retaining at least one telecommunications cable of said transition means comprises means for retaining at least one power cable.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said means for retaining at least one power cable comprises at least one power cable opening extending through said transition means and a cable grip attached thereto.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein said at least one power cable opening is threaded.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein said transition means further comprises means for retaining at least one power cable.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein said means for retaining at least one power cable comprises at least one power cable opening extending through said transition means and a cable grip attached thereto.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein said at least one power cable opening is threaded.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein said transition means is generally triangular in shape.

24. The system of claim 18 wherein said transition means is generally circular in shape.

25. The system of claim 1 wherein said platform means comprises a generally circular center ring having an inner surface, an outer surface and a bottom surface.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein said platform means additionally comprises at least one antenna mounting arm, said antenna mounting arm having a first end connected to the outer surface of said center ring and a second end extending outwardly from said center ring, the second end being arranged for mounting of at least one antenna thereon.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein said platform means additionally comprises at least one luminaire mounting arm, said luminaire mounting arm having a first end connected to the outer surface of said center ring and a second end extending outwardly from said center ring, the second end being arranged for mounting of at least one luminaire thereon.

28. The system of claim 25 wherein said platform means further comprises at least one roller attached to the inner surface of said circular ring.

29. The system of claim 1 wherein the platform means is adapted for supporting telecommunications means comprising at least one antenna and at least one unit of telecommunications equipment connected thereto and wherein said platform means is arranged to support the at least one antenna and the at least one unit of telecommunications equipment thereon.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein said platform means comprises at least two tiers connected by joining means.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein each said tier is generally triangular in shape.

32. The system of claim 1 wherein said frame means additionally comprises a base plate having a center portion and a top surface, said pulley means being mounted to the top surface of said base plate.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein said base plate comprises said means for guiding at least one telecommunications cable and said means for guiding at least one lift cable.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein said means for guiding at least one lift cable comprises at least one lift cable opening extending through said base plate.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein said means for guiding at least one telecommunications cable comprises at least one signal cable opening extending through said base plate.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein said at least one signal cable opening is located in the center portion of said base plate.

37. The system of claim 34 wherein said at least one lift cable opening is located in the center portion of said base plate.

38. The system of claim 36 further comprising a bushing located within said at least one signal cable opening.

39. The system of claim 33 wherein said means for guiding at least one telecommunications cable comprises at least one power cable opening extending through said base plate.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein said at least one power cable opening is located in the center portion of said base plate.

41. The system of claim 40 further comprising a bushing located within said at least one power cable opening.

42. The system of claim 35 further comprising at least one power cable opening extending through said base plate.

43. The system of claim 42 wherein said at least one power cable opening is located in the center portion of said base plate.

44. The system of claim 43 further comprising a bushing located within said at least one power cable opening.

45. The system of claim 42 wherein said base plate is generally circular.

46. The system of claim 1 wherein said pulley means comprises at least one telecommunications cable roller means and at least one lift cable roller compartment.

47. The system of claim 46 wherein said telecommunications cable roller means comprises at least one signal cable roller compartment.

48. The system of claim 46 wherein said telecommunications cable roller means comprises at least one power cable roller compartment.

49. The system of claim 47 wherein said telecommunications cable roller further comprises at least one power cable roller compartment.

50. The system of claim 36 wherein said at least one lift cable opening is arranged to allow passage therethrough of a lift cable having a thickness, said at least one lift cable opening being sized substantially the same as the thickness of said lift cable, and wherein said at least one signal cable opening is arranged to allow passage therethrough of a signal cable having a thickness, said at least one signal cable opening being sized substantially the same as the thickness of the signal cable, said base plate being closed except for said at least one lift cable opening and said at least one signal cable opening to prevent ingress of unwanted materials therethrough.

51. The system of claim 50 further comprising at least one power cable opening extending through said base plate, said at least one power cable opening being arranged to allow passage therethrough of a power cable having a thickness, said at least one power cable opening being sized substantially the same as the thickness of said power cable.

52. The system of claim 1 wherein said platform means is provided with a top surface and said frame means is provided with a bottom surface, said system additionally comprising a plurality of docking pins connected to the top surface of said platform means and extending upwardly, said system additionally comprising a plurality of docking pin receptacles connected to the bottom surface of said frame means, said docking pins being opposed to said receptacles and arranged to fit within said receptacles when said platform means is raised to said elevated position to assure precise repeatability of said first telecommunications equipment.