Theft resistant upstanding mount for temporary support of costly equipment likely to be a target for theft

• US 9,803,794 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2016
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Franklin B. White
• Original Assignee: Franklin B. White
• Inventors: White, Franklin B
• Primary Examiner(s): MCNICHOLS, ERET C
• Application Number:
  US15/530,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20170114946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 308 Days
• Field of Search: 2481771, 2481788, 2481801, 2481881
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/261 Surveying the work-site to be treated
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 12/003 Access covers or locks therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 67/383 Staples or the like for padlocks; Lock slings; Arrangements on locks to cooperate with padlocks
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/04 Means for attachment of apparatus; Means allowing adjustment of the apparatus relatively to the stand
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/12 in more than one direction
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/14 with ball-joint ball-jointed hinges F16C11/06 ; adjustable mountings employing universal joints for lighting devices F21V21/26 - F21V21/30
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/2064 for tilting and panning F16M11/2078 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/28 Undercarriages for supports with one single telescoping pillar
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/02 for supporting on, or attaching to, an object, e.g. tree, gate, window-frame, cycle
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/024 by positive interaction, e.g. male-female connections
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/028 by positive interaction, e.g. male-female connections
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/00 Surveying instruments or accessories not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C13/00

Abstract

A telescopically extensible upstanding mast carries an upper mounting station near an upper end of the mast, a lower mounting station near the lower end of the mast, and an intermediate mounting station, located along the mast inbetween the lower and upper mounting stations, with each mounting station being independently lockable to releasably retain a separate costly equipment device. The upper mounting station has a threaded formation that is normally free-wheeling until a shrouded rotation control prevents the formation from turning so a costly equipment device can be threaded onto and off of the threaded formation. The intermediate and lower mounting stations each have removable and non-removable members that can be locked together to releasably retain costly equipment devices.

Claims

1. A theft resistant upstanding mount for adjustably supporting at temporary outdoor locations costly equipment likely to be a target for theft, comprising:

a) a base assembly that can be adjusted to rest in a stable manner atop a surface or object that does not necessarily extend in a perfectly horizontal manner;

b) a telescopically extensible, height adjustable mast assembly connected to the base assembly for extending upwardly substantially vertically from the base assembly even if the surface or object on which the base assembly rests does not extend in a perfectly horizontal manner;

c) an upper mounting station connected to and supported by the mast assembly, and being configured to support a first costly equipment device adjacent the upper end region of the mast assembly;

d) a lower mounting station connected to and supported by the mast assembly, and being configured to support a second costly equipment device adjacent the lower end region of the mast assembly;

and

e) with the upper mounting station including a threaded mount component that extends concentrically along, and is supported by a bearing to be normally turnable about, a predetermined axis to prevent the first costly equipment device from being threaded onto and off of the threaded mount component while the threaded mount is turnable about the predetermined axis to thereby prevent theft of the costly equipment device from the upper mounting station;

unless the threaded mount component is prevented from turning about the predetermined axis by rotation control means that also constitutes a component of the upper mounting station that can be used to temporarily prevent turning of the threaded mount component about the predetermined axis to thereby enable the first costly equipment device to be threaded onto the threaded mount component to securely connect the first costly equipment device to the upper mounting station while the threaded mount component is prevented from turning about the predetermined axis, and to thereby enable the first costly equipment device to threaded off of the threaded mount component disconnect the first costly equipment device from the upper mounting station while the threaded mount component is prevented from turning about the predetermined axis, wherein;

the telescopically extensible, height adjustable mast assembly is formed from a plurality of relatively movable components that are capable, when fully extended, of supporting the upper mounting station at a height greater than 12 feet, whereby the size of the upstanding mount, when the mast components are fully extended, provides an unwieldily structure that deters theft by virtue of its height;

one of the relatively movable components extends into and is received within another of the relatively movable components, with a set of alignable holes being formed through the one and another components, and with a lockable, removable hitch pin assembly extending through the alignable holes when aligned to prevent relative movement of the one and another components; and

shroud collars are welded to opposed side surfaces of the another component to protectively enclose and limit access to opposite end regions of the lockable hitch pin assembly.

2. The theft resistant upstanding mount of claim 1, with the lower mounting station including:

a) a non-removable component securely connected to the mast assembly and configured to underlie and to extend upwardly closely alongside the second costly equipment device that is to be supported by the second mounting station; and

b) a removable component that is lockable or padlockable in place to prevent removal of the second costly equipment device from the lower mounting station until the removable component is unlocked and removed.

3. The theft resistant upstanding mount of claim 1 wherein the second costly equipment device supported by the lower mounting station includes a rechargeable battery.

4. The theft resistant upstanding mount of claim 1 wherein the second costly equipment device supported by the lower mounting station includes a source of electrical power.

5. The theft resistant upstanding mount of claim 1 wherein the base assembly is configured to be releasably connected to at least one massive block of concrete weighing in excess of 100 pounds, whereby the connection of the base assembly to the massive block, and the full extension of the height adjustable mast assembly provides an unwieldily structure that deters theft by virtue of both the weight and size of the theft resistant upstanding mount.

6. The theft resistant upstanding mount of claim 1 wherein at least one pair of the relatively movable components overlap by extending alongside each other at a particular location, and wherein the upstanding mount includes lockable means provided adjacent the particular location for releasably maintaining an overlap of the at least one pair of relatively movable components.

7. The theft resistant upstanding mount of claim 1 including two relatively movable components that have a first set of aligned holes formed therethrough that are secured by a threaded fastener extending therethrough with a nut threaded onto the threaded fastener, with a second set of aligned holes being formed through the nut and the threaded fastener, and with a padlock having a shackle that extends through the second set of aligned holes to thereby secure the fastener, the nut, and the two relatively movable components.

8. The theft resistant upstanding mount of claim 1 wherein the lower mount includes a bracket connected to the mast that is configured to support at least one rechargeable battery.

9. The theft resistant upstanding mount of claim 1 wherein the base assembly includes a saddle shaped support structure configured to overlie and to be securely clamped to opposite sides of an upstanding, massive concrete barrier structure weighing in excess of 100 pounds.

10. The theft resistant upstanding mount of claim 9 wherein the saddle-shaped support structure includes padlockable threaded fasteners that can be turned to clamp the saddle-shaped support structure to the opposite sides of the concrete barrier structure.

11. A theft resistant upstanding mount for supporting two different costly equipment devices each at different vertical heights, including a telescopically extensible upstanding mast having an upper mounting station located near and connected to an upper end region of the mast, and a lower mounting station located near and connected to a lower end region of the mast, with the upper mounting station including a threaded formation extending along an upstanding axis about which the threaded formation is normally turnable unless a rotation control means is operated to prevent the threaded formation from turning about the upstanding axis so that a costly equipment device can be threaded selectively onto and off of the threaded formation, wherein:

at least a chosen one of the mounting stations includes a non-removable component configured to underlie and extend upwardly closely alongside a costly equipment device supported by the chosen mounting station, and a removable component; and

the removable and non-removable components have holes formed therethrough that are alignable, and that, when aligned, can receive a shackle of a padlock so that the removable component and the non-removable component can be padlocked together.

12. The theft resistant upstanding mount of claim 11 additionally including a shroud that normally shields the rotation control means from being operated until the shroud is oriented in a particular way that permits access to the rotation control means.