EP2430264B1 - Method for keeping a transportable mast upright during erection or retraction thereof, and a mast assembly - Google Patents
Method for keeping a transportable mast upright during erection or retraction thereof, and a mast assembly Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP2430264B1 EP2430264B1 EP10726447A EP10726447A EP2430264B1 EP 2430264 B1 EP2430264 B1 EP 2430264B1 EP 10726447 A EP10726447 A EP 10726447A EP 10726447 A EP10726447 A EP 10726447A EP 2430264 B1 EP2430264 B1 EP 2430264B1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- mast
- guy
- guy control
- assembly
- tubular
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Images
Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
- E04H12/00—Towers; Masts or poles; Chimney stacks; Water-towers; Methods of erecting such structures
- E04H12/18—Towers; Masts or poles; Chimney stacks; Water-towers; Methods of erecting such structures movable or with movable sections, e.g. rotatable or telescopic
- E04H12/185—Towers; Masts or poles; Chimney stacks; Water-towers; Methods of erecting such structures movable or with movable sections, e.g. rotatable or telescopic with identical elements
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
- E04H12/00—Towers; Masts or poles; Chimney stacks; Water-towers; Methods of erecting such structures
- E04H12/34—Arrangements for erecting or lowering towers, masts, poles, chimney stacks, or the like
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
- H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
- H01Q1/12—Supports; Mounting means
- H01Q1/1235—Collapsible supports; Means for erecting a rigid antenna
Definitions
- the invention relates to a method for keeping a transportable mast upright during erection or retraction thereof.
- the invention also relates to a mast assembly comprising a mast, a base, and a guy control assembly.
- Transportable masts are known in the art, and are for example used for supporting and orienting temporary transmitting and/or receiving antennas, for both military and civilian purposes, at a distance above the ground of e.g. 2 to 25 meters.
- Transportable masts of this kind are usually constructed using a tripod with a circular upright opening, in which a first tubular element is inserted in an upright position. An antenna is attached to the top of this first tubular element. Then the first tubular element is lifted together with the antenna, so that a second tubular element can be inserted underneath the first tubular element. The top of the second tubular element engages the bottom of the first tubular element, and so on.
- FIG. 1 shows a stand with mast tubes and guy ropes which lead to a rope winder over guide pulleys with which the ropes can be tightened individually or together.
- the ropes can be fastened to the anchoring points and tightened by hand, or be wound to rope reels to wind the ropes.
- a disadvantage of this system is that the rope winder and rope reels are slow to handle and easily get blocked by sand or dirt.
- This aim is achieved according to the invention with a mast assembly showing the technical features of claim 1.
- the mast assembly comprises a base and a transportable mast and a guy control assembly for stabilizing the mast during erection or retraction of the mast, the mast comprising a plurality of tubular mast elements positioned on top of each other;
- the base comprising: - a guide shaft with an opening for guiding the displacement of the tubular mast elements during erection or retraction of the mast; - a plurality of legs connected to the guide shaft, for positioning the guide shaft at a distance above ground to allow insertion of the tubular mast elements from a position below the guide shaft;
- the guy control assembly being connected to the mast at a predefined position T in at least three directions by means of at least three guy control wires, a first end of each guy control wire being connected to the mast, a second end of each guy control wire being connected to the guy control assembly, each guy control wire being guided at a position between the first and second end of the guy control wire towards a ground position X, Y, Z located at a distance R and being separate from
- the guy control wires can be kept under tension by a single person.
- the tightening or relaxing of the guy control wires occurs by simply walking towards or away from the base, which can happen fast.
- the single person can firmly hold the guy control assembly in one hand, thereby keeping the guy control wires under tension, while being able to adjust the position of one of the guy control wires with his other hand.
- a guy control assembly with moving parts can be avoided, thus providing a more reliable system, which is less vulnerable to dust or sand. This is especially important in military applications.
- the inventor has found that by routing the guy control wires from the predefined position T on the mast, to the ground positions X, Y, Z at a predefined distance R and separate from the base, instead of routing them towards the legs of the base, the guy control wires can be located away from the base, in such a way that that the person standing near the base for lifting the mast, getting additional mast elements and inserting them into the base is not obstructed by the guy control wires. This greatly reduces the time required for setting-up the mast, but also improves the safety of the personnel and equipment on and near the mast, and it reduces the number of accidents and the resulting down-time which can cost large amounts of money.
- the ground positions X, Y, Z are located on an imaginary circle of a predefined radius R, where the base is standing in a centre of the circle. Using such positions provides for a uniform tension in the guy control wires.
- the radius (R) is chosen such that an angle ⁇ between a ground surface and the guy control wires is between 45 and 60 degrees when the mast is fully erected. This gives a good compromise between stability of the mast, and a reasonable area occupied by the mast assembly.
- the ground positions X, Y, Z are lying 120 degrees apart on the imaginary circle. This gives an optimal distribution of the ground positions for pulling the mast in three directions for holding it upright.
- the guy control wires are routed from the ground positions X, Y, Z to one of the ground positions Y before being routed further to the single position P.
- the forces exerted upon the person holding the guy control assembly are oriented in only one direction which makes it easier and more reliable to hold the guy control assembly because the person is not pulled sideways when the wind pushes the mast in one direction. Instead, the person only has to move towards or away from the base for keeping the guy control wires under tension and is not surprised by a sideways movement.
- the tension exerted upon the guy control wires becomes substantially independent of the position of the person with respect to the base, thereby keeping the mast substantially upright even if the person moves slant towards or away from the base.
- the guy control assembly comprises rope cleats whereto the second ends of the guy control wires are connected.
- rope cleats are extremely suitable means for releasably connecting or releasing the second ends of the guy control wires to or from the guy control assembly. This allows the guy control wires to be easily connected, or released, or adapted from the guy control assembly using only one hand, so that the other hand can be used for holding the guy control assembly at a position above the ground.
- the guy control assembly has three handles, a left handle, a right handle and a lower handle, for holding the guy control wires under tension, or for adjusting a guy control wire.
- the central position of the lower handle is especially useful for holding the guy control assembly with one hand, while placing the guy control wires on the guy control assembly by the other hand, or for adjusting the position of one of the guy control wires while keeping the other guy control wires under tension.
- the left and right handles are especially handy for firmly holding the guy control assembly with both hands.
- This aim is achieved according to the present invention by a method showing the technical features of the independent claim 14.
- the mast being part of a mast assembly that also comprises a base and a portable guy control assembly, the mast comprising a plurality of tubular mast elements positioned on top of each other;
- the base comprising: - a guide shaft with an opening for guiding the displacement of the tubular mast elements during erection or retraction of the mast;
- - a plurality of legs connected to the guide shaft for positioning the guide shaft at a distance above ground to allow insertion of the tubular mast elements from a position below the guide shaft;
- the method comprising the steps of: - connecting first ends of at least three guy control wires to the mast at a predefined position T in at least three directions; - guiding each guy control wire towards a ground position X, Y, Z located at a predefined distance R and separate from the base, and routing them further to a single position P to permit keeping the guy control wires under tension by a single person;
- the guy control wires By connecting the guy control wires in three directions and routing them to ground positions X, Y, Z at a (minimum) predefined distance R from the base, a stable position of the mast can be obtained. By routing them to a single position P, the three wires can be held by a single person. By connecting the second ends of the guy control wires to the portable guy control assembly, a firm holding of each of the guy control wires is provided, and their relative position can be better adjusted. By moving towards or away from the base, the three guy control wires are simultaneously released or pulled, allowing the mast to be quickly lifted or lowered while keeping the mast upright. As the guy control assembly has no moving parts, and is typically held by a person above the ground, sand or the like cannot block the system.
- the invention relates to a mast assembly 47 comprising a transportable mast 2, a base 1, and a guy control assembly 28, and to a method for keeping a transportable mast 2 upright during erection or retraction of the mast 2.
- the masts 2 aimed at by the present invention are typically 2 - 15m, or 2 - 25m, or any other height.
- the mast 2 can be a sectional mast.
- the mast 2 usually comprises a plurality of superimposed tubular mast elements 4 of a constant outer diameter D, on top of which equipment 8 can be mounted that needs to be positioned at a predetermined height and optionally also directed in a predetermined orientation, such as e.g. an antenna, a camera, a microphone, or lighting.
- a predetermined orientation such as e.g. an antenna, a camera, a microphone, or lighting.
- the rest of the description will usually describe an antenna mast, but the invention is not limited thereto.
- the transportable mast 2 is supported by a base 1 (also known as a tripod), and held in position by guy control wires when fully erected, as shown in Fig 7A .
- a base 1 also known as a tripod
- guy control wires when fully erected, as shown in Fig 7A .
- Figure 1A shows a preferred embodiment of a base 1 for the mast assembly 47 of the present invention.
- FIG. 1B shows the base 1 of figure 1A in more detail.
- the base 1 comprises a guide shaft 3 which comprises several parts: a tubular pipe 9, a first leg attachment collar 5 mounted to an upper part of the tubular pipe 9, and a plurality of legs 7 for supporting the mast on a positioning surface e.g. the ground, connected to the tubular pipe.
- a positioning surface e.g. the ground
- the base 1 also comprises a leg guide collar 6 to provide a second connection between the tubular pipe 9 and the legs 7.
- the tubular pipe 9 is made of a first material, the first leg attachment collar 5 of a second material, and the leg guide collar 6 of a third material, whereby these materials can all be different, or all be the same, or some of them can be the same.
- the collars 5 and 6 could be made of the same material while the tubular pipe 9 is made of a different material, or the tubular pipe 9 and the first leg attachment collar 5 could be made of the same material, while the leg guide collar 6 is made of a different material, or the tubular pipe 9 and the leg guide collar 6 could be made of the same material while the first leg attachment collar 5 is made of a different material.
- the first, second and third material have a mass density between 1.0 and 3.0 kg/dm 3 .
- Using materials with a low mass density provides a lightweight guide shaft 3, which is easy to produce.
- a base 1 comprising this guide shaft 3 is easy to transport and can be easily set-up by only one person.
- the first material is a plastic material, such as e.g. POM
- the second and third material are aluminum or an aluminum alloy.
- the guide shaft 3 of the base 1 of Fig 1A comprises a tubular hollow pipe 9 with an opening 17 extending from the top to the bottom of the tubular pipe for guiding the displacement of the tubular mast elements 4 during erection or retraction of the mast 2, and for holding at least one tubular mast element 4 when the mast is erected.
- the tubular pipe 9 of the base 1 preferably has a circular cross section of a substantially constant outer diameter 52 ( Fig 3A ) over the lower part of the tubular pipe 9, to allow mounting of the first leg attachment collar 5 and the leg guide collar 6 during manufacturing of the guide shaft 3.
- substantially constant outer diameter is meant that small deviations due to production tolerances are permitted, but it also means that one or more narrow grooves are permitted.
- the tubular pipe 9 has an opening 17 of a constant inner diameter 51 ( Fig 3A ) to allow insertion and displacement of the tubular mast elements 4 throughout the pipe during erection or retraction of the mast 2.
- the tubular pipe 9 has a collar 12 upon which a mast suspending pin 36, which can be inserted in transverse direction of the mast, can rest when erecting or retracting a mast, for suspending part of the mast.
- the tubular pipe 9 also has position limiting means 43, 44 to permit fixing the position of the first leg attachment collar 5 on the tubular pipe 9, and to restrict movement of the leg guide collar 6 on the tubular pipe 9, for example the lower part of the tubular pipe collar 12 and a first and second groove 15, 16 on the outside surface of the tubular pipe 9, wherein a circlips can be mounted.
- Other shapes of the tubular pipe 9 than the one shown in figure 4A are also possible, for example the shape of the tubular pipe collar 12 can be cylindrical instead of conical.
- the tubular pipe 9 is preferably made of POM (Polyoxymethyleen), which is a strong and lightweight material, having a mass density of only 1.4 kg/dm 3 .
- tubular mast elements 4 which are typically made of aluminum, preferably anodized aluminum, or of composite materials, and which are inserted in the cylindrical opening 17 of the guide shaft 3 when the mast 2 is erected or retracted.
- the inventor thus came to the idea to use a tubular pipe 9 entirely made of a strong and low friction material as the core of the guide shaft 3.
- tubular pipe 9 Other materials with low friction properties can also be used for the tubular pipe 9, for example: PTFE (Teflon), polyurethane (PUR), polyamide particularly nylon 6, nylon 66, nylon 11, nylon 12 or nylon 46 or copolymers thereof, polyester, in particular polyethylene-terephtalate (PET), polytrimethyleneterephtalate (PTT), polybutyleneterephtalate (PBT), high molecular weight polyethylene, ultra high molecular weight polyetheylene, polyetherketones, particularly polyethyletherketone (PEEK), PEEKK, polyethersulfones, polysylfones, polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF), a polyester copolymer or mixtures of two or more of these polymers.
- PTFE Teflon
- PUR polyurethane
- polyamide particularly nylon 6, nylon 66, nylon 11, nylon 12 or nylon 46 or copolymers thereof polyester, in particular polyethylene-terephtal
- a further advantage of these plastic materials is that they are electrically isolating, thereby electrically isolating the mast 2 and the equipment 8 mounted thereto from the legs 7 of the base 1, which is safer for the personnel erecting or retracting the mast 2, especially in case of a lightning strike.
- the base 1 of Fig 1A also works when the tubular pipe 9 is made of another material such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy, but the weight of such a base 1 using aluminum would be higher than a base 1 using POM, and there would be more friction with the tubular elements 4 of the antenna mast.
- the tubular pipe 9 has a shape with a radial symmetry, preferably with an inner and outer circular cross section, as such a shape can easily be produced or machined on a lathe, but the invention also works with other inner or outer shapes, e.g. square, hexagonal, octagonal.
- the collar 12 is made as a separate part, which is mounted upon the tubular pipe 9 using conventional fixation means, such as glue, screw-thread, etc.
- fixation means such as glue, screw-thread, etc.
- the collar 12 could e.g. be made of a material with a large load bearing capacity, for example a material with a hard surface that has only a limited risk to deformations when the mast suspending pin 36 ( Fig 4A ) is resting upon it to support the full weight of the mast, e.g. steel or aluminum.
- FIG 3B shows the first leg attachment collar 5 in more detail. It has a cylindrical opening 19 with an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter 52 of a lower part of the tubular pipe 9 to allow shifting the first leg attachment collar over the tubular pipe 9 during assembly, and a plurality of connection positions, e.g. three or more, whereto the legs 7 can be hingedly connected at a first connection position on the legs 37 using conventional connection means.
- the first leg attachment collar 5 can be made of the same material as the tubular pipe 9, or of a different material.
- the first leg attachment collar 5 is typically made of cast or machined aluminum or an aluminum alloy, as this is a strong and lightweight material that can easily be produced in the desired shape.
- the first leg attachment collar 5 needs to be strong to support the full weight of the mast during erection or retraction of the mast, and to transfer that weight to the legs 7 via the first connection position on the legs 37.
- Aluminum has a low mass density of approximately 2.7 kg/dm 3 , and the shape of this part is suited to be manufactured by casting or machining, which is an easy and economic process step.
- the height of the first leg attachment collar 68 is chosen such that tilting of the first leg attachment collar 5 is counteracted, e.g. when mounting it on the tubular pipe 9. In the preferred embodiment the height 68 is chosen approximately equal to the inner diameter of the first leg attachment collar opening 19, but other values are also possible.
- the person skilled in the art can use different sizes, shapes, materials and processes known in the art for making the first leg attachment collar 5.
- tubular pipe 9 and the first leg attachment collar 5 can be constructed as a single part, e.g. by injection molding, moulding or casting or extruding, and could be made of aluminum, an aluminum alloy or a plastic material as listed above.
- the legs 7 can be connected to the base 1 using conventional connection means such as screws and bolts, or hinge pins 59 with a groove and circlipses mounted on both sides (as shown in Fig 1 C) , but any other method known to the person skilled in the art can also be used.
- Fig 1A shows a base 1 with three legs 7, but four or more legs are also possible.
- the tubular pipe 9 extends from the first leg attachment collar 5 to a position below the first leg attachment collar where preferably a leg guide collar 6 is mounted around the tubular pipe to enable a second connection between the legs 7 and the tubular pipe 9.
- Figure 3C shows a preferred embodiment of the leg guide collar 6.
- the wall thickness of the leg guide collar 6 can be the same as that of the first leg attachment collar 5, or can be larger or smaller. Typically however the leg guide collar 6 can have a thinner wall thickness than that of the first leg attachment collar 5, as the leg guide collar 6 does not have to bear the full weight of the antenna mast 2, but only needs to hold the position of the legs 7, thus material cost and weight can be saved.
- the leg guide collar 6 is preferably made of machined aluminum or cast aluminum or another aluminum alloy that can be easily machined.
- the connection force can be divided over a large contact area.
- the leg guide collar 6 is displaceable over the tubular pipe 9 in height direction of the mast 2 between an upper position limited by the position of the first leg attachment collar 5 and a lower position limited by second position limiting means such as e.g. a groove 16 and a circlips 11 mounted to a lower part of the tubular pipe 9.
- second position limiting means such as e.g. a groove 16 and a circlips 11 mounted to a lower part of the tubular pipe 9.
- FIG. 2B shows an intermediate position, whereby the legs 7 are halfway between the extended and the retracted position.
- the leg guide collar 6 is rigidly mounted to the tubular pipe 9.
- the connection between the legs 7 and the leg guide collar 6 preferably allows the distance between them to be adjustable, e.g. by using for each leg two guide spacers 13 hingedly connected in series, as shown in Fig 2D . This enables the base 1 to be folded for transportation or unfolded for supporting a mast 2.
- the height of the leg guide collar 67 is preferably chosen such that the leg guide collar 6 cannot tilt, which would obstruct easy sliding over the tubular pipe 9.
- This height 67 can e.g. be chosen approximately equal to the inner diameter of the leg guide collar opening 21, but other values are also possible.
- the person skilled in the art can use different sizes, shapes, materials and processes known in the art.
- the leg guide collar 6 has a position for mounting an optional bubble level 14, to facilitate rapid installation of the base 1 in a vertical position.
- the bubble level 14 could be mounted to the first leg attachment collar 5, or both. Instead of a single circular bubble level also two oblong bubble levels can be used.
- the legs 7 are connected to a lower part of the tubular pipe 9 using second connection means 39, which may be a direct connection or an indirect connection.
- second connection means 39 which may be a direct connection or an indirect connection.
- the legs 7 are connected to the leg guide collar 6 using guide spacers 13 and conventional connection means.
- the guide spacers 13 are intended to keep the legs 7 of the base 1, when unfolded, at a predefined position from the tubular pipe to provide a stable base 1. They are typically made of steel or stainless steel, but they can also be made of a lightweight metal such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy, or other suitable materials known to the person skilled in the art.
- the leg guide collar 6 is a preferred way of connecting the lower part of the tubular pipe 9 to the legs 7, but other ways are also possible, for example by mounting the guide spacers 13 to a protrusion (not shown) on the outer wall of the tubular pipe 9, or by using a tubular insert in the bottom of the tubular pipe 9, which insert can then be connected to the legs 7.
- the tubular pipe 9 has a tubular pipe collar 12 extending above the first leg attachment collar 5, to rest upon the first leg attachment collar 5 for transfer of the weight of the mast 2 during erection or retraction, and for temporarily supporting the mast suspending pin 36 (see Fig 4A ) which can be inserted in a mast element 4 during erection or retraction of the mast 2, as will be explained further.
- Other shapes of the tubular pipe collar 12 than the one shown in figure 1B can also be used.
- first leg attachment collar 5 and the leg guide collar 6 are mounted in a rotatable manner around the tubular pipe 9.
- two levels of rotation can be provided to the mast 2 during set-up, as the tubular mast elements 4 can rotate inside the tubular pipe 9, and the tubular pipe 9 can rotate inside the first leg attachment collar 5 and inside the leg guide collar 6.
- This might be beneficial in environments where sand or dirt could hinder the rotation of the mast 2.
- This is particularly advantageous when directional antennas are mounted on the mast 2, as in this case the antenna should be correctly directed to within approximately one degree angle, thus smooth rotation of the mast inside the guide shaft 3 is desired. It will be described further, when discussing the field base 58, how rotation of the mast 2 can be prevented.
- the first leg attachment collar 5 and the leg guide collar 6 can be mounted to the tubular pipe 9 in a non-rotatable way, using e.g. glue or screws, or grooves and a local insert, or any other technique known to the person skilled in the art to block such rotation.
- the base 1 has a graduated collar 50 which is mounted to the tubular pipe collar 12, and can be used for easy orientation and correct positioning of the mast 2, and optionally the collar 12 of the tubular pipe 9 has an indicator 66 that can be aligned with one of the graduations on the graduated collar 50.
- the graduated collar 50 shown in figures 2E and 2F has the same inner diameter as the inner diameter of the tubular pipe 9, and has provisions with a groove and a first screw 64 to prevent the graduated collar 50 from being lifted along with the tubular mast elements 4 when erecting the mast 2.
- the graduated collar 50 can be mounted to a tubular mast element 4 by means of a second screw 65, so that the graduated collar 50 rotates along with the mast.
- Other shapes of the graduated collar, and other ways of mounting them known to the person skilled in the art, can also be used.
- Figures 4A - 4E describe how the parts of figures 3A - 3E are mounted to form the preferred embodiment of the guide shaft 3.
- a first leg attachment collar 5 is shifted over the tubular pipe 9 until it reaches the tubular pipe collar 12 ( Fig. 4B ), where the outside diameter of the tubular pipe collar 12 is larger than the inner diameter of the first leg attachment collar opening 19.
- the tubular pipe collar 12 serves as the upper part of the first position limiting means 43.
- a first circlips 10 ( Fig 3D ) is mounted in the first groove 15 of the tubular pipe ( Fig 4C ) to limit the lower position of the first leg attachment collar 5 on the tubular pipe 9, thus the height position of the first leg attachment collar 5 on the tubular pipe is fixed.
- the leg guide collar 6 is shifted over the tubular pipe 9 ( Fig 4D ), and a second circlips 11 ( Fig 3E ) is mounted in the second groove 16 of the tubular pipe 9 ( Fig 4E ) to limit the lower position of the leg guide collar 6 on the tubular pipe 9.
- the second groove 16 and the second circlips 11 thereby form the second position limiting means 44.
- the resulting structure is a preferred embodiment of the guide shaft 3 of the base 1 of Fig 1A .
- the leg guide collar 6 of the preferred embodiment of the guide shaft 3 can thus be shifted between the location of the first groove 15 and the second groove 16 on the tubular pipe.
- legs 7 and second connection means e.g. guide spacers 13 are attached to the guide shaft 3 using conventional attachment means such as screws and bolts, or hinge pins 59 with grooves and circlipses ( Fig 1 C) , but any other method known to the person skilled in the art can also be used.
- grooves 15, 16 in the tubular pipe 9 and circlipses 10, 11 mounted in the grooves is a very easy, fast and elegant way of limiting the positions, at only a minimal cost and labor during manufacturing.
- the grooves 15 , 16 can be made shallow, and the thickness W of the wall of the tubular pipe 9 can thus be substantially constant below the tubular pipe collar 12, as shown in Fig 4A .
- POM POM as a material for the tubular pipe 9
- the inventor has discovered that a wall thickness W of 5 - 15 mm, preferably 7 - 13 mm, more preferably 9 - 11 mm gives an optimal compromise in terms of weight and strength.
- the tubular pipe 9 and the first leg attachment collar 5 could be made as a single piece, or not.
- these parts can be made as a single piece, or not.
- the tubular pipe 9 and the first leg attachment collar 5 and the leg guide collar 6 can be made as a single piece, or not.
- the tubular pipe 9 and the first leg attachment collar 5 and the leg guide collar 6 can be moulded or casted or extruded as a single part, resulting in a structure looking like the one shown in Fig 4E without the grooves 15, 16 and circlipses 10, 11.
- This structure would not have the capability to move the leg guide collar 6 over the tubular pipe 9.
- a base 1 using the guide shaft 3 of this alternative embodiment could also be folded and transported, e.g. after disconnecting the guide spacers 13 from the legs 7, or by using a series of guide spacers 13 as shown in Fig 2D .
- Figure 4F shows an alternative embodiment of the tubular pipe 9, where the outer diameter of the tubular pipe 9 is smaller at the position of the first leg attachment collar 5.
- the first leg attachment collar 5 could be mounted by assembling two or more parts around the tubular pipe 9. In this way the first circlips 10 would not be required to limit the position of the first leg attachment collar 5.
- FIG. 5A The principle of setting up a mast 2 using the preferred embodiment of the base 1 will be explained next with reference to figure 5A .
- the legs 7 are opened, by shifting the leg guide collar 6 away from the first leg attachment collar 5 to obtain a stable base 1 as shown in figure 2A .
- the lengths of the legs 7 are adjusted to place the tubular guide shaft 3 at a height of e.g. 1.40 m above the ground to enable insertion of mast elements from a position below the guide shaft.
- the legs 7 of the base 1 are preferably made telescopic in conventional ways.
- the length of the legs 7 can be adjusted using two leg adjustment screws 42 per leg, but any other means known to the person skilled in the art can also be used.
- the base 1 needs to be positioned vertically, which is typically done using the bubble-level 14 mounted to the leg guide collar 6 as an aid.
- the mast needs to be positioned as vertical as possible to prevent bending of the tubular mast elements 4, or falling over of the mast 2.
- a winch 20 and a lifting block assembly 23 can be attached to the base 1. Using the winch, the position of the lifting block assembly 23 is lowered to allow placement of a first tubular mast element 4 upon it.
- first tubular mast element 4 is lifted using the winch and guided inside the upright opening 17 of the guide shaft 3 to a position extending above the tubular pipe collar 12.
- one or more guy collar assemblies 25, 40 are shifted over the first tubular mast element 4 from above.
- a device 8 such as an antenna or camera or microphone or lighting etc. can be mounted to the first tubular mast element, using the device mounting holes 18 ( Fig 6B ) and conventional attachment means e.g. screws.
- the legs 7 have provisions for mounting steps (not shown) thereto, which steps can e.g. be used to stand upon when mounting the equipment 8 to the mast 2.
- the first mast element 4 is further lifted until a mast suspending pin 36 can be inserted in a hole 41 ( Fig 4A , Fig 6A ) of the first tubular mast element 4, above the tubular pipe collar 12, where after the lifting block assembly 23 is lowered again so that the mast suspending pin 36 rests upon the tubular pipe collar 12, holding the first mast element 4 in a suspending position with respect to the guide shaft 3, as shown in Fig 4A in dotted line.
- the lifting block assembly 23 can then be lowered further down, to enable placement of a second tubular mast element 4 upon it.
- the second tubular mast element 4 can then be lifted until its upper part approaches the lower part of the first tubular mast element 4 suspended in the base 1.
- the second tubular mast element 4 will then be aligned and rotated so that the upper part of the second tubular mast element 4 engages with the lower part of the first tubular mast element 4.
- both tubular mast elements 4 and the mounted equipment 8 are then lifted, the mast suspending pin 36 is removed, and the first guy collar assembly 25 is mounted to the upper tubular mast element 4 by inserting the guy collar assembly pin 34 in the hole 41 ( Fig 6A ) of the upper tubular mast element 4.
- Mounting to the upper mast element 4 is preferred, as this provides the highest stability of the mast 2.
- the partly mounted mast 2 is lifted further until the mast suspending pin 36 can be inserted in hole 41 of the second tubular mast element 4 above the tubular pipe 9, where after the lifting block assembly 23 is lowered again, and so on.
- the position of the entire mast 2 including the lifting block assembly 23 is lowered so that a bottom element 24 ( Fig 5C ) of the lifting block assembly 23 can be placed in a field base 58, which is mounted on the ground under the base 1 by means of spikes 78, so that the weight of the mast 2 no longer needs to be supported by the base 1, but is transferred directly to the field base 58.
- the guide shaft 3 described above it can be made of two or more components, preferably three (the tubular pipe 9, the first leg attachment collar 5, the leg guide collar 6), which are and remain well positioned with respect to each other during erection or retraction of a mast, and which provide an optimal guidance for the displacement of the tubular mast elements during erection or retraction of the mast 2.
- Figure 5A shows an antenna as the equipment 8 to be positioned at height, but other equipment such as e.g. a camera, a microphone or lighting can also be used.
- Fig 5A shows a mast 2 at an early stage of erection, with two guy collar assemblies 25, 40 shifted over the tubular mast elements 4 and temporarily resting on the tubular pipe collar 12, to enable mounting of the guy collar assemblies 25, 40 to specific tubular mast elements 4 during further erection of the mast 2, but more than two can also be used, e.g. for a large mast.
- the guy collar assemblies 25, 40 allow stabilizing the mast 2 during erection, during retraction, and during normal use of the mast, i.e. when the mast is fully erected, by providing means for connecting at least three guy control wires 71 which can be kept under tension in at least three different directions, thereby keeping the mast 2 in a stable position.
- Fig 5B shows the preferred embodiment of the guy collar assembly 25, 40. It comprises a tubular element 26, whereto a blade 27 is preferably rotatably mounted.
- the blade 27 typically comprises at least three guy wire mounting holes 35 preferably equally distributed around the blade 27, but other positions are also possible.
- the wires, cables or ropes attached to the upper guy collar assembly 25 are called guy control wires 71
- the wires, cables or ropes attached to the other guy collar assembly (or assemblies) 40 are called guy wires 72.
- At least three guy control wires 71 are attached to the upper guy collar assembly 25 for keeping the mast 2 upright, each guy control wire preferably being mounted to one mounting hole 35.
- the first ends of the guy control wires 48 are attached to the upper guy collar assembly 25, which is typically mounted to the upper tubular mast element 4 corresponding to a position T on the mast ( Fig 7A ).
- the guy collar assembly 25 is preferably mounted to the mast using a removable connection, e.g. a removable pin 34 ( Fig 5B ) passing through the guy collar assembly 25 and through a hole 41 of the tubular mast element 4, thereby fixing the position of the guy collar assembly 25 in height with respect to the mast 2.
- the second guy collar assembly 40 is typically mounted to the tubular mast element 4 corresponding to a position M at about half the height of the mast 2 ( Fig 7A ).
- guy collar assemblies 25, 40 When three guy collar assemblies 25, 40 are mounted to the mast, they are preferably placed near the top, near 2/3 of the height, and near 1/3 of the height of mast, etc.
- the guy collar assemblies 25, 40 can have four or more guy wire mounting holes 35, for attachment of four or more guy (control) wires 71, 72.
- the second ends of the guy control wires 71 are typically routed to three different positions X, Y, Z near the ground, located at a predetermined distance R from the base 1, thus lying on an imaginary circle with the base 1 standing in the centre, the three positions X, Y, Z lying preferably 120 degrees apart on the imaginary circle.
- these guy control wires 71 are only fastened to the positions near the ground after the mast 2 is fully erected, not during erection or retraction of the mast. Alternatively they are kept under tension by three or more persons standing at a distance R from the base 1 during erection of the mast, and they are fastened to a position near the ground after the mast is fully erected.
- the guy control wires 71 are typically routed from point T to X, from T to Y and from T to Z, and they are fastened at the points X, Y, Z to a position near the ground after the mast is fully erected.
- a disadvantage of the first mentioned prior art method is that the mast is not stabilized during erection or retraction, making it impossible or unsafe to set-up a mast under windy conditions.
- a disadvantage of the second mentioned method used in the prior art is that it requires more people during the set-up of the mast, and that it is very difficult to keep the mast stabilized when the three or more guy control wires are held by three or more different people, without causing oscillations of the mast 2.
- the present invention provides an improved method for keeping the mast 2 upright, during normal use of the mast, as well as during its erection or retraction, even under windy conditions, with a minimal amount of people, using mechanical means that can be hand carried, and without requiring electrical power or batteries. This is especially important for military applications.
- the present invention uses a method of routing the guy control wires 71 to a single point P, where a single person can keep the three or more guy control wires 71 under tension, by using a guy control assembly 28.
- the guy control assembly is also an object of the present invention.
- the mast assembly 47 comprises at least three guy control wires 71, the first ends 48 of the guy control wires 71 being connected to the mast 2 at an upper position T on the mast 2, the second ends 49 of the guy control wires 71 being routed to at least three different positions X, Y, Z near the ground at a distance from the base 1, to which positions they can be fastened, which is typically done after the mast 2 is fully erected, or from which positions they can be routed further to a single position P to permit keeping the guy control wires 71 under tension by a single person during erection or retraction of the mast.
- the three different positions X, Y, Z near the ground are located on an imaginary circle of radius R, lying preferably 120 degrees apart, where the base 1 is standing in the centre, and the radius R is chosen such that the angle ⁇ between the ground surface and the guy control wire 71 is between 45 and 60 degrees, but other angles are also possible.
- Using these positions provides for a uniform tension in the guy control wires 71 and optimal correction capabilities for the mast 2, while the area occupied by the mast assembly 47 is limited.
- the locations X, Y, Z near the ground each comprise a pulley block 56 to allow further routing of the guy control wires 71 to a point P where a single person can keep the guy control wires 71 under tension during erection or retraction of the mast 2, and a guy tensioner 32 to allow fastening the guy control wires 71 to the position near the ground after erection of the mast 2.
- the person at point P can move between a first point P1 and a second point Pn, thereby adapting the length of all guy control wires 71 simultaneously, while keeping them under tension.
- the point P1 preferably being located on an imaginary line passing through the center of the base 1, at a predetermined distance from the center of the base of typically 1.3 - 1.5 times the height of the mast, and the point Pn being located on the same line at a distance of typically 0.8 -1.0 times the height of the mast, the exact distance depending on the angle ⁇ between the ground surface and the guy control wires 71.
- this method is performed by routing the second ends 49 of the guy control wires 71 to a guy control assembly 28 located at location P, the guy control assembly 28 having means for keeping at least three guy control wires 71 under tension.
- the guy control assembly 28 is a tool that can be hand held, and allows to keep all guy control wires 71 under tension simultaneously. It also allows the tension of one or more guy control wires 71 to be adapted while keeping the other guy control wires under tension.
- the guy control assembly 28 has at least three wire holding means 31 for holding the guy control wires 71 under tension, and has at least two handles 75, 76 for holding the guy control assembly 28, the handles being located at opposite sides of the part guiding the wires.
- the guy control assembly 28 has three handles 75, 76, 77 by which it can be held, one on the left, one on the right, and one below.
- the wire holding means 31 are rope cleats.
- the three guy control wires 71 of the mast assembly of the present invention have an increased length, typically almost double the length typically used in the prior art, and they are routed from T over X to Y to P 1 , from T over Z to Y to P 1 , and from T to Y to P 1 , the three guy control wires 71 thus coming together at a single point Y, from where they are routed to a point P 1 where a single person holding the guy control assembly 28 can keep the three guy control wires 71 under tension simultaneously, especially during erection or retraction of the mast 2.
- the person holding the guy control assembly 28 starts at a position P 1 at the start of the mast erection and gradually approaches to a point P n while the mast elements 4 are being lifted, in order to keep the guy control wires 71 under tension.
- the guy control wires 71 are fastened to the support surface, e.g. the ground, by means of fastening means.
- the guy control wires 71 are fastened to pickets 30 at location X and Z and to a control picket 29 at location Y, by means of e.g. guy tensioners 32, pulley blocks 56 and carbine hooks 33.
- each guy control wire 71 and each guy wire 72 is fastened at one end to the mast, preferably to a guy collar assembly 25, 40, and to a position on the control surface, preferably a picket or control picket, at the other end, thereby keeping the mast in a fixed position.
- Figure 8A shows a preferred embodiment of the guy control assembly 28 of the present invention in more detail. It comprises three handles, a left handle 75, a right handle 76 and a lower handle 77, and three rope cleats 31 for attaching the second ends 49 of the guy control wires 71 to the guy control assembly 28.
- the three guy control wires 71 are placed on the rope cleats 31 and are kept under tension such that the mast 2 is standing upright.
- the person holding the guy control assembly 28 typically uses both hands holding the left and right handle 75, 76 to have good control over the guy control assembly 28.
- the guy control wires 71 By moving towards or away from the base 1, the guy control wires 71 are kept under tension, and the mast 2 is kept upright.
- a right handed person When a single guy control wire 71 needs to be adjusted, a right handed person typically releases his left hand to grasp the lower handle 77, and then releases the right hand to correct the position of the guy control wire 71 while firmly holding the guy control assembly 28 in his left hand and keeping the other guy control wires 71 under tension. After correction of the specific guy control wire 71 he takes again the right handle 76 in the right hand, and finally also the left handle 75 in the left hand.
- the right hand can be moved to the bottom handle, and then the left hand released to correct the position of a wire, etc.
- An alternative embodiment of the guy control assembly 28 may comprise one or two handles, and/or four or more rope cleats 31.
- Other shapes of the guy control assembly 28, or of the handles 75-77, or of the rope cleats 31 than shown in Fig 8A are possible.
- Figure 8B shows an example of a guy control wire 71, which is preferably made of Terylene TM , polyester or Kevlar®, but other materials are also possible.
- the guy control wires 71 should be strong enough to support the tension exerted upon it, especially under windy conditions.
- the method for keeping the mast 2 upright as described above has no direct relation with the base 1, since the guy control wires 71 of the mast assembly of the present invention are routed to pickets 30, 29 and not to the legs 7 of the base 1, in contrast to the system shown in Fig 1 of US4212015 . It is therefore clear to the person skilled in the art that the method of the present invention will also work for a mast assembly 47 using another base 1 than the one shown in Fig 1A , in particular a base 1 without a tubular pipe 9.
- the present invention also provides an improved field base 58 for supporting the mast during its normal use, i.e. when fully erected.
- the field base 58 is provided for positioning on a supporting surface, e.g. on the ground, at a position which corresponds to the position of the mast 2 to permit bearing of at least part of the weight of the mast 2 after erection, whereby the field base 58 comprises first fixation means 61 for fixing the mast 2 to a support plane and preventing displacement in height direction of the mast assembly 47, and second fixation means 62 for preventing rotation of the mast 2 around its axial axis.
- Figure 9A - 9C show a preferred embodiment of the field base 58 according to the present invention.
- the field base 58 has an opening 63 extending in upright direction of the mast for receiving a bottom element 24 which is preferably mounted to a lower part of the mast 2 in a non-rotatable way.
- the bottom element 24 may have constant dimensions in radial direction, but preferably has a smaller outer dimension at a higher part than at a lower part.
- the field base 58 has provisions for receiving first fixation means 61, e.g. a pin, which can be inserted in a second opening of the field base 58 to decrease the size of the upright opening 63, thereby preventing the mast 2 to move in an upward direction.
- the field base 58 further comprises a fixation component 62 mounted to the field base 58.
- the fixation component 62 can be moved towards (or away from) the center of the upright opening 63 in radial direction for tightening (or loosening) the bottom element 24 to (or from) the field base, thereby preventing (or allowing) rotation of the mast 2.
- Figure 5A shows a field base 58 mounted to the ground in a position corresponding to and below the mast 2.
- the field base 58 is typically mounted to the ground by inserting spikes 78 in the ground through the mounting holes 74 of the field base 58, so that the field base 58 cannot rotate or be lifted with respect to the ground.
- Positioning the mast 2 on the field base 58 is the last step during erection of the mast 2. After all tubular elements 4 have been added to the mast 2 as described above, the mast 2 with the lifting block assembly 23 mounted underneath, is lowered towards the support surface, usually the ground, so that the lower part of the lifting block assembly 24, in this case a sphere with a small cylindrical shape on top of it, is placed inside the upright opening 63 of the field base 58.
- a height fixation pin 61 of the field base is inserted in a second opening of the field base 58 to decrease the inner diameter of the upright opening 63.
- the pin 61 prevents displacement of the bottom element 24 in height direction of the mast 2, which could occur under windy conditions, whereby the mast 2 could be lifted out of the field base 58, and be positioned next to the field base 58, thereby loosing its vertical position and/or its orientation. Insertion or removal of the height fixation pin 61 is a very fast and simple step for securing or releasing the height position of the mast 2.
- Fig 9A and 9C show a wing screw 73 to enable tightening of a fixation component 62 against the bottom element 24 of the mast 2, thereby preventing rotation of the mast 2.
- Fig 9D shows the working principle using a separate first and second fixation means 61, 62.
- Figure 9E shows the working principle of an alternative embodiment of the field base 58 according to the present invention, using a single fixation means 61, 62 to prevent both lifting and rotation of the mast 2 with respect to the field base 58.
- An advantage of using a spherical shape as the bottom element 24 of the lifting block assembly 23 is that it does not have sharp edges, thereby preventing injuries during the set-up of the mast 2, and it allows easy rotation of the mast 2 when positioned in the field base 58, and it is easy to manufacture e.g. on a lathe. But the invention also works for other bottom elements 24 having a lower diameter at a higher position than at a lower position.
- Providing the fixation component 62 as a separate part allows the shape and material thereof to be optimized for optimal tightening to avoid rotation of the mast 2.
- the bottom element 24 and the fixation component 62 are both made of aluminum.
- the shape of the fixation component 62 is preferably complementary to at least part of the bottom element 24.
- Other shapes and materials for the bottom element 24 and for the fixation component 62 can be chosen by the person skilled in the art, e.g. the sphere of the bottom element 24 could be replaced by a cylinder made out of steel.
- FIG. 6A - 6C show examples of tubular mast elements 4 known in the art, comprising means for preventing disengagement of successive mast elements 4.
- a cylindrical insert 53 with an outer diameter approximately equal to the inner diameter of the tubular mast elements 4 is mounted in the upper end of each tubular element 4, and extending above it, to enable insertion thereof in the lower end of the next higher tubular mast element 4 in the mast 2.
- device mounting holes 18 are foreseen in this cylindrical insert 53, which device mounting holes 18 can be used for fixation of the equipment 8 such as e.g. an antenna, lighting, camera, microphone etc, using standard fixation means such as e.g.
- the lower end of the tubular mast elements 54, and the higher end of the tubular mast element 55 typically have a complementary form to prevent rotation between a lower and the next higher mast element 4.
- the outer diameter D of the tubular mast elements 4 typically lies between 50 and 110 mm, and can for example be 110 mm, 100 mm, 90 mm, 80 mm, 70 mm, 60 mm or 50 mm.
- the length of the tubular mast elements 4 without taking into account the cylindrical insert 53 is typically 1 m, which makes it easy to transport them, to insert the tubular mast elements 4 from a position below the guide shaft 3, and to determine the height of an erected mast 2 by simply counting the superimposed mast elements 4.
- the tubular mast elements 4 can also have other lengths, such as e.g. 80 cm, 90 cm, 100 cm, 110 cm or 120 cm.
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Description
- The invention relates to a method for keeping a transportable mast upright during erection or retraction thereof.
- The invention also relates to a mast assembly comprising a mast, a base, and a guy control assembly.
- Transportable masts are known in the art, and are for example used for supporting and orienting temporary transmitting and/or receiving antennas, for both military and civilian purposes, at a distance above the ground of e.g. 2 to 25 meters.
- Transportable masts of this kind are usually constructed using a tripod with a circular upright opening, in which a first tubular element is inserted in an upright position. An antenna is attached to the top of this first tubular element. Then the first tubular element is lifted together with the antenna, so that a second tubular element can be inserted underneath the first tubular element. The top of the second tubular element engages the bottom of the first tubular element, and so on.
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US4212015 describes a portable radio link system mast.Figure 1 shows a stand with mast tubes and guy ropes which lead to a rope winder over guide pulleys with which the ropes can be tightened individually or together. The ropes can be fastened to the anchoring points and tightened by hand, or be wound to rope reels to wind the ropes. A disadvantage of this system is that the rope winder and rope reels are slow to handle and easily get blocked by sand or dirt. - In other mast systems without such a rope winder, typically three people standing around the mast are holding the ropes during erection or retraction of the mast. A disadvantage of such a method is that it requires more people during the set-up of the mast, and that it is very difficult to keep the mast stabilized without causing oscillations of the mast.
- It is an aim of the present invention to provide a mast assembly comprising a mast, a base, and a guy control assembly with which the mast can be kept upright during erection or retraction thereof. This aim is achieved according to the invention with a mast assembly showing the technical features of
claim 1. - Thereto, the mast assembly according to the present invention comprises a base and a transportable mast and a guy control assembly for stabilizing the mast during erection or retraction of the mast, the mast comprising a plurality of tubular mast elements positioned on top of each other; the base comprising: - a guide shaft with an opening for guiding the displacement of the tubular mast elements during erection or retraction of the mast; - a plurality of legs connected to the guide shaft, for positioning the guide shaft at a distance above ground to allow insertion of the tubular mast elements from a position below the guide shaft; the guy control assembly being connected to the mast at a predefined position T in at least three directions by means of at least three guy control wires, a first end of each guy control wire being connected to the mast, a second end of each guy control wire being connected to the guy control assembly, each guy control wire being guided at a position between the first and second end of the guy control wire towards a ground position X, Y, Z located at a distance R and being separate from the base, to which ground positions X, Y, Z they are fastened or from which ground positions they are routed further to a single position P to permit keeping the guy control wires under tension by a single person, and wherein the guy control assembly is portable by a single person and has at least one handle for holding the guy control assembly. By providing a portable guy control assembly, whereto second ends of the guy control wires are connected, the guy control wires can be kept under tension by a single person. The tightening or relaxing of the guy control wires occurs by simply walking towards or away from the base, which can happen fast. By providing a guy control assembly having at least one handle, the single person can firmly hold the guy control assembly in one hand, thereby keeping the guy control wires under tension, while being able to adjust the position of one of the guy control wires with his other hand. By keeping the guy control wires under tension by moving towards or away from the base, a guy control assembly with moving parts can be avoided, thus providing a more reliable system, which is less vulnerable to dust or sand. This is especially important in military applications. The inventor has found that by routing the guy control wires from the predefined position T on the mast, to the ground positions X, Y, Z at a predefined distance R and separate from the base, instead of routing them towards the legs of the base, the guy control wires can be located away from the base, in such a way that that the person standing near the base for lifting the mast, getting additional mast elements and inserting them into the base is not obstructed by the guy control wires. This greatly reduces the time required for setting-up the mast, but also improves the safety of the personnel and equipment on and near the mast, and it reduces the number of accidents and the resulting down-time which can cost large amounts of money.
- Preferably the ground positions X, Y, Z are located on an imaginary circle of a predefined radius R, where the base is standing in a centre of the circle. Using such positions provides for a uniform tension in the guy control wires.
- Preferably the radius (R) is chosen such that an angle β between a ground surface and the guy control wires is between 45 and 60 degrees when the mast is fully erected. This gives a good compromise between stability of the mast, and a reasonable area occupied by the mast assembly.
- Preferably the ground positions X, Y, Z are lying 120 degrees apart on the imaginary circle. This gives an optimal distribution of the ground positions for pulling the mast in three directions for holding it upright.
- Preferably the guy control wires are routed from the ground positions X, Y, Z to one of the ground positions Y before being routed further to the single position P. By doing so the forces exerted upon the person holding the guy control assembly are oriented in only one direction which makes it easier and more reliable to hold the guy control assembly because the person is not pulled sideways when the wind pushes the mast in one direction. Instead, the person only has to move towards or away from the base for keeping the guy control wires under tension and is not surprised by a sideways movement. In addition, the tension exerted upon the guy control wires becomes substantially independent of the position of the person with respect to the base, thereby keeping the mast substantially upright even if the person moves slant towards or away from the base.
- Preferably the guy control assembly comprises rope cleats whereto the second ends of the guy control wires are connected. The inventor has found that rope cleats are extremely suitable means for releasably connecting or releasing the second ends of the guy control wires to or from the guy control assembly. This allows the guy control wires to be easily connected, or released, or adapted from the guy control assembly using only one hand, so that the other hand can be used for holding the guy control assembly at a position above the ground.
- Preferably the guy control assembly has three handles, a left handle, a right handle and a lower handle, for holding the guy control wires under tension, or for adjusting a guy control wire. The central position of the lower handle is especially useful for holding the guy control assembly with one hand, while placing the guy control wires on the guy control assembly by the other hand, or for adjusting the position of one of the guy control wires while keeping the other guy control wires under tension. The left and right handles are especially handy for firmly holding the guy control assembly with both hands.
- It is also an aim of the present invention to provide a method for keeping a transportable mast upright during erection or retraction thereof, which method is fast and requires only one person. This aim is achieved according to the present invention by a method showing the technical features of the
independent claim 14. - Thereto the method for keeping a transportable mast upright during erection or retraction thereof, according to the present invention, the mast being part of a mast assembly that also comprises a base and a portable guy control assembly, the mast comprising a plurality of tubular mast elements positioned on top of each other; the base comprising: - a guide shaft with an opening for guiding the displacement of the tubular mast elements during erection or retraction of the mast; - a plurality of legs connected to the guide shaft for positioning the guide shaft at a distance above ground to allow insertion of the tubular mast elements from a position below the guide shaft; the method comprising the steps of: - connecting first ends of at least three guy control wires to the mast at a predefined position T in at least three directions; - guiding each guy control wire towards a ground position X, Y, Z located at a predefined distance R and separate from the base, and routing them further to a single position P to permit keeping the guy control wires under tension by a single person; - connecting a second end of each guy control wire to the guy control assembly; - keeping the guy control wires under tension by holding the guy control assembly while moving towards resp. away from the base as the mast elements are being lifted resp. lowered. By connecting the guy control wires in three directions and routing them to ground positions X, Y, Z at a (minimum) predefined distance R from the base, a stable position of the mast can be obtained. By routing them to a single position P, the three wires can be held by a single person. By connecting the second ends of the guy control wires to the portable guy control assembly, a firm holding of each of the guy control wires is provided, and their relative position can be better adjusted. By moving towards or away from the base, the three guy control wires are simultaneously released or pulled, allowing the mast to be quickly lifted or lowered while keeping the mast upright. As the guy control assembly has no moving parts, and is typically held by a person above the ground, sand or the like cannot block the system.
- The invention is further elucidated in the appending figures and figure description. Note that the figures are not drawn to the scale. The figures are intended to describe the principles of the invention.
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Figure 1A shows a view to a preferred embodiment of a base of the mast assembly according to the present invention. -
Figure 1B shows a close-up view to the guide shaft of the base offigure 1A . -
Figure 1C shows an example of a hinge pin with two circlipses. -
Figure 2A shows the base offigure 1A in an extended position, whereby the legs are maximally unfolded. -
Figure 2B shows the base offigure 2A , whereby the legs are partly folded, partly unfolded. -
Figure 2C shows the base offigure 2A in a retracted position, whereby the legs are maximally folded. -
Figure 2D shows another preferred embodiment of a base for a mast assembly according to the present invention. -
Figure 2E shows a cross section of the base offigure 2F in plane A-A. -
Figure 2F shows a base with a graduated collar. -
Figure 3A shows a preferred embodiment of the tubular pipe of the base ofFig 1A . -
Figure 3B shows a preferred embodiment of the first leg attachment collar of the base ofFig 1A . -
Figure 3C shows a preferred embodiment of the leg guide collar of the base ofFig 1A . -
Figure 3D shows a preferred embodiment of the first circlips of the base ofFig 1A . -
Figure 3E shows a preferred embodiment of the second circlips of the base ofFig 1A . -
Figure 4A shows the tubular pipe offigure 3A in side view. -
Figure 4B shows the tubular pipe offigure 4A over which a first leg attachment collar is shifted until it touches the tubular pipe collar. -
Figure 4C shows the tubular pipe offigure 4B after mounting of the first circlips. -
Figure 4D shows the tubular pipe offigure 4C over which a leg guide collar is shifted. -
Figure 4E shows the tubular pipe offigure 4D after mounting of the second circlips. -
Figure 4F shows an alternative embodiment of the tubular pipe of the base ofFig 1A .. -
Figure 5A shows a partly erected antenna mast. -
Figure 5B shows a guy collar assembly. -
Figure 5C shows a lifting block assembly -
Figure 5D shows an example of how a guy control wire is mounted to the guy collar assembly. -
Figure 6A shows an example of a tubular mast element. -
Figure 6B shows the upper and lower part of the tubular mast element offigure 6A . -
Figure 6C shows another example of a tubular mast element. -
Figure 7A shows a perspective view on a mast assembly according to the present invention, whereby the antenna mast is fully erected. -
Figure 7B shows a close-up view of the connections to a picket. -
Figure 7C shows a close-up view of the connections to the control picket. -
Figure 7D shows a close-up view of a preferred embodiment of the guy control assembly. -
Figure 8A shows a detailed view of the guy control assembly offigure 7D . -
Figure 8B shows a close-up view of an example of a guy control wire. -
Figure 9A shows a perspective view on a field base of an embodiment of the present invention. -
Figure 9B shows a cross section of the field base offigure 9C in plane B-B. -
Figure 9C shows a top view of the field base of an embodiment of the present invention. -
Figure 9D shows an example of how a bottom element can be fixed in a field base that can be used in the mast assembly of the present invention, using a first and a second fixation means which are different from each other. -
Figure 9E shows an example of how a bottom element can be fixed in a field base that can be used in the mast assembly of the present invention, using a first and a second fixation means which are the same. - The invention relates to a
mast assembly 47 comprising atransportable mast 2, abase 1, and aguy control assembly 28, and to a method for keeping atransportable mast 2 upright during erection or retraction of themast 2. - Several transportable masts are known in the art, and they are used for different purposes. The
masts 2 aimed at by the present invention are typically 2 - 15m, or 2 - 25m, or any other height. Themast 2 can be a sectional mast. Themast 2 usually comprises a plurality of superimposedtubular mast elements 4 of a constant outer diameter D, on top of which equipment 8 can be mounted that needs to be positioned at a predetermined height and optionally also directed in a predetermined orientation, such as e.g. an antenna, a camera, a microphone, or lighting. The rest of the description will usually describe an antenna mast, but the invention is not limited thereto. - The
transportable mast 2 is supported by a base 1 (also known as a tripod), and held in position by guy control wires when fully erected, as shown inFig 7A . However, before explaining how such amast 2 is set-up, a preferred embodiment of abase 1 for such atransportable mast 2 is explained in detail. -
Figure 1A shows a preferred embodiment of abase 1 for themast assembly 47 of the present invention. -
Figure 1B shows thebase 1 offigure 1A in more detail. Thebase 1 comprises aguide shaft 3 which comprises several parts: atubular pipe 9, a firstleg attachment collar 5 mounted to an upper part of thetubular pipe 9, and a plurality oflegs 7 for supporting the mast on a positioning surface e.g. the ground, connected to the tubular pipe. With "mounted to" is meant that the firstleg attachment collar 5 can e.g. be mounted on top of, against or around thetubular pipe 9. Preferably thebase 1 also comprises aleg guide collar 6 to provide a second connection between thetubular pipe 9 and thelegs 7. - The
tubular pipe 9 is made of a first material, the firstleg attachment collar 5 of a second material, and theleg guide collar 6 of a third material, whereby these materials can all be different, or all be the same, or some of them can be the same. For example, thecollars tubular pipe 9 is made of a different material, or thetubular pipe 9 and the firstleg attachment collar 5 could be made of the same material, while theleg guide collar 6 is made of a different material, or thetubular pipe 9 and theleg guide collar 6 could be made of the same material while the firstleg attachment collar 5 is made of a different material. - In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the first, second and third material have a mass density between 1.0 and 3.0 kg/dm3. Using materials with a low mass density provides a
lightweight guide shaft 3, which is easy to produce. Abase 1 comprising thisguide shaft 3 is easy to transport and can be easily set-up by only one person. - In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the first material is a plastic material, such as e.g. POM, and the second and third material are aluminum or an aluminum alloy. By using these materials, the dynamic friction between the
tubular pipe 9 and thetubular mast elements 4 which are usually made of aluminum can be minimized when themast elements 4 are moved through thepipe 9 upon erection or retraction of themast 2, as well as the dynamic friction between thetubular pipe 9 and the firstleg attachment collar 5 during production, and the dynamic friction between thetubular pipe 9 and theleg guide collar 6 when folding or unfolding thebase 1, thereby reducing the effort and the wear during the set-up and retraction of thebase 1 for themast 2, as well as the time required to set-up or retract themast 2. The use of these materials permits reducing the weight of theguide shaft 3 and thebase 1, and a strong andstable base 1, which can easily be produced, is provided. Further, by providing the entiretubular pipe 9 of a low friction material, the use of friction limiting strips or wheels inside theguide shaft 3 can be dispensed with, saving cost and labor during manufacturing, and obstruction of themast elements 4 by loosening strips or broken wheels is prevented, and wearing of the friction reducing material occurs in a more uniform way over the entire inner surface of thetubular pipe 9. - The
guide shaft 3 of thebase 1 ofFig 1A comprises a tubularhollow pipe 9 with anopening 17 extending from the top to the bottom of the tubular pipe for guiding the displacement of thetubular mast elements 4 during erection or retraction of themast 2, and for holding at least onetubular mast element 4 when the mast is erected. Thetubular pipe 9 of thebase 1 preferably has a circular cross section of a substantially constant outer diameter 52 (Fig 3A ) over the lower part of thetubular pipe 9, to allow mounting of the firstleg attachment collar 5 and theleg guide collar 6 during manufacturing of theguide shaft 3. With a "substantially constant outer diameter" is meant that small deviations due to production tolerances are permitted, but it also means that one or more narrow grooves are permitted. - The
tubular pipe 9 has anopening 17 of a constant inner diameter 51 (Fig 3A ) to allow insertion and displacement of thetubular mast elements 4 throughout the pipe during erection or retraction of themast 2. As shown infigure 4A , thetubular pipe 9 has acollar 12 upon which amast suspending pin 36, which can be inserted in transverse direction of the mast, can rest when erecting or retracting a mast, for suspending part of the mast. Thetubular pipe 9 also has position limiting means 43, 44 to permit fixing the position of the firstleg attachment collar 5 on thetubular pipe 9, and to restrict movement of theleg guide collar 6 on thetubular pipe 9, for example the lower part of thetubular pipe collar 12 and a first andsecond groove tubular pipe 9, wherein a circlips can be mounted. Other shapes of thetubular pipe 9 than the one shown infigure 4A are also possible, for example the shape of thetubular pipe collar 12 can be cylindrical instead of conical. Thetubular pipe 9 is preferably made of POM (Polyoxymethyleen), which is a strong and lightweight material, having a mass density of only 1.4 kg/dm3. This material is preferred as it shows low friction with thetubular mast elements 4, which are typically made of aluminum, preferably anodized aluminum, or of composite materials, and which are inserted in thecylindrical opening 17 of theguide shaft 3 when themast 2 is erected or retracted. The inventor thus came to the idea to use atubular pipe 9 entirely made of a strong and low friction material as the core of theguide shaft 3. Other materials with low friction properties can also be used for thetubular pipe 9, for example: PTFE (Teflon), polyurethane (PUR), polyamide particularlynylon 6,nylon 66,nylon 11,nylon 12 or nylon 46 or copolymers thereof, polyester, in particular polyethylene-terephtalate (PET), polytrimethyleneterephtalate (PTT), polybutyleneterephtalate (PBT), high molecular weight polyethylene, ultra high molecular weight polyetheylene, polyetherketones, particularly polyethyletherketone (PEEK), PEEKK, polyethersulfones, polysylfones, polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF), a polyester copolymer or mixtures of two or more of these polymers. A further advantage of these plastic materials is that they are electrically isolating, thereby electrically isolating themast 2 and the equipment 8 mounted thereto from thelegs 7 of thebase 1, which is safer for the personnel erecting or retracting themast 2, especially in case of a lightning strike. Thebase 1 ofFig 1A also works when thetubular pipe 9 is made of another material such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy, but the weight of such abase 1 using aluminum would be higher than abase 1 using POM, and there would be more friction with thetubular elements 4 of the antenna mast. Especially metal to metal contact should be avoided, as it causes scratches and wear to both surfaces of the metals in contact, which would obstruct smooth insertion and lifting or lowering of themast elements 4 during erection or retraction of the mast, or would obstruct smooth rotation of themast 2 when directing the equipment 8 mounted to the mast after erection. Especially for amast 2 with heavy equipment 8 on top, e.g. an antenna or lighting of 25 kg or more, smooth movement and rotation of thetubular elements 4 in thetubular pipe 9 is important, and shocky movements should be avoided. Preferably thetubular pipe 9 has a shape with a radial symmetry, preferably with an inner and outer circular cross section, as such a shape can easily be produced or machined on a lathe, but the invention also works with other inner or outer shapes, e.g. square, hexagonal, octagonal. - In an alternative embodiment the
collar 12 is made as a separate part, which is mounted upon thetubular pipe 9 using conventional fixation means, such as glue, screw-thread, etc. This approach allows a different material to be chosen for thecollar 12 and for thetubular pipe 9, the latter being preferably made of POM. Thecollar 12 could e.g. be made of a material with a large load bearing capacity, for example a material with a hard surface that has only a limited risk to deformations when the mast suspending pin 36 (Fig 4A ) is resting upon it to support the full weight of the mast, e.g. steel or aluminum. - As shown in
Fig 1A and 1B , near the top of the tubular pipe 9 a firstleg attachment collar 5 is mounted.Figure 3B shows the firstleg attachment collar 5 in more detail. It has acylindrical opening 19 with an inner diameter larger than theouter diameter 52 of a lower part of thetubular pipe 9 to allow shifting the first leg attachment collar over thetubular pipe 9 during assembly, and a plurality of connection positions, e.g. three or more, whereto thelegs 7 can be hingedly connected at a first connection position on thelegs 37 using conventional connection means. The firstleg attachment collar 5 can be made of the same material as thetubular pipe 9, or of a different material. The firstleg attachment collar 5 is typically made of cast or machined aluminum or an aluminum alloy, as this is a strong and lightweight material that can easily be produced in the desired shape. The firstleg attachment collar 5 needs to be strong to support the full weight of the mast during erection or retraction of the mast, and to transfer that weight to thelegs 7 via the first connection position on thelegs 37. Aluminum has a low mass density of approximately 2.7 kg/dm3, and the shape of this part is suited to be manufactured by casting or machining, which is an easy and economic process step. The height of the firstleg attachment collar 68 is chosen such that tilting of the firstleg attachment collar 5 is counteracted, e.g. when mounting it on thetubular pipe 9. In the preferred embodiment theheight 68 is chosen approximately equal to the inner diameter of the first legattachment collar opening 19, but other values are also possible. The person skilled in the art can use different sizes, shapes, materials and processes known in the art for making the firstleg attachment collar 5. - In an alternative embodiment of the
base 1 ofFig 1A , thetubular pipe 9 and the firstleg attachment collar 5 can be constructed as a single part, e.g. by injection molding, moulding or casting or extruding, and could be made of aluminum, an aluminum alloy or a plastic material as listed above. - As shown in
Fig 1A and 1B , thelegs 7 can be connected to thebase 1 using conventional connection means such as screws and bolts, or hingepins 59 with a groove and circlipses mounted on both sides (as shown inFig 1 C) , but any other method known to the person skilled in the art can also be used.Fig 1A shows abase 1 with threelegs 7, but four or more legs are also possible. - The
tubular pipe 9 extends from the firstleg attachment collar 5 to a position below the first leg attachment collar where preferably aleg guide collar 6 is mounted around the tubular pipe to enable a second connection between thelegs 7 and thetubular pipe 9.Figure 3C shows a preferred embodiment of theleg guide collar 6. The wall thickness of theleg guide collar 6 can be the same as that of the firstleg attachment collar 5, or can be larger or smaller. Typically however theleg guide collar 6 can have a thinner wall thickness than that of the firstleg attachment collar 5, as theleg guide collar 6 does not have to bear the full weight of theantenna mast 2, but only needs to hold the position of thelegs 7, thus material cost and weight can be saved. Theleg guide collar 6 is preferably made of machined aluminum or cast aluminum or another aluminum alloy that can be easily machined. By providing theleg guide collar 6 around thetubular pipe 9 instead of using a localized connection, the connection force can be divided over a large contact area. Preferably but not necessarily, theleg guide collar 6 is displaceable over thetubular pipe 9 in height direction of themast 2 between an upper position limited by the position of the firstleg attachment collar 5 and a lower position limited by second position limiting means such as e.g. agroove 16 and acirclips 11 mounted to a lower part of thetubular pipe 9. By shifting theleg guide collar 6 over thetubular pipe 9, thelegs 7 are moved simultaneously between an extended position, as shown infigure 2A , and a retracted position, as shown infigure 2C . It is clear that the open or extended position provides astable base 1 for supporting amast 2, while the closed or retracted position is used for easy transportation. This is especially useful for a temporary mast that needs to be set-up and retracted frequently.Figure 2B shows an intermediate position, whereby thelegs 7 are halfway between the extended and the retracted position. In an alternative embodiment theleg guide collar 6 is rigidly mounted to thetubular pipe 9. In this case the connection between thelegs 7 and theleg guide collar 6 preferably allows the distance between them to be adjustable, e.g. by using for each leg twoguide spacers 13 hingedly connected in series, as shown inFig 2D . This enables thebase 1 to be folded for transportation or unfolded for supporting amast 2. In this case thelegs 7 do not open or close simultaneously. The height of theleg guide collar 67 is preferably chosen such that theleg guide collar 6 cannot tilt, which would obstruct easy sliding over thetubular pipe 9. Thisheight 67 can e.g. be chosen approximately equal to the inner diameter of the legguide collar opening 21, but other values are also possible. The person skilled in the art can use different sizes, shapes, materials and processes known in the art. Preferably theleg guide collar 6 has a position for mounting anoptional bubble level 14, to facilitate rapid installation of thebase 1 in a vertical position. In an alternative embodiment of theguide shaft 3 thebubble level 14 could be mounted to the firstleg attachment collar 5, or both. Instead of a single circular bubble level also two oblong bubble levels can be used. - At a second connection position on the
legs 38, thelegs 7 are connected to a lower part of thetubular pipe 9 using second connection means 39, which may be a direct connection or an indirect connection. InFig 1A showing the preferred embodiment of thebase 1, thelegs 7 are connected to theleg guide collar 6 usingguide spacers 13 and conventional connection means. The guide spacers 13 are intended to keep thelegs 7 of thebase 1, when unfolded, at a predefined position from the tubular pipe to provide astable base 1. They are typically made of steel or stainless steel, but they can also be made of a lightweight metal such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy, or other suitable materials known to the person skilled in the art. - The
leg guide collar 6 is a preferred way of connecting the lower part of thetubular pipe 9 to thelegs 7, but other ways are also possible, for example by mounting theguide spacers 13 to a protrusion (not shown) on the outer wall of thetubular pipe 9, or by using a tubular insert in the bottom of thetubular pipe 9, which insert can then be connected to thelegs 7. - In a preferred embodiment the
tubular pipe 9 has atubular pipe collar 12 extending above the firstleg attachment collar 5, to rest upon the firstleg attachment collar 5 for transfer of the weight of themast 2 during erection or retraction, and for temporarily supporting the mast suspending pin 36 (seeFig 4A ) which can be inserted in amast element 4 during erection or retraction of themast 2, as will be explained further. Other shapes of thetubular pipe collar 12 than the one shown infigure 1B can also be used. - Optionally but not mandatory the first
leg attachment collar 5 and theleg guide collar 6 are mounted in a rotatable manner around thetubular pipe 9. In this case two levels of rotation can be provided to themast 2 during set-up, as thetubular mast elements 4 can rotate inside thetubular pipe 9, and thetubular pipe 9 can rotate inside the firstleg attachment collar 5 and inside theleg guide collar 6. This might be beneficial in environments where sand or dirt could hinder the rotation of themast 2. This is particularly advantageous when directional antennas are mounted on themast 2, as in this case the antenna should be correctly directed to within approximately one degree angle, thus smooth rotation of the mast inside theguide shaft 3 is desired. It will be described further, when discussing thefield base 58, how rotation of themast 2 can be prevented. In an alternative embodiment of thebase 1 the firstleg attachment collar 5 and theleg guide collar 6 can be mounted to thetubular pipe 9 in a non-rotatable way, using e.g. glue or screws, or grooves and a local insert, or any other technique known to the person skilled in the art to block such rotation. - Optionally but not mandatory the
base 1 has a graduatedcollar 50 which is mounted to thetubular pipe collar 12, and can be used for easy orientation and correct positioning of themast 2, and optionally thecollar 12 of thetubular pipe 9 has anindicator 66 that can be aligned with one of the graduations on the graduatedcollar 50. The graduatedcollar 50 shown infigures 2E and 2F has the same inner diameter as the inner diameter of thetubular pipe 9, and has provisions with a groove and afirst screw 64 to prevent the graduatedcollar 50 from being lifted along with thetubular mast elements 4 when erecting themast 2. When themast 2 is fully erected the graduatedcollar 50 can be mounted to atubular mast element 4 by means of asecond screw 65, so that the graduatedcollar 50 rotates along with the mast. Other shapes of the graduated collar, and other ways of mounting them known to the person skilled in the art, can also be used. - Choosing lightweight materials for the
base 1 is especially advantageous fortransportable masts 2, which need to be erected and retracted quite frequently. -
Figures 4A - 4E describe how the parts offigures 3A - 3E are mounted to form the preferred embodiment of theguide shaft 3. Starting with a tubular pipe 9 (Fig. 4A ), a firstleg attachment collar 5 is shifted over thetubular pipe 9 until it reaches the tubular pipe collar 12 (Fig. 4B ), where the outside diameter of thetubular pipe collar 12 is larger than the inner diameter of the first legattachment collar opening 19. Thetubular pipe collar 12 serves as the upper part of the firstposition limiting means 43. Next, a first circlips 10 (Fig 3D ) is mounted in thefirst groove 15 of the tubular pipe (Fig 4C ) to limit the lower position of the firstleg attachment collar 5 on thetubular pipe 9, thus the height position of the firstleg attachment collar 5 on the tubular pipe is fixed. In a next step theleg guide collar 6 is shifted over the tubular pipe 9 (Fig 4D ), and a second circlips 11 (Fig 3E ) is mounted in thesecond groove 16 of the tubular pipe 9 (Fig 4E ) to limit the lower position of theleg guide collar 6 on thetubular pipe 9. Thesecond groove 16 and thesecond circlips 11 thereby form the second position limiting means 44. The resulting structure (Fig 4E ) is a preferred embodiment of theguide shaft 3 of thebase 1 ofFig 1A . Theleg guide collar 6 of the preferred embodiment of theguide shaft 3 can thus be shifted between the location of thefirst groove 15 and thesecond groove 16 on the tubular pipe. To make thebase 1,legs 7 and second connection means,e.g. guide spacers 13, are attached to theguide shaft 3 using conventional attachment means such as screws and bolts, or hingepins 59 with grooves and circlipses (Fig 1 C) , but any other method known to the person skilled in the art can also be used. - The use of
grooves tubular pipe 9 andcirclipses circlipses grooves tubular pipe 9 can thus be substantially constant below thetubular pipe collar 12, as shown inFig 4A . When using POM as a material for thetubular pipe 9, the inventor has discovered that a wall thickness W of 5 - 15 mm, preferably 7 - 13 mm, more preferably 9 - 11 mm gives an optimal compromise in terms of weight and strength. - By choosing aluminum or an aluminum alloy or one of the plastic materials listed above for the parts of the
guide shaft 3, it should be clear from thefigures 3A-3E and from the description that the parts of theguide shaft 3 of the present invention are lightweight and easy to manufacture. And it should also be clear from thefigures 4A-4E and from the description that theguide shaft 3 and thebase 1 of the mast assembly of the present invention can be easily assembled, thereby resulting in a lightweight, rigid andstable base 1 for amast 2, showing low friction with thetubular mast elements 4, which are typically made of anodized aluminum or a composite material, e.g. a fiber reinforced plastic material. - In an alternative embodiment of the
base 1 according to the present invention, thetubular pipe 9 and the firstleg attachment collar 5 could be made as a single piece, or not. When using the same material for thetubular pipe 9 and for theleg guide collar 6, these parts can be made as a single piece, or not. When the first, second and third material are the same, thetubular pipe 9 and the firstleg attachment collar 5 and theleg guide collar 6 can be made as a single piece, or not. - In an alternative embodiment of the
base 1 according to the mast assembly of the present invention, thetubular pipe 9 and the firstleg attachment collar 5 and theleg guide collar 6 can be moulded or casted or extruded as a single part, resulting in a structure looking like the one shown inFig 4E without thegrooves circlipses leg guide collar 6 over thetubular pipe 9. However abase 1 using theguide shaft 3 of this alternative embodiment could also be folded and transported, e.g. after disconnecting the guide spacers 13 from thelegs 7, or by using a series ofguide spacers 13 as shown inFig 2D . -
Figure 4F shows an alternative embodiment of thetubular pipe 9, where the outer diameter of thetubular pipe 9 is smaller at the position of the firstleg attachment collar 5. In this case the firstleg attachment collar 5 could be mounted by assembling two or more parts around thetubular pipe 9. In this way thefirst circlips 10 would not be required to limit the position of the firstleg attachment collar 5. - Above a preferred embodiment of the
base 1 of themast assembly 47 according to the present invention was described, but the invention will also work with another base. - The principle of setting up a
mast 2 using the preferred embodiment of thebase 1 will be explained next with reference tofigure 5A . Starting from a foldedbase 1 as shown infigure 2C , first thelegs 7 are opened, by shifting theleg guide collar 6 away from the firstleg attachment collar 5 to obtain astable base 1 as shown infigure 2A . Then the lengths of thelegs 7 are adjusted to place thetubular guide shaft 3 at a height of e.g. 1.40 m above the ground to enable insertion of mast elements from a position below the guide shaft. Thelegs 7 of thebase 1 are preferably made telescopic in conventional ways. In the example offigure 5A the length of thelegs 7 can be adjusted using two leg adjustment screws 42 per leg, but any other means known to the person skilled in the art can also be used. Then thebase 1 needs to be positioned vertically, which is typically done using the bubble-level 14 mounted to theleg guide collar 6 as an aid. The mast needs to be positioned as vertical as possible to prevent bending of thetubular mast elements 4, or falling over of themast 2. Further awinch 20 and alifting block assembly 23 can be attached to thebase 1. Using the winch, the position of the liftingblock assembly 23 is lowered to allow placement of a firsttubular mast element 4 upon it. Then the firsttubular mast element 4 is lifted using the winch and guided inside theupright opening 17 of theguide shaft 3 to a position extending above thetubular pipe collar 12. Next, one or moreguy collar assemblies tubular mast element 4 from above. In a next step a device 8, such as an antenna or camera or microphone or lighting etc. can be mounted to the first tubular mast element, using the device mounting holes 18 (Fig 6B ) and conventional attachment means e.g. screws. Optionally thelegs 7 have provisions for mounting steps (not shown) thereto, which steps can e.g. be used to stand upon when mounting the equipment 8 to themast 2. Then thefirst mast element 4 is further lifted until amast suspending pin 36 can be inserted in a hole 41 (Fig 4A ,Fig 6A ) of the firsttubular mast element 4, above thetubular pipe collar 12, where after thelifting block assembly 23 is lowered again so that themast suspending pin 36 rests upon thetubular pipe collar 12, holding thefirst mast element 4 in a suspending position with respect to theguide shaft 3, as shown inFig 4A in dotted line. The liftingblock assembly 23 can then be lowered further down, to enable placement of a secondtubular mast element 4 upon it. Using thewinch 20 the secondtubular mast element 4 can then be lifted until its upper part approaches the lower part of the firsttubular mast element 4 suspended in thebase 1. The secondtubular mast element 4 will then be aligned and rotated so that the upper part of the secondtubular mast element 4 engages with the lower part of the firsttubular mast element 4. Using thewinch 20, bothtubular mast elements 4 and the mounted equipment 8 are then lifted, themast suspending pin 36 is removed, and the firstguy collar assembly 25 is mounted to the uppertubular mast element 4 by inserting the guycollar assembly pin 34 in the hole 41 (Fig 6A ) of the uppertubular mast element 4. Mounting to theupper mast element 4 is preferred, as this provides the highest stability of themast 2. Then the partly mountedmast 2 is lifted further until themast suspending pin 36 can be inserted inhole 41 of the secondtubular mast element 4 above thetubular pipe 9, where after thelifting block assembly 23 is lowered again, and so on. When alltubular mast elements 4 are mounted, the position of theentire mast 2 including the liftingblock assembly 23 is lowered so that a bottom element 24 (Fig 5C ) of the liftingblock assembly 23 can be placed in afield base 58, which is mounted on the ground under thebase 1 by means ofspikes 78, so that the weight of themast 2 no longer needs to be supported by thebase 1, but is transferred directly to thefield base 58. - It is an advantage of the
guide shaft 3 described above that it can be made of two or more components, preferably three (thetubular pipe 9, the firstleg attachment collar 5, the leg guide collar 6), which are and remain well positioned with respect to each other during erection or retraction of a mast, and which provide an optimal guidance for the displacement of the tubular mast elements during erection or retraction of themast 2. -
Figure 5A shows an antenna as the equipment 8 to be positioned at height, but other equipment such as e.g. a camera, a microphone or lighting can also be used. -
Fig 5A shows amast 2 at an early stage of erection, with twoguy collar assemblies tubular mast elements 4 and temporarily resting on thetubular pipe collar 12, to enable mounting of theguy collar assemblies tubular mast elements 4 during further erection of themast 2, but more than two can also be used, e.g. for a large mast. By connecting theguy collar assemblies tubular mast elements 4 during erection, they can be located at predefined positions T, M (Fig 7A ) after themast 2 is fully erected. Theguy collar assemblies mast 2 during erection, during retraction, and during normal use of the mast, i.e. when the mast is fully erected, by providing means for connecting at least threeguy control wires 71 which can be kept under tension in at least three different directions, thereby keeping themast 2 in a stable position. -
Fig 5B shows the preferred embodiment of theguy collar assembly tubular element 26, whereto ablade 27 is preferably rotatably mounted. Theblade 27 typically comprises at least three guywire mounting holes 35 preferably equally distributed around theblade 27, but other positions are also possible. Referring toFig 7A , the wires, cables or ropes attached to the upperguy collar assembly 25 are calledguy control wires 71, whereas the wires, cables or ropes attached to the other guy collar assembly (or assemblies) 40 are calledguy wires 72. At least threeguy control wires 71 are attached to the upperguy collar assembly 25 for keeping themast 2 upright, each guy control wire preferably being mounted to one mountinghole 35. The first ends of the guy control wires 48 (Fig 5D ) are attached to the upperguy collar assembly 25, which is typically mounted to the uppertubular mast element 4 corresponding to a position T on the mast (Fig 7A ). Theguy collar assembly 25 is preferably mounted to the mast using a removable connection, e.g. a removable pin 34 (Fig 5B ) passing through theguy collar assembly 25 and through ahole 41 of thetubular mast element 4, thereby fixing the position of theguy collar assembly 25 in height with respect to themast 2. When using amast 2 with twoguy collar assemblies guy collar assembly 40 is typically mounted to thetubular mast element 4 corresponding to a position M at about half the height of the mast 2 (Fig 7A ). When threeguy collar assemblies guy collar assemblies wire mounting holes 35, for attachment of four or more guy (control)wires - In the prior art, the second ends of the
guy control wires 71 are typically routed to three different positions X, Y, Z near the ground, located at a predetermined distance R from thebase 1, thus lying on an imaginary circle with thebase 1 standing in the centre, the three positions X, Y, Z lying preferably 120 degrees apart on the imaginary circle. In the prior art theseguy control wires 71 are only fastened to the positions near the ground after themast 2 is fully erected, not during erection or retraction of the mast. Alternatively they are kept under tension by three or more persons standing at a distance R from thebase 1 during erection of the mast, and they are fastened to a position near the ground after the mast is fully erected. In other words, in the prior art theguy control wires 71 are typically routed from point T to X, from T to Y and from T to Z, and they are fastened at the points X, Y, Z to a position near the ground after the mast is fully erected. A disadvantage of the first mentioned prior art method is that the mast is not stabilized during erection or retraction, making it impossible or unsafe to set-up a mast under windy conditions. A disadvantage of the second mentioned method used in the prior art is that it requires more people during the set-up of the mast, and that it is very difficult to keep the mast stabilized when the three or more guy control wires are held by three or more different people, without causing oscillations of themast 2. These disadvantages are especially important in military applications, where the minimal amounts of personnel, optimal safety to the equipment 8 on and next to themast 2, as well as a fast set-up time under all weather conditions are of main importance. - The present invention provides an improved method for keeping the
mast 2 upright, during normal use of the mast, as well as during its erection or retraction, even under windy conditions, with a minimal amount of people, using mechanical means that can be hand carried, and without requiring electrical power or batteries. This is especially important for military applications. Thereto the present invention uses a method of routing theguy control wires 71 to a single point P, where a single person can keep the three or moreguy control wires 71 under tension, by using aguy control assembly 28. The guy control assembly is also an object of the present invention. - In order to be able to apply this improved method for stabilizing the
mast 2 during erection or retraction, themast assembly 47 comprises at least threeguy control wires 71, the first ends 48 of theguy control wires 71 being connected to themast 2 at an upper position T on themast 2, the second ends 49 of theguy control wires 71 being routed to at least three different positions X, Y, Z near the ground at a distance from thebase 1, to which positions they can be fastened, which is typically done after themast 2 is fully erected, or from which positions they can be routed further to a single position P to permit keeping theguy control wires 71 under tension by a single person during erection or retraction of the mast. - Preferably the three different positions X, Y, Z near the ground are located on an imaginary circle of radius R, lying preferably 120 degrees apart, where the
base 1 is standing in the centre, and the radius R is chosen such that the angle β between the ground surface and theguy control wire 71 is between 45 and 60 degrees, but other angles are also possible. Using these positions provides for a uniform tension in theguy control wires 71 and optimal correction capabilities for themast 2, while the area occupied by themast assembly 47 is limited. - As shown in
Fig 7B , preferably the locations X, Y, Z near the ground each comprise apulley block 56 to allow further routing of theguy control wires 71 to a point P where a single person can keep theguy control wires 71 under tension during erection or retraction of themast 2, and a guy tensioner 32 to allow fastening theguy control wires 71 to the position near the ground after erection of themast 2. Instead of continuously adapting the length or position of each of theguy control wires 71 during the erection or retraction of themast 2, the person at point P can move between a first point P1 and a second point Pn, thereby adapting the length of allguy control wires 71 simultaneously, while keeping them under tension. The point P1 preferably being located on an imaginary line passing through the center of thebase 1, at a predetermined distance from the center of the base of typically 1.3 - 1.5 times the height of the mast, and the point Pn being located on the same line at a distance of typically 0.8 -1.0 times the height of the mast, the exact distance depending on the angle β between the ground surface and theguy control wires 71. - Preferably this method is performed by routing the second ends 49 of the
guy control wires 71 to aguy control assembly 28 located at location P, theguy control assembly 28 having means for keeping at least threeguy control wires 71 under tension. Theguy control assembly 28 is a tool that can be hand held, and allows to keep allguy control wires 71 under tension simultaneously. It also allows the tension of one or moreguy control wires 71 to be adapted while keeping the other guy control wires under tension. - Preferably the
guy control assembly 28 has at least three wire holding means 31 for holding theguy control wires 71 under tension, and has at least twohandles guy control assembly 28, the handles being located at opposite sides of the part guiding the wires. - Preferably the
guy control assembly 28 has threehandles - Preferably the wire holding means 31 are rope cleats.
- As shown in
Figure 7A-7D , the threeguy control wires 71 of the mast assembly of the present invention have an increased length, typically almost double the length typically used in the prior art, and they are routed from T over X to Y to P1, from T over Z to Y to P1, and from T to Y to P1, the threeguy control wires 71 thus coming together at a single point Y, from where they are routed to a point P1 where a single person holding theguy control assembly 28 can keep the threeguy control wires 71 under tension simultaneously, especially during erection or retraction of themast 2. Typically the person holding theguy control assembly 28 starts at a position P1 at the start of the mast erection and gradually approaches to a point Pn while themast elements 4 are being lifted, in order to keep theguy control wires 71 under tension. When themast 2 is completely erected, theguy control wires 71 are fastened to the support surface, e.g. the ground, by means of fastening means. Preferably theguy control wires 71 are fastened topickets 30 at location X and Z and to acontrol picket 29 at location Y, by means of e.g. guy tensioners 32, pulley blocks 56 and carbine hooks 33. After all theguy control wires 71 are fastened to thepickets 30 and to thecontrol picket 29, theother guy wires 72, which are fastened at one end to theguy collar assembly 40 which is mounted to the mast, are also tightened and fastened to thepickets 30 or to thecontrol picket 29. Thus after themast 2 is fully erected, eachguy control wire 71 and eachguy wire 72 is fastened at one end to the mast, preferably to aguy collar assembly -
Figure 8A shows a preferred embodiment of theguy control assembly 28 of the present invention in more detail. It comprises three handles, aleft handle 75, aright handle 76 and alower handle 77, and threerope cleats 31 for attaching the second ends 49 of theguy control wires 71 to theguy control assembly 28. The threeguy control wires 71 are placed on therope cleats 31 and are kept under tension such that themast 2 is standing upright. The person holding theguy control assembly 28 typically uses both hands holding the left andright handle guy control assembly 28. By moving towards or away from thebase 1, theguy control wires 71 are kept under tension, and themast 2 is kept upright. When a singleguy control wire 71 needs to be adjusted, a right handed person typically releases his left hand to grasp thelower handle 77, and then releases the right hand to correct the position of theguy control wire 71 while firmly holding theguy control assembly 28 in his left hand and keeping the otherguy control wires 71 under tension. After correction of the specificguy control wire 71 he takes again theright handle 76 in the right hand, and finally also theleft handle 75 in the left hand. - Alternatively first the right hand can be moved to the bottom handle, and then the left hand released to correct the position of a wire, etc.
- When retracting a
mast 2, a similar procedure as described above for erecting amast 2 can be followed, but the person holding theguy control assembly 28 would start from a point Pn near the point Y on the imaginary circle, and gradually move away from thebase 1 towards a point P1, while keeping theguy control wires 71 under tension. - An alternative embodiment of the
guy control assembly 28 may comprise one or two handles, and/or four ormore rope cleats 31. Other shapes of theguy control assembly 28, or of the handles 75-77, or of therope cleats 31 than shown inFig 8A are possible. -
Figure 8B shows an example of aguy control wire 71, which is preferably made of Terylene ™, polyester or Kevlar®, but other materials are also possible. Theguy control wires 71 should be strong enough to support the tension exerted upon it, especially under windy conditions. - The method for keeping the
mast 2 upright as described above, has no direct relation with thebase 1, since theguy control wires 71 of the mast assembly of the present invention are routed topickets legs 7 of thebase 1, in contrast to the system shown inFig 1 ofUS4212015 . It is therefore clear to the person skilled in the art that the method of the present invention will also work for amast assembly 47 using anotherbase 1 than the one shown inFig 1A , in particular abase 1 without atubular pipe 9. - The present invention also provides an
improved field base 58 for supporting the mast during its normal use, i.e. when fully erected. Thefield base 58 is provided for positioning on a supporting surface, e.g. on the ground, at a position which corresponds to the position of themast 2 to permit bearing of at least part of the weight of themast 2 after erection, whereby thefield base 58 comprises first fixation means 61 for fixing themast 2 to a support plane and preventing displacement in height direction of themast assembly 47, and second fixation means 62 for preventing rotation of themast 2 around its axial axis.Figure 9A - 9C show a preferred embodiment of thefield base 58 according to the present invention. Thefield base 58 has anopening 63 extending in upright direction of the mast for receiving abottom element 24 which is preferably mounted to a lower part of themast 2 in a non-rotatable way. Thebottom element 24 may have constant dimensions in radial direction, but preferably has a smaller outer dimension at a higher part than at a lower part. Thefield base 58 has provisions for receiving first fixation means 61, e.g. a pin, which can be inserted in a second opening of thefield base 58 to decrease the size of theupright opening 63, thereby preventing themast 2 to move in an upward direction. Thefield base 58 further comprises afixation component 62 mounted to thefield base 58. Thefixation component 62 can be moved towards (or away from) the center of theupright opening 63 in radial direction for tightening (or loosening) thebottom element 24 to (or from) the field base, thereby preventing (or allowing) rotation of themast 2. -
Figure 5A shows afield base 58 mounted to the ground in a position corresponding to and below themast 2. Thefield base 58 is typically mounted to the ground by insertingspikes 78 in the ground through the mountingholes 74 of thefield base 58, so that thefield base 58 cannot rotate or be lifted with respect to the ground. Positioning themast 2 on thefield base 58 is the last step during erection of themast 2. After alltubular elements 4 have been added to themast 2 as described above, themast 2 with the liftingblock assembly 23 mounted underneath, is lowered towards the support surface, usually the ground, so that the lower part of the liftingblock assembly 24, in this case a sphere with a small cylindrical shape on top of it, is placed inside theupright opening 63 of thefield base 58. Then aheight fixation pin 61 of the field base is inserted in a second opening of thefield base 58 to decrease the inner diameter of theupright opening 63. Thepin 61 prevents displacement of thebottom element 24 in height direction of themast 2, which could occur under windy conditions, whereby themast 2 could be lifted out of thefield base 58, and be positioned next to thefield base 58, thereby loosing its vertical position and/or its orientation. Insertion or removal of theheight fixation pin 61 is a very fast and simple step for securing or releasing the height position of themast 2. -
Fig 9A and 9C show awing screw 73 to enable tightening of afixation component 62 against thebottom element 24 of themast 2, thereby preventing rotation of themast 2.Fig 9D shows the working principle using a separate first and second fixation means 61, 62.Figure 9E shows the working principle of an alternative embodiment of thefield base 58 according to the present invention, using a single fixation means 61, 62 to prevent both lifting and rotation of themast 2 with respect to thefield base 58. An advantage of using a spherical shape as thebottom element 24 of the liftingblock assembly 23 is that it does not have sharp edges, thereby preventing injuries during the set-up of themast 2, and it allows easy rotation of themast 2 when positioned in thefield base 58, and it is easy to manufacture e.g. on a lathe. But the invention also works for otherbottom elements 24 having a lower diameter at a higher position than at a lower position. Providing thefixation component 62 as a separate part allows the shape and material thereof to be optimized for optimal tightening to avoid rotation of themast 2. - In a preferred embodiment of the lifting
block assembly 23 thebottom element 24 and thefixation component 62 are both made of aluminum. To have a large contact area with thebottom element 24 and thus a good fixation, the shape of thefixation component 62 is preferably complementary to at least part of thebottom element 24. Other shapes and materials for thebottom element 24 and for thefixation component 62 can be chosen by the person skilled in the art, e.g. the sphere of thebottom element 24 could be replaced by a cylinder made out of steel. -
Figure 6A - 6C show examples oftubular mast elements 4 known in the art, comprising means for preventing disengagement ofsuccessive mast elements 4. To allow an easy, well aligned placement of themast elements 4 on top of each other, and to prevent themast elements 4 from disengaging, typically acylindrical insert 53 with an outer diameter approximately equal to the inner diameter of thetubular mast elements 4 is mounted in the upper end of eachtubular element 4, and extending above it, to enable insertion thereof in the lower end of the next highertubular mast element 4 in themast 2. Usuallydevice mounting holes 18 are foreseen in thiscylindrical insert 53, whichdevice mounting holes 18 can be used for fixation of the equipment 8 such as e.g. an antenna, lighting, camera, microphone etc, using standard fixation means such as e.g. screws. The lower end of thetubular mast elements 54, and the higher end of thetubular mast element 55 typically have a complementary form to prevent rotation between a lower and the nexthigher mast element 4. As thetubular mast elements 4 can rotate inside thetubular pipe 9 of the base of the invention, and as allmast element 4 of themast 2 cannot rotate with respect to each other, it is possible to orient the equipment 8 mounted on themast 2 by rotating any of themast elements 4, thereby rotating theentire mast 2. The outer diameter D of thetubular mast elements 4 typically lies between 50 and 110 mm, and can for example be 110 mm, 100 mm, 90 mm, 80 mm, 70 mm, 60 mm or 50 mm. The length of thetubular mast elements 4 without taking into account thecylindrical insert 53 is typically 1 m, which makes it easy to transport them, to insert thetubular mast elements 4 from a position below theguide shaft 3, and to determine the height of an erectedmast 2 by simply counting the superimposedmast elements 4. But thetubular mast elements 4 can also have other lengths, such as e.g. 80 cm, 90 cm, 100 cm, 110 cm or 120 cm.
Claims (24)
- Mast assembly (47) comprising a base (1) and a transportable mast (2) and a guy control assembly (28) for stabilizing the mast (2) during erection or retraction of the mast (2),
the mast (2) comprising a plurality of tubular mast elements (4) positioned on top of each other;
the base (1) comprising: - a guide shaft (3) with an opening (17) for guiding the displacement of the tubular mast elements (4) during erection or retraction of the mast (2); - a plurality of legs (7) connected to the guide shaft (3), for positioning the guide shaft (3) at a distance above ground to allow insertion of the tubular mast elements (4) from a position below the guide shaft (3);
the guy control assembly (28) being connected to the mast (2) at a predefined position (T) in at least three directions by means of at least three guy control wires (71), a first end of each guy control wire (48) being connected to the mast (2), a second end of each guy control wire (49) being connected to the guy control assembly (28);
characterised in that- each guy control wire (71) being guided at a position between the first and second end of the guy control wire (71) towards a ground position (X, Y, Z) located at a predefined distance (R) and being separate from the base (1), to which ground positions (X, Y, Z) they are fastened or from which ground positions (X, Y, Z) they are routed to a single position (P) to permit keeping the guy control wires (71) under tension by a single person;- the guy control assembly (28) is portable by a single person and has at least one handle (75, 76, 77) for holding the guy control assembly (28). - Mast assembly (47) according to claim 1, wherein the ground positions (X, Y, Z) are located on an imaginary circle of a predefined radius (R), where the base (1) is standing in a centre of the circle.
- Mast assembly (47) according to claim 2, wherein the radius (R) is chosen such that an angle (β) between a ground surface and the guy control wires (71) is between 45 and 60 degrees when the mast (2) is fully erected.
- Mast assembly (47) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the ground positions (X, Y, Z) are lying 120 degrees apart on the imaginary circle.
- Mast assembly (47) according to any one of the claims 1-4, wherein the guy control wires (71) are routed from the ground positions (X, Y, Z) to one of the ground positions (Y) before being routed to the single position (P).
- Mast assembly (47) according to any one of the claims 1-5, wherein the guy control assembly (28) comprises rope cleats (31) for connecting the second ends (49) of the guy control wires (71).
- Mast assembly (47) according to any one of the claims 1-6, wherein the guy control assembly (28) has three handles (75, 76, 77), a left handle (75), a right handle (76) and a lower handle (77), for holding the guy control wires (71) under tension, or for adjusting a guy control wire (71).
- Mast assembly (47) according to any one of the claims 1-7, wherein the guide shaft (3) comprises:- a tubular pipe (9) having the opening (17) for guiding the displacement of the tubular mast elements (4);- a first leg attachment collar (5) mounted to an upper part of the tubular pipe (9), the first leg attachment collar (5) being connectible to the legs (7) at a first connection position on the legs (37);- the tubular pipe (9) extending from the first leg attachment collar (5) to a position below the first leg attachment collar (5) to permit mounting of second connection means (39) to the legs (7);- second connection means (39) mounted to a lower part of the tubular pipe (9), which second connection means (39) are connectible to the legs (7) at a second connection position on the legs (38), the second connection position (38) being spaced from the first connection position (37) in height direction of the base (1);wherein the tubular pipe (9) is made of a first material and the first leg attachment collar (5) is made of a second material;
- Mast assembly (47) according to any one of the claims 1-8, wherein the predefined position (T) on the mast (2) is located on the upper mast element (4).
- Mast assembly (47) according to any one of the claims 1-9, wherein the mast assembly (47) additionally comprises a guy collar blade (27) rotatably mounted to the mast (2) at the predefined position (T), the guy collar blade (27) having mounting holes (35) whereto first ends (48) of the guy control wires (71) are connected.
- Mast assembly (47) according to any one of the claims 1-10, additionally comprising a pulley block (56) mounted to a picket (30, 29) at each of the ground positions (X, Y, Z) for routing the guy control wires (71) to the single point (P) during erection or retraction of the mast (2).
- Mast assembly (47) according to any one of the claims 1-11, additionally comprising guy tensioners (32) mounted to a picket (30, 29) at each of the ground positions (X, Y, Z) for fastening the guy control wires (71) to a position near the ground after erection of the mast (2).
- Mast assembly (47) according to any one of the claims 1-12, additionally comprising equipment (8) mounted to the mast (2), wherein the equipment (8) is selected from the group of an antenna, a camera, a microphone and lighting.
- Method for keeping a transportable mast (2) upright during erection or retraction thereof, the mast (2) being part of a mast assembly (47) further comprising a base (1) and a portable guy control assembly (28),
the mast (2) comprising a plurality of tubular mast elements (4) positioned on top of each other;
the base (1) comprising: - a guide shaft (3) with an opening (17) for guiding the displacement of the tubular mast elements (4) during erection or retraction of the mast (2); - a plurality of legs (7) connected to the guide shaft (3) for positioning the guide shaft (3) at a distance above ground to allow insertion of the tubular mast elements (4) from a position below the guide shaft (3);
the method comprising the steps of:- connecting first ends (48) of at least three guy control wires (71) to the mast (2) at a predefined position (T) in at least three directions;- guiding each guy control wire (71) towards a ground position (X, Y, Z) located at a predefined distance (R) and being separate from the base (1), and routing them to a single position (P) to permit keeping the guy control wires (71) under tension by a single person;- connecting a second end (49) of each guy control wire (71) to the guy control assembly (28);- keeping the guy control wires (71) under tension by holding the guy control assembly (28) while moving towards resp. away from the base (1) as the mast elements (4) are being lifted resp. lowered. - Method according to claim 14, wherein the guy control wires (71) are guided to ground positions (X, Y, Z) located on an imaginary circle having a predetermined radius (R), where the base (1) is standing in a centre of the circle.
- Method according to claim 15, thereby choosing the radius (R) such that an angle (β) between a ground surface and the guy control wires (71) is between 45 and 60 degrees when the mast (2) is fully erected.
- Method according to claim 15 or 16, comprising the step of choosing the ground positions (X, Y, Z) 120 degrees apart on the imaginary circle.
- Method according to any one of the claims 14-17, wherein the holding of the guy control assembly (28) is performed by holding at least one handle (75, 76, 77) of the guy control assembly (28).
- Method according to any one of the claims 14-18, wherein the guy control assembly (28) comprises rope cleats (31) and the step of connecting second ends (49) of the guy control wires (71) to the guy control assembly (28) is performed by connecting the second ends (49) to the rope cleats (31).
- Method according to any one of the claims 14-19, wherein the routing of each guy control wire (71) to a single position (P) comprises the step of routing the guy control wires (71) to one of the ground positions (Y) before routing them to the single position (P).
- Method according to any one of the claims 14-20, wherein the guide shaft (3) comprises:- a tubular pipe (9) having the opening (17) for guiding the displacement of the tubular mast elements (4);- a first leg attachment collar (5) mounted to an upper part of the tubular pipe (9), the first leg attachment collar (5) being connectible to the legs (7) at a first connection position on the legs (37);- the tubular pipe (9) extending from the first leg attachment collar (5) to a position below the first leg attachment collar (5) to permit mounting of second connection means (39) to the legs (7);- second connection means (39) mounted to a lower part of the tubular pipe (9), which second connection means (39) are connectible to the legs (7) at a second connection position on the legs (38), the second connection position (38) being spaced from the first connection position (37) in height direction of the base (1);wherein the tubular pipe (9) is made of a first material and the first leg attachment collar (5) is made of a second material;
- Method according to any one of the claims 14-21, wherein the step of connecting the first ends (48) of the guy control wires (71) to the mast (2) at a predefined position (T) is performed by connecting the first ends (48) to the upper mast element (4).
- Method according to any one of the claims 14-22, wherein the method further comprises a step of rotatably mounting a guy collar blade (27) to the mast (2) at the predefined position (T), the guy collar blade (27) having mounting holes (35), and connecting the first ends (48) of the guy control wires (71) to the mounting holes (35).
- Method according to any one of the claims 14-23, wherein the step of guiding and routing the guy control wires (71) comprises mounting a pulley block (56) to a picket (30, 29) at each of the ground positions (X, Y, Z) and routing the guy control wires (71) through the pulley blocks (56).
Priority Applications (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP10726447A EP2430264B1 (en) | 2009-05-11 | 2010-05-11 | Method for keeping a transportable mast upright during erection or retraction thereof, and a mast assembly |
SI201030111T SI2430264T1 (en) | 2009-05-11 | 2010-05-11 | Method for keeping a transportable mast upright during erection or retraction thereof, and a mast assembly |
PL10726447T PL2430264T3 (en) | 2009-05-11 | 2010-05-11 | Method for keeping a transportable mast upright during erection or retraction thereof, and a mast assembly |
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/EP2009/055683 WO2010130282A1 (en) | 2009-05-11 | 2009-05-11 | Base for a transportable mast and a mast assembly comprising such a base |
PCT/EP2010/056493 WO2010142506A1 (en) | 2009-05-11 | 2010-05-11 | Method for keeping a transportable mast upright during erection or retraction thereof, and a mast assembly |
EP10726447A EP2430264B1 (en) | 2009-05-11 | 2010-05-11 | Method for keeping a transportable mast upright during erection or retraction thereof, and a mast assembly |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP2430264A1 EP2430264A1 (en) | 2012-03-21 |
EP2430264B1 true EP2430264B1 (en) | 2012-10-03 |
Family
ID=45569786
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP10726447A Active EP2430264B1 (en) | 2009-05-11 | 2010-05-11 | Method for keeping a transportable mast upright during erection or retraction thereof, and a mast assembly |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP2430264B1 (en) |
PL (1) | PL2430264T3 (en) |
SI (1) | SI2430264T1 (en) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN104141405A (en) * | 2013-11-15 | 2014-11-12 | 国家电网公司 | Overhead junction pole for two-circuit overhead transmission line and line junction structure of overhead junction pole |
CN111827773A (en) * | 2020-07-22 | 2020-10-27 | 国网山东省电力公司龙口市供电公司 | Transmission line fast binding tool that acts as go-between |
Families Citing this family (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN105822133A (en) * | 2016-04-01 | 2016-08-03 | 国家电网公司 | Erecting device for electric pole |
CN107240887B (en) * | 2017-05-15 | 2019-01-29 | 天津送变电工程公司 | A kind of rectangular Work tool of raising group tower corner block safety |
CN108533052B (en) * | 2018-04-20 | 2022-09-20 | 中国电力工程顾问集团西南电力设计院有限公司 | Adjustable power transmission supporting structure for continuous large deformation area of foundation |
-
2010
- 2010-05-11 SI SI201030111T patent/SI2430264T1/en unknown
- 2010-05-11 EP EP10726447A patent/EP2430264B1/en active Active
- 2010-05-11 PL PL10726447T patent/PL2430264T3/en unknown
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN104141405A (en) * | 2013-11-15 | 2014-11-12 | 国家电网公司 | Overhead junction pole for two-circuit overhead transmission line and line junction structure of overhead junction pole |
CN111827773A (en) * | 2020-07-22 | 2020-10-27 | 国网山东省电力公司龙口市供电公司 | Transmission line fast binding tool that acts as go-between |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
SI2430264T1 (en) | 2013-05-31 |
PL2430264T3 (en) | 2013-03-29 |
EP2430264A1 (en) | 2012-03-21 |
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