1 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 WATERFORD IP PTY LTD COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Invention Title: Improved antenna mount The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to us:- 2 Field of the Invention This invention relates to an improved antenna mount, particularly, but not exclusively, for a log period dipole array antenna. 5 Background of the Invention Antennae have a number of uses but are most commonly used for receiving digital television signals. Antenna come in many different designs and sizes depending on what signals are required to be picked up (e.g. VHF/UHF) and how far the antenna is from the transmitter whose signals are to be picked up. Most antennae will have at 10 least one boom from which a plurality of spaced apart dipole elements extend, typically at 900 to the boom. Usually television antenna will include at least one twin boom section. Antennae are relatively bulky and heavy and twin boom log periodic dipole array antennae are cantilever mounted from their rear, since centre mounting the 15 antenna would result in short circuiting the booms which results in a loss of gain. This making mounting the antenna relatively difficult and awkward and the resulting installation can be unstable. Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is not to be taken as an admission that 20 any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present disclosure as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application. Summary of the Invention 25 According to a first broad aspect of the present invention there is provided an antenna including a twin boom section defining first and second substantially parallel boom elements, the twin boom section having first and second ends, and a plurality of dipole elements each operatively connected to one or other of the boom elements via a respective mounting means, wherein the antenna defines a mount which is electrically 30 insulating and does not short the booms together, distal from both of the ends of the twin boom section, preferably substantially at or towards the centre of gravity of the twin boom section or substantially at or towards the centre of gravity of the antenna and wherein typically metallic connectors connect the first and second parallel boom elements together at each end of the twin boom section. 35 The mount may be made of a plastics material, reinforced with one or more strengthening metal plates. 2087737 1.doc 3 Advantageously the insulating mount allows the antenna to be mounted towards the centre of the twin boom section without causing a loss of gain. This makes the antenna easier to mount and provided lower forces on the mount. 5 Brief Description of the Drawings A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a pictorial view of an antenna embodying aspects of the present invention; 10 Figure 2 is a plan view of the antenna of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view of the antenna of Figure 2; Figure 4 is an exploded view of an end part of the antenna; and Figure 4A is an enlarged view of the central part of Figure 4. 15 Detailed Description of a Preferred Embodiment Referring to the drawings Figures 1 to 4 show a log periodic dipole array antenna 10. The antenna includes a twin boom section 12 including a section having first and second parallel booms 14 and 16 and a single boom section 18, connected to the twin boom section by a fitting 19. The specific antenna is a UHF/VHF outdoor 20 antenna, but it will be appreciated that the principles may be applied to other antenna types. A series of single dipole elements 20 and double dipole elements 22 extend away from the boom sections 12, 18. It can be seen that the single dipole elements 20 get progressively shorter from one end of the twin boom section of the antenna towards 25 the other end. The double dipole elements 22 are fixedly mounted to the single boom section 18 in their middle via a plastic fitting 24 and rivet 26. Each of the single dipole elements 20 are mounted to one of the boom sections via a plastic fitting 30, rivets 32, 34 and a connector 36. 30 As can be seen in the drawings, and as is best shown in Figure 4a, the antenna includes a mount 50 for attaching the antenna to an upstanding pole 52 or the like, for mounting the antenna on the roof of a building or other structure. The mount is located at the centre of gravity of the twin boom section or substantially at or towards the centre of gravity of the antenna, rather than at an end of the twin boom section 35 The mount 50 is shown in more detail in Figures 4 and 4a. It comprises a first fitting 60 made of a plastics material which defines two channels 62, 64 for receiving 2087737_I.doc 4 the booms 16 and 18 linked by a central portion defining three projecting tubular portions having an annular cross section 66, 68 for receiving fasteners. The second fitting 70 is a mirror image of the first fitting. When fitted over the booms 16, 18 as shown in Figures 1 to 3, the fittings help retain the boom sections in a parallel 5 orientation a fixed distance apart. The two fittings are clamped together around the booms 14, 16 held by a nut 72 and bolt 74 which pass through the tubular portion 68 and which also clamp a metal reinforcing plate 76 on one face of the mount and a metal bracket 78 for attachment to the pole 52 on the opposite face. The metal bracket 78 includes a plate 80 with walls extending around the 10 perimeter of the plate and in the centre of each of the two opposed longer walls there is a stepped generally V-shaped recess 82 which acts as one part of a clamp for clamping the mount 50 to the pole 52. The second part of the clamp is a bent rod 83 having two parallel threaded rods 84 joined by a shallow V-shaped section 86. The rods pass through the tubular portions 15 66 in the mount 50 and are held in place by wing nuts 88. As is best seen in Figures 2 and 3, the pole 52 is clamped between the bent rod 83 and the V-shaped sections 82 of the metal bracket and the wing nuts 88 are tightened to secure the mount to the pole 52. With reference to Figures 3 and 4, the ends of the first and second booms of the 20 twin boom section 12 are linked by metal connectors 100, one of which is hidden inside the fitting 19. Because the fittings are made of a plastics material, the boom is not shorted in its middle and there is no loss of gain. In contrast with the prior art the electrical connection between the booms 14, 16 is not via the mount but by separate connector 25 plates 100. It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments, without departing from the broad general scope of the present disclosure. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not 30 restrictive. 2087737_1.doc