GB2168853A - Aerial mounting - Google Patents

Abstract

An aerial mounting for an aerial comprising a plurality of dipole elements, 10...16, comprises a base portion 18 an inner portion 19, and a cover 20 which are each conveniently moulded in a synthetic resin material. The inner portion 19 is formed with a plurality of outwardly extending arms (30, 31, 32 and 33) whereas the cover 20 is formed with a corresponding number of arm receiving sockets (24, 25, 26 and 27,) said arms being engaged with the co-acting sockets by effecting relative axial movement between said cover and said inner portion. The upper ends of the arms are shaped as at 63 to coact with the cover 20 to receive a first set of dipole elements, and the lower ends are shaped as at 64 to coact with the base 20 to receive a second set of dipole elements. The upper dipole elements 10, 12, 14, 16 contact a metal plate 59, whilst the lower elements 11, 13, 15, 17 contact a plate 58, these plates being connected to the contacts of a coaxial cable socket 57. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Aerial mounting This invention relates to a mounting for an aerial and especially to a mounting for an aerial having a plurality of dipole elements, the object of the invention to provide such a mounting in an improved form.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a mounting for an aerial having a plurality of dipole elements, said mounting comprising a base portion, an inner portion and a cover, said inner portion having a central core from which project a plurality of outwardly extending arms and said cover being formed with a plurality of outwardly projecting sockets which correspond in number and circumferential spacing to the number and circumferential spacing of the arms of the inner portion so that said sockets are adapted respectively to receive said arms by effecting relative axial movement between the cover and the inner portion, one axial end of said inner portion being shaped, in conjunction with the adjacent face of the base portion, to provide a plurality of holes which are respectively adapted to receive and locate a plurality of dipole ends and the other axial end of said inner portion being shaped, in conjunction with the bases of said sockets of the cover being adapted to provide a further plurality of holes which are respectively adapted to receive and locate a further plurality of dipole ends.

Conveniently, the mounting is connected together by connecting said base portion to said cover and such connection may be effected by snap-acting means. Thus, the cover (or the base portion) may be provided with a plurality of resilient integrally formed projections which are arranged releasably to engage with a plurality of corresponding holes formed in the base portion (or the cover). Preferably, the base portion, inner portion and the cover are all formed as mouldings in a suitable synthetic resin material.

A mounting constructed in accordance with the invention is also conveniently provided with a socket for a co-axial cable plug fitting, the inner and the outer conductor of said socket being electrically connected respectively to the opposite ends of each dipole.

The invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view taken from below (part cut away) of a part of one example of an aerial mounting constructed in accordance with the invention, Figure 2 is a plan view of the cover of the mounting seen in Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a sectional view of said cover taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, Figure 4 is a plan view of the inner portion of the mounting and Figure 5 is a sectional view of said inner portion taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4, Figure 6 is a plan view of the base portion of the mounting, and Figure 7 is a sectional view of said base portion taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 6.

Referring now to the drawings there is shown therein a mounting for an aerial which comprises a plurality of dipole elements. In the example shown four such dipole elements are used and each element is-bent so that its ends extend in a spaced parallel relationship in which they are aligned in a common plane. Thus referring to Figure 1 the two ends of one dipole element are indicated by reference numerals 10 and 11, the ends of a second dipole element by reference numerals 12 and 13, the ends of a third dipole element by reference numerals 14 and 15 and the ends of the fourth dipole element by reference numerals 16 and 17. The common planes in which said pairs of ends are located are, in the example shown, vertical planes which are equally spaced about a vertical axis and all of said ends are connected to the aerial mounting which is now described.

Thus said aerial mounting comprises a base portion 18, an inner portion 19 and a cover 20, all of these components being conveniently moulded in any suitable synthetic resin material. The cover 20 comprises a generally frusto-conical portion 21 which is provided with a closed base 22 and which terminates at its position of maximum diameter with a short cylindrical portion 23. Furthermore integrally moulded with said frusto-conical portion 21 is a plurality of outwardly projecting sockets indicated by reference numerals 24, 25, 26 and 27, said sockets being spaced equiangularly about the circumference of said cover 20, each socket being of narrow U-shaped configuration in cross-section so that it has a closed base which is rounded both internally and externally.

The inner portion (see Figures 4 and 5) comprises a generally cylindrical central part 28 having a closed base 29 and an open end opposite to said base. Furthermore there are provided a plurality (in this case 4) of outwardly projecting arms indicated respectively by reference numerals 30, 31, 32, and 33. Said outwardly projecting arms 30, 31, 32 and 33 thus correspond in number and in spacing to the sockets 24, 25, 26, 27 which are respectively adapted, when the mounting is assembled, to receive said arms 30, 31, 32 and 33.The outer end of each of said arms 30, 31, 32 and 33, indicated by reference numeral 34, and also one edge of each arm as indicated by reference numeral 35, with respect to the arm 33, are thickened as compared with the remainder of the arm and furthermore the outermost end of each of said arms is inclined to the axis of the inner portion in a direction which corresponds to a similar angle of inclination in the outer ends of each of said sockets 30, 31, 32 and 33. Within the aforesaid cylindrical part 28 of the inner portion are integrally moulded four parallel pillars 36, 37, 38 and 39, the free ends of such pillars being formed with bores adapted to receive self-tapping screws for a purpose which will be hereinafter described.Furthermore the exterior of the base 29 of the inner poriton 19 is formed with four equally spaced grooves 40, 41, 42 and 43 which are each of generally semi-circular configuration in cross-section whilst the rim of said circular part 28 opposite to said base 29 is formed with four equally spaced generally semi-circular notches as indicted by reference 44 in Figure 5.

The base portion of the mounting which is seen in Figures 6 and 7 comprises a centrally disposed circular disc-like portion 44a having a central aperture 45 from which projects a hollow spigot 46 which is adapted to receive the stem of a strand (not shown) for use in supporting the mounting.

Around the rim of said disc is a generally circular flange 47 which is formed with four equally spaced notches such as notch 48 and integrally moulded with said disc are four outwardly extending arms 49, 50, 51 and 52. Each of said arms, such as arm 49 is formed with a pair of generally rectangular apertures 53 and 54 which are separated by a bar portion 55 which at one end runs into one of the aforesaid notches 48 in the rim of the disc-like portion, the outer end of each bar portion terminating in a generally semi-cylindrical seating 56.

Mounted in the aforesaid central hole 45 of the base 18 is a co-axial cable socket as will be seen in Figure 1, being there indicated by reference numeral 57. Said socket has the conventional inner and outer conductors and these are electrically connected respectively to a pair of spaced metal plates 58 and 59, the plate 58 being secured to the free ends of the aforesaid pillars 36, 37, 38 and 39 by self-tapping screws as previously indicated (such screws being indicated by reference numeral 60 in Figure 1) whereas the other metal plate 59 is secured to the base 29 of the inner portion by selftapping screws 61 which enter into suitable holes formed in said base.Thus when said metal plates 58 and 59 are in position the plate 58 will effectively close the open end of the cylindrical part 28 of the inner portion 19 whilst the plate 59 will engage the exterior of the base 29 of the inner portion 19.

The in situ lower edges of each of said socket portions 24, 25, 26 and 27 of the cover 20 are inte grallyformed with projecting tapered catch elements such as are indicated by reference numeral 62 and the arrangement is such that after the inner portion 19 has been assembled into the interior of the cover 20 so that the metal plate 59 lies between the base 22 of said cover 20 and the base 29 of said inner portion 19 with the arms 30,31,32 and 33 being respectively received in the co-acting sockets 24, 25, 26 and 27, then the base portion can be applied to the other two components so that the aforesaid catch portions 62 will enter into the corresponding pairs of apertures such as apertures 53 and 54.Movement of the base portion 18 towards the cover 20 will thus result in the two outer portions of each catch portion being squeezed slightly together in order that the heads of said catch portions can pass through the co-acting pairs of apertures, said catch portions being sufficiently resilient once the heads are through the corresponding apertures to spring apart so that the heads will then project over the peripheries of the apertures releasably to secure the base portion to the cover with the inner portion being securely located between the cover and the base portion. The pushing of the base portion onto the aforesaid catch portions 62 of the cover will thus be accompanied by a snap-action as the catch portions 62 pass through the co-acting apertures.

The assembly of the aforesaid three components namely the, base portion 18 the inner portion 19 and the cover 20 will now provide, in the example described a total of 8 sockets for receipt of the aforesaid ends 10,11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 of the dipole elements. Thus each of the in situ upper ends of said dipole elements namely the ends 10, 12, 14 and 16 will each have a socket which at its inner end is defined by one of the aforesaid semicylindrical grooves 40, 41, 42 and 43 and which at its outer end is defined by a semi-circular notch (such as is indicated in Figure 1 by reference numeral 63 in relation to the dipole element end 16), said notch 63 being formed at one end of the thickened end portion (such as end portion 34) of one of the arms of the inner portion 19.Each of said in situ upper ends 10, 12, 14 and 16, when inserted into their respective sockets, will also be located by the semi-cylindrical inner surface of the base of the co-acting socket portion 24 or 25, or 26 or 27 of the -cover 20. Furthermore when said in situ upper ends 10, 12, 14 and 16 are inserted into their sockets their inner ends will-make electrical contact with one surface of the metal plate 59 so that they will all be electrically connected to one of the conductors of said co-axial cable socket 57.

Similarly sockets are formed for the in situ lower ends of the dipole elements namely ends 11, 13, 15 and 17. Each of these sockets is formed at its inner end by one of the notches 48 formed in the rim 47 of the base portion 18 and at its outer end by one of the aforesaid semi-cylindrical seatings 56 acting in conjunction with an opposed semi-cylindrical seating or notch such as notch 64 which is formed at the opposite end of each of said thickened end portions (such as end portion 34) of each of said arms 30, 31, 32 and 33. Furthermore as said in situ lower dipole element ends 11, 13, 15 and 17 are inserted into their respective sockets the innermost portions of said ends will engage one face of the metallic plate 58 in order to make electrical contact therewith and thus become electrically connected to the other of the two conductors forming the coaxial cable socket 57.

The two ends of each of said dipole elements will of course be inserted into their respective sockets at the same time so that as said ends are pushed home they will become engaged respectively with the metallic plates 58 and-59 and the complete aerial assembly can be built up by pushing each of the dipole elements into the aerial mounting in turn. A connection can then be made to the aerial by attaching a co-axial cable to the aforesaid socket 57.

Claims (6)

1. A mounting for an aerial having a plurality of dipole elements, said mounting comprising a base portion an inner portion and a cover, said inner portion having a central core from which project a plurality of outwardly extending arms and said cover being formed with a plurality of outwardly projecting sockets which corresponding in number and circumferential spacing to the number and circumferencial spacing of the arms of the inner portion so that said sockets are adapted respectively to receive said arms by effecting relative axial movement between the cover and the inner portion, one axial end of said inner portion being shaped, in conjunction with the adjacent face of the base portion, to provide a plurality of holes which are respectively adapted to receive and locate a plurality of dipole ends and the other axial end of said inner portion being shaped, in conjunction with the bases of said sockets of the cover being adapted to provide a further plurality of holes which are respectively adapted to receive and locate a further plurality of dipole ends.

2. An aerial mounting as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the mounting is connected together by connecting said base portion to said cover by snap-acting means.

3. An aerial mounting as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the cover (or the base portion) is provided with a plurality of resilient integrally formed projections which are arranged releasably to engage with a plurality of corresponding holes formed in the base portion (or the cover).

4. An aerial mounting as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the base portion, inner portion and the cover are all formed as a moulding in a synthetic resin material.

5. An aerial mounting as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein there is provided a socket for a co-axial cable plug fitting, the inner and outer conductors of said socket being electrically connected respectively to the opposite ends of each dipole element.

6. A mounting for an aerial substantially as hereinbefore described with references to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.