GB2547358A

GB2547358A - Rapid coverage communications mast

Info

Publication number: GB2547358A
Application number: GB1705963.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hemsley Andrew
Original assignee: Alan Dick Communications Ltd
Current assignee: Alan Dick Communications Ltd
Priority date: 2012-12-03
Filing date: 2012-12-03
Publication date: 2017-08-16
Also published as: GB2508594B; GB2508594A; GB201705963D0

Abstract

A communication mast support and a method for its installation comprises forming a foundation by arranging a plurality of man handled members 12, 14, 16. The man handled members 12, 14, 16 are three stacks of plates arranged at the corners of a triangle onto which the support 50 for a communication mast is secured. The said members 12, 14, 16 may be steel plates with holes to facilitate their carrying. The stacks of plates can be arranged to level the upper surfaces of the stacks ready for receiving the mast support 50. The support 50 may comprise a first limb 52 extending between first and second stacks of plates 12, 14 and a second limb 54 extending between the third stack of plates 16 and a point on the first limb 52.

Description

RAPID COVERAGE COMMUNICATIONS MAST

This invention relates to a communications mast, and in particular to a communications mast that can be erected and installed quickly, with a minimum of disruption to the surrounding area.

There are many situations in which it is desirable to be able to erect and install a communications mast quickly. One such situation is the installation of repeater masts by the side of a railway line, in order to ensure that a cellular signal can be obtained at any point along the line.

Although a cellular network can be planned in advance, it is found that placing base stations at the planned locations does not provide complete coverage of the line, for example because the actual topography around a cell site means that the RF signal is below expected levels at some locations around the cell site. In order to provide complete coverage, it is then necessary to install additional masts and repeaters. A conventional method of building a cell site involves forming a solid base by pouring wet concrete, or by using large pre-cast concrete slabs.

However, this has the disadvantage that it requires significant preparation of the site, and takes a significant time. When the site is adjacent to a railway line, this can mean that the line must be taken out of operation for a substantial period of time to enable large infrastructure equipment necessary to build the foundations. This is known as a track possession. Where rail infrastructure is concerned a track possession involves a high degree of planning as a possession prevents train services running to ensure the safety risks associated with working along the track when trains are running are mitigated. It is therefore desirable to be able to carry out trackside works with minimal possessions.

According to the present invention, there is provided a method of installing a communications mast, the method comprising: forming a foundation for the mast by forming three stacks of plates at the corners of a triangle; and securing a support for the mast to the three stacks of plates.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a support for a communications mast, comprising: a plurality of plates, each hand-carryable by a maximum of two people; and first and second hand-carryable support members, for forming a T-shaped support.

This has the advantage that the mast can be erected and installed quickly, and without the requirement to get large amounts of materials to the site or the use of heavy plant machinery to construct the solution

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show how it may be put into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 illustrates a first stage in a method of installing a radio mast;

Figure 2 illustrates a second stage in the method of installing the radio mast;

Figure 3 illustrates a third stage in the method of installing a radio mast;

Figure 4 illustrates a fourth stage in the method of installing the radio mast; and Figure 5 illustrates a fifth stage in the method of installing the radio mast.

Figure 1 shows a first stage in a process for installing a mast. In this illustrated case, having located a hole in the existing radio coverage provided by the network, it is desired to fill this hole by providing a repeater mast, which boosts the signal provided by a cellular base station. The location for the repeater mast can for example be indentified using a portable transceiver device.

Here, the mast is to be installed by a railway line, in an area which is typically covered in a layer of ballast, that is small stones and the like. Although described here with reference to the installation of a repeater mast, it will be appreciated that the same process can be used to install any equipment, for example a cellular base station or the like. Similarly, although the installation near a railway line is described, it will be appreciated that the same process can be used in any suitable location.

The layer of stones is removed from an area, exposing the earth below it, and a hole 10 is dug, to a shallow depth of perhaps 20cm. Thus, unlike in conventional methods, it is not necessary to dig a deep hole, and thus there is no danger of disrupting buried services such as power lines. As a result, it is not necessary to carry out a detailed site survey in advance to determine the locations of such buried services. Also, the digging can be carried out by hand, avoiding the need to transport heavy plant excavation equipment to the site.

The foundation design is based around the laying of three base plates 12, 14, 16 in a tripod style arrangement with predetermined spacings between them. The base plate 12 is a 25-30cm steel square, with a thickness of about 1cm, meaning that it can be carried, for example by two people holding the two ends of a handle inserted through a hole 18 pre-drilled in to the plate. The base plate 12 also has a rod 20 extending from its upper surface. The three base plates 12, 14, 16 are identical, and so the base plate 14 has a carrying hole 22 and a rod 24 extending from its upper surface, while the base plate 16 has a carrying hole 26 and a rod 28 extending from its upper surface.

Figure 2 illustrates the next stage in the process, in which further steel plates can be placed over the base plates 12, 14, 16. The steel plates provide a foundation that is suitably strong to support the final mast. In order to ensure adequate stability, there may be a minimum number of plates added to each of the base plates 12, 14, 16. However, it should also be noted that the numbers of plates added to the base plates 12, 14, 16 may not be the same.

Thus, Figure 2 shows two plates 30, 32 placed on the base plate 12, and one plate 34 placed on the base plate 14. These additional plates 30, 32, 34 are also 25-30cm steel squares, with a thickness of about 1cm, and they are also provided with holes (the hole 36 in the plate 32 and the hole 38 in the plate 34 being visible in Figure 2) so that a handle can be inserted through the hole, allowing the plate to be carried, for example by two people. The additional plates 30, 32, 34 have holes near their centres, allowing the plates to be positioned over the rods 20, 22, 24 on the upper surfaces of the base plates 12, 14, 16. Although only small numbers of additional plates are shown here, the numbers of plates may more typically be in the region of 5-15 in each stack.

The number of additional plates on each base plate 12, 14, 16 can differ, so that, even if the bottom of the hole 10 is not level, the upper surfaces of the three stacks of plates are at substantially the same level. This means that a level working surface can be formed, even if the ground surface is not level, without requiring large amounts of digging.

Thus, a level and robust working surface is obtained, quickly and without requiring use of heavy machinery that would need to be transported to the site.

Figure 3 shows the next stage in the process. After completion of the foundation comprising the three stacks of steel plates, a T-shaped support 50 is mounted to the foundation. The support 50 has a cross-piece 52, and a limb 54 extending from the centre of the cross-piece 52. Again, the T-shaped support 50 is such that it can be hand-carried to the site, without necessarily requiring vehicular access right to the site. Unlike a square foundation, the tripod design means there are only 2 cross members to carry, rather than the four required for a square. Equally the T-shape can be preassembled and is easier to carry than a pre-assembled square structure due to its lower weight. The T-shape also enables the foundation to be leveled across only three platforms as oppose 4. The T-shaped support 50 can be brought to the site already assembled, or the cross-piece 52 and the limb 54 can be hand-carried to the site separately and assembled there.

The support 50 has a first hole 56 near a first end of the cross-piece 52, a second hole 58 near a second end of the cross-piece 52, and a third hole 60 near the far end of the limb 54. Provided that the plates 12, 14, 16 were initially positioned correctly, the first hole 56 can now be located on the rod 20, the second hole 58 can be located on the rod 24, and the third hole 60 can be located on the rod 28.

The support 50 is therefore held down in place by the stacks of steel plates at the three corners.

Figure 4 shows the next stage in the process. Firstly, the hole 10 can be filled in (though it will be appreciated that this can be done at an earlier or later stage in the process, as required) with the initially removed earth and/or ballast.

Next a mast base part 64 is mounted in a hole 62 at the centre of the cross-piece 52. The main body 66 of the mast is connected to the base part 64 by a pivot mechanism 68, and so the main body 66 can be located in a horizontal position. The mast has a standard construction, and so it is not described here in further detail.

The various electrical components, such as the electronic signal processing equipment for connection to the other sites of the cellular network, and the power supply, which is conveniently provided in the form of a battery, are contained for example in a wire mesh cabinet 70. The cabinet 70 and its components can be delivered to the site in its final form, or the various components can be delivered separately before being assembled on site, depending on the possibility of vehicular access and the requirement to save time on the site. If the components are delivered separately, they can be hand-carried. The cabinet 70 is then mounted to the far end of the limb 54.

Figure 5 shows the mast after erection, with the main body 66 raised to the vertical position, and showing, in this case, two dipole antennas 72, 74 at the top of the mast. The antennas are of standard form, and so they are not described here in further detail.

There is thus described an installation process that allows a mast to be installed quickly, and without requiring heavy equipment to be transported to the site. In the case of installation near a railway line, this allows the mast to be installed without lengthy interruptions to the operation of the railway.

Claims

1. A method of installing a communications mast, the method comprising: forming a foundation for the mast by forming three stacks of plates at the corners of a triangle; and securing a support for the mast to the three stacks of plates.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plates are steel plates.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the number of plates in each stack is determined so that the upper surfaces of the stacks are substantially level.

4. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the plates are hand-carryable by a maximum of two people.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of the plates has a hole therethrough to facilitate carrying.

6. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the support comprises a first limb extending between first and second stacks of plates, and a second limb extending between the third stack of plates and a point on the first limb.

7. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first limb and the second limb are separately hand-carryable.

8. A method as claimed in claim 6 or 7, comprising mounting the mast to a substantially central point on the first limb of the support.

9. A method as claimed in claim 6, 7 or 8, comprising mounting a cabinet containing electrical components to the second limb, at a point spaced apart from the first limb.

10. A support for a communications mast, comprising: a plurality of plates, each hand-carryable by a maximum of two people; and first and second hand-carryable support members, for forming a T-shaped support.

11. A support as claimed in claim 10, wherein the plates are steel plates, and each of the plates has a hole therethrough to facilitate carrying.