US1682421A

US1682421A - Aerial conductor for wireless telegraphy and winding apparatus therefor

Info

Publication number: US1682421A
Application number: US496626A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rosenbaum Bruno
Original assignee: Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: CBS Corp
Priority date: 1915-07-01
Filing date: 1921-08-29
Publication date: 1928-08-28
Anticipated expiration: 1945-08-28
Also published as: FR517557A; GB148315A; NL7466C; DE310114C

Description

Aug. 28, 1928. 1,682,421

- B. ROSENBAUM AERIAL CONDUCTOR FOR WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY AND INDING APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed Aug. 29. 1921 v INVENTOR A TTORNE Y3 Patented Aug. 28 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- BRUNO ROSENBAUM, OF BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

AERIAL CONDUCTOR FOR WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY AND WINDING AIPABATUS THEREFOR. I

Application filed August 29, 1921, Serial No 496,626, and 'in Germany July 1, 1915.

(GRANTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS or THE ACT or MARCH 3, 19 21, 41 STAT. 1)., 1313. r

The present invention relates to antennae for use on aircraft and reeling devices therefor, and has for its object the provision of means whereb the antenna may be rapidly reeled and unreeled without danger of breaking or severing the antenna conductor and means for determining the length of conductor which is unwound at a given time.

In accordance with this invention an antenna reel is provided which is made of insulating material and which is provided with a guard or flange extending over the drum portion of the reel for preventing the antenna conductor from becoming displaced when the reel is rotated at excessive speeds. In order to eliminate the jamming of the reel due to breakage of the conductor, the present invention provides an antenna conductor which is formed by braiding separate strands rather than twisting them, as is the usual practice. If twisted conductor is used and one strand is broken, the strand will unravel along a considerable length of the cable and form kinks and knots in the conductor and cause the reel itself to become jammed. In order to prevent the cable from being severed by sudden excessive strains such as those produced by the whipping of the free end of the cable or the catching of the free end in sta tionary objects, there is provided a resilient member which will absorb such sudden strains.

In using antennae aboard aircraft it has been found to be highly desirable to know exactly the length of antenna which has been paid out, and this invention therefore provides an antenna conductor marked at convenient intervals, the markings being preferably individual and characteristic, to indicate in themselves the length of cable which is hanging free. It has been found that if a cable of woven structure is used, markers of various colors can be woven in with the cable during the Weaving process, and these may be of different colors so that they will visually indicate to the operator the length of cable which is unreeled.

A clearer understanding of this invention may be had from the following description of a preferred embodiment which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing. this drawing,

Fig. 1' is a mid-section of a reel having wound thereon an antenna conductor at the end of which is inserted a spring device to absorb sudden strains in the conductor Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side View of the reel shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, an antenna reel 1, preferably of insulating material, is mounted on ashaft 10, which is supported by means of a bracket 11. A ratchet 6 is securely fastened to the reel 1 and is engaged by a pawl 7, which is preferably supported in the guard at. This guard is secured to the shaft 10 of the reel and to the standard 11, and is adapted to extend over the reel channel to maintain the antenna conductor in place, especially when the.

speed of the reel is excessive. An extension 8 on the pawl 7 is provided whereby the pawl may be released from engagement with the ratchet 6 in orden to unwind the reel.

nate any difficulties due to strands breaking and becoming entangled in the mechanism of the reel. Markers such asare indicated at 9 are placed along the length of the antenna conductor and may be of different colors in order to indicate the length of antenna conductor which has been unreeled.

In order to insure rapid unwinding of the reel, itis necessary to hang a weight .3 on the end thereof. This weight often becomes broken off due to whipping of the end of the antenna conductor or catching of the weightin the branches of trees and the like. In the reel illustrated in Fig. 1 the weight 3 is attached to the end of the conductor 2 by means of a-spring 5, which is adapted to absorb any undue strains in the ger of the conductor becoming entangled in the reel, and further, the danger of breakage of the antenna conductor itself is reduced because of the provision of the spring means for absorbing the strains.

It is to be understood, however, that the foregoing description of a preferred embodiment is not to at all limit the spirit and. cope of this invention, as many modifications will at once be apparent to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In combination with a winding reel for a radio antenna for aircraft, a conductor, a weighted body at the end of said condnctor, a resilient member interposed betnre.

BRUNO ROSENBAUM.