US2234737A - Automobile radio antenna - Google Patents

Description

March l, 1942.

A. T. MACE 2,234,737

AUTOMOBILE RADIO ANTENNA.

Filed Aug. ll, 1939 INVENTOR. ARTHUR 7.` MACE ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOBIOBILE RADIO ANTENNA a corporation of Ohio Application August 11, 1939, Serial No. 289,598

Claims.

This invention relates, as indicated, to automobile radio antennae, but has reference more particularly to the means for supporting antennae of the telescoping mast type and for in- 5 sulating the same from the body of the car.

For the purpose of supporting antennae of the aforesaid type, such as is now commonly used on automobiles, it is customary to employ a pair of vertically spaced insulators made of hard rubber or the like through which the lowermost member of the antennae extends, and to utilize bolts or similar fastening elements which support the insulators and at the same time rmly clamp the antenna member to the insulators.

i5 In order to thus support the insulators as Well as the antennae, it is necessary to exert considerable tension on the bolt or other fastening means, which, in turn, results in compression cf the insulators. Moreover, a considerable strain is placed on the insulators due to the fact that they must support the antenna, and these strains are aggravated when the car is in motion.

Certain materials, such as hard rubber and the like, are capable of withstanding stresses and strains of the aforesaid character, but are not as desirable to use for decorative and ornamental purposes as certain types of plastics, as for example, Tenite, but which are not capable of withstanding such stresses and strains as is hard rubber.

A primary object of the present invention accordingly is to provide means for supporting antennae of the type described in which little or no stress is placed upon the insulators, so that insulators made from decorative and colorful plastics, such for example, as Tenite may be employed for this purpose.

Another object of the invention is to provide an antenna supporting structure in which the antenna is supported independently of the insulator supporting elements.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for facilitating the attachment of the antenna lead-in elements to the antenna.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part 5o of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a view partly in elevation, and partly in section, illustrating the mounting of the an- 55 tenna on an automobile body.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional View, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig, 3 is a vertical cross-sectional View, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I 5 designates the lowermost member of an antenna of the telescop-ing mast or similar type, such member extending through an insulator 2 and into an insulator 3, which insulators are secured to the body 4 of the automobile in the following 10 manner.

Each insulator has rigidly secured therein a metallic sleeve or thimble 5, a portion of which projects from the insulator and is exteriorly threaded, as at 6, the end of the threaded porl5 tion having a pair of diametrically opposed bayonet slots "I therein for a purpose .to be presently described.

The sleeve 5 is provided intermediate its ends with an outwardly extending flange 8, the rear 2O surface 9 of which is substantially ush with the base I0 of the insulator. In securing the insulator to the body 4, the threaded end 6 of the sleeve 5 is inserted into a suitable opening pro vided therefor in the body and the flange 8 is 25 drawn tightly against such body by means of a nut II secured to the threaded end 6 of the sleeve. In this way the insulator is secured to the body of the car without subjecting it to any strains, the metallic sleeve 5 bearing all the sup- 30 porting strains.

Disposed within the sleeve 5 at the forward end thereof is a cylindrical member I2 made of insulating material, such as hard rubber or the like, such member being counterbored for the re- 35 ception of a metallic washer I3 having a rectangular opening I4 therein. The sides of this opening provide fulcrums for a pair of clamp members I5 of channel cross-section, the forward portions of which are curved to embrace 40 the member I, and the rear extremities of which extend through a washer I6, similar in form to the washer I3, but made of an insulating material, such as hard rubber.

The terminal I 'I of the lead-in cable I 8 is of 45 such size that when the pins I9 of the lead-in cable are entered in the slots 1, such terminals will force the rear portions of the clamp members I5 apart suiiciently to cause these members to fulcrum on the washer I3 and the curved for- 50 ward portions thereof to tightly embrace and support the member I.

All of the stresses resulting from the aforesaid movement of the clamp members I5 are transmitted to and borne entirely by the metallic sleeve 5, and are not in any way transferred to the insulator. Moreover, the member I, being supported almost entirely by the clamp member l5, none of the vibrations of the antenna are transmitted to the insulators. Since the insulators are thus relieved of all carrying and vibrating stresses, they may be made of materials Which are weaker than materials heretofore employed for this purpose, but which are more decorative and appealing than the latter materials.

Among such decorative materials may be namedA Tenite, which can be made in a variety of colors.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the structure herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In combination with an automobile body, an insulator, a metallic sleeve supporting said insulator, a nut secured to said sleeve and securing the latter and said insulator to said body, an antenna and means supported by said sleeve and coacting with said antenna to support the latter.

2. In combination with an automobile body, an insulator, a metallic sleeve extending from said insulator, a nut secured to said sleeve and securing the latter and said insulator to said body, an antenna, fulcrum means Within said sleeve, clamp members fulcrumed thereon, said members being responsive to the insertion of the antenna leadin cable terminal thereinto to cause said clamp members to rmly clamp and support said antenna.

3. In combination with an automobile body, a metallic sleeve, means to secure said sleeve to said body, said sleeve extending exteriorly of said body, an antenna, means insulating said antenna from said sleeve, clamping members disposed Within said sleeve to support said antenna, and an insulator housing theA exteriorly extending portion of said member and said members.

4. In combination with an automobile body having an opening therein, a metallic sleeve having a threaded portion extending through said opening and a flange engaging said body adjacent said opening, a nut securing said sleeve to said body, a member formed of insulating material disposed within said sleeve, an antenna, and means extending through said insulating member and supported thereby for clamping and supporting said antenna.

5. In combination with an automobile body having an opening-therein, a metallic sleeve having a threaded portion extending through said opening and a flange engaging said body adjacent said opening, a nut secured to said threaded portion of the sleeve and coacting With said ange to support said sleeve on said body, a member formed of insulating material disposed within said sleeve, ulcrum means Within said member, an antenna, and a pair of clamp members fulcrumed on said fulcrum means and adapted to rmly clamp and support said an-

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