US2680196A - Folding television antenna and antenna arm clamp usable therewith - Google Patents

Description

June 1, 1954 D. FOX ET AL 2,680,196 FOLDING TELEVISION ANTENNA AND ANTENNA ARM CLAMP USABLE THEREWITH Filed April 8, 1952 ""IIIL) 80 I I INVENTORS 50 Dal/ad F 09c 70 and Ellwt flfarch I I. W.

Patented June 1, 1954 FOLDING TELEVISI ON ANTENNA AND AN- TENNA ARM CLAMP USABLE THERE- WITH David Fox, Brooklyn, and Elliott March, Cambria Heights, N. 2., assignors to T-V Products Company, Brooklyn, N. Y., a partnership Application April 8, 1952, Serial No. 281,208

i '2 Claims.

The present invention relates to a television antenna structure which may be folded so as to occupy a small space for shipment, and to a clamp or securing means adapted to hold the foldable elements of the antenna in extended position in a firm and secure manner.

Television antennas in which the antenna rods are pivotally mounted on a supporting frame so as to be movable between operative positions extending from that frame and inoperative positions folded close to the frame have been known in the past. This type of antenna is desirable because it may be completely assembled in the factory and then shipped in a convenient manner to the place where it is to be used. It is of course essential, when a television antenna is installed, that its antenna rods extend out to an appreciable length, corresponding to the Wave length of the signals being received. Consequently, although the actual volume of the antenna parts is quite minimal, the antenna itself, when set up, takes up a great amount of space. Moreover, the extending elements are usually rather fragile, particularly in view of the fact that they project from the assembly in an unprotected manner. Hence shipment of assembled antennas from the factory to the selling establishment or warehouse presents a substantial problem, as does the storage of the units in the store or warehouse. Even the handling of the antennas is not without difiiculty, since they are extremely subject to damage or breakage. The same problems are involved in the transportation of the antenna from the store or warehouse to the dwelling where the antenna is to be installed. These difficulties have to some extent been overcome by the practice of shipping the antennas in knocked-down or incompletely assembled condition, the final assembly operations taking place at some point in the course of travel of the antenna from the factory to the point of actual installation. However, this expedient is not particularly desirable, since possible loss of parts is involved and since some skill is required in assembling the antenna properly.

Accordingly it has been proposed to construct the antennas in such a way that they are fold able, the antenna rods being positionable in an inoperative and non-prog2ecting position when the antenna is to be shipped from the factory, the

rods being permanently attached to the mounting portion of the antenna and being movable to extended. position when the antenna is to be installed. The problem here involved is to so mount the antenna rods that they can be readily moved to extended position and, when moved to that position, will remain in that position. An antenna, when installed, is necessarily subject to numerous adverse conditions which inherently tend to cause the antenna rods to move from their extended operative positions. Vibration of the antenna is. one such factor. High winds have a similar tendency, particularly significant if some wind-blown object should wrap itself around an antenna rod and thus increase the resistance which the rod offers to the wind. Accordingly, an extremely important factor in the design of any folding television antenna is the means which are provided for securing the antenna rods in their extended position. Once an antenna is installed, it is comparatively inaccessible, and it would be an expensive matter for an individual to hire a serviceman just to pivot an antenna rod to extended position if it has been disturbed from that position.

Various such securing devices have been proposed in the past. They all require considerable manipulation, thus adding to the difficulty in setting the antenna up in its operative position. Somewhat more importantly, these securing devices generally require the use of specially designed antenna rods, and they thus add materially to the cost of manufacture of the antenna. The rods are usually formed of tubes of aluminum or the like, and any operation requiring the extensive modification of that tubular shape not only presents manufacturing difiiculties which make for expensive dies and for a high proportion of rejects, but also makes manufacturing more expensive merely by requiring. an additional manufacturing step.

The present invention provides for a simplified but effective folding television antenna structure in which the antenna rods are of conventional shape, are readily attached to their supported structure and are readily movable from folded inoperative position to extended operative position, thus facilitating setting up of the antenna, those antenna rods being firmly clamped in operative position so as to ensure against accidental dislocation therefrom. However, the securing means are designed so that the antenna rods can be moved from extended to folded position upon the exertion of sufficient force, that force being far in. excess of What is required to move the rod in the opposite direction from folded to extended position. Thus the antenna rod is held in position against all but the most severe dislocative influences, but if excessive force should be applied to the antenna rod which, unless relieved, might tend to bend or break the rod, the securing means will yield, and thus only a minor adjustment rather than a major repair will be required.

The clamp is formed of a piece of resilient material which is adapted to encompass the antenna rod when. it is in its extended operative position and resiliently hold that rod in that position. The clamp is provided with a cam edge adapted to cooperate with the outer surface of the rod,

.like 26.

' in solid To the accomplishment of the above, and to such other objects as may hereinafter appear, the present invention relates to the structure of a folding television antenna and the antenna rod clamp used therein, as defined in the appended claims and as described in this specification, taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of an antenna of the present invention, showing that antenna in place on a supporting pole;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view thereof taken along the line 2-42 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. i is a perspective view, partly in cross section, taken along the line 2-4 of Fig. 2; and

Figs. 5 and 5 are two perspective views, on an enlarged scale, of a clamp and an antenna rod, showing the manner in which the two cooperate, Fig. 5 showing the rod pivoted partway to its operative extended position so that it just en gages the cam edge of the clamp, and 6 showing the rod pivoted somewhat more toward its operative extended position than in Fig. 5, engagement between the rod and the cam edge of the clamp distorting the clamp so as to racintate entry of the rod beneath the clamp to its final operative extended position.

The antenna, as here disclosed, comprises a mounting rod 2 which is adapted to be secured to and extend substantially at right angles to a supporting pole by means of a U-shaped clamp 63 embracing the pole l, the legs of the clamp passing through the mounting rod 2. A bracket 8 is provided on one side of the rod 2, that bracket having a notch is adapted to engage the pole 4, and a second bracket l2 is provided on the opposite side of the rod, the legs of the clamp 5 passing through the brackets 8 and I2 and being secured in place by means of nuts it on the outside of the bracket 12.

The mounting rod 2 is preferably formed of a tube of aluminum or the like one end All of which is flattened, a conductive plate it? being secured to that flattened end by means of rivets or the A. of antenna rods 22 formed of tubular aluminum or the like have their ends flattened at 2e and 26, the rods 22 being pivotally secured to the plate 18 by means of rivets 28 or the like passing through the flattened ends 25. Clamps generally designated 38, the detailed construction of which will be set forth hereinafter, are secured to the plate H8 in order to hold the rods 22 in their extended operative position shown lines in Fig. 1, those rods being pivotal in the direction of the arrows 32 to a folded inoperative position substantially parallel to the mounting rod 2, the left hand rod 22 being shown in broken lines in Fig. 1 in an intermediate position.

At its other and unflattened end the mounting rod 2 has a U-shaped bracket 3t secured thereto, the central portion of the upstanding arms of that bracket being bent outwardly as at 36 so as to encompass the mounting rod 2, rivets or bolts 38 securing the bracket 34 to the mounting rod 2. An insulating plate 40 is in turn secured to the bracket 34 by means of bolts or other securing means 52.

A pair of brackets generally designated 44 are secured to the insulating panel so as to extend out therefrom on opposite sides, and preferably in the same direction as the antenna rods 22 project when they are in operative position. These brackets are identical and a description of one will. suffice. Each comprises a lip 65 which extends under the insulating panel 4!! and is secured thereto by means of bolts 43 or the like. These bolts also provide for electrical connection to the brackets 44 in any conventional manner. Extending outwardly from the lips 46 is a body portion or bottom wall 49, preferably projecting at an angle from the lip 45 so as to extend from the mounting rod 2 in a direction away from the flattened end it thereof. lhe body portion 49 is provided with upwardly extending side walls 50, and in the form here disclosed those side walls diverge from one another as they extend away from the mounting rod 2. Antenna rods 52, substantially similar to but usually somewhat shorter than the rods 22, and having flattened ends at and 55, are pivotally mounted on the inside of the upstanding bracket side walls 5%] by means of a rivet 58 or the like passing through the flattened rod end 56. Clamps generally designated 3d are secured to the inside of the upstanding bracket walls 50 so as to hold the rods 52 in their extended operative position, the rods 52 being movable away from that operative position in the direction of the arrows 60 of Fig. 1 to a folded inoperative position and substantially parallel with the mounting rod 2, the antenna rods 52 being shown in their operative positions in full lines in Fig. 1, and one such rod 52 being shown in broken lines in an intermediate position.

Also mounted on the bracket body portion 48 is a subsidiary bracket generally designated 82, that bracket comprising a bottom wall 64 secured to the bracket body portion 48 by means of rivets 66 or the like, and an upstanding wall 88 to which another antenna rod 52 is secured by means of rivet 58, a clamp 38 being secured to the wall 68 so as to hold the rod 52' in its operative position. As here disclosed the wall 68 is perpendicular to the mounting rod 2 and is substantially parallel to the plate It, so that the rods 52", when they are in operative position, are in a plane parallel to the rods 22, while the rods 52 extend in planes angularly related to the plane of the rods 22.

The details of the extremely simplified construction of the clamp 30 may best be seen from Figs. 4, 5 and 6. The clamp comprises an integral member formed of some resilient material such as spring steel which has a concave top wall 70, a downwardly extending side wall '12 which extends all the way to the base on which it is mounted, and a mounting portion '14 extending at right angles to the clamp side wall 12 and along the base on which the clamp is mounted, there being secured by means of a rivet T6 or the like. The base may comprise either end of the plate 58 at one end of the mounting rod 2 in the case of the rods 22, the upstanding side walls 50 of the brackets 44 in the case of th rods 52, or the upstanding wall 88 of the subsidiary bracket 62 in the case of the rods 52'. As shown in Figs. i, 5 and 6, the

base comprises a side wall 50 of the bracket 4'4.

The side of the concave top wall ill of the clamp 36 opposite from the side wall "i2 defines a second downwardly extending side wall is which terminates in a downwardly directed free edge 80 spaced from the base on which the clamp is mounted, preferably spaced therefrom by a distance equal to a major fraction of the thickness of the antenna rod with which it is to cooperate. The clamp 36 is secured to its supporting base close to the axis about which the antenna rod pivots and on the side of that axis toward the extended operative position of the rod. The side wall i2 is positioned at or slightly beyond the limit of motion of the antenna rod from its inoperative to its operative position, the top wall 18 being positioned so as to extend over a portion of the antenna rod when that rod is in its extended operative position, the clamp thus being adapted to grasp and hold the antenna rod in said ope 'otive position. The depending free edge Bd of the side wall E8 is angu larly inclined with respect to the base to which the clamp is secured, that edge so inclining upwardly as it approaches the pivotal axis of the antenna rod.

As a result, as may best be seen from Figs. 5 and 6, as a given antenna rod is pivoted to its operative position, the major portion of its movement from its inoperative position will be free and unimpeded. However, when the rod has almost reached its operative position, as shown in Fig. 5, a portion of the rod close to its pivot point will engage a raised point on the free edge 8d of the clamping member 3! the clamping member til thus offering some resistance to the further movement of the 0d. As the rod is further forced toward its operativ position the clamping member will be resiliently distorted to permit the rod to pass thereunder, that distortion being facilitated through sliding the rod along the free edge of the clamping member 35 As will be seen from a comparison of Fig. 6 with Fig. 5, as the rod is further pivoted to operative position it will ride along the free edge so that edge extends angulariy downwardl that edge thus defining a which, through a wedging action, facilitates the distortion of the clamping member and thus permits the rod to be moved fully into its operative position with a inuni amount of force having to be exerted thereon. @nce the rod has reached its operative position, usually determined by a positive engagement of the rod with the side wall l2, that side wall thus acting as a positive stop for the antenna rod, the rod will have cleared the depending edge to of the clamping member and the clamp will have snapped down and around over the top of the rod, thus securely holding the rod in operative position.

Any tendency which the rod might have to pivot from operative position, in the direction of the arrows at or Sil, will be strongly resisted by the clamping member, and to a much greater degree than the rod was moved to its operative position, since no cam action is ffective between the rod and the clamping member 3% when the rod tends to move in this reverse direction. This derives from the inclination of the free edge upwardly toward the pivot point of the rod and the positioning of that free edge 80 on that side of the operative position of the rod toward its inoperative position. Hence very great force is required to move the rod out of its operative position once it has been thus clamped. The rod is thus securely held in pcsition against vibration and against all but the most extreme forces of wind or the like. However, the clamping member 35 will yield upon the application of very great force on the rod. The clamping member 3% is preferably so designed that it will thus yield only upon the application to the rod of a force short of but close to that magnitude which might bend or break the rod. Hence the clamp acts in a manner analogous to a safety valve, converting what might otherwise may be an expensive repair or replacement situation into a comparatively inexpensive readiustment situation.

By the construction above described an antenna may be formed of a plurality of simple and easily fabricated parts which may readily be completely assembled at the factory. The antenna is shipped with the rods 22, 52 and 52' all folded in inoperative position, and hence may be shipped in a compact container taking up but a minimum amount of space. Since the antenna rods, which are perhaps the most fragile and damage-susceptible portions of the antenna, are folded close to the antenna rod 2 and consequently do not project out, no special precautions against damage need be taken. The antennas. as thus folded and packed, may be stored in warehouses or other storage spaces in a conventional manner, and when an installation is to be made they may be transported, still boxed and still occupying a small space, to the point of installation.

When the antenna is to be installed it is me ely removed from its box, the antenna rods 22, 5

52' then being pivoted to their extended position and forced into place under the clamping members 36. No tools and no complicated operations are required. The antenna is then ready for installation in conventional manner.

While but single embodiment of the present invention is here disclosed, it will be apparent that many variations may be made therein, as to specific design and structure, without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the following claims.

We claim:

1. A folding television antenna comprising a base, an antenna rod pivctally mounted thereon so as to be movable between an operative extended position and an inoperative folded position, and a resiliently acting clamping member secured to said base, extendin along the operative position of said antenna rod and including a concave portion spaced from said base and having one side wall terminating in a free edge spaced from said base and another side wall extending to and secured to said base, said rod being adapted to be clamped beneath said concave portion and between said side walls when in its operative position, the side wall wit. said free edge being positioned closer to the inoperative position of said rod than said other side wall, and said free edge being upwardly inclined toward. said concave portion as it approaches the pivot point of said rod, said free edge thereby defining a cam surface ensageable with said rod only when said rod is pivoted from inoperative to operative position, then being effective to distort said clamping member and permit said rod to move to clamped operative position.

2. A folding television antenna comprising a base, an antenna rod pivotally mounted thereon so to be movable between an operative ex- -tended position and an inoperative folded posi 'tion, and a resiliently acting clamping member comprising a concave top wall extending along the operative position of said antenna rod, 2. first side wall. extending therefrom to said base, a mounting portion extending from said first side wall and secured to said base, and a second side wall extending from said top wall toward said base and terminating in a free edge spaced from said base at all points by a distance equal to a major fraction of the thickness of said rod, said free edge being inclined upwardly toward said top wall as it approaches the pivot point of said rod, said second side wall being positioned closer to the inoperative position of said rod than said first side wall, said rod being adapted to be clamped beneath said concave portion and between said side walls when in its operative position, said free edge defining a cam surface engage-able with said rod only when said rod is pivoted from inoperative to operative position, then being efiective to distort said clamping member and ermit said rod to move to clamped operative position.

3. A folding television antenna comprising a base, an antenna rod pivotally mounted thereon so as to be movable between an operative extended position and an inoperative folded position, and a resiliently acting clamping member comprising a wall secured to said base and extending upwardly therefrom along one side of the operative position of said antenna rod so as to be engaged by said rod as said rod is moved to operative position, thus defining a positive stop therefor, said wall having a concave top portion overlying the operative position of said antenna rod, said top portion terminating in a downwardly facing free edge extending along the other side of the operative position of said antenna rod and spaced from said base at all points by a distance equal to a major fraction of he thickness of said rod, said free edge being inclined upwardly toward said concave top portion as it approaches the pivot point of said rod, said free edge defining a cam surface engageable with said rod only when said rod is pivoted from inoperative to operative position, then being effective to distort said clamping member and permit said rod to move to clamped operative position.

i. A folding television antenna comprising a mounting rod, an insulating panel secured thereto, a pair of brackets secured to said panel and extending therefrom in opposite directions, each of said brackets comprising a lip secured to said panel, a body portion extending therefrom and having side walls extending upwardly therefrom in the general direction of said mounting rod, and a subsidiary brack t secured to said body portion between said side walls and having a wall extending upwardly from said body portion, and antenna rods each pivotally mounted on one of said upwardly extending bracket walls so as to be movable between an operative extended position substantially parallel to said bracket body portion and an inoperative folded position substantially parallel to said mounting rod.

5. In combination with the folding television antenna of claim 4, resiliently acting clamping members secured to each of said upwardly extending bracket walls, said clamping members comprising a wall secured to an upwardly extending bracket wall and extending therefrom from the side thereof on which said antenna rod is mounted along one side of the operative position of said antenna rod so as to be engaged by said antenna rod as said rod is moved to operative position, thus defining a positive stop therefor, said wall having a concave top portion overlying the operative position of said antenna rod, said top portion terminating in a downwardly facing free edge extending along the other side of the operative position of said antenna rod and spaced from said bracket wall at all points at a distance equal to a major fraction of the thickness of said rod, said free edge being inclined upwardly toward said concave top portion as it approaches the pivot point of said rod, said rod being adapted to be clamped beneath said concave portion when it is moved to operative position, said free edge defining a cam surface engageable with said rod only when said rod is pivoted from inoperative to operative position, then being efiective to distort said clamping mem-- her and permit said rod to move to clamped operative position.

6. A folding television antenna comprising a mounting rod, an insulating panel secured thereto, a pair of brackets secured to said panel and extending therefrom in opposite directions, each of said brackets comprising a lip secured to said panel, a body portion extending therefrom and having diverging side walls extending upwardly therefrom in the general direction of said mounting rod, and a subsidiary bracket secured to said body portion between said side walls and having a wall extending upwardly from said body portion and oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said body portion, and antenna rods each pivotally mounted on one of said upwardly extending bracket walls so as to be movable between an operative extended position substantially parallel to said bracket body portion and an inoperative folded position substantially parallel to said mounting rod.

'7. In combination with the folding television antenna of claim 6, resiliently acting clamping members secured to each of said upwardly extending bracket walls, said clamping members comprising a wall secured to an upwardly extending bracket wall and extending therefrom from the side thereof on which said antenna rod is mounted along one side of the operative posi tion of said antenna rod so as to be engaged by said antenna rod as said rod is moved to operative position, thus defining a positive stop therefor, said wall having a concave top portion overlying the operative position of said antenna rod, said top portion terminating in a downwardly facing free edge extending along the other side of the operative position of said antenna rod and spaced from said bracket wall at all points at a distance equal to a major fraction of the thickness of said rod, said free edge being inclined upwardly toward said concave top portion as it approaches the pivot point of said rod, said rod being adapted to be clamped beneath said concave portion when it is moved to operative posi tion, said free edge defining a cam surface engageable with said rod only when said rod is pivoted from inoperative to operative position, then being effective to distort said clamping member and permit said rod to move to clamped operative position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 23,346 Ercolino Mar. 20, 1951 1,556,725 Shallcross Oct. 3, 1925 2,492,529 Kaplan Dec. 27, 1949

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