US2962248A - Antenna mounting means - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 29, 1960 2,962,248

5- H. E. ERTEL ETAL ANTENNA MOUNTING MEANS Filed May 18, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS EDWIN H.E. ERTEL AND HERBERT GUTKNECHT BY 62mm 39 ATTORNEYS Ndv. 29, 1 0 H. E. ERTEL ETAL 2,962,248

ANTENNA MOUNTING MEANS Filed May 18, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG DAM-AM INVENTORS EDWIN H.E.ERTEL AND HERBERT GUTKNECHT BY a mq 511w ATTORNEYS United States Patet ANTENNA MOUNTING MEANS Edwin H. E. Ertel and Herbert Gutknecht, Milwaukee,

Wis., assignors to Gutert Quality Products, Inc., Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed May 18, 1959, Ser. No. 813,764

2 Claims. (Cl. 248-45) This invention relates to antenna mounting means adapted for use on mobile homes, trailers, and the like.

Various UHFVHF antenna mounting means are available for use on mobile homes whereby the antenna mast is mounted on the side of the mobile home, and is rotated by means of a bevel gear drive operated from within the trailer. A primary shortcoming of present antenna mounting means is the size or the mount housing which extends beyond the side wall of the trailer. Where such an antenna mount is permanently secured to a side wall of the trailer, the total trailer width may well become prohibitive, insofar as the state laws governing maximum allowable trailer widths permitted on the state highways. In such cases, where the trailer is to be transported from one location to another, the antenna housing may have to be dismantled completely, in order to comply with the laws.

Also, when a trailer has to be moved from one location to another, no provision is presently made for securing the antenna mast to the trailer. The mast mounted on presently available antenna mounts would have to be dismantled, which is an added inconvenience, particularly if the mast is of any appreciable length.

Presently available antenna mounts which use a bevel gear drive means for rotating the antenna necessarily relatively expensive, due to the cost of bevel gears. Gear drives have a tendency to bind if not aligned within quite close tolerances; and, rotation of the antenna can prove quite diflicult during high winds, due to the additional lateral stresses that are created.

An object of my invention is to provide an antenna mounting means for trailers and the like which is mounted on the roof of the trailer, and rotatable from the inside of the trailer.

Another object of my invention is to provide a rotatable trailer antenna mounting means wherein the antenna mast may be pivotally lowered and secured to the roof of the trailer, without requiring disassembly of the antenna mast.

Yet still another object of my invention is to provide an antenna mounting means for trailers that is inexpensive to construct, and provides a maximum of reliability over years of use.

Other objects and purposes of my invention will become apparent in the foregoing description and appended drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows the side elevation view of a trailer utilizing my antenna mounting means, with the antenna mast shown in its alternate positions.

Figure 2 shows an isometric view, partially broken out, of my antenna mounting means.

Figure 3 shows a sectional elevation view of a typical embodiment of my antenna mounting means shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section view taken at 44 in Figure 3. Figure 5 is a view of a mast retaining clamp shown generally at 6 in Figure 1.

Referring to the specific figures, Figure 1 shows an antenna mast 1, with the bottom end thereof secured to my antenna mounting means 2 which is, in turn, se-

cured to the trailer roof 3. When in the upright posi- 1 tion, the antenna mast 1 may be supported by guy wires 4, so attached to the mast 1, to permit rotation thereof by use of a suitable retaining collar 5 such as described in Edwards 2,583,210. The alternate trailer mast position 1' is shown secured for transportation to a suitable retaining clamp 6. A signal cable 7 is shown leading from the antenna to the trailer interior, and this signal cable is preferably looped so as to permit free rotation of the antenna.

Figures 2 and 3 show the bottom of the antenna mast 1, secured by press fit or other suitable means to a pivotable member 8. The lower end of the pivotable member 8 has a lip 9 extending therefrom, and mating with a recess in an upper shaft mount, 10. Serving to secure pivotable member 8 to upper shaft mount 10 are two pins or bolts 11, which extend substantially radially through the upper shaft mount 10 and the lip 9 of pivotable member 8. Removal of either of the pins 11 permits the pivotal member 8 (and antenna mast 1) to pivot about the pin left in place, when the guy wires are removed.

Upper shaft mount 10 has a longitudinal passage 12 therein, and a radial passage adapted to receive a screw 13. The bottom of the upper shaft mount 10 is seated against a weather sealing cap 14, which has a hole therein coextensive with the longitudinal passage 12. Weather sealing cap 14 protects a thrust bearing 15 from the weather and the elements. Thrust bearing 15 permits easy rotation of the upper shaft mount 10, pivotable member 8 and antenna mast 1. Thrust bearing 15 is supported by a lower shaft mount 16 which has a longitudinal passage therethrough coextensive with longitudinal passage 12 of the upper shaft mount 10, the longitudinal passage also extending through the roof 3 of the trailer. The longitudinal passage is adapted to receive a guide rod 17 Guide rod 17 is freely rotatable within the lower shaft mount 16, and is secured as by set screw 13 to the upper shaft mount 10. Thus, rotation of the guide rod 17 causes the upper shaft mount 10 to rotate on thrust bearing 15. Lower shaft mount 16 is secured as by welding to a roof plate 29, which is in turn, secured to the roof 3 of the trailer, as by screws 18.

Secured preferably to the lower shaft mount 16 is a plate 19 to which are fixed four adjustable supporting legs 20, which are also secured to roof 3 as by screws 21. Said plate 19 is supported by a ridge 22 on the lower shaft mount 16.

Secured as by screws to the inside ceiling of the trailer is a ceiling plate, 23 through which guide rod 17 enters the inside of the trailer. Said ceiling plate 23 has a plurality of holes therein, disposed on a circle about guide rod 17, more clearly shown in Figure 4.

The lower end of guide rod 17 has a selector knob 24 slidably secured thereto, and a spring 25 disposed in compression on said guide rod 17, said guide rod 17 having a flat surface along the lower end thereof, and limited in relative radial movement therebetween by a set screw 28. Selector knob 24 has a pin 26 extending upwardly therefrom disposed on the selector knob 24 and on a radius equal to that of the holes in the ceiling plate 23. Said ceiling plate 23 may have a pin-stop 27 on the radius of the holes, to limit the movement of the selector knob to no more than 360.

In order to rotate the antenna mast 1, the selector knob 24 is pulled downward, guided by the parallel surface on guide rod 17, said set screw 28 permitting longitudinal movement only therebetween. This compresses spring 25, and releases pin 26 from a hole in the ceiling plate 23. The selector knob 24 is then rotated, turn- 3 ing guide rod 17, causing upper shaft mount 10 to rotate on thrust bearing 15 to the desired antenna position. When the desired antenna position is located, the selector knob 24 is released as the pin 26 is allowed to mate in the nearest hole in ceiling plate 23, corresponding to the desired antenna position.

The ceiling plate 23 may have indicia thereon, as N, S, W, E, or desired UHF/VHF channels or stations.

When the trailer is to be moved, the antenna mast 1, need not be dismantled. As previously stated, on: of the pins 11 is removed and the antenna is pivoted downward, and secured to a retaining clamp 6 which is fixed on the trailer roof 3, a typical retaining clamp being shown in Figure 5.

It is obvious that many modifications may be made of the herein described antenna mounting means, without departing from the spirit of my invention. For instance, my antenna mounting means need not have any supporting legs, particularly if the lower shaft mount extends through the roof of the trailer; and is secured directly to the ceiling plate 23. Also, the lower shaft mount may be constructed of a length of pipe, with annularrings near each end thereof to limit movement of guide rod 17. It is also immaterial just where below the antenna mast the thrust bearing is located; and, the upper shaft mount 10 and guide rod 17 may be of one-piece construction.

These and other modifications may be made to my invention, which are limited only by the following claims, in which I claim:

1. An antenna mounting structure comprising, a horizontal support, a vertically extending lower mount member fixedly secured on said support with said lower mount member having a passage extending upwardly therethrough, a thrust bearing mounted on the upper end of said lower mount member, a weather sealing cap mounted over said thrust bearing and rotatable on said bearing relative to said lower mount member, a vertically extending upper mount member seated on said cap for rotation therewith; said bearing, cap and upper mount member having upwardly extending passages which are coextensive with each other and with the said passage in said lower mount member, the passage in said upper mount member terminating inwardly of the bottom end thereof; a recess disposed in the upper end of said upper mount member, an upwardly extending pivotal member having a lower lip received within said recess, a mast secured to the upper end of said pivotal member, a pair of vertically aligned pins extending through said upper mount member and said lip with at least one of said pins being removable so that said pivotal member and said mast may be pivoted from a vertical to a horizontal position, a vertically mounted guide rod extending from beneath said support and upwardly through the support and all said passages into said upper mount member, said guide rod being disposed for free rotation within and relative to said lower mount member, means for securing said guide rod for rotation with said upper mount member, a plate fixedly mounted beneath said support and with said plate having a plurality of circumferentially disposed openings therein disposed about the lower end of said guide rod, a selector knob mounted for vertical movement on said rod, means fixing said knob to said guide rod for rotation therewith, and a pin fixed to and extending upwardly from said knob and disposed on a radius such that said pin will enter one of said openings upon rotation of said knob.

2. The structure of claim 1 which includes a horizontal plate secured to the said lower mount member adjacent the upper end thereof, a plurality of legs joining the said support and said plate to secure said upper mount member in vertical position; means biasing the said selector knob toward said support so that the said pin will remain in the selected one of said openings to prevent further rotation of the said mast; and means for securing the upper end of said mast to said support when the mast is in a horizontal position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,013,734 Boyd Jan. 2, 1912 2,263,554 Brach Nov. 25, 1941 2,667,318 Sesler Jan. 26, 1954 2,706,608 Joseph Apr. 19, 1955 2,787,169 Farr et al. Apr. 2, 1957 2,869,813 Silverman Jan. 20, 1959

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