US2980376A - Self-supporting tripod mast - Google Patents

Description

April 18, 1961 J. G. WESTERFIELD SELF-SUPPORTING TRIPOD MAST Filed Feb. 4, 1960 BYWWWW ATTORNEY.

2,980,376 SELF-SUPPORTING TRIPOD MAST James G. waster-field, 76 Melrose Ave.,

Youngstown, Ohio Filed Feb. 4, 1960, set. No. 6,692 2 Claims. (at. 243-44) invention relates to a "self-supporting mast such as used for supporting television antennas and the like.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a self-supporting tripod mast wherein a straight section of the mast forms one of the three leg portions.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a self supporting tripod mast in which a pair of individual legsar attached to a mast and co-operates therewith in forming a tripod of which the mast is an integral part.

A- further obje't of the invention is the provision of a simple and inexpensive tripod mast that may be completely assembled prior to installation on a roof or other supporting surface and then positioned in a self supporting free standing manner easily and quickly.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a self-supporting tripod mast that may be mounted vertically on any type of roof of varying degree of inclination.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a self-supporting tripod mast that may be readily adjusted to conform to the type of roof on which the mast is to be mounted, and readjusted to conform to difierent roof constructions and shapes when desired.

The self-supporting tripod mast disclosed herein comprises an improvement in masts such as commonly used for supporting television antennas and the like. It has heretofore been common in the art to use two general types of masts one of which comprises a single vertical mast supported by guy wires'and the other of which comprises a flared three or four leg base carrying a vertical mast on the upper end thereof. Such masts are diflicult and frequently impossible to install on houses having sharply pitched roofs. The mast disclosed herein is easily mounted on a pitched roof regardless of the degree of inclination thereof and may be equally easily installed on a flat roof. The mast disclosed herein may also be installed straddling the ridge of -a roof and is therefore readily adapted for use on all types of roof constructions.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the self-supporting tripod mast.

Figure 2 is an exploded view of the various parts of a clamping bracket forming a part of the mast shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on an enlarged scale on line 3--3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a group of symbolic roof shapes showing the mast positioned thereon.

By referring to the drawing and Figure 1 in particular it will be seen that the self-supporting tripod mast comprises an elongated vertically positioned mast section 10 having an area 11 of reduced diameter adjacent its upper end which receives a collar 12. An adjustable multipart clamp is secured to the mast 10 intermediate its uppet and lower ends and comprises as may be seen by referring to Figures 2 and 3, a U shaped bracket 13 having spaced apertures 14 and 15 therein is positioned in partially enclosing relation over a channel member 16 with serrations therein defining oppositely disposed partial radii 17 and 18 which conform with the cross sec tionally circular shape of the mast 10 as best seen in Figure 3 of the drawings. A U bolt 19 has its opposite end portions positioned in the channel member 14 and through the apertures 14 in the U shaped bracket 13. Washers and nuts 21 and 22 are theadably engaged on the threaded end portions of the U bolt 19. It will be observed that the channel member 16 engages the mast 10 in the oppositely disposed serrated sections 17 and 18 and is thereby vertically positioned on the mast 10. The U shaped bracket 13 is positioned immediately adjacent the channel member 16 so that the ends of the bracket 13 having the apertures 15 therein encloses the ends of the channel member 16. The arms of the U bolt 19 extend through the apertures 14 in the U shaped bracket 13 and the washers and nuts 21 and 22 are applied which secure the U shaped bracket 13 to the channel member 16 and to the mast 10.

A pair of similarly formed oppositely disposed legs 23 and 24 having flattened end sections which are apertured, are secured at their upper-ends by means of bolt and nut assemblies 25 and 26 to the ends of the U shaped bracket 13 by way of the apertures 15 therein.

It will thus be seen that the legs 23 and 24 are secured tothe mast 10 so that they extend outwardly therefrom at an angle thereto and in oppositely disposed inclined arrangement. The bottom ends of the legs 23 and 24 are attached by bolt and nut assemblies 27 and 28 to L shaped mounting brackets 29 and 30. The bottom ends of the legs 23 and 24 may thus be secured in desired position to a roof surface by fasteners positioned through the L shaped brackets 29 and 30. The lowermost end of the mast 10 is provided with an adjustably mounted secondary L shaped bracket 31 which is secured to the mast 10 by a bolt and nut assembly 32 positioned through the secondary L shaped bracket 31 and through an apertured secondary channel member 33 which is formed like the channel member 16 heretofore referred to and which receives a secondary U bolt 34 which is positioned around the mast 10 and is clamped thereto thereby. Another bolt and nut assembly 32 is positioned through the secondary L shaped bracket which is thereby clamped against the ends of the secondary U bolt 34 and thereby held in fixed position relative to the mast 10.

It will be observed that the self-supporting tripod mast can be positioned in various locations and in Figure 4 of the drawing several such locations are illustrated. in Figure 4 the illustration to the left shows a typical pitched roof with the mast 10 positioned vertically thereon and the legs 23 and 24 extending from the U shaped bracket 13 to the L shaped brackets 29 and 30 which engage the roof at a point higher than the secondary L shaped bracket 31 on the bottom of the mast 10. It will be seen that the oppositely disposed and angled positioning of the legs 23 and 24 causes them to form two legs of a triangle with respect to the portion of the mast 10 extending between the secondary L shaped bracket 31 to the U shaped bracket 13. In the second sketch from the left, comprising part of Figure 4, a similar ar- 2' Ice Patented Apr. 1 8, 1961.

scribed my invention what Iclaim is; t- V tically and in the fourth sketch from theglefta flat roof 7 is shown with thernast lfl positioned at anangle and the legs 23 and'24 positioned substantially perpendicular be-; tween the, flat roof 'and theinclined mast- '10. Other mountings of a similar nature will occurtothose skilled in the art, for example, the verticalmast 10 maybe positioned beside a house or a building" and the legs 23 and 24 arranged on a substantially horizontal plane with their ends engagedon' the side of the house or'building and thereby'holding the mast 10 in spaced re latio n to the building while in rvertical positionu e 3 I t In using the selfesupportingtripod mast disclosedhereinas an antenna mountfa television antenna may be prealready erected on thereof and simply and easily posi-' tioned in the sleeve 12 and secured in position by tightening fasteners in'the sleeve 'asiwillj be undq ood by those skilled'in the art; It will thus be' seen'that a supporting tripod mast has been disclosedwhich meets the several objects of my invention and having thus de- '1.- A self-supporting tripod mast comprisingfin combi nation an elongated straight mast section a pair'of rela tively shorterleg sections and a clamping device secured to said straight mast section and to each of said leg sections, said clamping device including an apertured chana a .aagasaara assembled on a short pole andlcarried intact to the mast "simple and, efiicint self- 5 f nel'section having serrated edges, an apertured bracket positioned adjacent said'channel section and having end portions enclosing the ends of said channel'sectiom'a U bolt positioned through; said channel section and bracket and engaged about said mast, L shaped brackets attached to the end of said mast section and the ends of said leg sections respectively.

2. A self-supporting tripod mast comprising an elongated straight mast section, a pair .of relatively shorter leg sections having flattened'ends and a clamping device attached to the flattened ends of said legsections and to said straight mast section, said clamping device comprising an apertured channel section having oppositely disposed serrated portions engaged on said straight mast section, an apertured bracket positioned adjacent said channel section, said legs secured to said apertured bracket 'by bolt and nut assemblies, a U bolt positioned through said channel section and said bracket section and positioned around said mast for securing the same to'one another, L shaped brackets on'thcends of said legs' and anL shaped bracket on one end of said straight mast section. a a -t ReferencesfC ited the file of thisipatent V U fUNITE D STATES P ATENIS" VA Y -Z OREIGN PATENTS 625,839

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