Patent Application
20120098731
“Not Applicable”
“Not Applicable”
“Not Applicable”
The cubical quad describes one type of Amateur Radio antenna for high frequency transmission and reception of radio signals. The high frequency quad is made up of two or more elements attached to a boom. Each element consists of a hub structure mounted to the boom with element poles in the shape of an X radiating from the hub. The actual electrical component of the antenna consists of wire suspended on the element poles in a square or loop. The entire assembly of multiple elements attached to the boom is typically mounted on a radio tower. These towers may be of the tilt over type which is intended to facilitate maintenance on or near the ground. The cubical shape of the quad antenna prevents tilting the tower to ground level. This results in the use of ladders or scaffolds to reach all points on the antenna. A simple mechanism to facilitate tilting the tower to ground level for antenna maintenance is not available.
The QuadLock replaces the typical element hub support structure. The QuadLock will allow the individual elements of the quad antenna to swivel or rotate such that the elements become parallel to the boom when the tower is tilted over. This allows the antenna to be lowered until it is at ground level for maintenance. The swiveling element plate is held in position with the element at a right angle to the boom when the tower is in the normal operating position. The locking mechanism will engage as the tower is tilted up to the vertical operational position and disengage as the tower is tilted down to the horizontal maintenance position. The use of this invention is not limited to amateur radio antennas but can be applied to any cubical quad type antenna.
The QuadLock replaces the typical element hub support structure on a quad antenna. The QuadLock will allow the individual elements of the quad antenna to swivel or rotate such that the elements become parallel to the boom when the tower is tilted over. The QuadLock is made of two aluminum plates, the boom plate and the element plate. The plates are of sufficient size to support the weight of the element and the force of wind. The plates are made from aluminum to keep the weight to a minimum. The mechanism will withstand the vertical and torsional forces of the elements. The boom plate attaches to the antenna boom using u-bolts and provides a platform to mount the swiveling element plate. The element plate is attached to the boom plate by a shaft and thrust bearings. The element poles are attached to the element plate with u-bolts. The antenna loop is attached to the element poles. The element plate is perpendicular to the boom when the tower is in the vertical operational position. The element plate is held in place by a locking mechanism.
The lock is gravity powered and automatic and does not require the user to climb the tower to operate the lock. The lock plate is free to rotate as the tower is raised and lowered. The lock plate rotates into the slot in the boom plate and engages as the tower is tilted up to the operational position. The lock plate rotates out of the slot in the boom plate and disengages as the tower is tilted over to the horizontal maintenance position. The operator can manually rotate the element parallel to the boom as the tower is lowered. The gravity powered locking mechanism eliminates the need for a manual locking mechanism. It eliminates the need to use a ladder or scaffold to access the locking mechanism.
Other solutions to this maintenance problem utilize trams or pulley systems to lower the antenna to the ground. A ladder, scaffold, or other device is often still needed with these solutions.
