Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

David T Carolus

Ralph W Edwards

John R Powell

Robert E Evans

Paul C Morrin

Winston C Wilder

An automobile or like power operated radio antenna comprising a telescopic mast tube assembly fabricated of tough flexible polymeric material in tubular sections enclosing an inner metallic drive cable of helically coiled wire serving not only as the actuating cable for deployment of the antenna to and from an extended position but also as the conductive radio wave collector element.

Power antenna

A power driven rotatable antenna cable storage drum has a driven worm gear formed circumferentially about one end of its periphery. The drum is supported for rotation on two axially aligned equal diameter post members. One of the post members is integral with the housing and the other post member is integral with the cover. The cover post member is spaced from and radially aligned with the driven worm gear.

Rotary support structure for a power antenna cable storage drum

A power antenna actuator mechanism has a worm and gear drive for a cable storage drum which is integral with the worm gear. A covering, which cooperates with a housing to enclose the actuator mechanism, has a rib portion which abuts a circumferential surface of the storage drum for an arcuate distance adjacent the mesh point of the worm and worm gear to provide a support member for the storage drum in a radial direction transverse to the axis of the worm.

Antenna actuator with a locating and reaction support surface for the

An antenna cable drive and storage drum has a member threaded on the housing and rotatable with the drum. The member is effective to release a pair of stop plungers which engage between the drum and housing to create a substantial resistance to further rotation of the drum if the drum is rotated in either direction more than the predetermined number of revolutions which are needed to either fully extend or fully retract the cable.

Antenna cable drive and storage drum with stop mechanism

A telescoping vehicle radio antenna connector to permit the removal of the upper telescoping sections from the lower stationary section. A bearing member and stop ring are removably connected, by a retainer, to the stationary section at the upper end thereof to limit the upward movement of the lowermost telescoping section relative to the stationary section. The retainer has a resilient collar and depending arms having tabs formed thereon which tabs engage slots in the stationary section to maintain the telescoping and stationary sections of the antenna as a unit. The retainer can be rotated in one direction so that the tabs will be cammed out of the slots to permit removal of the telescoping section from the stationary section.

Telescoping antenna mast connector

An antenna cable drive and storage drum is driven by an electric motor to extend and retract a cable during a predetermined number of revolutions of the drum. A reaction switch, sensitive to drum rotation forces occurring at full extension or retraction, controls motor stoppage at the fully extended and retracted positions. A rotatable gear member supported on a stationary member is driven by a single tooth on the drum. In the event that the normal cable reaction load is not present, the drum continues to rotate beyond the full extension or retraction point such that an interference condition occurs between the gear member and the single tooth resulting in a high reaction load on the drum causing actuating of the reaction switch to discontinue operation of the motor.

A drive and storage drum is comprised of input and output frusto-conical sections. The input section has a resilient drive member and locking tangs disposed thereon which cooperate with slots disposed on the output section to provide a resilient drive connection and axial positioning between the input and output sections. An antenna cable is drivingly connected to the output section while a drive motor is drivingly connected through a worm drive to the input section. The resilient drive connection permits relative angular motion between the input and output sections when the end of cable travel is reached but the drive motor is not concurrently stopped.

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Dayton, OH, United States of America

David T Carolus