The Will-Burt Company

Orrville Products, Inc.

Featherstone Teamed Industries, Inc.

Harry E Featherstone

Walter Grant Sniff, Jr

Bryan L Cooper

John W Finnell

Kevan A Davis

Dennis B Donahue

Alvin R Steffen

A telescoping mast assembly having a ball drive actuator drive system. A telescoping mast section is housed within a base mast section mounted to a base plate. The base mast section pivots about a pivot axis between a lowered, horizontal position and an upright, vertical position and includes an upper elongate body disposed an upper side of the pivot axis and a bottom end disposed on an opposite side of the pivot axis. A ball actuator drive includes an electrically powered motor that drives a ball screw reciprocally inward and outward along a linear stroke path. A remote end of the ball screw is attached to the bottom end of the base mast section and, by pushing and pulling the bottom end of the base mast section, pivots and maintains the base mast section to alternative positions between the fully raised and the fully lowered positions. A telescoping mast section is housed within the base mast section and telescopes between an extended position and a retracted position. A secondary ball screw actuator is housed within the base mast section and is coupled to drive the telescoping mast section between its extended and retracted positions.

Telescoping mast assembly

An extendible mast assembly is disclosed comprising a base member ( ); a base mast section ( ) pivotally coupled thereto; and an extendible mast section ( ) telescopically received within the base mast section ( ). A first ball drive actuator ( ) is mounted and coupled to pivotally drive the mast sections between a horizontal &ldquo;down&rdquo; position and a vertical &ldquo;up&rdquo; position, and a second ball drive actuator ( ) is mounted within the base mast section to move the extendible mast section in and out of the base mast section. A wiring harness ( ) is routed from the base of the unit up through the base mast section and the extendible mast section for powering the ball drive actuators ( ) and any electrically powered device mounted to the distal end of the mast. The uppermost extendible mast section ( ) is composed of non-conductive material to prevent the conductance of a charge down the mast to the vehicle to which the unit is attached. The passageways of the base and extendible mast sections are enclosed to protect the motor and wiring harnesses from detrimental contact with the elements or surrounding obstructions. In an alternative embodiment, the mast assembly is an integral in-line component of a light bar assembly and supports at a remote end optional equipment such as a radar/laser device; a speaker system; auxiliary lighting; video cameras; and a digital sign. The mast assembly, light bar, and safety and detection devices located at the remote end of the mast assembly are mounted to the rooftop of a vehicle and comprise a security system computer controlled remotely from within the passenger compartment of the vehicle. Elevated atop the mast assembly, the security and detection equipment attains a height advantage which functionally improves their performance and serves to remove such equipment from the dashboard of the vehicle, enhancing passenger safety and comfort thereby.

A telescoping mast assembly having a plurality of interconnected mast sections nested within each other is provided. Mast sections move along an axis between retracted and extended positions. A single drive member having a circular shape within the mast sections and connected to one of the mast sections for displacing the sections in opposite directions along the axis is also provided. A contour forming mold for shaping the drive member is provided between the storage reel and the mast sections.

A pneumatically telescoping mast adapted for mounting an electrical fixture is disclosed. The telescoping mast includes a pneumatic control system to extend the mast from a retracted position to an extended position. The mast is made up of adjacent telescopic sections, each section slidable relative to an adjacent section, each section slidable between the retracted position and the extended position. Mechanical arrangements are disclosed for pivoting the mast between a generally horizontal and a generally vertical position, including drive mechanisms operable independently of the pneumatic control system and adapted to securely maintain the mast at any desired angle between the horizontal and vertical positions.

Pneumatic telescoping mast

A telescoping mast assembly includes a plurality of interconnected mast sections nested within each other for movement between a fully retracted height and a fully extended height. A novel, rigid drive assembly, disposed within the interconnected mast sections, telescopes the mast sections to any position between the fully retracted and the fully extended heights. The rigid drive assembly is constructed of two interconnected, flexible chain elements which accurately position the interconnected mast sections.

A rigid drive assembly is constructed of two interconnected, flexible chain elements.

Rigid drive assembly

The mast has a housing arranged to be mounted on the roof of a vehicle such as an emergency vehicle at the usual location of a vehicle light bar, whether or not a light bar is associated with the mast housing. A seal unit is located at the lower end of each telescoping mast section engaging the next outer mast section. The seal unit leaves the lower end of all mast sections unobstructed so that a tubular passage is formed from end to end of the mast. A retractable power supply cable is located in the passage of supply power to the electrical appliance mounted on the top of the mast. There are electrical plug connectors at each end of the mast for releasable connection with the electrical fixture at the top and with the vehicle power supply at the bottom of the mast. The mast is mounted on an offset pivot which simplifies the pneumatic-actuating system which tilts and telescopes the mast, and also enables the mast to tilt by gravity from telescoped retracted vertical to stored horizontal position. All components for mounting and actuating the mast are contained protectively in the housing.

Pneumatically actuated tilting telescoping mast construction

Metal parts are spot welded together. To prevent corrosion of the parts a thixotropic, non hardening, corrosion resistant material including a solvent and having a negligible gravity flow at temperatures less than about 400.degree. F to 440.degree. F and forming a heat insulating coherent gel when burnt is used between the plates. The material is known as Anchor Tuflex #23. The parts are clamped and a pressure, higher than a welding pressure that would be used without the material is used to squeeze out the material. The high pressure is continued during welding. After welding continued pressure, is applied during cooling.

Method of joining two sheet metal parts

A method of joining first and second sheet metal parts along a common seam formed from a first surface on the first part and a second surface generally matching the first surface and on the second part. These surfaces define therebetween random spaces of variable thickness when the surfaces are assembled in a generally abutting coextensive relationship. The method includes applying a non-hardenable layer of corrosion resistant material to at least one of the surfaces with the material being thixotropic, cohesive with the metal and capable of forming a heat insulating, pliable, coherent gel upon being subjected to a given temperature generally sufficient to melt the metal of the parts, placing the surfaces together to jointly form the common seam with the material filling the random spaces, holding the surfaces in the placed positions and then welding the surfaces together at a temperature at least as high as the given temperature along a weld line generally coextensive with the seam whereby a line of the gel of the material forms along and generally parallel to the weld line.

Growing community of inventors

Wooster, OH, United States of America

Harry E Featherstone