Winegard Company

Mark A Rodeffer

Charles E Rodeffer

William J Sherwood

A system is described for vertically stacking a plurality of satellite dishes for bulk transport and storage using minimal space. Each satellite dish has a parabolic dish with a stacking rim attached to its outer periphery at an angle of about 125 degrees. The stacking rim has two circumferential support regions on opposite surfaces. When the satellite dishes are stacked vertically, the support regions of the stacking rims abut, leaving a space between the parabolic surfaces of adjacent dishes. This space has the same dimensions as the thickness of the material forming the dishes. The support provided by the abutting support regions also causes the edges of the rims of stacked dishes to be separated by a space so that the dishes can be easily separated when needed.

Satellite dish stacking system

A deployable satellite antenna system permits an antenna with elevation and azimuth control to be mounted to the roof of a vehicle. The elevation control assembly for the antenna system has a base with two parallel tracks and a slider that moves along these tracks. The antenna reflector is connected to a support frame pivotably attached to the slider. Pivot arms are pivotally attached between the reflector and the base adjacent to the parallel tracks. The elevational position of the antenna is adjusted by a motor that controls the position of the slider along the parallel tracks between a stowed position in which the reflector is stowed facing the vehicle and a deployed position in which the reflector is rotated to a maximum elevational angle. In one embodiment, a feed arm supporting the feed horn extends outward from the antenna support frame adjacent to the lower edge of the antenna. The base of the feed arm is pivotably attached to the support frame so that the feed horn is stored beneath the antenna in its stowed position and moves to a predetermined point relative to the antenna in its deployed position. The azimuth of the antenna is controlled by a rotating assembly mounted to the roof of the vehicle beneath the base of the elevation control assembly.

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Burlington, IA, United States of America

Mark A Rodeffer