Patent ID: 6299336
Filing Date: 2001-10-09
Classification: B60Q,E04H,F21V,H01Q

Abstract:
In a telescoping mast construction adapted to be mounted on a vehicular roof and carrying at one of its ends an electrical fixture assembly, the mast construction including a plurality of adjacent telescoping mast sections slidable relative one another between a retracted position such as when the longitudinal axis of the mast construction is horizontal and an extended position such as when the longitudinal axis of the mast construction is vertical and the mast construction raised by telescoping mast sections from the lowest mast section, the improvement comprising:a) a pair of longitudinally extending, transversely spaced shaft supports vertically extending from a base plate adapted to rest on the roof of a vehicle, the lowest mast section positioned between the shaft supports;b) a collar mount secured to the bottom of the lowest mast section;c) a pivot shaft secured to the collar mount on an axis laterally offset from the mast construction's longitudinal axis and adjacent the uppermost surface of the collar mount when the mast construction is horizontal, the pivot shaft having an uppermost surface portion when the mast construction is horizontal and being journalled in the shaft supports;d) a pivot link rotatably secured to one axial end of the pivot shaft thereby extending vertically downward adjacent a pivot support side opposite the pivot support side adjacent the lowest mast section; and,e) a linear actuator having an actuator rod movable into and out of an actuator housing; the actuator rod pivotably secured to the pivot link and the actuator housing pivotably secured to the base plate whereby the length of the pivot link relative to the position of the pivot shaft provides a low profile mast mounting arrangement extending generally no higher than the uppermost surface portion of the pivot shaft when the longitudinal axis of the mast construction is in its stored horizontal position.