Device for fixing antennae

Abstract: This concerns an intermediate support device (F) intended to anchor an antenna on a pylon rafter. The device includes: a base (10a) to be applied to the outside of a wing (al) of an angle bar rafter (A) having a first hooking element (13) for engaging the edge of the wing (a1) ; at least one shank hook (15) for hooking to the edge of the second rafter wing (a2), each shank passing into a hole (14) of the base (10a) and receiving at an extremity a tightening nut (16) ; and an interposition element (17) provided to come under the nut (16) and consisting of a rounded profile segment as regards its portion in contact against the base (10a) so as to allow a variable slanting of the hook shank (15) so as to obtain an anchoring also effective on different profile rafters.

Description: The present invention concerns the fixing of" aerial " equipment and more particularly the fixing of antennae. Generally speaking, pylons or other basic supports intended to receive antennae comprise, either integrated or built into their structure, sectional steel sections on which antennae or their pole are anchored with the aid of an intermediate support element. These sectional steel sections are commonly known in the trade as "rafters" and this is the term to be subsequently denoted to designate them. In practice, there are rafters with different types of sections varying as regards their shape and dimensions. For the most part, these are round bar sections or angle bar sections, but the angle bar may have a right or closed or open angle. And corresponding to each of the section shapes is a particular shape of said intermediate support element. In his daily work, the operator laying antennae is therefore confronted with this problem of always having available a complete range of said intermediate support elements so as to be ale to use on site the one to correspond to the type of rafter used. In order to resolve the solution to this problem, the invention offers a basic idea of designing a single intermediate support device able to be used on a plurality of rafters with different sections whilst ensuring effective and reliable anchoring. It is known from US patent US 4020531 to provide an intermediate support device for anchoring on an angle bar rafter an item of equipment such as an antenna, and including a portion for fixing said equipment integral with portion for anchoring on said rafter. The present invention is characterised over the disclosure of US 4020531 in that said anchoring portion comprises: an anchoring base provided to be applied to the outside of a first wing of said rafter, said base having at one extremity a first element for hooking onto the free edge of said first wing, at least one shank hook to ensure hooking onto the free edge of the second rafter wing each shank passing into a hole of said base at a distance from said first hooking element, and having its extremity portion threaded so as to receive a tightening nut, and an interposition element provided to come between said tightening nut and said base so as to ensure an adequate bearing of said nut on said base said interposition element appearing in the form of a segment with a rounded section as regards its portion intended to come into contact against said base so as to permit a variable slanting of said hook shank transversally with respect to the rafter so as to obtain effective anchoring on any one of a plurality of angle bar rafters varying by virtue of their rectilinear angle and the dimensions of their section. According to additional characteristics of the invention able to be provided alone or in combination: said first hooking element may consist of an end return of said base forming with it an acute rectilinear angle; the hook shank passage holes in said base can be elongated slits orientated in a direction corresponding to the transverse direction of the rafter; for each hook shank, a set of passage slits can be provided in said base and aligned in a direction corresponding to the transverse direction of the rafter; two shank hooks may be provided and intended to be spaced from each other in a direction corresponding to the length of the rafter, said interposition element then being advantageously a small bar common to the two shank hooks; U-shaped fastening elements can be provided and intended to traverse said base via their extremities so as to allow anchoring on round section rafters, in which case the passage holes in said base provided for the extremities of said fastening elements are advantageously combined with the hook shank passage holes ; said base advantageously comprises stiffening returns on two opposing sides whose direction corresponds to the transverse direction of the rafter. These characteristics and advantages and others of the invention shall appear more clearly from a reading of the following description and attached drawings on which : Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a fixing device of the invention; Figures 2 and 3 are perspective views of the device of figure 1 and mounted on standard angle bar rafters, respectively having a rectilinear angle of 90° and 60°, and Figure 4 is a perspective view of the device of figure 1 and mounted on a rafter with a circular section. In all the drawings, the same references have been used to denote throughout the document the same elements. With reference firstly to figure 1, this figure represents the components of a fixing device F of the invention and able to be anchored with a given effectiveness to angle bars with various sections varying via the dimensions of their wings and their rectilinear angle. With reference to figure 4, it shall be subsequently seen that this device can be anchored on a round section rafter with two additional fasteners. The device F includes a main element 10 consisting of a rectangular metallic plate having longitudinally a first zone 10a or anchoring base shown on the left of the drawing and extended by a second zone 10b shown on the right of the drawing and used to fix an antenna, generally by means of a mast. In the embodiment shown, there is no continuity solution between the zones 10a, 10b, but this could be possible in the same way as the two zones could be two separate elements rendered integral. The plate 10 comprises on its two large sides stiffening returns 11 which have in the median portion of the anchoring base 10a opposite scallopings 12 preferably cut into steps. The returns 11 shall be orientated transversally with respect to a rafter, but subsequently the terms " transversally " and " longitudinally ", if not stated otherwise, are to be considered relatively to the plate 10. The anchoring base 10a comprises along its free end side a fold or return 13 forming with it an acute rectilinear angle and which is orientated opposite the returns 11. The return 13 is used for hooking onto the free edge of a first angle bar rafter wing. The anchoring base 10a further comprises close to and parallel to the returns 11 two rows of longitudinally elongated slits distributed on each side of the scallopings 12. The slits 14 in the two rows are two-by-two transversally opposite one another. The zone 10b also comprises oblong slits 18 similar to the slits 14 and intended for fixing an antenna mast M, as shown on figures 2 to 4. The slits 18 are divided into two identical groups of four slits offset from one another by 90° so as to enable the antenna mast to be orientated horizontally or vertically. Each group comprises two distant pairs of slits 18 opposite one another, one being aligned transversally and the other longitudinally, the orientation of the slits 18 in a given group being offset by 90° from one pair to the other so as to permit a fine adjustment of the orientation of the mast M which is fixed as shown on figures 2 to 4 with the aid of U-shaped fasteners 20 and interposition cradles 21. Apart from the element 10, the device F includes means to cooperate with the latter by hooking onto the free edge of the second angle bar wing of a rafter and by ensuring locking of the unit. These means include two shanks 15 forming a hook via an end portion 15a bent into a pin and whose other end portion 15c situated beyond an intermediate rectilinear portion 15b is threaded so as to receive a nut 16 after passage in a slit 14 of the anchorage base 10a, as well as an interposition element 17 intended to ensure a correct bearing between the nuts 16 and the wall of the anchorage base 10a. To this effect, the interposition element 17 is a small bar having a rounded section in its portion coming opposite the anchorage base 10a. The two shank hooks 15 are passed into slits 14 opposite one anaother, as shown, the interposition element 17 consists of a half-round small bar common to the two shank hooks 15 and which thus fully cover the entire width of the element 10. Figure 2 represents the device F anchored on a rafter A of right angle bar (rectilinear angle of 90°). On mounting, the base 10a is applied to the wing a1 with its extremity return 13 passed onto the free edge thereof. The extremities 15c of the shank hooks 15 anchored to the free edge of the wing a2 are passed into the two most suitable slits 14 opposite one another, namely those for which the angle between the intermediate shank portion 15b and the anchorage base 10a shall be the closest, namely less than 90°. During tightening with the nuts 16, the small bar 17 shall also ensure an effective bearing support on the wall of the element 10, whether the shank hook 15 is fully orthogonal to the element 10 or is in a slanting position. It is proper to further note that most frequently said free edges of the angle bar wings are internally cut into a bevel so as to significantly improve catching of the hooks 13 and 15. Figure 3 shows the same device F anchored onto a rafter A of closed angle bar (acute rectilinear angle of about 60°). Anchoring is effected at any point in the same way as in the preceding example. The shanks of the hooks 15 are here slanted on the base 10a by an angle equal at the most to 60° without the effectiveness of the bearing support of the interposition small bar 17 or accordingly without the solidity of fixing being diminished. It goes without saying that the same quality of anchoring would be obtained on a rafter of open angle bar (rectilinear angle of more than 90°). Figure 4 shows the same device F anchored on a rafter C with a circular section. To this effect, it comprises two given fasteners 30 with the shape of a U and conforming to the diameter of the rafter. On mounting, the element 10 is first of all applied to the rafter so that the latter is engaged in the scallopings 12, then the fasteners 30 are placed, the extremities of each passing into the slits 14 of a given longitudinal row and receiving tightening nuts. It is to be noted that the cut into steps of the scallopings 12 provide excellent stability on fixing.

Claims: Intermediate support device for anchoring on an angle bar rafter (A) an item of equipment, such as an antenna, and including a portion for fixing said equipment integral with a portion for anchoring on said rafter, characterised in that said anchoring portion comprises: an anchoring base (10a) provided to be applied to the outside of a first wing (a1) of said rafter (A), said base (10a) having at one extremity a first element for hooking onto the free edge of said first wing (a1), at least one shank hook (15) to ensure hooking onto the free edge of the second rafter wing (a2), each shank passing into a hole (14) of said base (10a) at a distance from said first hooking element and having its extremity portion threaded to receive a tightening nut (16), and an interposition element (17) provided to come between said tightening nut (16) and said base (10a) so as to ensure an adequate bearing of said nut (16) on said base (10a), said interposition element (17) appearing in the form of a segment with a rounded section as regards its portion intended to come into contact against said base (10a) so as to permit a variable slanting of said hook shank (15) transversally with respect to the rafter (A) so as to obtain an effective anchoring on any one of a plurality of angle bar rafters varying by virtue of their rectilinear angle and the dimensions of their section. Device according to claim 1, characterised in that said first hooking element consists of an extremity return (13) of said base (10a) forming with the latter an acute rectilinear angle. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that said holes (14) for the passage of hook shanks (15) into said base (10a) are elongated slits and orientated in a direction corresponding to the transverse direction of the rafter (A). Device according to claim 3, characterised in that for each hook shank (15), a set of passage slits (14) is provided in the base (10a) and aligned in a direction corresponding to the transverse direction of the rafter (A). Device according to claim 4, characterised in that it includes two shank hooks (15) intended to be spaced from each other in a direction corresponding to the length of the rafter (A). Device according to claim 5, characterised in that said interposition element (17) is a small bar common to the two shank hooks (15). Device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that it further includes U-shaped fastening elements intended to traverse the base (10a) via their extremities so as to allow anchoring on round section rafters (C). Device according to claim 7, characterised in that the passage holes in said base and provided for the extremities of said fasteners (30) are combined with the passage holes (14) of the hook shanks (15). Device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that said base (10a) comprises stiffening returns (11) on two opposing sides whose direction corresponds approximately to the transverse direction of the rafter (A). Device according to claim 9, characterised in that in the median portion of the base (10a), the returns comprise scallopings (12) opposite one another and intended to receive a round section rafter (C). Device according to claim 10, characterised in that said scallopings (12) are cut into steps. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterised in that said base (10a) is a zone with a plate (10) extended by another zone (10b) of the latter constituting said portion for fixing said equipment, such as an antenna.

Inventors: ARCHER BERNARD, ARCHER, BERNARD
Applicants: TRT LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES SA, TRT LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES (SA)
Application year: 1999
Main classification: H01Q1
IPC codes: F16M13, H01Q1