Abstract:
A method and apparatus for deploying assemblies, e.g. of surveillance equipment, wherein a single remotely-operated carriage is used to position each assembly, in turn, on a respective upright pole.  
     Assemblies may thus be deployed more cost effectively than by existing methods and apparatus, which require each assembly to be motorised.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for deploying assemblies, e.g of lighting or surveillance equipment.  
           [0002]    It is known to temporarily deploy equipment, e.g. lighting and/or surveillance equipment, at an elevated position on an upright support pole by fixing the equipment to a motorised carriage which is remotely operable to ascend and descend the pole.  
           [0003]    Releaseable, adjustable means for securing the carriage to the pole allow the apparatus to be readily relocated to any site having a suitable support structure. For example, the carriage may be secured to a structure such as a lamp-post or telegraph pole to allow a localised traffic situation or civil disturbance to be monitored by police.  
           [0004]    A significant limitation of such an apparatus is its great cost, which is of particular consideration where several carriages are required to position equipment at different locations.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    We have now devised a method and apparatus which overcome the limitations of existing methods and apparatus for positioning equipment on an upright pole.  
           [0006]    In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method for deploying assemblies of equipment and comprising the steps of:  
           [0007]    providing an assembly of equipment comprising remotely-operable means for securing the assembly to an upright pole at an elevated position;  
           [0008]    providing a remotely-operable, motorised carriage arranged to be detachably mounted to the pole;  
           [0009]    attaching the motorised carriage to the pole;  
           [0010]    remotely operating the motorised carriage to raise the assembly to said elevated position;  
           [0011]    operating the securing means of the assembly to secure the assembly to the pole at said elevated position;  
           [0012]    operating the motorised carriage to descend the pole, leaving the assembly secured to the pole at said elevated position; and  
           [0013]    detaching the motorised carriage from the pole.  
           [0014]    Thus, the method is more cost effective than existing methods which require a separate motorised carriage to be provided at each site at which an assembly of equipment is to be deployed.  
           [0015]    Also in accordance with the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for deploying assemblies of equipment and comprising:  
           [0016]    an assembly of equipment comprising remotely-operable means for securing the assembly to an upright pole at an elevated position; and  
           [0017]    a remotely-operable, motorised carriage arranged to be detachably mounted to the pole for raising the assembly to, and lowering the assembly from, said elevated position, the motorised carriage being separable from the assembly when the latter is secured to the pole at said elevated position, to allow the carriage to descend and be detached from the pole.  
           [0018]    Preferably the motorised carriage comprises a traction unit for mounting substantially on one side of the pole, the traction unit being held in contact with the pole by at least one pair of opposed arms, the two arms of the or each pair being pivotally mounted to, and extending forwards from the traction unit on either side of the pole, the distal ends of the two arms being biassed towards one-another and towards the traction unit to urge respective rollers, provided at each of those ends, into contact with the pole.  
           [0019]    Preferably the traction unit is held in contact with the pole by an upper pair and a lower pair of opposed arms.  
           [0020]    Preferably the motorised carriage is arranged such that, when fitted to a cylindrical pole of a given radius, the two rollers of the or each pair of arms extend radially from the surface of the pole.  
           [0021]    Preferably, the traction unit comprises at least one pair of pole-engaging wheels having coplanar axes of rotation, at least one of the wheels being a drive wheel.  
           [0022]    The two wheels of the or each pair may be arranged to rotate in adjacent, parallel planes to engage the pole on either side of its central longitudinal axis, the opposed peripheral edges of the two wheels preferably being bevelled to present respective tangential drive surfaces to a cylindrical pole.  
           [0023]    Alternatively, the two wheels of the or each pair may be arranged to rotate in respective planes extending radially from the surface of a cylindrical pole of a given radius.  
           [0024]    Preferably the traction unit comprises at least an upper and a lower pole-engaging wheel, at least one of the wheels being a drive wheel.  
           [0025]    Most preferably, the traction unit comprises an upper pair and a lower pair of pole engaging wheels.  
           [0026]    Preferably the distal end of each arm is biassed into contact with the pole by a respective tensioning device, for example a coiled spring, which is pivotally connected between the traction unit and the arm, preferably at a point substantially midway along the length of the arm.  
           [0027]    Preferably the assembly comprises a skate for mounting substantially on one side of the pole, the skate being held in contact with the pole by at least one pair of opposed arms, the two arms of the or each pair being pivotally mounted to, and extending forwards from the skate on either side of the pole, the distal ends of the two arms being biassed towards one-another and towards the skate to urge respective rollers, provided at each of those ends, into contact with the pole.  
           [0028]    Preferably the skate is held in contact with the pole by an upper pair and a lower pair of opposed arms.  
           [0029]    Preferably the assembly is arranged such that, when fitted to a cylindrical pole of a given radius, the two rollers of the or each pair of arms extend radially from the surface of the pole.  
           [0030]    Preferably the skate comprises at least one pair of free-rolling, pole-engaging wheels having coplanar axes of rotation.  
           [0031]    The two wheels of each pair may be arranged to rotate in adjacent, parallel planes to engage the pole on either side of its central longitudinal axis, the opposed peripheral edges of the two wheels preferably being bevelled to present respective tangential surfaces to a cylindrical pole.  
           [0032]    Alternatively, the two wheels of the or each pair may be arranged to rotate in respective planes extending radially from the surface of a cylindrical pole of a given radius.  
           [0033]    Preferably the skate comprises at least an upper and a lower pole-engaging wheel.  
           [0034]    Most preferably, the skate comprises an upper pair and a lower pair of pole engaging wheels.  
           [0035]    Preferably the distal end of each arm is biassed into contact with the pole by a respective tensioning device, for example a coiled spring, which is pivotally connected between the skate and the arm, preferably at a point substantially midway along the length of the arm.  
           [0036]    Preferably the skate is weighted to counter-balance the weight of the equipment supported on the opposite side of the pole.  
           [0037]    Preferably the securing means comprise at least one pole-engaging device, the or each pole engaging device being operated by an electrical actuator which may be powered by a battery carried by the skate or supplied with power via an electrical connection, formed between the carriage and the platform when the two parts are in contact with one another. In the former case, the battery preferably provides a counter-balance weight for equipment, e.g. a light and/or surveillance equipment, supported on the opposite side of the pole.  
           [0038]    Preferably the or each actuator comprises a linear actuator, which may comprise a respective solenoid arranged to displace a respective clamping member (normally biassed into contact with the surface of the pole) away from the pole surface, but more preferably comprises a respective screw arranged to drive a respective clamping member towards or away from the surface of the pole.  
           [0039]    Preferably the assembly comprises a skate as described above and the securing means comprise a clamping member arranged to be driven against the opposite side of the pole to the skate.  
           [0040]    Further in accordance with the present invention, there is provided an assembly, e.g. of surveillance equipment, arranged to be raised and lowered by a separable motorised carriage, the assembly comprising remotely-operable means for securing the assembly to an upright pole at an elevated position, to allow the assembly to remain in situ at said elevated position as the motorised carriage is lowered away therefrom.  
           [0041]    Preferably the assembly comprises a skate for mounting substantially on one side of the pole, the skate being held in contact with the pole by at least one pair of opposed arms, the two arms of the or each pair being pivotally mounted to, and extending forwards from the skate on either side of the pole, the distal ends of the two arms being biassed towards one-another and towards the skate to urge respective rollers, provided at each of those ends, into contact with the pole.  
           [0042]    Preferably the skate is held in contact with the pole by an upper pair and a lower pair of opposed arms.  
           [0043]    Preferably the or each assembly is arranged such that, when fitted to a cylindrical pole of a given radius, the two rollers of the or each pair of arms extend radially from the surface of the pole.  
           [0044]    Preferably the skate comprises at least one pair of free-rolling, pole-engaging wheels having coplanar axes of rotation.  
           [0045]    The two wheels of each pair may be arranged to rotate in adjacent, parallel planes to engage the pole on either side of its central longitudinal axis, the opposed peripheral edges of the two wheels preferably being bevelled to present respective tangential surfaces to a cylindrical pole.  
           [0046]    Alternatively, the two wheels of the or each pair may be arranged to rotate in respective planes extending radially from the surface of a cylindrical pole of a given radius.  
           [0047]    Preferably the skate comprises at least an upper and a lower pole-engaging wheel.  
           [0048]    Most preferably, the skate comprises an upper pair and a lower pair of pole engaging wheels.  
           [0049]    Preferably the distal end of each arm is biassed into contact with the pole by a respective tensioning device, for example a coiled spring, which is pivotally connected between the skate and the arm, preferably at a point substantially midway along the length of the arm.  
           [0050]    Preferably the platform is arranged to support equipment, e.g. a light and/or a surveillance camera, on the opposite side of the pole to the skate.  
           [0051]    Preferably the skate is weighted to counter-balance the weight of the equipment supported on the opposite side of the pole.  
           [0052]    Preferably the securing means comprise at least one pole-engaging device, the or each pole-engaging device being operated by an electrical actuator which may be powered by a battery carried by the skate or supplied with power via an electrical connection, formed between the carriage and the platform when the two parts are in contact with one another. In the former case, the battery preferably provides a counter-balance weight for equipment, e.g. a light and/or surveillance equipment, supported on the opposite side of the pole.  
           [0053]    Preferably the or each actuator comprises a linear actuator, which may comprise a respective solenoid arranged to displace a respective clamping member (normally biassed into contact with the surface of the pole) away from the pole surface, but more preferably comprises a respective screw arranged to drive a respective clamping member towards or away from the surface of the pole.  
           [0054]    Preferably the assembly comprises a skate as described above and the securing means comprise a clamping member arranged to be driven against the opposite side of the pole to the skate.  
           [0055]    Still further in accordance with the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for deploying an assembly, e.g. of surveillance equipment, the apparatus comprising a motorised carriage having a traction unit for mounting substantially on one side of an upright pole, the traction unit being held in contact with the pole by at least one pair of opposed arms, the two arms of the or each pair being pivotally mounted to, and extending forwards from the traction unit on either side of the pole, the distal ends of the two arms being biassed towards one-another and towards the traction unit to urge respective rollers, provided at each of those ends, into contact with the pole.  
           [0056]    Preferably the motorised carriage comprises a traction unit for mounting substantially on one side of the pole, the traction unit being held in contact with the pole by at least one pair of opposed arms, the two arms of the or each pair being pivotally mounted to, and extending forwards from the traction unit on either side of the pole, the distal ends of the two arms being biassed towards one-another and towards the traction unit to urge respective rollers, provided at each of those ends, into contact with the pole.  
           [0057]    Preferably the traction unit is held in contact with the pole by an upper pair and a lower pair of opposed arms.  
           [0058]    Preferably the motorised carriage is arranged such that, when fitted to a cylindrical pole of a given radius, the two rollers of the or each pair of arms extend radially from the surface of the pole.  
           [0059]    Preferably, the traction unit comprises at least one pair of pole-engaging wheels having coplanar axes of rotation, at least one of the wheels being a drive wheel.  
           [0060]    The two wheels of the or each pair may be arranged to rotate in adjacent, parallel planes to engage the pole on either side of its central longitudinal axis, the opposed peripheral edges of the two wheels preferably being bevelled to present respective tangential drive surfaces to a cylindrical pole.  
           [0061]    Alternatively, the two wheels of the or each pair may be arranged to rotate in respective planes extending radially from the surface of a cylindrical pole of a given radius.  
           [0062]    Preferably the traction unit comprises at least an upper and a lower pole-engaging wheel, at least one of the wheels being a drive wheel.  
           [0063]    Most preferably, the traction unit comprises an upper pair and a lower pair of pole engaging wheels.  
           [0064]    Preferably the distal end of each arm is biassed into contact with the pole by a respective tensioning device, for example a coiled spring, which is pivotally connected between the traction unit and the arm, preferably at a point substantially midway along the length of the arm.  
           [0065]    Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of examples only and with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0066]    FIGS.  1  to  5  are a sequence of schematic views illustrating a method for deploying an assembly, e.g. of surveillance equipment, in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0067]    [0067]FIGS. 6 and 7 are respective front and rear perspective views of a preferred embodiment of carriage in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0068]    [0068]FIG. 8 is a front elevation of the carriage of FIGS. 6 and 7;  
         [0069]    [0069]FIG. 9 is a side elevation of the carriage;  
         [0070]    [0070]FIG. 10 is a plan view of the carriage;  
         [0071]    [0071]FIG. 11 is a side view of a first embodiment of assembly in accordance with the present invention, mounted to an upright pole;  
         [0072]    [0072]FIG. 12 is a side view of the assembly of FIG. 11 when fixed to the pole;  
         [0073]    [0073]FIG. 13 is a side view of a second embodiment of assembly in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0074]    [0074]FIG. 14 is a plan view of the assembly of FIG. 13, when fixed to a pole; and  
         [0075]    [0075]FIG. 15 is a rear elevation of the assembly of FIG. 13. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0076]    Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, an apparatus comprising a motorised carriage  2  and an assembly  4  is shown fitted to an upright pole  6 .  
         [0077]    The assembly  4  comprises a platform  8  to which equipment, e.g. lighting or surveillance equipment may be fitted, and a counterbalance weight  10 .  
         [0078]    To position the assembly  4  at an elevated position on the pole  6 , the carriage  2  is first operated to ascend the pole  6 , as shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0079]    Once the assembly  4  has been raised to a suitable height, the carriage  2  then drops away, as shown in FIG. 3, leaving the assembly  4  in place. Various methods may be employed to fix the assembly  4  in place upon the pole at its elevated position, some of which will be described hereinafter.  
         [0080]    With the assembly  4  secured in place, the carriage  2  may then be removed from the pole  6  and used to raise further equipment assemblies into position on other poles.  
         [0081]    [0081]FIGS. 4 and 5 show how the carriage  2 , when refitted to the pole  6 , may be used to retrieve the assembly  4  from its elevated position.  
         [0082]    FIGS.  6  to  10  show a preferred embodiment of carriage, comprising a traction unit  8 , arranged to be mounted substantially on one side of a pole, such that the unit  8  is held in place by four pivotally mounted arms  10 ,  12 ,  14 ,  16  which embrace the pole  6  and frictionally engage the surface of the pole  6  through elastomeric rollers  18 ,  20 ,  22 ,  24  provided at their distal ends.  
         [0083]    The distal ends of each opposed pair of arms, e.g.  10 ,  12 , are biassed towards one another and towards the body of the traction unit  8  by respective pairs of springs  26 ,  28  which extend from the rear of the traction unit  8  to points approximately midway between the ends of each arm.  
         [0084]    The traction unit comprises a first pair of elastomeric wheels  32 ,  34  fixed to an axle  36  which is driven from an electric motor  38  via a reducing gearbox  40  and flexible belt  42 . A second axle  44 , to which a second pair of wheels  46 ,  48  are fixed, is in turn driven from the first axle  36  via a second flexible belt  50 , held in tension by a tensioning wheel  52 .  
         [0085]    The innermost edge of each of the wheels  32 ,  34 ,  46 ,  48  is bevelled to present a tangential drive surface to a cylindrical pole to which the unit may be fitted.  
         [0086]    However, the two wheels of the upper pair  46 ,  48  and lower pair  32 ,  34  of wheels may instead be arranged to rotate in respective planes extending radially from the surface of a cylindrical pole of a given radius.  
         [0087]    The carriage is attached to a support pole by prising apart each pair of opposed arms  10 ,  12  and  14 ,  16 , in turn, whilst pressing the traction unit  8  towards the pole.  
         [0088]    When in place upon the pole, a cable (not shown), extending from a ground based control unit (also not shown), supplies electrical power to the motor  38  to rotate the drive wheels  32 ,  24 ,  46 ,  48 , thereby causing the carriage to ascend or descend the pole.  
         [0089]    As mentioned above, various methods may be employed for fixing an assembly in place upon a pole once the assembly has been raised into position by a carriage.  
         [0090]    For example, the assembly may be mounted to the pole via a plurality of rollers, at least one of which may be locked in place at an elevated position to prevent it from rotating. Alternatively, the assembly may comprise an inflatable clamp or a belt which tightens around the pole.  
         [0091]    In the preferred arrangement shown in FIG. 11, an assembly  52  is mounted to a pole  54  via two opposed pairs  56 ,  58  of sprung guide-rollers. A linear actuator  60  is remotely operable to drive one  62  of two opposed clamping members  62 ,  64  against the pole  54 , as shown in FIG. 12, to clamp the assembly  52  to the pole.  
         [0092]    To minimise the weight of the assembly, the linear actuator  60  is an electrical actuator to which power is supplied via an electrical connection (not shown), formed between the assembly  52  and the carriage used for its deployment. The clamping member  62  is driven by a screw (not shown) such that axial movement of the member in inhibited when power to the linear actuator  60  is disconnected.  
         [0093]    FIGS.  13  to  15  show a second preferred embodiment of assembly, comprising a skate  66 , arranged to be mounted substantially on one side of a pole  68 , such that skate is held in place by four pivotally mounted arms  70 ,  72 ,  74 ,  76  which embrace the pole and frictionally engage the surface of the pole through elastomeric rollers  78 ,  80 ,  82 ,  84  provided at their distal ends.  
         [0094]    The distal ends of each opposed pair of arms, e.g.  70 ,  72 , are biassed towards one another and towards the body of the skate  66  by respective pairs of springs  86 ,  88  which extend from the rear of the skate to points approximately midway between the ends of each arm.  
         [0095]    The skate  66  comprises a first pair of elastomeric wheels  90 ,  92  mounted on an axle  94  and a second pair of wheels  96 ,  98  mounted on an axle  100 .  
         [0096]    The innermost edge of each of the wheels  90 ,  92 ,  96 ,  98  is bevelled to present a tangential surface to the cylindrical surface of the pole  68 .  
         [0097]    However, the two wheels of the upper pair  96 ,  98  and lower pair  90 ,  92  of wheels may instead be arranged to rotate in respective planes extending radially from the surface of the pole  68 .  
         [0098]    A bracket  102  extends forwards from either side of the skate  66  and supports a platform  104  to which various devices are mounted.  
         [0099]    The assembly is attached to the pole  68 , by first attaching the skate  66  to the pole by prising apart each pair of apposed arms  70 ,  72  and  74 ,  76 , in turn, whilst pressing the skate towards the pole, and then fixing the bracket  102  to either side the skate. Alternatively, one side of the bracket  102  may be pivotally joined to the skate  66  to allow the bracket to be swung to one side to attach the skate to the pole  68 .  
         [0100]    A surveillance camera  106  is fitted to a bracket  108  at one end of the platform  104 , for rotation of the camera about a vertical axis A and a horizontal axis B.  
         [0101]    An electrically powered linear actuator  110  is also mounted to the platform  104  for advancing or retracting a clamping member  112  to clamp the pole  68  between the clamping member and the rollers  90 ,  92 ,  96 ,  98  on the opposite side of the assembly.  
         [0102]    The linear actuator  110  and the camera  106  are powered by respective batteries secured within a housing  114  fitted to the skate  66 , the batteries acting as a counter-balance for the devices supported by the platform  114 .  
         [0103]    The apparatus thus described provide a cost efficient means for deploying equipment such as lighting and/or surveillance equipment.