Patent GB-619959-A (GB)
Title: Directive antenna systems
IPC: H01Q15/02
Filed: 1946-03-01
Abstract: 619,959. Directive radio systems. STANDARD TELEPHONES & CABLES, Ltd. March 1, 1946, Nos. 6445 and 6446. Convention dates, March 2, 1945, and March 19, 1945. [Class 40 (vii)] In a directive aerial system comprising an aerial or aerial array with an associated screen, the screen comprises one or more linear conductors spaced from the aerial by a predetermined amount, each conductor being coupled at each end to a terminating impedance to suppress standing waves in the conductor. The invention is particularly applicable to controlling the directivity characteristics of overlapping-beam beacons in order to reduce radiation in unwanted directions, e.g. to the rear of the beacon or towards obstacles in the forward zone such as hills or power lines which might produce unwanted reflections. As shown in Fig. 1 (plan) and Fig. 2 (elevation), a horizontal loop aerial. 1 is spaced a distance D of #/2 or more from a vertical reflecting screen 2 comprising a central part 3 made up of closely spaced horizontal wires 4# to 8# in length mounted on posts 4 and 5, and in order to prevent standing waves on the wires, terminal parts 6 and 7 of approximately the same length as the central part are provided which approach the earth asymptotically. Alternatively, the terminal parts may be replaced by resistors having the value of the characteristic impedance of each individual wire, Fig. 2a (not shown). Such a system considerably reduces the back radiation and produces symmetrical minima in the forward area, the azimuthal angles of which may be adjusted by changing the spacing D. As shown in Fig. 5 (plan) and Fig. 6 (elevation), a horizontal screen 10, 11 is arranged to reduce radiation from a horizontal loop aerial 1 in a forward direction on either side of a central sector. The screen is supported on posts 12 at a height h above the ground equal to half the aerial height to form an artificial earth and the wires are terminated by being brought gradually to earth as in Fig. 2 or by means of resistance terminations as in Fig. 2a (not shown). In order to reduce discontinuities at the edges of the screen, the heights of the wires nearest to the aerial are progressively varied from zero to h. Fig. 7 (not shown) illustrates the corresponding radiation pattern and Fig. 8 (not shown) illustrates the pattern produced by the combination of a vertical reflector and a horizontal screen. Figs. 9 and 10 (not shown) illustrate the use of a vertical reflector and horizontal screen with a mobile localizer beacon comprising an array of five horizontal loops mounted on a trailer; Figs. 11-13 (not shown) illustrate the radiation patterns produced by such a system with different reflector spacings and Fig. 14 (not shown) illustrates such a system set up to avoid unwanted reflections by obstacles in the vicinity of an airfield. In another embodiment, Fig. 15 (plan) and Fig. 16 (elevation), a broadside array of five horizontal loops 23 is backed by a reflector similar to the central part 3 of the reflector shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but the component wires 24 are terminated by the provision of #/2 auxiliary screen conductors 27, 28 insulatingly mounted on posts 29 and 30 in front of the main screen. The conductors 27, 28 may be displaced vertically with respect to the wires 24 as shown, or they may be mounted in the same plane or at any suitable angle. The correct phasing to achieve the desired terminating impedance is a function of the length L of the main screen and the coupling between the wires 24 and the conductors 27, 28, the tightest coupling being obtained when the wires 24 extend #/4 beyond the ends of conductors 27, 28. The conductors 27, 28 also function as parasitic radiators and thus influence the shape of the radiation pattern. In a modification, Fig. 17 (not shown), correct termination of the wires 24 is obtained by providing bent partially looped sections adjacent the ends which act substantially as the wires 27, 28.