Patent Publication Number: US-2023145704-A1

Title: Mast with a mechanism for pivoting the elongate post

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a mast. 
     Typically, a mast comprises an elongate post which is fixed to the ground. Components such as electrical equipment, e.g. security cameras, sensors, screens, or the like can be attached to an upper end of the post for monitoring and surveillance purposes. 
     Usually to safeguard such components against attack, vandalism and theft, the post is elongate with an upper end which is well above ground level. 
     The length of the post means a ladder is required for service of the components etc. This is time consuming and inherently there are dangers associated with ladders. If a post is pivoted to ground level for maintenance or access purposes, the weight of the post can give rise to problems. 
     Care must be exercised when the post is lowered to the ground for serious injuries or death, and damage to the components, can arise due to the weight of the post. 
     Generally, once the components have been accessed, the post must be elevated, and secured, in its vertical position, a process which can be laborious and dangerous. 
     The invention aims to address the aforementioned issues. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     The invention provides a mast which includes an elongate post with a first end and a second end, the first end being pivotally secured to a ground-engaging support base, at least a first mechanism to restrict pivotal movement of the post, a winch which is attached to the post, and a cable which is engaged with the winch and which is secured at one end to an anchor, wherein the winch is actuable to allow the post to pivot, from an elevated position, in a first direction which lowers the post against the action of the movement restricting first mechanism, and which is actuable to pivot the post in a second direction which opposes the first direction to elevate the post. 
     The first mechanism may comprise any suitable arrangement and preferably includes a piston and cylinder arrangement which acts between the post and the support base to inhibit pivotal movement of the post, in the first direction, away from a vertical position. 
     The piston and cylinder arrangement acts in a shock-absorbing way to restrict abrupt movement of the post, to enhance safety of operating for the arrangement inhibits free pivotal movement of the post as the post is lowered in the first direction to a predetermined angular extent relative to the vertical but allows such movement to take place in a gradual and controlled way. 
     The mast may include a second mechanism to restrict/stop pivotal movement of the post in the first direction. The second mechanism may act as a support which automatically becomes effective when the post is at a predetermined orientation relative to the vertical. The second mechanism may comprise a free-hanging elongate body which is attached to the post. 
     The body is movable under gravity action and takes up an orientation which allows the body to be ground-engaging, so as to support the post, when the post is lowered to a predetermined angular position relative to the vertical. This is a useful feature if the second upper end of the post is to be accessed, e.g. for maintenance purposes. Additionally, though, the free-hanging body provides a back-up safety feature for, if the first mechanism should fail, the free-hanging body would prevent the post from hitting the ground. 
     The winch may be actuated manually or electrically. 
     The anchor may be at any suitable location and may comprise any suitable member or component. Preferably the anchor comprises an elongate member which is rigidly fixed to the support base and which defines an anchor point, for the cable, which is located at an elevated location above the ground. 
     The post may include a flange at the first end which is secured to the support base. The flange may be pivotally secured to the support base in any appropriate way using suitable fasteners which allow the post to be pivotable relative to the support base. 
     Sensing, monitoring, surveillance, communication and security components may be mounted at the second end of the post. The components, without limitation, may for example include a camera, a monitor, or the like. 
     The components may be protected by means of one or more deterrent elements which are secured at an elevated position to the post. The deterrent elements may be razor wire, barb wire, barb tape, spikes or the like. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention is further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG.  1    is a side view of a mast according to the invention; 
         FIG.  2    is a view from another side of the mast shown in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  3    is a view from an opposing side of the mast shown in  FIG.  2   ; 
         FIG.  4    is a side view of the mast shown in  FIG.  1   , in use, pivoted to a first position; and 
         FIG.  5    is a side view of the mast shown in  FIG.  1   , in use, pivoted to a second position. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       FIG.  1    of the accompanying drawings is a side view of a mast  10  according to the invention. 
     The mast  10  includes an elongate post  12  with a first end  14  and a second end  16 . The first end  14  is pivotally secured to a ground-engaging support base  20  (shown in detail in  FIG.  4   ).  FIG.  2    shows a view from another side of the mast  10  and  FIG.  3    shows a view from an opposing side of the mast  10 . 
     A first mechanism  22  comprises a piston and cylinder arrangement  24  and is attached to and between the post  12  and the base  20 . 
     A winch  26  is attached to the post  12  at an intermediate location. A cable  28  is engaged with the winch  26  and is secured at one end to an anchor point  30  which is at an elevated position on a rigid support member  32  which is fixed at a lower end of the support base  20  and which extends upwardly from the base in a vertical direction. 
     The mast  10  also includes a second mechanism  34 . The second mechanism  34  comprises a free-hanging elongate body  36  which is pivotally attached to the post  12  more or less at a central location on the post  12 . 
     The second mechanism  34  is attached to the post  12  via a bracket  38 . This is exemplary only. 
     The post  12  includes a flange  40  at the first end  14  which is secured to the support base  20 . The flange  40  is pivotally secured to the support base in any appropriate way using suitable fasteners  42 , e.g. bolts, which allow the post to be pivotable relative to the support base  20 . 
     Sensing, monitoring, surveillance, communication and security components  50  are mounted to the post  12  at its second end  16 . The components, without limitation, are for example a camera, a monitor, or the like. 
     The components  50  are protected by means of one or more deterrent elements  52  which are secured to the post  12  at an elevated position. The deterrent elements  52  are razor wire, barb wire, barb tape, spikes or the like. 
     In use, the winch  26  is actuable to pay out the cable  28  from the winch  26 . This process allows the post  12  to pivot in a first direction  54 , under gravity action—shown in  FIG.  4   . The winch  26  can be actuable in a reverse sense to move the post in a second direction  56 , which is opposite to the first direction  54 —shown in  FIG.  5   . The post  12  is thereby elevated and is returned to a vertical position. 
     The winch  26  can be actuated manually or electrically. In this example the winch  26  includes a handle  58  for manual actuation to pay out the cable  28 . The elevated anchor point  30  allows for the winch action to be effective over the angular range of movement of the post. This would not be the case, if, for example the cable were to be anchored directly to the support base  20  i.e. if the support member  32  were not employed. 
     The cable  28  supports the post  12  and prevents it from falling to the ground. The first mechanism  22  and the second mechanism  34  provide safety and security by preventing the post  12  from falling to the ground if the cable  28  were to break. The mechanism  22  in effect acts a shock-absorber and allows the post to move downwardly in a controlled and safe way. Thus, in use, the first mechanism  22  restricts pivotal movement of the post  12  relative to the support base  20  to dampen such pivotal movement and thereby to prevent abrupt movement of the post. The second mechanism  34  restricts, in this case stops, pivotal movement of the post  12  when the post  12  is at a predetermined orientation relative the vertical. The free-hanging elongate body  36  pivots relative to the post  12 , i.e. moves/swings under gravity action, away from the lowering post  12 , and remains vertically orientated so that if the cable  28  were to break and if the mechanism  22  failed, the post  12  would not fall to the ground but would be restricted by and fall onto the free-hanging elongate body  36  which would become ground-engaging and support the post  12 . 
     When the post is elevated the mechanism  22  also allows for controlled movement, so that abrupt movements are eliminated. 
     The advantages of the pivoting mast  10  are that it allows the second end  16  and the components  50  to be lowered in a controlled way to a position at which the components are readily accessible. This is ultimately safer and less likely to give rise to injuries, death, or damage to the components  50 . No machinery and equipment, such as ladders and hoists, are required to elevate individuals to access the components  50 . 
     The pivotal mounting of the post to the ground-engaging support base enables the mechanism  22  to be effectively used and for pivotal movement to be controlled by means of the winch, compared for example to a construction in which a half section of the post would be pivotal about a centre point of the post.