Patent Publication Number: US-RE39661-E

Title: Satellite dish mounting arm

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a Continuation-In-Part of provisional application Ser. No. 60/116,277, filed on Jan. 19, 1999. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates generally to satellite dishes, and more specifically, the invention relates to a self supporting cantilever support arm which gets the satellite dish above the roof line without attaching the dish directly to the roof, fascia, or soffit. 
     2. Background of the Invention 
     In an emerging technology, which is known as Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS), small, dish-shaped antennas are used to receive television signals, which are broadcast by satellites in geosynchronous orbits. 
     Various mounts for mounting small, dish-shaped antennas or other antennas on horizontal surfaces or on sloped roofs are exemplified in prior art patents including U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,502 to Hovland et al which discloses a dish antenna mounting structure including an upright mast for supporting the dish antenna. The mast has an upper end for attachment to the dish and a lower end for anchoring to a rigid type structure. The structure also has a bent strut having a lower end for anchoring to a rigid-type structure and an upper end for attachment to the mast. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,334,990 to Robinson discloses a portable satellite dish antenna system comprising a dish-shaped member having an inner surface that includes a central flat area and a plurality of annular parabolically-shaped segments concentric with the central circular flat area for providing a plurality of focal points over the inner surface of the dish-shaped member. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,617,680 to Beatty discloses a satellite dish mounting structure having an elevated bridge portion for supporting a mounting foot of the satellite dish. The bridge portion is integrally connected to and supported by two narrow leg positions which in turn are integrally connected to and supported by two narrow foot portions. The bridge portion is elevated from two top portions by the leg portions in order to clear the uneven surface of the roof or wall of the house. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,567 to Pugh, Jr. et al discloses an antenna mounting bracket that reinforces the eaves of a building roof. The bracket has a telescoping support having a rigid tubular form. The telescoping support has a back plate on one end that is secured to the sidewall of the building adjacent to the eave of the building. The telescoping support is braced by a brace. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,724 to Duncan discloses a primary strut, which is tubular, and has a straight, upper portion, a straight intermediate portion, and a straight, lower portion. The upper portion is bent at a juncture between the upper and intermediate portions and at a lower juncture between the intermediate and lower portions. 
     It is important that a satellite dish, whatever the size, have an unobstructed view of the sky in the direction of the location of a broadcasting satellite. To achieve this unobstructed southern exposure, the manufacture&#39;s mounting recommendations for these small satellite dish systems are limited to three choices: strapped to a chimney; mounted on top of a pitched roof; or positioned adjacent to the southern wall of a building. Another method of mounting the satellite dish is mounting the dish to the eave of the building. Unfortunately, a problem arises due to the inherent structural weakness of a typical household eave. Even the manufacturer&#39;s of the small dish antenna specifically advise users to avoid mounting on the eave of a house because of the eave&#39;s lack of rigidity. 
     A need has a risen, to which this invention is addressed, for an antenna-mounting structure that can be readily adapted for mounting an antenna, such as a small, dish-shaped antenna, to a vertical wall. 
     The instant invention is designed to overcome the problems and difficulties with prior art dish antenna mountings which are obviated by the present invention. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The instant invention, is a self supporting cantilever support arm which gets the satellite dish above the roof line without attaching the dish directly to the roof, fascia, or soffit, thus eliminating pathways for water penetration into the roof system. The arm consists of a square receiver tube having a wall mount plate affixed to one end, three screw nuts mounted on one side of the arm, two for holding set screws and the third for mounting a ground screw. The locations of the holes in the foot plate make it possible to mount the wall mount plate on all types of structure walls such as concrete block, frame with various veneers, etc. At the wall mount plate end of the receiver tube, a bolt is provided to attach a ground wire for the dish. 
     A telescope tube, having a dish assembly foot plate, is fit into the receiver tube and the required length is set. The dish assembly foot plate has slotted holes to accommodate all major brands of satellite dishes. At the front bottom of the telescope tube, a hole is provided for routing the dish hookup co-axial cable through the arm assembly. 
     With the mounting of the instant invention, a greater versatility in choosing dish mounting locations is provided. The arm adjusts to an overhang with or without a gutter. The arm is made of heavy gauge steel with all stainless hardware and is completely assembled ready for installation. It is universal and will accept all major brands of satellite dishes and mounts to solid concrete, concrete blocks, brick, stone or framed wall with suitable veneer. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of the invention installed under an eave. 
         FIG. 2  is a top perspective view of the cantilevered, telescoping satellite dish mounting arm in accordance with the invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a top, front, perspective view, of the receiver tube in accordance with the invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of the receiver tube and the telescope tube, partially in section. 
         FIG. 5  is a right side view of the receiver arm in accordance with the invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a bottom view of the receiver arm in accordance with the invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a top view of the receiver arm in accordance with the invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a top perspective view of the telescoping dish mount assembly, partly in section. 
         FIG. 9  is a bottom view of the telescope tube showing the co-axial cable routing hole. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings wherein the like numerals designate like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, in  FIG. 1  the wall mounted cantilevered telescoping arm  10 , which supports small TV satellite dishes  11  and other small data receiver dishes mounts to a suitable structure walls  12  of concrete block, frame with various veneers, etc. The arm  10  will hold dish assemblies  11  to soffit, fascia, or any other part of a roof structure, without bracing. The arm  10  locates the dish assembly  11  above the roof line. The arm  10  eliminates the use of a pole mounting, and will adjust to clear the eave  13  or irregular jogs in walls. 
     The arm  10  is universal and will fit all major brands of dish assemblies; RCA Types, SONY, Hughes, Panasonic, etc. The arm  10  consists of the following: the fixed receiver  14  with wall mounting plate  15 , and the telescoping dish mount assembly  16 . The fixed receiver  14 , with wall mounting plate  15 , consists of a steel, square receiver tube  18  which is attached plumb to a generally square foot plate  15 . Square, threaded nuts  30  are welded to a side of the receiver  14 . At the plate  15  end of receiver tube  18 , a bolt  22  is threaded into threaded nut  30  to attach a ground wire for the dish  11 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , a round hole  23  is formed for routing dish  11  hookup co-axial cable through the arm  100  assembly. At the front of receiver tube  18 , bottom and right sides, are two each, respectively, set/adjusting screws  24  for adjusting the length of telescope tube  17 . The two sets of screws  24 , reach into receiver tube  10  to press against the telescope tube  18  to provide a firm contact between the receiver tube  18  and the telescope tube  17  to prevent any play between the two parts and the firm contact between the walls of the two parts provides greater strength to resist wind forces. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the telescoping dish mount assembly  16  consists of a square, steel, telescope tube  17  which is attached plumb to the center of a generally hour glass shaped steel plate  25 . The plate  25  is for attaching the satellite dish assembly  11  at the foot  19  with bolts  40 , washers  41  and nuts  42  as shown in FIG.  8 . Slotted holes  26  are formed at the top end and bottom end of plate  25  to accommodate the different hole locations in the existing dish antennas. 
     The foot plate  15  is mounted to the exterior structure wall  12 . The holes  20 ,  21  in the mounting plate  15  are for mounting to concrete block, brick, veneer, and the like. The attachment would be with concrete screws or anchor sleeves with anchor bolts. A spirit level is used to level the foot plate  15 . It is important to assure that the self supporting cantilevered telescoping arm  10  is both level with respect to the top or bottom edge of the foot plate  25  and plumb with respect to the face of the foot plate  25  in order to permit the precise tuning and pointing of the dish  11  according to instructions printed on the dish  11 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the telescope tube  17  is inserted into the receiver tube  18  and adjusted to the desired unit length. The set/adjustment screws  24  are then tightened to push the telescope tube  17  firmly to the top and left side of the receiver tube  18 . Jamb nuts  31  are tightened to assure that adjusting screws  24  are firmly set. The slotted holes  26  at the top and bottom of the foot plate  25  will accommodate all major brands of satellite dishes. The co-axial cable is then fed through the hole  32 , through the telescope tube  17 , through the receiver tube  18  and out through hole  23  in the receiver tube  18 . A ground wire for the dish  11  may then be attached to bolt  22 . 
     Thus it will be appreciated that the present invention provides a novel telescoping satellite dish mount that may be used whatever a satellite dish is mounted. It is contemplated that other embodiments and/or modifications may be made in the present invention without departure from inventive concepts manifested by the disclosed embodiments. It is expressly intended, therefore, that the foregoing description is illustrative only of preferred embodiments, not limiting, and that the true spirit and scope of the invention be determined by reference to the appended claims.