Patent ID: 8922451

Claim:
A lockdown mechanism for a telescoping mast comprising: a plurality of elongated tube sections which are telescopingly attached to each other including a center tube, each tube section comprising a substantially hollow body; a structural envelope comprising an outermost structural member that remains stationary relative to the plurality of elongated tube sections which are adapted to translate between a lockdown position and an extended position; an elongated drive screw adapted to said elongated tube sections and comprising a plurality of threads for extending and retracting said elongated tube sections to any position between the lockdown position and the extended position; a lock subassembly including a housing, a center hub, a threaded nut, a carrier adapter and a load bearing top, said lock subassembly being rigidly attached to said center tube and axially aligned to said plurality of elongated tube sections, said carrier adapter comprising an elongated body having a hollow interior adapted for translation of said drive screw, said threaded nut attached to a first side of said carrier adapter to be threadedly engaged by said elongated drive screw, said center hub attached to a second, opposite side of said carrier adapter; and at least one locking pin adapted to a first end of a linkage member, wherein said center hub is pinned to a second end of the linkage member and said at least one locking pin is radially extended from the center hub and moveably adapted to engage the structural envelope and said lock subassembly when said mast is in a nesting position; wherein as said center hub is moved towards the load bearing top, said locking pin moves away from said structural envelope; and wherein as the center hub is moved away from the load bearing top, said locking pin moves toward said structural envelope, wherein said center tube comprises: a base nut at a first end of said center tube opposite the lock subassembly, said base nut being positioned along a central axis to be threadedly engaged by said drive screw wherein rotation of the drive screw extends or retracts said center tube; wherein said linkage member is pivoted via movement of the center hub away or towards the load bearing top in order to extend or retract the at least one locking pin to engage or disengage the structural envelope; wherein when the center hub is translated along the drive screw away from the load bearing top, said at least one locking pin moves toward said structural envelope; and wherein when the center hub is translated along the drive screw towards the load bearing top, said at least one locking pin moves away from said structural envelope.