Patent ID: 7178631

Claim:
An assembly for rotatably and pivotally supporting an aerial ladder or boom, comprising: a turntable adapted to be mounted on a vehicle for rotation about a vertical axis; a first pair of upwardly extending parallel support flanges and a second pair of upwardly extending parallel support flanges extending upwardly from the surface of said turntable, the second pair of flanges extending to a substantially lesser elevation than said first pair of flanges; a cradle formed by a pair of parallel cradle arms laterally spaced and adapted to support a base end of said ladder or boom therebetween and at least one cross member connecting said arms, each of said arms having an end pivotally connected to a flange of said first pair of flanges; and a hydraulic cylinder having its body pivotally attached to each of said cradle arms at a point spaced away from said first pair of flanges and from said second pair of flanges, an extendable-retractable rod projecting each hydraulic cylinder, each of said rods having an outer end pivotally attached to a flange of said second pair of flanges wherein said cradle arms are bifurcated at the point spaced away from said first pair of flanges, said cylinders being fitted between said bifurcations.