Patent ID: 8413390

Claim:
A telescoping mast assembly comprising: three nestable telescoping mast sections, an inner mast section, an intermediate mast section, and an outer mast section, the telescoping mast sections having hold-down and locking mechanisms; each hold-down mechanism including a hold-down actuator pad disposed on an outside surface of the inner mast section at a first vertical position and a first angular position, a first hook pivotally mounted proximate to the top of the intermediate mast section at the first angular position, and a hold-down post including a second hook fixedly mounted proximate to the top of the outer mast section at the first angular position, the first hook biased to engage the fixed hook when the inner mast section is nested within the intermediate mast section below a hold-down position, the hold-down actuator pad engaging and pivoting the first hook to release the first hook from the fixed hook when the inner mast section is nested within the intermediate mast section above the hold-down position; and each locking mechanism including a lock pad disposed on the outside surface of the inner mast section at a second vertical position lower than the first vertical position and at a second angular position displaced from the first angular position, a lock member pivotally mounted proximate to the top of the intermediate mast section, and a pivot actuator mounted proximate to the top of the outer mast section, the pivot actuator pivoting the lock member to engage a bottom edge of the lock pad when the inner mast section is nested within the intermediate mast section above a lock position higher than the hold-down position, and pivoting the lock member to disengage the bottom edge of the lock pad when the inner mast section is nested within the intermediate mast section below the lock position.