US2273628A - Motor vehicle antenna - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 17, 1942. P. s. DE BEAUMONT MOTOR VEHICLE ANTENNA Filed March 15, 1940 :2 Sheetfs-Sheet l INVENTOR.

BY y', y

WM L Mal ATTORNEYS Feb. 17,-1942. P. s. DE BEAUMONT 2,213,628

MOTON VEHICLE ANTENNA Filed March 15, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. @l1/vu. m. am

ATTORNEYS Patented F eb. 17, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Moron VEHICLE ANTENNA Pierre Stuart de Beaumont,- G'rlossye Pointe, Mich.,

assigner to Packard Motor v(lar Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michi'gan Application March 15, 1940, sra1No.324,o34

18 Claims. (Cl. 2,50%33) The present invention relates to radio apparatus and more particularly to antenna for use with motor vehicle radio apparatus.

Antennas for motor vehicles have taken several forms, and have been located in various positions. Prior to the advent of vehicle bodies withl metal tops, the most, widely used antenna consisted of crossed wiring located in the roof structure. Because of the shielding effect of a metal body roof, now generally used, it has been necessary to change the location of the antenna and the best results are obtained in a location outside of the body and as far away from the ground as possible.

It is now customary to provide a rod type of antenna in advance o'f or beside the vehicle Windshield that can be raised above the body top or retracted so that it will clear low overhead structures. Such antennas have been adjusted generally by hand but in some instances power means controlled within the vehicle body has been employed to raise and lower the antenna. When the antenna rod iswshiftfed` by reciprocating mechanism, the stroke of such actuating mechanism is equivalent to the distance the rod can be moved and for this reason the distance the rod can be shifted is limited by vehicle space in which the actuating mechanism must operate. i l

It is an object of this invention to provide antenna shifting mechanism for motor vehicle radio apparatus that can repeat its operation to multiply the shiftable distance for the antenna. Another object of the invention is to provide separate power means for raising and lowering radio antenna that is controlled by a single driver operable mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide raising and lowering mechanisms for radio antenna that are so related that the operation of the raising mechanism stores up power in the lowering mechanism sunicient to lower the antenna when released.

A further object of the invention is to provide repeating power mechanism that will extend a radio antenna comprised of a plurality of sections.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a pressure means, f or operating an actuator that will individually extend sections of a radio antenna, that is reversed in its application by means under control of the actuator.

Another object of the invention resides in anradiol antenna control in which pressure means antenna, suchkmeans being interconnected to render the pressure means ineffective when the raising operation has been completed.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, which form a part of this specication, and in which:

Fig'. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a motor vehicle, partly broken away, having radio apparatus incorporating the invention associated therewith; l l i Fig. `2 is an enlarged view of the radio apparatus, shown in Fig. 1, with some of the parts broken away and sectioned, and with the antenna in lowered position; K

Fig.` 3 is a sectional view ofthe antenna lowering mechanism taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. l is a `fragmentary sectional view of the antenna and the actuating mechanism therefor, the actuator being 'shownin position to elevate the inner section of the antenna. i

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. fl `with the raising actuator position to elevate the outer section of the antenna,-

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the antenna and raising and lowering mechanism taken on line lis-,6 f Fig'. 5. l

`lteferring to the drawings and particularly to Fig. 1, the numeral I0 designates generally a forward portion of a motor vehicle comprising a cowl II, dash I2, toe board I3, instrument panel I4, windshield I5, top member IB and left forward pillar I'l. Such vehicle body members are conventional in form and organization. A radio receiver I8 is secured behind the dash to the front face of the instrument panel in the usual manner, Y

A column for the antenna is suitably fixed in the pillar I1 and consists of a tube I9 that extends through an opening in the body top I6. Between the column and the receiver is arranged the conventional conductor 9. Between the tube and the body top is arranged a suitable gasket 20 that serves to insulate these two members. The antenna is comprised of a plurality of telescoping sections, two sections in the form of tubes 2| and 22 being illustrated. These sections are slidable relatively in an axial direction and in frictional engagement so that they will be retained in any adjusted position. The outer tube 2| of the antenna is movable axially of the column and has a frictional engagement therewith such that it will be retained in any position of adjustment. This frictional contact raises the antenna and Spring means lowers the of the antenna sections with each other and of Power mechanism is provided for extending the antenna and it consists of actuator means that can be reciprooated by power means. The actuator means includes a metal tube 25, a rod 26, a piston 21 fixed to the lower end of rod 26, and a connector plate 28 xed to the upper end of rod 26 and to the lower end of tube 25. The tube is slidably mounted in a suitable guide bearing 29 xed to the body. The upper end of the a-ctuator tube 25 is formed with a conical end flange 38 and such flange and the end portion of the tube is slit longitudinally as at 3|. This upper end of the tube is resilient and normally tends to spread. The conical slit end wall 30 is of a diameter such that it will enter the lower end of either of the tubular antenna sections and will engage against the bottom edge thereof. When the inner antenna section is retracted it will engage the conical wall 30 and will contract the upper end of the actuator 25 to a diameter less than that of the outer tube section of the antenna. Thus when in lowered position the actuator tube 25 will engage the lower end wall of the inner antenna section and can push the same outwardly and when withdrawn again below the outer section of the antenna it will spread sufciently to engage the lower edge thereof so that it can push this section of the antenna outwardly of the column.

The tube 25 and the piston rod 26 are flxed together by the connector 28 so that they will be reciprocated together. The power means applied to the piston 21 consists of a cylinder 32 having its ends connected by conduits 33 and 34 to a reversing valve indicated generally at 35. This reversing valve is connected by a conduit 35 with the intake manifold 31 of the vehicle engine 38. Interposed in the conduit 35 is a valve housing 39 in which is arranged a valve member 40 having a passage 4| therethrough that can be manually shifted to open or close conduit 35.

The reversing valve consists of a casing 42 having a pair of atmospheric vents 43 and 44 therein and an opening 45 with which conduit 36 is fixed to communicate. A slidable control element 45 is arranged within the valve housing 42 and in one end thereof is an angular passage 41 communicating with conduit 34 and in the other end thereof is an angular passage 48 communicating with conduit 33. The movable element 45 of the reversing valve can be positioned to open or close the angular passages 41 and 48 to atmosphere or conduit 35, and when one of these passages is open to atmosphere the other passage is open to conduit 35. Thus there will be vacuum at one end of the cylinder 32 and atmospheric pressure at the other end of the cylinder 32 depending upon the position of the movable valve element 46 when the valve 46 opens the conduit 36. Of course when the valve 48 is moved to close the conduit 36 then this condition in the cylinder 32 will not exist and the actuator mechanism will be ineffective.

The position of the control valve member 45 is controlled by the actuator mechanism through an inter-connection that is established at each end of the stroke of the piston rod. Fixed on the movable valve member 45 is a bearing member 49 through which a rod 58 extends and is fixed. On each end of this rod is an arm 5| that extends into the path of the movement of the connector 28 of the actuator means. Thus when the connector 28 is in its lowermost position it will have engaged the lowermost arm 5| and moved the valve member 46 to its lowermost position, and when the connector 28 is moved to its uppermost position it will have engaged the uppermost arm 5| and moved the valve element 45 to its uppermost position. This moving of the valve element 45 from one position to another will cause the reversal of the pressure acting upon the piston 21 in the cylinder 32 and will thus cause reciprocation of the actuator mechanism so that the actuator will individually move the antenna sections outwardly in two upward strokes of its motion. Thus the actuator mechanism needs to have a stroke, in this instance, only one-half of that which the antenna is extended and therefore the antenna actuating mechanism will require a relatively small space for its operation.

'I'he valve 40 can be manually operated by mechanism extending preferably within easy reach of the vehicle driver. An arm 52 is fixed to valve 4U and one end 53 of a Bowden wire is fixed to such arm. This wire extends adjacent the instrument board and is connected to a lever 54 pivotally mounted on bracket 55 secured to the instrument board and this lever can be rocked by rod 56 extending through the instrument board for easy operation by the driver. When the rod 56 is pushed forward it will pull the arm and the Bowden wire end 53 rearwardly to place the valve passage 4| in register with the adjacent portions of conduit 35 and thus open the reverse valve to the engine intake manifold, and when the rod 55 is pulled rearwardly then the Bowden wire and arm 52 are moved forwardly to shift the passage 4| out of register with the adjacent portions of the conduit 35 and thus shut olf the reverse valve from the intake manifold.

Power means is provided for retracting the antenna and to this end a flexible cable 51 extends through the actuator tube 25, connector 28, the antenna section 22, and is fixed to a ball 58 that bears against the upper end of the antenna section 22. 'I'his cable is fixed by a fastener 59 to a drum 6U that is keyed to a shaft 5| suitably rotatably mounted upon a bearing 62 xed to a part of the vehicle. A ratchet wheel 53 is also keyed to shaft 5| and a clock spring 54 is fixed to its inner end to the shaft 5| and at its outer end to a boss 65 forming a part of the motor vehicle. Associated with the ratchet is a pawl 66 slidably mounted in a bearing 51 xed to the vehicle and an end 68 of the Bowden wire is xed to the pawl. The pawl and ratchet are arranged so that they keep the drum from reversing when the cable is unwound therefrom during the extension of the antenna, and during such movement of the drum the spring 64 is being wound up and stores up power sufficient to cause retraction of the antenna when the pawl is released. Thus the retraction means opposes extension of the antenna due to the anenvases choring of` theuball 58 at the outer end of the inner sectionof the antenna. Thus when the pawl is released from the ratchet, the spring is free to unwind and it` will wind up the cable on the drum 60 so that thev sectional antenna will be retracted within the Icolumn I9. The pawl is retracted by moving the rod 56. rearwardly and is normally engaged by the spring 69 when the rod 56 is pushed forwardly from its rear most position.

In order to insure that the pressure power means is renderedineective when the antenna is extended, provision is made for controlling the valve 46 by means of the retracting means. To this end the shaft 6I is formed with' a gear 1U which engages a rack 'Il on `one section of a jointed member l2 and the other section of this member l2 is formed with a slot 13 through which pin 14, xed to the arm 52, extends. As

the cable unwinds from the drum, rotation of the shaft and gear 16 will move member 12 toward the left, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the pin 14 reaches the end of the slot and will be pulled toward the left whenv the extension of the antenna has been completed. Thus when the antenna has been fully extended, in this instance by two strokes of the actuator, the member 12 acts to move the pin 14 and the arm 52 toward the left, thus moving the valve passage 4l out of register with the adjacent portions of the conduit 36 and o thereby rendering the power means ineffective so that reciprocation of the actuator will cease. In other words, this interconnecting member 12 serves to automatically render the pressure means ineffective when the antenna has been fully extended. When the pawl 66 is released from the ratchet, gear 'IIJ will move the member l2 to the right into the position shown in Fig. 2. During such movementl of the member 12, the pin is travelling freely in slot 'I3 and therefore member 'l2 does not influence the position ofthe valve 4D.

It has been pointed out how this form of antenna actuating mechanism can be housed in a small space and still 'extend the antenna to a A considerable length above the top of the vehicle body. The mechanism herein described provides automatic operation of the antenna and the control for such mechanism is fool-proof and readily actuated.

Although the invention has been described in connection with a speciiic embodiment, the principles involved are susceptible of numerous other applications which will readily occur to persons skilled in the art. to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In radio apparatus having a hollow stationary column, an antenna including a pair of telescopically related sections retractible within and adapted to be extended from said column, reciprocating power actuator means operable in one stroke to engage and move one antenna section outwardly of the other section and in another stroke to move and engage the other antenna section outwardly from the column, and power means engaging one of the antenna sections and operable to retract both said antenna sections into said column from extended position.

2. In radio apparatus having a hollow stationary column, a sectional antenna retractible into and adapted to be extended from said column, reciprocable actuator power means operable to selectively engage and extend said an- The invention is therefore tenna sections from said column, and spring means operable t0 retract said antenna sections into said column, said spring means being charged by the extension movement of said antenna sections.

3. In radio apparatus having a hollow stationary column, an antenna having telescopically relatedsections retractible into and adapted to be extended from said column, means operable to extend said antenna from said column, means connected with one antenna section and operable to retract said antenna into said column, and spring means actuating said retracting means, said spring means being energized by the extension of the antenna.

4. In radio apparatus having a hollow stationary column, an antenna comprised of telescopically related and frictionally engaging sections,` said antenna sections being retractible into and adapted to be extended from said column, power means operable to selectively extend said antenna sections from said column, resilient retracting means opposing extension of said antenna sections, and a manually releasable pawl controlling said retracting means.

5. In radio apparatus having a hollow stationary column, an antenna including telescoping sections adapted to be extended and retracted relative to said column and each other, reciprocable means for extending the sections of the antenna one at a timeypower means for actuating said reciprocable means including a reversing valve, means on said valve actuated in conjunction with said reciprocable means for actuating said valve, and means operable to retract said antenna into said column.

6. In radio apparatus having a hollow stationary column, an antenna including telescoping sections adapted to be extended from and retracted into said column, reciprocable means operable to extend said antenna sections one at a time with respect to said column, power means for actuating said reciprocable means including a reversing valve, means operating in conjunction with said reciprocable means for controlling said valve, a manually operable valve controlling said power means, and means operable to retract said antenna into said column.

7. In radio apparatus h'aving a hollow stationary column, an antenna composed of telescopically related sections movable into and out of said column and relative to each other, vacuum actuated means operable to selectively extend said antenna sections, power means energized by the extension of said antenna sections and operable to retract said antenna, and a manually operable means for controlling operation of said vacuum actuated means and said power means.

8. In radio apparatus, a tubular column, an antenna composed of frictionally retained telescopically related sections adapted to be projected from or retracted into said column, vacuum actuated means operable to selectively project said antenna sections, power means operable to retract said antenna, control means for rendering the projection vacuum actuated means ineective, and means actuated in conjunction with the operation of said retraction power means for actuating said control means.

9. In radio apparatus, a tubular column, an antenna adapted to be projected from or retracted into said column, means operable to project said antenna, means operable to retract said antenna, and a rack member operable by said retraction means during a retraction operation for rendering said projection means ineffective.

10. In radio apparatus, a stationary column, an antenna movable inwardly and outwardly of said column, reciprocable means for moving said antenna outwardly from said column, actuator means operable to move said antenna inwardly of said column, power means operable to reciprocate said reciprocable means including a reversible valve, and means actuated by said reciprocable means for controlling said reversible valve.

11. I n radio apparatus, a stationary column, an antenna including telescoping sections adapted to be extended and retracted relatively and with respect to said column, an actuator rod extending into said column and operatively engageable with said antenna sections individually, power means operable to reciprocate said actuator rod, and means operable to retract said antenna sections relatively and with respect to said column.

l2. In radio apparatus, a hollow column, an antenna having telescoping tubular sections frictionally held together and the outer section frictionally held in said column, a reciprocable rod projecting into said column, said rod having a flexible end adapted to operatively engage one antenna section end at a time during movement in one direction, power means operable to reciprocate said rod, and antenna retraction means.

13. In radio apparatus, a hollow column, an antenna comprising frictionally engaging and telescopically related sections adapted to be projected from and retracted into said column, power means operable to selectively project said antenna sections from said column and each' other, a flexible retractor anchored to one of the antenna sections, a drum on which said liexible retractor can wind and unwind, spring means opposing unwinding movement of the drum, and releasable means operable to normally prevent the drum from unwinding.

14. In radio apparatus, a hollow stationary column, an antenna adapted, to be extended from or retracted into said column, a reciprocable actuator for extending said antenna, power means operable to reciprocate said actuator, a manually operable valve for controlling said power means, a drum, flexible means anchored to said drum and antenna, said flexible means being adapted to wind up on said drum when said antenna is extended by said power means, a spring opposing Vthe winding rotation of said drum, manually releasable means checking said drum during winding of the exible means thereon, and means operating in conjunction with said drum to close said valve when said checking means is released.

15. In a radio apparatus having a h'ollow stationary antenna supporting column, an antenna including telescopically related sections contractible into or projectible from said column, rod means reciprocable in said column for engaging and extending the inner antenna section from the outer antenna section in one operation and for engaging and extending the outer antenna section from the column in another operation, and power means for actuating said rod means.

16. In a radio apparatus having a hollow stationary antenna supporting column, an antenna carried by the column and including two telescopically related frictionally retained sections adjustable axially with respect to each other and to the column, reciprocable means operable in said column to engage the lower end of and separately project either antenna section from the column, and power means for actuating said reciprocable means.

1'7. In a radio apparatus, a hollow stationary column, an antenna carried by the column and composed of two telescopically and frictionally related sections retractable into the column, releasable detent means for retaining the outer antenna section in retracted position in the column, and means operable to engage either antenna section and project it individually from the column.

18. In a radio apparatus, a hollow stationary column, an antenna carried by the column and composed of two telescopically and frictionally related sections, the outer antenna section frictionally engaging said column, a cable extending through the interior of said column and tubes, a ball xed to an end of the cable and seated against the outer end of the inner antenna section, spring means connected to said cable for retracting said antenna, and means for projecting said antenna sections from said column.

PIERRE STUART DE BEAUMONT.

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