High-intensity, telescoping light tower with safety features

An extendable tower comprising:

• a. a mobile trailer having a frame;
• b. a tower post mounted to the frame;
• c. a primary boom pivotally mounted to the tower post;
• d. one or more extension booms nested within the primary boom;
• e. a power source;
• f. a pivot controller operatively attached to a pivot winch system, the pivot winch system comprising a pivoting winch operatively connected to the power source and operatively attached to the primary boom by cables, the pivoting winch when activated by the pivot controller configured to raise the primary boom and the one or more extension booms nested in the primary boom into a vertical position;
• g. a telescoping controller operatively attached to a vertical winch system, the vertical winch system comprising a vertical winch operatively connected to the power source and operatively attached to the one or more extension booms by cables, the vertical winch when activated by the telescoping controller configured to cause the one or more extension booms nested in the primary boom to extend;
• and
• h. a light section comprising one or more array of lights affixed to one of the one or more extension booms configured to be the uppermost of the one or more extension booms when the primary boom and all of the one or more extension booms are in the vertical position and all of the one or more extension booms are extended, the light section operatively attached to the power source to operate the lights;
• and
• i. a vertical up limit switch positioned and configured to be activated when the one or more extension booms are fully extended and wherein the up limit switch is configured to deactivate the vertical winch when the up limit switch is activated.

An extendable light tower comprising:

• a. a mobile trailer having a frame;
• b. a tower post mounted to the frame;
• c. a primary boom pivotally mounted to the tower post;
• d. one or more extension booms nested within the primary boom;
• e. an hydraulic system comprising an hydraulic fluid reservoir fluidly connected to a pump configured to deliver hydraulic fluid to a manifold having valves configured to control the flow of hydraulic fluid through the hydraulic system;
• i. wherein the hydraulic system further comprises a first hydraulic cylinder fluidly connected to the manifold and operatively connected to the primary boom, wherein the first hydraulic cylinder is configured to pivot the primary boom from a horizontal position to a vertical position when the first hydraulic cylinder is pressurized;
• and
• ii. wherein the hydraulic system further comprises a second hydraulic cylinder fluidly connected to the manifold and operatively affixed to at least of one of the one or more extension booms nested in the primary boom, wherein the second hydraulic cylinder is configured to extend the at least one of the one or more extension booms into a vertical position when the second hydraulic cylinder is pressurized;
• f. a pivot controller configured to control pressurization of the first hydraulic cylinder;
• g. a telescoping controller configured to control pressurization of the second hydraulic cylinder;
• h. a light section comprising one or more arrays of lights operatively attached to the power source and affixed to one of the extension booms configured to be uppermost among the one or more extension booms when the primary boom and the one or more extension booms are in the vertical position and all of the one or more extension booms are extended;
• and
• i. a vertical stop limit switch operatively connected to the first hydraulic cylinder and positioned to be activated when the primary boom is in the vertical position, wherein the vertical stop limit switch is configured to deactivate the first hydraulic cylinder when the vertical stop limit switch is activated.

A method of operating a light tower comprising a base, a primary boom with one or more extension boom sections nested within the primary boom, and a tower post wherein the method comprises:

• a. securing and leveling the base of the light tower;
• b. pivoting the primary boom with the one or more extension boom sections nested within the primary boom from a horizontal position to a vertical position;
• c. securing the primary boom, with the one or more extension boom sections nested within the primary boom, in the vertical position to the tower post of the light tower;
• d. extending the one or more extension boom sections in a vertical and upward direction;
• e. locking the one or more extension boom sections in a fully extended position;
• and
• f. employing, during the step of extending the one or more extension boom sections, at least one safety feature selected from the group of safety features consisting of:
• i. using an up limit switch operatively attached to a boom extension lock to lock one of the one or more extension boom sections in a predetermined extended position;
• ii. using a warning alarm to provide a warning when the one or more extension boom sections are being extended or the primary boom is being pivoted;
• iii. using a warning light to provide a warning when the one or more extension boom sections are being extended or the primary boom is being pivoted;
• iv. using a boom extension mechanical stop system, wherein each of the one or more extension boom sections is provided with a mechanical stop and a mechanical clip configured to halt vertical upward movement of at least one of the one or more extension boom sections when the mechanical stop of one of the one or more extension boom sections contacts the mechanical clip of an adjacent one of the one or more extension boom sections;
• and
• e. turning on a light section connected to an uppermost extension boom section.