A method for retracting a pneumatic telescopic column assembly for supporting and moving military equipment, communication equipment, lighting equipment and/or surveillance equipment, the pneumatic telescopic column assembly extending along an axis (V-V) and comprising:
- A) a plurality of tube groups telescopically configurable along the axis (V-V) between a compact configuration and an extended configuration, said plurality of tube groups comprising:
- i) a base tube group comprising:
- a tubular base element that extends between a lower tubular base element end and an upper tubular base element end,
- a base locking ring that is fixed to the upper tubular base element end, wherein the base locking ring comprises at least one horizontal latch, at least one actuator comprising a stem orthogonal to the axis (V-V) and integrally connected to the at least one horizontal latch, and at least one vertical latch, wherein the at least one horizontal latch and the at least one vertical latch are spaced apart at an angle;
- ii) an intermediate tube group comprising:
- a tubular intermediate element that extends between a lower tubular intermediate element end and an upper tubular intermediate element end;
- an intermediate locking ring that is fixed to the upper tubular intermediate element end, wherein the intermediate locking ring comprises at least one horizontal intermediate latch axially aligned with the at least one vertical latch and in which said at least one vertical latch is engageable;
- iii) a head tube group comprising a tubular head element that extends between a lower tubular head element end and an upper tubular head element end, and
- B) means for injecting and discharging air, which are suitable for moving the plurality of tube groups,
- wherein, when moving between the compact configuration and the extended configuration:
- the at least one horizontal intermediate latch moves horizontally between an unlocking position, in which the tubular head element is disengaged from the tubular intermediate element and the at least one vertical latch engages in the at least one horizontal intermediate latch, and a locking position, in which the tubular intermediate element engages in the tubular head element and the at least one horizontal intermediate latch engages in a horizontal intermediate latch seat made in the tubular head element;
- and
- the at least one actuator is actuated between a retracted position, in which the tubular intermediate element slides along the axis (V-V), and an advanced position, in which the at least one horizontal latch integral with the stem engages a horizontal latch seat made in the tubular intermediate element and blocks an extension of the tubular intermediate element relative to the tubular base element,
- and wherein the pneumatic telescopic column assembly further comprises at least one auxiliary intermediate tube group arranged between the base tube group and the intermediate tube group comprising:
- an auxiliary tubular intermediate element that extends between a lower auxiliary tubular intermediate element end and an upper auxiliary tubular intermediate element end;
- an auxiliary intermediate locking ring that is fixed to the upper auxiliary tubular intermediate element end, wherein the auxiliary intermediate locking ring comprises at least one horizontal auxiliary intermediate latch axially aligned with the at least one vertical latch and in which said at least one vertical latch is engageable, and at least one vertical auxiliary intermediate latch axially aligned with and engageable in the at least one horizontal intermediate latch, the at least one horizontal auxiliary intermediate latch and the at least one vertical auxiliary intermediate latch being spaced apart at an angle,
- wherein, when moving between the compact configuration and the extended configuration:
- the at least one horizontal intermediate latch moves horizontally between the unlocking position, in which the tubular head element is disengaged from the tubular intermediate element and the at least one vertical auxiliary intermediate latch engages in the at least one horizontal intermediate latch, and the locking position, in which the tubular intermediate element engages in the tubular head element and the at least one horizontal intermediate latch engages in the horizontal intermediate latch seat made in the tubular head element,
- the at least one horizontal auxiliary intermediate latch moves horizontally between an auxiliary unlocking position, in which the tubular intermediate element is disengaged from the auxiliary tubular intermediate element and the at least one vertical latch engages in the at least one horizontal auxiliary intermediate latch, and an auxiliary locking position, in which the tubular intermediate element is engaged to the auxiliary tubular intermediate element and the at least one horizontal auxiliary intermediate latch engages in the horizontal latch seat made in the tubular intermediate element;
- and
- the at least one actuator is actuated between a retracted position, in which the auxiliary tubular intermediate element slides along the axis (V-V), and an advanced position, in which the at least one horizontal latch integral with the stem engages a latch seat made in the auxiliary tubular intermediate element and blocks an extension of the auxiliary tubular intermediate element relative to the tubular base element,
- wherein
- the at least one vertical latch and the at least one vertical auxiliary intermediate latch respectively comprise a first guide surface and a second guide surface respectively engageable with a first counter-guide surface and a second counter-guide surface formed on the at least one horizontal auxiliary intermediate latch and the at least one horizontal intermediate latch,
- said first guide surface and first counter-guide surface lie on a pair of first parallel planes different from a pair of second parallel planes on which the second guide surface and the second counter-guide surface lie,
- wherein mutual sliding motion between the first guide surface and the first counter-guide surface moves the at least one horizontal auxiliary intermediate latch into the auxiliary locking position and/or the at least one horizontal intermediate latch into the locking position,
- and wherein mutual sliding motion between the second guide surface and the second counter-guide surface moves the at least one horizontal auxiliary intermediate latch into the auxiliary locking position and/or the at least one horizontal intermediate latch into the unlocking position,
- the method comprising:
- discharging compressed air into the environment by the means for injecting and discharging air;
- moving the at least one actuator into the retracted position to disengage the at least one horizontal latch from the horizontal latch seat made in the tubular intermediate element and to unblock axial sliding motion of the tubular intermediate element;
- retracting the intermediate tube group;
- and
- engaging the first guide surface of the at least one vertical latch with the first counter-guide surface of the at least one horizontal intermediate latch to bring about movement of the at least one horizontal intermediate latch into the unlocking position, in which the tubular head element is disengaged from the tubular intermediate element and the at least one horizontal intermediate latch is disengaged from the horizontal intermediate latch seat made in the tubular head element;
- retracting the head tube group so as to place the pneumatic telescopic column assembly in a pre-locked configuration;
- and
- retracting the pneumatic telescopic column assembly into the compact configuration.