Slotted tubular flagpole

A flagpole construction including a tubular staff, said staff being provided with a longitudinal slot extending therealong throughout at least a major portion of the length of said staff, a plurality of bracing structures spaced along the slotted portion of said staff internally thereof and rigidly bracing the wall portions of said staff disposed on opposite sides of said slot relative to remote peripheral portions thereof, generally aligned first and second pulley means journaled in opposite end portions of said staff for rotation about transverse axes, and an endless tension member trained about and frictionally engaged with said pulley means and including one reach thereof extending between said pulley means spaced closely inwardly of and extending along said slot, follower means attached to said one reach for movement therewith and including portions thereof spaced along said one reach and slidingly engaged in and projecting through said slot, and first and second anchor means carried by said follower means, disposed exteriorly of said staff and spaced along the latter for supportive engagement of the upper and lower inner corner portions of a flag therewith, at least one of said pulley means including drive input means adapting that pulley means to have rotational torque applied thereto, each of said bracing structures comprising a pair of crossed rod members generally bisecting the interior of said staff and having their opposite end portions anchored to the wall portions of said staff with which they are aligned, one pair of adjacent ends of each pair of crossed rod members being substantially equally spaced from and disposed on opposite sides of said slot, said one reach of said tension member being generally centered between said adjacent crossed rod member ends.