US 4,231,200 A · Method and apparatus for assembling a portable tower

Abstract

Method and apparatus for transporting a sectional tower to a selected location and for erecting the tower at the selected location is disclosed. The apparatus includes a mobile trailer bed on which the erection apparatus and the tower sections are transported. A frame is carried on the trailer bed which has racks on which a number of tower sections are stowed. A folding guide member is pivotally attached to the trailer frame and is rotatable to a stowed position during transportation and is rotatable to an upright position for guiding the tower during erection. A hoist is carried on the folding guide member for raising the tower sections through the guide member. A plurality of sheaves are attached to the support frame and upon a number of anchors symmetrically disposed at radially spaced locations relative to the support frame. Guy wires are attached to the uppermost tower section and are reeved with the sheaves associated with each anchor and are coupled to a winch. The uppermost tower section is raised to an elevated position on the guide member while additional lengths of guy wire are fed out under tension as the tower section is extended. The next succeeding tower section is connected to the uppermost tower section in end-to-end relation while maintaining the guy wires under tension. Thereafter, the assembled tower sections are raised through the upright guide member by applying a hoisting force to the lowermost tower section while feeding out additional lengths of guy wire under tension as the assembled tower is extended. These steps are repeated until each of the remaining tower sections have been assembled and the tower has been fully extended.

Claims3

Dependent claims

A sectional tower assembly comprising, in combination:

a plurality of tower sections each triangular in section;
an upright guide member comprising an elongate frame, triangular in section, having side portions enclosing a channel through which a tower section may be extended or retracted, each side of the elongate frame having a plurality of rollers mounted at vertically spaced locations near the upper end of the upright guide member for engaging the exterior of tower sections which are extended or retracted through the channel;
hoist means carried on said guide member for engaging the lower end of a first of each pair of successive tower sections for moving said first tower section to a first elevated position on the guide member to receive a second of each pair of successive tower sections in upright position beneath its lower end;
means engageable with the adjacent ends of successive tower sections for locking the successive tower sections together, end to end, prior to each successive extension of the tower;
a plurality of sheaves attached to the guide member;
a corresponding number of anchors symmetrically disposed at radially spaced locations relative to the guide member and a sheave attached to each anchor;
a winch;
and,
a plurality of guy wires each having a first end portion attached to said upper tower section, a first intermediate portion coupled in reeved engagement with one of the anchor sheaves, a second intermediate portion coupled in reeved engagement with one of the tower sheaves, and a second end portion coupled to said winch,
said winch being operable to maintain a tension load on each guy wire as said assembled tower sections are extended or retracted relative to the guide member.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for assembling a portable tower

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for assembling a portable tower

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims3