Rim-drive cable-aligned heliostat collector system

A heliostat apparatus having a plurality of spaced, steerable heliostats, said heliostats being suspended from a plurality of longitudinally extending linkage means, wherein the improvement comprises:

• (a) first and second longitudinally spaced upright members for suspending said linkage means therebetween;
• (b) storage means disposed adjacent one of said upright members for protecting said heliostats from weathering;
• (c) a first and second drive means operatively connected to said first and second upright members, respectively, for displacing two first linkage means of said plurality of linkage means in order to effect steering of said heliostats in a first predetermined direction;
• (d) a plurality of third drive means, each one of said plurality of third drive means being operatively disposed at corresponding ones of said plurality of heliostat members for displaciong said heliostats so as to effect steering thereof in a second predetermined direction;
• (e) a plurality of frame members, each one of said frame members being adapted to support a corresponding one of said heliostats at inner portions thereof, each one of said frame members having a plurality of spaced, expandable end portions with each one of said expandable end portions being adapted to slidably engage a corresponding one of said plurality of linkage means, said plurality of expandable end portions being adapted to substantially reduce heliostat stress produced by said linkage means during said steering and to allow said corresponding heliostat to independently move along said linkage means in directions away from and toward said storage means in response to said steering;
• (f) a plurality of switching means, each one of said switching means being associated with a first one of said plurality of expandable and portions of said frame members, each one of said switching means enabling said first ones of said plurality of associated expandable end portions to be releasably locked to a first corresponding one said linkage means in response to the displacement of said plurality of heliostats in said second predetermined direction, and wherein each said third drive means is further associated with a second one of said plurality of expandable end portions, each said third drive means being adapted to enable said second one of said expandable end portions to cause said frame member associated therewith to move to and fro in a longitudinal direction along a corresponding second one of said linkage means;
• and
• (g) a plurality of pivotal means, each one of said pivotal means being disposed at a corresponding one said second expandable end portion, each one of said pivotal means being adapted to allow pivotal movement of said associated heliostat thereabout to effect said steering when said switching means locks said first expandable end portion to said first one of said linkage means.