US2481823A - Automotive vehicle antenna - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 13, 1949. J. B. CEJKA AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE ANTENNA Filed May 25, 1948 INVENTOR. .TOSEPH B CEJKA BY fify;

l M w patented` Sept. 13,v 1949 AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE ANTENNA Josephenjamin oejkafnighlana Parli, N'. J., as' 'l signor to L. S. Braoh Mfg. Corp., Newark, J.

Application May 25, 194s, serial No'. 29,065 (o1. 25ossl 13 Claims 1 This invention relates to an antenna construction especially adapted for' mounting on some part of an automotive vehicle such v'as-the cowl or fender. It has been found in practice that an antenna for an automotive vehicle'should have a mounting such that the electrical signal losses will be held to a minimum.

I t is therefore one of the objects of my present invention to provide an antenna for automotive vehicle use in which the Q or dissipation constant is held at the most favorable point. In order to attain this object several improvements have been found necessary. One of these is to get a water seal at the place where the antenna is mounted on the vehicle., This has always been advantages or improvements, pointed out more in detail later, are found in the interior construction of the antenna sections whereby more uniform contact is obtained and noise is eliminated due to vibration in the vehicle and in the sections themselves and smoother action is obtained in the raising and lowering of the antenna.

These and other objects and. advantages will be seen from a study of the followingspecication and annexed drawing wherein- Figure 1 is a part sectional and elevational view of the complete antenna and its method of mounting. l Figure 2is a View of the top section ofthe antenna on an enlarged scale from Figurel 1.

Figure 2A is a section on the line 2A-2A of Figure 2. y l

Figure 3 is a part sectional and elevational view on an enlarged scale from Figure 1 of the section below the top section of Figure 2. y l.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3- on an :enlarged scale from Figure 1 but of the bottomor basic section. 1

Figure 5 is a view from thelower end of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a view on the line 6-6 of Figure4.

Figure 7 is a plan view of two inter-fitting sealing devices, the upper half of the figure showing the position of half of the top device while the lower half shows the upper half'of the device turned 180 degrees.

Figure 8 is a side view of thesealing devices in one position separate from the antenna.

Figure 9 is a side view of the sealing devices in another position separate from the antenna.

.Figure 10 is a sectional View on the line III-III of Figure 1. f

,In the various views wherein like numbersrefer to corresponding parts I is a tubular housing,r for the basic or lower section 2 of the antenna. A clamp s is utilized for anchoring the lower end of the housing member I to some part of the vehicle body. The lower end of the housing I has a stop It vof insulating material to limit the downward movement of the section 2, the lower end of which has guide members of insulating material which may be in the form of pins 5 and '5' at rightangles to each other to balance the end or a washer may be forced over the end of the section. Fastened tov the top of housing I is a metal collar 6 that is mounted on the lower end of an insulator 'Il The collar Ei has an outwardly turned iiange 8 on which rests an outwardly extending ange 9 of the insulator l. The insulator I has an inf ternal annular rib I9 fitting in a groove II lin a metallic sleeve i2 which passes through the insulator 'l' which is generally cylindrical in form. A lock ring 5I is forced over the sleeve I2 between it and tl'ieinsulator 'l to holdthem in permanent position, also a self thread cutting screw 52 is passed through a hole in the housing I into the collar t. AT noompassing the insulator l is a metallic member IShaving an inturned edge I4 which passes below the flange 8 of the collar 5. Preferably a gasket I5 is used at this junction with theend of I to seal the union. The member I3 has its top part formed oonically to ilt into va hole IG in some part of the vehicle body and rits outer surface may be roughened or provided with 'ribs I'l so as to grip into the wall of the hole I6.

For sealing off the hole I5 around the member I3 there is utilized a gasket I3 of flexible insulating material such as rubber, which has a rim I9 preferably inclined inwardly. Adapted to -t within the rim I9 is the edge of one face'o'f'a member 2li, the opposite face of which has an annular shoulder 2| spaced inwardly from vthe face edge. Fitting on this face and around the shoulder 2! is another member 22. Both members 20 and 22 are of tough rigid insulating material and each has a narrow rim on one side of an axial plane and a much wider rim on their opposite sides, for example take member 20, the

rim at 23 is narrow -while at 24 it is much wider. Stated in another way the two washerlike members 2o and 22 when assembled as shown in Figures 1 and 8 have their engaging faces one with the other in a plane which makes an acute angle with the vertical axis of the antenna. By reason of this construction the washers 20 and 22 will by turning, accommodate themselves to any contour or'slope of the body 25.

To hold the washers 20 and 22 in place, a fiat rasher 26 is used and a metallic nut 21 and a nut 28 -ofinsulating materia-lare threaded onto the yupper end of the sleeve l2. While the insulator 1 and sleeve l2 and member I3 are shown as separate pieces, the insulator 1 may be moulded in conjunctionwith l2 and I3 to make one piece in which case the outer surface of the sleeve i2 is knurled as at 55 to lock the moulded material thereto. It will be noted that the upper ends of the basic section 2 has positioned therein a. pair of metallic washers 29 and 30 between which is positioned a leather washer 3l which engages the next section above as shown in Figure 3 to-give a smooth running nt. Below the washers 29, 30. 3l there is located a short resilient sleeve 32 of Phosphor bronze preferably split and provided with one or more fingers 33 which engage the next section Sgabove .to make electrical contact therewith and to prevent rattle.

Likewise the next sectionrabove may besimilai-ly constructed but as shown `the leather Washer 35 having an inside diameter of .090" is between a top metal washer 34 having an inside diameter of 104" and a metal sleeve 36 which is adapted to be engaged by springs 31 and 38 fastened as by welding to a flat surface 50 on the top section do which has the round metal flattened at 4l to provide a stop so this section cannot be pulled out `of section 3d. It will be noted that the topends of'sections 2 and 39 are spun over to co-operate with the stops on the co-action section. The lower end of section 39 is slotted at 53 to give a spring engaging action with section 2 within which it runs so as to hold the ksection in any adjusted position. The section 39 also has indentations 54 to act as stops for section 40.

In order to make circuit connection with the antenna a cable C is provided with a plug P to go into a receiver. A metallic sleeve 42 having having a flange is fastened as by soldering to the housing i the inner conductor :it and itsinsuiation passed through the sleeve 42, while the bared end is spot welded or soldered at 45 toithe metal sleeve i2. The outer conductor 46 shown as braided wire is soldered at l:i1 to the sleeve 62 thereby giving `a ground connection to the cable. Positionedover the outer insulation i3 of the cable VZB and over the end of the outer conductor there is insulation material 49.

It should be noted that the bottomslotted end of section -39 gives'an outwardly acting pressure vwhile the parts 34, 35 and 36 at the top produce an inwardly acting pressure, the advantage of which is that the tubuiar section 39 is held concentrically with respect to its associates and thereby insures double velectrical contacts under vibration from the upper and lower sections.

From the construction and assembly as vdescribed it will be seen that I-have provided an antenna that fullls all the `advantages or improvements speciiied.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

a generally cylindrically shaped insulator fastened to the sleeve intermediate its ends, a metallic collar xed to the insulator near one end -for receiving the upper end of said housing member which is fastenedthereto, a circular metallic member embracing the insulatorradjacent said collar and having its end away from the collar terminating in a conical surface to t into a hole in some part of the vehicle body such as the cowl or a `fender, means for sealing said hole including a vcircular gasketof iiexible insulating material having preferably on one side a positioning rim and a pair of circular insulators of the Washer type, -one having a face surface to fit within the rim of said gasket and an opposite face with an annular shoulder, while the other of said pair nhas la surface 1on one face to fit the face around the annular shoulder of the rst mentioned pair, these two interconnectingr faces being in a plane forming an acute angle to the axis of the antenna sections, means including an insulator nut threaded to said sleeve for holding said gasket and pair ofinsulators in sealing position against the wall of said hole and means for making :an electrical connection through the housing member to said sleeve.

2. `An automotive vehicle antenna comprising a plurality of telescopic sections made up of a basic section, a top section and at least one intermediate section, a tubular member for housing the basic section but insulated therefrom, a metallic sleeve tting over the upper end of the basic section and in electrical contact therewith a generally cylindrically shaped insulator iastened .to the sleeve intermediate its ends, means for anchoring the sleeve and the said insulator to the Vupper end of said tubular member, means for making an electrical connection through the upper end of the housing member to the sleeve, a circular member embracing the insulator intermediate its ends and having a conical surface at its end-farthest from the housing member, said conical surface being adapted to t into the hole in `thevehicle body, means for sealing said hole around said conical surface, comprising a gasket oi' 'iiexiblemateriai for engaging the said body material around the hole, a pair of circular Washer typ'e parts fitting together on a plane making an acute angle'to the longitudinal axis ofthe antenna, one of said washer parts having a `face to t'said gasket While the other part has its outer'surface or rim in a plane at right angles to the axis of the antenna, an insulating gasket to nt said rim and means including an insulator nut threaded to said metallic sleeve for holding said gaskets and 'washer type parts in sealing position,

3. Anautomotive vehicle antenna as set forth in claim 2 further characterized in that the top antenna section has Vtvvo flat surfaces at its inner end with arcuately formed springs fastened at oneend to said surfaces and having their free ends engaging opposite parts of said section which has its metal Just above the free ends of said 4springs attened or'expanded to provide a pullout stop in association with an'inwardly spun end Vof the section within which it fits.

4. An'automotive'vehicle antenna as set forth in claim 2 further characterized in that the Vunion atleastbetween the basic section and its associate includes at the spun over end of the basic'section-a pair of rings of suitable metal with VAan Vintermediate washer preferably of leather for contacting with the associate section and a split contact-metal sleeve located adjacent said rings and 'having inwardly projecting resilient fingers for contacting with the associate section.

5'. An automotive vehicle antenna as set forth in claim 2 further characterized in that said means for making said electrical connections include a metallic sleeve extending a substantial distance away from the housing member near its upper end and having a flange for engaging the interior wall of the housing member and anchored thereto, the inner conductor of the antenna cable and its insulation located within said ilanged sleeve and extending beyond the flange while the conductor with at least part of its parent insulation extends to and is fastened to the me tallic sleeve carried on the basic section, the outer conductor of the cable extending over the metallic sleeve and `being fastened thereto close to the housing member and an insulator extending from the housing member over the outer conductor and its outer insulation.

6. An automotive vehicle antenna as set forth in claim 2 further characterized in that said circular member with the conical surface has means on its outer surface to aid in making a secure holding engagement with the body portion of the vehicle at the hole.

7. An automotive vehicle antenna comprising a plurality of telescopic sections made up of a basic section, a top section and at least one intermediate section, a tubular member for housing the basic section but insulated therefrom, means for fastening the antenna to some portion of the Vehicle body having a hole therein, said means including a metallic sleeve fastened to the basic section and having a connection to a conductor going to a radio set on the vehicle, an insulator carried by the sleeve, a metallic member embracing the insulator and locked thereto and having a conically shaped end to lit in said hole, a pair of washers of suitable rigid insulation having inter-engaging formations, so when they are together a continuous sloping surface is formed, each washer having a narrow rim on one side of an axial plane while the rim increases in width opposite to the narrow portions whereby the Washers can take up positions throughout varying slopes of the vehicle body at the hole, a gasket of flexible insulating material next to the body material and means including an inner metallic nut and an outer one of insulating material screw threaded to said metallic sleeve for locking said washers and gasket securely t0 the material around the body hole.

8. An automotive vehicle antenna comprising a plurality of telescopic sections made up of a basic section, a top section and at least one intermediate section, a tubular member for housing the basic section but insulated therefrom, means for fastening the antenna to some portion of the vehicle body having a hole therein, said means including a metallic sleeve fastened to the basic section and having a connection to a conductor going to a radio set on the vehicle and further means including an insulator fastened to the sleeve with part of said last mentioned means having a conical surface to fit in said hole, a pair of washers of suitable insulating material having inter-engaging surfaces meeting in a plane making an acute angle with the axis of the antenna, a gasket of flexible insulating material next to the body material and means screw threaded onto the metallic sleeve for locking said washers and gaskets securely to the material around the body hole.

9. An automotive vehicle antenna for mounting in a hole in the vehicle body comprising a plurality of telescopic sections made up of a basic section, a top section and at least one intermediate section, a tubular member for housing the basic section, means for insulating said basic section from said housing member, a metallic member carried by said insulating means and having a spherical surface to set into said hole and engage its peripherial wall, sealing means positioned on the body surface over the hole and around said spherical surface and means carried by said insulator for clamping said sealing means in position.

10. An automotive vehicle antenna as set forth in claim 9 further characterized in that the said spherical surface is roughened to bite into the Wall of the hole to get a good grounding contact with the car body.

11. An automotive vehicle antenna as set forth in claim 9 further characterized in that the seal ing means includes a pair of insulators having interacting shapes that will conform to various curvatures of the vehicle body where the hole is located, the insulator which directly contacts the car body being recessed to fit around that part of the spherical surface which protrudes through the hole.

12. An automotive vehicle antenna comprising a plurality of telescopic sections made up of a basic section, a top section and at least one intermediate section with means for insulatingly supporting the basic section, the basic section having at its upper end a pair of metallic washers between which is located a washer having the characteristics of leather and below said washers a sleeve of resilient metallic material having a plurality of integral fingers arcuately positioned around the sleeve to engage the next section above, while the section next above the basic section has its lower end slitted for exerting an outwardly acting pressure and at its top end means for exerting an inwardly acting pressure, said last mentioned means comprising a metallic sleeve against the upper end of which rests a Washer having leather characteristics and held in place by a metal washer and the spun over end of the section, the washer with the leather characteristics having a much smaller hole than the metal washer.

13. An automotive vehicle antenna for mounting in a hole in the vehicle body comprising a plurality of telescopic sections made up of a basic section, a top section and at least one intermediate section, a tubular member for housing the basic section, means for insulating said basic section from said housing member, a unitary structure for supporting the antenna including, an insulator, a metallic sleeve carried within the interior of the insulator, a metallic member carried on the exterior of the insulator and having a conically shaped end to t into said hole, insulating sealing means for fitting over the hole and protruding end of said metallic member and means carried by the upper end of said sleeve for holding said sealing means and the antenna to the vehicle body.

JOSEPH BENJAMIN CEJKA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,252,671 Ludwig Aug. 12, 1941 2,300,847 Russel Nov. 3, 1942 2,344,425 Snyder Mar. 14, 1944

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