The telescoping mast is the structure used to raise the payload to an operational level. It consists of several concentric, nesting mast sections, fabricated from aluminum tube, that extend and retract pneumatically. The telescoping mast can be non-locking or locking.
The non-locking telescoping mast must remain pressurized to support the payload at an extended height. The locking telescoping mast can be depressurized once the desired sections are raised and locked into position. The base mast section is constructed from the tube with the largest diameter and the top mast section is constructed from the tube with the smallest diameter. The intermediate mast sections are any mast section in between the base and top mast sections. Aluminum collars are fitted to the top end of each mast section, except for the top mast section that is fitted with a top tube stop. When the telescoping mast is completely retracted, the collars nest on top of each other. The collars on a locking mast are fitted with a locking mechanism including a yoke assembly. Where guying is required, lugs or holes used to attach the guy lines are integral to the locking mast’s fabricated collar. Each mast section, except the base mast section, has two rectangular keys along the length of the tube. The keys match with keyways on the larger, adjacent mast section’s collar. The keys and keyways are used to establish azimuth (rotational) integrity between the sections.
