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  Tilt-up support towerUSPTO Application #: 20070175134Title: Tilt-up support tower Abstract: The support tower assembly of the disclosed invention includes an upper tower section and a tower base section pivotally joined together. The tower base section is also pivotally mounted. Both the upper tower section and the lower base section are readily pivoted selectively to be raised and lowered using a leveraged design cable systems and a small winch. A mounting base system is provided to support the tilt-up tower. (end of abstract)
Agent: Nikolai & Mersereau, P.A. - Minneapolis, MN, US Inventor: Ronald E. Christenson USPTO Applicaton #: 20070175134 - Class: 052292000 (USPTO) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070175134. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] I. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates generally to elevating support structures or towers. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a partially counter-balanced, multi-stage pivoting support tower assembly for supporting a conventional elevated operating device of interest, such as an electric power generating wind turbine, in which ease of raising the tower and lowering the tower to service the device of interest are advantages. [0003] II. Related Art [0004] Support towers for electric power generating wind turbine devices, radio transmitters, cellular phone relay stations, television antennae equipment and other such elevated devices have been in use for many years. These towers usually are assembled from successive sections raised by derrick cranes or the like and bolted into place by workers who have scaled the assembled portion. The device of interest is normally fixed to a mast attached to the top section of the tower. In order to service or repair a wind turbine or other device carried by the upper-most section of the tower, service personnel must either climb the tower and work on the device in situ or disassemble the device from the tower and lower it to the ground for it to be accessible there. [0005] Tilt-up tower constructions have also been proposed such as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,366,386. However, such towers do not have a multi-step tilt-up system with a leveraged construction which allows easy staged tilting for both placement and maintenance. [0006] Given the above, it therefore would present a great advantage if such a tower could be erected and lowered for service without the need for cranes or workers to climb the tower or relatively high powered winches. The present invention allows these operations to be carried out from the ground and without the need for heavy equipment, only small, low-powered winch devices or the like. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] By means of the present invention there is provided a collapsible, tilt-up and pivoting support tower assembly for supporting an elevated device of interest, such as an electric power generating wind turbine, which requires only a small, low-power operating winch to raise and lower the tower providing both ease of raising into place and lowering for disassembly or servicing of associated equipment. The support tower assembly of the invention includes an upper tower section and a tower base section pivotally joined together. In one embodiment, the assembly is based on three-point support in which the tower base section is also pivotally mounted on two legs and has a free leg to provide a third support point. Both the upper tower section and the tower base section are readily raised and lowered using separate cable systems and a mechanized winch. A mounting base system is provided which includes three spaced points of support for receiving the support legs for the base section and includes a pair of spaced pivotal mounts and a fixed leg receiving mount spaced from the pivotal mounts and providing an anchor point for the third leg. [0008] In one illustrative embodiment, the free leg of the pivoting tower base section is a composite strut leg or strut support that includes converging struts. It combines with a pair of base section pivoting support legs having free upper ends and lower ends designed to be received and pivotally attached to a pair of spaced pivotal shaft mounts using openings in the lower ends thereof and pivot pins. An upper tower section is provided which is designed to attach to and pivot about a main pivot shaft connected with the free upper ends of the base section. The upper section support legs are pivotally mounted using bearings so that the upper tower section is able to pivot between an upright raised position and a lowered service or assembly position. The upper tower section includes an extended aspect extending beyond the pivot assembly which compliments the tower base section and provides an extended lever arm for ease of pivoting the upper tower section. [0009] A winching mechanism is provided for selectively pivoting the tower base section and the upper tower section utilizing cables. Pulleys are provided to selectively reduce the cable tension force needed to pivot the upper tower section. Latching systems selectively fix the upper tower section to the tower base section and the free strut leg of the tower base section to the fixed mount to secure the tower in an upright or fully raised position. These may be in the form of removable bolts. [0010] In the fully upright position, the tower of this embodiment assumes a slightly truncated profile on the side described by the pivoting legs. This places the center of balance of the upper tower section slightly beyond the pivot joints and thereby slightly biases the upper section toward pivoting into a lowered position when it is not retained in place. As indicated above, the upper tower section is normally latched in place by being bolted to the tower base section. Cable tension is used to replace the latch bolt when it is desired to lower the upper tower section so that lowering is accomplished by using the winch to play out cable. Thus, the cable system for the upper tower section should be in place when the upper tower section is unlatched. [0011] It should be noted that the number of base points of support or base support configuration may be varied so long as a stable system is provided. A four-leg or four-point support embodiment along with an embodiment with a platform base are also illustrated in the detailed description. [0012] An embodiment having an open-sided pivoting base tower section in combination with a pivoting boom or upper tower section is also described. The upper tower section pivots from the top of the lower tower section on spaced bearing assemblies and is leveraged by a tail section which, when the upper tower section is raised, nests in the open side of the base tower section where the tail is fastened to the lower tower section. The lower tower section may be bolted to a platform. The upper tower section is not truncated and is slightly biased to pivot downward when it is released by mounting the bearing assemblies slightly off center with respect to the upper tower section. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0013] In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote like parts throughout the same: [0014] FIG. 1a is a perspective schematic elevational view of one embodiment of a truss-type support tower assembly constructed in accordance with the invention shown in a fully deployed or elevated position; [0015] FIG. 1b is a side elevational view of the embodiment of FIG. 1a; [0016] FIG. 1c is an enlarged fragmentary schematic detail of pivot mount for a support leg of a support tower assembly; [0017] FIG. 1d is an enlarged fragmentary schematic detail of a pivot assembly between an upper tower section and tower base section; [0018] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a mounting base layout suitable for the support tower assembly of FIGS. 1a and 1b; [0019] FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing of the support tower assembly of FIGS. 1a and 1b fully assembled and pivotally attached to a mounting base, but prior to being raised into an elevated position; [0020] FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of the support tower assembly of FIG. 3 shown with the tower base section partially raised; [0021] FIG. 5 is a schematic drawing of the support tower assembly of FIG. 3 with the tower base section in a fully upright disposition and the upper tower section slightly raised by a connected cable prior to being fully raised or in a lowered position for service; Continue reading... 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