Portable light tower
View Patent ↗Disclosed is a compact portable light tower that can be stacked or nested. The light tower employs a scissors lift mechanism to raise a set of bar lights from a housing having a height of about 28″ and a length of about 60″, to an extended height of about 360″. The scissors lift is extended and retracted by use of a linear actuator. Batteries or an engine/generator assembly is employed for operation of the actuator and light bar. The housing can be stacked for ease of storage and transportation. Outriggers provide stabilization of ground engagement.
1. A portable light tower comprising:
a housing formed from a flat bottom wall, a top formed from a flat left-hinged lid and a flat right-hinged lid, and side walls defining four corners, each said corner including an alignment sleeve constructed and arranged for stacking or nesting with a similar shaped housing;
the alignment sleeve secured to each said corner between said flat bottom wall and said side walls;
an outrigger secured to each said corner of said housing, said outrigger having a first end of a displacement arm pivotally coupled to said housing and a second end having an aperture allowing a vertically disposed extendable stand member to provide corner height adjustment;
a scissor jack assembly mounted within said stackable housing, said scissor jack assembly formed from a plurality of bars each hingedly connected together at a first end, a center point, and a second end; said scissor jack assembly having a bottom bar slidably secured to said housing and an upper bar attached to a light bar;
an actuator have a first end secured to said housing and a second end secured to said bottom bar, said actuator constructed and arranged to extend and retract said light bar a vertical distance above said housing; and
a power source for operating said actuator and said light bar.
2. The portable light tower according to claim 1 wherein said actuator is linear.
3. The portable light tower according to claim 1 wherein said actuator is mounted between a horizontal position and a vertical position.
4. The portable light tower according to claim 1 wherein said actuator is mounted at about a 45 degree angle relative to a vertical position.
5. The portable light tower according to claim 1 wherein said light bar includes a telescoping member for extending the position of at least one lighting device.
6. The portable light tower according to claim 1 including an electrical generator having an internal combustion engine mounted within said housing and electrically coupled to said light bar.
7. The portable light tower according to claim 6 wherein said electrical generator is directly mounted to said internal combustion engine to eliminate the need for a baseplate.
8. The portable light tower according to claim 1 including a plurality of batteries mounted within said housing and electrically coupled to said light bar.
9. The portable light tower according to claim 1 wherein said at least two side walls of said housing include lifting point apertures positioned along an upper portion of said housing for use in conjunction with a forklift.
10. The portable light tower according to claim 1 wherein said housing is releasably secured to a trailer.