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CLARK
MASTS
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| Page 4 of 18 - Clark Masts, over 67 Years Old in 2023 - WT Mast Series |
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In the early 1970's Clark Masts published their first catalogue in 16 years. Alec Clark, the company's founder had been designing and building portable air-operated telescopic masts since 1957. During this time Alec Clark's unique lightweight portable masts had found their way into applications throughout the world with government Departments Of Defence, Police Departments, Fire Departments and Emergency Services. Commercial and industrial applications included for Radio Field Strength Surveying, TV Field Strength Surveying and portable radio communications. Alec Clark's company, Clark Masts Limited, performed practically ever manufacturing operation itself in-house. Fabrication, casting, precision machining, canvas sewing, plastic and rubber mouldings, anodising and plating, painting, printing, publishing and even the manufacture of packing cases were all in-house operations. Australian users first saw these unique portable masts in the early 1960's courtesy of a antenna manufacturing company called Belling-Lee and the foresight of a gentleman working for them at the time, Frank Welsh. Frank went on, with others, to form his own company, Scalar Industries, in the late 1960's and brought the Clark Masts agency with him. Following Frank Welsh's retirement from Scalar in the mid 1980's GFS Electronics took on the Australian distributorship and continued to market Clark Masts in the Australia Asia-Pacific region until the company was closed in 2011. In 2012 a new company, started by Greg Whiter, who was previously Managing Director of GFS Electronics took over the Australian distributorship of Clark Masts. That new company is Portable Masts Australia Pty Ltd. Illustrated in this web page, for historical purposes, are the WT Series Masts pages from Clark Masts early 1970's catalogue. |
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The Clark Masts WT mast series of the late 1960's - early 1970's was their heaviest duty series, consisting of 11 different models, all with keyed sections to prevent inter-section rotation, making WT masts suitable for use with directional headloads. This early WT Series of masts was available in heights of 3.2 to 30.5 metres with headload capabilities from 11.2 to 136 Kg. Today's WT Series of masts includes a total of 140 models with heights from 3.47 to 30.57 metres and a headload capability from 12 to 120 Kg. |
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As can be seen from above, WT Series masts were particularly designed to be internally vehicle mounted where heavy loads were required to be lifted up to 30 metres. Battery powered Air Source/Mast Controllers provided mast extension/retraction control. A Tripod field mounting option was also available for the WT Series as was a handpump for manual extension. |
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From the table above it can be seen that Clark Masts early WT mast series were capable of operating, unguyed with 1000 square cm of sail area on top into wind, in wind speeds from 40 to 160 km/hr. If guyed WT models were rated from 80 to 160 km/hr. All WT Series masts had base tube diameters of 152.4 mm (6"), 38.1 mm (1.5") larger than the PT Series base tubes. Unlike the PT Series, all masts in the WT series (except the WT8) had 40 mm sockets at their head with a quick clamp for attachment of their headload. The WT8 retained a 24 mm socket like the PT, ST and QT series. |
 
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A range of accessories was available for the WT mast series which included mounting brackets for internal and external vehicle mounting, guy collars and guy assemblies as well as guy pickets etc. |
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CLARK
SCAMP MOPED - A
slight diversion
from portable mast
manufacturing
occurred for Alec Clark in 1967 with the design and
manufacture of a small moped called the Clark "Scamp". The Scamp
was developed and marketed in the United Kingdom by Alec's company AN Clark
(Engineers) Limited from March to November 1968. For more details on the
Clark
Scamp moped see
HERE. |
