Solar ladder

Claim 1

A solar energy concentrating apparatus comprising: a pair of upright support members spaced apart from each other in an east-west direction; a plurality of parabolic solar reflectors spaced in vertical alignment, each having concave and convex surfaces and a focus and each being symmetrically aligned about a plane extending in an east-west direction and passing through said focus and inclined to a variable degree toward the earth's equator, said reflectors being carried between said upright support members and rotatably mounted relative thereto about mounting axes; a longitudinal horizontal solar energy collector means positioned at the focus of each of said parabolic reflectors; vertically oriented control rods displaced toward the earth's equator relative to said upright support members and proximate thereto, each control rod having upper and lower rotatable connections to an adjacent upright support member, whereby said control rods move in translation in arcuate paths relative to said upright supports while maintaining a vertical orientation, horizontal support bars extending laterally between ones of said control rods to support said reflectors in rotational movement about said mounting axes, whereby said convex surfaces of said reflectors ride upon said support bars as said control rods move in their arcuate paths, a vertical guide arm associated with each control rod and coupled to move in tandem therewith, and said vertical guide arms carry said solar energy collector means, upper and lower connecting links of equal length joining each control rod to approximately located upright support, thereby forming parallelogram linkage for elevating said control rod, and actuating means for moving said control rods in said arcuate paths to track the sun to orient said reflectors to capture and concentrate the rays of the sun at said focuses, whereby said guide arms continually maintain said solar energy collector means at said focuses.