Land vehicles – Wheeled – Wheel steering by attendant
Patent
1995-08-08
1998-02-10
Johnson, Brian L.
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Wheel steering by attendant
280 4741, B62B 108
Patent
active
057160627
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to camera pedestals and is particularly applicable, although not exclusively, to a pedestal described and illustrated in our EP-A-94900957.5.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,095,250 discloses a steerable camera carriage comprising a triangular base having upright shafts rotatably supported at each of its corners. Each shaft has a support wheel for the carriage below the base and a camera mounting above the base. An upright steering column is mounted centrally on the base with an encircling steering wheel at its upper end and, below the base, a drive sprocket arrangement coupling the column to the corner shaft for steering the base and/or directing the camera. Thus, the steering wheel can be rotated so that a selected camera is directed to view the-subject to be photographed.
DE-A-3918101 discloses a mobile dolly having a vertically extending lifting column mounted on an chassis and having a horizontally extending jib pivotally mounted on the upper end of the column above the horizontal axis. One end of the jib has a platform for supporting a camera and, optionally, a cameraman seat. The other end of the jib carries a counterweight for balancing the weight of the camera/cameraman.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention provides a pedestal for a TV, video, or cinematograph camera having a base mounted on steerable wheel units, means for steering the wheel units for moving the base in a desired direction and a carrier for supporting a camera on the base; characterized in that the carrier comprises a counter-balanced arm mounted on the base for rotation about a vertical axis and to tilt about a horizontal axis, the steering means being coupled to the arm and the steerable wheel units so that rotation of the arm about said vertical axis causes a corresponding steering movement of the wheel units and the direction in which the steerable wheel units are steered is in alignment with the horizontal direction of the arm so that as the base is moved by an operator in said horizontal direction, the pedestal follows that direction.
Preferably the base is supported on a number of spaced steerable wheel units all of which are rotatably mounted on the base for steering about vertical axes and at least certain of which are coupled to the rotary mounting of the arm to be steered thereby.
More specifically all of the steerable wheel units may be coupled to the rotary mounting to be steered thereby so that all of the wheel units are aligned in parallel with one another and are steered collectively.
The base may be of triangular form having steerable wheel units at each apex thereof.
By way of example a belt or chain drive may interconnect the steerable wheel units to steer together.
In the latter arrangement drive means may be provided for connecting the rotary mounting of the arm to one of the steerable wheel units to transmit rotation of the mounting with the arm to the steerable units.
In one particular construction according to the invention the drive means between the rotary mounting and the steerable unit may comprise a toothed belt/chain drive.
In any of the above arrangements the rotary mounting for the arm may comprise a column mounted on the base for rotation about a vertical axis and the balanced arm may be mounted for rotation on the column about a horizontal axis.
Also in any of the above arrangements the base may be of triangular form having wheel units at each apex thereof.
According to a further feature of the invention the arm may be extendable and may be counter-balanced throughout the range of extension/retraction with a camera on the arm.
In the latter arrangement motor means may be provided for driving at least certain of the base wheels and means may be provided for actuating the arm in response to extension thereof to follow the direction in which the camera is drawn by the operator and to maintain the extension of the arm within a predetermined limit.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
The following is a description of a specific embodiment of the invent
REFERENCES:
patent: 2661672 (1953-12-01), Fairbanks
patent: 3087630 (1963-04-01), Karnow et al.
patent: 4095250 (1978-06-01), Giglioli
patent: 5312121 (1994-05-01), Chapman
Butts Jonathan E.
Johnson Brian L.
Vitec Group, plc.
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