Land vehicles – Wheeled – Wheel steering by attendant
Patent
1998-07-16
2000-04-18
Camby, Richard M.
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Wheel steering by attendant
280 4741, 28087021, 414590, F16M 1142
Patent
active
060505753
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to camera pedestals and is particularly, although not exclusively, intended for pedestals for supporting TV, video or cinematograph cameras.
Camera pedestals comprising a wheel mounted base supporting a column with a camera mounting at its upper end are well known for both studio and outside location work. The floor or ground over which the camera is to be moved invariably has power supply cables and other moveable obstructions laid on the floor and it is normal to provide the wheel units of the base or the base itself with cable guards to prevent the wheels from running over the cables/obstructions.
FR-A-983407 discloses a camera pedestal having a rolling base and a vertically extending column mounted on the base for supporting a camera at its upper end. The base has steerable wheel units with a cable mechanism linking the wheel unit to a steering arm for steering the base. The base has a depending skirt partially enclosing the wheel units. The skirt is such that there is a significant gap between the lower periphery of the skirt and the ground on which the wheel units run in which cables or other obstructions on the floor over which the base is moving can become trapped. No provision is made for adjusting the skirt.
This invention provides a camera pedestal comprising a rolling base, a vertically extending column mounted on the base and having a camera mounting at its upper end, the base comprising a chassis having steerable wheel units on which the chassis runs, a body on which the column is mounted, means to support the body for vertical adjustment on the chassis, and a skirt depending from the periphery of the body and encircling the chassis to sweep cables and other such obstructions from the path of the pedestal, the gap between the lower periphery of the skirt and the ground being minimised by adjustment of the body vertically with respect to the chassis.
Preferably the column is telescopic and is mounted on the body with its lower end projecting through the chassis into close proximity with the ground to provide a minimum height position for the camera mounting when the column is fully retracted.
More specifically the column may be mounted on the body with the lower end of the column generally flush with the lower level of the skirt so that adjusting the body height to set the skirt to a minimum clearance above the ground also sets the lower end of the column to a minimum clearance above the ground.
In any of the above arrangements the chassis and body may be generally triangular as viewed in plan, the chassis having steerable wheel units at the apices of the chassis and the vertically adjustable means comprising jacks between the body and chassis having a common drive mechanism for varying the extension of the jacks.
For example the jacks between the body and chassis may be screw-jacks, each having a rotatable adjustment member for extending/retracting the jack.
Preferably a steering mechanism for the wheel units is provided comprising a wheel encircling and rotatably mounted on the column and a transmission coupling the wheel to the steerable units on the chassis.
According to the further feature of the invention the steering transmission may be selectively coupleable either to the wheel units or to the jacks so that the wheel can be used either for steering the chassis or for adjusting the height of the base with respect of the chassis.
In an alternative arrangement a separate mechanism is provided for adjusting the jacks.
The following is a description of the specific embodiment of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a known form of pedestal for supporting a film/video/TV camera comprising a wheel mounted triangular base and an upright extendable column having a carrier for the camera at its upper end;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view through a corner of the base of a pedestal in accordance with the invention and having a chassis supported on the steerable wheel unit and a body supported on an adjustable sc
REFERENCES:
patent: 2661672 (1953-12-01), Fairbanks
patent: 3087630 (1963-04-01), Karrow et al.
patent: 3637233 (1972-01-01), Hoppl
patent: 4095250 (1978-06-01), Giglioli
patent: 5312121 (1994-05-01), Chapman
patent: 5716002 (1998-02-01), Lindsay
Camby Richard M.
Vitec Group PLC
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