Fire escape – ladder – or scaffold – Suspended platform
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-04
2001-07-24
Chin-Shue, Alvin (Department: 3634)
Fire escape, ladder, or scaffold
Suspended platform
C182S142000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06264001
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
The invention pertains to scaffolding hangers for use in the production of television programming or feature films. More particularly, the invention relates to scaffolding hangers that will permit the use of track-mounted sound booms and microphones or cameras by providing clearance for the sound boom or camera tracks.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various devices have been developed to permit sound recording or filming on production sets or sound stages used for television and feature film production. On a typical production set, sound and image recording equipment such as “sound booms” or cameras are mounted on catwalks supported by scaffolding hangers suspended from chains attached to the ceiling of the sound stage building. The scaffolding hangers typically include a pair of upright supports, one at the front of the hanger and one at the rear. Horizontal cross members are fixedly attached at the top and bottom of the upright supports. Planking is affixed to the lower horizontal cross members to provide the catwalk surface.
Recording equipment is typically affixed to the catwalk surface with swivel mountings and a number of recording devices are typically needed to insure coverage from all vantage points on the catwalks. Systems have been developed for mounting recording equipment on wheeled “trucks” that can travel along a track mounted to the catwalks. Using these systems, less recording equipment is required as the equipment may be moved along the track to provide recording coverage at varying locations. However, the recording equipment used tends to be large, particularly the sound booms. It is desirable that the equipment be placed as far forward on the catwalks (closest to the set) as possible. Using the prior art scaffolding hangers causes a problem when used in conjunction with track-mounted recording systems, as the track must be mounted behind the front upright support. These front upright supports cause a problem because the recording equipment is unable to slide easily past the uprights on the track without considerable adjustments. As a consequence, multiple sets of recording equipment are required, i.e., one set for every pair of scaffolding supports. As this equipment is very expensive to use and maintain, such a requirement greatly increases production costs.
Some of the prior art inventions developed to allow positioning of recording equipment at a production set include the following: U.S. Pat. No. 5,757,943 issued to Arledge, Jr. is directed to a movable microphone boom mounting device for mounting on a catwalk located above a stage. The boom is mounted to a rolling carriage that moves along a track attached to the catwalk. The boom's movement is limited by the uprights of the scaffolding supports to which the catwalk is attached.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,710,819 issued to Brown, is a cable suspension system for supporting and conveying equipment such as a camera for use within a defined space. This system does not permit hands-on control of the suspended recording equipment. U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,755, issued to Jonischkeit et al. is directed to a traveling carriage movable on a guide rod for positioning a spotlight in film recording studios. U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,932, issued to Chapman, is directed to a camera crane for use in motion picture and television productions. The crane has a mast on a wheeled chassis that has a supporting base providing for minimum interference with the boom it supports. U.S. Pat. No. 4,093,078 issued to Radek is directed to a metal skeletal tandem frame construction that has an intermediate upright that provides unencumbered access. The end supports, however, would interfere with any recording equipment movably supported by the structure. U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,999, issued to Nealeigh, is a scaffold extension and enclosure system that includes a cantilevered platform supported by a series of angular brackets. This system must be braced against a structure and/or the roof of the structure for support.
While other variations exist, the above-described designs for systems to support recording equipment over a production set are typical of those encountered in the prior art. It is an objective of the present invention to provide a system of scaffolding support that allows for the use of track-mounted recording equipment without interference from scaffolding support uprights, so as to minimize the amount of such equipment required. It is a further objective to provide a scaffolding support system that includes means for securing catwalks to the scaffolding supports. It is a still further objective of the invention to provide the above-described capabilities in using scaffolding supports that are lightweight, durable and inexpensive to produce. It is yet a further objective to provide scaffolding supports that will work easily within existing scaffolding suspension systems and that will accommodate standardized catwalks and recording equipment.
While some of the objectives of the present invention are disclosed in the prior art, none of the inventions found include all of the requirements identified.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention addresses all of the deficiencies of prior art weighing and counting inventions and satisfies all of the objectives described above.
A scaffolding support providing the desired features may be constructed from the following components. A rear upright member is provided. The rear upright has a first predetermined length, an upper end, a lower end, an inner side and first and second side surfaces. A center upright member is provided. The center upright has a second predetermined length less than the first predetermined length, an upper end, a lower end, an inner side, an outer side, first and second side surfaces and is spaced from and parallel to the rear upright. An upper connecting member is provided. The upper member has a first end, a second end and is fixedly attached at its first end adjacent the upper end of the rear upright and is fixedly attached between its first end and its second end to the upper end of the center upright.
A front upright member is provided. The front upright has a third predetermined length less than the first predetermined length, a first end, a second end, an inner side, an outer side and is parallel to the center upright. A lower connecting platform is provided. The lower platform has an upper surface, a lower surface, a first end, a second end and is fixedly attached at its first end adjacent the lower end of the rear upright and is fixedly attached at its second end to the second end of the front upright.
Means are provided for attaching the lower end of the center upright to the lower connecting platform between its first end and its second end. First and second connection means are provided. The first connection means is fixedly attached at the upper end of the rear upright. The second connection means is fixedly attached adjacent the second end of the upper connecting member.
An upper reinforcing strut is provided. The upper strut extends from a first point adjacent the second end of the upper connecting member to a second point between the upper end of the center upright and the lower end of the center upright. A lower reinforcing strut is provided. The lower strut has a first end and a second end and extends from a third point adjacent the second end of the front upright to a fourth point between the lower end of the center upright and the upper end of the center upright, the fourth point is spaced from the second point.
A horizontal reinforcing strut is provided. The horizontal strut extends from a fifth point located between the first end of the front upright and the second end of the front upright to a sixth point located between the first end and the second end of the lower reinforcing strut. First and second restraining means are provided. The first restraining means is pivotally mounted adjacent the lower end of the rear upright. The second restraining means is pivotally mounted adjacent the second end of the front upright.
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Beehler & Pavitt
Belasco David A.
Chin-Shue Alvin
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