Supports – Stand – Understructure
Patent
1995-02-08
1996-10-22
Ramirez, Ramon O.
Supports
Stand
Understructure
248351, 248688, 369428, F16M 1120
Patent
active
055669158
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a stand. More specifically the invention relates to a monopod with improved stability. The invention also relates to an accessory for fitting onto a stand to improve stability.
Known camera stands can be divided into two main groups: tripods and monopods. Tripods are advantageous from the stability point of view, but are generally relatively bulky and heavy to move/transport, as well as being complicated to set up, particularly on uneven surfaces or surfaces which are not horizontal. Tripods also require a relatively large surface on which the legs can be spread out.
Monopods, on the other hand, weigh little and take up little space during transport, are quick to set up, easy to move with a camera attached while work is in progress, can be placed on substantially any surface and only require a small area.
These advantages of monopods are obtained, however, at the expense of the good stability of tripods. This instability of monopods is a great problem, particularly when filming/photographing with long focal distances, since even an extremely small displacement of the stand, in the magnitude of only a few millimeters, may cause a many time greater, often unacceptable, displacement of the picture.
Monopods also have the drawback that the user must hold onto the stand or the camera fitted thereon the whole time he is working in order to prevent the stand tipping over.
In addressing these drawbacks of the known stands the object of the present invention is to achieve a stand with good stability, which is simple and quick to set up, easy to move while working, has low weight, is not bulky, can be placed on a small area on a surface that is not necessarily flat, and which will not fall over even if no longer being held in the hands.
Accordingly a first aspect of the invention comprises a steadying device for use with a one-legged stand such as a camera monopod, the device comprising a clamp adapted to fit around the monopod leg, a prop section having one end connected to the clamp, and a base plate connected to the other end of the prop section, whereby, in use, the clamp is connected to a point along the length of the monopod leg and the base plate placed on the ground so that the user can steady the assembly by placing his foot on it.
The invention also extends to a monopod including a steadying device comprising a prop one end of which is pivotally connected to the monopod, and having a footplate pivotally connected to the other end, whereby the prop and the footplate can be folded parallel to the monopod for transport purposes.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the leg of the stand is provided with a pivotable link-arm with a hinged attached. The link-arm is connected by one end of the leg at a point between its ends to enable pivotal movement in a plane parallel with the leg of the stand between a transport position folded in against the leg of the stand and an extended, operating position, and that the base plate is hinged to the other end of the link-arm for pivotal movement in a plane coinciding with the pivotal plane of the link-arm.
In transport position the link-arm and base plate may preferably be folded against the leg of the stand, aligned with each other and parallel to the leg of the stand.
In operating position the link-arm is normally directed obliquely down towards the surface on which the lower end of the leg stands whereupon, thanks to its freedom of movement in relation to the link-arm, the base plate can be applied on the ground surface and held there by the user's foot.
In the operating position described above i.e. when the link-arm is directed obliquely down towards the underlying surface, the leg of the stand, the link-arm and the underlying surface form a stabilizing triangle which, if the stand is situated vertically on a flat surface, constitutes a right-angled triangle.
In operating position the link-arm may also be directed obliquely upwards or at right angles out from the leg of the stand. This may be useful on uneven surfaces, such as st
REFERENCES:
patent: 2668682 (1954-02-01), Dalton
patent: 2750141 (1956-06-01), Tobias
patent: 4007554 (1977-02-01), Helmstadter
patent: 4987912 (1991-01-01), Taylor
patent: 5002252 (1991-03-01), Setala et al.
patent: 5297771 (1994-03-01), Gilbert
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