Theatrical transportation apparatus

A theatrical personnel transportation apparatus for positioning a performer in a vertical viewing plane having a portion thereof exposed to a viewing audience comprising:

• an elongated stationary monorail lying in the vertical viewing plane out of view of the audience;
• said monorail having an upper track and a lower track extending between the opposite ends of said monorail;
• a first movable carriage carried on said upper track and a second movable carriage carried on said lower track whereby both of said carriages being adapted to move between the opposite ends of said tracks respectively;
• a first pulley system having a plurality of pulley wheels and a line trained over said wheels wherein the opposite ends of said line are connected to the respective opposite ends of said carriage so that said carriage may be selectively moved along said upper track;
• a second pulley system having a first pair of pulley wheels carried on said first carriage and a line trained over said pair of pulley wheels having its opposite ends fixly secured to said monorail whereby said second carriage moves in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of said first carriage and at twice the speed;
• and
• a third pulley system having a second pair of pulley wheels disposed so that one pulley wheel is mounted on said first carriage and the other pulley wheel of the pair is mounted on said second carriage and a line trained over said second pair of pulley wheels wherein the opposite ends of said line are connected to a wind-up drum and to the performer respectively whereby the performer is supported in mid-air from said monorail so that the performer may be maneuvered vertically and laterally within the vertical viewing plane exposed to the audience in response to movement of said first and second carriages respectively.