Mobile lighting system

A mobile lighting system allowing quick transport and setup, easy maneuverability and manipulatibility, and flexible operation and control, comprising:

• a boom connected to a mobile self-powered platform;
• a boom base for the boom, rotatable around a first vertical axis;
• a boom arm having a first section extending between the boom base and a first joint, and second section extending between the first joint and the second joint;
• a boom head means attached to the second joint, the first and second sections extendable along second and third axes, the first and second joints allowing pivotal translation of the first and second sections and the head;
• boom head being rotatably approximately 355.degree. around the end of the boom arm around a fourth axis;
• a light rack attached to the boom head, the light rack moving correspondingly with the rotatably boom head;
• fixture mounts connected between the light rack and light fixtures, allowing pivoting of the light fixtures with respect to fifth and sixth axes;
• and
• the combination allowing multiple degrees of freedom of movement of the fixtures, allowing them to be placed in a variety of orientations, substantially any where within a large spherical zone defined in part by the length of the boom fully extended.

A mobile lighting system comprising:

• a mobile base means;
• an extendable, articulateable crane means mounted on the base means;
• a light rack connected to the end of the crane means, the rack having a connection means to the crane means, and a frame means, the connection means providing generally 355.degree. rotation to the light rack, and the frame means including a front bar having opposite ends and two side wing bars extending obtusely from opposite ends of the front bar and diverging from each other;
• and
• fixture mounts on the front bar of the frame means, and additional fixture mounts towards distal ends of the side wing bars to space apart and offset the fixture mounts from each other.

A mobile lighting system comprising:

• a mobile base means;
• an extendable and articulateable crane means connected to the base means;
• a light rack means connected to the end of the crane means;
• fixture mounts on the light rack means for attachment of light fixtures;
• motor means associated with the light fixtures for panning and tilting of each fixture;
• the motor means including a drive shaft connected to a motor;
• a gear having an axle connected to the fixture mount;
• a pinion detachably connected to the drive shaft and associated with the gear to translate rotational movement from the drive shaft to the gear;
• a cam means operatively connected to the axle;
• and
• the drive shaft pivotable with respect to the pinion to disconnect the drive shaft from the pinion, the pinion having bias means to lock the pinion in position when the drive shaft is pivoted away from the pinion to prevent movement of the fixture when the drive shaft is disconnected, the cam having a handle which can be manually moved to manually turn the fixture axle and move the fixture.

A mobile lighting system comprising:

• a mobile base;
• an extendable, articulateable crane;
• a light rack at the end of the crane;
• ballast means mounted on the mobile base, the ballast means comprising a containing box, sealable air vents on the containing box, a fan within the containing box to cool the contents of the box;
• ballasts for lights on the light rack, and track means associated with the mobile base and the containing box to allow the containing box to be slideably moved with respect to the mobile base to allow access to the containing box, and securement means on the mobile base for securing the retaining box positioned with respect to the mobile base within a frame supporting the mobile base.

A mobile lighting system comprising:

• a mobile base;
• an extendable, articulateable crane;
• a light rack attached to the end of the crane;
• an on-board generator means producing power over a range of frequencies;
• a frequency monitor means for monitoring actual frequency of the generator means;
• a desired frequency means to set a desired frequency for the generator means;
• comparative means for determining if the actual and desired frequencies are sufficiently close to one another;
• transmitter means for transmitting a signal if the desired frequencies are not sufficiently close;
• and
• receiving means to issue a signal that the actual and desired frequencies are not sufficiently close.

A method of mobile lighting comprising:

• placing an articulateable and extendable boom with a plurality of pivotable joints upon the bed of a single rear axle truck means;
• placing electrical power generating means and control means on the truck means;
• attaching an articulateable boom head to the end of the boom means;
• attaching a light rack to the articulateable boom head;
• attaching light fixture mounting means at spaced apart locations on the light rack, including means to pan and tilt each individual fixture;
• including ballast means on the truck mans;
• and
• transporting the entire preassembled, ready to operate components of the system to a lighting location with the light fixtures attached to the boom during transport and utilizing the generating means to facilitate operation of the boom means, boom head means, panning and tilting means, and operation of lamps in the fixtures to provide ready to light mobile lighting.