Camera pedestal drive column
AssigneeLeonard Studio Equipment, Inc.
InventorLeonard T. Chapman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A camera pedestal has a cylinder with a tapering cross-section for providing a uniform counterbalancing force using a compressed gas. Telescoping column sections which make up a column assembly have inner relief channels and outer slots for hardened roller strips. A column drive system has a hydraulic actuator to remotely raise the column assembly, and to lock the column assembly into any selected position. The column assembly is eccentrically positioned on its base tank. The pedestal is engageable to a receptacle on a camera dolly with a telescoping steering drive tube interconnecting a steering assembly on the pedestal with a steering system in the dolly.
Claims17
An adjustable camera pedestal comprising:
- a hollow, drive cylinder having a first end and a second end joined by a tapered wall, said second end having a cross section area greater than that of said first end;
- a piston slidably displaceable within said drive cylinder;
- a seal on said piston expandable to substantially seal said piston against said tapered wall at all positions between either of said first and second ends of said drive cylinder;
- a drive rod attached to the piston;
- a column section supported at least indirectly by the drive rod;
- and
- a hydraulic tube within the drive rod.
An adjustable camera pedestal comprising:
- a hollow drive cylinder having a first end and a second end joined by a tapered wall, said second end having a cross section area greater than that of said first end:
- a piston slidably displaceable within said drive cylinder;
- a seal on said piston expandable to substantially seal said piston against said tapered wall at all positions between either of said first and second ends of said drive cylinder;
- a drive rod attached to the piston;
- a column section supported at least indirectly by the drive rod;
- a hydraulic tube within the drive rod;
- and
- a hydraulic system connected to the hydraulic tube with an inflexible hydraulic line.
A camera support comprising:
- a gas cylinder;
- a piston slidably positioned within the gas cylinder;
- a piston seal between the piston and the gas cylinder;
- a hollow drive rod attached to the piston;
- a first column section attached at least indirectly to the hollow drive rod;
- a hydraulic tube within the hollow drive rod;
- a hydraulic seal between the hydraulic tube and the drive rod;
- a compressed gas source connecting to the gas cylinder;
- and
- a pressurized fluid source connecting to the hydraulic tube.
An adjustable camera support comprising:
- a chassis;
- a column support base fixed to the chassis;
- a hollow drive cylinder, having a first end and a second end joined by a tapered wall, said second end having a cross section area greater than that of said first end, and said first end fixed to the column support base;
- an annular piston slidably displaceable within said cylinder;
- a seal on said piston expandable to substantially seal said piston against said tapered wall at all positions between either of said first and second ends of said cylinder;
- a column section linked to said piston;
- and
- a hydraulic tube extending through the piston.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.