Aerial support platform mechanism with five axes of motion

An aerial support mechanism for providing five independently addressable degrees of axial freedom to multiple cameras, said mechanism comprising:

• a plurality of vertically spaced pairs of parallel first cables in support at both ends and supporting a respective pair of first carriages therefrom, said respective pair of first carriages having respective first movement means for movement along said respective first cables;
• a plurality of pairs of transverse second cables extending between and affixed to respective pairs of said first carriages, for providing laterally-directed tension to said respective first pairs of cables by way of a respective one of said first carriages, each pair of said second cables terminating at a respective one of said first carriages and adjustably terminating at the respective other first carriage;
• a plurality of second carriages, one each of said second carriages depending from a respective pair of said second cables and each of said second carriages having independent second movement means for movement along a respective pair of said second cables;
• a plurality of platform members, each one of said platform members depending from a set of third cables fixed to and depending from a respective second carriage and terminating in third movement means disposed on said platform member for effecting movement of each of said platform members vertically with respect to said respective second carriage;
• each of said platform members further comprising rotatably mounted jointed means with a platform depending therefrom for supporting a respective cameras said articulating means rotatable about a horizontal axis by means of respective fourth movement means, and said articulating means including a fifth movement means to effect rotation of said platform about a vertical axis;
• and
• control means for remotely and independently controlling individually the movement of each of the respective first, second, third, fourth and fifth movement means.

An aerial support mechanism for providing five independently addressable degrees of axial freedom to multiple cameras, said mechanism comprising:

• a pair of spaced parallel first cables in support at both ends and supporting a plurality of respective pairs of first carriages therefrom, said respective pairs of first carriages having respective first movement means for movement along said first cables;
• said pairs of first carriages further providing a pair of respective transverse second cables extending between and terminating at respective one of first carriages and tensionably terminating at the other respective first carriage for providing laterally-directed tension to said first pair of cables;
• a plurality of second carriages one each of said second carriages depending from a respective pair of said second cables, and having respective second movement means for movement along a respective second cable;
• a plurality of platform members, each one of said platform members depending from a set of third cables fixed to and depending from a respective second carriage and terminating in third movement means disposed on said platform member for effecting movement of each of said platform members vertically with respect to said respective second carriage;
• and
• control means for remotely and independently controlling individually the movement of each of the respective first, second, third, fourth and fifth movement means.

An aerial support platform mechanism comprising:

• a first pair of support cables each affixed at each end to support means;
• a pair of first carriages each moving along a respective one of said first pair of support cables;
• a drive cable reciprocating each carriage of said first pair along its respective support cable, each said drive cable connected at one end to its respective carriage, passing around a resiliently mounted pulley adjacent one end of the support cable, around a reversible drive means for reciprocating said drive cable adjacent an opposite end of the support cable and connected at an opposite end to said respective carriage;
• a second pair of support cables each terminating at one end to one of said pair of first carriages and adjustably terminating at the other end to the other one of said pair of first carriages, said second pair of support cables acting through said pair of first carriages to tension said first pair of support cables;
• a drive cable reciprocating a second carriage along said second support cables, said drive cable connected at one end to said second carriage, passing around a pulley disposed on one of said first pair of carriages, around a reversible drive means for reciprocating said drive cable disposed on the other one of said pair of first carriages and connected at an opposite end to said second carriage;
• a set of third support cables depending from said second carriage, each one of said third set of cables attached at one end to said second carriage and attached at the other end to a respective reversible drive means, said respective drive means mounted on a platform;
• a support arm rotatably depending from said platform and adapted to be rotated about a vertical first axis by a first rotatable drive means, said support arm adapted to provide rotation to a second platform depending therefrom about an axis generally normal to said first axis by a second rotatable drive means;
• and
• control means for remotely and independently controlling the movement of each of said reversible drive means and said first and second rotatable drive means.