Abstract: The disclosure relates to an extendible arm for a camera stand or the like, comprising an outer elongate rigid sleeve and an inner elongate rigid sleeve telescopically slidable with respect to the outer sleeve to extend therefrom by a variable amount. One end of the inner sleeve disposed within the outer sleeve has a detent mechanism for locking the inner sleeve in any of a number of positions of extension with respect to the outer sleeve and a release member for the detent mechanism is provided at the other end of the inner sleeve which projects from the outer sleeve with a connection between the release member and detent mechanism extending through the inner sleeve for remote operation of the detent mechanism by the release member.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a camera mounting (11) providing a number of axes of movement for a camera supported on the mounting with a motor drive for each axis. A manually operable control system is provided for the motorized drives having a control member (16) and means operable in response to forces applied manually to the control member in the direction of the respective axes to energize the corresponding motor drive or drives for the mounting to produce movement of the mounting proportional to the force applied in the or each axis.

Abstract: A pedestal for a TV, video, or cinematograph camera having a base mounted on steerable wheel units. The carrier comprises a counter-balanced arm mounted on the base for rotation about a vertical axis and tiltable about a horizontal axis, the steering mechanism is coupled to the arm and steerable wheel units so that rotation of the arm about the vertical axis causes a corresponding steering movement of the wheel units and the direction in which the steerable wheel units are steered is in alignment with the horizontal direction of the arm so that as the base is moved by an operator in a horizontal direction, the pedestal follows that direction.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a counter-balanced load carrier comprising a multi-stage telescopic arm (10). One stage (24) adjacent one end of the arm is mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis (29) in a carrier (17,21) mounted for rotation by a vertical axis (20) on a mobile base (11). The adjacent end stage (23) of the arm carries a counterweight and the end stage (28) at the other end of the arm carries a support (32) for a TV or video camera. The respective stages of the arm are interconnected by a cable or like mechanism to extend and retract together maintaining a fixed ratio between the radius of the payload support and the horizontal axis and the counterweight and the horizontal axis so that the arm remains counterbalanced throughout its range of extension and retraction. The cable mechanism also acts on the camera support on said end section of the arm to maintain the support horizontal throughout the range of tilting of the arm.

Abstract: A tiltable mounting for a payload includes a base (10), a support member (15) for supporting the payload thereon, the support member being tiltable about a horizontal axis (14) on the base for tilting about each side of a top dead center position about said horizontal axis, and a torque generating mechanism (17) mounted on the base and acting on the tiltable support to generate a torque in response to tilting of the support equal and opposite to the out of balance moment of the support with its payload to hold the support balanced in any position of movement about said axis. A plurality of torque generating units (20, 21) are provided each generating a torque which varies sinusoidaly with displacement, and a mechanism (22, 23, 31, 32, 35, 36, 37) provided for adjusting the phase angle between the torque generating means to vary the collective amplitude of the torque generating mechanism to suit the weight of the payload on the support member.