Abstract: A tripod is provided having three pairs of adjacent telescoping legs and a lock mechanism for locking the adjacent legs in a desired position. The lock mechanism comprises a lever connecting a pair of lock assemblies associated with each adjacent leg for movement between an unlocked position wherein the legs may be telescopingly adjusted and a locked position wherein the lock assembly exerts a clamping force on its respective leg for locking the leg in a desired position. Each lock assembly comprises a clamp member for receiving a telescoping leg and a threaded hole adapted to receive a threaded end of a lock screw. A lock screw clamp attached to the head end of the lock screw controls the rotation of the lock screw into and out of the hole.

Abstract: A method for scrolling, at a desired rate and in a given direction, a graphic character on a display having a predetermined number of actual scan lines and a vertical blanking interval occurring between successive display of all the actual horizontal scan lines of the display, involves the creation of fractional scan lines between successive vertical blanking intervals, the identification of leading and trailing edges of the character and the selective changing of the color or shading of pixels of the leading and trailing edges to effect scolling of the character.

Abstract: An instrument support device for adjustably receiving a member of a support plate having an outer spherical surface wherein the socket, formed integrally, is an outer and upper ring portion connected to an inner and lower ring portion by intercrossed ribs with upper surfaces of the ring portions and ribs defining segments of a conical surface capable of cooperating with spherical surfaces of differing radii. The lower surface of the socket forms a substantially spherical clamping surface, such that a locking knob can draw a range of spherical surfaces into a clamped relation with the conical support surface. The socket forms a tripod head by having lugs on the upper ring portion that extend out and embrace the elements of the tripod legs so that the tripod legs are mounted from the outside of their respective elements.

Abstract: A camera panhead, for panning the camera about a vertical axis and tilting the camera about a horizontal axis, including fluid drag systems and a counterbalance system. The fluid drag systems each include a drag disk assembly secured to the rotating shaft and drag sector assemblies pivotally mounted to the housing and disposed about the circumference of the disk assembly to define a space containing viscous fluid. The level of drag exerted may be adjusted by pivoting the sector assemblies toward or away from the disk assembly to vary the space containing viscous fluid. The counterbalance system includes two spring sets mounted in planes perpendicular to the tilt axis. As the camera tilts, one end of each of the springs remains relatively stationary as the opposite ends rotate about the tilt axis to exert a restoring torque to counterbalance the camera. The system may be adjusted to vary the level of restoring torque exerted.