Abstract: The disclosure relates to a pan and tilt head (12) for an optical apparatus (10) (e.g. a video camera) which captures or creates an image. The head has a base (19) to be mounted on a support structure (11) (e.g. a tripod), and a body (15) is mounted on the base for pan movement and a platform mounted on the body for tilt movement, about a tilt axis to receive the optical apparatus. The head includes damping means for damping both pan and tilt movement and transducer means (17, 20) for measuring tilt movement of the body about said tilt axis and pan movement of the base to provide measures of unwanted pan and tilt movement for correction of the optical apparatus for said unwanted movement.

Abstract: This invention provides a pedestal for a TV, video or cine camera comprising a base supported on at least three steerable wheel units, a steering system for the wheel units for maintaining the wheel units in parallel alignment with one another, a monitoring system for the wheel units and the steering system, and means for determining the distance moved by each wheel unit and the angle steered in relation to a fixed axis defined on the base. The monitoring system having processor means for calculating from the distances moved by every one of at least three wheels and the angle steered by every one of the at least three wheels in relation to the fixed axis, the trajectory distance traveled and any change of orientation of the pedestal to enable the position and orientation of the pedestal to be determined in relation to a previously known position and orientation.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a clamp (18) for an elongate member (16) comprising a housing (25) through which an elongate member may extend, a clamping member (33) to engage the elongate member and a locking mechanism for pressing the clamping member against the elongate member. The locking mechanism has a rotatable input (37, 41) about a defined axis and a rotary cam means (35, 39) for converting rotation of the input into linear movement of the clamping member in said axis to effect and release engagement of the clamping member with the elongate member.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a camera control interface for a video camera having powered translation/rotation in multiple axes. The control system comprising a monitor for replicating the field of view of the camera, a manually operable controller for inputting translation/rotation commands in multiple axes and a processor for transmitting input commands to the controller to the camera. The processor provides a plurality of different sets of axes in which the camera may be required to move and means for selecting a set axis or axes from said plurality of sets for the camera to move in in response to controller commands.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a mounting for a payload (e.g. a TV/Video camera) comprising a platform (18) providing a mounting face for the payload, means (15, 19) to mount the platform for rotation about a horizontal axis for tilting of the platform to either side of a neutral position in which the platform is horizontal and spring (25) means to provide resistance to the said tilting movement in either direction from said neutral position to counterbalance the payload/platform in any position of tilt. The spring means comprise a torsion spring means and coupling means (21, 22, 24, 24) are provided interconnecting the platform and said spring means with a mechanical advantage which increases automatically with movement of the platform away from said neutral position to compensate for the increasing spring resistance to tilting generated by the torsion spring to counterbalance the camera/platform combination through its range of tilting.

Abstract: A tiltable mounting as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the lever has a conical shaped roller engaging the cam, the roller being mounted for rotation on the lever about an axis which passes through the pivotal axis of the lever and the conical surface of the roller having a projected apex which coincides with the pivotal axis of the roller to minimize sliding movement at the line of contact of the roller and cam as the roller moves over the cam surface.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a spreader mechanism for supporting the legs (11) of a tripod erect, comprising a hub (13) having a central axis, three arms (14) pivotally mounted on the hub at positions equi-spaced around the hub to swing with respect to the hub axis between extended and folded positions. A drive mechanism (19, 22) coordinates movement of the arms so that all three arms remain in the same relationship to the hub axis throughout the range of movement of the arms, and a locking device (26, 29, 30, 31, 32) locks the drive mechanism against movement at any position throughout the range of movement of the arms. The locking device may be released held by a push button operated mechanism (50, 51, 36, 34) to allow adjustment of the spreader member and the holding means is deactivated to allow engagement of the locking device to lock the arms in a selected position of adjustment.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a camera mounting tripod having a hub with three legs hinged at one end thereof to the hub at equi-spaced locations around the hub to swing between a folded condition in which the legs lie alongside one another and an erect position in which the legs diverge from one another. An automatic releasable latching device is provided on one of the legs to engage end housings on the other two legs to hold the legs in the folded position.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a mounting for an optical apparatus having an optical axis. The mounting has a base and a support for the optical apparatus which provide movement about one or more orthogonal axes and having damping means between the moving and non-moving components for the or each axis. The mounting further having means to determine movement (&thgr; relative) of the damping means at each moving component as a measure of intended movement of the mounting, means to determine actual movement (&agr; absolute) of the mounting and means responsive to any difference detected between the intended and actual movements to apply a corrective movement to the optical apparatus.

Abstract: A system for performing a variable function such as a variable spring resistance comprises a plurality of selectively operable spring devices and movable actuator means for selecting/deselecting devices over a range of movement of the actuator means. The actuator means includes stepped drives for selecting/deselecting at least one of the spring devices at a predetermined ratio with respect to another of the devices whereby spring devices can be selected to operate individually or in combination by movement of the actuator means to provide multiple levels of spring resistance.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a camera mounting tripod having a huh with three legs hinged at one end thereof to the huh at equi-spaced locations around the hub to swing between a folded condition in which the legs lie alongside one another and an erect position in which the legs diverge from one another. An automatic releasable latching device is provided on one of the legs to engage end housings on the other two legs to hold the legs in the folded position.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a tiltable mounting for a TV camera or the like comprising a base (11), a camera support (16) mounted on the base to tilt about a first horizontal axis to either side of a neutral, upright position, and a counterbalancing mechanism (12) for holding the support with a payload upright or in any rotational position to which it is moved from said upright position. The counterbalancing mechanism comprising an elongate guideway (29) having one end coupled to the support at an eccentric location (23) to said first horizontal axis. A guide (27) with which the guideway (29) is slidably engaged is pivotally mounted on the base about a further horizontal axis spaced from said first axis such that tilting movement of the mounting about the first axis from the neutral position causes the guideway to slide with respect to the guide.

Abstract: The disclosure related to a rotary counterbalancing mechanism comprising a rotatable input (19, 22), a pair of aligned linearly movable outputs (24, 25), means (23) to convert rotation of said input into sinusoidal oscillation of said outputs between minimum and maximum displacement positions and 90° out of phase with each other and spring means (29) for resisting said oscillating movement of the outputs away from said minimum positions. The means to convert rotary motion of the input into linear movement of said two outputs comprise a rotatable cam (23) mounted to rotate about a fixed axis and the outputs comprise two cam followers (30) engaging the cam on opposite sides thereof and mounted for linear movement along a common line of action with each other which passes through the axis or rotation of the cam, said spring means (29) acting on the respective followers biasing the followers towards the cam to resist rotation of the cam.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a rotary drag device having relatively rotatable members one (4) of which has a stack (5) of closely spaced, thin-walled flexible annular plates (20) peripherally mounted thereon to provide annular running faces and a viscous fluid filling the spaces between the plates, and the other (6) of which members has a stack (8) of segmental plates (33) having part-annular running faces interleaved with the annular plates to slide between the plates with relative rotation of the members. Slits (26, 27) in the annular plates permit release of viscous fluid from between the plates as fluid pressure rises ahead of the segmental plates with increasing relative speed between the members.

Abstract: An extendable leg for a stand or similar appliance having elongate members (13,14,15) interconnected to extend and retract with respect to each other includes a first member (13), intermediate member (14) and a final member (15). The intermediate and final members have releasable locking devices (16,17,18) adjacent to one end of the leg engagable with the first and intermediate members respectively. Remote release devices (19) are provided for releasing the locking devices from the other end of the leg to permit when released, the first member to the extended with respect to the intermediate member and the intermediate member to be extended with respect to the final member.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a vertically operating linear actuator for a multi-stage extendible column for carrying a cinematograph or TV camera. A load representing the weight imposed by the multi-stage column with its camera is indicated at (10), a vertically extending gas strut at (11) and a base (12). A piston rod (15) of the strut carries a rotatable disc mounted on a pivot pin eccentrically to its geometric center to provide a varying radius of rotation between the offset center and disc periphery (21). A tether (22) extends over the disc and is secured at one end to an anchorage (23) on the base and the other end supports the load (10). The effective force applied by the strut to the weight (10) will be determined by the effective radii of the disc (20) at points where the tether engages the disc.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a camera pedestal comprising a rolling base (10), a vertically extending column (11) mounted on the base and having a camera mounting (12) at its upper end. The base comprises a chassis (16) having steerable wheel units (17) on which the chassis runs, a body (18) on which the column is mounted, screw-jack (25) supporting the body for vertical adjustment on the chassis, and a skirt (14) depending from the periphery of the body and encircling the chassis to sweep cables and other such obstructions from the path of the pedestal. The gap between the lower periphery of the skirt and the ground is minimised by adjustment of the body vertically with respect to the chassis by means of the screw-jacks.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a viscous damper of the labyrinth ring type for incorporation in a mounting for a TV or video camera for damping pan or tilt movement of the camera. The damper has a stator (10) having a multiplicity of upstanding concentric annular fins (12) and a rotor (17) having a corresponding multiplicity of concentric annular fins (32) projecting downwardly which interleaf with clearance with the upstanding flanges of the stator, the space between the fins being filled with a viscous fluid to provide a resistance to relative movement between the rotor and stator. The rotor is adjusted with respect to the stator by a motor driven lead screw. A speed sensor measures speed of the rotor with respect to the stator and torque applied to the camera by the hand control to pan or tilt the camera is measured by a strain gauge associated with the hand control. A control system is provided for the motor embodying a microprocessor preprogrammed with one or more algorithms coordinating torque and speed.

Abstract: A spreader unit for controlling a multi-legged stand is presented comprising a hub having a central axis and a plurality of arms hinged to the hub to swing in radial planes with respect to the hub axis. A control shaft is mounted in the hub for rotation about the axis with a reversible gear drive between the shaft and arms so that rotation of the shaft swings the arms with respect to the hub in unison and vice versa. A control for locking the shaft against rotation with respect to the hub is provided to hold the arms in required spread positions with respect to the hub.