Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2037387
48274-2
CAMERA SUSPENSION SYSTEM
The present invention relates to a camera suspension ~y~tem
and more particularly to a system for suspending a camera
and diæplacing the suspended camera along an aerial path of
travel.
In the photography of objects moving through a considerable
distance, for example in the filming of a skier travelling
down a ski run, the camera used for the filming mu~t, at the
present time, either be kept at a fixed location and rotated
as the object pa6ses by, or must be carried on a truck or
other vehicle travelling along a track or carried in a
helicopter.
All of theæe alternatives are often unsatisfactory.
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Thus, filming from a fixed location has the disadvantage
that the object being filmed is, for most of the filming,
located at a relatively large distance from the camera and -
is only close up as it pa~ses by the fixed location.
The u~e of tracks is often unfeasible because of unsuitable
terrain, especially on ski runs, and the u~e of helicopter
necessitates that the object be filmed from a relatively
great distance if disturbance of the surroundings of the
object by the helicopter is to be avoided.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to
provide a novel camera suspension system which enable~ a
camera to be moved, for example in the vicinity of an object
being filmed by the camera, without the use of a track- or
air-borne camera.
According to the present invention, there is provided a
camera su~pension system, compri~ing a suspension cable,
camera support means for carrying a camera and a camera -~
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operator and means for suspending the camera support means
from the suspension cable. The suspending means includes
drive means for displacing the suspending means and
therewith the camera support means along the suspension
cable and the drive means compris0s a prime mover so that
the suspending means is self-propelled.
By arranging the suspension cable along the expected path of
travel of a moving object, for example along a ski run, and
by causing the camera support means to be displaced at an
appropriate time and speed along the suspension cable, the
camera, which may be a photographic or other movie camera or
a television camera, can be kept close to the object during
the filming of the object. By this means, for example when
filming a skier, the viewer of the event being filmed ha3
the impression of travelling with the skier and can closely
observe the actions of the skier and the variations in the
path over which the skier is travelling.
The camera support system is preferably selectively
rotatable about a vertical axis to facilitate the filming
operation, and it has been found to be advantageous to
employ second cable as a drive cable separate but close to
the suspension cable.
In a preferred emhodimsnt of the invention, the drive means
comprise such a drive cable, which is wrapped around a pair
of driven and laterally relatively offset drive pulleys
mounted on the suspending means.
The invention will be more readily understood from the
following description of a preferred embodiment thereof when
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in
which;
Figure 1 show6 a diagrammatic side view of a camera
suspension system according to the preferred embodiment of
he present invention;
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Figure 2 shows a plan view of a trolley forming part of thecamera support system of Figure 1;
Figure 3 show a view in side elevation of the trolley of
Figure 2 and of a camera support carried thereby; ~ -
Figure 4 shows a diagrammatic view of a pair of pulleys of
the trolley of Figure 2 wrapped by a drive cable;
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Figure 5 shows a view in perspective of the camera support
of Figure 2; and
Figure 6 shows a view in per~pective of a cable guide.
The camera suspension system illustrated in Figure 1 of the
accompanying drawings has a suspension cable 10, a drive
cable 12 and a trolley indicated generally by reference .
numeral 14. The trolley 14 i8 carried by the suspension
cable 10 and ia in driving engagement with the drive cable . :
12, as described in greater detail below, for displacing the
trolley 14 along the cables 10 and 12.
A camera support indicated generally by reference numeral 16
i8 suspended from the trolley 14 and has a seat 18 for a
camera operator 20 and a camera mounting 22 for a movie or
television camera 24, which in the illustration of Figure 1
is being u~ed to film or "shoot" a skier 25 travelling down
a ski run.
The cables 10 and 12 are shown strung between a pair of
~ po8t8 26. However, it is to be understood that the present `
: 25 invention is nt restricted to such an arrangement of only
two postis or other supports for the cables 10 and 12. Thus,
the cable 10 and 12 can be strung over three or more support
posts or other supports, in a manner analogous to a ski lift -.
~ or cable car suspension system.
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The trolley 14, which is illustrated in greater detail in
Figures 2 and 3, has an upper framework indicated generally
by reference numeral 30 and a lower framework indicated
generally by reference numeral 32, which is carried by the
upper framework 30.
The upper framework 30 has two parallel, longitudinally
extending beams 34, between which a pair of drive pulleys 36
are rotatably mounted on transverse shafts 37. Each drive
pulley 34 is provided with a brake device 38, which
comprises a spring brake and a hydraulic brake, for braking
the travel of the trolley 14 long the cables 10 and 12.
The drive pulleys 36 are driven by hydraulic motors 40
through drive belts 42 and belt pulleys 44 on the shafts 37.
Hydraulic fluid under pressure is supplied to the hydraulic
motors 40 from a hydraulic pump 46 under the control of a
control valve 48. The hydraulic pump 46 is driven by an i.c.
engine 47 which, with the pump 46, the valve 48, a fuel tank
49 and a hydraulic fluid reservoir 50, are mounted on the
lower framework 32.
As shown in Figure 4, the drive cable 12 is looped around
the two pulleys 36 so as to have an upper run 52 which
extendæ over both of the drive pulleys 36 and a lower run 53
which extends beneath the pulleys 36. This arrangement of
the drive cable 12 and the pulleys 35 has been found to
provide good frictional engagement and thus sufficient
traction, upon rotational driving of the pulleys 36 by the
hydraulic motors 40, to drive the trolley 14 and therewith
the camera support 16 along the drive cable 12 and the
suspension cable 10.
In order to avoid binding of the drive cable 12 as it wraps
the pulleys 36, the pulleys 36 are offset slightly from one
another in the transverse direction, i.e. in the direction
of the axes of the shaftæ 37.
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The lower framework 32 is releasably secured by bolts 52 to
the upper framework. With this arrangement, the lower
framework 32, together with the i.c. engine 47, the
hydraulic pump 46, the control valve 48, the fuel tank 49
and the hydraulic fluid reservoir 50, can readily be
released and removed from the upper framework 30. It is
then possible to replace these components by another lower
framework (not shown) which is similar to the lower
framework 32 by which is equipped with an electric motor and
battery (not shown) as a prime mover for driving the drive
pulleys 36. The use of such an electric drive may be
preferable in some circumstances, for example when silent
operation of the system is a requirement.
The upper framework 30 includes, at each end, a pair of
vertical, laterally spaced end members 54, between which an
upper pulley 56 and a corresponding but smaller lower pulley
58 define a nip for receiving the suspension cable 10. The
four pulleys 56 and 58 movably support the trolley 14 on
the suspension cable 10.
At each end of the trolley 14, a pair of guides 60 and 62
guidingly engage the suspension cable 10 and the drive cable
12, respectively. As shown in Figure 6, which illustrates
one of these guides 62, a pair of horizontal rollers 61 and
a pair of vertical rollers 63 are spaced apart to receive
the drive cable 12 therebetween. The rollers 61 and 63 are
rotatably supported at their ends in a housing 65. The
construction of the guides 60 is similar to that of the
guides 62 and is therefore not illustrated or further
described. The guides 60 and 62 are secured on the outer
ends of arms 64 projecting from transverse cross-members 66
connecting the longitudinal beams 34 and serve to guide the
cables 10 and 12 securely onto the pulley 54, 56 and 36.
Referring now to Figure 5, the camera support 16 has a
framework formed by three rigid, downwardly extending
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tubular suspension members 70, 71 and 72 which at their
lower ends are connected to and carry a circular base 74.
The upper ends of the suspension members 70 - 72 are fixedly
and rigidly connected to a vertical tubular member 75 and a
horizonal brace 76 connects the upper end portions of the
suspension members 70 and 72. Consequently, the framework
of the camera support system is a rigid assembly of members
which counteracts flexing of the camera support 16 and
consequential shaking of the camera 24 during travel of the
lQ camera support 16 along the cables 10 and 12.
A horizontal, annularly curved tubular rail 78 is
connected at opposite ends to the suspension members 70 and
72 and extends around the rear of the seat 18, which is
mounted on a seat support 79. At the front of the camera
support 16, the camera mounting 22, which is annularly
curved, i5 secured at opposite ends to the suspension
members 70 and 72 and serves to carry the camera 24.
On the base 74 of the camera support 16 there is
mounted a horizontal bar 78, which carries a pair of foot
pedals 80 and 81.
The foot pedal 80 is adju~table, by appropriate
movement of the operator's foot, to correspondingly
adjustably control the valve 48 and thus the driving of the
~; trolley 14 and therewith the camera support 16 along the
cables 10 and 12.
The foot pedal 81 serves to adjustably control a
: : hydraulic motor 84, which is associated with a damped
universally pivotable joint connecting the tubular member 75
: and the trolley 14. The hydraulic motor 84 serves to rotate
30 the camera support 16 about the vertical axis of the tubular ~.
member 74, for example for horizontally panning the camera
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The tubular member 75 may alternatively be rigidly
connected to the trolley 14 in cases where it is preferred
to avoid swinging of the camera support 16 relative to the
trolley 14.
The camera support 16 also has a control panel 85
secured to the suspension member 70 and including various
dial for displaying the speed of travel of the trolley 14,
etc.
The trolley 14 is enclosed in a housing which is
illustrated diagrammatically in broken lines, and indicated
by reference numeral 86 in Figure 1. The housing 86 is made
of fiberglass but may alternatively be made of metal or any
other suitable material. The housing 86 has a top 88 which,
as illustrated in Figure 2, is formed with opening~ 89
through which the drive cable 12 extends.
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As will be apparent to those skilled in the art,
various modification~ may be made to the above-described
apparatus within the ~cope of the invention a~ defined by
the appended claims.
20 For example, the system may be modified so that the camera !.
24 can be operated by remote control, in which case the
camera operator 20 is not needed in the camera support 16
but can be positioned at a remote, fixed location.
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Also, instead of using separate drive and support cables, a
single cable can be used for both ths suspension and the
propulsion of a self-propelled trolley different from the
trolley 14.
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