Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02687177 2009-05-12
CAMERA SLIDER SYSTEM
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a camera slider system comprising a
camera mount arranged to support a video camera thereon for movement with the
camera mount along a pair of elongate support members, and more particularly
relates to a camera slider system in which the camera mount is adjustable
relative to
a carriage assembly supported for movement along the elongate support members.
BACKGROUND
When filming with a video camera, a common method of capturing video
involves displacing the camera along a track using a dolly. Known dolly
constructions
however generally are quite large requiring equipment that is expensive and
awkward
to transport to support the camera for rolling movement along the tracks.
One example of a smaller camera support for replicating a dolly shot is
available by Indislider. The product available by Indislider comprises a plate
fixed onto
blocks which are supported therebelow for sliding movement along respective
rails
received through apertures in the blocks. The sliding configuration of the
blocks can
interfere with the desired smooth and continuous motion of the camera.
Furthermore
the direct mounting of the plate on the slider blocks limits the adjustability
of the
camera positioning so that a limited number of different types of shots are
available.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a camera
slider system for supporting a camera for longitudinal movement, the system
comprising:
a pair of elongate support members extending in a longitudinal direction,
parallel and spaced apart from one another;
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a camera mount arranged to mount a camera thereon;
a carriage assembly supported for movement in the longitudinal
direction along the support members; and
at least one link member pivotally coupled between the camera mount
and the carriage such that the camera mount is adjustable in orientation
relative to the
carriage assembly.
By providing a linkage which pivotally couples the camera mount to a
carriage assembly on the elongate support members, the orientation of the
camera
relative to the elongate supports is very flexible for accommodating different
elevations and orientations using a small compact configuration of parts.
Furthermore
by providing a linkage comprising a pair of link members at opposing ends of
the
camera mount, a very stable configuration for supporting the camera is
provided.
Furthermore, the use of rollers ensures a smooth movement of the camera along
the
elongate support members so that there are no undesired jerking movements in
the
resulting captured image.
Preferably the link members are arranged for adjustment of an angular
orientation of the camera mount relative to the carriage assembly and for
adjustment
of a height of the camera mount relative to the carriage assembly.
Preferably the link members and the camera mount are arranged to be
fully received between the pair of elongate support members.
Preferably the carriage assembly is supported for rolling movement
along the support members by use of rollers, or linear bearing incorporating
rolling
bearings therein.
The carriage assembly may comprise rollers arranged to engage
diametrically opposing sides of each elongate support member.
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Preferably there is provided a pivot fixing mechanism arranged to
selectively fix orientation of the link members relative to the carriage
assembly and
relative to the camera mount.
In the preferred embodiments there are provided two link members,
each pivotally mounted at an upper end on the camera mount and pivotally
mounted
on the carriage assembly at a lower end.
When the camera mount comprises a pair of pivot shafts upon which the
upper ends of the link members are respectively supported, the pivot shafts
are
preferably supported on the camera mount parallel and spaced apart from one
another at opposing ends of the camera mount such that the link members are
supported for pivotal movement relative to the camera mount about respective
axes
oriented perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction.
When the carriage assembly comprises a pair of pivot shafts upon which
the lower ends of the link members are respectively supported, the pivot
shafts are
preferably supported on the carriage assembly parallel and spaced apart from
one
another at opposing ends of the carriage assembly such that the link members
are
supported for pivotal movement relative to the carriage assembly about
respective
axes oriented perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction.
In one embodiment, the carriage assembly comprises a common
carriage body upon which both of the link members are pivotally coupled. In
this
instance the pair of pivot shafts on the carriage assembly are preferably
supported at
longitudinally opposed ends of the carriage body at a fixed distance relative
to one
another.
Furthermore, the carriage assembly may comprise a pair of linear
bearings at each of two longitudinally opposed ends of the carriage assembly
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receiving the pair of elongate support members slidably therethrough.
Alternatively, the carriage assembly may comprise a pair of carriage
bodies supported on the elongate support members, the link members being
pivotally
coupled to respective ones of the carriage bodies. Preferably the pair of
carriage
bodies are supported on the elongate support members independently of one
another
so as to be adjustable in distance in the longitudinal direction relative to
one another.
Each carriage body may comprise a pivot shaft upon which the link
member is pivotally supported, a pair of support members at opposing ends of
the
pivot shaft, and a pair rollers supported at spaced apart positions on each
support
member such that a respective one of the elongate support members is received
therebetween. Preferably the rollers, the support members and the respective
pivot
shaft are pivotal together relative to the link member.
When the carriage assembly comprises a pair of carriage bodies
supported for independent movement relative to the camera mount by said at
least
one link member, and when said at least one link member comprises a pair of
link
members each connected between the camera mount and a respective one of the
carriage bodies such that each link member is mounted at an upper end on the
camera mount for pivotal movement about an upper pivot axis relative to the
camera
mount and is mounted on the respective carriage body at a lower end for
pivotal
movement about a lower pivot axis relative to the carriage body, preferably at
least
one of the link members comprises a hinge coupling between the upper end and
the
lower end thereof such that the upper and lower ends are pivotal relative to
one
another about a hinge axis oriented transversely to a common plane of the
upper and
lower pivot axes.
Furthermore, when each roller is aligned with a corresponding one of
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the rollers on the other support member of the respective carriage body for
rotation
about a common roller axis, the pivot shaft of the respective carriage body is
preferably parallel to the roller axes and positioned centrally between the
two roller
axes.
5 Each link member may be fully rotatable about the pivot shaft of the
respective carriage body.
The camera mount may be arranged to be coupled directly to a body of
the camera.
The system may also be provided in combination with a camera
supporting tripod head comprising a convex lower surface. In this instance,
the
camera mount comprises a bowl portion arranged to support the convex lower
surface
of the camera supporting tripod head thereon.
When the elongate support members comprise rigid rod members, there
may be provided a mounting block supporting the pair of a elongate support
members
at a fixed space in a lateral direction relative to one another. The mounting
block in
this instance may comprise: a pair of mounting bores extending through the
mounting
block in the longitudinal direction so as to be arranged to slidably receive
respective
ones of the elongate support members therein; at least one mounting aperture
extending through the mounting block in an upright orientation transversely to
the
longitudinal direction of the mounting bores so as to be arranged for
connection to an
upright supporting structure; and a pair of leg members formed integrally with
the
mounting block to extend downwardly therefrom and being spaced apart from one
another in the lateral direction.
In alternative embodiments, the elongate support members may
comprise a pair of flexible cables supported under tension. In this instance
the
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carriage assembly preferably comprises rollers having respective grooves
extending
circumferentially about a peripheral surface thereof so as to be arranged to
receive
the grooves therein.
Some embodiments of the invention will now be described in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the camera
slider system.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the top side of the camera sliding
system according to Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the linkage and camera mount with
one of the carriage bodies shown removed.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the carriage bodies of Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a top plan view of the carriage body according to Figure 4.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a camera
sliding system.
Figure 7 is a perspective view of a bottom side of the system according
to figure 6.
Figure 8 is a perspective view of a top side of the carriage body of the
system according to figure 6 in which the camera mount is shown separated
above
the carriage body.
Figure 9, 10 and 11 are respective top plan, side elevational and bottom
plan views of the camera slider system according to figure 6.
Figure 12 is a side elevational view of the system of Figure 6 shown in
an alternative mode of operation.
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Figure 13 is a side elevational view of a further configuration of the
camera sliding system comprising components from the first and second
embodiments noted above and a further embodiment of the link members.
Figure 14 is a top plan view of the camera sliding system according to
Figure 13.
Figure 15 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of the mounting
block.
In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts
in the different figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to the accompanying figures there is illustrated a camera
slider system generally indicated by reference numeral 10. The system 10 is
particularly suited for replicating a dolly shot using a small portable
assembly of parts
which support a camera 12 for movement in a longitudinal direction which
typically
comprises a linear sliding or rolling movement along a suitable supporting
structure
such as a track.
Although various embodiments of the system 10 are described and
illustrated herein, the common features of the different embodiments will be
first
described.
In the illustrated embodiments, the supporting structure comprises two
elongate support members 14 which comprise parallel and spaced apart rigid
rails or
rods which extend in the longitudinal direction. The two support members are
typically straight in the longitudinal direction and have a round cross
section. When
supporting lightweight equipment thereon, the rods typically comprise carbon
fibre
material, however the rods forming the elongate support members 14 can be
formed
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of steel or other stronger materials when used with heavier camera equipment.
The two support members 14 are supported parallel and spaced apart
from one another by suitable mounting blocks 16 located at opposing ends of
the
support members. The mounting block 16 is generally elongate in a lateral
direction
spanning between the two support members at each end thereof. The block 16
includes two bores 18 extending parallel and spaced apart therethrough for
slidably
receiving the support members 14 therein. A longitudinally extending slot
extends
fully through the block from each bore 18 to a bottom side of the block so
that the
block forms a generally C shaped clamping member about each bore which can be
tightened about the respective support member 14 received therethrough by a
suitable clamp fastener 20 spanning across the slot for tightening the slot as
required.
Centrally between the two mounting bores 18 receiving the supporting members
therethrough there is provided an auxiliary mounting bore 22 extending
vertically
through the block perpendicularly to a plane containing the two bores 18 and
the
support members 14 extending therethrough. The auxiliary mounting bore 22 is
suitable for receiving the vertical stud of a standard camera equipment
support stand
known as a C-stand.
The system 10 comprises a camera mount 24 which locates a standard
camera mounting connection therein upon which a body of the camera 12 can be
centrally supported for relative adjustment therebetween. The camera mount
includes
two pivot shafts 26 supported thereon to be parallel and spaced apart from one
another at opposite ends of the camera mount to define respective horizontal
pivot
axes which are generally horizontal and perpendicular to the longitudinal
direction of
the support members 14.
The camera mount 24 is supported for movement along the support
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members by a carriage assembly 28 which is supported directly on the two
support
members 14 for sliding or rolling movement therealong in the longitudinal
direction.
The carriage assembly comprises at least one carriage body 30 supporting
suitable
rollers 32 thereon which are engaged on the support members to guide the
movement
of the carriage body along the support members. The carriage assembly thus
follows
the generally linear path of the elongate support members 14.
The camera mount is adjustably supported on the carriage assembly by
a suitable linkage which is pivotally coupled between the camera mount 24 and
the
carriage assembly 28 such that the height and angular orientation of the
camera
mount relative to the carriage assembly can be adjusted. The linkage generally
comprises two link members 34 which are each pivotally coupled at a top end
about a
respective one of the pivot shafts 26 at opposing ends of the camera mounts.
The
two link members 34 are thus pivotal about respective independent horizontal
pivot
axes which are parallel and spaced apart from one another relative to the
camera
mount.
A bottom end of each link member 34 is pivotally coupled to a respective
pivot shaft 36 on the carriage assembly. The two pivot shafts 36 of the
carriage
assembly are parallel and spaced apart from one another and oriented to extend
perpendicularly to the elongate support members 14 at spaced apart positions
in the
longitudinal direction. The pivot shafts 36 are fixed relative to the
respective
components of the carriage assembly 28 upon which they are supported for
movement together with the carriage assembly in the longitudinal direction
relative to
the support members 14.
Each link member comprises two side members 38 extending the full
length between the upper and lower ends of the link member. The two side
members
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38 are arranged for mounting alongside one another such that respective inner
faces
of the side members abut one another. At both ends of the side members 38 the
inner
faces are provided with a recess arranged to receive a portion of the
respective pivot
shaft therein such that abutment of the inner faces of the two side members
against
5 one another serves to clamp opposing ends of the two side members about the
upper
and lower pivot shafts respectively.
A suitable pivot fixing mechanism in the form of clamp fasteners 40 are
provided which are connected between the two side members of the link members
so
that tightening the clamp fasteners serves to clamp the two side members
together
10 and clamp the pivot shafts therebetween such that relative rotation between
the link
members and the pivot shafts is prevented in the clamped position. Releasing
the
clamp fasteners in turn loosens the two side members of each link member about
the
respective pivot shafts to permit the link members to once again be pivoted
about the
respective pivot shafts to vary the angular inclination thereof relative to
the rail
members and the camera mount.
Each of the two side members of each link member, and in turn the two
link members are all arranged to be reversible and interchangeable with one
another
to simplify the number of components to be manufactured. The clamp fasteners
may
be any form of threaded screw including a suitable head which permits manual
gripping for tightening or loosening the fasteners without tools being
required, or
optionally a suitable socket may also be provided for tighter securement with
tools as
may be desired.
In addition to the link members shown in Figures 1 through 3, auxiliary
link members can also be provided which are identical in configuration to the
link
members shown so as to be formed of two side members clamped about the pivot
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shafts using clamp fasteners. The auxiliary link members may be approximately
half
as long in length as compared to the link members shown in Figures 1 through 3
so
that the camera mount can be supported at a shorter distance above the support
members 14 in the elevated position.
When providing a shorter length link member a single clamp fastener 40
is provided on each link member at a central location evenly spaced between
the
opposing ends of the link member. Alternatively when providing longer
auxiliary link
members, two clamp fasteners are provided at spaced apart positions between
the
two opposed ends so that the clamp fasteners are located adjacent the pivot
shafts at
the opposed ends respectively as shown in Figures 1 through 3.
Turning now more particularly to the first embodiment of the camera
slider system shown in figures 1 through 5, the camera mount 24 in this
instance
comprises a plate member having a central portion 42 which comprises a flat
upper
surface locating a plurality of longitudinally extending slots 44 therein. The
slots 44
are parallel and spaced relative to one another in the lateral direction such
that each
slot extends substantially the full length of the central portion 42 in the
longitudinal
direction. The slots extend fully through from the top side to the bottom side
of the
central portion of the camera mount for receiving suitable fasteners therein
which
permit the body of the camera to be coupled directly thereto. The camera mount
further comprises depending side flanges 46 which extend downwardly from
respective side edges of the plate member such that the side flanges are
parallel and
spaced apart from one another to extend in the longitudinal direction. The two
side
flanges both extend outward in the longitudinal direction beyond opposing ends
of the
central portion to define respective end portions 48 between which the pivot
shafts 26
are mounted. The pivot shaft thus each extend perpendicularly to the side
flanges to
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extend between two respective end portions of the side flanges at
longitudinally
opposed ends of the camera mount. The pivot shafts 26 are spaced outwardly in
the
longitudinal direction relative to the central portion 42 such that the link
members 34
can be coupled to the pivot shaft for pivotal movement thereabout in an
unrestricted
manner.
Furthermore according to the first embodiment shown in figures 1
through 5, the carriage assembly comprises two carriage bodies 30 which each
support a respective one of the pivot shafts 36 of the carriage assembly
thereon.
Accordingly each link member 34 is coupled to the pivot shaft of a respective
one of
the carriage bodies with the carriage bodies being independently supported on
the
support members 14. Each of the carriage bodies 30 supports respective ones of
the
rollers 32 thereon which engage the elongate support members 14 with the two
carriage bodies and corresponding rollers being supported at an adjustable
spacing in
the longitudinal direction relative to one another.
Each carriage body centrally locates the respective pivot shaft 36 such
that the pivot shaft extends in the lateral direction between two wheel
support
members 50 at opposing ends of the pivot shaft. Two rollers 32 are supported
at
spaced apart locations on each wheel support member 50 with the two wheel
support
members being fixed relative to one another through connection to the pivot
shaft.
The two rollers on each wheel support member 50 are aligned with the two
wheels on
the other wheel support member of the same body such that each wheel is
rotatable
about a respective wheel axis which is in common with the corresponding wheel
of
the other wheel support member. The two wheel axes are spaced apart within a
common plane also locating the pivot axis of the pivot shaft centrally between
the two
wheel axes and parallel thereto. Accordingly the four rollers on each carriage
body
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are spaced in a radial direction from the pivot shaft axis by an equal amount.
The
spacing between the two rollers on each wheel support member is suitable to
readily
receive a respective one of the elongate support members therebetween. In use
each carriage body is pivoted about the respective pivot shaft axis thereof
until the
two wheels of each wheel support member are engaged upon diametrically opposed
sides of the elongate support member received therebetween.
Each wheel support member is generally triangular in shape between a
respective end of the pivot shaft and the two roller mounting locations
respectively. A
generally triangular cut-out is formed centrally within each wheel support
member to
reduce the weight of the carriage body as well as reducing the material used
for
manufacture. When the carriage bodies are supported on the elongate support
members, the link members are fully pivotal or rotatable 360 degrees about the
respective pivot shafts of the carriage bodies so that the inclination of the
link
members relative to the carriage bodies supported on the support members 14
can be
adjusted at any angle. Furthermore the link members and the camera mount upon
which they are supported pivotally at respective top ends thereof can all be
received
in the space between the two elongate support members 14 to accommodate
various
camera positions and mounting configurations.
The rollers 32 according to the first embodiment each comprise a wheel
which is supported for rolling movement along a respective top or bottom side
of the
elongate support members. A peripheral surface of each wheel is generally
concave
to define a smaller diameter central groove relative to the larger diameter
peripheral
edges of the wheel which is suitable for mating engagement with the round
cross
section of the elongate support members shown in the illustrated embodiment.
In further embodiments the wheels defining the rollers 32 can be readily
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interchanged by removing a central fastener which is secured through the
respective
rotation axes of the rollers to fasten the rollers onto the wheel support
members
respectively. The wheels defining the rollers can be readily interchanged with
wheels
having a suitable peripheral groove which can mate with an elongate supporting
structure in the form of a cable, typically supported to span under tension to
suspect
the carriage assembly and camera mount therefrom-. In this instance the groove
is
typically deeper with the peripheral edges being raised relative to the
central groove
at the peripheral surface by a height corresponding approximately to the
diameter of
the cable. In yet further embodiments, an annular member of resilient material
in the
form of an O-ring can be stretched into place about the periphery of the
rollers such
that the resilient members 52 form a resilient peripheral surface on each of
the wheels
forming the rollers 32 in the first embodiment so as to be suitable for
rolling on a
suitable supporting structure such as a table top and the like.
Turning now to the second embodiment shown in figures 6 through 12,
the carriage body may instead comprise a single carriage body 30 which
supports the
two pivot shafts 36 thereon at opposing ends at a fixed spacing which is
greater than
the spacing in the longitudinal direction between the pivot shafts 26 located
at a fixed
spacing on the camera mount 24.
The camera mount 24 in this instance comprises a central bowl portion
54 which tapers downwardly and inwardly from an upper rim to a lower central
opening. The bowl portion 54 is suitably shaped for mounting a commercially
available tripod head of the type having a convex bottom portion with a
central stud
onto which a clamp fastener 56 can be threadably secured. In this manner a
portion
of the bowl portion 54 of the camera mount is clamped between the clamp
fastener 56
and the convex bottom of the tripod head so that the tripod head can be fixed
onto the
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camera mount at various orientations therebetween. The tripod head typically
comprises a vertical pivot axis and a horizontal pivot axis between the bottom
convex
portion and an upper camera mounting plate thereof arranged to support the
body of
a camera directly thereon.
5 In addition to the bowl portion 54, the camera mount further comprises a
pivot shaft mount at two diametrically opposed sides of the bowl portion 54.
Each
pivot shaft mount comprises two mounting portions 58 which extend outwardly
from
the bowl diametrically opposite the other pivot shaft mount. Each of the pivot
shafts
26 of the camera mount is mounted horizontally between a respective pair of
the
10 mounting portions 58 so as to be spaced outwardly from the upper rim of the
bowl
portion 54 parallel and spaced apart from the other pivot shaft for
unrestricted pivoting
movement of the upper ends of the link members pivotally coupled thereto
respectively.
The carriage body is supported for sliding movement on the elongate
15 support members by a pair of spaced apart linear bearings 60 at each of the
longitudinally opposed ends of the carriage body. The two bearings at each end
are
aligned with corresponding ones of the two bearing at the opposing ends such
that
the elongate support members 14 can be received through one of the bearings at
each of the two longitudinally opposed ends with a portion of the support
members
between the bearings remaining exposed along an outer side thereof. The
exposed
portion can be readily gripped manually by a user for optimal control of the
placement
of the carriage assembly along the support members. The linear bearings 60 are
all
supported on the common carriage body so that the longitudinal spacing
therebetween is fixed.
In some embodiments the inner surface of each of the linear bearings
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60 comprises a plurality of roller bearings which define the rollers 32 which
support
the carriage body for rolling movement along the support members 14. In
alternative
embodiments each of the linear bearing 60 may comprise a sleeve of material
having
a low coefficient of friction, for example Teflon, which is supported in close
tolerance
about the circumference of the support members for relative sliding movement
therealong.
The carriage body includes a central through opening 62 between the
top and bottom sides thereof such that the opening is suitable for receiving
the bowl
portion 54 of the camera mount therein between the pivot shafts 36 at opposing
ends
of the carriage assembly. The central opening 62 is generally oval in shape so
as to
be elongate in a longitudinal direction so as not to restrict pivotal movement
of the
camera mount generally about a horizontal lateral axis extending between the
two
support members 14 relative to the carriage body. The upper rim of the central
opening 62 comprises two concave surfaces 64 along opposed longitudinally
extending sides of the body upon which the convex bottom surface of the bowl
portion
54 can be engaged in a fixed mounting mode as shown in figures 6 through 11.
The
mating shape of the concave surfaces 64 and the convex bottom of the bowl
portion
of the camera mount permits some relative sliding therebetween to locate the
camera
mount relative to the carriage body as may be desired.
An upper surface of the carriage body includes a recessed portion 66
spanning between longitudinally opposed ends of the opening 62 and the
respective
mounting locations of the two pivot shafts 36 at opposing ends of the body
respectively. The recessed portions in the upper surface serve to receive the
mounting portions 58 of the camera mount therein when the camera mount is
engaged directly upon the top side of the carriage body. The recessed portions
66
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are deeper directly below each pivot shaft 36 to provide unrestricted coupling
and
pivoting of the link members to the pivot shafts respectively. Each of the
pivot shafts
36 on the carriage body are supported at opposing ends thereof by suitable
protrusions on the upper surface which protrude upwardly relative to the
recessed
portion 66 such that a central portion of each pivot shaft is spaced above the
upper
surface of the body between the two end portions 68 which are fastened to the
protrusions on the upper surface of the carriage body so that the pivot shafts
are fixed
relative to the carriage body.
A rail clamp 70 is provided on the bottom side of the carriage body such
that one of the elongate support members 14 is slidably received between the
rail
clamp 70 and a portion of the carriage body. By providing a suitable fastener
which
selectively clamps the rail clamp 70 against the body with the support member
received therebetween, the longitudinal position of the carriage body along
the
support members can be selectively fixed at any given location as may be
desired.
In a first mode of operation as shown in figure 12, link members of the
type described above comprising two side members 38 clamped together by clamp
fasteners 40 are coupled between each pivot shaft 26 on the camera mount and
the
corresponding pivot shaft 38 on the carriage body so that pivoting of the link
members
relative to the camera mount and the carriage body permits the angular
orientation of
the camera mount as well as the elevation of the camera mount relative to the
carriage body to be adjusted.
In a second mode of operation as shown in figures 6 through 11 the
camera mounts can be fixed onto the top side of the carriage body by engaging
the
convex bottom surface of the bowl portion 54 onto the two laterally opposed
concave
surfaces 64 on the carriage body. In order to fix the camera mount onto the
carriage
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body, a pair of clamp members 72 are provided such that each clamp member
overlaps one of the pivot shafts on the carriage body and the corresponding
adjacent
pivot shaft of the camera mount to prevent upward release of the camera mount
from
the carriage body when a suitable fastener is coupled through a central
aperture in
the clamp member into an anchor aperture 74 in the top side of the body 30
between
the two corresponding pivot shafts. Each clamp member 72 comprises a single
side
member 38 of a shorter one of the link members locating a single central clamp
fastener therein. By overlapping the two pivot shafts at each end of the
assembly by
the clamp members which are in turn fastened to the carriage body the camera
mount
is effectively clamped against the top side of the carriage body to be fixed
therewith
for longitudinal sliding movement in the longitudinal direction of the support
members.
Using the camera slider system as described herein, a camera can be
supported in a variety of configurations using low cost equipment of simple
construction. Using the configuration shown in figure 1, a camera body can be
secured directly onto the camera mount for rolling movement above the elongate
support members which comprise rigid rods while the camera mount and camera
supported thereon remain adjustable both in height and inclination relative to
the
support members. The carriage assembly is also readily operable to support the
camera mount in a suspended configuration below the elongate support members
as
may be desired. By interchanging the rollers 32 with other wheels having a
suitable
profile for being suspended from cable, the camera slider system can be
readily
adapted for rolling movement along a cable structure. By further modifying the
rollers
to include a resilient peripheral surface using resilient members 52 stretched
onto the
periphery of the rollers, the carriage assembly can also support the camera
mount for
rolling movement along any supporting surface such as a table top and the
like.
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The configuration of the mounting blocks 16 readily permits the support
members to be supported on various common camera supporting equipment
including C stands or tripods or any combination thereof supported at opposing
ends
of the support members in a more stable configuration than the prior art.
Alternatively in the embodiment of figure 12 the camera mount can be
adapted to support a camera thereon using a tripod head which is adjustably
mounted
within the bowl portion of the camera mount while the camera mount remains
adjustable both in height and in angular orientation by pivoting of the link
members
relative to the camera mount and the carriage body. In any embodiment,
tightening of
the clamp fasteners 40 of each link member permits the link member to be fixed
in
place relative to the pivot shafts upon which it is pivotally supported to set
the camera
mount at any one of a plurality of fixed positions relative to the carriage
assembly.
As further shown in figure 6, in a further mode of operation, a camera
mount suitable for supporting a camera using a tripod head thereon can be
fixed onto
the carriage body by clamping the pivot shafts to one another onto the top
side of the
carriage body. In this manner the inclination of the camera relative to the
support
members can be adjusted using the horizontal and vertical pivot axes of the
tripod
head.
In yet further arrangements, the system according to Figure 12 may be
varied such that one of the link members 34 is longer than the other so that
the
camera mount 24 is more readily supported at an inclination relative to the
carriage
assembly 30 therebelow. This arrangement is particularly suited for
positioning the
elongate support members 14 at an upward inclination while maintaining the
camera
mount 24 in a substantially horizontal orientation relative to the carriage
assembly
supported for sliding movement at an inclination along the sloped support
members.
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For minor inclinations of the support members, links of equal length can still
be used
with the angular orientation thereof being different from one another relative
to the
carriage and camera mount to level the camera mount as may be desired. In
either
instance of varying inclinations of the support members, the bowl portion 54
of the
5 camera mount still permits fine adjustment of the levelling of the camera
relative to the
camera mount even if the camera mount is not entirely level.
Turning now more particularly to the embodiment of Figures 13 and 14,
a camera mount 24 of the type shown in Figures 6 through 12 comprising a bowl
portion 54 is shown mounted together with a carriage assembly comprising two
10 separate carriage body 30 as shown in Figures 1 through 5. Similarly to the
previous
embodiments the two link members 34 are pivotally coupled at opposing ends of
the
camera mount on respective pivot shafts at respective upper ends thereof while
also
being pivotally mounted on respective pivot shafts of the two independent
carriage
bodies 30 at the lower end thereof. Orienting the carriage bodies about their
15 respective pivot axes relative to the link members such that all of the
wheels axes are
in a generally common plane as shown in Figure 13 permits a camera to be
supported
on the camera mount for rolling movement along a supporting surface, such as
the
horizontal surface of a table for example. Annular members of resilient
material 52 as
described above are typically provided on the rollers of the carriage bodies
in this
20 instance.
The link members of Figures 13 and 14 differ from previous
embodiments in that each of the link members 34 in this instance is provided
with a
central hinge coupling which is generally centered so as to be spaced evenly
from the
upper and the lower end of the link member between which the hinge coupling is
located. Under normal operation the upper and lower ends of the link members
are
CA 02687177 2009-05-12
21
aligned with one another such that the first pivot axis of the pivot shaft
upon which the
upper end of the link member is pivotal lies parallel to a second pivot axis
of the pivot
shaft onto which the lower end of the link member is pivotal within a common
plane
therewith. The hinge coupling permits relative pivotal movement between the
upper
and lower ends of the link member about a hinge axis which is oriented
perpendicularly to the common plane containing the upper pivot axis and lower
pivot
axis of the pivot shafts of the upper and lower ends of the link member
respectively.
Pivoting of the upper end relative to the lower end within each link member
results in
orientation of the lower pivot axis of pivotal movement between the link
member and
the respective carriage body to be adjustable relative to the upper pivot axis
of pivotal
movement between the link member and the camera mount.
As shown in the top view of Figure 14, one of the link members shown
at the left side is positioned in a substantially straight orientation such
that the rollers
of the associated carriage body are arranged for rolling movement in the
longitudinal
direction which extends between opposing ends of the camera mount. The link
member shown at the right side of the Figure is angularly offset into an
offset position
such that the upper and lower pivot axes of the link member are non-parallel
but
remain in a generally common plane with one another by being pivoted about the
hinge axis of hinge coupling 100 which is perpendicular to the common plane of
the
upper and lower pivot axes. In this arrangement, the rollers of the respective
carriage
body coupled to the link member in the offset position are oriented for
rolling
movement in an offset direction which is angularly offset from the
longitudinal
direction extending between opposing ends of the camera mount so as to be
angularly offset from the direction of rolling movement of the wheels of the
other link
member. Pivoting of the upper and lower ends of the link member relative to
one
CA 02687177 2009-05-12
22
another about the hinge coupling axis 100 thus permits controlling a degree of
curvature of the path followed by the rollers of the two carriage bodies for
steering the
carriage sliding system for rolling movement along a non-linear path.
Each of the link members 34 according to Figures 13 and 14 comprises
two end portions 102 which are pivotally coupled at respective inner ends to
one
another at the hinge coupling. The opposing outer ends of the two end portions
102
are each arranged to be coupled to a respective clamp member 104 with the
outer
end of the end portion 102 and of the clamp member 104 each including
corresponding recesses on the inner faces thereof arranged to be clamped about
diametrically opposed sides of the respective pivot shaft received
therethrough. A
suitable clamp fastener 106 selectively clamps the clamp member and the end
portion
upon which it is mounted onto opposing sides of the pivot shaft to
frictionally retain
orientation of the link member about the pivot shaft when tightening the clamp
fastener. Releasing the fastener permits the pivot shaft to be readily pivoted
relative to
the respective end of the link member.
Turning now to Figure 15, a further embodiment of the mounting block
16 is illustrated in which the block is arranged to have a pair of mounting
bores 18
extending through the block in the longitudinal direction parallel and spaced
apart
from one another so as to be arranged to slidably received the respective ones
of the
elongate support members 14 slidably therethrough as in the previous
embodiments.
Clamp fasteners 20 fix the position of the mounting block relative to the
support
members. Also similarly to the previous embodiment a central auxiliary bore 22
extends vertically through the block perpendicularly to the longitudinal
direction of the
bores to receive the vertical mounting rod, for example a 5/8 of an inch
diameter rod
of an upright supporting structure such as a C-stand. The mounting block
further
CA 02687177 2012-10-30
23
comprises auxiliary mounting apertures 25 extending vertically through the
block for
receiving fasteners of a tripod head mounting bracket to support a camera
thereon.
The mounting block 16 of Figure 15 differs from the previous
embodiment in that two integral leg members 108 are formed integrally with the
block
to extend generally downwardly therefrom at spaced apart positions in the
lateral
direction corresponding approximately to a spacing between the two support
members 14. The two leg members 108 are positioned adjacent the respective
mounting bores 18 at opposing ends of the mounting block 16 to extend
downwardly
from the body of the block by a height corresponding to minimum clearance
required
between the support members 14 and a supporting surface, for example a
tabletop
upon which the support members 14 are to be supported to provide space for the
clamp fastener 56 of the bowl portion 54 of the camera mount.
