Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CAMERA DOLLY AND TRACK
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] This relates to devices for manipulating a camera, in
particular a camera, such as
may be used to capture motion pictures, that moves along a track.
BACKGROUND
[0002] When using a camera, such as a digital or film camera used to
capture motion
pictures, it is often desirable to allow the camera to move along a track in a
linear direction (a
tracking shot) such that the camera moves smoothly during the shot. Often
tracks need to be
constructed on the ground for each individual shot, which can be a time
consuming and
expensive process. U.S. Patent No. 5,711,227 (Johnson) entitled "Portable and
collapsible
dolly and track" discloses a dolly and track that can be folded for
transportation.
SUMMARY
[0003] According to an aspect, there is provided a camera dolly,
comprising a wheeled
chassis, a work platform carried by a wheeled chassis, a track mounted to the
work platform,
the track being a linear track and having a first end and a second end, and a
mobile camera
mount mounted to the track, the mobile camera mount comprising an attachment
for a
camera, and wheels that engage the track such that the mobile camera mount is
able to move
freely along the track between the first end and the second end.
[0004] According to other aspects, the camera dolly may include one or
more of the
following features, alone or in combination: a portion of the track may extend
past an outer
perimeter of the work platform; the camera dolly may further comprise one or
more height
adjustable track supports that support the portion of the track that extends
past the outer
perimeter of the work platform; the attachment may comprise a telescoping
support column,
a camera jib, a rotating stand, or combinations thereof; the chassis may
comprise stabilizing
jacks; there may be rollers that are detachably mounted to stabilizing jacks
and that are
adapted to engage and move along a ground track as the stabilizing jacks
support the wheeled
chassis above the ground track; the track may comprise a plurality of track
sections that
connect end to end; the dolly may further comprise a seating platform on the
chassis and
above the track; and the track may be less than 50cm above the work platform
of the chassis.
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[0005] According to an aspect, there is provided a method of capturing
a tracking shot
with a camera, the method comprising the steps of moving a camera dolly to a
desired
location, the camera dolly comprising a wheeled chassis and a work platform
carried by a
wheeled chassis, immobilizing the work platform at the desired location,
mounting a track to
the work platform, the track extending linearly between a first end and a
second end, the
camera dolly acting as an anchor for the track, mounting a mobile camera mount
to the track,
the mobile camera mount comprising an attachment for the camera, and wheels
that engage
the track such that the mobile camera mount is able to move freely along the
track between
the first end and the second end, mounting a camera on the mobile camera
mount, and
moving the mobile camera mount along the track while the camera is operating
such that the
camera moves along a camera path of the tracking shot.
[0006] According to other aspects, the method may include one or more
of the following
features, alone or in combination: stabilizing the work platform may comprise
engaging a
ground surface with jacks mounted to the wheeled chassis; a portion of the
track may extend
past an outer perimeter of the work platform; the method may further comprise
the step of
using one or more height adjustable track supports to support the portion of
the track that
extends past the outer perimeter of the work platform; the step of mounting
the track to the
work platform may further comprise attaching more than one track section in
end to end
relation; and the camera attachment may comprise a telescoping support column,
a camera
jib, a rotating stand, or combinations thereof.
[0007] According to an aspect, there is provided a method of
assembling a track for a
camera mount comprising the steps of moving a first camera dolly to a desired
location, the
first camera dolly comprising a wheeled chassis and a work platform carried by
a wheeled
chassis, immobilizing the work platform of the first camera dolly, connecting
a plurality of
track sections in end to end relation to form the track, at least one track
section being
mounted to the work platform, a portion of the track extending past an outer
perimeter of the
work platform, and supporting the portion of the track that extends past the
outer perimeter of
the work platform using one or more height adjustable supports that extend
between a ground
surface and the track
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[0008] According to other aspects, the method may comprise one or more
of the
following features, alone or in combination: the method may further comprise
the step of
mounting a further portion of the track to a second camera dolly spaced from
the first camera
dolly, the second camera dolly comprising a wheeled chassis and a work
platform carried by
the wheeled chassis; immobilizing the work platform may comprise engaging a
ground
surface with jacks mounted to the wheeled chassis; the method may further
comprise the step
of mounting the camera mount to the track, the camera mount engaging the track
such that
the camera is movable along the track; the track may be linear.
[0009] In other aspects, the features described above may be combined
together in any
reasonable combination as will be recognized by those skilled in the art.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] These and other features will become more apparent from the
following
description in which reference is made to the appended drawings, the drawings
are for the
purpose of illustration only and are not intended to be in any way limiting,
wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a camera dolly with a track.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a camera dolly with one end of a track
extending
off a work platform.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a camera dolly with both ends of a track
extending
off a work platform.
FIG. 4 is an elevated end view of a camera mount engaged to a track.
FIG. 5 is perspective view of the bottom of a camera mount.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a camera dolly on a ground-mounted track.
FIG. 7 is an elevated side view of a track connected between two dollies.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0011] A camera dolly, generally identified by reference numeral 10,
will now be
described with reference to FIG. 1 through 6.
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[0012] Referring to FIG. 1, camera dolly 10 has a wheeled chassis 12.
As depicted,
wheeled chassis 12 has a set of four wheels 16, two of which are smaller and
steerable. The
arrangement of the wheels for wheeled chassis 12 may take various forms as are
known in
the art, depending on the preferences of the user. For example, there may be
two wheels to be
used similar to a handcart, three wheels, or more than four wheels, with any
practical number
of wheels being steerable. Some or all of wheels 16 may also be removable.
Camera dolly 10
may have a handle 18 that can be used to manoeuvre dolly 10. It may be
advantageous to
design handle 18 to be adjustable to improve usability. Handle 18 may also be
retractable or
removable for storage or to avoid unnecessary obstacles during use. Dolly 10
may be
designed such that it can be disassembled. For example, dolly 10 may be
disassembled when
transporting between sets or for storage.
[0013] Chassis 12 may have stabilizers, such as stabilizing jacks 20
at each corner as
shown that are used to stabilize camera dolly 10 in a desired location, such
as at a filming
location. Stabilizing jacks 20 may be detachably mounted to chassis 12. The
stabilizers may
be any suitable type of stabilizer that is known in the art, and may be
removably or
permanently attached to chassis 12. Stabilizers are generally extendable or
telescopic such
that they can be lowered to engage different ground surfaces in order to
stabilize dolly 10.
This may involve a scissor-type jack, a telescopic-type jack, a ratchet-type
jack, etc.
Stabilizing jacks 20 may be lowered into engagement with the ground such that
chassis 12 is
stabilized against movement when weight is applied to work platform 14, which
may require
wheels 16 to be raised off the ground. It will be understood that there may be
other methods
of stabilizing dolly 10 known in the art, such as using wheels 16 that have
locking brakes,
using solid wheels that resist compression, etc. Chassis 12 may have a seating
platform 22
removably attached to chassis 12 that a camera operator can sit on while
operating the
camera.
[0014] Wheeled dolly carries a work platform 14. As depicted, work
platform 14 is a flat,
planar structure that is the top surface of chassis 12, however work platform
14 may be any
structure capable of supporting track 30 and carried with chassis 12.
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[0015] A track 30 is mounted on platform 14. Track 30 is a linear
track that has a first
end 32 and a second end 34 and defines a linear path along which a mobile
camera mount 50
is able to move. Track 30 is preferably designed to engage with and
accommodate mobile
camera mount 50 in a stable manner. While other designs are possible, track 30
as depicted
has top flanges 36 that extend horizontally toward each other that are engaged
on top and
bottom by rollers carried by camera mount 50, as will be discussed below.
Track 30 may
have stops 38 at first end 32 and second end 34 to confine camera mount 50 on
track 30.
Preferably, stops 38 are made from a cushioning material to prevent undue
jarring if the end
of track 30 is reached. In the depicted example, track 30 is mounted directly
to work platform
14 such that it lies along the length of dolly 10. While top flanges 36 will
inherently be
above it may be raised slightly, they are preferably low enough that camera
mount 50 is
within comfortable stepping distance generally at floor level, such as within
about 20 cm and
not more than 50 cm. Track 30 will generally be mounted below seating platform
22, if
present, to allow a user to use camera mount 50 while seated.
[0016] Referring to FIG. 2 and 3, one or both of first end 32 and
second end 34 may
extend outside an outer perimeter 15 of work platform 14, or in the depicted
embodiment
where track 30 extends end to end, past each end of platform 14. The portion
of track 30 that
extends past each end may be supported by one or more height adjustable track
supports 40
that extend between track 30 and a ground surface 31.
[0017] Referring to FIG. 3, dolly 10 is shown with removable handle
18, seating
platform 22, and two wheels 16 removed to allow track 30 to be extended in
both directions.
Track 30 may be made from a plurality of track sections 30a, 30b, 30c, etc.
that are connected
in end to end relation such that a second end 34a of track section 30a is
connected to a first
end 32b of track section 30b. As depicted in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, track sections
30a, 30b, etc.
are connected via pin connections 42 that maintain a smooth transition between
adjacent
sections and latches 44 that secure adjacent sections together. It will be
understood that the
additional track sections may be connected using other types of connections
known in the art.
By connecting additional track sections end to end, the length of track 30 may
be made as
long as required, using work platform 14 as a support, and if required, may be
used to
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transport the required track sections when configured as a cart. As shown,
each additional
track section 30b, 30c is supported by an extendable and adjustable leg 40
that is used to level
track 30. The design and number of adjustable legs may be modified according
to the needs
of a particular system.
[0018] Referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, mobile camera mount, generally
identified by
reference numeral 50, has a mounting platform 52 that engages the flanges 36
of track 30 via
a plurality of mount wheels 54 that allow camera mount 50 to move freely along
track 30.
Mount wheels 54 are preferably configured to allow camera mount 50 to move
along track 30
between first end 32 and second end 34, as shown in FIG. 1. While other
configurations may
be used, referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the depicted example of camera mount
50 has top
wheels 54a, side wheels 54b, and up-stop wheels 54c that engage flanges 36 in
three
directions to secure camera mount against falling off track 30 regardless of
the forces applied
or where the center of gravity is moved relative to track 30. Wheels 54a, 54b,
and 54c may be
adjustable or removable in order to accommodate different tracks 30 and
flanges 36, or to
allow camera mount 50 to be removed from track 30. Camera mount 50 may have
brakes 56
that can be selectively engaged in order to secure camera mount 50 in a single
location along
the length of track 30. For example, brakes 56 may be engaged before dolly 10
is moved
around to prevent unwanted movement of camera mount 50.
[0019] Work platform 14, track 30, and mobile camera mount 50 are
preferably designed
to accommodate various types of cameras and filming techniques. As depicted,
camera
mount 50 has an attachment 58 for a camera 60. Attachment 58 may take
different forms
depending on the specific shot to be taken with camera 60. As depicted,
mounting platform
52 has a flat top surface 53 to which attachment 58 is connected, however
other structures
may be used that allow the mounting of camera 60. Attachment 58 may connect
camera 60
directly to camera mount 50, or attachment 58 may be made from components that
allow for
additional spatial manipulation of camera 60. In one example, shown in FIG. 1,
camera 60 is
mounted to camera mount 50 via a telescoping post 62 that allows for vertical
movement of
camera 60 relative to camera mount 50 and a camera holder 64 that holds camera
60. Camera
60 may be rotatable about a vertical axis with respect to camera mount 50 and
camera holder
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64 may allow for manipulation of camera 60 in other directions. In another
example, shown
in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, a jib 66 is included between camera holder 64 and
telescoping post 62
to allow further freedom of movement of camera 60 in space relative to camera
mount 50. Jib
66 may also be rotatable about a vertical axis with respect to camera mount
50. Dolly 10 may
have one or more camera jib holders 68, which camera 60 at the end of jib 66
may be
engaged with when not in use, such as when dolly 10 is moved. Other
configurations of
attachment 58 can be used, and are well known to those skilled in the art.
[0020] In another embodiment, camera dolly 10 may be configured to
move along a
track 70 already mounted to the ground. Referring to FIG. 6, dolly 10 may have
a plurality of
rollers 72 that engage external track 70, such that when they are engaged,
dolly 10 moves
along external track 70. As depicted, rollers 72 are removably connected to
the bottom of
stabilizing jacks 20 and can be raised or lowered to selectively engage
external tracks 70.
Other configurations of rollers 72 known in the art may be used, such as other
attachments
for rollers 72 in addition to stabilizing jacks 20, or rollers 72 may be
connected in place of
wheels 16.
[0021] A method of assembling track 30 and using track 30 to shoot a
tracking shot for a
motion picture using camera dolly 10 will now be described.
[0022] Camera dolly 10 is first moved to a desired location where the
tracking shot will
be taken. As camera dolly 10 is moved to the desired location, it may be used
to carry track
and some or all of any additional track sections 30b, 30c, (as shown in FIG.
3) that may be
required. Referring to FIG. 1, track 30 may be mounted to work platform 14
prior to being
25 moved, or it may be assembled on location. Similarly, mobile camera
mount 50 may be
mounted onto track 30 before camera dolly 10 is moved to the desired location,
or may be
assembled on location. Once camera dolly 10 is moved to the desired location,
work platform
14 is immobilized to remain in that position. Work platform 14 may be
immobilized using
jacks 20 connected to chassis 12 or by other methods.
[0023] Referring to FIG. 3, when camera dolly 10 has been immobilized
at the desired
location, track 30 is mounted to work platform 14 such that the portion of
track 30 on work
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platform 14 extends linearly along a desired path for camera mount 50 to take.
Track 30 may
extend outside of a perimeter 15 of work platform 14 and one or more height
adjustable
supports 40 may be connected between track 30 and the ground to support
sections 30b and
30c of track 30. Camera dolly 10 may also be used to move camera mount 50 with
an
operator, although the use of track 30 will allow for smoother shots to be
taken.
[0024] Mobile camera mount 50 is mounted to track 30 such that it is
able to move freely
along track 30 between first end 32 and second end 34. Camera mount 50 may be
mounted
on to track 30 by any method known in the art, such as removing stop 38 (shown
in FIG. 1)
and sliding camera mount 50 on to one end of track 30 and replacing stop 38,
or by removing
up-stop wheels 54c, placing camera mount 50 on top of track 30 and reattaching
up-stop
wheels 54c. If attachment 58 and camera 60 are not already affixed on camera
mount 50 they
may be attached at this point. Mobile camera mount 50 is then moved along
track 30 to allow
camera 60 to capture a tracking shot.
[0025] Referring to FIG. 2 and 3, track 30 may be assembled by
connecting a plurality of
track sections 30a, 30b, etc., in end to end relation. At least one track
section 30a will be
mounted to work platform 14, either before or after work platform 14 has been
immobilized.
Then, after work platform 14 has been immobilized, the remaining track
sections 30b and 30c
are connected in end to end relation with track sections 30 on work platform
14. As depicted,
track sections 30a, 30b, 30c are connected using pin connections 42 to align
track sections
and then securing them together using latches 44. One or more height
adjustable supports 40
that extend between the ground surface and track 30 are used to support the
portion of track
that extends past perimeter 15 of work platform 14. Track 30 that extends past
may extend
25 linearly, or may incorporate curved sections (not shown) such that
camera mount 50 can
change direction as it travels along track 30. Once track 30 has been
connected and
supported, mobile camera mount 50 may be mounted to track 30 such that it can
move along
the length of track 30.
30 [0026] Referring to FIG. 7, a further portion of track 30 may be
mounted to a second
dolly 10b spaced apart from a first dolly 10a. The additional track 30 may be
connected to the
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track on the first dolly 10a such that mobile camera mount 50 can travel along
track 30 over
both the first and second dollies 10a and 10b. A single track 30 may be
mounted on any
number of dollies 10.
[0027] In one example, dolly 10 may be used to quickly move track 30 to a
new desired
location for capturing another tracking shot. After the required shot has been
captured,
mobile camera mount 50 may be moved to a position on track 30 that is within
perimeter 15
of work platform 14, and brakes 56 may be engaged to flanges 36 of track 30 to
secure
camera mount 50 into that position. Track sections that are not mounted to
work platform 14
may be disconnected and removed from track 30. If any wheels 16 were removed,
they are
reattached and dolly 10 is then mobilized, such as by raising jacks 20 so that
dolly 10 can be
moved on wheels 16. Dolly 10, with camera mount 50 secured on top of it, may
then be
moved to a new filming location. Once secured at that location, track 30 can
then be
reassembled at the desired location to capture a new shot. The same method,
without the
camera mount, may be repeated for any additional dollies 10 that may be used.
[0028] In this patent document, the word "comprising" is used in its
non-limiting sense to
mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically
mentioned are not
excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article "a" does not
exclude the
possibility that more than one of the elements is present, unless the context
clearly requires
that there be one and only one of the elements.
[0029] The scope of the following claims should not be limited by the
preferred
embodiments set forth in the examples above and in the drawings, but should be
given the
broadest interpretation consistent with the description as a whole.
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