WATER COUNTERWEIGHT SYSTEM FOR THEATRICAL PROPS AND CURTAINS

• US 3,690,617 A
• Filed: 01/20/1970
• Issued: 09/12/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lloyd V. Butler, 5251 79th Street
• Original Assignee: Lloyd V. Butler, 5251 79th Street
• Inventors: Lloyd V. Butler, 5251 79th Street
• Primary Examiner(s): Richard C. Pinkham
• Assistant Examiner(s): R. T. Stouffer
• Application Number:
  US05/004,265
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 272/22 254/93R,141,178,189 187/68,70 60/8,51 185/33 91/390 92/84,137 248/325,331,364 137/568
• US Class Current: 472/78
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0602 Fluids, e.g. water
• CPC Class Codes: A63J 1/028 Means for moving hanging scenery

Abstract

A counterweight assembly for theatrical scenery comprising a hollow enclosure supported for vertical shifting and adapted to have scenery suspension lines attached thereto with the enclosure acting as a counterweight for the scenery. The enclosure includes an inlet and an outlet opening therefor through which water may be pumped into the enclosure to increase the weight thereof and through which water may be drained from the enclosure to decrease the weight thereof.

Claims

1. In combination, a counterweight assembly for theatrical scenery comprising a hollow tank supported for guided vertical shifting, flexible scenery suspension lines having one set of ends thereof anchored to said assembly, elevated antifriction guide means over which mid-portions of said lines are passed with said tank comprising a counterweight for scenery to be suspended from the other set of ends of said lines, said tank including liquid inlet and outlet means, and liquid supply means and liquid drain means operatively connected to said liquid inlet and outlet means for selectively pumping liquid into and draining liquid from said tank, a support or purchase line and vertically spaced rope guide means about which said support line is trained to define a pair of upstanding reaches extending between said rope guide means, said tank being interposed in and supported from one of said rope reaches.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said assembly includes stationary friction brake means selectively operable on the other reach of said rope for variably retarding longitudinal shifting of said other reach relative to said brake means.

3. In combination, a counterweight assembly for theatrical scenery comprising a hollow tank supported for guided vertical shifting, flexible scenery suspension lines having one set of ends there anchored to said assembly, elevated antifriction guide means over which mid-portions of said lines are passed with said tank comprising a counterweight for scenery to be suspended from the other set of ends of said lines, said tank including liquid inlet and outlet means, and liquid supply means and liquid drain means operatively connected to said liquid inlet and outlet means for selectively pumping liquid into and draining liquid from said tank, said liquid supply means including a motor, a liquid pump driven by said motor and including a liquid outlet and a liquid inlet adapted to be communicated with a suitable source of liquid, a delivery line having one end communicated with said liquid outlet, a second end communicated with said inlet and outlet means and including an inlet valve disposed between said inlet and outlet means and said liquid outlet, an outlet line having one end communicated with said delivery line between said inlet and outlet means and said liquid outlet and an outlet end adapted to discharge liquid drained from said tank, and an outlet valve operatively associated with said outline line and disposed between the outlet end of said delivery line and said inlet valve.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein, said liquid supply means includes pressure sensing control means for said motor operative to terminate operation of said motor in response to an increase of liquid pressure within said delivery line above a predetermined maximum desired pressure and to begin operation of said motor in response to a decrease of liquid pressure within said delivery line below a predetermined minimum pressure.

5. In combination, a counterweight assembly for theatrical scenery comprising a hollow tank supported for guided vertical shifting, flexible scenery suspension lines having one set of ends thereof anchored to said assembly, elevated antifriction guide means over which mid-portions of said lines are passed with said tank comprising a counterweight for scenery to be suspended from the other set of ends of said lines, said tank including liquid inlet and outlet means, and liquid supply means and liquid drain means operatively connected to said liquid inlet and outlet means for selectively pumping liquid into and draining liquid from said tank, said tank including exterior weights so as to reduce the amount of liquid which must be pumped thereinto for increasing the weight of the tank to a predetermined weight excess of the weight of the tank when empty.

6. The combination of claim 5 including a purchase support line and stationarily supported vertically spaced rope guide means about which said support line is trained to define a pair of upstanding reaches extending between said rope guide means, said tank being interposed in and supported from one of said rope reaches.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said liquid supply means includes a motor, a liquid pump driven by said motor and including a liquid outlet and a liquid inlet adapted to be communicated with a suitable source of liquid, a delivery line having one end communicated with said liquid outlet, a second end communicated with said inlet and outlet means and including an inlet valve disposed between said inlet and outlEt means and said liquid outlet, and outlet line having one end communicated with said delivery line between said inlet and outlet means and said liquid outlet and an outlet end adapted to discharge liquid drained from said tank, and an outlet valve operatively associated with said outlet line and disposed between the outlet end of said delivery line and said inlet valve.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said assembly includes friction brake means stationarily supported relative to said rope guide means and selectively operable on the other reach of said purchase line for variably retarding longitudinal shifting of said other reach relative to said brake means.