Movie equipment dolly

• US 4,950,126 A
• Filed: 04/05/1988
• Issued: 08/21/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Michael Fabiano
• Original Assignee: Kestrel International, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ward, Robert, Fabiano, Michael J., Janover, Jeffrey S., Gilbert, Wes
• Primary Examiner(s): Spar, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eller, James T.
• Application Number:
  US07/177,588
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 248/180, 248/184, 248/291, 414/589, 414/590, 414/349, 414/426, 414/921, 180/78, 180/19.2, 180/333, 280/47.11, 280/91
• US Class Current: 414/590
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 11/048 Mobile camera platform

Abstract

The present invention relates to a movie equipment dolly with a chassis, a lifting arm coupled to the chassis, a hydraulic system for lifting the arm, a plurality of steerable wheels, a transmission for orienting the wheels into selected steering modes, a steering system, slip idlers for selectively disconnecting the wheels from the steering system and transmission, and a control handle that has steering, hydraulic system actuation and transmission steering mode selection operations on a common handle, so that the operator need not remove his or her hands from the control handle when performing any of the operations. The movie dolly also has a levelling head coupled to the lifting arm which allows simple, simultaneous orientation of the levelling head roll and pitch axes by manipulating a pair of adjusters.

Claims

1. A movie equipment dolly comprising:

(a) a chassis;

(b) a lifting arm connected to said chassis;

(c) means for lifting said lifting arm upon actuation thereof, connected to said lifting arm;

(d) at least one steerable wheel connected to said chassis for moving said dolly;

(e) a transmission connected to said wheel for orienting said wheel into selectable steering modes upon actuation thereof; and

(f) a control handle having;

(1) a rotatable steering shaft connected to said wheel for steering said wheel,

(2) at least one moveable grip portion connected to said steering shaft and said transmission for rotating said shaft and for actuating said transmission, and

(3) lever means connected to said steering shaft and said means for lifting, for actuating said means for lifting.

2. The movie equipment dolly as recited in claim 1, wherein said steering shaft has a sprocket mounted on an exterior surface thereof, and that is connected to said transmission and said steerable wheel by chain drive means.

3. The movie equipment dolly as recited in claim 1, wherein said grip portion is twistable and connected to said transmission by an eccentric grip portion crank attached to said grip portion, a reciprocable middle tube connected to an eccentrically offset member on said grip portion crank, and a shift actuator connected to said middle tube and said transmission, so that twisting said grip portion rotates said grip portion crank and in turn reciprocates said middle tube, moving said shift actuator and in turn actuating said transmission.

4. The movie equipment dolly as recited in claim 1, wherein said lever means is connected to said means for lifting by a bell crank having a rotational axis connected to said control handle and first and second arms projecting therefrom, said first arm being connected to said lever and said second arm being connected to a reciprocable inner member, and said inner member being connected to said means for lifting said lifting arm.

5. A movie equipment dolly comprising:

(a) a chassis;

(b) a lifting arm connected to said chassis;

(c) a hydraulic system for lifting said lifting arm upon actuation thereof, connected to said lifting arm, and having a hydraulic actuator;

(d) at least one steerable wheel connected to said chassis for moving said dolly;

(e) a transmission connected to said wheel for orienting said wheel in selected steering modes, upon actuation thereof; and

(f) a control handle having;

(1) a rotatable steering tube connected to said wheel and said transmission by drive means, for steering said wheel,

(2) at least one twistable grip portion connected to said steering tube, for rotating said steering tube, eccentric means connected to said grip portion, a reciprocable tube nested within said steering tube, and a shift actuator connected to said tube and said transmission, such that twisting said grip portion rotates said eccentric means and in turn reciprocates said tube, recipricating said shift actuator and in turn actuating said transmission, and

(3) lever means connected to said control handle, a crank having a rotational axis connected to said control handle and first and second arms projecting therefrom, said first arm being connected to said lever means and said second arm being connected to a reciprocal inner member nested in said tube, said inner member being connected to said hydraulic actuator;

whereby said steering, steering mode selection and arm lifting operations are all effectuable on a common control handle by a dolly operator without the need for the operator to remove his hands from said control handle to effectuate any of such operations.

6. A movie equipment dolly comprising:

(a) a chassis;

(b) a lifting arm connected to said chassis; and

(c) a levelling head connected to said lifting arm having;

(1) a platform for mounting of movie equipment thereon,

(2) pivoting means having at least two degrees of rotational freedom, coupled to said lifting arm and said platform,

(3) a pair of reciprocable adjusters, each coupled to said lifting arm and said platform for simultaneous orientation of the levelling head roll and pitch axes having;

(i) a male threaded portion,

(ii) a female threaded portion connectable to said male threaded portion,

(iii) an adjuster wheel for rotation of said male and female threaded portions relative to each other, and

(iv) a ball and socket joint for alignment of said platform relative to said lifting arm.

7. A movie equipment dolly comprising:

(a) a chassis;

(b) a lifting arm connected to said chassis; and

(c) a levelling head connected to said lifting arm having;

(1) a platform for mounting of movie equipment thereon,

(2) pivoting means having at least two degrees of rotational freedom, coupled to said lifting arm and said platform,

(3) a pair of reciprocable adjusters, each coupled to said lifting arm and said platform for simultaneous orientation of the levelling head roll and pitch axes having;

(i) a male threaded portion,

(ii) a female threaded portion connectable to said male threaded portion,

(iii) an adjuster wheel for rotation of said male and female threaded portions relative to each other, and

(iv) a universal joint for alignment of said platform relative to said lifting arm.