Portable panels for a stage shell

• US 5,622,011 A
• Filed: 02/16/1995
• Issued: 04/22/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Wenger Corporation (Wenger NA)
• Original Assignee: Wenger Corporation (Wenger NA)
• Inventors: Jines, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Friedman, Carl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): EDWARDS, WILLIAM GLENN
• Application Number:
  US08/389,262
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 52/65, 52/66-72, 52/74, 52/75, 52/78, 52/506.06, 52/6, 135/DIG. 908, 135/117, 135/115, 135/87, 135/90, 135/97
• US Class Current: 52/66
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/8236 Stage shells
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/99 Room acoustics, i.e. forms of, or arrangements in, rooms for influencing or directing sound E04B1/82 takes precedence; acoustics in general G10K11/00; electric signal processing for producing a reverberation or echo sound G10K15/08
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/7461 Details of connection of sheet panels to frame or posts
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 3/24 Constructional features of stages
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 135/908 Super tent or canopy

Abstract

Adjacent backdrop panels and a suspended canopy comprising a stage shell, wherein the backdrop panels include angular alignment devices for readily and accurately aligning adjacent panels to present a pleasing, uniform appearance and tilt aligning devices to readily align the angle of tilt of the backdrop panels. The suspended canopy formed of individual canopy panels having rotatable hinge devices for storing the canopy panels in a substantially vertical position and having a readily engageable stay assembly for accurately fixing the relative angle of the canopy panels when deployed in a performance position above the backdrop panels.

Claims

1. A suspended canopy for a portable stage, the suspended canopy being suspended from suspension apparatus comprising:

at least one canopy section, the at least one canopy section having a canopy panel and a support beam rotatably mounted thereon, the support beam being dependent from the suspension apparatus and being disposed with respect to the canopy panel such that the weight of the canopy panel biases the canopy panel to rotate with respect to the support beam to a substantially vertical storage orientation and the at least one canopy section having a releasable latchable stay assembly engageable by rotation of the canopy panel from the substantially vertical storage orientation to a selected performance angle, the stay assembly thereafter holding the canopy panel at the selected performance angle.

2. A suspended canopy for a portable stage as claimed in claim 1 wherein the releasable stay assembly includes a selectively positionable stop means for selectively varying the performance angle at which the releasable stay assembly is engaged and thereafter holds the canopy panel.

3. A suspended canopy for a portable stage as claimed in claim 1 further including:

a hinge assembly operably carried by said support beam, said hinge assembly including a canopy panel supporting portion for operably rotatably supporting said canopy panel and a suspension portion for operably coupling to said suspension apparatus;

said rotatable canopy panel supporting portion presenting an outer, generally tubular sidewall;

said suspension portion presenting an inner, generally tubular sidewall including structure defining a plurality of bearing ways, said rotatable canopy panel supporting portion being substantially disposed within said suspension portion; and

a plurality of bearings operably carried by at least some of the canopy panel supporting portion bearing ways, said bearings being in compressive engagement with the outer, generally tubular sidewall of said rotatable canopy panel supporting portion whereby said canopy panel supporting portion of said hinge assembly is rotatable about said suspension portion of said hinge assembly.

4. A suspended canopy for a portable stage as claimed in claim 3 further including:

the canopy panel having two spaced apart generally parallel side margins connected by two spaced apart generally parallel end margins; and

at least one side margin support device having a support bar being pivotally joined at a first end to a first side margin and being pivotally joined at a second end to a second side margin and having a selectively extensible support tower being operably coupled at a first end to the canopy panel supporting portion of the hinge assembly and being operably coupled at a second end to the support bar.

5. A suspended canopy for a portable stage as claimed in claim 2 wherein the releasable stay assembly includes a rod and a sleeve, the rod being translatably disposed within the sleeve, the releasable stay assembly having a first end operably pivotally coupled to said support beam and a second end operably pivotally coupled to said canopy panel proximate a side margin thereof.

6. A suspended canopy for a portable stage as claimed in claim 2 wherein the releasable stay assembly further includes a slide stop slideably disposed on said rod and being fixed at a selected position on said rod to limit the translation of said rod within said sleeve and a locking device operably coupled to the sleeve for selective engagement with said slide stop, said engagement of said locking device with said slide stop acting to fix the length of the releasable stay assembly.

7. A suspension system for selectively rotatably supporting the at least one canopy panel of a suspended canopy for a portable stage from overhead supporting structure, comprising:

support beam means for supporting the canopy panel in a substantially suspended orientation with respect to the overhead supporting structure, a component of said support beam means having a substantially cylindrical exterior margin;

hinge means operably fixedly coupled to the canopy panel for suspending the panel from the support beam means, a component of the hinge means having a substantially cylindrical interior margin and having a plurality of bearing ways formed therein intersecting the interior margin, the exterior margin of the support beam means being disposed substantially encompassed within a portion of the interior margin of the hinge means and spaced apart therefrom; and

bearing means for selectively providing a rotational engagement between the support beam means and the hinge means, the bearing means being disposed within the bearing ways and engaging the exterior margin of the component of the support beam means.

8. A suspension system as claimed in claim 7 wherein the bearings are pressed into the bearing ways in a non-rotational engagement therewith, the bearings presenting a substantially cylindrical exterior bearing margin, a portion of the exterior bearing margin of the bearings being in sliding engagement with the substantially cylindrical exterior margin of the support beam means.

9. A suspension system as claimed in claim 8 further including canopy panel orientation fixation means operably coupled to the canopy panel and to the support beam means and being selectively engageable for selectively fixing the angle of presentation of the canopy panel.

10. A suspension system as claimed in claim 8 further including:

the canopy panel having two spaced apart generally parallel side margins connected by two spaced apart generally parallel end margins; and

side margin support means being operably coupled to the two side margins of the canopy panel and having an extensible center link, whereby the length of the extensible link effects the curvature induced in the canopy panel.

11. A suspension system as claimed in claim 7 wherein the support beam comprises:

a first enclosed structural member having an elongate cavity defined therein;

a hinge receiver having the generally cylindrical portion presented thereon; and

a substantially planar web having a first side margin operably fixedly coupled to the first enclosed structural member and having a second opposed side margin operably fixedly coupled to the hinge receiver.

12. A suspension system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the web has a cutout defining a hinge aperture proximate a portion of the hinge receiver, the hinge aperture for accommodating the hinge assembly when the hinge assembly is disposed enclosing a portion of the generally cylindrical portion thereof.

13. A suspension system as claimed in claim 12 wherein the first enclosed structural member is formed of two cooperative elongate section members, each of said two cooperative elongate section members having a coupling portion that effects a mating of the two cooperative elongate section members by means of a sliding engagement.

14. A suspension system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the first enclosed structural member has an electrical power cable disposed therein.