Push/steering bar for a camera pedestal

• US 5,730,450 A
• Filed: 12/26/1995
• Issued: 03/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Leonard Studio Equipment Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Leonard Studio Equipment Incorporated
• Inventors: Chapman, Leonard T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Brian L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): YU, MIN SON
• Application Number:
  US08/576,981
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 280/47.11, 280/47.34, 280/47.371, 280/99, 180/19.2, 180/19.3
• US Class Current: 280/47.11
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 2301/06 Steering all wheels together simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/001 Steering devices
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/18 with mechanism for moving the apparatus relatively to the stand
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/28 Undercarriages for supports with one single telescoping pillar
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/42 with arrangement for propelling the support stands on wheels

Abstract

A push/steering bar accessory for a camera pedestal has upper and lower elongate plates forming a straight bar. Sprockets within the bar are linked by a belt. The outer sprocket is joined to a tube for receiving the pushing/steering handle. The inner sprocket is attached to a kingpin on the pedestal. A positioning pin may be adjusted to change the angle of the bar relative to the pedestal. The pedestal accordingly may be pushed and steered from different positions on the side and behind the pedestal.

Claims

1. An accessory that can be added and removed as needed adapted for pushing and steering a camera pedestal, comprising:

a push bar having a first sprocket and a second sprocket connected by one of a belt and a chain;

a first fitting for receiving a handle, attached to the first sprocket;

a second fitting linked to the second sprocket for engaging a kingpin on the pedestal; and

means for irrotatably attaching one end of the push bar to the camera pedestal.

2. The accessory of claim 1 further comprising an elongate top plate and bottom plate containing the sprockets and belt.

3. The accessory of claim 1 wherein the kingpin has a cap and the second fitting has a recess adapted to engage the cap.

4. The accessory of claim 3 wherein a cap receiver is fixed to the second sprocket.

5. The accessory of claim 1 further comprising an idler sprocket engaging the belt.

6. The accessory of claim 1 further comprising a T-shaped handle attached to the first sprocket.

7. In a pedestal for supporting a motion picture or television camera, having a steering system for simultaneously steering all wheels of the pedestal in the same direction, the improvement comprising:

a push/steering accessory that can be added and removed as needed having

a housing;

a first sprocket and a second sprocket rotatably mounted in the housing;

a belt connecting the first and second sprockets;

a handle attached to the first sprocket; and

a fitting for linking the second sprocket to the steering system in the pedestal.

8. A pedestal for supporting a camera comprising:

a chassis;

legs pivotably attached to the chassis;

a kingpin within each leg;

a wheel attached to each kingpin; and

a push/steering bar including;

a housing;

a first sprocket and a second sprocket rotatably supported in the housing;

a belt connecting the first and second sprocket;

a handle linked to the first sprocket; and

a fitting linking the second sprocket to the kingpin of one of the legs.

9. An accessory that can be added and removed as needed adapted for pushing and steering a camera pedestal comprising:

a push bar having a first sprocket and a second sprocket connected by one of a belt and chain;

a first fitting for receiving a handle, attached to the first sprocket;

a second fitting attached to the second sprocket for linking to a kingpin on the pedestal; and

a leg plate having a sector plate, and a position pin on the accessory engageable into spaced apart holes in the sector plate.

10. An accessory that can be added and removed as needed for attachment to a camera pedestal, comprising:

a push bar having a first sprocket and a second sprocket connected by one of a belt and a chain;

a first fitting attached to the first sprocket;

a second fitting attached to the second sprocket for connecting to a kingpin on the pedestal; and

a handle attached to a threaded axle co-axial with the kingpin when attached.

11. An accessory that can be added and removed as needed for attachment to a camera pedestal, comprising:

a push bar having a first sprocket and a second sprocket connected by one of a belt and a chain;

a first fitting linked to the first sprocket;

a second fitting linked to the second sprocket;

an elongate top plate and bottom plate containing the sprockets and belt; and

a sector guide attached to the bottom plate and having a lip extending into a slot on a leg plate for attachment to the pedestal.

12. An accessory that can be added and removed as needed for attachment to a camera pedestal, comprising:

a push bar having a first sprocket and a second sprocket connected by one of a belt and a chain;

a first fitting attached to the first sprocket;

a second fitting linked to the second sprocket for connecting to a kingpin on the pedestal;

the kingpin having a cap and the second fitting having a recess adapted to engage the cap;

a cap receiver having a recess adapted to irrotatably engage the cap; and

bearings attached to the cap receiver.

13. An accessory that can be added and removed as needed for attachment to a camera pedestal, comprising:

a push bar having a first sprocket and a second sprocket connected by one of a belt and a chain;

a first fitting linked to the first sprocket;

a second fitting linked to the second sprocket for connecting to a kingpin on the pedestal; and

a square cap attached to the kingpin and a square cap receiver attached to the second fitting.

14. An accessory that can be added and removed as needed for attachment to a camera pedestal, comprising:

a bar having a first end and a second end;

a first sprocket and a second sprocket rotatably attached to the bar;

a belt or a chain linking the first sprocket and the second sprocket;

a first fitting linked to the first sprocket; and

a second fitting linked to the second sprocket; and

means for irrotatably attaching the first end to the camera pedestal.

15. A camera pedestal comprising:

a chassis;

a steering system in the chassis, the steering system including a kingpin;

a push bar that can be added and removed as needed attachable to the chassis;

first and second sprockets rotatably attached to the push bar;

a chain or belt extending around the first and second sprockets;

a first fitting connected to the first sprocket and adapted to receive a handle;

a second fitting connected to the second sprocket and adapted to receive the kingpin; and

means for locking the push bar into different angular positions with respect to the chassis.

16. The camera pedestal of claim 15 wherein the means for locking comprises a leg plate having a plurality of radially spaced apart bar positioning holes, and a positioning pin extendable into the positioning holes.