Equipment for use with hand held motion picture cameras
First Claim
1. A portable camera equipment system especially adapted for operation by a cameraman in motion and capable of being hand-guided, the system being of improved stability against angular deviations in pan, tilt and roll, and substantially free-floating in a manner to .Iadd.also .Iaddend.isolate the equipment .[.also.]. from unwanted lateral and vertical movement caused by the motion of the cameraman using the equipment which comprises .Iadd.in combination.Iaddend.;
- camera equipment components positioned in an expanded balanced arrangement at points remote from each other .Iadd.for increasing inherent inertial stability and for providing access to the center or the approximate center of gravity and to the center or the approximate center of the moment of inertia of the mass of the components comprising the expanded camera equipment .Iaddend.and about a handle means for guiding the camera equipment, which means is positioned at or approximately at .[.the.]. i said center of gravity .[.and at or approximately at the center of the moment of inertia of the mass of the components comprising the expanded camera equipment.].;
camera equipment support means .[.adapted to support.]. .Iadd.for supporting .Iaddend.at least part of the weight of the camera equipment .[.which means is adapted to be pivotally and rotatably connected.]. .Iadd.and for substantially freeing the cameraman'"'"'s hands from the weight of the camera equipment and for pivotable and rotatable connection .Iaddend.to the cameraman and .[.is connected.]. to the camera equipment, .[.said means substantially freeing the cameraman'"'"'s hands from the weight of the camera equipment.]. .Iadd.for.Iaddend., isolating and free-floating the camera equipment at a distance from the cameraman substantially independently of any of his unwanted lateral and vertical motions and .[.capable of.]. .Iadd.for .Iaddend.being guided to a position in space in a range of positions selected by the cameraman;
pivotable and rotatable means .Iadd.for .Iaddend.interconnecting .Iadd.the center or the approximate center of gravity of .Iaddend.the camera equipment with the support means .[.to permit.]. .Iadd.for virtually frictionless .Iaddend.rotatable and pivotal movement of the camera equipment relative to the support means .[.and which thereby virtually does not transmit deviations in the pan, tilt and roll axes from the cameraman to the camera equipment;
.]. ep .Iadd.about three perpendicular axes, whereby the camera is virtually isolated from deviations in the pan, tilt and roll axes caused by a cameraman in motion .Iaddend.andview finding means adapted .[.to indicate.]. .Iadd.for indicating .Iaddend.the field of view of the camera to the cameraman without the need for his eye to be in direct contact with the camera.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Equipment for use with hand-held motion picture and video cameras comprises a pair of interconnected spring loaded arms, one end of which is pivotally supported by a carrying brace worn by a cameraman and the other end of which is connected to a handle positioned to mount the camera equipment at approximately the center of the moment of inertia. The camera and its associated equipment are mounted in exploded, balanced relation about the handle. The weight of the camera equipment is substantially counterbalanced by the action of the spring loaded arms without employing counterweights. A camera viewer is provided, to facilitate viewing from a position remote from the camera itself and not necessarily governed by the camera orientation.
99 Citations
69 Claims
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1. A portable camera equipment system especially adapted for operation by a cameraman in motion and capable of being hand-guided, the system being of improved stability against angular deviations in pan, tilt and roll, and substantially free-floating in a manner to .Iadd.also .Iaddend.isolate the equipment .[.also.]. from unwanted lateral and vertical movement caused by the motion of the cameraman using the equipment which comprises .Iadd.in combination.Iaddend.;
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camera equipment components positioned in an expanded balanced arrangement at points remote from each other .Iadd.for increasing inherent inertial stability and for providing access to the center or the approximate center of gravity and to the center or the approximate center of the moment of inertia of the mass of the components comprising the expanded camera equipment .Iaddend.and about a handle means for guiding the camera equipment, which means is positioned at or approximately at .[.the.]. i said center of gravity .[.and at or approximately at the center of the moment of inertia of the mass of the components comprising the expanded camera equipment.].; camera equipment support means .[.adapted to support.]. .Iadd.for supporting .Iaddend.at least part of the weight of the camera equipment .[.which means is adapted to be pivotally and rotatably connected.]. .Iadd.and for substantially freeing the cameraman'"'"'s hands from the weight of the camera equipment and for pivotable and rotatable connection .Iaddend.to the cameraman and .[.is connected.]. to the camera equipment, .[.said means substantially freeing the cameraman'"'"'s hands from the weight of the camera equipment.]. .Iadd.for.Iaddend., isolating and free-floating the camera equipment at a distance from the cameraman substantially independently of any of his unwanted lateral and vertical motions and .[.capable of.]. .Iadd.for .Iaddend.being guided to a position in space in a range of positions selected by the cameraman; pivotable and rotatable means .Iadd.for .Iaddend.interconnecting .Iadd.the center or the approximate center of gravity of .Iaddend.the camera equipment with the support means .[.to permit.]. .Iadd.for virtually frictionless .Iaddend.rotatable and pivotal movement of the camera equipment relative to the support means .[.and which thereby virtually does not transmit deviations in the pan, tilt and roll axes from the cameraman to the camera equipment;
.]. ep .Iadd.about three perpendicular axes, whereby the camera is virtually isolated from deviations in the pan, tilt and roll axes caused by a cameraman in motion .Iaddend.andview finding means adapted .[.to indicate.]. .Iadd.for indicating .Iaddend.the field of view of the camera to the cameraman without the need for his eye to be in direct contact with the camera. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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61. A camera equipment system especially adapted for operation by a cameraman in motion and capable of being hand-guided, the system being of improved stability against angular deviations in pan, tilt and roll, and substantially free-floating in a manner to isolate the equipment also from unwanted lateral and .[.vertial.]. .Iadd.vertical .Iaddend.movement caused by the motion of the cameraman using the equipment which comprises .Iadd.in interacting combination:
- .Iaddend.
camera equipment components positioned in an expanded balanced arrangement at points remote from each other and balanced about the .Iadd.accessible .Iaddend.center of gravity and the center of the moment of .[.inertial.]. .Iadd.inertia .Iaddend.of the mass of the components comprising the expanded camera equipment; camera equipment support means adapted .[.to support.]. .Iadd.for supporting .Iaddend.at least part of the weight of the camera equipment .Iadd.and for substantially freeing the cameraman'"'"'s hands from the weight of the camera equipment, .Iaddend.which means is .[.adapted to be pivotably and rotatably connected.]. .Iadd.for pivotable and rotatable connection .Iaddend.to the cameraman and .[.connected.]. .Iadd.for connection .Iaddend.to the camera equipment, .[.said means substantially freeing the cameraman'"'"'s hands from weight of the camera equipment,.]. .Iadd.for .Iaddend.isolating and free-floating the camera equipment at a distance from the cameraman substantially independently of any of his unwanted lateral and vertical motions and .[.capable of.]. .Iadd.for .Iaddend.being guided to a position in space in a range of positions selected by the cameraman; the camera equipment .[.being.]. adapted .[.to be.]. .Iadd.for being .Iaddend.guided from a position which is located at or approximately at the center of gravity and at or approximately at the center of the moment of .[.inertial.]. .Iadd.inertia .Iaddend.of the mass of the components comprising the expanded camera equipment; pivotable and rotatable means interconnecting the .Iadd.approximate center of gravity of the .Iaddend.camera equipment with the support means .[.to permit.]. .Iadd.for virtually freely .Iaddend.rotatable and pivotable movement of the camera equipment .Iadd.about three perpendicular axes .Iaddend.relative to the support means .[.and which thereby virtually does not transmit deviations.]. .Iadd.thereby virtually isolating the camera equipment .Iaddend.in the .Iadd.unwanted angular motions of the .Iaddend.pan, tilt and roll axes from the cameraman .[.to the camera equipment.]. ; and view finding means .[.adapted to indicate.]. .Iadd.for indicating .Iaddend.the field of view of the camera to the cameraman without the need for his eye to be in direct contact with the camera. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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69. to be positioned in a same vertical plane. .Iadd.70. A camera equipment system especially adapted for operation by a cameraman in motion and capable of being hand-guided, the system having a camera and a lens and being of improved stability against angular deviations in pan, tilt and roll, and substantially free-floating in a manner to isolate the equipment also from unwanted lateral and vertical movement caused by the motion of the cameraman using the equipment which comprises in interacting combination:
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camera equipment components, including a lens, positioned in an expanded balanced arrangement at points remote from each other and balanced about the accessible center of gravity and the center of the moment of inertia of the mass of the components comprising the expanded camera equipment; camera equipment support means adapted for supporting at least part of the weight of the camera equipment and for substantially freeing the cameraman'"'"'s hands from the weight of the camera equipment, which means is for pivotable and rotatable connection to the cameraman and for connection to the camera equipment, for isolating and free-floating the camera equipment at a distance from the cameraman substantially independently of any of his unwanted lateral and vertical motions and for being guided to a position in space in a range of positions selected by the cameraman; the camera equipment adapted for being guided from a position which is located at or approximately at the center of gravity and at or approximately at the center of the moment of inertia of the mass of the components comprising the expanded camera equipment; pivotable and rotatable means interconnecting the approximate center of gravity of the camera equipment with the support means for virtually freely rotatable and pivotable movement of the camera equipment about three perpendicular axes relative to the support means thereby virtually isolating the camera equipment in the pan, tilt and roll axes from the unwanted angular motions of the cameraman; and an image display device for indicating the field of view of the camera to the cameraman without the need for his eye to be in direct contact with the camera. .Iaddend. .Iadd.71. The camera equipment system of claim 70 in which the image display device and the lens of the camera equipment are not in parallel alignment. .Iaddend.
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Specification