Q-co Industries, Inc.

Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Camera Dynamics Gmbh

Autocue, Inc.

Joel W Johnson

Chadwell O'Connor

John T Healy

A panhead () having a counterbalance action suitable for heavy cameras or equipment, and provides instantaneous electronic measurements of head settings and position. The improved counterbalance utilizes a dual-tower dual-axis non-linear mechanism as well as position encoders indexed to each axis (-) of head movement. Potentiometer setting detectors are also indexed to settable adjustments to read and relay such adjustments, and an electronic display () conveys information regarding the current positions and settings of the camera head (). A novel mounting system situated at the top of the head provides for fast and simple mounting and unmounting of equipment or a dutch roll head. In particular, a novel dovetail () engagement mechanism swings a dovetail side down during detachment. In an embodiment of the invention, the dutch roll head can be remotely proportionally actuated by a user via a switch mountable to a handle used for panning and tilting of the pan head.

Heavy-duty stabilized camera head with camera position sensing

A leg for a dual stage tripod including a mechanism for actuating the lower lock assembly from the upper end of the leg. The leg includes telescoping upper (,), middle (,), and lower (,) leg portions, and upper and lower lock assemblies for coupling the upper and middle leg portions together, and the middle and lower leg portions together, respectively. An elongated torque shaft (,) extends substantially parallel the upper leg portion, downward from the upper end of the leg to a transfer assembly coupled to the upper end of the middle leg portion. The transfer assembly is coupled to the lower lock assembly disposed at the lower end of the middle leg portion such that rotation of the torque shaft about its longitudinal axis results in an actuating force which actuates the lower lock assembly.

Dual-stage quick release leg and tripod

A tripod is provided having three pairs of adjacent telescoping legs and a lock mechanism for locking the adjacent legs in a desired position. The lock mechanism comprises a lever connecting a pair of lock assemblies associated with each adjacent leg for movement between an unlocked position wherein the legs may be telescopingly adjusted and a locked position wherein the lock assembly exerts a clamping force on its respective leg for locking the leg in a desired position. Each lock assembly comprises a clamp member for receiving a telescoping leg and a threaded hole adapted to receive a threaded end of a lock screw. A lock screw clamp attached to the head end of the lock screw controls the rotation of the lock screw into and out of the hole. To insure that the legs are properly locked, the attached lock screw clamp and lock screw are pivotable between a locked position wherein the lock screw exerts a compression or clamping force on the legs to prevent telescoping movement of the legs and to lock the legs in the desired position and an unlocked position wherein the lock screw permits sliding movement between the legs. The clamp member has top and bottom stops which limit the rotation of the lock screw clamp between the locked and unlocked positions.

Lock mechanism for tripod legs

An instrument support device for adjustably receiving a member of a support plate having an outer spherical surface wherein the socket, formed integrally, is an outer and upper ring portion connected to an inner and lower ring portion by intercrossed ribs with upper surfaces of the ring portions and ribs defining segments of a conical surface capable of cooperating with spherical surfaces of differing radii. The lower surface of the socket forms a substantially spherical clamping surface, such that a locking knob can draw a range of spherical surfaces into a clamped relation with the conical support surface. The socket forms a tripod head by having lugs on the upper ring portion that extend out and embrace the elements of the tripod legs so that the tripod legs are mounted from the outside of their respective elements.

Instrument support device

A camera panhead, for panning the camera about a vertical axis and tilting the camera about a horizontal axis, including fluid drag systems and a counterbalance system. The fluid drag systems each include a drag disk assembly secured to the rotating shaft and drag sector assemblies pivotally mounted to the housing and disposed about the circumference of the disk assembly to define a space containing viscous fluid. The level of drag exerted may be adjusted by pivoting the sector assemblies toward or away from the disk assembly to vary the space containing viscous fluid. The counterbalance system includes two spring sets mounted in planes perpendicular to the tilt axis. As the camera tilts, one end of each of the springs remains relatively stationary as the opposite ends rotate about the tilt axis to exert a restoring torque to counterbalance the camera. The system may be adjusted to vary the level of restoring torque exerted.

Panhead for camera

A rotary combustor formed of water cooled tubes in an inclined cylindrical array with the lower portion being conical so as to reduce the incline at the lower end. The combustor extends into the cooperating furnace, and is formed with openings between the tubes that increase in size toward the lower end.

Rotary combustor for burning municipal solid waste

An arrangement for feeding material to the open end of a combustor including a vertical chute leading to a doorway to the combustor which is normally closed by a biased door, and a stepped ram reciprocating at the bottom of the chute for feeding material through the door and into the combustor.

Growing community of inventors

Newport Beach, CA, United States of America

Joel W Johnson