Vitec Group, Plc

Vinten Group Plc

W. Vinten Limited

Richard Arthur Lindsay

Robin Andrew Sayer

Andrew Codd

James Guest

Andrew Derek Murrow

Philip Christopher Dalgoutte

Anthony J Parks

Charles David Hackman

Richard Graham Curry

James Edward Guest

An extendable leg () for a tripod () (for supporting an optical apparatus such as a video camera), the leg being V-shaped and having telescopic side members () to enable the length of the leg to be varied with hinge means to connect the side members to each other at an apex of the V, means to connect the side members to a head () of the tripod which allow the angle of the V to vary with extension and retraction of the leg, and clamping means () to clamp the side members at a required length; wherein the leg has a mechanism for controlling the extension and retraction of the side members when the locking means is released whereby the apex of the leg is constrained to move generally linearly in the lengthwise direction of the leg.

Extendible legs for tripods

A camera support apparatus for supporting a video camera comprises a drive train device (), a first inductive position sensor (), () attached to a rotational output device () of the drive train device (), and a second inductive position sensor (), () attached to a rotational input device () which is operably connected to the drive train device (), whereby the inductance sensed by the first position sensor (), () is indicative of the rotational displacement of the rotational output device () and the inductance sensed by the second position sensor (), () is indicative of the rotational displacement of the rotational input device ().

Camera support apparatus

The invention concerns correcting an error in an estimated pose of a moveable camera. The camera is at least a part of a camera system that generates an output image on the basis of the camera pose. Incremental pose measurements for the camera are taken over time and a pose of the camera using the incremental pose measurements is estimated, the estimated camera pose having an error. A pose correction is determined on the basis of the difference between an absolute pose measurement for the camera and the estimated camera pose. A rate of change in the camera image caused by a change in the camera is monitored. A parameter of the camera system is periodically adjusted based on the incremental pose measurements. The adjustment is further set in order to effect the pose correction so as to correct for the estimated camera pose error and the pose correction is effected at a rate based on the monitored rate of change in the camera image.

Camera pose correction

A battery pack for mounting to a camera and camera stand is described. The battery pack has attachment means on opposite sides. The attachment means are of complementary design so that the battery pack can be mounted between the camera and the stand. Each attachment means permits linear adjustment of the camera. The two means provide parallel linear adjustment of the camera with respect to the battery pack and of the battery pack with respect to the stand.

Battery packs

The disclosure relates to a clamp () for an elongate member () comprising a housing () through which an elongate member may extend, a clamping member () to engage the elongate member and a locking mechanism for pressing the clamping member against the elongate member. The locking mechanism has a rotatable input () about a defined axis and a rotary cam means () for converting rotation of the input into linear movement of the clamping member in said axis to effect and release engagement of the clamping member with the elongate member.

Clamps for elongate members

The disclosure relates to a mounting for a payload (e.g. a TV/Video camera) comprising a platform () providing a mounting face for the payload, means () to mount the platform for rotation about a horizontal axis for tilting of the platform to either side of a neutral position in which the platform is horizontal and spring () means to provide resistance to the said tilting movement in either direction from said neutral position to counterbalance the payload/platform in any position of tilt. The spring means comprise a torsion spring means and coupling means () are provided interconnecting the platform and said spring means with a mechanical advantage which increases automatically with movement of the platform away from said neutral position to compensate for the increasing spring resistance to tilting generated by the torsion spring to counterbalance the camera/platform combination through its range of tilting.

Mountings for payloads

A tiltable mounting as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the lever has a conical shaped roller engaging the cam, the roller being mounted for rotation on the lever about an axis which passes through the pivotal axis of the lever and the conical surface of the roller having a projected apex which coincides with the pivotal axis of the roller to minimize sliding movement at the line of contact of the roller and cam as the roller moves over the cam surface.

Tiltable mountings for payloads

The disclosure relates to a spreader mechanism for supporting the legs ( ) of a tripod erect, comprising a hub ( ) having a central axis, three arms ( ) pivotally mounted on the hub at positions equi-spaced around the hub to swing with respect to the hub axis between extended and folded positions. A drive mechanism ( ) coordinates movement of the arms so that all three arms remain in the same relationship to the hub axis throughout the range of movement of the arms, and a locking device ( ) locks the drive mechanism against movement at any position throughout the range of movement of the arms. The locking device may be released held by a push button operated mechanism ( ) to allow adjustment of the spreader member and the holding means is deactivated to allow engagement of the locking device to lock the arms in a selected position of adjustment.

Spreader mechanisms for supporting tripod legs

The disclosure relates to a camera mounting tripod having a hub with three legs hinged at one end thereof to the hub at equi-spaced locations around the hub to swing between a folded condition in which the legs lie alongside one another and an erect position in which the legs diverge from one another. An automatic releasable latching device is provided on one of the legs to engage end housings on the other two legs to hold the legs in the folded position.

Camera mounting tripods

The disclosure relates to a mounting for an optical apparatus having an optical axis. The mounting has a base and a support for the optical apparatus which provide movement about one or more orthogonal axes and having damping means between the moving and non-moving components for the or each axis. The mounting further having means to determine movement (&thgr; relative) of the damping means at each moving component as a measure of intended movement of the mounting, means to determine actual movement (&agr; absolute) of the mounting and means responsive to any difference detected between the intended and actual movements to apply a corrective movement to the optical apparatus.

Mountings for optical apparatus

A system for performing a variable function such as a variable spring resistance comprises a plurality of selectively operable spring devices and movable actuator means for selecting/deselecting devices over a range of movement of the actuator means. The actuator means includes stepped drives for selecting/deselecting at least one of the spring devices at a predetermined ratio with respect to another of the devices whereby spring devices can be selected to operate individually or in combination by movement of the actuator means to provide multiple levels of spring resistance.

Variable function devices

The disclosure relates to a tiltable mounting for a TV camera or the like comprising a base ( ), a camera support ( ) mounted on the base to tilt about a first horizontal axis to either side of a neutral, upright position, and a counterbalancing mechanism ( ) for holding the support with a payload upright or in any rotational position to which it is moved from said upright position. The counterbalancing mechanism comprising an elongate guideway ( ) having one end coupled to the support at an eccentric location ( ) to said first horizontal axis. A guide ( ) with which the guideway ( ) is slidably engaged is pivotally mounted on the base about a further horizontal axis spaced from said first axis such that tilting movement of the mounting about the first axis from the neutral position causes the guideway to slide with respect to the guide. Preloaded springs act between the guide ( ) and a stop ( ) on the guideway to resist movement of the guideway with respect to the guide with tilting of the support from the neutral position and to provide said counterbalancing force. A mounting ( ) for the guide ( ) provides adjustment along a line intersecting said first and further axes for moving the guide along the guideway and thereby adjusting the preload of said spring means, wherein the guide is mounted for linear movement by a spaced pair of links pivotally connected to the guide and to the base at respective spaced locations.

Tiltable mountings for TV cameras

The disclosure related to a rotary counterbalancing mechanism comprising a rotatable input ( ), a pair of aligned linearly movable outputs ( ), means ( ) to convert rotation of said input into sinusoidal oscillation of said outputs between minimum and maximum displacement positions and &deg; out of phase with each other and spring means ( ) for resisting said oscillating movement of the outputs away from said minimum positions. The means to convert rotary motion of the input into linear movement of said two outputs comprise a rotatable cam ( ) mounted to rotate about a fixed axis and the outputs comprise two cam followers ( ) engaging the cam on opposite sides thereof and mounted for linear movement along a common line of action with each other which passes through the axis or rotation of the cam, said spring means ( ) acting on the respective followers biasing the followers towards the cam to resist rotation of the cam.

Rotary load counterbalancing mechanisms

The disclosure relates to a rotary drag device having relatively rotatable members one (,) of which has a stack (,) of closely spaced, thin-walled flexible annular plates (,) peripherally mounted thereon to provide annular running faces and a viscous fluid filling the spaces between the plates, and the other (,) of which members has a stack (,) of segmental plates (,) having part-annular running faces interleaved with the annular plates to slide between the plates with relative rotation of the members. Slits (,) in the annular plates permit release of viscous fluid from between the plates as fluid pressure rises ahead of the segmental plates with increasing relative speed between the members. The flexibility of the annular plates allowing the plates to close together accommodating the loss of viscous fluid from between the plates whereby the damping characteristic of the device can vary between viscous drag between the relative running surfaces of the annular and segmental plates at low relative speeds of the members and, with loss of viscous fluid from between the plates, can change to boundary lubrication between the running surfaces of the respective plates at higher relative speeds of rotation of the members.

Growing community of inventors

Suffolk, United Kingdom

Richard Arthur Lindsay