DE29916225U1 - Crane with a device for automatically changing the angle of attack of equipment - Google Patents

Description

Applicant: Klaus Bichlmeier
B80393 F/Sh/br

Camera crane with automatic change of camera angle

^ Description

The invention relates to a crane with a device for changing the setting angle of devices, in particular a camera crane with a device for changing the camera setting angle.

There are known lifting cranes for cameras where the camera is carried on an articulated crane platform. The camera platform with the camera mounted on it is kept statically balanced by a (lower) guide connection with a counterweight, which is articulatedly mounted on a crane support. Using this joint, the camera can be raised or lowered.

The camera platform is additionally attached to the crane support by an additional (upper) guide connection.

Drawing boards in which the drawing ruler is held by a rotating mechanism are also known as state of the art. The rotating joints on this drawing board are formed by disks or rotary knobs with a relatively large diameter, for example. The rotating mechanism enables the drawing ruler to be moved on the drawing surface without changing direction.

From operational practice, a camera crane is known with a crane support, with a lower guide connection articulated to the crane support (which has a camera platform on one side and a counterweight on the other side), and with an upper guide connection, which is also articulated to the camera platform.

The upper guide connection is hinged at the end facing the crane support to a position holder, which in turn is arranged so that it can be adjusted in height on the crane support and has a protruding nose to which the rope end is attached. The swivel joint between the upper guide connection and the position holder is therefore not located vertically above the swivel joint between the lower guide connection and the crane support.

With this state of the art, it has been shown in practice that there is no setting of the vertical trim position of the position holder at which the angle of attack of the camera remains constant, i.e. the angle of attack of the camera inevitably changes during raising and lowering in every possible trim position. This is disruptive if raising and lowering the camera using the camera crane is combined with a simultaneous panning of the camera to the left and right, for example. A sea surface, for example, then appears in the image with a slanted horizon.

The object of the invention is, in contrast, to provide a camera crane with the property that, while retaining the adjustment options for automatically changing the camera angle of attack during raising or lowering of the camera, the additional property is achieved that, in a reference position of the adjustment, there is no change in the camera angle of attack when the camera is raised or lowered.

The solution to this problem is provided by a camera crane with the features of claim 1. Useful further developments emerge from the subclaims.

In the crane according to the invention, there is a reference position in which the four swivel joints form an exact parallelogram. In this parallelogram, two swivel joints can be exactly vertically positioned one above the other. However, this is not absolutely necessary to solve the problem; the pairs of swivel joints can also be offset from the vertical direction.

In the reference position, the height adjustment of the trim position holder on the crane support is adjusted so that the four pivot points form an exact parallelogram and the camera platform is horizontal. This trim position holder is conveniently attached to the crane support; however, this is not absolutely necessary, as the height adjustment can also be carried out on the side of the guide connections facing the camera platform.

For the reference position of the device, it is also necessary that the length adjustment of the upper guide connection is set so that the length of the upper guide connection is exactly the same as the length of the lower guide connection between the two lower pivot points. The length adjustment is usually achieved by a screw piece that is inserted into the pull cable that forms the upper guide connection. Instead of a pull cable, a length-adjustable pull rod can also be provided. The lower guide connection is usually designed as a push rod; a length adjustment can also be provided there if required.

Depending on the position of the height-adjustable trim position holder (which can be located on the crane support or on the camera platform), the camera continuously changes its angle of attack when it is raised and lowered by the crane. This applies if the trim position holder has been adjusted from its reference position. If, however, the upper and lower guide connections are set parallel and with the same length according to the invention, the angle of attack of the camera remains constant when it is raised or lowered.

The swivel joints can be (partially) designed as loops of a traction cable that are wound around a bolt. However, the traction cable can also be guided over a height-adjustable, non-rotating disc. All swivel joints known in the state of the art can be used.

Further possibilities and advantages of the invention are described below using an exemplary embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 6. It shows

Figure 1 ... an embodiment of a camera crane according to the invention with adjustment in a reference position,

Figure 2 a + b . . . the embodiment according to Figure 1 with a position of the upper guide connection slightly shifted from the reference position, for slightly changing the camera angle of attack during lifting,

Figure 3 a + b . . . the embodiment of the invention according to Figure 1 with a position of the upper guide connection significantly shifted from the reference position, for significantly changing the camera angle of attack during lifting,

Figure 4 a + b ... the embodiment of the invention according to Figure 1 with adjustment of the upper guide connection in the reference position, to achieve a constant camera angle of attack during lifting,

Figure 5 a + b ... the embodiment of the invention according to Figures 1 and 4, with a constant camera angle of attack different from zero during lifting,

Figure 6 a + b . . . the embodiment of the invention according to Figures 1 and 4, in which the length adjustment of the upper guide connection has been shortened relative to the reference position according to Figure 4.

A change in the angle of attack is often necessary when lifting equipment, especially cameras. The angle of attack of the camera near the ground should change evenly when lifted by the crane in order to ensure the optimal image section. This is made possible by a camera crane according to Figure 1, because a suitable movement coupling can be achieved by a selectable combination of the height adjustment on the trim position holder 4 and the length adjustment 8 on the guide connection 1. Raising and lowering the camera, which is standing on the platform 7, for example by raising or lowering the counterweight 5, automatically leads to a change in the angle of attack α via the rod with the four swivel joints 6. By combining the height adjustment

(at 4) and the length adjustment (at 8), suitable couplings of the height change and the viewing direction change (angle of attack) of the camera can be found for all object distances and object directions.

At the same time, the articulated device according to the invention has another important property. In Figure 1, the two adjustments (at 4 and at 8) are shown in a reference position in which the four swivel joints 6 lie exactly on the corners of a parallelogram. In this reference position, the angle of attack of the platform 7 (and thus of the camera) does not change when the camera is raised or lowered. Figure 4 shows an example of constancy in which the camera looks horizontally at any height during a lifting process, i.e. the angle of attack α always remains zero. This setting is particularly suitable when the camera's field of view captures the horizon (for example the sea horizon). When the camera is panned left-right, which can take place simultaneously relative to the platform 7, the sea surface in the field of view remains horizontal. Figure 5 shows another example in which the camera is tilted relative to the platform 7 by an angle of attack α that is not equal to zero. This angle of attack also remains constant when the camera is lowered (Figure 5 a) or raised (Figure 5 b).

Figure 2 shows what happens to the angle of attack α when the height adjustment of the trim position holder 4 is adjusted slightly upwards. This results in a relatively small change in the angle of attack α when raising and lowering the camera.

Figure 3 shows a similarly large change in the angle of attack during lifting and lowering, caused by a significant height adjustment at 4.

The change in the angle of attack α can be additionally influenced with the length adjustment 8. Figure 6 shows an example of this change when the upper guide connection 1 has been shortened relative to the reference position of the four swivel joints 6 with the aid of the length adjustment 8.

In summary, the invention enables the operator, in particular the cameraman, to change the camera angle of attack smoothly while raising or lowering the crane using the simplest means, while at the same time there is also a reference position in which the camera angle of attack remains exactly the same. The cameraman selects these properties before raising or lowering the crane by a specific height setting of the trim position holder 4 on the crane support 3 and/or a specific length adjustment 8 on the guide connection 1. The operator (cameraman) is independent of electrical drives, especially in bad weather conditions or in difficult-to-reach terrain, so that no transport problems arise due to the low weight of the camera crane according to the invention.

The camera crane according to the invention is maintenance-free and not prone to failure. The mechanical effort is minimal. Electrical and electronic effort is basically eliminated.

List of reference symbols

1. Guide connection above

2. Guide connection below

3. Crane support

4. Tnmm position holder (movable on crane support 3)

5. Counterweight

6. Swivel joints

7. Camera platform (with camera)

8. Length adjustment (for upper guide connection 1) α. Angle of attack of the camera

Claims (12)

1. Crane with a device for changing the angle of attack of equipment, in particular a camera crane with a device for changing the angle of attack of a camera, 1. with a crane support ( 3 ), 2. with a guide connection ( 2 ) connected in an articulated manner ( 6 ) to the crane support ( 3 ) for holding an articulated ( 6 ) equipment platform (camera platform 7 ) and a counterweight ( 5 ), 3. with a further guide connection ( 1 ) which is articulated to the platform ( 7 ) and which is also articulated ( 6 ) to the crane support ( 3 ) via a height-adjustable trim position holder ( 4 ), 4. wherein the swivel joint ( 6 ) between the further guide connection (I) and the trim position holder ( 4 ) is arranged such that it forms an exact parallelogram with the three other swivel joints ( 6 ) in a reference position of the height-adjustable trim position holder ( 4 ). 2. Crane with a device for changing the angle of attack of devices according to claim 1, characterized by a continuously adjustable fixation of the further guide connection ( 1 ) to the crane support ( 3 ) by means of the trim position holder ( 4 ). 3. Crane with a device for changing the angle of attack of devices according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by a drawbar as a further guide connection ( 1 ). 4. Crane with a device for changing the angle of attack of devices according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by a traction cable as a further guide connection ( 1 ). 5. Crane according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a length adjustment ( 8 ) of the further guide connection (pulling rod or pulling cable 1 ). 6. Crane according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the lower guide connection ( 2 ) is adjustable in length. 7. Crane according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the trim position holder ( 4 ) is arranged so as to be vertically displaceable on the platform ( 7 ) instead of on the crane support ( 3 ) or additionally on one or both of the swivel joints ( 6 ). 8. Crane according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two swivel joints ( 6 ) located near the crane support ( 3 ) are arranged either exactly in the central axis of the crane support ( 3 ) or both offset to the right or left relative to the central axis and/or both offset to the front or rear relative to this central axis. 9. Crane according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that two swivel joints ( 6 ) of the parallelogram are located exactly perpendicular to one another. 10. Crane according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that no two pivot points ( 6 ) of the parallelogram are exactly perpendicular to one another in the reference position. 11. Crane according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the swivel joints ( 6 ) are at least partially formed by rope loops which are looped around a bolt. 12. Crane according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the swivel joints ( 6 ) are at least partially formed by discs over which the guide connection (e.g. the further guide connection 1 ) is tensioned as a traction cable.