GB2114796A - Clapperboard - Google Patents

Abstract

A clapperboard 1 has a conventional first portion 2 hinged at 6 to second portion 3 which possesses a row of apertures 10 each displaying a number marked on a corresponding underlying circular rotary disc 12. The discs are arranged at a slight angle to the face of the clapperboard and overlap so that the row of apertures 10 displays a desired sequence of numbers on selective positioning of the various discs. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Clapperboard This invention relates to a device for making a sharp noise for synchronisation of sound and vision, and has particular reference to a semiautomatic device, hereinafter referred to as a clapperboa rd.

Semi-automatic clapperboards are known, in which the information-bearing members for indicating the number of takes are rotated by knobs protruding from the rear of the clapperboard.

A further semi-automatic clapperboard comprises strips of continuous cloth, each cloth bearing numbers to indicate the number of takes and slates, the continuous strips being controlled and rotated by knobs protruding from the clapperboa rd.

According to the present invention, there is provided a device for making a sharp noise for synchronisation of sound and vision, which comprises a first and second portion hinged together along a common axis, the second portion comprising parallel front and back panels constituting display surfaces, spaced apart to house the plurality of information-bearing disc-like members, each being mounted about an axis of rotation perpendicular to its plane and all being mutually parallel at the same small angle to the front and back panels, with at least a portion of their areas overlapping; the front panel possessing a like plurality of apertures arranged each to expose a separate information-bearing portion of a different disc-like member where it approaches the front panel.

Preferably, each disc-iike member has a succession of recesses or holes arranged for exposure through the panel apertures to facilitate engagement of the disc-like member with an operating member.

By front and back panels, it is meant a first and second longitudinal rectangular panel, preferably of hardboard or any other suitable material, interconnected by at least two spacing members.

The at least two spacing members can in fact comprise side panels, thereby forming an enclosed housing having a front and rear panel and two side panels.

By disc-like member, it is meant a flat thin cylindrical, preferably circular, body or structure.

By an operating member, it is meant a member having an end portion capable of engaging the succession of recesses or holes arranged in each disc-like member. Preferably, the operating member can be a writing instrument, such as a "Biro", pencil or like instrument having a pointed end portion.

Preferably, the surface of the first and second portion of the device has a black matt surface, which is capable of being written on. Preferably, the first and second portions are made of a plastics material, hardboard, or any other suitable material.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a device according to the invention: Figure 2 is a schematic sectional view along the line Il-Il Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic plan view of the arrangement of the informasion-bearing members of the device according to the invention; and Figure 4 is an elevational rear view of the device according to the invention.

Figure 1 shows a clapperboard 1 having a first portion 2 and a second portion 3. The first portion 2 is the same as found on known clapperboards, and therefore it is not necessary to describe it. The first portion 2 has an arrangement of stripes 4, for example black, spaced at regular intervals along the longitudinal length of the portion. The second portion 3 has an arrangement of stripes 5, preferably black, spaced at regular intervals along a longitudinal margin 6 of the second portion. The first portion 2 is pivoted at a common axis 6 to the second portion 3. When the second portion abuts the first portion, the arrangement of stripes 4 and 5 is such that a chevron arrangement of stripes is formed.

The second portion 3 has preferably a black matt surface, which is capable of being written on by, for example chalk. The surface 7 is divided into various portions, on which can be written certain information necessary when using the clapperboard. Such information would include the name of the director of the film, the name or names of the cameraman or men, the number of the production and the production company. A further portion 9 on the surface 7 of the portion 3 is left for the insertion of the date.

The portion 3 having the surface 7 has a front panel 1 3 having a plurality of apertures 1 0. There are six apertures, four of which are grouped together within a portion of the divided surface 7, and the remaining two apertures are likewise grouped together in another portion of the surface 7. The plurality of apertures 1 0 are arranged each to expose a separate information bearing portion 11 of a different disc-like member 12 located beneath the panel.

Figure 2 shows a schematic sectional view through the clapperboard of Figure 1. The clapperboard has a front panel 1 3 and a rear panel 14, the front panel 13 having the black matt surface 7, which constitutes a display surface. The front and rear panel 13 and 14 respectively are spaced apart to house a plurality of informationbearing disc-like members 12. Each informationbearing disc-like member 12 is mounted about an axis of rotation 1 5 perpendicular to its plane. All the disc-like members are mutually parallel and are arranged at a same small angle to the front and rear panels. The disc-like members are also arranged so that at least a portion of their areas overlaps.

Figure 2 shows clearly the axis of rotation 1 5 of one of the disc-like members. Each disc-like member 12 is mounted on a plate 1 6. Each plate has wedge-shaped flanges. Each plate is inclined, so that the plates can nestle together. Thus, a portion of each disc-like member is hidden under a preceding plate. Figure 2, which is a partial sectional view, shows the nestling arrangement of three such plates. Each plate carries an axis of rotation i.e. a pin 15, on which is mounted for rotation the disc-like member 1 2.

Each disc-like member carries a block 1 7 of a synthetic polymeric material, such as a foamed plastics material, or natural rubber. The block 1 7 acts as a frictional device to engage the inclined surface 1 8 of a preceding adjacent plate 1 6. The first disc 1 9 of the inclined disc-like members 1 2 has a large block 20 in order to frictionally engage the rear surface of the front panel 1 3.

Each disc-like member has a plurality of numbers 21 (as shown in Figure 3) arranged around the periphery 22 of the disc-like member.

The plurality of apertures 10 located in the front panel 1 3 are arranged so that each exposes a separate information-bearing portion 11 of a different disc-like member where it approaches the front panel. Figure 2 does not show the plurality of apertures located in the front panel 1 3.

Figure 3 shows a plan view of the arrangement of the disc-like members 12. Each disc-like member 1 2 has a succession of recesses or holes 23 arranged for exposure through the apertures 10 located in the front panel 1 3. As can be seen from Figure 3, the succession of recesses or holes 23 are arranged in a circular fashion, but it is to be appreciated that it is not essential to have a circular arrangement of recesses or holes. The recesses or holes 23 are provided to facilitate engagement of the disc-like members 12 with an operating member (not shown), such as a "Biro" (Registered Trade Mark), pencil or other suitable writing implement. The disc-like members 1 2 are rotated from number to number by use of the written implement.The arrangement of recesses or holes is such that two of the succession of recesses or holes are visible through the apertures 10 in the front panel 13. The disc-like members 12 are moved from number to number by the writing implement being placed in the recesses or holes 23 near the circumferential edge of each disc-like member and moved down one number at a time. The plates 1 6 prevent adjacent disc-like members being marked by the writing implement as it passes through the recesses or holes 23.

Figure 4 shows the rear of the clapperboard 1.

The rear panel 14 is free from any upstanding knobs or the like, so that an information sheet 24 can be secured to the rear of the clapperboard.

The information sheet 24 contains details of the slate and take number of the film sequence being shot.

As mentioned earlier, four of the apertures 10 in the front panel 13 are grouped together, and these apertures correspond to the numbers on the underlying disc-like members which represent the slate number. The first disc 1 9 does not in fact have a series of numbers around its periphery, but a series of letters 25. This is standard practice in filming. The last two apertures 10 located in the front panel 13 expose the two disc-like members 12 which represent the take number of the particular film sequence being shot. Thus, the number of the slate i.e. corresponding to the number of the clapperboard and the number of the takes can be altered by insertion of the writing instrument into the succession of recesses or holes 23 located in the disc-like members 1 2.

An advantage of the present invention is that the rear panel 14 of the clapperboard is free from any upstanding knobs or projections, thus making it easier to secure the relevant information concerning the slate number and the take number to the clapperboard. A further advantage is that since the disc-like members are inclined and mutually parallel at a smaller angle to the front and back panels 1 3 and 14, the overall dimensions of the clapperboard according to the invention are smaller than the dimensions of known semi-automatic clapperboards. It is envisaged that the clapperboard of the present invention can have an overall width dimension of 197 mm (7 3/4"), an overall length dimension of 419 mm (16 1/2"). The overall thickness of the clapperboard 1 can be of the order of 19 mm (3/4"). Of course, the overall dimensions of the clapperboard are governed by the size of the disclike members 1 2.

A further advantage of the present invention is that the disc-like members 1 2 can be made of a suitable material, such as metal or plastics.

Claims (4)

1. A device for making a sharp noise for synchronisation of sound and vision, which comprises a first and second portion hinged together along a common axis, the second portion comprising parallel front and back panels constituting display surfaces, spaced apart to house a plurality of information-bearing disc-like members, each of which is mounted about an axis of rotation perpendicular to its plane and all of which are mutually parallel at the same small angle to the front and back panels, with at least a portion of their areas overlapping; the front panel possessing a like plurality of apertures arranged each to expose a separate information-bearing portion of a different disc-like member where it approaches the front panel.

2. A device as claimed in Claim 1 in which each disc-like member has a succession of recesses or holes arranged for exposure through the panel apertures to facilitate engagement of the disc-like member with an operating member.

3. A device as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the front and back panels are made of synthetic polymeric material, hardboard, or like rigid sheet material and the first and second portions have a black matt surface capable of exhibiting written indicia.

4. A device as claimed in Claim 1 and substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.