Camera Rail Positioner With Actuated Trolley for Uneven Terrain
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current camera positioning systems, such as rail dollies and camera sliders, are cumbersome, expensive, and require multiple operators to adjust height and navigate uneven terrain, limiting their versatility and ease of use.
Innovation Solution
A camera rail positioner apparatus with a horizontal base, vertical tower, and actuated trolley for vertical movement, along with adjustable casters and a tiltable platform, allows for single-person operation, easy height adjustment, and stabilization on uneven surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If rail dollies are used for camera positioning, then smooth camera movement is achieved, but height adjustment requires 2-3 people and removal of camera
Solution Approach 1:
The rail dolly system incorporates an integrated winch mechanism that allows the camera operator to raise and lower the camera platform independently without requiring additional crew members. The winch is directly mounted on the dolly frame and operates autonomously to adjust height.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the height adjustment mechanism (winch) with the camera platform and dolly frame into a single integrated system. This merging eliminates the need for separate height adjustment equipment and operators, allowing one person to control both camera positioning and elevation.
2Productivity
If wooden boxes and blocks are used for height adjustment, then lower heights are achieved, but height adjustment is time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical system of stacking wooden boxes and blocks with an automated winch mechanism that uses a motorized or spring-loaded reel to raise and lower the camera platform. This substitution enables rapid, precise height adjustment without manual labor.
Solution Approach 2:
The winch mechanism is pre-installed and ready for operation, allowing immediate height adjustment when needed. The system eliminates the need to gather, stack, and adjust wooden materials in real-time, as the mechanical lifting capability is already prepared and integrated into the dolly structure.
3Ease of operation
If rail dolly assemblies are moved on rough terrain, then mobility is required, but disassembly and reassembly are needed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates four casters (wheels) mounted on the dolly frame, transforming the static or semi-static rail dolly into a mobile platform. This dynamic element allows the entire assembly to be easily rolled across various terrains without disassembly, adapting to rough surfaces while maintaining structural integrity.
4Reliability
If camera weight approaches hundred pounds, then camera capacity is sufficient, but rail assembly flexes and tilts camera
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a counterbalancing mechanism within the dolly frame that offsets the weight of heavy cameras. This may include counterweights positioned to balance the camera load or a reinforced structural design that distributes the weight load, preventing rail flexing and camera tilting even when carrying 100-pound camera systems.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatuses serving as camera rail positioners and methods of operation are featured and described, as well as methods of their operation. The featured apparatuses include a horizontal base having a plurality of wheels or casters, a vertical tower in communication with and projecting upward from the horizontal base, a vertical trolley designed for slidable movement up and down a length of the vertical tower by an actuator and configured to hold a camera rail system horizontally.