Camera dolly

Claim 2

A camera dolly apparatus adapted to mount a motion picture camera for use in an underwater environment comprising: an elongated frame having parallel fixed spaced apart rails, each of said rails having an upper smooth surface; legs connected at the opposite ends of said frame for selectively adjusting the height of said frame above a supporting surface; screw fasteners interconnecting said legs to said frame in a detachable, disconnect relationship for repeated assembly and disassembly in said underwater environment; a carriage movably supported on said parallel rails adapted to reciprocally move between the opposite ends of said frame on said rail smooth surfaces including a plurality of rollers rotatably mounted on said carriage for movably supporting and guiding said carriage on said frame whereby said carriage may be lifted from said frame to effect disassembly; a universal mount secured to said carriage on its end opposite to the end movably supported on said frame and being adapted to releasably mount the camera thereon; handle means secured to said universal mount for manually selecting a predetermined optical axis of the camera; and power means downwardly depending from said carriage in detachable connection therewith and operably coupling said carriage to said frame for moving said carriage on said rails from one end thereof to the opposite end thereof at a predetermined rate.

Claim 3

The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said power means includes an electric motor and battery supply therefor; a watertight housing downward depending from said carriage enclosing said motor and said battery supply; and a gear train interconnecting said motor with said frame whereby relative movement therebetween is produced.

Claim 4

The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said power means includes a watertight housing secured to said carriage and downwardly depending therefrom between said parallel rails; an electric motor and battery supply enclosed in said housing; and a gear train coupling said motor to said frame for effecting relative movement therebetween whereby said carriage moves on said rails.

Claim 5

The invention as defined in claim 3 wherein said gear train includes a circular gear directly driven by said motor and a linear gear carried on the underside of a selected one of said rails intermeshed with said circular gear.

Claim 6

The invention as defined in claim 4 including an adjustable sleeve and rod arrangement securing said housing to the underside of said carriage.

Claim 7

The invention as defined in claim 5 wherein each of said rails are formed by coextensive segments joined together at opposing ends by a pivotal connection.

Claim 8

The invention as defined in claim 6 wherein said frame and said rails constitute a compound curve in plan view.

Claim 9

In a camera dolly for mounting a motion picture camera in an underwater environment adapted to accommodate repetitive camera movement in a fore and aft direction to film a series of different scene sequences comprisinG the combination of: an elongated frame having a pair of parallel rails arranged in fixed spaced-apart relationship and each rail having a smooth upper track surface and a toothed lower surface; adjustable legs detachably secured to the opposite ends of said frame for supporting said frame on the floor of a body of water; a carriage carried on said pair of rails and adapted to travel between the opposite ends of said frame; roller means carried on said carriage for rollably supporting said carriage on said smooth upper surface of said rails; a universal mount detachably carried on said carriage for detachably mounting said camera thereon; handle means fixedly secured to said universal mount for manually selecting a predetermined optical axis for said camera; power means secured to the underside of said carriage including a gear train interconnecting said carriage with a selected one of said toothed surfaces of said rails for moving said carriage in a predetermined direction on said rails at a selected rate of speed; and fastener means for releasably coupling said legs to said opposite ends of said frame, for releasably coupling said power means to said carriage and for releasably coupling said universal mount to said carriage so that a detachable assembly is produced permitting ready assembly and disassembly in said underwater environment.

Claim 10

In a camera dolly for mounting a motion picture camera in an underwater environment adapted to accommodate repetitive camera movement in a fore and aft direction to film a series of different scene sequences comprisinG the combination of: an elongated frame having a pair of parallel rails arranged in fixed spaced-apart relationship and each rail having a smooth upper track surface and a toothed lower surface; adjustable legs detachably secured to the opposite ends of said frame for supporting said frame on the floor of a body of water; a carriage carried on said pair of rails and adapted to travel between the opposite ends of said frame; roller means carried on said carriage for rollably supporting said carriage on said smooth upper surface of said rails; a universal mount detachably carried on said carriage for detachably mounting said camera thereon; handle means fixedly secured to said universal mount for manually selecting a predetermined optical axis for said camera; power means secured to the underside of said carriage including a gear train interconnecting said carriage with a selected one of said toothed surfaces of said rails for moving said carriage in a predetermined direction on said rails at a selected rate of speed; and fastener means for releasably coupling said legs to said opposite ends of said frame, for releasably coupling said power means to said carriage and for releasably coupling said universal mount to said carriage so that a detachable assembly is produced permitting ready assembly and disassembly in said underwater environment.

Claim 11

The invention as defined in claim 8 wherein said gear train includes a circular gear driven by an electric battery operated motor and a set of straight gear teeth carried on the underside of said selected rail meshed with said circular gear.

Claim 12

The invention as defined in claim 9 including a watertight and sealed enclosure for carrying said motor; and means detachably connecting said enclosure to said carriage.