The currently existing related art involves several apparatuses and methods for transporting camera equipment. Spielberg et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0075070) discloses a switcher track apparatus comprising four switch units having precisely supported turntables at the intersections of the rails of two tracks, with switch sections of the track on the turntables movable into alternate switching positions in alignment with the two tracks and with magnet assemblies for establishing and releasably holding precise alignment. The wheel assemblies are supported on carriers of a V-shaped cross-sectional shape. Losmandy (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0064386) discloses an apparatus and a method for moving and positioning a camera mounted on a dolly, comprising two flexible, but semi-rigid, rails which are positioned parallel to one another such that a dolly with wheels can be placed on, and guided by, the flexible semi-rigid rails.
In addition, Nilsen (U.S. Pat. No. 7,089,867) discloses a device for lifting and repositioning a track used in television and motion picture industries on which a camera dolly or crane is located. The camera dolly includes bogie wheels mounted on a V-shaped bracket. Brown et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,974,978) discloses a lightweight, remote-controlled, self-propelled equipment support and transport system, wherein the equipment support is mounted in an angular isolation relative to the drive car by a system of damped pivots about pitch and yaw axes. Chapman (U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,108) discloses a camera dolly which has a track wheel system, including a kingpin pivotally supported on a dolly chassis. Chapman (U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,117) discloses a track wheel system for a camera dolly, wherein a kingpin is pivotably attached to the dolly chassis and an axel is attached to the kingpin. A bushing is placed on a first section of the axle, a wheel bearing is attached to the bushing, and a first track wheel is attached to the wheel bearing.
Zelli (U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,469) discloses a rail-supported carriage, adapted to be moved along a pair of rails spaced from one another at a predetermined distance which includes at least three wheel assemblies, each wheel assembly including a frame. A connecting mechanism connects the oppositely disposed wheel assemblies and includes a compensating arrangement mounted on each wheel assembly for compensating any variation in distance between oppositely disposed wheel assemblies due to any curvature in the rails, each compensating arrangement includes a platform and a pin passing through the platform, and wherein the platform is movable with respect to the frame. Muller et al. (PCT Application Publication No. WO 96/09490) discloses a movable carriage which comprises a support for a camera, the carriage having a frame that is fitted with wheels and rollers. The support is provided with an arm comprising two elements which are mounted telescopically, the lower end of the arm being fixed to the frame to pivot about a vertical axis and oscillate with respect to a horizontal axis, the upper end of the arm carrying the platen to fix the camera which is attached to the upper extremity via a horizontal articulation axis, and the frame comprising, at right angles to the arm, a recess such that the arm can be lowered into the recess to bring the platen substantially to ground level.
Common problems experienced in the related art are that the wheels do not fully pivot nor articulate, that the wheels do not fully engage the tracks throughout the travel, that a tendency exists for the wheels to separate from the tracks, that undue friction, vibration, and noise are present, whereby filming is undermined, that the scope of use for various dollies or cranes is limited, that the scope of use with different tracks is limited, and the like. FIG. 1 is a bottom view of a plurality of wheels 110 that are mounted to a V-shaped bracket 120 of a to camera transport apparatus 100, wherein pivoting is limited and no articulation is provided, in accordance with the prior art. FIG. 3 is a front view of a plurality of wheels 110 that are mounted to a V-shaped bracket 120 of a camera transport apparatus 100, wherein pivoting is limited and no articulation is provided, and wherein the wheels 110 have a tendency to separate from a track T during travel (d>0), in accordance with the prior art. Thus, a long-felt need is seen to exist for an apparatus and a method which provide greater flexibility of use under a wider range of filming conditions.
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