Vertical tilting apparatus of tripod head

A vertical tilting apparatus of a tripod head for a camera or the like is disclosed. The vertical tilting apparatus includes a torque changeover mechanism. The structure of the torque changeover mechanism comprises a disk-shaped first unit, a second unit, a unit securing pin and a second unit case on the second unit. The first unit consists of many first damp adjusting plates and first intermediate bodies. The second unit consists of ring-shaped intermediate bodies opposite to the surfaces of the first intermediate bodies, a viscous fluid therebetween and second damp adjusting bodies. The first unit and the second unit arranged concentrically. The unit arc securing pin can be releasably inserted into any of holes provided on the circumferential surface of the second unit case for use.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a vertical tilting apparatus of a tripod 
head for a camera or the like. 
DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART 
The conventionally known vertical tilting apparatuses to be fitted to a 
tripod head are defective in that the balance of coil springs arranged on 
both sides cannot be altered or adjusted. 
Particularly, in an apparatus of the type adapted to a camera having the 
center of gravity thereof located in the front portion. For example the 
rear portion of the apparatus becomes too low for a camera having the 
center of gravity thereof located in the rear portion. In an apparatus of 
the type adapted to a camera having the center of gravity thereof located 
in the rear portion thereof, the front portion of the apparatus becomes 
too low for a camera having the center of gravity located in the front 
portion. 
To solve this defect in the prior art, a vertical tillting apparatus of a 
tripod head has previously been proposed comprising a horizontal shaft 
provided on a support arranged through a horizontal swiveling apparatus on 
a fitting base to a tripod or the like; a securing disk for a camera or 
the like provided across the top portions of a pair of right and left leg 
members bearing-supported rotatably in the forward and back directions; a 
pair of right and left coil springs between leg members and a support 
having an elastic force stronger than the approximated weight of a 
prescribed camera or the like to be mounted on the securing disk so that 
the elastic force thereof acts in the opposite direction to the 
approximate weight, and that the securing disk for the camera or the like 
keeps the horizontal state when the elastic force of both springs is in 
balance with said prescribed camera or the like as mounted. The vertical 
tilting apparatus comprises directly or indirectly a plurality of engaging 
hubs arranged along a circle around the horizontal shaft as the center on 
the support side, and an engaging latch engaging or disengaging 
selectively with any of said plurality of engaging hubs through operation 
of a knob on the leg member side (Provisional Publication No. 104,894/86 
of Japan Utility Model). 
However, this vertical tilting apparatus having excellent functions still 
have several points to be improved, such as the necessity of further 
simplifying operations and achieving a more satisfactory torque balance by 
smoothing vertical tilting movement. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
To solve the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention 
is to provide a vertical tilting apparatus for a tripod head which 
comprises a securing disk for a camera or the like keeping the horizontal 
state thereof when the elastic force of elastic bodies provided the right 
and left ends of a horizontal shaft is in balance with a camera or the 
like in the mounted state. The vertical tilting apparatus comprises a 
first unit consisting of a disk-shaped body of a plurality of first damp 
adjusting plates and first intermediate bodies, a second unit consisting 
of ring-shaped second intermediate bodies arranged opposite to the 
surfaces of the first intermediate bodies, a viscous fluid sealed 
therebetween, and a plurality of second damp adjusting plates arranged 
between the circumferential surfaces of the second intermediate bodies; 
said second unit being arranged concentrically with said first unit by 
means of clamping rings fitted on the horizontal shaft, and a torque 
changeover mechanism comprising a unit securing pin releasably engaging 
with a hole provided on the circumferential surface of the second unit 
case.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention therefore provides an improvement over a previously 
proposed vertical tilting apparatus. The present invention is described in 
detail below with reference to the drawings. 
In the previously proposed vertical tilting apparatus, as shown in FIGS. 1 
and 2 for example, a pan ring (2) is unrotatably fitted to the lower 
surface portion of a horizontal rotating body (1), and a pan adjuster (3) 
is rotatably engaged into the inner bore of the pan ring (2). A first oil 
ring bearing unit (9) comprising a doughnut-shaped fitting strip (4), an 
o-ring made of an oil-resistant rubber (5), an oil shield ring (6), a 
member for forming shaft hole (7) and a clamp screw (8) is unrotatably 
fitted to the upper surface of the pan adjuster (3). 
A downward center shaft (10) is provided in projection, and rotatably 
inserted into the shaft hole of the first oil ring bearing unit (9) so 
that the leading end of the center shaft (10) projects from the lower 
surface of the pan adjuster (3). A pair of ball bearings (11) are engaged 
with the uppermost and the lowermost positions of the projection. A hollow 
hemispheric base (12) is secured by means of a screw (13) to the lower 
surface of the pan adjuster (3). The horizontal rotating body (1) is 
horizontally rotatably bearing-connected onto the base (12) with the lower 
surface thereof as a spherical journal. 
Full stoppage and full release of horizontal rotation of the horizontal 
rotating body (1) can be accomplished through tightening and loosening of 
a screw stock (14). The function of providing semi-damping of a prescribed 
intensity can be performed for the horizontal rotation of the horizontal 
rotating body (1) through tightening and releasing of a screw stock (15). 
A horizontal shaft is unrotatably inserted into a horizontal hole (21) 
pierced through an upward support (20) on the upper surface of the 
above-mentioned horizontal rotating body (1). A pair of T-shaped leg 
members (23) are arranged on both sides of the support (20). Bearing holes 
are provided in the lower end portions of these leg members (23), which 
are engaged rotatably to the horizontal shaft (22) in the forward and back 
directions. 
A securing disk (25) for camera or the like is provided across the space 
between horizontal members (24) by means of screws. A second oil ring 
bearing unit (26) having the same structure as the above-mentioned first 
oil ring bearing unit (9) is unrotatably engaged around the leading end of 
the horizontal shaft (22) both on the inner and on the outer sides of each 
of a right and a left leg members (23). By attaching it to a ball bearing 
(27), an arresting plate (28) and a set screw (29), it supports the leg 
members (23) movably in the forward and back directions. A doughnut-shaped 
space is formed by cutting grooves (30) opening one opposite to another on 
the desired positions of a circle with the above-mentioned horizontal 
shaft (22) as the center on the inner sides of the right and left leg 
members (23) and on the both sides of the support (20). A pair of tilt 
adjusting rings (31) having washer-like play strips contacted with both 
their sides is inserted into this space. For one of the tilt adjusting 
rings (31), a tilt securing screw (32) with a knob engages with and 
disengages from a screw hole pierced in one of the leg members (23) to 
conduct and release pressure contact. 
A recess (33) opening is horizontally cut around the horizontal shaft (22) 
the both sides of the support (20). A pair of right and left coil springs 
(34) having an elastic force stronger than the approximate weight of the 
camera or the like to be mounted on the above-mentioned securing disk (25) 
are wound around the horizontal shaft (22) in the recess (33) so that the 
elastic force acts in the opposite direction each other. The inner ends of 
these coil springs (34) are engaged with engaging holes (35) pierced in 
the bottom surface of the recess (33), and the outer ends thereof are 
engaged with engaging holes (36) pierced in the inner surface of the leg 
members (23). The positions of these engaging holes (35) and (36) are such 
that the securing disk (25) not mounting a camera or the like keeps the 
horizontal state by the balance of elastic force of the respective coil 
springs (34). 
Covering bodies (37) are arranged outside the above-mentioned arresting 
plate (28), and the outer circumferences of these covering bodies (37) are 
secured to the leg members (23) by means of screws (38). A through-hole is 
provided on the outer circumference of one of the covering bodies (37), 
through which a pin (39) is slidably inserted. A flange is provided at a 
position near the inner end of this pin (39) to prevent the pin from 
coming off. An operating knob (40) is unrotatbly fixed to the outer end of 
the pin (39) by means of a screw. A cam unit is provided, which causes the 
pin (39) to move inside and to outside under the effect of a spring (41). 
A plurality of recesses (42) are provided at prescribed intervals along a 
circle containing points corresponding to the inner end of the pin (39) on 
the outer side of the second oil ring bearing unit (26) so that the inner 
end of the above-mentioned pin (39) is selectively engaged with and 
disengaged from one of these recesses (42) by positively or negatively 
turning the operating knob (40). 
The invention covered by the present application provides a further 
improvement over the vertical tilting apparatus of a tripod head having 
the detailed structure as described above, for the purpose of achieving 
easier operation and permitting proper adjustment of the torque balance. 
The improvement proposed by the present invention relates to the second 
oil ring bearing unit (26) of the above-mentioned structure comprising the 
provision of a torque changeover mechanism of the following structure for 
the horizontal shaft (22). 
The improvement is characterized by the torque changeover mechanism in 
which a first unit comprising a disk-shaped plate body consisting of a 
plurality of first damp adjusting plates and first intermediate bodies and 
a second unit comprising ring-shaped second intermediate bodies opposite 
the surface of the first intermediate bodies, a viscous fluid sealed in 
between, and second damp adjusting plates provided between the 
circumferential surfaces of the second intermediate bodies. The first and 
second units are arranged concentrically on the horizontal shaft by means 
of clamping rings, and a unit securing pin is releasably inserted into a 
hole provided on the circumferential surface of the second unit case. 
Typical features of this torque changeover mechanism is illustrated in FIG. 
3. 
In the torque changeover mechanism, as shown in FIG. 3, the first unit 
comprises a disk-shaped plate body consiting of the first damp adjusting 
plates (103) and the first intermediate bodies (104) clamped to the 
horizontal shaft (100) of a tripod head by means of a clamping ring (101) 
and a clamping nut (102). 
The respective first intermediate bodies (104) have diameters larger than 
that of the clamping ring (101) and the circumferential surfaces thereof 
reach even the interior of the second unit separated from the 
above-mentioned first unit. More specifically, the second unit comprises 
the ring-shaped second intermediate bodies (105) opposite to the surfaces 
of the first intermediate bodies (104), the viscous fluid (106), such as 
viscous grease, sealed in between, and the second damp adjusting plates 
(107) provided on the circumferential surfaces of the second intermediate 
bodies (105) arranged concentrically with the first unit. The second damp 
adjusting plates (107) and the second intermediate bodies (105) are housed 
in a second unit case (109) by clamping them between the second unit case 
(109) and a second unit cap (110) by means of clamp screws (108). 
The second unit is tiltable in the forward and back directions relative to 
the first unit. Adjustment of torque balance in this case is accomplished 
by selecting any of a plurality of holes (111) provided on the 
circumferential surface of the second unit case (109) and inserting a 
securing pin (112) in a desired hole (111). This securing pin (112) is 
releasably inserted into a hole (111) by means of a switching knob (114) 
via spring (113). 
The relationship between this hole (111) and the securing pin (112) is 
illustrated in FIG. 4. 
In the embodiment with the structure as described above of the present 
invention, torque adjustment of vertical tilting of the tripod head is 
accomplished through shear tilting balance between the first intermediate 
bodies (104) and the second intermediate bodies (105) in the second unit 
containing the viscous fluid (106) sealed therein. 
Under the effect of this mechanism, vertical tilting in the forward and 
back directions of a camera or the like on the tripod head can have an 
excellent torque balance. 
It is needless to mention that a horizontal swiveling mechanism or the like 
may be combined with the present invention as in the prior art, and 
various manners may be adopted for the other individual mechanisms.