Abstract:
A monopod turret type support for a camera or the like comprises an upper shaft aligned along a common axis with a lower shaft, and a pivot joint located between and uniting the upper shaft and lower shaft. The pivot joint may comprise a screw disposed to vary pressure acting on the interface between the upper shaft and the lower shaft. Pressure acting on the interface may be adjusted by inserting a pin to lock the screw to one of the upper and lower shafts, and rotating the upper shaft relative to the lower shaft. The upper shaft may terminate in a threaded attachment for threading to the camera. The lower shaft may terminate in a threaded adapter to enable threading to a threaded shaft of an environmental object.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/897,916, filed May 20, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,783,975, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/650,132, filed May 22, 2012, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates in general to supports, and more particularly, to a device that may be fixed to an environment at one end, and enables rotation of a supported object independently of the fixed end. 
     Devices such as cameras frequently require being held in a fixed position or in a fixed plane to permit fully advantageous effectiveness. For one thing, it is frequently desirable to hold the camera still so that minor movements and vibration do not result in blurred images. At the same time, it is frequently desirable to adjust the azimuth of the lens so that desired subject matter is fully captured in the resulting image. 
     Cameras have long been held by hand. While some subject matter is susceptible to hand holding, other subject matter requires steadier support. Tripods have long been used to satisfy this need. However, successful use of a tripod may require that the supporting environmental surface be penetratable by the legs of the tripod, or that the plane of the supporting environmental surface be arranged at a particular orientation, such as horizontal. 
     Another aspect to camera support is the ability to provide and also to control rotation of the support of a device, such as a tripod. As mentioned above, it is frequently desirable to adjust the azimuth of a camera. Yet the ability to provide such adjustment may introduce lack of control over spontaneous rotation of the camera support platform. 
     There remains a need for a support that provides the essential functions of a tripod, yet improves on control over rotation of the camera support platform and also overcomes limitations imposed by reliance on for example the three legs of a tripod. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a monopod turret support that provides rotatable support to devices, such as cameras. The monopod support incorporates a pivot that affords control over resistance to pivot. 
     The monopod turret support may comprise an upper tube, a lower tube, and a pivot joint disposed between the upper tube and the lower tube. Under ordinary conditions, mutual rotation between the upper tube and the lower tube results in rubbing contact at an interface within the pivot joint. A pin may be inserted into the pivot joint so as to lock the upper tube and its associated components within the pivot joint to the lower tube and those components associated with the lower tube. Once the upper and lower tubes are locked, mutual rotation that would ordinarily cause the upper and lower tubes to rotate mutually will instead drive a nut internal to the pivot joint to adjust friction acting on the interface. The result is that once the pin is removed, tensional forces required to rotate the upper tube relative to the lower tube will have been increased or decreased. 
     This adjustment allows a user to strike a desired balance between opposing inadvertent mutual rotation of the upper and lower tubes, and on the other hand, to facilitate such rotation. 
     The upper tube may be terminated by a device intended to engage and retain a camera or other supported object. The lower tube may be terminated by an apparatus for fastening to, or otherwise engaging, a supporting environmental surface or object. 
     A camera or other object may thus be held to the monopod turret support, which monopod turret support may be installed to, or otherwise supported on, or engage an environmental surface or object. The camera may be rotated about the longitudinal axis of the monopod turret to any desired azimuth. The amount of force may be adjusted to suit the desires of the person using the camera. 
     Various advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, when read in light of the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an elevational view of a monopod turret support. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view of taken along the line  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1 , with some external components not shown for clarity. 
         FIG. 3  is a diagrammatic representation of alternate configurations of the support. 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded elevational detail view of a component partially revealed at the center of  FIG. 1 , drawn to enlarged scale. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view taken along the line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged cross sectional view of components in detail A in  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2  a monopod turret support  10  for rotatably engaging an object, such as a camera (not shown), to a supporting environmental surface (not shown). The supporting environmental surface may be part of a vehicle, such as a boat or kayak, for example. Relatively large components of the monopod turret support  10  may comprise a hollow upper shaft  12 , a hollow lower shaft  14 , and an adjustable pivot joint  16  disposed between and pivotally connecting the lower end  18  of the upper shaft  12  to the upper end  20  of the lower shaft  14 . An apparatus  22  for engaging the object to be engaged and supported is seen to be mounted to the upper end  24  of the upper shaft  12 . An adapter  26  may be coupled to the lower end  28  of the lower shaft  14 . The adapter  26  may include a threaded hole  30 . The purpose of the adapter  26  is to enable the lower shaft  14  to be fixed to a threaded stud  13  of a tee bolt  15  or other structure that may cooperate with a component of the supporting environmental element, which may include a tee groove in a track supported in relation to the environmental object. This enables the monopod turret support  10  to be securely mounted to an environmental object such as a boat. Alternatively, other forms of the adapter may be employed to cooperate with other forms of attachment to the environment, which may not require the use of a tee bolt. 
     Both the apparatus  22  and the adapter  26  may be formed as components separate from and removable from their respective upper shaft  12  and lower shaft  14 . 
     It may be mentioned at this point that orientation terms such as “upper” and “lower” refer to their subject matter as depicted in the drawings in positions of use under ordinary conditions. These orientation terms are intended as semantic conveniences and not as a necessary condition of the monopod turret support  10 , as obviously, the monopod turret support  10  may be utilized in any desired position or orientation. 
     The upper shaft  12  and the lower shaft  14  may have a common longitudinal axis  32 . It will be understood that the longitudinal axis  32  may refer to the axis of only the upper shaft  12 , only the lower shaft  14 , or the entire monopod turret support  10 , depending upon context. 
     The lower end  18  of the upper shaft  12  and the upper end  20  of the lower shaft  14  may each be covered with a foam tube  34 ,  36 , which increases buoyancy of the monopod support turret  10  and provides improved grip. 
     It should also be appreciated that the monopod turret support  10  is not intended to be limited in any way to members shown and described herein. For example, the support  10  is not intended to be limited to the upper shaft  12  and the lower shaft  14 , or the apparatus  22  and the adapter  26 , described above. Other members may be used in place of any one or more of these members, including a ball (see in  FIG. 3 ), a socket, a camera quick-release (neither of which are shown), other members. 
     Turning momentarily to  FIG. 4 , the adjustable pivot joint  16  is seen to comprise an upper protrusion  38  that may be slipped into the lower end  18  of the upper shaft  12 , a lower protrusion  40  that may be slipped into the upper end  20  of the lower shaft  14 , an upper flange  42  that is fixed to the upper protrusion  38 , and a lower flange  44  that is fixed to the lower protrusion  40 . A joint  46  seen in  FIG. 6  only as a line separating the upper flange  42  from the lower flange  44  serves as an interface between the two mutually rotatable components of the monopod turret support  10 . The mutually rotatable components include on one hand, the upper shaft  12  and the apparatus  22 , and on the other hand, the lower shaft  14  and the adapter  26 . Also, the pivot joint  16  is subdivided into components ultimately fixed to the upper shaft  12  and the lower shaft  14 . As employed herein, the term “ultimately fixed to” signifies that the described components may be directly coupled to one another, or alternatively, there may be intervening components that separate the components that are ultimately fixed to one another but do not interfere with effective monolithic nature of these separated components. 
     Referring particularly now to  FIG. 4 , the workings of the adjustable pivot joint  16  that is disposed between and pivotally connects the lower end  18  of the upper shaft  12  to the upper end  20  of the lower shaft  14  to enable the upper shaft  12  to pivot about the longitudinal axis  32  relative to the lower shaft  14  will be described. The adjustable pivot joint  16  comprises a first friction surface  48  that is ultimately fixed to the upper shaft  12 , and a corresponding second friction surface  50  that is ultimately fixed to the lower shaft  14 . The first friction surface  48  and the second friction surface  50  are disposed in mutual abutment and collectively define the interface  46  between the upper shaft  12  and the lower shaft  14 . 
     The adjustable pivot joint  16  is formed as a first connector  49  and a separate second connector  51 . The first connector  49  may comprise the upper protrusion  38  and the flange  42  that is unitary with the upper protrusion  38 . The first friction surface  48  is the lowermost surface of the flange  42 . The second connector  51  may comprise the flange  44  that is unitary with the lower protrusion  40 . The second friction surface  50  is the uppermost surface of the flange  44 . 
     Looking now at  FIG. 6 , a torsion adjuster  52  is disposed to adjust clamping force urging the first friction surface  48  against the second friction surface  50  at the interface  46 . Adjustment of clamping force adjusts the amount of tensional force required to rotate the upper shaft  12  relative to the lower shaft  14  about the longitudinal axis  32 . This force is manual force. Increasing the amount of resistance to free rotation by increasing clamping force opposes unintended or inadvertent rotation of the upper shaft  12  when the lower shaft  14  is fixed to an environmental object, hence stabilizing the camera or other supported object. 
     The torsion adjuster  52  may comprise a screw  54  bearing screw threads  56  and having a longitudinal axis (not specifically called out by reference numeral) that is parallel to the longitudinal axis  32 , and female threads  57  that may be features of a nut  58 , that are matingly compatible with the threads  56  of the screw  54 . The female threads  57  and the screw  54  collectively serve as a clamp that adjustably imposes the clamping force urging the first friction surface  48  against the second friction surface  50 . 
     Ordinarily, when the monopod turret support  10  is in use and the adjustable pivot joint is as seen at the left of  FIG. 6 , rotation of the upper shaft  12  relative to the lower shaft  14  would cause the screw  54  and the female threads  57  to rotate in tandem with the upper shaft  12 , and would not affect the clamping force. The nut  58  may be carried within a passageway  62  that is shaped to conform to the outer surface of the nut  58  and that receives the nut  58  in close cooperation therewith. For example, the nut  58  may have a conventional hexagonal outer surface, with the opening  62  being similarly hexagonal. Alternatively, the nut  58  may be pressed with some force (e.g., a high force) into the opening  62 , which may be round in shape. This fixes the nut  58  with respect to the first connector  49 . In another alternative, the nut would have an outer surface with knurls or other geometry that, when formed together with the first connector  49 , would fix it therein. In yet another alternative, the female threads  57  may be formed directly into the first connector  49 . In this case, no nut may be required. 
     The clamping force may be adjusted in the following way. First, the upper shaft  12  and the lower shaft  14  are rotated until a hole  64  formed in the second connector  51  comes into axial alignment with a hole  66  formed in the lower shaft  14 . The holes  64  and  66  extend fully through second section  51  and the lower tube  14  respectively. Next, with the cover tube  36  (not shown in  FIG. 6 ) retracted by manually sliding the same along the longitudinal axis  32  to provide access to the holes  64 ,  66 , a pin  68  is inserted into the holes  64 ,  66 . The pin  68  passes through a hole  67  formed in the enlarged head  69  of the screw  54  and into opposed sides of second section  51  and the lower shaft  14 . Because the first connector  49  of the adjustable pivot joint  16  is fixed to the upper shaft  12  by rivets  70 ,  72 , for example, with the second section  51  similarly being fixed to the lower shaft  14  by rivets  74 ,  76 , for example, the pin  68  effectively locks the screw  54  to the lower shaft  14 . 
     Preferably but not necessarily, the holes  64 ,  66 , and  67  that accept insertion of the pin  68  are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis  32 . 
     Rotation of the upper shaft  12  relative to the lower shaft  14  now causes the screw  54  to rotate in tandem with the lower shaft  14 . Because the female threads  57  are fixed to the first connector  49 , the first connector  49  moves axially along the longitudinal axis  32  responsively to mutual rotation between the upper shaft  12  and the lower shaft  14 . 
     Even minute axial travel by the first connector  49  adjusts clamping force exerted between the first friction surface  48  and second friction surface  50 . 
     It should be mentioned here that the hole  66  must have a diameter dimension that is greater than the diameter of the pin  68 , for enabling rotation of the pin  68  throughout a predetermined range of rotation of the upper shaft  12  relative to the lower shaft  14  when adjusting clamping force. The hole  66  could, for example, define an elongated slot (not shown), wherein the length occupies a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis  32 . 
     The upper surface  80  of the head  69  of the screw  54  ultimately bears on a shoulder  84  formed in the second connector  51  of the adjustable pivot joint  16 . The upper surface  80  of the head  69  of the screw  54  may be separated from the shoulder  84  by a shoulder washer  85  and a fiber washer  87 . Depending upon the direction of mutual rotation of the upper shaft  12  and the lower shaft  14 , clamping force drawing the first connector  49  against the second connector  51  of the adjustable pivot joint  16  is varied. Consequently, adjustment is made in frictional resistance to mutual rotation between the first connector  49  and the second connector  51 . After adjustment is deemed satisfactory, the pin  68  may be extracted and the cover tube  36  may be returned to its ordinary position as depicted in  FIG. 1 . In summary, the pin  68  serves as a lock element disposed selectively to lock the screw  54  ultimately to the upper shaft  12  to enable the screw  54  to drive the female threads  57  along the longitudinal axis  32  of the screw  54 , thereby adjusting clamping force when the upper shaft  12  is rotated relative to the lower shaft  14 . 
     It will be appreciated that clamping forces exerted by the female threads  57  and screw  54  also collectively unite the first connector  49  and the second connector  51  of the adjustable pivot joint  16 , thereby ultimately clamping the upper shaft  12  to the lower shaft  14  so that the monopod turret support  10  remains as a unitary device while still enabling mutual rotation between the upper shaft  12  and the lower shaft  14 . 
     Referring again to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the apparatus  22  may comprise a double split ball socket assembly  86 , including a first ball  88  to be received within a first split ball socket  90 , and a second ball  92  to be received within a second split ball socket  94 . The term “split” signifies that the first split ball socket  90  and the second split ball socket  94  are cleft so as to be able to spread apart to slightly vary the internal volumes thereof. The ball socket assembly  86  may be formed with the cleft fully dividing the ball socket assembly  86  into two parts. Alternatively, the cleft may not fully divide the ball socket assembly literally into two separable parts. It is merely necessary to be able to close the first split ball socket  90  over the first ball  88  and to close the second split ball socket  94  over the second ball  92 . A clamp screw  98  may thread into the ball socket assembly  86  to clamp the ball socket assembly  86  into the closed condition. 
     The ball socket assembly  86  may terminate in an upwardly projecting threaded shaft  96  for threading the object to be engaged and supported. Illustratively, many cameras (not shown) have a threaded port for accommodating such a support arrangement. The clamp screw  98  when tightened may immobilize the screw  96  at a selected orientation to the longitudinal axis  32 . 
     In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the principle and mode of operation of this invention have been explained and illustrated in its preferred embodiment. However, it must be understood that this invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically explained and illustrated without departing from its spirit or scope.