Improvements in Apparatus for Theatrical Purposes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 13th Jan., 1900
C
35
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Theatrical Purposes.
I, GEORGE AUGUSTUS OLIVER CONQUEST, Theatrical Manager, of Hillsboro',
, Brixton Hill, London, S.W., do hereby declare the nature of this invention,
nd in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
nd ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to apparatus for use on the stage in connection with
gures intended to be raised in the air and to be moved in an appropriate man-
This
er. The present invention consists essentially of improvements upon the
apparatus described in my Patent No. 23549 dated October 23rd 1896.
apparatus is especially intended for use in connection with pantomimes, ballets
and the like in which "fairies," "angels" etc. are employed among the char-
acters but may be employed for any other public performance.
The specification of my above mentioned patent described series of wires
and mechanism for suitably operating them the wires being connected to the
figures to be supported and moved so that each figure can be raised from the
ground or tilted in any required direction. The present invention relates firstly
to a means of supporting the figure whereby much greater liberty of movement
is allowed and whereby while supported in the air acrobatic feats can be per-
formed the actual position taken up by the figure being dependent on his or
her acrobatic skill instead of being almost entirely dependent on the mechanism
as in my former patent. The second part of this invention relates to improve-
ments for supporting and moving the figures both when supported in accordance
with the first portion of this invention and also when the figure is supported
as in my previous arrangement.
In order that the invention may be more clearly described reference is had
to the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings on which
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the belt employed for supporting the performer.
Fig. 2 is a side view of the drum apparatus employed for operating the figure
Fig. 3 shows a mechanism for varying the position of the performer according
to the height from the floor and
Fig. 4 is a view of the apparatus as in Fig. 2 but having the advantages of
the apparatus described in Fig. 3 combined therewith..
It will of course be understood that the wires are passed over various pulleys
and through travellers as in my above mentioned patent but these are not
shown as they do not form part of the present invention.
In the present invention the performer is supported only at the hips instead
of at the upper portion of the back and at the waist as has previously been the
case. In that arrangement the performer was limited to the positions given by
means of the winding apparatus while in the present arrangement somersault
etc. can be performed and almost any position can be taken according to th
40 acrobatic skill of the performer.
In Fig. 1 it will be seen that the belt A adapted to be passed round th
waist is provided at each side with pivoted links B B to the free ends of whic
the supporting wires C C are attached. It is therefore a matter of balancing a

page_text: to what position the performer takes as the pivoted links B B will allow of a
complete revolution or any other movement being made. The padded bands 1)
serve for preventing the belt from riding up the body of the performer.
In Fig. 2 the drum apparatus employed is shown. The drums E E¹ serve for
the wires e e' which pass into a convenient position and serve for rotating the drums
the wire e being used for one direction and the wire e¹ for the other direction.
The small drum E² serves for the wire e² to which a suitable arrangement of
springs are attached whereby a strain is put upon the drums. The drums EE
are of equal size and serve for the wires ee to which the wires CC supporting
the performer are connected. The drum E acts as a spacing drum only. It
will be seen that on suitably operating the wires e or e¹ the drums EE will
be rotated so as to raise or lower the performer. Traversing carriages or the
like are employed for the purpose of moving the performer in other directions
but such arrangements do not form part of the present invention.
In the arrangement shown in Fig. 3 which is intended to be used more especi-
ally in connection with the apparatus described in my previous patent two
drums E E7 only are employed for the supporting wires the drum E7 being
however somewhat smaller than the drum E. The wires e e7 are attached to
the performer by means of a suitable harness as indicated in the sketch. Pre-
viously it has been necessary to wind up the two wires separately if it was
desired to alter the position of the performer. In this arrangement however,
owing to the different sizes of the two drums the wire e will be wound or un-
wound faster than the wire e so that the inclination of the performer will be
varied according to the height from the floor.
In the arrangement shown in Fig. 4 this latter arrangement is combined with
the arrangement shown in Fig. 2. Instead of the drum E a drum E8 is fitted
somewhat smaller than the drums E3 E and the wire is adapted to be attached
at the back of the performer while the wires are attached at the hips. When
required therefore the performer may be supported by the three wires and in
that case the position will be regulated by the height from the floor or on detach-
ing the wire the performer will be supported only at the hips as in the arrange-
ment shown in Fig. 2. Preferably a suitable catch arrangement is provided
for attachment of the wire es so that the performer can unfasten or fasten this
wire himself or herself as the performance progresses. .
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
(1) In an improved apparatus for stage purposes intended for application to
floating or suspended figures, a belt having pivoted connections at each side to
which the supporting wires are attached whereby the position taken is almost
entirely under the control of the performer substantially as described.
(2) In an improved apparatus for stage purposes intended for application to
floating or suspended figures, the combination with a belt in which the perfor-
mer is supported only at each side, of a drum apparatus adapted to be used in
connection with suitable traversing and other apparatuses, having two drums
of equal size on which the wires supporting the performer are wound or unwound,
a spacing drum between and suitable means for rotating said drums substantially
as described.
(3) In an improved apparatus for stage purposes intended for application to
floating or suspended figures, the combination with a belt by which the perfor
mer is supported at one position and also from the upper portion of the back,
of a drum apparatus adapted to be used in connection with suitable traversing
and other apparatuses, having unequal drums on which the supporting wires
are wound or unwound so that the position of the performer is varied according
to the height from the floor substantially as described.
(4) In an apparatus for stage purposes intended for application to floating

page_text: or suspended figures the combination with a belt in which the performer is sup
ported only at each side, of a drum apparatus adapted to be used in connection
with suitable traversing and other apparatuses, having two drums of equal size
on which the wires supporting the performer are wound or unwound and an in-
termedium drum of smaller size on which a wire is placed connected to the
upper portion of the back of the performer and having a special attachment
whereby the performer can readily attach or detach this last mentioned.wire so
that the apparatus can be either arranged as in Claim 2 or can be used in com-
bination with the apparatus described in Claim 3 substantially as described.
Vovember 1899.
ited this ty
GEO. H. RAYNER,
37. Chancery Lane, London, Agent for the Applicant.