AU693393B2

AU693393B2 - Stunt apparatus

Info

Publication number: AU693393B2
Application number: AU10136/97A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Brian Jeffery Belcher
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-06-04
Filing date: 1997-01-14
Publication date: 1998-06-25
Anticipated expiration: 2017-01-14
Also published as: AU1013697A

Description

1 P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 I 4

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: "STUNT APPARATUS" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: i l 2 TITLE: STUNT APPARATUS FIELD OEFTHE INVENTION THIS INVENTION relates to stunt apparatus and in particular to apparatus which enables stunt workers and the like in the entertainment and related industries to achieve substantial jumps or leaps, In describing the invention, reference will be made to the making of leaps, however it is intended that the invention will apply to any and all similar or related activities of stunt personnel wherein it is required to use a means by which the stunt person is enabled to launch or propel themselves, either vertically and/or horizontally beyond their normal capacities.

PRIOR ART It is known to provide stunt workers with the means by which they are enabled to leap to substantial height and over considerable distance, beyond their normal abilities. The means by which this achieved Is with pneumatically assisted equivalents of a gymnast's spring board, In these devices, a foot plate is actioned by a ram to add energy to the user's leap. To date these devices have released the energy in their compressed air charge to action the foot plate too energetically with the result that stunt workers are unable to repeat the leap too often without experiencing sore legs. The prior art devices have not enabled the user any substantial control of the leap during the functioning of the device.

OBJECT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

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i I rr It is an object of the present invention to provide stunt apparatus which allows stunt workers to repeat leaps with reduced weakening in the legs. It is a further object of the invention to provide a device whose action is such that a user is able to more readily respond to s it with corrective movements during the process of operation to ensure that they more certainly land where and how they had planned.

NATURE OF THE INVENTION The invention achieves its result in the provision of a stunt apparatus for enabling users to perform leaps comprising: a base member; a pivot on said base member; a lever arm extended from said pivot; a foot plate mounted on said lever arm; one or more pneumatic cylinders acting between said base member and said lever arm; a storage cylinder fronm which air under pressure can be fed to said one or more pneumatic cylinders; and actioning means whereby air under pressure in said storage cylinder can be operatively fed to said one or more pneumatic cylinders; said actioning means being triggered by a user stepping onto said foot plate to feed air under pressure to said one or more pneumatic cylinders, operating said lever arm and raising said foot plate; and the ratio of the storage cylirlder volume and the size of the 4 one or more pneumatic cylinders being set to provide a resilience to the feel of the foot plate's action and to reduce the force achieved in the lever arm as its angular displacement is increased.

The term base member is intended herein to encompass means by which the elements of the stunt apparatus are supported, mounted, disposed, or operatively made available for use by a stunt person. The term pivot is intended to encompass means by which elements are operatively supported, mounted, or disposed to enable, allow, or permit rotational, or angular displacement or movement of respective elements or parts associated with, or connected to the pivot.

The term lever arm is intended to encompass a means being an elongate element or part extended in at least one direction by which a torque or angularly effective force or action may be developed or established around or about a pivot. The term foot plate is intended to encompass an 15 element or part whereat or whereon a user may engage with the apparatus of the invention being a plate, flat, surface, or the like preferably configured or designed to accommodate foot fall thereon. The term pneumatic cylinder is intended to encompass pressurised fluid actuators or rams suited to effecting a relative displacement of parts. The term storage cylinder is intended to encompass a means, appliance or the like whereby a body, charge, or volume of compressed or pressurised fluid or gas may be held, stored, or contained for operative use in actioning the apparatus of the invention.

In the above defined stunt apparatus the foot plate is *i 4 4 4ra 4 ''4 a 0 it 0 00090 preferably angled to have the user lean forward on stepping thereon. In the stunt apparatus, the angular travel of the lever arm is preferably restricted to 55 to 60 degrees. In the stunt apparatus, the direction of action of the one or more pneumatic cylinders relative to the angle of the lever arm is ideally set to achieve reduced torque at commencement of their action, building to a maximum as their relative angle increases. In the stunt apparatus, air in the storage cylinder is preferably released to feed to the one or more pneumatic cylinders via a selectively actionable control valve and ideally said actionable means comprises an actuator operatively connected to said control valve to open said valve. In the stunt apparatus a solenoid is advantageously used to activate a pneumatic switch to action said actuator and the solenoid is preferably electrically connected to a trigger switch associated with the foot plate.

The storage vessel is ideally provided with an inlet whereat a supply of recharge air can be connected. The one or more pneumatic cylinders are advantageously fitted with bleed valves to enable release of air therein and resetting.

In use of the above set out invention a user experiences a more even distribution of forces on their legs over the duration of the device's action. Additionally there is more feel in the apparatus by which a user can work to ensure the accuracy of the leap.

BRIEFDESCRIPTIO[NQE'THE.DRAWINGS

This invention will now be described with reference to a preferred embodiment which is illustrated in the enclosed drawings in 6 which: FIGS. I to 3 show side and end elevations together with a plan view of a stunt apparatus in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 4 shows a pneumatic circuit which may be used with the stunt apparatus of FIG 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT S: In the elevations and plan views of FIGS. 1 to 3, the stunt apparatus or means 10 has a launch plate, foot engaging means, or foot pad or pads, platform or plate 11, mounted, positioned or supported on or at the end of an actioning means or lever, supported or mounted for angular movement or pivoted rotational action on a suitable angularly i Idisplaceable means or pivot 12. The apparatus of the invention is ideally o actioned by compressed or pressurised air (although it is intended that the I scope of tile invention will include the use of other gases and fluids as i 4 49°, might be substituted for compressed air and realise the function of the i invention) the compressed air being operative in pneumatic rams or means such as cylinders 13, 14 connected between respective pivot means or joints at the points 15 and 16. Pivot 16 is operatively coupled to, supported on, or connected with a suitable mounting means, support I element or base assembly 17. The pivot 15 is ideally provided at or fixed to an elevated shoulder or an arch 18 standing the pivot off the upper surface of the foot plate 11.

In FIG. 2, the working volumes of rams or cylinders 13, 14 of a -u I I 7 FIG I are connected with or gated to a quantity or volume of air stored compressed or under pressure in a storage container or vessel 19 via a selectively actionable or controllable valve 20. The valve 20 is preferably a rotary valve which is ideally actioned by a complementary rotary actuator 21, ideally worked or actioned under control or by means of a user triggered, electrical solenoid activated pneumatic switch 22 which is operationally effective to energise the actuator from a suitable high pressure, air supply vessel 23.

The solenoid activated switch 22 is preferably, connected in an electric circuit with, for example, a trigger switch actioned by the pressure of a user stepping onto the foot plate. There are a range of electrical devices and circuit options to achieve the triggering of the device which will be well known to electrical and pneumatic engineers and able to be used in the present invention. As these are known to those skilled in the art, they are not described here.

The storage vessel 19 may be preferably recharged from a source of compressed air at 25, ideally through a valve 24 with preferably a regulator (not shown) in the circuit to enable the setting or control of the pressure in the vessel 19.

A second electrically triggered, pressure activated valve is ideally provided at 26 to enable air in the cylinders 13, 14 to bleed away to atmosphere so that re-use of the device is possible. Micro switches might be fitted to the stunt apparatus to determine the position of the foot plate and co-ordinate the action of the respective valves to enable an i~ II i 8 automatic reset. The circuitry for this is likewise routinely able to be developed by those skilled in the art and it need not be described here. A relief valve 27 may be required by law for safety purposes and it can be provided to the storage vessel to enable any excess pressure to be dumped. A gauge 29 may be used whereby to know what pressure is set in the system and gauge what distances or heights will be achieved. A ball valve and reducing valve together with gauge in assembly 28 may connect the two pressure vessels to enable charging of vessel 23.

tic Ci,

Claims

1. A stunt apparatus for enabling users to perform leaps comprising: a base member; a pivot on said base member; a lever arm extended from said pivot; a foot plate mounted on said lever arm; il,' one or more pneumatic cylinders acting between said base rrr ~member and said lever arm; IF. 10 a storage cylinder from which air under pressure can be fed to said one or more pneumatic cylinders; and ~actioning means whereby air under pressure in said storage cylinder can be operatively fed to said one or more pneumatic cylinders; said actioning means being triggered by a user stepping ~pneumatic cylinders operating said lever arm and raising said foot plate; and the ratio of the storage cylinder volume and the size of the one or more pneumatic cylinders being set to provide a resilience to the feel of the foot plate's action and to reduce the force achieved in the lever arm as its angular displacement is increased.

2. A stunt apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein: the foot plate is angled to have the user lean forward on stepping thereon.

3. wherein: A stunt apparatus as claimed in either of claim 1 or claim 2 the angular travel of the lever arm is restricted to 55 to degrees.

4. wherein: A stunt apparatus as claimed in any one of claims I to 3 the direction of action of the one or more pneumatic cylinders relative to the angle of the lever arm is set to achieve reduced torque at commencement of their action building to a maximum as their relative angle increases.

A stunt apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein: air in the storage cylinder is released to feed to the one or more pneumatic cylinders via a selectively actionable control valve and said actionable means comprising an actuator operatively connected to said control valve to open said valve.

6. A stunt apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein: a solenoid activates a pneumatic switch to action said actuator.

7. A stunt apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein: the solenoid is electrically connected to a trigger switch associated with the foot plate.

8. A stunt apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein: bk- 11 said storage vessel is provided with an inlet whereat a supply of recharge air can be connected.

9. A stunt apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein: the one or more pneumatic cylinders are fitted with bleed valves to enable release of air therein and resetting. A stunt apparatus substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this /iday of ,1997 I j4 BRIAN JEFFERY BELCHER i I Si i :k