Rotating Flown Wall

[Morydd]

I have an idea to fly a piece of scenery but can't quite engineer the desired result in my mind. I'd appreciate any suggestions.

The goal is to have a standard wall flat wall, 8'x8' that ends up at about a 30 degree angle on the US/DS axis. What I'd like to do is have the wall rotate to be parallel to the batten and flown in and out, and then when landed rotate into its correct position, then after the scene rotate and fly back out.

This, by no means needs to be automated. My first thought was to mount a pipe to the top of the flat and use a swivel cheesbourough to accomplish the rotation. However, I can't come up with a simple way to lock it in the "flat" position for flying in and out.

Suggestions? Is this clear at all?

[mjw56]

I dont know what the guts of a cheesborough look like, but if the two haves are connected by a nut i would be very concerned about the nut backing off. If its a riveted stud, i would be concerned about pullout, but i havent had any experience with them.

As for a retainer of some kind, a pull string controlled retainer arm kind-of thing would probably work. To release the flat simply pull on the string, the arm swings up out of the way and the wall can spin.

If that's not clear let me know, ill sketch it out.
Good Luck

[derekleffew]

...My first thought was to mount a pipe to the top of the flat and use a swivel cheesbourough to accomplish the rotation. However, I can't come up with a simple way to lock it in the "flat" position for flying in and out.

Your flat is probably beyond the 100# weight limit, or else the CT6-A Rotodraper as used for swivel legs would work.

I dont know what the guts of a cheesborough look like, but if the two haves are connected by a nut i would be very concerned about the nut backing off. If its a riveted stud, i would be concerned about pullout, but i havent had any experience with them. ...

Virtually all swivel cheeseboroughs are riveted, not bolted, so that would work as the pivot point.


I'm sure I've seen an indexing (locking) swivel coupler, but can't find it and don't remember how it locked.
How about two lines, one at either side of the flat, that get clipped in to hanger irons to keep the flat in the same plane as the batten?

[shiben]

maybe this is what Derek was thinking of, but you could take some line, pop a pulley of some type on the batten, fasten the line to the top of the flat and have a cleat on the side/back. To pivot, unlash the line, allow it to pull out until the flat is where you want it. Doing this on 2 points with 4 lines ought give the flat some measure of "locked off", and if you set it on the deck it wouldnt move, i would think.

[ajb]

It's possible to do what you want with nothing but lift lines and have it come in and turn into position in one operation, and likewise turn back and fly out in one operation. It involves setting up bridles to hang the unit in its desired (angled) playing position from deadhung points, with separate lift lines for lifting and turning the unit. This is not for the amateur, however, as it involves varying loads on the lifting batten and managing some unusual dynamics. It also requires some significant clearances to avoid the dead lines fouling as they slack in and out and limits your vertical travel (unless you get really crazy and rig the 'dead' lines to fly as well).

For a more feasible solution, a receiver with a gate latch type mechanism at each end of the top of the flat in its flying position would be my answer. Carefully managing the center gravity of the flat and incorporating some friction in the pivot will be critical to making it reliable.

[Morydd]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. As much as I'd love to figure out the engineering for ajb's suggestion, this is for a high-school one-act show (and my first one in this job) so I'm not ready to tackle something quite that ambitious.

If I end up rigging it, I'll post again and hopefully include some pictures so you all can critique my results.