Technical Invention Prize 2011 Catalogue

theTECHNI CALINVEN TIONPRIZE «TheTIP» AWARDED TO THE THEATRE TECHNICIAN WHO COMES UP WITH THE MOST CREATIVE IDEA FOR COMMON PRACTICE ON STAGE

BY OISTAT TECHNOLOgY COmmISSION

theTECHNI CALINVEN TIONPRIZE «TheTIP»

members of the jury Aleksandar Brkic - Serbia Andreas Bickel - Germany Bert Determan - Holland Fritz Schwentker - USA Johannes Musch - Germany John Mayberry - Canada José Henrique Moreira - Brasil Loren Schreiber - USA Pavel Dautovsky - Czech Republic Tamás Szabados - Hungary

chaired by Ivo Kersmaekers - Belgium

EDITED BY John Faulkner

GADGETS! Every true Theatre Technician knows them and relies on them: devices particularly used in theatre, often put together by people working on stage to make their job easier. True gadgets are basically simple - yet smart - solutions for our kind of work.

the TECHNICAL INVENTION PRIZE

There must be quite a lot of them, some used only in Opera, others in touring shows, some for some reason only in one particular country. Simple solutions to tie a cable to a fly bar, handy tilting devices, accessories for lightning technicians..

Mostly they consist of cheap materials that we use all the time, but are put together in a way that creates a new apparatus. Quite normal to the people accustomed to work with it. Unheard of by fellow technicians somewhere else! Who knows: you yourself might even have invented one!

Would it not be interesting to share this knowledge?

So that is why the OISTAT Technology Commission initiated a competition for these simple yet bright ideas that are in use on stage every day: The Technical Invention Prize Awarded to the theatre technician who comes up with the most creative idea for common practice on stage.

In this book you will find the results of this competion, together with some prize-winning ideas from previous, similar competitions.

I hope you will be surprised, amused and maybe even inspired by the inventiveness of theatre technicians worldwide.

Ivo Kersmaekers, Chair OISTAT Technology Commission 2011

INVENTIONS

FIRST PRIZE

Fig. 2

Improved T-Joist Backdrop Stretcher

by Hao-En Hu Fig. 1

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

Fig. 5

How it works

theTECHNI CALINVEN TIONPRIZE «TheTIP»

T-Joist is one way to deal with the contraction of a backdrop at the waist when stretched at the top and bottom. During installation or dismantling, it needs some space to accommodate the long T-Joist pieces and special tools like screw guns. Usually it also needs pneumatic staplers and causes some wear on the edges of fabric after repeated use.

We can make life easier by altering the T-Joist structure and changing the way we use it. A T-Joist is made of two pieces of timber with grooves and one piece of plywood, as simple as it can be. The construction principle of a T-Joist is from the wood joint called tongue and groove.

The modular units are analogous to LEGO bricks. The starting piece is fixed at the pipe end by some convenient hardware clamped on. The “mortise end” leaves its “tenon end ” at the bottom for successive piece to attach to. Mortise and tenon are matched to each other, and there is no gap at all. To join two pieces of T-Joist together some screws are used.

In the new version I leave a gap between two adjacent pieces of plywood, and there are always three holes on both ends of a T-Joist unit. Therefore, instead of screwing, we can lace two pieces together with no tools at all, as shown in Fig. 1.

The practical length of the modular piece is between 8 feet and 12 feet so that we can handle the installation with an A-frame ladder without too much trouble. In fact, 6-foot sections might be a better option because crew can stand on the floor to put two modules together and tighten the laces between them. Of course the height of the backdrop will not be equal to a multiple of the modular length; there will be one special piece near the bottom pipe made to a specific length and customized with a tenon on both ends.

The gaps between sequential units of T-Joists create the possibility of tensioning the laces between the T-Joists. And they give rise to the idea of utilizing the timber uprights as the battens on which to fix the backdrop or canvas. In a 6’ full-length unit of T-Joist, if we place one piece of 1 foot long plywood sheet every 2 feet, we still can keep the strength of the module to a certain extent and fix the tie-lines from the fabric every 1 foot. In this case, the stretching will be done by hand instead of by staplers, as in to Fig. 2.

Some improvements to the T-Joist are made in this scheme. There are almost no tools needed, except for the bolts and nuts to tighten the pipe clamps. The tie-lines can be left on the backdrop, and the laces can be left on the consecutive T-Joists with some stopper knots. That means we can always fold the “T-Joists chain” when striking it without breaking the units apart, as in Fig. 3, Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. It is easier to store the T-Joists without the risk of losing parts or laces. In addition, the spaces between the plywood reduce the weight, make room for the laces and tielines, as well as joining the T-Joists more tightly.

SECOND PRIZE

dmx controlled torch

by Sebastian Ahrens

theTECHNI CALINVEN TIONPRIZE «TheTIP» How it works

We wanted to control the brightness of 19th century hand lamps used by actors on stage in different light situations.

With this invention it is possible to control any electric power up to 12V/250W wirelessly with DMX. Thinking bigger than a torch, it is even able to dim standard 12V halogen lamps using a lead battery as fitted in cars. The receiver and dimmer is only the size of a matchbox. This makes it possible to build it into very small devices where wireless DMX solutions are not suitable.

The transmitter is able to control up to four receivers individually. It uses the open 2.4 GHz band and is highly protected against radio frequency interference. The range is about 300-1000m, sufficient for every stage. A green LED at the receiver indicates proper connection.

We use a standard transmitter and receiver usually used in r/c scale model-making. The ”dimmer“ is in fact a motor speed controller. The interesting factor is that the transmitter understands DMX using a special self-developed interface.

The 19th century hand lamps were in use for ”Fidelio“ at the Wuppertaler Bühnen, the wireless dimmer is also used for ”La Bohème“ and controls the brightness of electro luminance wires.

THIRD PRIZE

Safe moving SCENERY under Iron Curtain

by Sebastian Ahrens Jürgen Leyh and Mario Engelmann

theTECHNI CALINVEN TIONPRIZE «TheTIP»

How it works

The problem is well-known. The stage designer insists on walls or a flying piece that cross the line of the Iron Curtain. The fire brigade insists on a free moving Iron Curtain.

We developed a system of linear motors opening flaps on the scenery, moving them out of the line of the Iron Curtain. The system is triggered by the Iron Curtain itself. As soon as the Iron Curtain leaves the upper position the obstructing parts of the scenery are moved away.

We used standard DC linear motors such as used e.g. in shop-fitting industry. The motors came with built-in limit stop-switches. In this way the electrical element of the controller itself could be kept simple: Two relays that inhibit each other reverse the polarity of the motors to open (or close) the flaps.

The system has a 24V lead battery as backup power supply so it works even during a total power failure.

The system is in use for several productions at the Wuppertaler Bühnen, e.g. Der Kirschgarten (The Cherry Orchard) and Eine Florentinische Tragödie/Gianni Schicci.

crumbling wall plaster particles machine

by Sason Hazzam

theTECHNI CALINVEN TIONPRIZE «TheTIP» How it works

I work in the Khan Theatre in Jerusalem as a set production director. This year the theatre produced Beckett’s play: Endgame. The play set designer asked me to produce an effect of wall plaster particles crumbling out of the walls of the set. The crumbling wall plaster particles had to fall down the walls in different places and in different quantities.

The device that I invented works this way

This is a mechanism built as a pipe ( 3“ diameter ) rotating slowly around its longitudinal axis.

The pipe has holes. While the pipe is turning, particles fall through the holes, creating the desired effect.

I found that the most suitable material for a “crumbling wall plaster particles” is “cat litter”.

1) It looks like wall plaster particles 2) the particles are small enough not to endanger the actors if they are standing below 3) the cat litter does not dirty the stage

Materials

The mechanism is built of plumbing PVC pipe ( 3” diameter).

I drilled holes in the pipe (diameter of the holes determines the amount of particles that fall through). Then I sawed “doors” for inserting the material.

I closed the ends of the pipe with sawn wood plugs.

In the centre of the wood panel I drilled a hole for an axle (made of aluminium pipe about 3/8” diameter).

The “box” is made of wood panels.

Rotation MACHINERY

Rotation is done by a simple motor from a microwave oven plate . This motor turns very slowly but has a great power. The motor was connected to the aluminium pipe axle.

The device was controlled by the lighting computer (with dimmer).

MACHINE FOR SNOW EFFECT

by Sason Hazzam

theTECHNI CALINVEN TIONPRIZE «TheTIP» How it works

The Machine is built in the body of “par” lightning unit.

The machine is simple: particles are put on the grid. Rotating brush stirs the particles on the grid and thereby causes them to fall through the holes.

The particles

“Snow” Effect : round paper particles that are waste from of continuous paper production (the centres punched out of holes on the sides).

You can also bring down other particles like coloured confetti etc. Size will vary depending on the grid holes.

Materials

“par” lighting unit with no bulb inside.

Wire grid with holes, the size of the holes should be half a centimetre.

Long Brush with stiff hair (e.g. brushes that are put at the bottom of doors).

Engine

Microwave oven motor rotates quietly and slowly and has a relatively large force.

When the engine is stalled for some reason while rotating, it automatically changes the direction of rotation - and that usually clears the obstruction.

Projector Mask Driven by Small DC-Motor

by Chin-yuan Eugene Yang

FIG. 1

Fig. 1 Circuit Diagram In this case, two projectors are very different in size, SANYO PLC-XF45 and Viewsonic PJ1158, with luminance of 10,000 lumens and 4,000 lumens respectively. To adapt the device to

TABEL 1 Item

Item

unit price

Subtotal

SPDT switch

1

30

30

12V-DC 2A power supply or rechargeable battery

1

400

400

12V-30RPM. gear motor

1

250

250

12V relays

2

100

200

Long-arm adjustable roller-lever limit switches

2

300

600

Hollow shaft

1 Depends on how it will be finished

100-300

Wires, terminals, strips, flat iron, plywood from scrap, miscellaneous hardware

total

theTECHNI CALINVEN TIONPRIZE «TheTIP»

100

1680~1880

How it works

There is always a need to block the light leaking during a “black picture” in theatrical projection.

The traditional way is using a thick paper in a crew’s hand to cover the lens. But with the projector hung above, should we ask a crew to rig himself on the pipe?

In the production Kalpa 2010, the projection designer needed controllable masks for two projectors suspended on eight-metre high pipes. The simplest way for me was using small DCdriven motors to rotate precut masks, made of thin plywood, so as to eliminate the leak of the light beam. The solution turned out to be quiet, cheap, reliable, universal, and easily installable.

For each assembly, the core consists of a SPDT (single pole double throw) rocker switch, a 12VDC power supply (battery instead is acceptable but needs rechargeable unit), one 12V-30RPM gear motor, two 12V relays to switch the direction of the electric current through the motor (thus changing the direction of the rotation), two adjustable roller-lever limit switches to stop the motor at desired positions, and one hollow shaft for connecting the motor’s shaft to the masks.

The total budget for a complete apparatus is around 1700 NTD, or 55 US dollars. Please refer to Table 1. The circuit diagram in Fig. 1 explains how the control works.

In this case, two projectors are very different in size, SANYO PLC-XF45 and Viewsonic PJ1158, with luminance of 10,000 lumens and 4,000 lumens respectively. To adapt the device to different sizes of projectors, the design must have some flexibility to adjust. The flat bar with some long slots shown in the pictures as above was actually recycled from a previous production, but it created an excellent base for the whole device to attach to, as well as for attaching the unit to the projector with the aid of some plywood structure. In the absence of appropriate scrap, the budget will go a little higher for the sake of better finish like laser cut steel etc..

colour gel sorter and colour gel cut table

by Ralph Jansen

colour gel sorter

makes it easy to store Colour gel rolls for lighting.

colour gel cut table

The table makes it easy to roll up and cut colour gel rolls for lighting.

theTECHNI CALINVEN TIONPRIZE «TheTIP»

PRISON BARS LIGHT EFFECT

by Lรกszlรณ Varga

theTECHNI CALINVEN TIONPRIZE «TheTIP» How it works

The effect was designed for the performance called Hello Nazi of Kolibri Children and Young Theatre in Budapest. The story of the performance takes place at the Eastern border of Germany and shows the encounter of a German neo-nazi and a Polish immigrant who are imprisoned in the same cell after a street fight. The director’s concept was that the prison bars should be visible and invisible by turns, in line with the dramaturgy of the play, which we solved with a light effect in a relatively small performance space.

The space

The performance space is a 2.5 m high domed cellar.

The Implementation

The Box : It is made of steel plates in order to be resistant to the high heat generated by the lamps.The dimensions of the box are 300 x 10 x 10 cm. We divided the box into 10 identical cells separated from each other. We installed 1-1 bulbs(?) into each cell and we wired the bulbs in series. The box is topped by a steel plate with holes of 4mm diameter above each bulb. We installed lenses from standard hand magnifying glasses above each hole and lamp.

The bars: We used halogen bulbs of 24V and 250W, type EHJ G6,35 as the lamps. For the control, we needed a transformer with appropriate power as well as a corresponding number of dimmer channels. For budgeting reasons we applied in series wiring: we wired 10 bulbs of 24V in series, so one circuit of 2.5 KW is sufficient for running it.

In order to increase the visibility of the effect, we used a hazer. The more homogeneous the fog is, the more beautiful effect.

Designers of the effect

László Varga chief electrician and the lighting team of Kolibri Children and Youth Theatre (Tibor Nagy, Péter Mikuska, Jenő Posvanecz, Dávid Hegedűs) First performance: 16 January 2010 Performed by Tamás Mészáros, Dávid Szanniter, Szabolcs Ruszina - Set-design: József Tóth Technical director: István Farkas - Directed by József Tóth - Photo: Balázs Hujber

Pneumatic Folding Projection Screens

by Thomas Korder

theTECHNI CALINVEN TIONPRIZE «TheTIP» How it works

Recently the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts had the special opportunity to be co-producers with “The Builders Association” on a world-premiere titled, Continuous City. During the development of the piece we received the challenge of creating a mechanized folding screen system. The system had to be quiet, reliable, and easily packed into shipping containers for an international tour that could last up to two years. The design included thirty-six different size screens (6’-0” x 4’-6” to 2’-0” x 1’-6”) and had to mount on vertical 1½” Schedule 40 steel pipes. While “The Builders Association” had a general idea of what they wanted, they relied on us to figure out the specific technical design of the system. The faculty, staff and students at the Krannert Center at the University of Illinois took this on as a special development project. The system was to resemble a butterfly’s wings in that they would open flat to create a projecting surface. The “wings” then would close towards the audience and, in essence, disappear. The screens would be spread around the space with the projections created by two large front mounted video projectors. The screens also needed to be loaded in small crates, so they could be packed in air containers instead of needing to be shipped by sea, since the tour was going to several international destinations. The company planned to use Watchout™ software to control the video content to reformat and mask the images to hit one or more screens in a particular scene. It was decided early on to use pneumatic cylinders controlled by a distributed network of groups of solenoid valves mounted on multi-valve manifolds. The software outputted a MIDI signal, so the solenoids were driven by a MIDI Solutions R8™, an eight output MIDI-Controlled relay array that interfaces the MIDI signal with a relay output.

DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

The process of creating the mechanism itself took several revisions to reach the final system.

The initial idea was of a scissor type arm, but in an effort to save space we decided to mount the pneumatic cylinder vertically on the back of the vertical pipe and drive the screen with a push-pull cable. While this worked for opening the screens, there was not enough force being transferred through the cable to push the wings closed.

The next group of prototypes brought the cylinder perpendicular to the back of the screens and used the scissor arm design to open and close the screens. This utilized a long strut channel arm that extended horizontally from the upright pipe. The subsequent designs involved revisions aimed at reducing the footprint, improving the smoothness of operation, and reducing unwanted movement. Once we were happy with our prototype we sent it to “The Builders Association” for integration into a trial offsite rehearsal period. “The Builders Association” continued to make more finite adjustments to the mechanics of the system to increase efficiency and reliability throughout their technical rehearsal process, resulting in the design illustrated.

In the early development process, the scenic conceptual team used foam core to experiment with the shape and location of the screens. However we were concerned about its rigidity and flame retardant characteristics. The team investigated many options including creating frames with stretched screen material, flame-resistant foam core, Sintra™ PVC Foam board, and StructaBoard™. In the end we choose a polycarbonate multi-wall sheet material with the brand name

theTECHNI CALINVEN TIONPRIZE «TheTIP» of Polygal™, which gave us the best results. The sheets were 8 millimeters thick and 48” x 96”. While this material has performed well, we did learn that the direction of the ribs must be considered when using this material. In other words the panels do have a “grain”. The ribs needed to be perpendicular to the upright pipe to provided maximum rigidity against the air resistance.

Another challenge this material presented was in the connection of the metal brackets that linked the panels to the pneumatic cylinders. We experimented with several epoxies and in the end used an acrylic foam tape called 3M Very High Bond Tape™, which has held a strong bond to this point. In an effort to achieve the optimum projection surface we investigated various means to coat the plastic. We choose to prime the plastic with a high quality primer and cover with Goo Systems “Screen Goo”™ paintable screen. It was relatively easy to apply and produced a smooth excellent projection surface, although it is a bit expensive.

Through the process we discovered several issues that negatively effected the smooth operation and synchronization of the screens, including varying amounts of wind resistance dependent on screen size, the large screens utilized two mechanisms, high air flow demand when all screens had to open at same time, different hose lengths between the supply & valve manifolds and between the manifolds & cylinders. We took these steps to improve the systems operation, 1) incorporated meter-out flow control on each cylinder port, 2) raised pressure in supply side of system from 60 to 100 psi, 3) added more compressed gas (nitrogen) cylinders to supply part of system (we used tanks to eliminate need for tour to be reliant on road houses having sufficient air systems), 4) adjusted valve to cylinder hose runs where possible (shortened & made lengths equal). In hindsight, given more time I would have tried to improve the operation even more: utilizing a “ring” design supply system, incorporating several large air reservoirs in the supply system, using larger supply hosing (move from 1/4” to 3/8”).

The show is on tour now. The screens function very reliably and consistently, break down into small components, and are of a design where parts can be easily swapped in and out. This system has proven to work very well with the fast pace and fluidity of the show and, hopefully, will continue to perform up to the needs of the production for several years to come.

From Liquid Release Mechanism to New Raining Device with Rigging System

FIG. 1

by Chin-yuan Eugene Yang FIG. 2

FIG. 3

theTECHNI CALINVEN TIONPRIZE «TheTIP» Motives

In Szymborska, I faced a challenge to release blood from the top of a glass display, as in Fig 1. The blood has to flow through the inside of the display box. In the theatre, pumping and distributing liquid through PVC pipes seems to be straightforward, as in Fig 2. However, from experience the pump noise and the delayed response to start or stop the liquid would be issues.

Therefore I came up with the idea of using large PVC pipes to store the liquid as well as to release it on cue by rotating to the desired angle, as in Fig 3. And this concept could be adapted and applied to rain effects, with the aid of rigging.

Design of the Blood Release Mechanism Operation Speed

The rotation speed of the PVC pipes is crucial to the instantaneous control of the liquid release. I started with a 12Volt-DC-15rpm low gear motor. That meant it took 4 seconds for one turn or 2 seconds for half turn. The reduced speed was not so thrilling but it was good enough for the effect desired. Projects that need faster response require a faster gear motor (e.g. 30 rpm), but in that case would sacrifice the torque that turns the tanks. Slow rotating speed would definitely benefit the torque as well as more precise positioning control by limit switches.

FIG. 4

Innovation-Tanks as Rotors

Availability of the materials and parts is critical to a theatre project due to the budget issue. I picked 6 cm-diameter PVC pipes in the hardware store as the “basic tanks” for liquid to be stored, as well as the “rotor” to release it. That gave a storage capacity of 2.8 litres of liquid per metre of tube. The volume was not substantial but enough for this project. On the surface of the “tank rotor”, there was a series of drilled holes, 10cm. apart, with 4 mm-diameter plastic straws inserted to let the water flow out of the tanks.

FIG. 5

Experiments showed this scheme could offer at least a 2 minute water flow. To increase the capacity of the tank, we can enlarge the size of the rotary tube, but that also creates more bending stress on the tube itself as well as requiring more torque than the low gear motor produced. At the end of the article, an approach will be presented to solve the capacity issue; therefore, this device could be expanded to create full-size theatrical rain effects.

Mechanical Parts

To rotate the tanks, some PVC-style shafts were used. Both ends of the 6cm. pipe were fitted by adapters to 2.2 cm pipes, which were used as shafts for hanging the tank rotor, as in Fig4. The shafts were supported by “fisheye bearings� (or rod end bearings) with 22 mm bore. One end of the 2.2 cm pipe was terminated by a PVC cap, and the other was connected to a water tap for supplying more liquid, or even to an external supplementary reservoir for longer operation. Since the blood would flow through three sides of glass display (front, right, and left), there should be one rotary tank for each side. The synchronization of the blood flowing out of the three tanks was necessary; therefore, a belt pulley and some gear sets were used to transmit the rotation from the gear motor to three tank rotors.

FIG. 6

To achieve suitable coupling, I chose several gears for this project: spur gears M1(modulus 1) x 30 teeth and M1 x 60 teeth, timing pulleys T5 (pitch 5mm) x 20 teeth and T5 x 40 teeth, and bevel gears M1.5 x 25 teeth. To precisely assemble the whole set of mechanical parts, I drew all parts in 3D model space by AutoCAD and designed some base steel plates able to be made by laser cut, as in Fig5.

theTECHNI CALINVEN TIONPRIZE ÂŤTheTIPÂť Electrical Control

When the blood cue was due, the line of straws was rotated to a low position so that the liquid would flow out itself by gravity. When the blood cue was done, the straws were rotated back to a higher position, at the top of the tank, so that the liquid would be kept in the tank. I used two sets of 12V-coil relays to change the direction of the electrical current so as to change the rotating direction of the DC motor. Two limit switches were used to cut off the related currents so as to stop the rotation of the rotor at certain angular positions when the limit switches where tripped. The wiring diagram shows how the control can be done, as in Fig 6.

Construction Notes

One tricky aspect of the system was dealing with air pressure. When the liquid was flowing out of the straws, the tank was literally sealed because the only outlets are blocked by fluid.

Therefore the fluidity would be easily hindered due to the imbalance of the air pressures between the inside and the outside of the chamber. The atmospheric pressure would push the liquid back to the tank due to the lack of air pressure inside. To solve this issue, an additional air inlet created by soft tube would be required, as in Fig 7. In this way, the water can flow out by gravity naturally without any interference.

FIG. 7

New Raining Device with the Aid of Rigging System

Conventionally, a rain effect device can be done by a pump, which needs electrical power, to drive the liquid. It leads to two issues. First of all, the pumps create perceptible noises. Furthermore, the more important issue lies in unwanted dripping. Even when the pump is switched off, the water remaining within the tubes could run several seconds until exhausted. That makes it difficult to predict the time when the rain will disappear completely. Similarly, it is also difficult to predict the time when the rain will start.

In designing a blood-release device I got inspired to improve the usual raining mechanism. By rotating the outlets of the tanks to two angular positions, the liquid could start or stop instantly, consuming less energy and producing less noise when working. The whole concept gave rise to a large scale theatrical raining device, as in Fig 8.

The starting point is utilizing two rigging line sets to carry the liquid release mechanism. Across the stage, we can divide the full length of one line set into several sections, i.e. tank rotors.

The lineup of rotors would be coupled with each other and hung under a pipe serially through supports like fisheye bearings, (Fig 8-A). Each tank might needs an “inlet� for liquid injection for its own supply. All inlets are connected individually through soft hoses to corresponding reservoirs, which are hung under the other adjacent line set, (Fig 8-B). Once the rain cue is on, all tank rotors will be moved simultaneously to the operating position by one adequate gear motor at the pipe end, and vice versa for the stop cue, (Fig 8-D and Fig 3).

One issue about rigging safety must be taken into account in this new scheme. The liquid pressure between the tanks and the reservoirs will cause the liquid to flow reciprocally. The soft hoses between the tanks and the reservoirs are like siphons. If water levels of the reservoirs are higher than those of the tanks, water will flow from the former to the latter, and vice versa.

Consequently, it would take fly crew more rehearsal to control and adjust the height of the reservoir line set on cues accordingly. However, when raining in a manual rigging system, the imbalance of weights between the water and the counterweights will create a hazard. Therefore, motorized rigging systems are preferred. In this case, solenoid valves can be used to switch on or shut off the water from the reservoirs high above the tanks, (Fig 8-C). In this case the bottom

theTECHNI CALINVEN TIONPRIZE ÂŤTheTIPÂť

FIG. 8

of the reservoirs should always be higher than the tanks and it will not require any adjustment during the operation. But the electromagnetic valves definitely are more costly and make a little noise.

The final consideration is the capacity of the storage and the system weight. In Fig 8 the total length of the raining system is 12 metres. That gives a 33.6 litres or kilograms of water storage in the rotary PVC tanks. There are 6 reservoirs hung under adjacent line set; each reservoir has an inside dimension of 10cm. wide, 150cm. long, and 40cm. high, with an individual capcity of 60 litres, or 360 litres in total. That increases the running time of the raining over ten times compared with the system without the reservoirs.

It is very difficult to predict how long the rain could last in performance in this case because it depends on many parameters: the numbers of straws on the tanks, the inner gauge of the straws, the relative heights of the reservoirs, etc. For me, the only way to predict it is doing experiments by manipulating these factors. If an extended period of rain effect is required, the auxiliary pumping system would still be indispensable.

Low cost Moving Light with DMX controlled linear motor

by Sebastian Ahrens

theTECHNI CALINVEN TIONPRIZE «TheTIP»

How it works

We wanted to have some motorized PAR bars. We did not need high speed or individual moving of single lamps, but we wanted to be able to position the light of PAR bars hanging above scenery out of reach for manual adjustment.

We combined a linear motor as used e.g. by shop-fitting industry. The motor came with builtin limit stop-switches and positon feedback. A self-developed electronic circuit receives a DMX value as target and compares this with the actual position of the motor. A microcontroller decides if and in which direction the motor has to move.

The motor is attached to a movable steel frame holding the lamps.

The moving PARs are in use for several productions at the Wuppertaler Bühnen.

Kabuki

by Ralph Jansen

theTECHNI CALINVEN TIONPRIZE «TheTIP» How it works

it allows a curtain to fall and things to appear on stage.

personal trap

by Hans-­Joachim Rau / Peter Holtz

theTECHNI CALINVEN TIONPRIZE ÂŤTheTIPÂť How it works

This personal trap is installed easily from the stage level. It is installed in a very short time.

Once it is hanging in the cassette opening of the stagefloor it unrolls itself. The only thing left to do is to set up the control unit and connect it to the power supply. After fixing the lower frame in the understage and tightening the flexible walls the personal trap is ready to use. A wide range of speeds can be set and a safe and reliable movement is possible. The flexible personal trap - a simple and fast solution.

The flexible personal trap - a simple and fast solution

Personal traps are part of the technical theatre machinery. They can be moved vertically.

As part of the mechanical equipment of a venue they are capable of executing scenic movements with and without people.

There is a distinction between traps that form a permanent part of the stage and mobile traps that can be moved around and do not constitute a permanent part of it. These are usually referred to as personal or movable personal traps.

Mobile personal traps can be used where the stage floor is constructed with modular elements, so individual modules can be taken out forming openings for specific productions.

Usually the mobile personal trap is positioned to allow entry from the understage area. The mobile personal trap consists of the lifting table (lifting device), the support assembly, the engine and the shaft with bracing.

Disadvantages of the usual execution of mobile personal traps: - The shaft design is used to prevent crushing or shearing edges and for guidance of the lift table. In order to accommodate the structure in the lower stage the shaft must also be height adjustable. This design has a negative impact on the weight of the personal trap and thus adversely affects its manageability. The high mechanical complexity is reflected negatively in the price.

- The construction method described above needs a free and open space to move the personal trap on the lower stage. If this is not fully available, it imposes limitations on use.

Description of the novel process and novel design of the mobile personal trap - with roll-shaft upper frame, lifting and sub-frame in a single transportation unit.

The novelty of the construction: The shaft walls are made of a flexible, retractable material.

Setting up the personal trap involves unrolling the side walls of the shaft from the upper and lower frame so that the lower frame can be fixed on the lower stage floor and the side walls can be tensioned. The tension of the shaft walls in conjunction with the fixed top and bottom frames is sufficient to minimize the risks of crashes, crushing or shearing. The personal trap can be set up on the stage level, which is easy. Free manoeuvring space on the lower stage level is no longer necessary. It is quite small to transport and weighs about 250 kg.

Control unit

The power control with power electronics, processing of load measurement data and the safety circuits are in a 19-case.

Connection 400V, 16 A; CEE Controlled and is operated with the GENESIS-LC8 from ASM control equipment (19” rack unit) 230V. Multicore cable between control unit and power unit has Harting plug connectors of different sizes, so clearly they are not interchangeable. The connection between our control panels is via CAT 5 - cable with RJ-45 connector.

Function in operation

The lifting movement is carried out with a motor using “climbing” function. The clutch is connected directly to the engine. The end mounting of the suspension assembly is located on the upper frame. The manufacture of the components is in accordance with DIN 56 950 “Safety requirements for mechanical equipment in event locations”. The control of the lifting movement is carried out in SIL 3.

In the upper and the lower operating position the lift table is fixed in the upper or lower frame, which means that there is no horizontal movement possible.

Horizontal movement during operation is minimized by the tension of the shaft walls. Hazard to persons by crushing and cutting is avoided by the flexibility of the retractable shaft material allied with minimum construction tolerances. In addition, the access opening of the shaft is secured to the understage.

Easy and quick to install from stage level, this innovative personal trap combines safety, flexibility and reliability.

theTECHNI CALINVEN TIONPRIZE «TheTIP»

Toggled Tip Jacks

by Stephen Henson

Fig. 1

theTECHNI CALINVEN TIONPRIZE «TheTIP» How it works

A new perspective on using toggle clamps as wagon brakes for castered scenery.

While planning for the production of Ragtime at PCPA Theaterfest, the scenic design called for many modular scenic wagons that would be rearranged a vista, to create the myriad locations the show moves through. Hydraulics were too expensive, pneumatics wouldn’t support the number of moves per act, exterior toggle clamps as wagon brakes wouldn’t allow the units to mate and match as needed and barrel & pins would put far too much damage into our scenic floor.

The following Toggled Tip-Jack concept solved this problem quite well. The idea was revised and refined for a production of West Side Story in a later season, that had similar needs. The system is “people-powered”, free of any exterior supply of fluid or electrical power. It relies on the mechanical advantage of simple leverage to magnify the force a person can exert single handedly.

A pleasantly surprising benefit of this system, is its absolute silence. With some attentiveness on the part of the operator, a unit can be raised or lowered with near, if not complete, silence.

Building on the traditional Tip-Jack mechanism, using a commercially available Toggle Clamp, Wire Rope Pulley & 1/8” Wire Rope, the operation of the Tip-Jack is relocated to working height for the stage hand. When the unit is ‘up’ the operator pushes the lever of the toggle clamp forward, allowing the weight of the unit to trip the tipjacks and the unit to settle onto the deck.

Conversely, to lift the unit for a scenic change, the operator pulls the lever back and through the muling of the pulley, the unit is lifted up onto the tip-jacks.

The geometry of the Toggle Clamp provides a natural lock. The Eyebolt threaded into the barrel of the Toggle Clamp functions as a tensioning mechanism for fine tuning the system, paired with a jamb nut for locking off tension. The wire rope runs down, around the pulley and back up to the tip jack primary arm, where it is threaded through a hole and terminated with a stop sleeve.

Hinges should be selected based on the loading condition of the wagon. For a small unit weighing approximately 100 lbs. a 3” leaf door hinge works well, welded or bolted securely depending on the wagon’s framing material. Not depicted for clarity, but highly recommended, is a cheekplate and keeper bolt(s) to trap the wire rope within the groove of the wire rope pulley, to prevent the wire rope from jumping free from the pulley.

The placement of the casters along the armature of the tip-jacks is critical and will vary depending on the width of the unit (or length of the arm, more specifically). With the Toggle Clamp providing 1-5/8” of travel, that must provide adequate travel for the caster to go from a 1/2” or 3/4” caster clearance to flush or above flush to the underside of the wagon. Tinkering with caster placement and the attachment point of the cable to the armature will achieve this. (As a Rule-of-Thumb, with the cable attachment at the center where the armatures meet, a caster mounted halfway along the length of a single arm, will travel half the overall travel). Of course, as the caster moves away from the hinge/exterior of the unit, there is a loss of leverage (therefore: the capacity a stagehand will be able to easily manipulate) and a sacrifice of the unit’s stability when it is on its wheels. Also shown are tabs made of flat bar, used to keep the arms of the tipjack in alignment and articulating off one another. Readers should be aware that the movement of the arms in Figure 2 and 3 is exaggerated for clarity of concept, in reality the movement is significantly less while still effective.

The mechanism depicted is constructed using a Toggle Clamp (McMasterCarr# 5093A65), Wire Rope Pulley (MMC#9466T63) and Casters (MMC#2455T31), though any comparable part could easily be substituted. The remaining parts are readily available steel shapes and hardware, as well as equipment and supplies for manipulating 1/8” Wire Rope.

theTECHNI CALINVEN TIONPRIZE «TheTIP» Fig. 2

Fig. 3

This idea originated from replacing wagon brakes with bent barrels and performance notes about wagons being ‘wobbly’ on stage. The Toggle Clamp is subject to no lateral forces; pulling directly along its line of travel as intended to be used. Fundamentally, the idea inverts the problem of using something designed to move (a toggle clamp), to stop another object designed to move (a caster). Instead, using the same two mechanisms to remove each other from the equation and let the scenery sit solidly on the deck as gravity would intend.

EXTRA INVENTIONS Several OISTAT centres already did a similar local competitions or collections.

To give you an idea we publicise here some of the most remarkable inventions.

These are not necessarily prize winners but each has its own merits in the philosophy of theatre technology.

Tempus Fugit Machine

by Loren Schreiber

theTECHNI CALINVEN TIONPRIZE «TheTIP» How it works

Originally designed for the Broadway revival of the musical Damn Yankees, the Tempus Fugit Machine emulates a standard clock, but can be set remotely to any time, at any speed, forward or backwards. Furthermore, it can swing balanced hands greater than a meter in length. It is driven by a stepper-motor with a programmable indexer, which, once programmed by a personal computer, can operate independently with a simple binary selector switch and a GO button.

The basic machine is quite simple. It is an arrangement of timing sprockets and belts to turn co-axial shafts at the 12 to 1 ratio of a real clock. However, because the parts are heavy-duty, industrial-quality components, the Tempus Fugit Machine is far more robust than a genuine clock. A pair of aluminium plates, separated by four 2” (50.8mm) stand-offs provides support for the sprockets and shafts. A pair of flange-mounted needle-bearings supports the co-axial shafts.

The minute hand shaft is 1/4” (6.35mm) steel and turns inside a 3/8” (9.5mm) steel tube.

The stepper-motor makes 400 steps per revolution. To simplify calculations, the minute shaft is equipped with an 18 tooth sprocket and the stepper-motor with a 20 tooth sprocket, so that the minute hand makes one full revolution every 360 steps. The minute hand shaft also turns a 20 tooth sprocket, connected via a toothed belt to a 60 tooth sprocket, creating a 3:1 first stage reduction. The 60 tooth sprocket shares a shaft with an 18 tooth sprocket, which drives the 72 tooth hour hand sprocket at a 4:1 ratio, for a total of a 12:1 ratio of the minute hand to the hour hand, as in a regular clock.

Because timing belts come in standard sizes, it was not possible to find belts that fit the necessary distance between all the shafts without providing some sort of tensioning device for at least one of the stages. I established the distance between the motor shaft and minute hand shaft and also the jack shaft and the hour hand sprocket to provide the proper tension for those two belts and then added a ball-bearing race, mounted to a shoulder bolt, to tension the first-stage belt. The shoulder bolt was fitted in a slot in the aluminium plate to allow for adjustment.

Any stepper-motor/programmable driver combination may be used to run the clock. This version of the clock uses a programmable indexer from Anaheim Automation, but, since the clock was originally built in 1993, the parts are now obsolete. Newer versions are available from the same company. See http://www. anaheimautomation.com However, most stepper-motor systems need to initialize by finding a home position from which to count. The Tempus Fugit Machine uses a ferrous-sensing proximity switch and a small piece of steel glued to the large hour sprocket to set home.

For convenience, once the machine finds home, the clock’s hands are set to 12:00. It’s a simple matter to calculate the number of steps from 12:00 to any other time. If 360 steps equals one hour, then each minute equals 360 divided by 60, or six steps per minute. To move the machine to 3:20, for example, convert to minutes and multiply by six, which is 180 + 120, or 300 steps.

Depending on the mass of the hands, the machine is capable of taking 500 steps per second, so this particular move would take just over half of a second to complete. Program one step every 10 seconds and the machine will run as a real, time-keeping clock.

As a testament to the robustness of the machine, it was built in 1993 for the original production of Damn Yankees and has been rented to scores of other venues over the years for many different productions, including: Working by Studs Terkel, Oleanna by David Mamet and She Loves Me, by Joe Masteroff, among others.

Paint Roller Muffler

by Loren Schreiber

theTECHNI CALINVEN TIONPRIZE ÂŤTheTIPÂť how it works

Pneumatics are increasingly used in theatre and other forms of live entertainment, especially for special effects and systems requiring significant power in small packages. However, one drawback to pneumatics is the pop and hiss of air escaping valves and cylinders.

Typically, mufflers are used to soften or eliminate the noise produced by pneumatic systems. Unfortunately, commercially available pneumatic mufflers can be quite expensive. The muffler described here can be manufactured for less than $3.00.

The muffler is simply a short length of 2.5mm PVC pipe with appropriate air fittings attached to one end, into which a miniature paint roller is inserted. The end is then capped with a PVC pipe cap into which a few holes have been drilled to permit the escape of air.

Simply attach the muffler to the output of a valve or cylinder. The reduction of the pop and hiss of pneumatic equipment is greatly reduced, equal to or greater than many commercially available units, without the expense. Furthermore, the units are very robust and can take greater abuse than most commercially available mufflers.

PAINT ROLLER CYLINdER

by Loren Schreiber

theTECHNI CALINVEN TIONPRIZE «TheTIP» How it works

At the denouement of the musical, The Triumph of Love, a cardboard carriage rolls up to the plywood castle and, with the prince and princess safely tucked inside, five pennant flags rise suggestively, nearly a meter above the castle towers.

This special-effect would have been cost-prohibitive had commercially available pneumatic cylinders been used. Even a small-bore pneumatic cylinder with a 1 meter stroke would have cost over $100 for a total expenditure of over $500! So, instead, I built the cylinders using inexpensive PVC pipe, with miniature paint rollers for the pistons.

The cylinder is very simple: I equipped a length of PVC pipe with suitable air fittings on one end and slipped a miniature paint roller, with a 6mm rod, approximately 1 meter long, hot-glued into the hole on the end of the roller into the pipe. I then drilled a 9mm hole into a PVC pipe cap and glued it to the other end of the PVC pipe—with the rod projecting enough to hold the pennant flag. When air was applied, the paint roller slid up the pipe and raised the pennant. The roller also functioned as a muffler, greatly reducing the hiss of escaping air. Once the roller reached the end of the pipe, an O-ring sealed the rod against the cap, conserving air. Total cost for each cylinder was less than $5!

I’m sure this system can be used for any number of simple, pop-up effects, without incurring the cost of commercially available pneumatic cylinders.

ANGEL WINGS

by Michael Pasaretti, Justin Harris & Loren Schreiber

theTECHNI CALINVEN TIONPRIZE «TheTIP» How it works

At a pivotal moment in Angels in America, Part III Perestroika, Nick Reid, the director of the San Diego State University Theatre production, had a vision of the angel holding Prior in her arms as her wings gently enfold him. This meant that the wings would need to fold downward from their spread open position and also swing forward at the shoulders to bring the wing tips around the actor in the angel’s arms. Furthermore, the wings needed to return to their spread open position for the angel’s departure later in the scene.

For raw power in a small package, few prime movers can compare to fluid power cylinders.

Certainly the wing flapping part of the mechanism could be greatly simplified by employing a pair of small pneumatic cylinders at the “elbows” (fig. 1) if there were some easy way to get air into the system. My student, Justin Harris, who has considerable experience with paintball guns, suggested a 9-ounce (266ml) CO² cylinder might be small enough to hide in the angel’s costume, but large enough to provide several repetitions of the desired movement. With the problem of the air source solved, and, thereby, the flapping mechanism as well, we turned our attention to the shoulder movement.

The span of the wings at full spread was around 12 feet (3.6m). The weight of the fabric feathers and the wing skeleton was about 2 pounds (0.9kg), creating an anticipated maximum of 24 foot-pounds (32.5Nm) torque at the shoulder joint. Rotary actuators in the 24 foot-pound range were simply too large and (expensive), so we turned to standard cylinders. The problem was to convert the linear motion of the cylinder to rotary motion, both clockwise and counter-clockwise.

Another student, Michael Pasaretti and I sketched out dozens of linkages and finally settled on the one illustrated in this article.

A 1-1/2 inch (38mm) bore cylinder with a 2 inch (2.5mm) stroke provides the power to twist the wing. Its linear motion is converted to rotary by pulling a cable wrapped around a custom-made drum. The drums started life as an aluminium shaft coupler, which we cut in two to provide a drum for each wing. Each drum was slightly reduced from its original diameter in order to clear

the base plate and then grooved to accept the cable. The cable is directed to the drum by a guide pulley. The drum is mounted on a 1 inch (2.5mm) aluminium tube, which forms the primary wing “bone” and the shaft of the mechanism. The 1 inch (2.5mm) stroke of the cylinder, coupled with the 1-1/4 inch (31.75mm) diameter of the drum in the groove, provides a little over 90° of rotation for each wing. To keep tension on the cable and to twist the wing in the opposite direction, we used a heavy-duty torsion spring acting against a shaft collar, also mounted on the shaft. Two additional shaft collars with slightly larger outside diameters were used as simple sleeve bearings for the shaft. These were mounted to the base plate by replacing their setscrews with flathead machine screws. The mechanism was reversed and repeated for the other wing (figs. 3 and 4).

Two, 12VDC, 4-way, 3-position, manifold-mounted valves control the wings’ spread and twist.

Each valve is controlled by a pair of switches embedded in a ring the angel wears on each hand.

The wires from the switches run up her arms under the sleeves of her dress. The battery pack for the valves is installed on the base plate under the main pneumatic cylinder. The CO2 canister and preset regulator, from a welding supply house, is strapped to the back of the angel’s leg and a short length of hose runs up the back of her dress to the manifold.

Adjustment of the wing positions begins by placing them at their maximum forward rotation,

which is approximately 45° with respect to a line drawn between the angel’s shoulders. The shaft collar acting against the spring is rotated on the shaft to provide enough preloading to prevent the wings from rotating back under their own weight (even when the angel leans back) and then locked to the shaft with its setscrew. Then each drum is rotated to take out the slack in the cable and locked into place on the shaft with its set screw.

When the cylinder is activated, it pushes out a T-bar connected to the cables, which, in turn, rotate the drums and their attendant wings to the rear. When the cylinder retracts, spring pressure returns the wings to the front (fig. 5). Because the valves are directional with a centeroff position, the angel can stop the wings at any intermediate point as well, simply by taking her finger off the button.

In performance, the angel’s ability to hold Prior in her arms and then enfold him in her wings made for a very compelling moment. However, the CO² canister actually worked longer than expected and the angel was able to “fly” throughout her performance with very realistic wing motion, particularly during the fighting sequences. Total cost for the device was approx. $575.

The wings have since been used in several fantasy costumes, including devils, bats and butterflies, and the rentals have paid for the device several times over.

360 degree post hinge

by John Mayberry

theTECHNI CALINVEN TIONPRIZE «TheTIP» How it works

A few years ago now, the student designer of a production of Blood Wedding came to ask me some advice about a set piece he was designing. He wanted to have a gate hanging on a post, but he wanted the gate to be able to swing 360 degrees around the post so it functioned on one side of the post in one scene, but on the other in a later scene. He wanted the post firmly anchored into the temporary plywood platform.

While brainstorming the problem, I considered putting the post itself on a turning mechanism and using normal hinges for the gate, but that wouldn’t have let the gate swing both ways on either side, and would have made the post less sturdy.

My next thought was to use a 1 1/4” (3.2 cm) Inside Diameter steel pipe flanged to the permanent floor, coming up through the temporary plywood floor, with the wooden gatepost installed over the pipe like a sleeve. My thought was to use two ball bearings at the top of the pipe, the way traditional weather vanes are often installed, so that there is a hard-wearing, low-friction turning point.

Looking around the shop, I found no large steel bearings, but we did have some hooded-ball furniture casters. I realized that the diameter of the caster was a good match for the pipe.We hacksawed off the pin from the caster, giving us a stepped sphere with two hemispheres that spun freely against each other.

We cut a channel for the pipe in the faces of two 2 x 4s, quickly chiselled a slightly larger mortise for the ball caster, and screwed the two 2 x 4s together trapping the ball caster near the top end. The clamping action of the wood was only on the larger top half of the caster; the smaller bottom half was still free to turn.

When this wooden post was slid over the upright pipe, it spun freely with no wobble, even when a gate was hung from it (no hinges needed).

theTECHNI CALINVEN TIONPRIZE «TheTIP» INVENTIONS Improved T-Joist Backdrop Stretcher DMX Controlled Torch Safe Moving Scenery under Iron Curtain

paul19880304@hotmail.com sahrens@gmx.net sahrens@gmx.net

Crumbling wall plaster particles machine Machine For Snow Effect Projector Mask Driven by Small DC-Motor

Hao-En Hu Sebastian Ahrens Sebastian Ahrens, Jürgen Leyh & Mario Engelmann Sason Hazzam Sason Hazzam Chin-yuan & Eugene Yang

Colour Gel Sorter and Colour Gel Cut Table Prison Bars Light Effect

Ralph Jansen László Varga

mail@artistec.de bakerlaca@gmail.com

Pneumatic Folding Projection Screens

Thomas Korder

kordertv@illinois.edu

From Liquid Release Mechanism to New Raining Device with Rigging System Low cost Moving Light with DMX controlled linear motor Kabuki Personal Trap Toggled Tip Jacks

Chin-yuan & Eugene Yang

eugenecyy@gmail.com

Sebastian Ahrens

sahrens@gmx.net

Ralph Jansen Hans-­Joachim Rau & Peter Holtz Stephen Henson

mail@artistec.de rauhj@gmx.de henson.stephen@gmail.com

sasi_h@012.net.il sasi_h@012.net.il eugenecyy@gmail.com

EXTRA INVENTIONS Tempus Fugit Machine Paint Roller Muffler Paint Roller Cylinder Angel Wings 360 degree post hinge

Loren Schreiber Loren Schreiber Loren Schreiber Michael Pasaretti, Justin Harris & Loren Schreiber John Mayberry

lschreib@mail.sdsu.edu lschreib@mail.sdsu.edu lschreib@mail.sdsu.edu

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Design and Consulting Auditorium layout and sightline studies Planning and circulation for scenery Procurement and tenders Project planning and budget control Stage machinery and flying systems Lighting, audio, seating and drapery Feasibility studies and loading calculations New construction and renovation

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