text:
Cheeky-faced warbler Lee Ryan once crooned, alongside Elton John, that sorry 'seemed' to be the hardest word. Given that he was laying down a track in an expensive studio, you think he might have been a little more sure about it, but that's selfish celebrities for you.
Regardless, if he had six words to play with, there'd be no 'seeming' about it: the hardest words to say are *obviously* 'Final Fantasy XIV is a bit rubbish'.
It doesn't always seem that way. First impressions are, in typical Square Enix style, polished. Luxurious cutscenes welcome your arrival into Eorzea, and early story quests - including escorting an NPC to a camp and breaking up a fight using the various emotes available - are different enough from the MMO norm to signal promising things.
Also promising is the vast open-endedness of the game's character development system. One of its core differentials is that it doesn't impose a single class upon you: simply equip a weapon or tool related to a particular role and, voila, you're a whole new man/woman/cat-thing.
It's a liberating and intoxicating system - initially, at least. Jobs rank up separately to your 'physical' level, and performing actions related to the job type - fighting for fighters, healing for healers, crafting for crafters - gives both job-specific skill points and physical experience.
The initial flurry of trying out the different roles leads to almost effortless levelling; and the ability to choose exactly which attributes will be increased when doing so further pushes the possibilities beyond anything that's been seen before.
Visually, too, the game is a treat. Powered by Square Enix's Crystal Tools - the same engine that put the muscle into Final Fantasy XIII - the game is a startling visual treat on high-end PCs. In particular, it's satisfying to see an MMO that can provide vistas as dramatic and sweeping as its concept artists' most fevered of scribblings.
The castle-like town of Limsa Lominsa stretches upward against a sheer craggy coast, connected to the mainland with a vast and intricate bridge that evokes Tolkienesque imagery. One area features as its landmark a colossal dragon that lies entangled around a fallen aerial battlecruiser, so vast as to always have a presence on the horizon and so intriguing as to inspire adventure in even the most battle weary of adventurer.
Naturally, such imagery comes at a price: some pretty demanding system specs. That's not much of a surprise, really, given an MMO's expected 6+ year lifespan. Except that even if you've got a high-end system, so much of the visual detail is server-dictated that you'll spend an awful lot of time watching other players pop into view alarmingly close up, or standing at closed doors waiting for the server to get its arse in gear and open them.
Visual fidelity means nothing when the spell is so frequently broken by sluggish communication. In fact, the game's complete reliance on the server is one of its major undoings. You'll no doubt have heard about the game's interface, and in particular its laboriousness and sluggishness. Yes, it's not going to win any awards, and it's so pad-focused that it almost might as well not bother with mouse support at all, but it's passable.
What can't be forgiven is its insistence on validating every single click with the server, which often means that it's laggy beyond use. Just flogging all the trinkets and lint combed from fighting enemies to an NPC vendor can take five minutes as you wait for each and every item to be checked. To describe it as torturous is no exaggeration.


text:
What does UPDATED stand for?
What does UPDATED mean? This page is about the various possible meanings of the acronym, abbreviation, shorthand or slang term: UPDATED.
We've found a total of 1 definition for UPDATED:
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What does UPDATED mean?
- updated(adjective)
- having the newest features or information
Still can't find the acronym definition you were looking for? Use our Power Search technology to look for more unique definitions from across the web!
"UPDATED." Abbreviations.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2014. Web. 20 Dec. 2014. <http://www.abbreviations.com/UPDATED>.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
My Hotel in France Montmartre
No availability found through our partners. Please contact the business directly or check some of our recommended alternatives.
How has this hotel rated in the past?
- Continental Breakfast
- Shuttle bus service
- Free High-Speed Internet
- Business Services
Photos of My Hotel in France Montmartre
Historical Traveler Reviews My Hotel in France Montmartre Paris
Tiny and decrepit
my girlfriend and i stayed in this hotel for a week on a city break, booking over the internet. The hotel was admittedly cheap, but we expected basic, not grotty. Our room was in a garret on the top floor, we had to lug our bags up 7 flights of stairs - no lift - to find a tiny room with plastic garden furniture as a chair, and a shower/ toilet you had to squeeze into to close the door. When the shower was used, the water seeped out onto the smelly carpet. Room was so small we couldn't pass each other by without getting on bed. No wardrobe. Breakfast was in the basement,in a nice vaulted room, however staff seemed totally bored to be there, abd service was perfunctory at best. Only plus is the location, barring that AVOID!
Nice hotel
Me and my girlfriend lived here fore a weekend in the beginning of may. It was a good hotel, nice and clean. And it was a perfect location, 5 min from sacre coeur and 2 min from moulin rouge. Metropolitan by the corner. The room is very small, they look bigger on the pics, but for us there was no problem. I was a little disappointed though, the breakfast was not included. And if we wanted breakfast it would cost 7 euro per person/day.
I can definiteley recommend this hotel !
It was OK!
The breakfast was the only downside to this hotel. Given on rock solid baguette and butter. I felt very disapointed how was this going to keep me going through a long sight seeing day in Paris. The African guy on reception was quite patronising when we arrived. Another problem I faced was sitting on the toilets which was impossible the shower room was that small. I had to sit sideways.
Rooms very small and basic, but clean. Great price - we got three nights for the price of two - and great location, just down the road from Abbesses metro station, and right in the heart of Montmartre.
Really good place to be based - lots of friendly bars, restaurants and little shops nearby, but it wasn't noisy. The only problems were that we were given two single beds pushed together although we'd specified a double room. Also the breakfast staff were really unfriendly. Overall though, a good choice for people on a tight budget.
Would stay again
This is a budget hotel and if that is what you are after then I'd definitely recommend this. Rooms are clean and quite spacious - we had patio style plastic chairs in our room so don't come expecting luxury!
For the price we paid we were perfectly happy. Bathroom was small but adequate and we'd happily stay here again. The street outside is nice and bustling but not over noisy, it has a mixture of food stores and bars. It's only a couple of streets from the seediness of Boulevard de Clichy but is a world away in atmosphere and I'd have no qualms in recommending a stay here.
Great value / location
For its price, this is very good value. We were on top floor and no lift - you don't forget your wallet more than once!Location is great - I really like the Montmarte village atmosphere. We've stayed elsewhere in Paris, but I would always try to go back to Montmarte for its atmosphere - good Metro connections / loads of small shop selling cheap food and very cheap drink, inc wine and beer / general store / fantastic bakery, and lots of open-air stalls, esp. in the hilly street leading down to Moulin Rouge (5 mins by foot.) Abbesses Metro is 4 mins away, Sacre Coeur / that square where all the artists congregate is under 10mins (all on foot). Get up early and wander round near Sacre Coeur while the street are still being washed! Take camera - panoramic view from Sacre Coeur. Use your 3-day / 5-day / 7-day Metro ticket on the funicular to top of Sacre Coeur if you are tired.'Durer' bistro was great - 3 courses for about 15 Euros. e.g. French onion soup / boeuf bourgignon (beef casserole) with potatoes / creme caramel. But there are lost of cheapish places in Montmarte.Drinks are VERy expensive at most places.For hungry kids, there is a scruffy-ish McDonalds down the hill near to the Moulin Rouge (slightly seedy here for kids - Pigalle area).Hotel des Arts, not far from the above hotel, on Rue Tholoze (?) is also similar but a little dearer.The Dorling Kindersley Eye Witness Guide Books are good. Lots of good pictures rather than text! Good souvenir as well as guide books, as some newspaper once said.They do a France book (lots about Paris) and a Paris book (same info with added extras).
Perfectly low priced, nice area, pleasant staff
I stayed one night at the Sacre Coeur Comfort Inn in October 2003.As a lone female traveller I wanted to feel safe and secure and as this hotel is positioned in a pleasant, bustling street (there was a flea-market by the Abesses metro station on Sunday afternoon so the cafes were heaving, the shops were open) I felt comfortable.The Rue des Abesses runs parallel to Pigalle and is a street away from the Moulin Rouge; the streets running from the Rue des Abesses up the hill to Sacre Coeur are beautiful and evocative of a Frenchman's Paris.The room was on the first floor (I'd read the no elevator review on this site and heaved a sigh of relief!) and although the street outside was noisy, the window shut the noise out admirably. The room was also quite spacious, although the bathroom (with shower, basin & toilet) was titchy, there was no way to dry inside the bathroom, unless you stayed put in the shower. Room cleanliness was good and the staff were friendly and helpful. I didn't take breakfast at the hotel as it wasn't included in the room price (7 for breakfast).I would use this hotel again for another budget night sleep: particularly as there is a MonoPrix opposite the Moulin Rouge (stylish clothes and accessories, make-up, food, toiletries) and I found the cafes and tabacs around this area much cheaper than other parts of Paris.
Tight as a needle's eye
I and my wife booked the comfort inn,sacre-coeur,paris for a weekend break for one night 5/9/03-6/9/03.
the location of the hotel was fantastic and the staff very friendly,but
to our amusement the room and shower-room was very very small in
relation to what was displayed on the internet. i am six feet,four
inches tall and i found it very difficult to have a shower.i dropped
the soap and couldn't bend either side to pick it up.
It think it would be better if hotels put out a true discription of their facilities when advertisingt on the internet in order to allow people make informed choices.
TripAdvisor Reviews My Hotel in France Montmartre Paris
Travel Blogs from Paris
Fall Tour In France
... area overlooking the view around the church. I didn't love the actual inside of the church because it was very touristy. There was a gift show inside and you have to walk around it in a circle (kind of like being herded around) to see it. It was very beautiful though. We sat on the grass for quite a while before deciding it was probably time to head back to the hotel. We got back to the hotel and got ready to go to the Lock Bridge and Notre Dame. We wanted to see Notre ...
Sejour Dans Parees
... stop which connected to the metro, Gare du Nord. Oh and don't forget to grab a map of the Parisian transport system (RER/metro/bus) from the airport. Paris has a robust, sprawling metro system, pretty much like NYC, and with that map you can easily get from place A to place B.
Sights and sounds I saw/heard:
- Saw/walked along the Canal St Martin, which was near where I was staying.
- Walked along/explored few of the many ...
Our Return To Paris to say Goodbye ...
... collect a package for a friend from home. Oh oh. Glad we didn't forget that.
Danita was thrilled when she realised where it was. Near her most favourite Street in Paris full of the best shops and restaurants and cafes and souvenir shops (where we ate on our first night in Paris at the beginning of our trip).
Mission accomplished, picked up the package and went in search of some brunch. Visited the most amazing little take away Deli Danita had always wanted ...
C'est La Vie
... up as he jumped off to go find it. This 20 minute train ride to Amien turned out to be closer to a 50 minute train ride. By the time we got to Amien, it was 9:30 PM. By the time we realized that there were no more trains running after this time, it was 9:31PM. The next train from Amien to Paris wasn't until 5:30 AM. The five of us were stranded in Amien with hostels booked in Paris, waiting for us. Nervous laughter definitely set in soon after. We looked for the nearest ...
Je suis fatiguee!
... my passport and stamped in in a craky manner. Oh well, at least I get a stamp! The guy on the way out of Australia didn't bother.
I caught the RER and Metro in to my hotel. It was slightly more complicated than I first thought, but if I had managed to check a Metro map before I left home it probably would have helped. The other issue is that my French is obviously good enough that the locals don't treat me like a dummy! They speak in ful speed, ...


text:
Kringsja Pensjonat
No availability found through our partners. Please contact the business directly or check some of our recommended alternatives.
Travel Blogs from Voss
Norway in a Nutshell
... in front of people sitting in their seats to take shots out of the window. He had the video camera going constatly and she was in charge of still photos. I have to admit, I couldn't help myself, I waited until she had the perfect perspective from her seat and then stepped in front of her and took my time with focus, exposure, etc., even though my camera is always on auto focus! A picture of the couple is included...if you know them, say hello for ...
Lazy Train
... Fortunately, it was much less crowded than the bus. After a very cool hour-long train ride, we arrived in Voss, Norway's adventure sports capital. A relatively short distance from Bergen, this place seemed a world away. Voss is a much smaller town, comparably, and far-removed from the bustle of its nearby metropolitan neighbor. We disembarked our train at the station and made the short walk of about ten minutes to our accomodations, a small ...
Norway in a nutshell
... town of quaint village of Gudvangen and where we decided to stay for the night at the camping cottages which were nestled at the bottom of the fjord with a perfect view of Norway's tallest waterfall. Spent the afternoon walking around and admiring the scenery. Dinner tonight was purchased at the gas station grocery store. Picked up the ingredients for Mexican chicken stew and a local beer. The chicken was ...
Oslo to Voss
Stunning scenery from the train travelling to Voss. On the lower level; scattered farms, small villages. Climbing through area of dense forests, lakes and isolated houses. Above the snow line; huge granite outcrops and rock slides. Through tunnels and back down past steep valleys to Voss. Great photo opportunity on the Roof of Norway ...
Not the hike I expected
... and then up some hill. At this point, you're sweating and thinking that you must be almost there. Then, you see the first little gate that you have to go in, and you think you're there. Then, you go up some more hill. Possibly, you realize you're not as "almost there" as you think, and you take a breather on one of the many benches they have situated on the side of the path. Also, you take some pictures as you have an incredible view of the city and the lake area. Then, you continue ...
Other places to stay in Voss
Park Hotel VossevangenUttragata 1-3, Voss | 4 star hotelfrom $205
Fleischer's HotelEvangervegen 13, Voss | 4 star hotelfrom $280


text:
All quotes tagged Great
(1651 quotes found)
"Yale?s capacity to fulfill its ambitious mission has been greatly enhanced by their superb stewardship of the endowment,"
"You do not have to be perfect to be great. In fact the very seed of greatness lies in our imperfection; in our ability to learn and grow, to reach and fail and yet reach again."
"God Is Great. If these three words together enshrine in our mind, heart and soul, then there is never worry, anxiety or a fear of failure in our life."
"I wish to be great in life is a wish,i want to be great in life is a want,i will be great in life is determination. Wish may never come to pass,want can only be solved with available resourses but determination leads to actualization"
"Don't let nobody overshadow your greatness, for you were intrusted with this gift! So, protect it with your life if you must!"


text:
Tonight on The Hour. One of the most influential musicians of the last 30 years, Talking Heads frontman David Byrne is here.
And remember when Julia Roberts won an Oscar for this role? Well, the real life Erin Brokovich drops by. Plus, life coach and motivational speaker, Tony Robbins. Gives us his best story ever. Get ready to transform your lives. This is The Hour.
Download the TV Guide app for iPhone, iPad and Android!


text:
American Media, Inc. To Hold Earnings Conference Call On June 25, 2013 To Discuss Fiscal Year 2013 Results
NEW YORK, June 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- American Media, Inc. (AMI) today announced that it will hold an earnings conference call on June 25, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. EDT to discuss its fiscal year 2013 results. The Company will release an earnings statement prior to the call.
Conference call details are as follows: Date: Tuesday, June 25, 2013 Time: 2:00 p.m. EDT Call-In Number: (877) 293-9442/ (630) 343-1248 Reservation Number: 8439
A telephonic replay of the conference call has been arranged to be available from Tuesday, June 25, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. EDT through 5:00 pm EDT on Tuesday, July 9, 2013. To access the replay, please call: (866) 873-8511/ (630) 343-1245 and reference reservation number: 8439.
About American Media, Inc. American Media, Inc. (AMI) owns and operates the leading print and digital celebrity and health and fitness media brands in the United States. AMI's titles include Star, OK!, National Enquirer, Globe, Country Weekly, Soap Opera Digest, Shape, Men's Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Flex, Muscle & Fitness Hers, Fit Pregnancy and Natural Health. AMI also manages 18 different digital sites including RadarOnline.com, OKmagazine.com, CountryWeekly.com, Shape.com, MensFitness.com, MuscleandFitness.com and FitPregnancy.com. AMI's magazines have a combined total circulation of almost 7.3 million and reach more than 55 million men and women each month. AMI's digital properties reach an average of 24 million unique visitors and 186 million page views monthly.AMI also provides Publishing Services which includes Distribution Services, Inc. (DSI), the No. 1 in-store magazine sales and merchandising marketing company in the U.S. and Canada. DSI places and monitors AMI's publications and third-party publications to ensure proper displays in major retail chains and national and regional supermarket chains. DSI also provides marketing, merchandising and information gathering services to third parties including non-magazine clients. Publishing Services also provides print and digital advertising sales and strategic management direction in the following areas: manufacturing, subscription circulation, logistics, event marketing and full back office financial functions. SOURCE American Media, Inc.
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text:
The Global Intelligence Files,
files released so far...
Index pages
by Date of Document
Our Partners
Al Akhbar - Lebanon
Al Masry Al Youm - Egypt
Asia Sentinel - Hong Kong
Bivol - Bulgaria
Carta Capital - Brazil
CIPER - Chile
Dawn Media - Pakistan
L'Espresso - Italy
La Repubblica - Italy
La Jornada - Mexico
La Nacion - Costa Rica
Malaysia Today - Malaysia
McClatchy - United States
Nawaat - Tunisia
NDR/ARD - Germany
Owni - France
Pagina 12 - Argentina
Philip Dorling - Fairfax media contributor - Australia
Plaza Publica - Guatemala
Publica - Brazil
Publico.es - Spain
Rolling Stone - United States
Russian Reporter - Russia
Ta Nea - Greece
Taraf - Turkey
The Hindu - India
The Yes Men - Bhopal Activists
Sunday Star-Times - New Zealand
Community resources
courage is contagious
The Global Intelligence Files
On Monday February 27th, 2012, WikiLeaks began publishing The Global Intelligence Files, over five million e-mails from the Texas headquartered "global intelligence" company Stratfor. The e-mails date between July 2004 and late December 2011. They reveal the inner workings of a company that fronts as an intelligence publisher, but provides confidential intelligence services to large corporations, such as Bhopal's Dow Chemical Co., Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and government agencies, including the US Department of Homeland Security, the US Marines and the US Defence Intelligence Agency. The emails show Stratfor's web of informers, pay-off structure, payment laundering techniques and psychological methods.
INSIGHT - RUSSIA/HEALTH - restrictions for swine flu control
Released on 2012-05-10 01:00 GMT
|2009-04-28 14:01:53
PUBLICATION: yes
ATTRIBUTION: Stratfor sources in the Kremlin
SOURCE DESCRIPTION: One of the top within the Kremlin circle
SOURCE HANDLER: Lauren
We have no cases thus far and I mean that. I am not just telling you that.
As you mentioned we have already stopped all meat shipments form the
Western Hemisphere. No meat from South, Central or North America after the
package date of April 21 will be allowed in the country. We are
considering cutting all meat shipments from any region, but will watch the
next few days before we take that step. Also, if the West can get this
flue under control we could open up our meat imports in as soon as one
Anyone on a plane that has anyone coming from the US, Canada or Mexico is
being checked for the Swine Flue. We are lucky that there are no direct
flights from Mexico to Russia, but it has also made it difficult to screen
those passengers that have been from Mexico and stopped off in Europe or
other destinations before arriving in Russia. But it does not matter if
the plane stopped in a different location, but everyone on board will have
their temperatures checked with contact-free heat sensors. The same for
their luggage. Any plane arriving in Russia is being sprayed with
disinfectant upon arrival and unused meal in any plane arriving in Russia
is being destroyed.
We understand such outbreaks and have taken measures similar to this when
Avian flue broke out in Asia and we are constantly battling Bovine Fever
in the Caucasus from Africa.
Lauren Goodrich
Director of Analysis
Senior Eurasia Analyst


text: UTEP vs/ Memphis Gallery By Steve Kaplowitz February 27, 2011 1:58 PM Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Image of Filed Under: claude britten, gabriel mcculley, jeremy williams, john bohannon, memphis, randy culpepper, utep Category: Basketball, Local Sports, Photos, Sports, SportsTalk Share on Facebook Share on Twitter More Leave a comment Send to a friend! Print this page Pin it! Reddit This! Share on Tumblr! More from Team 600 Watch Memphis and BYU Brawl After Miami Beach Bowl Alabama Has 4th Most Valuable College Football Team in 2014 Cyclist Run Over by Monster 14-Wheeler Is Somehow A-Okay Watch Video of Texas A&M's Kyle Field Imploding Best of the Web


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Greetings and Questions about Travel
Hi! I'm new to the DISboards, but I consider Disneyland my home. (I grew up 4 miles away from the resort!) So.... Greetings.:goodvibes
Now, I have a question for all of you... who do you consider the most "traveled" Disney character? I really love to travel all around the world, and I'm wondering if disney characters do, too!
My opinion, it's Bernard and Bianca from the Rescuers... But can you think of anyone else who traveled extensively during their stories?
Cute question...
If you count Pixar movies, then Wall-e probably traveled the farthest. He went into space.
Of the Disney animated characters then, yes probably Bernard and Bianca because they traveled part of the US and then to Australia.
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Data Center Technican / Hardware Technician/ Server Technician/ Tier 1 Support
Must have experience setting up new server such as with HP or Dell or IBM orSun Servers
Running and Fixing CAT Cables, rack stack new servers, Servers break fix
Must have hands on cabling and connections to server and hardware experience in a data center
Run cables and set up connections on new servers
NYC Metro area
2 Positions
NYC and also
Need 24/7 coverage so looking for both day and night shifts and also for the weekends
Primary Responsibilities
Analyzes, diagnoses, and troubleshoots hardware/server issues with focus on responsiveness; provides problem resolutions. Specific responsibilities include (but are not limited to):
Quality Management Standards
Uses best practice methods. Its not a Mainframe or Computer Operator Position
HS diploma or GED
3 -5 years experience servicing hardware as specified or utilized in customer environment
Certifications a plus
Related Skills and Competencies
Problem solving skills with attention to detail; self management skills; ability to prioritize tasks; capacity to effectively communicate verbally and in writing.
Work Environment
Data Center
Hours: TBD - Prefer Night Shift


text:
primary evidenceLine breaks: pri|mary evi|dence
Definition of primary evidence in English:
noun[mass noun] Law
Evidence, such as the original of a document, that by its nature does not suggest that better evidence is available.
Example sentences
- I advise you in the strongest terms, in the circumstances of this case, to guard against accepting hearsay evidence as primary evidence of fact.
- Whether this evidence was hearsay evidence or primary evidence depends on of what fact it is that the complaints were intended to be evidence.
- All other evidence is secondary to that primary evidence.
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Word of the day terpsichorean
Pronunciation: ˌtəːpsɪkəˈriːən
relating to dancing


text:
'Dance Moms' Abby Lee Miller Confirms Engagement!
Brandi Glanville Physically Attacks Kim Richards During RHOBH Filming
Kim Zolciak Shows Off Her Incredibly Tiny Waist... Again
Kyle Richards Says She's Done With Brandi Glanville
Andy Cohen Reveals His All-Star Housewives Cast
Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi and Jionni LaValle Married!
Are The Beador's Finally Splitting Up?
Jacqueline Laurita's Daughter Gets Called Out By Dina Manzo's Daughter!
The Worst Superhero Movies You've Never Seen
10 Infuriatingly Bad Endings to Good Movies
10 Superheroes Who Won't Get Their Own Movie
Dance Moms' Kelly Hyland's Lawsuit Against Abby Lee Miller Moves Forward
Secret Brain Pill Billionaires Are Using
Is Abby Lee Miller a Total Fraud?
Melissa Gorga Breaks Her Silence: 'We Are Heartbroken'
Teresa Giudice Won't Spend Pre-Prison Holidays with Joe and Melissa Gorga!
The Real Lorde Sings South Park's Lorde Parody Song and I's Amazing
Gia Giudice Speaks Out About Teresa Giudice's Prison Sentence
Heather Dubrow Tries To Stand By Terry's Side
The Lesbian/Bi Guide to 2015 Sundance Film Festival
Mama June Dumps Child Molester; Wants Sugar Bear Back!
Kaley Cuoco Shows Off Her Tennis Skills
Vicki and Tamra at War Again Over Brooks Ayers for a RHOC Storyline?
Teen Mom 2′s Leah Calvert's Dealer Claims She Spends $1,000 a Week On Pills!
Million Dollar Listing LA Stars Explain Why They Called Off Their Wedding
54 Yoga Pants Pictures That Will Blow You Away
10 Actresses Who Would Be Perfect As 'Captain Marvel'
Cobie Smulders Talks Avengers: Age of Ultron, LEGO Sets Reveal Key Moments
15 People Who Have Been Banned from SNL
Dina Manzo's Extreme Diva Behavior on Set


text:
OLYMPUS Digital model FE-340
AF Zoom 6.3-31.5mm
Overlay filters applied
Part 1 in 'Kaleidoscope Colour' series
Featured in:
Live and Let Live – September 2010
Beads-Baubles and Bubbles – March 2011
Gems – October 2012
Fabulous work! Congratulations!
– Marina Raspolich
Beautiful! Congrats on your feature.
thanks :)
– Marina Raspolich
Gorgeous image!!! Reminds me of a paperweight I had decades ago and now with I had kept!! ;-))
Thanks so much! It actually is a paperweight – so maybe it's the same one! :)
– Marina Raspolich
Wonderful work !!! Bravo!!!
Your host, Deb
October 11, 2012
– Marina Raspolich


text:
Still Picking Flowers for You Here is my first really big featureStill Picking Flowers for You1 year ago in Personal More Like This
There is a lot of great art in here so hopefully everyone can find something they like! Enjoy
Dream Ride. by magnesina evening story by Megson
Brought to fantasy by HKoub Vintage by Kezzi-Rose oo.oo.oo by zeenon
Sweet dreams ... by aoao2
pure magic by Megson
red balloon.... by addy-ack Red dreams by Menoevil Candy Crash by Kameolynn
Touch of Red by Sortvind Sparkling in red by LadyCarnal Red by Kameolynn
Fairy tale Wonders by BlackJack0919 red and blue - drop . . .. by light-from-Emirates Candy flowers by juanfox94
Feature #018 - Best of February 2013Feature #018 - Best of February 20132 years ago in Personal More Like This
Unusual Isn't WrongWe often believe things that are unusual are badUnusual Isn't Wrong2 years ago in Personal More Like This
But usually it's the opposite
Just because it's different
Doesn't mean it's wrong
Just because it's trendy
Doesn't make it right
Just because "oh well everyone else does it"
doesn't make it right
It's up to YOU to decide
It's up to US
To decide what is right and wrong
God already knows what those things are
It's up to Us to figure the puzzle out
So don't point and say
"You're different!"
Don't scowl and say
"You're wrong!"
Open you're arms and say
"You're with me!"
Smile with understanding and say
"That's a good way to look at it"
Otherwise you're going no where in this world
Feature #019 - Best of March 2013Feature #019 - Best of March 20132 years ago in Personal More Like This
Feature #020 - Best of April 2013Feature #020 - Best of April 20132 years ago in Personal More Like This
Drowning in Beauty I.Drowning in Beauty I.2 years ago in Art Features More Like This
Acid Attack by Nitrok Basilisk by Zaratra
Peaceful Magic Hour by johnchan
White Shadow by Lupinicious Emperor penguin by laogephoto
HOPE by scumpi Wintry Blue Reflections of Mont Saint-Michel - HDR by somadjinn
Fisheye Sunset by torivarn
Cwmbach - Mountain side by F-Lagerdahl Rosy dreams by wihad
Scattered by Fragile-Eyes-Fiction
Lost in between by aoao2
Feature #017 - Best of January 2013Feature #017 - Best of January 20132 years ago in Personal More Like This
last winter by arbebuk
Morning Sun by BokehLight
Road to Thicket Portage! by JosephTimburyyes by KariLiimatainen
Solace by KrisVlad
Day 11 - Precious by EliseEnchantedInto the blue by Svenimal
Blue Universe by Kara-aMirkwood by AphantopusBelgium - Nature's Frontier by lux69aeterna
Salish Sea treasure by taslishaw
gloomy silence by RonnyEngelmann
The Bay Lights by StevenDavisPhoto
PE: 9 tips to be more creativeCreativity isn't just an artist's concern. Creativity is about using your imagination in every endeavor. Believe it or not, you are a creative person already. However, these tips might inspire you to get the best of what you already have.PE: 9 tips to be more creative2 years ago in Art Features More Like This
This comes as a very first tip for a reason. Whether it's outside your house or outside your mind, changing your perspective will help the ideas flow.
Your brain functions much better when well-hydrated. Symptoms of mild dehydration include tiredness, headache, muscle weakness, and dizziness - these are certainly not going to help you to think straight.
Exercise produces endorphins that might as well be responsible for your next brilliant idea.
Dreaming is very important, inside a dream nothing is impossible. Use that to your advantage.
Or better yet, get rid of the damn thing. TV is a mind-killer. Turn it off. Even if th
Feature #021 - Best of May 2013Feature #021 - Best of May 20132 years ago in Personal More Like This
Color Feature + Thank you !I got my second Daily DeviationColor Feature + Thank you !2 years ago in Art Features More Like This
The 6 months, that have to lie between 2 DDs, just passed and there is already a new one
To be honest i have photos i like more, but of course i am still really happy !
Thank you lapis-lazuri for suggesting it and Kaz-D for featuring it
Oh and i have exactly 2500 watchers
( and i will do the watchers Feature ( http://kara-a.deviantart.com/journal/poll/3491578/ ) next weekend, sorry for being so lazy )
Thank you so much ! This really means much to me
And now a little color Feature :
( if you do one too you can win 50 points and a feature : Little Feature Contest )
my first art exhibitionHi Last Friday I had my first exhibition. I was totally stressed and overwhelmed but veery happy. Thank All of You to make me believe in myself. And thank you DA - you have here so many lovely and inspiring people <3 Love ! Majamy first art exhibition2 years ago in Personal More Like This
Beauty FeatureSome of the beautiful works i discovered within the last weeksBeauty Feature2 years ago in Art Features More Like This
Please if you like the journal.
Now enjoy :
Just give me a reason... by dragonfly-oli Frosty Brightday Mars Landscape In Arcipelago by eskile
Elements by mibreit
Water Bubbles by xLindarielx Snowy III by Fr34kZ
Fun Time In Our Secret Neverland 2 by perigunawan
Feature #015 - Best of November / December 2012Feature #015 - Best of November / December 20122 years ago in Personal More Like This
Feel the cold by m-eralp
Christmas is around the corner by RobinHalioua
First I want to thank all my friends and watchers, who have always supported me.
I wish you a happy new year and look forward to the next year with you all.
PE: 5 EXCUSES why you just can't do better!5 EXCUSES why you just can't do better!PE: 5 EXCUSES why you just can't do better!2 years ago in Art Features More Like This
You really want to, you've worked hard to develop the skills you have and you enjoy every minute of doing what you love. And besides, people say that your artworks are...nice. Cute. Doesn't that count for something? Sure it does, there is no reason to panic and pointlessly push yourself forward. Enjoy your coffee break!
Besides, even if you didn't like the current level as much, there is absolutely nothing you can do about it at the moment. So many unfortunate happenings stand right between you and your dream. Recognizing any of the following?
1 - You don't have the time
You're right! After all, you are a human being, not a machine, waking up early every morning, heading to school/work, afterwards taking care of the household/kids/your homework, studying, you barely even finish all the tasks during the 24 hours that's been given to everyone.
On the other hand, is there absolutely
Feature #016 - Photography IIIOlivia told me that I should create more features, so I made one for her.Feature #016 - Photography III2 years ago in Personal More Like This
Glow of an incoming wave by isotophoto
Sligachan Sunrise by pestilence
day 12 by hayzyOur Last Day As Chlidren by MissHooligan2To my Wonderland by Silvermoonswan
Chocobo by FurImmerUndEwig
Those Winter Blues by AnnimouseDreams come true by LolaArtlandEvergreen by Burning-Liquid
The Thrill by IsacGoulart
Love dA Lit: Issue 63Welcome to the sixty-third issue of my weekly news article, Love dA Lit! Every Sunday this article will aim to promote volunteer opportunities, various resources, prompts, challenges, and workshops, as well as highlighting various contests, interviewing various members of the literature community and spotlighting a specific group every week. This is by no means a complete list of all the literature going-ons, merely a tool to help you get involved and stay informed.Love dA Lit: Issue 633 years ago in Literature Features More Like This
This weeks group spotlight is Expose-Lit!
LITplease's Community Portal
Literature Links
Expose-it, now officially launched, puts up some more guides: Critique, Write Better, and Competitions.
Respect Animals - FeatureThis is a Feature, that really means a lot to me. It is dedicated to all the animals that have toRespect Animals - Feature2 years ago in Art Features More Like This
live in shelter, on the street or in abusive homes. All the photos in this Feature make me feel
sad. Animals do deserve a loving home. They give you so much and they do deserve the same
in return. Humans are animals too. If you treat them bad you will be punished, but hurting and
abandoning animals is okay?
And everybody please don't go to expensive breeders before you went to your local animal shelter.
There are so many lovely animals that are waiting for you. Is it really that important that a dog or a cat is purebred?
The character is what matters.
If I could see beyond the here and now
If you could hear me calling you somehow
If I could know that love is reaching out
To find you with me tonight
Then hope could make these promises come true
Beyond what I could say, what love can do
With every moment leading me to you tonight
I will stay forever here to wait for your love
Happy Singles Awareness Day/ Valentines DayHello everybodyHappy Singles Awareness Day/ Valentines Day2 years ago in Art Features More Like This
I wish all of you, no matter what you will do on the 14th of February, a wonderful Day !
For me... it's actutally a pretty normal day. I will spend it at school and after that i will spend my time with my love . . . . . . my kitty
Who needs men anyways? animals are so much better
What do you do on Valentines Day?
For now here is a little bit different Valentines Day Feature for all of you :
for all time by MagicalMelody79
100% cuteness100% cuteness2 years ago in Art Features More Like This
Snowshoe Hare by Les-Piccolo :thumb150059447: Not... Guilty by cloduy rabbit by look-out-sunshine On the way to Wonderland by Katfisk 417 by richys bunny by Schnubu 'The Best Of Friends' by MyFurLady The cutest named "Bear" by jennie3112 In loving memory by LueDscha Don't say easter is over.. by Claiy Baby Bunny by kkart baby bunny by thnkfrthmmrs Bunny Nose by Becky125 Cute Rab..... by bhautik1 The bunny by lilokaew leela is a....bird? by keanetje2 Grass is Yummy by Nepesi Baby Dutch by Whimsydogstudio Snowshoe Hare by Sagittor Happy Easter 2013 by PatriciaVazquez Come Closer by perigunawan Adorableness comes naturally by WickedFrost007 Yes? by RoeEbo Fluffy Cheeks by Veirilin the lawn tastes sweet by 18o16o Rabbit 03 by slumberdoll I'll Be Your Friend by Aliuh if bunnies did yoga by iam-iz Baby Brit2 by Phelixas Percy 10 Weeks by H4ptikk Rabbit by yavuzselimturan Buff boy by InnocentDrive More snuggling bunnies by luthias Rabbit Baby 2012 - 4 by Pebels Lepus timidus I by nordfold Run, hare, run by Fresnay Natsushiro by LauzLanille Can I Have A Kiss? by SignCropStealer Very first meal by Witanii Little Bunny by AlinaKurbiel at the park by rabbits-nine Pink nose by Katfisk Ziva by XxSvevaxX :thum
With a touch of gold Boston: 2365. by inbrainstorm Boston: Cedar Line Way. by inbrainstorm .: Pure Water :. by VictorianPrincess Life As It Is by Sortvind golden love by JoannaRzeznikowska autumnlight VI by indojo Luminous dreams by Lionique listen to the rain by Borboletra Flowerdog by AnitaAnti zweisamkeit by Lisa-Schneider Something Dark by jkrab 342576 by nairafee Sunny autumn by Snowfall-lullaby Boston: The Backstreet. by inbrainstorm Thousand Lights by Kara-a Old words by iMargreet Havezate Mensinge by Oer-Wout wed46 by intete Cache-cache 02 by eulalievarenne autumn morning 3 by alexandrdeviant of love and shadows by Linlith Golden Souls by larisa8 Dreams running parallel by MarioDellagiovanna I want to believe by heyydaydreamer Void by Snowfall-lullaby .: sunrise tree :. by all17 Love is in the air by patrycjanna Eclipse of The Heart 3 by aleksesss Summerbreeze by Schnitzelyne Lost Soul II by JoannaRzeznikowska :thumb336363034: ... by ankazhuravleva Snoozing by Lionique Hide and Seek by LuizaLazar Somewhere Only We Know by MariannaInsomnia Infrastructure. by Annarigby ... by ankazhuravleva Raspberries by nairafee Silence Waves VII by OlivierAccart .Elysium. by cichutko Do all wishes come true? by kim-e-sens When evening falls by PawelMatys AlwaysInTheSamePlaceWeWillBe by CasheeFoo Golden by Blubdi-Photography Vertigo by Al-Baum Is this love by Healzo words of love by oprisco Where fairies nestle by kim-e-sens :thumb262064374With a touch of gold2 years ago in Art Features More Like This
Over the rainbow All Other Lights by goRillA-iNK Holi woman by Neaffka Morning Drop by nnIKOO Lucky Colors. by andokadesbois summer ... by BaxiaArt Heartstrings II by Gosia drop11 by agatafotografia polka dot by michellis13 Colourful by Kara-a love colours by JustynaStolyhwo :thumb110566935: i love cookies by Megson :thumb304830145: A Chromatic Love Affair III by pagit Rainbow Circus by DemonMathiel Bittersweet by Kameolynn furious by theluckynine pastry sandwiches by verniceR Illusion by MissUnfortunate :thumb122110969: The Wave by dansch Sparkly Spaztastic by goRillA-iNK this is my forgiveness. by fuzzy-blue-lights My rainbow by kczajkowska Done with this game by Healzo Rush of colors by kim-e-sens At the end of the rainbow... by JeanFan summer.... by impatienss Colours. by TinaApple sunny garden by Orwald rainbow by Fwirll Boat Of Possibilities by BlackJack0919 Under Streetlight by incolor16 This Moment is a Memory by Sortvind feel alive by nandiamond paint box by Utzel-Butzel 064 by AlexNagiPhotography Stormborn by incolor16 phantom by Sea-of-wonders On the Edge by pagit Bonbon by Jules1983 rainbow drops by Fussel2112 delightful by illusionality Colorful by Photo-Grafixx full of colors..full of life by light-from-Emirates The little things by nhuthanh My own little rainbow by EliseEnchanted rainbow. by HristinaGalabova Rainbow Cupcake by NayeliNeriaOver the rainbow2 years ago in Art Features More Like This
My Best Motivational TipWhen I become overcome with the guilt and shame and fear as a result of my constant procrastination, I have one trick to get me off my ass that works every time.My Best Motivational Tip3 years ago in Personal More Like This
Now, lots of other people and blogs and whatever are all like "look how lucky you are" and "puppies and rainbows" and "if you get it done now, you'll feel better" and lots of other positive shit. While all this stuff is true, I'm still playing Assassin's Creed II for like four hours a day. It doesn't motivate me at all. I still don't want to write a 500 word essay on the subtle differences between the book and the film adaptation of The Road that's due, like, tomorrow.
So here's what I think of.
"Michael Bay wants me to fail."
Insert your own celebrity arch nemesis if you want to, but basically choose someone so crap that it makes you angry. Preferably someone who's getting paid buckets of money to do whatever they do to piss you off.
Competitive nature and the desire to prove your chosen asshole wrong should take over.
I Stole Something DerpI stole this from :iconpoet-of-all-art: because is so funnyI Stole Something Derp1 year ago in Personal More Like This
1.- Pick some friends
2.- Then go to his website: http://blog.esaba.com/projects/facts/index.php
3.- Type in the username of your friend and choose the gender, then click 'random fact'
4.- Copy what comes up and paste it in this journal.
5. Continue this for the rest of your list.
6. Have fun! and tag as many people as you want!
:icontheawesumcookieboy: got his drivers license at the age of 16. Seconds.
We all know the magic word is please. As in the sentence, "Please don't kill me." Too bad :iconchaoticpuppetmaster: doesn't believe in magic.
:iconTSCLonix: sleeps with a night light. Not because Neru is afraid of the dark, but the dark is afraid of :iconTSCLonix:
In the Bible, Jesus turned water into wine. But then :iconSonicAtron: turned that wine into beer.
:iconpocket-chocolate: puts her pants on one leg at a time, just like the rest of us. The only difference is, then she kills people.
The Lonely Pathby techgnotic/of depthRADIUSThe Lonely Path2 years ago in Art Features More Like This
I have never found a companion who was so companionable as solitude.
Henry David Thoreau
I always thought Thoreau's comment was simply a word game— ultimately not of much value and false at its core. A Valentines Day in solitude should mean being all alone and alone means being unhappy, pure and simple. Still, it will turn out in life that the most alone we can feel is ironically in the crush of family and friends and even in the embrace of one's Valentines Day companion— but lost and unfulfilled in one's dreams and visions.
Spring feelings
by pamukcuceveyediprens
empty poem
by the-psycrothic


text:
A 27-year-old man admitted to police he smashed out two windows at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Ismael Jose Valencia, who was wanted on two outstanding warrants for other offenses, was arrested on suspicion of aggravated criminal damage for defacing the church at 616 S. Extension Road about 8 p.m. Sunday, according to police.
Police arrested Valencia about an hour after he threw two landscaping rocks through two sets of 3 feet by 6 feet dual-pane windows on the northwestern side of the church where four women were inside a church classroom. No one was injured when the rocks crashed through the windows, causing $2,000 in damage, police said.
As Valencia fled on foot, witnesses, including the church's bishop, called police. Valencia was caught at a nearby Circle K convenience store, where he admitted to the crime, police said.


text:
A gobo handling apparatus for use in a spotlight is disclosed. The spotlight has a housing supporting a light source producing a light beam and supporting at least one focusing lens. The spotlight includes an iris slot through the housing proximate the focal plane of the light beam. The apparatus of the invention comprises an elongated gobo housing removably inserted in the slot. The gobo housing has a central axis and an aperture therethrough for passage of the light beam in a direction normal to the gobo housing axis. The housing has a plurality of generally disk shaped gobo carriers each supporting a gobo, arranged side by side and movably contained within the housing. A drive mechanism contained within the housing operatively engages each of said plurality of gobo carriers for independently translating the gobo members along the housing axis into and out of the spotlight beam and rotating the gobo carrier in the spotlight beam in response to a remote control signal. The drive mechanism is driven by at least one motor attached to the housing for operating the mechanism in response to the remote control signal.
1. A gobo handling apparatus for use in a spotlight having a spotlight housing supporting a light source producing a light beam, said spotlight having a slot through said housing proximate a focal plane of said light beam, said apparatus comprising:
an elongated gobo housing removably inserted in said slot, said gobo housing having a central axis and an aperture therethrough for passage of a light beam therethrough in a direction normal to said axis;
a plurality of generally disk shaped gobo members arranged side by side and movably contained within said housing; and
a drive mechanism contained within said housing operatively engaged with each of said plurality of gobo members for independently translating said gobo members along said axis into and out of said spotlight beam and rotating said gobo member in said spotlight beam in response to a remote control signal.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each of said gobo members is supported by and centered in a carrier having an annular disk shape, said carrier having a peripheral rim portion engaging said drive mechanism and a plurality of retainers on said carrier removably fastening and centering said gobo member in said carrier.
3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said drive mechanism comprises a pair of lead screws rotatably mounted parallel to said central axis in said housing adjacent opposite edge portions of said carriers engaging teeth on said rim portion of said carrier.
4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein each of said lead screws is connected to a motor fastened to said housing for rotating said lead screws independently of each other.
5. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said lead screws are rotationally synchronized to translate said carriers together along said central axis.
6. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said housing further comprises a pair of elongated guide members disposed in said housing, each of said guide members engaging a rim portion of each of said carriers to align said carriers side by side in said housing.
7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein each said guide member is an elongated polymeric body having a pair of spaced sides forming an open channel receiving a rim portion of said carrier and supporting a portion of said drive mechanism.
8. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said guide member further comprises another pair of spaced sides forming another channel guiding another portion of said drive mechanism, said guide member having a generally "H" shaped cross section.
9. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said drive mechanism includes an endless belt engaging said rim portion of said carrier and disposed in said upper channel in each of said guide members, a drive wheel engaging each of said belts adjacent one end of each of said guide members and an idler wheel adjacent an opposite end of each guide member over which said belt rides.
10. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said endless belt has a plurality of teeth and each of said carriers has correspondingly shaped teeth around said rim portion.
11. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said drive wheel has teeth matching said plurality of teeth on said endless belt.
12. The apparatus according to claim 9 further comprising a drive motor fastened to said housing connected to said drive wheel.
13. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said drive motor is fastened to said housing through a vibration damping member to sound isolate said motor from said housing.
14. A gobo carrier for movably supporting a gobo member in a light beam of a spotlight, said carrier comprising:
a generally disk shaped carrier body having a front face, a rear face, a central aperture through said body, an annular recessed portion around said aperture adapted to receive a gobo member therein, and a generally circular rim portion around said recessed portion; and
a plurality of gobo retainers fastened to said recessed portion for engaging and retaining said gobo in said recessed portion.
15. The carrier according to claim 14 wherein said rim portion has a plurality of teeth spaced around said rim portion.
16. The carrier according to claim 14 wherein said plurality of retainers are equally spaced apart on said recessed portion around said aperture.
17. The carrier according to claim 16 wherein three retainers are spaced around said aperture on said recessed portion.
18. The carrier according to claim 14 wherein each of said retainers comprises an elongated rod member having one end fastened to said recessed portion of said disk and an opposite free end extending through a slot through said recessed portion of said body to engage a rim of said gobo member.
19. The carrier according to claim 18 wherein said free end is spring biased toward said central aperture.
20. The carrier according to claim 19 wherein a portion of said rod proximate said fastened end is captured between a pair of fulcrum posts fastened to said rear face of said carrier body.
21. A gobo handling apparatus for use in a spotlight having a spotlight housing supporting a light source producing a light beam, said spotlight having a slot through said housing proximate a focal plane of said light beam, said apparatus comprising:
an elongated gobo housing removably inserted in said slot, said gobo housing having a central axis and an aperture therethrough for passage of a light beam therethrough in a direction normal to said axis;
a plurality of generally disk shaped gobo members arranged side by side and movably contained within said housing; and
a drive mechanism contained within said housing operatively engaged with each of said plurality of gobo members for independently translating said gobo members along said axis into and out of said spotlight beam in response to a remote control signal.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to lighting fixtures and more particularly to a gobo, or pattern handling apparatus for a theatrical light.
2. Description of Related Art A "gobo" is a sheet of material with a pattern, object stencil or figure outline cut through the sheet and placed in front of a powerful light fixture used to project a shadow pattern or figure of the cutout onto background theatrical scenery. The lights used are sometimes thus called pattern projectors. The particular theatrical lights used are typically ellipsoidal pattern spotlights. The gobo goes between the light and the on-stage action, giving rise to the short nick name "gobo". The theatrical gobo itself is a thin metal or glass plate which is typically round, with the stencil pattern centered therein. The gobo is carried in a thin sheet metal folder or holder which has a circular cutout. The stencil cutout of the gobo is centered in this holder cutout and the holder is slipped into the beam of light preferably so that the gobo is in the focal plane of the beam, very close to the shutters of the spotlight.
Since steel gobos are very thin, and they carry a significant amount of heat in the light beam, they often get red hot in use and tend to wear out with continued use. Also, if the pattern is intricate, with thin lines, such as an intricate tree silhouette, the lifetime may be very limited. An alternative is to use a glass substrate for the pattern. The glass gobos are much sturdier than the steel, but take longer to make and are bulkier, i.e. thicker as well as more costly.
Typical ellipsoidal spotlights available today have a drop in iris slot adjacent the set of shutter blades at the focal plane. This slot is typically about 1/2 inch wide and has an adjustable cover plate to compensate for various metal gobo holders or glass gobo holder thicknesses.
The theatrical ellipsoidal spotlights generate a great deal of heat at the focal plane in the light assembly. Consequently, the gobo is typically made of thin stainless steel which can withstand this heat. Often the gobos get red hot in the beam, and since they are usually adjusted by hand, great care in handling these elements is required, to prevent burns.
To solve this handling problem, and to facilitate movement effects of the background shadows created by the gobo, a remote controlled gobo rotator such as the Gobo Rotator, marketed by Rosco, 36 Bush Avenue, Port Chester, N.Y. 10573, may be used instead of the basic sandwich gobo holder described above. This rotator is basically an elongated carrier which supports a gobo holder at one end in the iris slot of the spotlight. The gobo holder has a geared outer perimeter around the central cutout, and a AC or DC motor fastened to the other end of the carrier. The motor drives a gear which in turn engages the gear teeth on the perimeter of the gobo holder. When the motor is energized, the gobo can be rotated in either direction. The motor direction is in turn remotely controlled from the light board or control console usually located either backstage or in the audience seating area.
A remotely controlled gobo handler apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,187. The apparatus in this patent includes a disc or wheel which has a set of gobos arranged around the center of the wheel which rotates about an axis parallel to the beam axis with a motor controlling the rotational position of the wheel. The wheel is positioned in the spotlight housing such that each one of the gobos may be positioned in the light beam by rotating the wheel. This apparatus does not permit rotation of the gobo in the light beam and/or linear translation of the gobo through the light beam.
A major disadvantage of conventional gobo holders is that they must be inserted and removed by hand. As mentioned above, these gobos are hot and remain hot after the light is extinguished for a significant amount of time. Great care must be taken to prevent burns while handling. Another disadvantage is that remote gobo handlers only rotate the gobo about the spotlight beam axis. There is no way, for example, to slowly translate an image across the scenery in a straight line, such as a moon setting, vehicle shadows passing in the distance, etc. except to manually move the spotlight.
Remotely controlled color filter apparatuses for use in spotlights have been developed for changing color hues projected by theatrical lighting fixtures. Examples of such devices are disclosed in the patent just discussed and in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,602,321; 4,800,474.; 4,897,770; 4,914,556; 4,984,143; and 5,126,886. These devices rotate or translate filter combinations into and out of the light beam downstream of the focal plane of the beam in order to provide continuous and gradual color changes. They are not used to rotate and translate an image in the light beam.
There is often a need for images such as silhouettes on background scenery to move. However, there currently is no apparatus that readily permits remote movement of the projected silhouette in a non-circular trajectory. In addition, there is a need for an apparatus which remotely changes gobos and/or both rotates and translates gobos in the light beam. There is also a need for a gobo handler that can be readily utilized with conventional theatrical spotlight assemblies without substantial modifications to the assemblies.
The present invention is specifically addresses the above mentioned needs. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a gobo handling apparatus which can be installed in conventional spotlights.
It is another object of the invention to provide a gobo handling apparatus that selectively translates and rotates a plurality of gobos into and out of a beam of light.
It is another object of the invention to provide a gobo handling apparatus that can remotely translate and rotate a gobo in and out of a beam of light.
The gobo handling apparatus of the present invention is a remotely controlled apparatus which is installed at the focal plane in the iris slot of a conventional theatrical spotlight and which carries a plurality of gobos in side by side relation. The apparatus can remotely translate each of the gobos into and out of the light beam and rotate the gobo in the beam. In addition, this translation and rotation may be performed at the same time in the light beam. This gives the lighting director the capability of providing movement of the silhouette projected onto background scenery in many different directions.
The apparatus comprises an elongated handler housing which is removably insertable through iris slots in or adjacent the focal plane of the light beam in the spotlight body. The handler housing is preferably a rectangular tube having a central axis and an aperture therethrough for passage of the light beam in a direction normal to the axis of the apparatus housing. This aperture is preferably located about mid way between the ends of the housing.
A conventional theatrical spotlight typically only has an iris slot on one side of the spotlight body. Consequently, to accommodate the elongated housing of the present invention, an identical slot is machined in the spotlight body diametrically opposite to the iris slot. The elongated housing of the apparatus of the invention can then be inserted through these slots so that the aperture is centered in the light beam. The handler housing is then fastened to the spotlight body with a thumbscrew.
The elongated handler housing carries a plurality of gobo carriers arranged side by side within the housing. Each gobo carrier is operably connected to a drive mechanism also contained within the housing which can independently or simultaneously translate and rotate the gobo carriers into and out of the aperture, and thus the gobo, in the light beam in response to a remote control signal. At least one and preferably two motors are attached to the housing and connected to the drive mechanism for operating the mechanism in response to the remote control signal.
Each gobo is supported in a generally annular disk shaped cartridge or carrier that engages the drive mechanism. The carrier is preferably an annular plate with retainer springs to hold the gobo centered in the carrier.
One embodiment of the drive mechanism includes a pair of endless toothed belts extending parallel to each other above and below the row of gobo carriers engaging diametrically opposite peripheral portions of each gobo carrier. In this embodiment, each carrier has matching teeth around the periphery of the carrier having a pitch complementary to those of the toothed belts.
Another embodiment of the drive mechanism includes a pair of parallel lead screws in the housing positioned above and below the plurality of gobo carriers. In this embodiment, each carrier has teeth around the periphery of the carrier having a pitch complementary to the pitch of the lead screw. When both lead screws are rotated in the same direction, the carriers are translated in one direction. When the lead screws are rotated in opposite directions, the carriers are rotated. When the lead screws are rotated at different speeds, the carriers are both translated and rotated.
Another embodiment of the invention includes the handler housing above described but which permits only translation of the gobos. This embodiment includes a single rectangular carrier placed in the housing. The carrier has a plurality of side by side apertures therethrough to carry a plurality of gobos side by side. The carrier has teeth along a portion of one edge which engage threads on one of the lead screws or teeth on one of the drive belts of the drive mechanism.
Each of these preferred embodiments of the invention includes either a stepper motor or servo motor mechanically connected to the drive belt or lead screw and can be remotely operated from the theater light board or control computer to automatically position and move the gobos as required at the proper time and in the proper sequence.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the attached drawing figures.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a gobo handler apparatus in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention positioned for insertion in a theatrical spotlight.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the gobo handler apparatus in FIG. 1 installed in the theatrical spotlight.
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the gobo handler apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 taken along the apparatus central axis as viewed along the line 3--3 in FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the gobo handler apparatus installed in the spotlight, partially shown in phantom, with the section taken on the line 4--4 in FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 through 3 taken along the line 5--5 in FIG. 3.
FIG. 5A is an enlarged partial sectional view of the motor housing showing mounting details of the stepper motors.
FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 through 3 taken along the line 6--6 in FIG. 3.
FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 through 3 taken along the line 7--7 in FIG. 3.
FIG. 8A is a partial plan view of a gobo carrier separate from the apparatus in FIGS. 1-3.
FIG. 8B is a sectional view of the gobo carrier shown in FIG. 8A taken along the line 8B--8B.
FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of a light guard and a gobo carrier.
FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the apparatus of the invention as shown in FIG. 5 with the guard shown in FIG. 9 installed in the apparatus.
FIG. 11 is a plan view of a second embodiment of the gobo handling apparatus in accordance with the invention with a top portion of the apparatus housing removed to reveal the drive mechanism components inside.
FIG. 12 is a sectional view of the second embodiment taken along the line 12--12 in FIG. 11.
FIG. 13 is a sectional view of the second embodiment of the invention taken along the line 13--13 in FIG. 11.
FIG. 14 is a sectional view of the second embodiment of the invention taken along the line 14--14 in FIG. 11.
FIG. 15 is a plan view as in FIG. 11 with a multiple gobo carrier in accordance with another aspect of the invention installed in place of separate carriers for each gobo filter.
Referring now to the drawing, a first embodiment of the gobo handling apparatus 10 in accordance with the invention is shown in a perspective view adjacent a theatrical spotlight 12 in FIG. 1. The spotlight 12 is preferably an ellipsoidal, fixed focus spotlight having an elongated, generally hollow tubular spotlight housing 14, a light source 16 at one end of the housing 14, a central beam axis extending from the light source 16, and through a focusing lens 18 on the axis near an opposite open end of the housing and an iris slot 20 proximate the focal plane of the spotlight 12. A set of manually adjustable shutter blades 22 is positioned between the source 16 and the iris slot 20.
The spotlight 12 may be a ETC Source Four Spotlight, or any other commercially available theatrical light which accommodates gobos at or very close to the focal plane of the light. The Source Four Spotlight, for example, has a single iris slot 20 through one side of the housing 14 proximate the focal plane. The housing 14 of this spotlight must be modified by cutting an identical iris slot 20 diametrically opposite the iris slot 20. The iris slot 20 in the housing 14 is preferably about 1/2 inch wide and 4 inches long to accommodate a variety of sizes of gobo carriers. To minimize stray light leakage from the iris slot 20, an adjustable shield 23 is fastened to the outer surface of the spotlight housing 14. This shield 23 may be positioned to completely cover the slot 20 when a gobo is not installed, or positioned against the side of the gobo holder when one is installed. The identical iris slot on the other side of the housing 14, which is not shown, is the same size and is preferably also fitted with a similar adjustable light shield 23.
The first embodiment is she gobo handler apparatus 10 of the invention is shown in FIGS. 1 through 10. A second embodiment is shown in FIGS. 11 through 15. The gobo handler apparatus 10 in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention is shown spaced from the spotlight 12 in FIG. 1 and installed through the slots 20 in FIG. 2. The apparatus 10 includes an elongated, generally rectangular, extruded housing 24, a plurality of gobos 26, three for example, as is shown in FIG. 3, supported in the housing 24 for movement of the gobos back and forth along a central axis A through the housing 24, and a drive mechanism 28 also in the housing 24. The drive mechanism 28 translates and rotates the gobos 26 into, through and/or out of position in a central aperture 30 through the housing 14. When the apparatus 10 is properly installed in the iris slots 20 of the spotlight housing 14, the central aperture 30 is centered about the axis in the light beam. Thus the gobos may be translated and/or rotated into, through, and out of the light beam. The light beam, in turn, typically projects the image created by the gobo in the beam onto a background scrim or scenery surface.
The rectangular tubular housing 24 is preferably a single extruded body made of aluminum. Housing 24 preferably includes a rectangular front wall 32, a rectangular rear wall 34, a top wall 36, and a bottom wall 38. The front and rear walls 32 and 34 each have an inwardly projecting retaining rib 40 spaced from each of the top and bottom walls and extending parallel to central axis A. These ribs are used to retain a drive belt guide as described in more detail below. The inside distance between the parallel front and back walls 32 and 34 is approximately 1/2 inch, less the wall thickness of the walls. The overall thickness is dictated by the existing iris slot width in conventional spotlights, in order to minimize the modifications which must be made to these conventional light assemblies in order to accommodate the handling apparatus of the present invention.
The housing 24 encloses the drive mechanism 28 and provides a support platform for external components including a pair of stepper motors 42, an associated electronic circuit board 44 for the motors 42, a pair of external connectors 46, a fuse 48 and a cooling fan 50.
The front wall 32 of the apparatus housing 24 has a central beam and gobo access aperture 52 therethrough having a first diameter. The rear wall similarly has a central beam aperture 54 therethrough having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter and coaxially positioned behind the access aperture 52. These two apertures are coaxially aligned on an axis normal to the housing central axis A. This normal axis corresponds to the light beam axis when the housing 24 of the gobo handler apparatus 10 is properly installed through the slots 20 in the spotlight 12. The apertures 52 and 54 are centered in the light beam in order to properly position a gobo in the focal plane and centered in the light beam.
The stepper motors 42 are mounted to housing 24 through sound isolation grommets 56 via screws 58 as shown in FIG. 5A. The outer cover 60 over the motors 42 and the printed circuit board 44 is also sound isolation mounted to the rectangular housing 24. Two right angle brackets (not shown) are fastened to the housing 24 with four additional grommets 56 and bolts 58 (not shown). The cover 60 is in turn screwed to each of the brackets.
The outer cover 62 for the cooling fan 50 is similarly sound isolation mounted. The outer cover 62 is screwed to a pair of angle brackets which are in turn fastened to the housing 24 via four additional isolation grommets 56 and screws 58.
Each of these grommets is preferably made of a rubber, such as silicon rubber, or other elastomeric material, and has a double headed spool shape with a central bore through which the screw 58 passes. The grommet 56 is press fit into a properly sized hole in the "L" shaped angle bracket and then the angle bracket is positioned on the housing 24. The screw 58 is then passed through the central bore and threaded into the housing 24. The covers 60 and 62 are then fastened, typically with screws, onto the brackets.
The stepper motors 42 generate a substantial amount of vibration and noise during operation. The sound dampening mount for the motors and the covers 60 and 62 prevent most of this motor and drive mechanism noise from being transmitted from the apparatus of the invention. Such noise transmission is distracting to a theatrical audience and thus very undesirable. Therefore noise reduction is emphasized in a theatrical spotlight accessory such as the gobo handler of the present invention.
The drive mechanism 28 in the first embodiment of the invention is best shown in the longitudinal sectional view through the housing 24 shown in FIG. 3. The drive mechanism 28 preferably comprises a pair of endless toothed belts 64, each driven by a drive gear 66, and guided along the length of the housing 24 adjacent the top and bottom walls 36 and 38 in a guide member 68 having a pair of opposing channels. Each of the endless belts 64 is routed around an idler wheel 70 adjacent the drive gear 66, through one channel of the guide sleeve 68 facing one of the top or bottom walls, around a set of three idler wheels 72, 74 and 76, then through the other guide channel in the guide sleeve 68 back to the drive gear 66.
The guide member 68 is an elongated extrusion of high temperature resistant, low friction, generally rigid material, such as duPont nylon 6/6 or Teflon. As is best shown in the sectional view of FIG. 7, the guide member 68 has a generally "H" shaped cross section forming an upper channel 78 and a lower channel 80 joined by central portion 82.
The upper channel 78 is formed between central portion 82 and spaced upwardly extending parallel walls 84. The lower channel 80 is formed by central portion 82 and spaced downwardly extending parallel walls 86. The endless, preferably toothed belt 64 rides in these channels with the teeth facing away from the central portion 82. The walls 84 and 86 of the guide 68 are preferably parallel and coextensive, but may be offset to accommodate any particular belt design or gobo carrier design. Each of the lower walls 86 has an inwardly directed cantilevered lip or ledge 88 extending orthogonally to the wall 86 toward an opposite ledge 88, forming a gap 90 between the walls 86. The edges of these ledges facing each other act as lateral bearing surfaces to guide the translation of the gobo carriers as will be further described below. In addition, these ledges cooperate to retain the endless belt 64 in the lower channel 88.
The guide member 68 is preferably held in place against the top wall or the bottom wall by the ribs 40. The guide member 68 may be longitudinally secured in the housing 24 with a set screw (not shown) through the front wall 32 or back wall 34 into the central portion 82 of the guide member 68. The length of the guide member 68 is partially determined by the distance between the drive gear 66 and the idler wheel 72 at the other end of the housing 24 and partially by the number of gobos for which the housing 24 is designed to carry, e.g. three in the preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-10.
Optionally, the guide 68 may include ledges 88 on the upper walls 86 as shown by the dashed lines in FIG. 7. This arrangement would make the guide orientation interchangeable in the housing 24 and would simplify installation and repair efforts as well as minimize potential handling errors during apparatus assembly. Alternatively, the upper walls 84 may be shortened in height if necessary for those design situations where overall width of the housing 24 (distance between upper and lower is limiting.
The guide cross section may also be other than an "H" shape when an endless belt 64 having a different shape is used. For example, the belt 64 might have a circular cross section. In this instance, the upper and lower channels of the guide would preferably have a curved, "C" shape cross section. The basic functions of the guide, however, remain the same, e.g., guiding the belt and reducing sliding friction between the belt and the guide.
The endless belts 64 are preferably flat toothed belts having standard 1/5 pitch teeth. Each belt is currently preferably made of silicone rubber, but other flexible rubber or plastic materials may alternatively be used. In addition, the belt may include reinforcing fibers or other embedded materials to improve longitudinal dimensional stability and/or provide selective rigidity to the teeth.
The toothed drive gear or pulley 66 is preferably made of aluminum or may be made of a rigid plastic material, and has peripheral teeth correspondingly matching the teeth on the belt 64. The perimeter of the drive pulley 66 is tangentially aligned with the lower channel 80 of the guide 68 so that the belt 64 enters straight into the guide 68. The drive pulley 66 is keyed to the output shaft of the stepper motor 42 and extends into the housing 24 so as to also be positioned in line with the adjacent idler pulley 70. This idler pulley 70 is bearing supported between the walls 32 and 34 on a fixed axle 92 which is in turn fastened to the walls 32 and 34. The idler pulley 70 is closely spaced from the drive pulley 66 to aid in maintaining tooth to tooth engagement between the belt 64 and the drive pulley 66. The idler pulley 70 is also sized and placed so that its perimeter is tangent to a straight line through the upper channel 78 of the guide member 68 so that the belt enters the guide 68 in a straight line to minimize friction and wear.
At the other end of the housing 24, there are three idler pulleys or wheels 72, 74, and 76. These idler pulleys are bearing supported in the housing 24 between walls 32 and 34 on fixed axles 92 as is idler pulley 70 above described. Idler pulley 72 is shown in FIG. 3 having teeth matching the teeth on the belt 64. The teeth on this idler pulley are optional and may be dispensed with, as the pulley serves no drive function. The pulley 72 is positioned so that its perimeter is tangent to a straight line through the lower channel 80 so that the belt 64 enters and leaves this channel with minimal friction. Idler pulley 74 is similarly positioned with respect to the upper channel 78 so that the belt 64 enters or leaves the upper channel 78 in a straight line to minimize friction and wear. The final idler pulley 76 is mounted in the housing 24 toward the opposite top or bottom wall of the housing 24. This pulley 76 is rotatably mounted on a fixed axle 92 as are the other idler pulleys. This pulley 76 may be optionally mounted on a movable axle which rides in a slot in the walls 32 and 34 and which is spring biased toward the opposite top or bottom wall in order to compensate for any lengthening or shortening of the belt 64 and provide a predetermined amount of tensioning of each of the belts.
The stepper motors 42 are conventional in design and operation. The mounting details of the stepper motors are best shown in the sectional view of the apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 5A. Each stepper motor 42 is bolted to a support plate 94 via four machine screws 96. The stepper motor shaft 98 extends through an opening 100 in the rear wall 34 into the housing 24. As discussed above, the support plate 94 is mounted to the wall 34 of the housing 24 via rubber grommets 56 to provide sound isolation of the motors.
The stepper motors 42 are remotely controlled typically from the theater lighting control board. However, there are circumstances where local control is necessary, such as during calibrations. Therefore, associated local control components are mounted on a printed circuit board 44 which is bolted to the housing 24 via standoffs adjacent the stepper motors 42. The motor cover 60 has several holes therethrough (not shown) for access to dip switches and control potentiometers located on this circuit board 44. The circuit board 44 is mounted on standoffs so that the controls are readily accessible through the holes.
The gobos 26 are each removably mounted in a gobo carrier 102. The gobo carrier 102 is an annular disc shaped body having front and rear faces and preferably made of sheet metal stock such as aluminum or steel capable of withstanding the high temperatures in the spotlight beam. The carrier has a central circular aperture 104, a recessed annular portion 106 around the aperture 104 for receiving the gobo 26, a circular rim portion 108 having teeth 110 projecting radially outward to engage the endless belt 64 of the drive mechanism 28, and a plurality of retainers 112 on the recessed portion 106 spaced preferably symmetrically around the recessed portion 106.
The carrier 102 preferably has an outer diameter of about 4 inches. The central aperture is about 3 inches in diameter. The recessed portion 106 has an outer diameter of about 31/4 inches and is recessed from the rim portion 108 by about 0.020 inches. Since most metal gobos 26 range between about 0.005 to 0.012 inches thick, the recess easily accommodates metal gobos. Glass gobos, on the other hand, are much thicker, on the order of 0.050-0.125 inches and typically about 0.080 inches thick. A glass gobo is shown installed in FIGS. 3. 4, 5, 6 and 8B for clarity. Obviously, the metal gobos 26 would be illustrated much thinner than those illustrated here.
The gobo carrier 102 is shown in greater detail in FIGS. 8A and 8B. The recessed portion 106 has three retainers 112 spaced 120� apart around the central aperture 104. Each of the retainers 112 includes a spring rod 114 lying along the rear face of the recessed portion 106. The rod 114 has one end bent at a right angle and pressed into and fastened in an anchor bore 116 through the recessed portion 106. The central portion of the rod 114 passes between a pair of fulcrum posts or rivets 118 pressed into holes in the rear surface of the recessed portion 106. The free end 120 of the spring rod 114 has two right angle bends forming a hook 122 at the end of the rod so that the free end 120 extends through an elongated slot 124 through the recessed portion 106. The hook 122 captures an edge of the gobo 26 as shown in FIG. 8B. The fulcrum rivets 118 are placed such that the spring rod 114 is biased toward the center of the carrier 102. Since the retainers 112 are 120� apart, when a gobo 26 is placed in the recessed portion 106 and the hooks 122 of the three retainers 112 engaged over the edge of the gobo, the gobo 26 is automatically centered in the carrier 102 and securely held in place. The spring rod 114 is preferably made of steel. The fulcrum rivets 116 may be steel or aluminum and are press fit into corresponding holes in the recessed portion 106. The end of the rod 114 passing through the bore 116 may be staked in place with a rivet or may extend outward to form a guide pin for a light guard as will be more fully described below with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10.
Referring now to FIG. 3, three gobos 26 are shown mounted in three carriers 102 in the apparatus 10 in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention. The gobo carriers 102 are preferably permanently installed in the housing 24 during assembly of the apparatus 10. Different pattern gobos 26 may be installed through the larger gobo access aperture 52 in the rear wall 34 when the apparatus 10 is removed from the spotlight 12 simply by prying back the hooks 122 on the retainers 112 to release the gobo 26. A new gobo may then easily be installed and automatically centered by use of these retainers 112.
The apparatus 10 includes a cooling fan 126 mounted on the housing 24 via elastomeric grommets 56 for sound isolation on the front wall 32 of the housing 24, opposite the stepper motors 42. The housing 24 includes a generous opening 128 through the front wall 32. The fan cover 62 has a plurality of openings 130 for air entry through the opening 128 into the apparatus housing 24. The fan 126 draws outside air into the housing directs this air out the open ends of the housing and out through the central aperture 30 thereby cooling the drive mechanism 28 and the gobos 26. The difference in temperatures with and without the fan are dramatic. Without the fan 126, temperatures adjacent the aperture 30 reach several hundred degrees Fahrenheit. With the fan operating, the temperatures at the same location are around 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Thus operating the fan 126 results in lower operating temperatures which prolongs the life of the gobos 26 and apparatus subcomponents such as the belts 64 and other polymeric materials.
Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10, the center gobo carrier 102 shown in FIG. 3 preferably supports and moves a light guard 132 horizontally as the gobo carrier 102 is translated along the axis A of the housing 24 via the drive mechanism 28. The light guard 132 is designed to prevent light from passing to the lens 18 when two adjacent carriers are in the light beam as a gobo is moved horizontally through the beam. The light guard 132 is an elongated, generally flat, sheet metal or plastic body that slides along either the ribs 40 or the ledges 88 of the guide member 68 as is shown in the sectional view of FIG. 9. The light guard 132 has a central circular aperture 134 sized slightly larger than the gobos 26 to permit removal and insertion of gobos 26 through the rear gobo access aperture 52 in the rear wall 34 of the housing 24. The aperture 134 preferably has a radius that is smaller than the radius of the anchor bores 116 on the carrier 102 but larger than the largest anticipated gobo 26 anticipated to be used in the apparatus 10.
The guard 132 has a concentric groove 136 around the aperture 134 at the radius of the anchor bores 116. The captured ends of the spring rods 114 of the retainers 112, described above, preferably extend clear through the bores 116 to form projecting aligning pins 138 which fit into the groove 136. Thus when the guard 132 is installed on the rear face of the center gobo carrier 102, the pins 138 are free to ride in the groove 136 as the carrier 102 is rotated or translated along axis A by the drive mechanism 28. When the gobo carrier 102 is translated along the axis A, either separately or simultaneously with rotation of the carrier 102, the pins 138 engaging the groove 136 drag the guard along with the carrier 102. This ensures that the guard 132 remains constantly in alignment with the center carrier 102. The pins 138 may be separate pins embedded in the recessed portion 106 of the carrier 102, however, use of the captured ends of the spring rod 114 to form these pins is preferred in order to simplify construction.
The guard 132 has oppositely concave curved end portions 140 which preferably only overlie the adjacent halves of the rim portions 108 of the gobo carriers 102 adjacent the center gobo carrier 102. These end portions prevent light passing through the housing 24 while the teeth 110 of the center carrier 102 and an adjacent carrier 102 pass within the aperture 30.
Although the first embodiment 10 is shown with an endless belt drive mechanism, there are a number of drive mechanisms that are also contemplated for use in the apparatus of the invention. For example, a linear motor arrangement may be used or a parallel lead screw arrangement may be used, driven by a stepper motor or servo motor system.
A second embodiment 200 of the gobo handling apparatus, using a lead screw arrangement, is shown in FIGS. 11 through 15. Like numbers are used here to describe interchangeable components from the first embodiment previously described. This second embodiment 200 of the invention is also designed for use in an iris slot 20 of a conventional ellipsoidal spotlight 12 as previously described. Hence the spotlight 12 is not illustrated in FIGS. 11 through 15 as the reader may simply refer to FIGS. 1, 2, and 4 as appropriate.
This second embodiment 200 comprises an elongated hollow tubular housing 202 made in two longitudinal halves and having a central aperture 204 therethrough, a plurality of gobo carriers 102 in the housing 202, and a drive mechanism 208 disposed in the housing 202 for translating and rotating the gobo carriers 102.
The drive mechanism 208 comprises a pair of lead screws 210 bearing supported in the housing 202 above and below the gobo carriers 102. Each of the lead screws 210 has a 1/5 pitch thread complementarily engaging the teeth 110 on the rim portion 108 of the gobo carrier 102. The lead screws 210 may be supported in a nylon or Teflon channel 212 fastened in place in the housing 202 as is the guide 68 in the first embodiment, or, the housing 202 may be formed in two halves, with the channel 212 integrally formed in the housing 202. In this latter case, the curved surface of the channel 212 would be coated with Teflon or other low friction material if the housing 202 is made of metal such as aluminum. FIG. 11 shows this latter configuration with the top half of the housing removed.
In the second embodiment illustrated, one drive motor 217 is connected to each lead screw through a reduction gear 219. It is to be understood that other connections may be made without reduction gears if low speed motors such as steppers are used. The two drive motors 217 must be synchronized to accurately position the gobos 26 in the aperture 204 and to translate the gobos 26 without rotation, as in this instance both lead screws must rotate together at the same rate. The drive motor configuration, along with the fan 50 and printed circuit board 44 of the first embodiment 10, may be substituted for the drive motors shown here. In this case, the stepper motors would preferably be geared directly to the lead screws rather than through reduction gearing.
As is shown in the sectional views of FIGS. 13 and 14, the housing 202 comprises two halves 212 joined together by machine screws (not shown). Each half housing has a central channel 216 for the gobo carriers 102 and a pair of lead screw channels 218, each having a semicircular cross section, above and below the central channel 216. Construction and operation of the gobo carriers 102 and the light guard 132 are the same as previously described. However, in this second embodiment 200, the light guard rides along the upper and lower sides of the central channel 216 rather than in the guide gap 90 or along the ribs 40 in the first embodiment 10.
Referring now to FIG. 15, an alternate gobo carrier design is illustrated which may be used in the second embodiment 200. This carrier 220 only translates the gobos and does not rotate them. The carrier 220 is basically a rectangular plate having a plurality of apertures 222 therethrough for the gobos and retainers 112 arranged around the apertures 222. Retention of the gobos 26 in the carrier 220 is the same as above described with reference to the first embodiment, with three retainers 112 positioned 120 degrees apart around each of the apertures.
At each end, along the lower edge 224 of the carrier 220 are arranged two sets of teeth 226 which engage the threads of the lower lead screw 210. This carrier may be installed as shown or may be flipped over so that the teeth 226 engage the upper lead screw 210. In either case, only the drive motor connected to lead screw engaged with the carrier needs to be operated in order to translate the gobo carrier. This arrangement may be preferable when rotation of the gobos is not required, and simplifies the control scheme since the motors need not be synchronized.
There are a number of modifications and variations which may be made to the apparatus of the invention. For example, as previously mentioned, different drive motor schemes may be utilized in the various embodiments. Stepper motors are preferred, however, because of their precise control. Their main drawback is noise generated by the step motion. This is primarily compensated for by sound isolation mounting the stepper motors and covers as described above. Servo motors may be used also, because they are relatively quiet. However, as servos utilize analog signals, they are inherently less precise than steppers. Different drive mechanisms may be used, such as endless belts of various shapes, gear and pulley arrangements, and lead screws, of which the second embodiment illustrated is an example.
The light guard 132 may be longer and have a plurality of holes corresponding to adjacent gobos. This variation would be particularly applicable if more than four gobo carriers are to be accommodated in the housing 24. An automatic gobo carrier stack loading mechanism may also be fastened to the housing over an extra access opening to accommodate a larger number of gobos than the three contemplated in the straight line embodiments illustrated here. Accordingly, it is intended that the present invention, as defined by the following claims, include all such alternatives, modifications, and chances apparent to those skilled in the art. All patents, patent applications, and printed publications referred to herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
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