Theatre Design & Technology - Dec 1965 - 34

Recent Patents
3,168.761
COl\ffifl','ED AXIAL TIIEATER AND ARENA
Herbert Graf. Hrstdl>cq::"ra,,-,e 79. Zurich. Switzerland
hlrd Ocr. 27,1961. Su. No. 148,272
2 Claims. (CI. 20-1.12)

necting said treads, a plurality of said risers each having
an outwardly opening recess formed therein extending
along said riser, a plurality of retractible seat structures,
means mounting some of said scat structures in each of
said recesses for movement between a retracted position
disposed in said recesses and an extended position disposed
outwardly of said recesses, said means comprising a
pair of generally parallel and horizontally disposed
C-shaped channel members for each of said seat structures. means mounting said channel members in said
recesses with the channel members extending from front
to rear of said recesses. said seat structures each including a pair of generally parallel support members carried
by oppo,it<· ,ides of the corresponding seat structure

3,165,296
FOR POSITIONING STAGE DROPS
Rlcbard A. Drew, Encino, Calif. assignor to Curran
Productiong, Hollywood, Calif:, a corporation of
California
Filed Au!!. 14, 1961, Scr. No. 131,247
11 Claims. (CI. 254-141)
~PPARATUS

I. A comhination theater and arena comprising a structure having a group of permanent seats arranged around
three sides thereof in the form of a horseshoe, a stage area
at the fourth side thereof. and a seat struclUre movable
allernalivrly int0 positi0ns (I) overlying said stage area
and (2) confronting said stage area and disposed centrally of said group of permanent seats,
(a) said m0vahle seat structure comprising a frame, a
seating platform mounted on the frame. seats carried
by the seating platform and wheel means for supporting the frame,
(h) the movement of said movable seat structure between said positions (I) and (2) being substantially
in line with the centerline of the horseshoe, and
(c) said movable seat structure including means for
tilling said sealing platform first one way and then
the other into allernative oppositely inclined positions for viewing the stage from one direction and
tbe central performing area from the opposite direction,
by virtue of all of which the structure can be converted
from a tbeater having full orchestra seating with all
seats generally confronting a stage at one side of the
structure to an arena having a central performing area
substantially surrounded by seats on all sides with all
scats confronting said central performing area, with provision for favorable viewing from the movable seat structure in the allcrnative opposed directions without turning
the scat structure hodily around.

3,170,199
RETRACTILE STADIUM SEAT
lames II: 1\1artin. 10579 Dale Ave., Stanton, Calif.
Filed Nov. 9, 1961, Ser. No. 151,349
1 Claim. (CI. 10-1.116)

In combination with a stadium structure including
vertically spaced treads and upstanding risers intercon-

I. In an apparatug utilizing a wurce of energizing p0tential for raising Rnd lowering II stage drop the rombination which comprises a movable elongated support member for supporting the stage drop, a head block, an arbor
dIsposed below the head block, weights carried by the
arbor for balancing the stage drop. a plurality of flexible
supporting cables disposed over the head block and connected at one end to tbe support member and at the other
end to the arbor, a control cable connected at each end
to the arbor. means for supporting the control cahlo
above the Ilrbor so that tbe arbor is moved in a downward direction when the control cable is moved in one
direction and the arbor is moved in an upward direction
when the control cable is moved in the other direction
a rotatably mountcd drive member disposed in engage:
ment with the control cable so that the control cable is
moved when the drive member is rotated. an electric
motor. an electrically actuated clutch connected between
the drive member and the motor. a motor control circuit
connected between tbe source of energizing potential and
the motor to supply energizing current to tbe motor to
selectively drivc the motor in a forward and reverse direction to raise and lower the stage drop. means for connectIng the clutch to the ~ource of energizing potential for the
motor so that tbe clutch connects the motor to tbe drive
member in response to the energizing potential and disconnects the motor from the drive member in the absence of the energizing potential. the last named means
heing arranged to selectively energize the clutch with a
fir~t and a second predetermined energizing current so
that when the clutch is energized with the first predetermined energizing current the clutch will connect the
motor to the drive member to move the arbor in a downward direction even though the weights on the arbor do
not balance the stage drop and when the clutch is energized by the second predetermined current the clutch will
connect the motor to the drive member only when the
weIghts on tbe arbor approximately balance the stage
drop.

I OSITT

THEATRE DfSIGN AND TH:HNDlOOY

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