A Control Rig for a Down-Opening Trapdoor |
Randy Steffen |
A 1999 production at the Yale Repertory Theatre required a large, down-opening trapdoor that could open and close quickly. Its 175# weight and its size — 7′−0″ on the hinge side by 3′−0″ — made manual operation awkward without some mechanical advantage. Since the trapdoor was part of the show deck, it had to lock quickly and securely. Figure 1 illustrates the solution described in this article: a fast, reliable approach to locking, and a custom counterweight arbor.
FIGURE 1: OVERVIEW
THE LOCKING SYSTEM
See Figure 2 for details of the locking system. The door was locked in place by three ...
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