|
Stage Terms
A-F
G-L
M-R
S-Z
Safe Working Load – “See Recommended Working Load (RWL).”
Safety Chain – (1) A secondary support line, usually of chain, that supports a fire curtain or other device when the primary support cable becomes slack for any reason. (2) The extra weight of fire curtain safety chains help the fire curtain accelerate at the start of its travel.
Sag Bar – A support rail, usually of wood or plastic, that keeps cables from sagging over a horizontal span due to their own weight. Sag Bars don’t carry any loads.
Sandbag – A fabric bag that can be filled with sand and attached to rope rigging as a counterbalance to the load hung from the set.
Scrim – A curtain made from a semitransparent material that looks solid when lit from the audience side and becomes almost invisible when back lit.
Self-Climbing – A pipe grid or batten that has an integral device for raising and lowering.
Set – A system of cables, pulleys, lifting devices and battens that holds a specific set of scenic elements, curtains or lights.
Shackle – A U-shaped device with holes at each end to accommodate a pin or bolt; used to connect rope, cable, or chain to another device or a hanging point.
Sheave – A component with a groove around its circumference to support and contain a rope or cable and a bearing at its center to permit rotation about a shaft.
Shock Load – Loads generated by the rapid application of a force or motion to an object or by the collision of moving bodies.
Single Purchase – A rope or cable passing from a lifting device (arbor, winch, or person) over a block, or series of blocks, to a load is single purchased. Force must be exerted equal to the load to be held or raised.
Slack Line – A cable that droops or leaves the sheave or drum groove because it lacks tension in the line.
Smoke Pocket – A slot, usually of fabricated steel, that supports a guide system at the edges of a fire safety curtain and that helps to prevent smoke from passing around the edges of the curtain.
Spotline Rigging – A temporary rigging system designed to be easily installed. Often rigged with rope instead of counterweight.
Spreader Plates – Thin plates located on counterweight arbor rods, placed at 2’ intervals between the counterweights, to prevent the rods from spreading apart under a sudden impact load and releasing the counterweights.
Stage – A platform on which performances are given.
Stage Left/Right – The left and right sides of a stage as seen by an actor standing on stage facing the audience.
Stage Lift – A portion of the stage floor that may be raised or lowered.
Straight Lift Curtain – A curtain that can be raised (opened) without folding in any way.
Submittal Drawings – Drawings that are prepared by the equipment supplier or installer to describe the equipment and details of the installation to the client. Approval of the drawings by the client indicates his acceptance of the proposed equipment, locations, and conditions of the installation.
SureLock – A special rope made by J.R. Clancy, Inc. designed to it cannot be opened when the counterweight set is more than 50 pounds out of balance in etiher direction. See also “Rope Lock.”
Swivel Block – A pulley that rotates in the horizontal plane.
Tab – (1) A masking leg that is mounted at right angles to the front of the stage.
(2) See “Portal.”
Tag Line – A line attached to a load to assist in controlling its movement.
Tandem Block – A block with two or more sheaves on separate shafts within a common housing.
Tee Guides – “T” shaped members placed in parallel rows to guide arbors or clews. Guides may consist of low friction slides or rollers.
Tension Block – See “Floor Block.”
Thimble – A grooved fitting around which a rope or cable is bent to form an eye. It supports the rope or cable and prevents kinking and wear.
Tieoff Bracket – A bracket attached to rigging blocks, gridiron, or other structure to hold wires for guiding clews.
Traction Drive Winch – Winch with a V-grooved drum that uses friction between cables and the sides of the grooves to engage the pulling cables. Increasing the cable tension causes the cables to jam tighter in the V grooves.
Travel – The path of moving stage equipment and the distance moved.
Traveler – A curtain on a track that can be opened or closed to reveal or mask a portion of the stage.
Tread Diameter – The diameter of a sheave measured at the bottom of its groove.
Tread Pressure – The radial pressure (P) of a rope against a sheave groove is equal to the load (L) in the rope divided by the tread radius (R) times the rope diameter (d). L=PRd. P=L/Rd.
Trim – (1) A load is “in trim” when the equipment load equals counterbalancing weight.
(2) A set or element is trimmed when it has been placed in the desired position within the performance area.
Trim Chain – A length of chain placed between a lift line and a pipe batten or scenic element to connect them and to facilitate minor height adjustment of the load.
Tripped – A curtain or scenic element is lifted by a second set of lines attached at the bottom or intermediate point on the piece. Pulling the lines will cause the piece to fold in half of thirds. Note: If the piece is counterbalanced, the weight balance will shift as the piece is tripped.
Truss Batten – Two or more pipes or other linear members fabricated together with cross bracing in a trussed configuration. Used in place of a pipe batten for heavy loads or extended distances between lift lines.
Under Hung – Hung from the bottom of a beam or structure.
Up Stage – The portion of the stage that is furthest from the audience. See “Raked Stage.”
Upright – Resting on top of a beam or structure.
Valance – See “Border Curtain.” Usually a special border associated with the
“Front Curtain.” May be permanently fixed within the proscenium arch.
Wall Batten – Horizontal structural members to which guide tracks are attached.
Wall Knee – Bracket that attaches a wall batten to the building structure.
Well – Gaps between gridiron members intended for the mounting and support of loft blocks on boundary channels and for allowing the free passage of cables.
Wings – The portion of the stage area located to either side of the acting area.
Wire Grid – An open floor that supports lights or provides access to theatrical equipment. It is formed of woven cables attached to and supported by a structural frame.
Zero Fleet Angle Winch – A winch with cables that exit the winch at fixed points so that fleet angles do not need to be considered in the rigging layout. This is accomplished by incorporating a moving head block or by making the drum move in relation to the head block per Izenour/Clancy designs dating back from the early 1960s.
|
|