MRMC ROUND RAIL User manual

CRANES AND RIGS | BROADCAST | HEADS & DSLR | PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY | RENTALS
Round Rail
QUIET TRACK FOR BROADCAST RIGS
Quick Start Guide
QSG Product code: MRMC-2118-00
Producct Covered: TALOS-08-A12

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Round Rail Quick Start Guide
QSG Product code: MRMC-2118-00
Producct Covered: TALOS-08-A12
Last updated on: 16 January 2021
© 2021 Mark Roberts Motion Control Ltd. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or translated
by any means — graphical, electronic, or mechanical — including
photocopying, recording, taping, or storage in an information retrieval
system, without the express written permission of Mark Roberts Motion
Control.
Although every care has been taken to ensure that the information in this
document is accurate and up to date, Mark Roberts Motion Control
continuously strives to improve their products and may make changes to
the hardware, firmware, and software described in this document. Mark
Roberts Motion Control therefore cannot be held responsible for any
error or omission in this document.
All product names mentioned herein are the trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective owners.
Contact information
Mark Roberts Motion Control Ltd.
Unit 3, South East Studios
Blindley Heath
Surrey
RH7 6JP
United Kingdom
Telephone: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail] (sales and general enquiries)
[email protected]m (customer support)
Web: www.mrmoco.com
www.mrmocorentals.com

Round Rail Quick Start Guide
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Round Rail Quick Start GuideRound RailQuick Start Guide
Contents
Chapter 1 Assembling the track ..................................................... 1
Safety........................................................................................1
Overview ................................................................................. 1
Before you start .............................................................1
Laying the first track section ................................................4
Anchoring the track...............................................................5
Laying subsequent track sections.........................................7
Mounting the rack ...............................................................10
Mounting the Cable Chain Tray ........................................13
Mounting Talos on the track ..............................................16
Attaching the track motor pinch wheel to Talos ....19
Mounting the Bumpers on Track .............................21
Adjusting Track Levelling after Mounting the Rig ..........21
Adjusting the Rig Wheels on the Round Rail...................23
Removing the trolley wheels from Talos...........................24
Mounting the Limit Switch and Datum Switch
magnets on the rack.............................................................28
About track limits.......................................................28
Mounting the magnets...............................................28

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Round Rail Quick Start Guide
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Round Rail Quick Start GuideRound RailQuick Start Guide
Chapter 1 Assembling the track
Safety
•Due to the size and weight of track sections, it is recommended that
you use at least two people to assemble it.
•Motion control rigs have powerful motors that can injure, so take
care not to get near the rig while it is switched on.
•Do not step over the track when the rig is switched on — walk
around it instead.
Overview
Thank you for using Round Rail and Cable Chain System from Mark
Roberts Motion Control (MRMC). The track is designed to help you
achieve pixel-perfect repeatability of your camera moves by supplying
smooth, rigid support when using large motion control robots such as the
Talos over long distances.
Before you start
When deciding on the location and orientation of the track, keep in mind
the following important points:
Before laying the track, assess the site to see how level and
firm the ground or floor is. If you will be laying more than two
track sections on a reasonably level floor, laying the middle
section first and working outward can help prevent any
unevenness of the floor from accumulating from section to
section, beyond the ability of the track height adjustment range
to cope. Beyond this range you will need to use additional
supports to keep the track flat and level.

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The track is not reversible due to the cable chain and rack,
which has teeth on one side. You must lay all sections the same
way around. If your track does not have the rack installed yet,
look at the rack clips on the track, which will grip the rail on
the teeth side when you install the rail later.
Keep in mind where the umbilical cable comes out on the rig.
Each track section has 12 feet for supporting and levelling the
track, and 2 anchor brackets for holding the track down.
Umbilical side
Clip
Teeth Smooth
Rack
View looking
“Forward” down the
track with the gear
teeth on the left:

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Foot, which takes the
weight of the track and
rig
Anchor bracket, which
holds the track down
on the ground.

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Laying the first track section
1. Lay the first track section on the ground, on its feet.
2. Raise the six middle feet of the track section (three on each rail) and
the two threaded anchor sleeves so they do not touch the ground,
leaving the rail to rest on the four corner feet.
3. Level the track in both length and width directions using a spirit
level, by adjusting the four corner feet of the track. Make sure all
four corner feet are touching the ground (no wobble).
4. Tighten the lock nuts up against the track on the corner feet, being
careful not to change the height.
5. Lower the middle feet until they touch the ground (finger tight
against the ground) and then tighten the lock nuts on them.
Hint
The four corner feet also determine the track height. If you are
laying track on a level floor, try to use the middle of the height
adjustment range so that subsequent sections have some leeway
(in their feet) to cater for any unevenness in the floor.
Lock nut
3
Height
adjustment
bolt
2
4
Middle feet
Anchor sleeve
2
5

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Anchoring the track
Secure the track to the floor by using bolts or screws through the six track
anchor brackets. Anchoring the track to the floor gives you more
repeatable stability than using weights. The following procedure tells you
how to anchor the track to a concrete floor.
2. On one of the track anchor
brackets, screw the sleeve all
the way down to the floor,
finger tight.
3. Insert the drill bit and guide
into the threaded sleeve on the
anchor bracket, so the drill bit
is against the floor.
4. Put tape around the drill bit 5
cm above the guide. This will
help you gauge the depth of the
hole in the next step.
5. Drill a hole 5 cm deep into the
concrete. When the tape reaches the top of the guide, drilling is
complete.
6. Remove the drill bit and guide from the sleeve and clean the hole.
1. Put the drill bit into the drill guide and attach
the bit to the drill. (The cutting end of the bit is
too large to fit through the guide, so you must
insert the other end into the guide, then into
the drill.)
1
Guide
15 mm drill bit
Guide
Sleeve
2
3
5 cm
Tape
4
5 cm
4
5

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7. Put the drop-in anchor insert,
threads upward, through the sleeve
and into the hole in the concrete, all
the way to the bottom.
8. Insert the anchor spreader tool into
the drop-in anchor insert.
9. Hit the top of the anchor spreader
tool with a hammer until the anchor
is fully spread in the concrete, being
careful not to hit the track.
10. Remove the anchor spreader tool.
11. With the sleeve still finger-tight
against the floor, insert the retaining
bolt through the sleeve and into the
drop-in anchor insert, and tighten.
12. Repeat steps 2 to 11 for the other three anchor brackets on the track
section.
7
Anchor
spreader
tool
Drop-in
anchor
insert
8
9
11

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Laying subsequent track sections
1. If any of your track sections already
have a rack installed, loosen the rack
clips so you can temporarily slide the
rack along the track and out of the
way when you are joining the track
sections.
2. Lay the next track section in line
with the previously laid track section
and as close to it as possible, making
sure it is the right way around (see
the notes on page 2).
3. Raise the middle feet and anchor sleeves of the new track section so
they do not touch the ground.
4. Adjust the height of the new track section to match that of the
previous section by adjusting the two corner feet nearest to the joint
(one on each rail).
1
Clip
Rack
Section 1
Section 2
4
56
Joint
Joint

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5. Level the new track section with a spirit level by adjusting the two
corner feet furthest from the joint (one on each rail).
6. Slide the new track section along the floor against the previous track
to firmly engage the ends of the rails. (Slide the new section — not
the previous section.) Use the matching coloured stickers as guides
to join the rails.
You might need to repeat steps 4 to 6 until you get good alignment
of the rails at the joint.
7. In order to secure the two lengths of rail together, add the 2 x clamps
on either side of the joint.
8. Use a spacer to add a third large screw in the centre of the joint to
firmly secure the two rails together.
9. On the new track section, tighten the lock nuts up against the track
on the four corner feet.
10. On the new section, lower the six middle feet until they touch the
ground (finger tight against the ground) and then tighten the lock
nuts on them.
Clamp
Spacer

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11. Anchor the new track section to the floor as you did for the previous
track section, using the procedures in Anchoring the track on page 5.
Repeat steps 1 to 11 in this section to lay additional sections of track.

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Mounting the rack
1. If your track sections do not yet have the racks mounted on them,
do this now for each track section as follows:
1.1 Loosen all the rack clips on the track section.
1.2 Lay the rack into the brackets on the track, tilted as shown,
making sure that the clips on the track go into the groove on
the rack, just under the teeth.
1.3 Twist the rack to lay flat in the brackets. Do not tighten the
clips yet.
1.4 Repeat steps 1.1 to 1.3 for each track section.
2. In the middle of the track, slide two of the racks together
end-to-end, so that the so that the rack screw holes line up with the
rack mounting brackets. You can insert screws in them to check that
they line up. Do not tighten the screws yet.
1.1
Groove
Teeth
1.2
1.3
1.2
Clip
Rack mounting bracket

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3. Align a rack clamp under the joint and insert the two retaining bolts
through the ends of the racks and into the clamp (one on each side
of the joint), and tighten.
4. Make sure the rack joint has the correct spacing by clamping a rack
matching block to it, teeth meshed, using a vice. Do not fully tighten
the screws on the clamp yet.
7
3
2
2
8
Rack matching block

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5. Tighten all rack clips on the two adjoining sections of track.
6. Secure the rack with the bolt through the rack at every mounting
bracket.
7. Tighten the screws on the clamp.
8. Remove the vice and rack matching block.
9. Repeat steps 1 to 6 to mount the rack on all remaining sections of
track, working outwards from the centre track section.

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Mounting the Cable Chain Tray
1. Two people lift and place the cable chain tray over the first rail on
the teeth side of the rack.
2. Similarly place all the trays on the rails ensuring that the screw holes
at the end of the trays align with those near the rail joints.

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3. Loosen the 2 x screws on the tray joiner clamp and slide it between
the two trays. When in place tighten the 2 x screws. Similarly add
the clamp to the other side of the rail joint.
4. Tighten the 4xscrews to secure the trays to the round rail.
5. Use the supplied adhesive tape to carefully line the two edges of the
tray floor and the walls along the entire length of the cable
Tray joiner
clamps

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management tray in order to minimize friction when the chain
management system moves within the tray.
Adhesive tape

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Mounting Talos on the Track
1. Roll the rig to a position just off the end of the track, raise the rig on
its wheels high enough to go over the track using the wheel cranks,
and rotate the rig on its wheels to be the correct way around so that
the track motor gear on the rig underside is on the toothed side of
the rack. Do not engage the teeth yet; just make sure the rig is the
correct way around for the track.
2. On the underside of the rig, remove the pinch wheel if you haven’t
already done so and push the track motor out of the way on its
sliding bearings, so that the track motor gear will not interfere with
the Rack on the track. (For details of removing the pinch wheel,
follow the procedure on page 19 in reverse order.) Do not slide the
pinion gear too far away from the rack when moving it into place,
the rear (inner) track motor mounting bolt will hit the racking as
you drop the rig down, preventing it from settling onto the
bearings.
3. Push the rig on its wheels over the track about a metre, being careful
not to push the track motor gear against the rack while moving.
4. Carefully lower the rig onto the track, ensuring that the track motor
gear on the underside of the rig clears the rack.
5. Apply the brakes to the wheels to keep them from pivoting against
the track (the brakes affect both rotation and pivot), and raise the
wheels off the ground so the full rig weight is taken by the track.