| The socket, either portable (with
wheels), or fixed, is an assembly that attaches, at its lower end, to
the pedestal and is open at its upper end. The upper portion is usually
a pipe or circular tube whose diameter is just greater than that of the
davit mast. The mast is inserted into the socket for its attachment to
the building. Most sockets are of the tilt-up variety, allowing the davit
to be tilted upwards from the horizontal to the vertical, working position.
All davits are either rotatable or fixed with
respect to their vertical axis. Rotatable davits have arms that are either
fixed to the mast (the vertical member) or are pinned to the mast and
free to rotate with respect to the mast. The later is often referred to
as a “top rotation” davit. When the arm is free to swing with
respect to the mast, operators in the stage can freely swing the platform
through the masts while in the stage. |
