A cabinet, usually of a standard width, into which various components can be fixed to transport or store equipment or house it during use. Racks are often used for touring equipment, and allow easy access to both back and front panels. The height of a rack is measured in 'U's; one rack unit is 1.75" (44.45mm) high and a standard rack is 19" high.
A device for the conversion of rotary and linear motion, consisting of a pinion and a corresponding rack.
Describing a stage or auditorium floor which is raised at the back and slopes downwards towards the front (see anti-rake). The angle of the incline is referred to as the 'rake'. In modern theatres, the audience seating is usually raked rather than the stage.
The plunger or piston that creates the linear motion of a hydraulic control system. The plunger is forced to extend or retract by compressed oil directed by control valves (this can be controlled by a manual valve or electrically powered solenoid valve).
To fasten or fix a rope or rod by passing it through a hole, ring, pulley, or block.
A theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation, and each production has a run of limited length, meaning there is normally one production in performance, one in rehearsal, and several in varying degrees of planning. In the British system, even quite small towns in the past would have had a repertory theatre and the resident company would present a different play every week. These days it is more often the remit of opera and ballet companies.
A turntable built into the stage floor on which scenery or actors can be positioned and then rotated into view. A revolve can be automated or manually rotated and can also be built on top of an existing stage.