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Author Topic: Simplex E-7 Collectors Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 08-08-2014 03:05 PM                        Actually I always thought of the Super as the "reference" projector. It could easily have a sharp bright steady picture. Many many projectors after that did not (V4, Ballantyne, etc.) While many of these could be fixed; they certainly did not arrive that way from the factory. The only possibility of improving anything was with the curved gate machines which had the possibility of not puckering. Even the AA2 puckered until you remachined the gate.  |  IP: Logged Rick Raskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1100 From: Manassas Virginia Registered: Jan 2003 posted 08-08-2014 04:27 PM                     In 1975 the Kennedy Center had E7s in the booth of the Eisenhower Theater. I have no idea if they are still there.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-08-2014 04:30 PM                     A good friend of mine developed a compound curved gate runner for the DP-70. It worked really well and was available as an off the shelf part from Wolk. While at Claco we had Wolk manufacture 35mm gate bands. They did a really good job on those. Also had 35mm vkf sprockets made by LaVezzi for theaters running just 35mm. Mark  |  IP: Logged Steve Matz Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 672 From: Billings, Montana, USA Registered: Sep 2003 posted 08-08-2014 05:04 PM                     Old Beater E7 that has seen better Days... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUcLnD1fXNQ  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-08-2014 09:17 PM                        Mark--The now-closed Ioka Theatre in Exeter, NH had those little Ashcraft lamphouses and was using them daily in the 90s. At some point, they converted one machine to platter operation, but the other one is still there with one of those lamphouses, as far as I know. I think that I have seen those in at least one other venue, too, but don't remember where. Steve--I have actually been to that theatre-turned gift shop in Jerome, AZ. Jerome is an interesting town that is worth a visit, though the staff at that particular location was kind of rude about not letting me look around the building. As for E-7s, the only ones that I know of in this area were in use at the Museum of Fine Arts into the mid-2000s, when they were replaced with Kinotons. There is a very rusted pair in the long-defunct booth at the Strand Theatre in Dorchester, too.  |  IP: Logged Kenneth Wuepper Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1026 From: Saginaw, MI, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 08-09-2014 07:39 AM                     The last I knew of this, the Broadway Theatre in Mount Pleasant, Michigan had their old upstairs booth with lots of old seats and the two E7 Simplex machines and carbon lamps. The machines were abandoned when they went to platter and Xenon behind the concession stand.  |  IP: Logged Will Kutler Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1506 From: Tucson, AZ, USA Registered: Feb 2001 posted 08-09-2014 11:29 AM                     Mark mentioned potential problems with potential Bijur lubrication failure. Both the oblique and vertical shaft books list the Bijur drip/check valve part numbers. These parts are still available from Bijur and are listed on their web-site. This includes mechanical dwgs as well as technical information. FJD = Meter Units: F=Inch Threads, JD= made from 5/16 hex bar for closer hole spacing w/ 1/4-28 outlet thread to accommodate 5/16 hex compression nut B3610. Early Bijur pump reservoir was cast iron. Later ones were die-cast. There were also several E-7 mechanical design changes over the years, including: F-182-G Front Ball Bearing Flange. Both vertical and oblique shaft versions share the same part number, but there is about a 1 1/2 inch difference in length. The early front shutter spider S-1400 and was made of cast iron. Casting pattern was later revised to S-1400-D and cast from a much lighter aluminum. The Spot Sight Box castings B-434 were revised and thinned/lightened in weight. Shutter shafts were different depending on who made them...Wolk's did not have oil galleys as depicted on E-7 book. I discussed this in another thread. Beware! As John Eickhof pointed out to me, oblique shaft and vertical shaft shutter gears are different with different part numbers. Even though they look identical, the pressure angles are different. Even though the ball bearing jam nuts have different part numbers...they are interchangeable. Some of the gate-trap parts were used on X-L  |  IP: Logged Steve Matz Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 672 From: Billings, Montana, USA Registered: Sep 2003 posted 08-09-2014 12:00 PM                     Well; all I have to say is the number of old school projectionists that I have talked with in a 50+YR time span. I would say that over 90+ percent of them had only good things to say about an E7. The ones that Knock the projector were usually incompetents that shouldn't of been in a projection booth running anything. Brenkerts leaked as much or more oil tham Simplex's. If these Projectors were so bad how come 100's of theaters kept them after the XL came along... J.Frank Reynolds -1950's Projectionist Loved his E7's  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-09-2014 12:39 PM                     Sure Steve... They were fine to operate. They sucked to tear down to repair. As Steve Guttag says "the longer these run the more time it takes to repair them". This is truely the one and only projector THAT line applys to. Mark  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 08-09-2014 03:17 PM                     That isn't really a paraphrase, let alone a quote. The older they get, the more likely you'll need to repair them is more like it.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-09-2014 03:24 PM                     And that is true of any projector  |  IP: Logged Will Kutler Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1506 From: Tucson, AZ, USA Registered: Feb 2001 posted 08-09-2014 03:33 PM                     My intent with this thread was to provide a space for E-7 people to come together for restoration info and advice, potential parts sources and tech info...not a place for people to start fighting with and insulting each other....... Does anyone know the LaVezzi VKF part numbers for E-7 intermittent, feed and hold back sprockets? I was told that E-7 Intermittent sprocket is same as Century? Does anyone have favorite sprocket styles for use on E-7s?  |  IP: Logged Steve Matz Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 672 From: Billings, Montana, USA Registered: Sep 2003 posted 08-09-2014 05:09 PM                     Observe on my Photo above, the Front Shutter on the Left Projector. Good indication this was taken before Cinemascope 1953/54.Some diehard Theaters that thought Scope was going to be a Flash in the Pan and ran E7's. Didn't order B&L Lens,Didn't convert their Screens,etc. got put on long waiting lists,even when they finally realized this Innovation was for Real....  |  IP: Logged Dick Prather Master Film Handler Posts: 259 From: Portland, OR, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 08-09-2014 06:12 PM                     Will, E-7 intermittent sprocket uses one edge for starwheel end play adjustment so it uses the 416TL31B-LA vkf sprocket. Standard, Super, & century C use the same sprocket when updating from tapor pins. Upper & lower feed sprockets use a 416GL31B. People I knew loved oh hated the E-7. There was no in between. Portland did not have any vertical shaft machines that I know of and we had no problems with the oblique gear versions. We did make sure the gear mesh was correct (shims) and put some oil on the oblique gear along with the one shot oiler. E-7's were vary stable in picture quality because of film trap and upper sprocket shoe design. NOS upper sprocket shoes are very hard to find. They only made around 8000 from 1938 to 1950. The small number was because of WWll. After the war the X-L was in design. I have E-7 #E108 a gloss black version with front shutter. Some day I hope to rebuild it. Dick  |  IP: Logged Will Kutler Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1506 From: Tucson, AZ, USA Registered: Feb 2001 posted 08-10-2014 12:36 AM                     Hi Dick Wolk did have the upper shoes until the end. They were charging $120.00 for those darn things and refused to cut a deal and opted to dump everything for the tax write-off. I have several used shoes that have moderate to severe erosion. I suppose they could be hard chromed and reground, but I don't have access to a machine shop where I can do this work.  |  IP: Logged

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