Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: BX-60 Mystery Mount and Half-A**ed Repair

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Posted by Jon Miller (Member # 163) on 08-06-2002, 08:54 PM:

I recently acquired two Brenkert BX-60 projection heads, with RCA 9030 soundheads, Enarc lamphouses, and bases. (Yes, "say it ain't so!" Looks like once I have them cleaned up and running, I'm going to have to replace my current picture with one of me hiding behind the BX-60's door.

) Naturally, I will have a few questions for the Brenkert-o-philes in the group...(Hello, Paul? Josh? Jeff?...)

Both BX-60s have this micrometer-adjustable mount of some sort on the front of the head, above the lens mount.

The manual posted on this site makes no mention of this critter. Was this an attachment point for some kind of auxiliary hanger for an anamorphic adaptor, or was there some other reason for this contraption? (FWIW, these projectors were from a drive-in.)

Also, one machine has a different, um, "approach" to mounting the soundhead drive gear shaft.

As this unit was the first one dismantled for transit, I thought that was the way it was mounted until I separated the second machine, which did not have this wacky bracket tacked on to a shaft that looks like one from a Super or E-7 Simplex, fastened to threaded holes tapped through the oil sump.

Is this an isolated foolish modification, or was it more common than I would think?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 08-06-2002, 09:58 PM:

This looks to be some sort of safety strap to prevent the gear from creeping out. That is definately NOT a Brenkert drive shaft, looks to be Simplex to me and should fit the machine in your picture. I've seen the drive gear and shaft creep out on these a number of times from a loose set screw on the shaft. Causes a headach! The lens mount is for a Panavision Panatar prismatic Anamorphic lens. This was Panavisions first product to ever be marketed.
MArk G.

Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 08-07-2002, 12:28 AM:

Dido to what Mark said. The strange drive gear mount was probably an afterthough, perhaps someone had a simplex drive assembly, but had lost the original brenkert drive assembly, and used some yankee engineering to get it to work. The BX60 was very popular for drive ins, and there are a few out there still running on their original parts. They dont make things like they used to anymore, do they?

Josh

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"Film is made of silver, video is made of rust"
'nuf said

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 08-07-2002, 03:38 AM:

That's a Simplex Super of E-7 shaft. The Brenkert shaft has a flat on it so the pinning screw will keep it in place. A Brenkert shaft has no threads.

That other contraption above the lens mount might be part of a mounting mechanism for a very old scope lens. I forgot if it was a Sony lens, or some Panatar lens.

Oops...Mark pinpointed it. There was a set of lenses like those in Friday Harbor on Orface Island bolted to Simplex E-7 heads.

Posted by John Anastasio (Member # 607) on 08-07-2002, 06:16 AM:

If you look on the back of the machine, Jon, you'll see a hole through which a threaded bolt is supposed to go. It's drilled right down to the drive shaft. On a Brenkert, it engages the flat spot that Paul mentioned to hold it in place. That odd mount on the front was indeed for one of the old Panatar prism anamorphic lenses which hung in front of the machine and could be taken off for projecting a flat print. Brenkerts were modified in any number of ways. I have one that was altered to handle the 4" lens mounts. Once you fix 'em up, they're beautiful machines, built like a tank. They're rock solid and very quiet...just be ready to clean up the oil. They ALL seep.

Posted by Jeff Stricker (Member # 224) on 08-07-2002, 06:44 AM:

Hi Jon, My BX-40's had similar anamorphic hangers affixed to them. Didn't take long to get them off. Good luck with your project and keep us posted. Jeff

Posted by Barry Floyd (Member # 385) on 08-07-2002, 09:23 AM:

Two of my BX-60's have a Motograph Soundhead attached directly to the main casting of the projector. I've removed as many bolts as I can, but nothing seems to get these two separated. Any ideas how they would've been mated together? These too were in service at a drive-in before I got ahold of them.

------------------
Barry Floyd
Floyd Entertainment Group
Lebanon, Tennessee

Stardust Drive-In Theatre
Watertown, Tennessee

Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 08-07-2002, 10:35 AM:

Barry,

Acording to the manual, there should be an adapter plate that mates the projector with the shoundhead, very similar to the later RCA soundheads. Also supposedly, there are 4 short bolts holding that adapter plate on. If you have those four bolts out, I cant see why the two cant seem to uncouple.

Good luck, and give a yell if you need help.

Josh

Posted by Robert Throop (Member # 61) on 08-07-2002, 11:12 AM:

While the lens mount looks like it could be a hanger for the Panatar anamorph, I wonder if it might be a lens centering adjustment like you'd find on a Century SA.

------------------
Bob Throop

Posted by Jon Miller (Member # 163) on 08-07-2002, 11:04 PM:

Hello, all,

Thanks for all the responses! I have seen Panatar anamorphics pop up on eBay ocassionally...just didn't study those things hard enough to make note of the mounting bracket. When another one of those beasts crosses the eBay block again, I'll have to take a harder look at the picture, assuming the seller posts a good picture, of course. As far as it being a lens centering adjustment as Robert suggested, I couldn't possibly imagine it being so, since there is no direct connection to the lens barrel and no mention of the device in the BX-60 manual.

John--This machine did not have a setscrew. The second machine has the setscrew, and the proper gear shaft with the flat (actually a bevel) the setscrew fastens against. (Your BX-60 modified for 4-inch lenses mounts sounds interesting...the first E-7s I laid my hands on were similarly modified...that anamorphic adaptor/prime lens combinations about the size of a two-liter soda bottle used in that machine was certainly a interesting, if unwieldy, creation.)

Barry and Josh--The adaptor plate for the Motiograph soundhead is a tight fit and may have rusted in place. Maybe a little WD-40 is in order, in this particular case?

Now I just have to wait for my order of ISO 10 spindle oil (and ISO 100 hydraulic oil for the soundheads) to come in, then the fun begins...

--Jon (not the one taking charge of A-O-Smell )

Posted by Dick Prather (Member # 1136) on 08-08-2002, 12:20 AM:

Your mount is indeed a Super Panatar C/S lense adaptor. There is also an adjestment to center the Panatar on the screen only as well as adjustments for height and parallel. It does nothing to the back up lens. This was standard for all Super Panatars on all projectors.

The soundhead drive gear shaft is the type used for Simplex. Brenkert also had a shear pin in the outer edge of the gear to the shaftto break off if something when wrong. With a part number Wolk may have the proper shaft if no one on the forum does.

Aftermarket 4" lens barrel adaptors were common for drive in use to get more light. I have a Kaplan (Simplex Standard) with a 4" lens barrel. On RCA-100's you could order them either way.

Should be tons of Super Panatars around. Most of them are not in use anymore. They do not work well in homes because the front glass was set up for a certain distance. Most were set for 60' to 80' and longer. Newer lenses B&L's, and others had a ring adjustment in front to set the distance for the lens. They make good paper weights.

.......................................................

Motiograph soundheads an adpator plate about 4" X 10" os so long. This drops into a milled out portion on the top of the soundhead closer to the gear side. There 2 bolts in front and 2 in back. The projector is then bolted to this plate by 2 bolts. Could be rusted but when free there was some play to line up the bolts. Plate will stick out in front and back of the projector. Best of luck.
Dick

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 08-08-2002, 12:58 AM:

Actually the shear pin is visible in the second gear up in the photo of the gear side of the machine. The shear pin does act as a fuse and will sometimes just let go on itself fomr the repeated run up torque of hundreds of startups. Keep a few extra around just in case of an Estar film pile up in that machine!!
Mark

Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 08-08-2002, 11:04 AM:

In the first picture, the shear key is held under that screw in the large drive gear. I had one machine that had two *pieces* of a shear key that made the gear so off balance, that it would make a wonk-wonk sound and also cause a rhythmic travel ghost. Weird, huh? I replaced the shear key and all was fine.

Barry, I really dont see why those two pieces would rust, there is more than enough oil leaking out of the machine over time to prevent a rust up. You could also try and remove the two bolts that hold the projector to the adapter plate by pulling out the gearbox or something.

Josh

Posted by Dick Prather (Member # 1136) on 08-08-2002, 02:42 PM:

You guys are right on about the shear pin. Don't know what I was thinking. Been too long away from Brenkerts.

..................

Josh, The Motiograph soundhead does not have a replacable gearbox. I don't know if tou can get to the projector screws or not from below but the plate should be able to be lifted up after soaking. Maybe a slight tap of a flat chisel to get it started. I have seen both steel and aluminum plates amd most SH-7500 soundheads were also aluminum.
.....................

Mark, Bob McRae is trying to get ahold of you to arrange a time to pick up some equipment you have belonging to Frank West. Please contact him.

Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 08-08-2002, 03:08 PM:

I have never messed with motiographs so I have no clue what they have for guts.

Josh

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 08-08-2002, 08:42 PM:

Click for a picture of my Super Panatar. Note the mounting hooks.

Posted by Jon Miller (Member # 163) on 08-08-2002, 10:41 PM:

Thanks for the picture link, Steve!

Lemme see...Hook the adaptor onto the "micrometer" shaft. Adjust the lower bolts until adaptor is perpendicular to the projector head. Adjust the "micrometer" and the nuts on the top of mount until adaptor is centered over the lens. Loosen the front nuts to rotate the "micrometer" bracket for azimuth adjustment. Tighten all nuts and pray nothing got bumped out of whack in the process and that the tweaking holds from repeated removal and replacement of the adaptor in the normal course of operation.

Kind of a fiddly setup, compared to the threaded cylindrical adaptor we take for granted.