Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Mysterious Strong Platter Peripheral

This is topic Mysterious Strong Platter Peripheral in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 08-28-2002, 02:27 AM:

Recently I purchased some brand spankin' new Strong platters. Each platter came with 3 decks, a platter tree, 2 rings, 2 brains, and 2 of these things:

I have no idea what these are or what they could possibly be used for. Could somebody please let me know their purpose so that I may improve my presentation tenfold? Thanks.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 08-28-2002, 03:21 AM:

I'm guessing that is intended to be bent into shape and used as upper and lower magazine rollers. Either that or to cause operator bleeding, I'm not quite sure.

Posted by Mike Babb (Member # 1379) on 08-28-2002, 03:24 AM:

for interlock maybe?

------------------
Mike
Drive-In Records
www.driveinrecords.com

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 08-28-2002, 04:02 AM:

Or part of a wrap detector assembly? But if the same identical component has been shipped with lots of platters, that would seem less likely.

Posted by Peter Kerchinsky (Member # 1098) on 08-28-2002, 04:22 AM:

I agree with Brad, in that I believe they are for the upper or lower arms for feed or takeup. We have several of these sitting on a shelf in our booth we've never used. We have 10 Christie AW3s.

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 08-28-2002, 06:05 AM:

If you have a looooonnnnnngggggg run from the platter or projector, you can bend them at 90 degree angles and bolt them to the floor and ceiling.

Posted by Ken Layton (Member # 133) on 08-28-2002, 08:59 AM:

They are indeed guidance hardware that come stock with all Strong/Potts platter systems. They can be bent into whatever angle you need and then drill holes and make them either into upper and lower projector magazine guides or wall/ceiling guides. Or some people just toss 'em into a box for future use elsewhere.

Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 08-28-2002, 09:59 AM:

Ken is right. I've seen many older theaters that use these as upper and lower guidance rollers on the projectors. Also, many theaters hang them from the ceiling to use for interlocking, as well. But I didn't know they came with the platter. I've always wondered where they came from!

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 08-28-2002, 10:59 AM:

This is Potts part # 1515 with a list price of $17.40. Many techs use it as a back scratcher or massager

Richard Fowler
TVP-Theatre & Video Products Inc. www.tvpmiami.com

Posted by Greg Pauley (Member # 503) on 08-28-2002, 12:18 PM:

Don't know what they are intended for from the factory, but I make tension failsafes out of them along with a couple of extra parts. www.ourshowtimes.com/temp.html

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 08-28-2002, 12:19 PM:

Didn't one of the apes in "2001 - A Space Odyssey" use that as a weapon, and then throw it into the air, where it became a spaceship?

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: +1 585 477 5325 Cell: +1 585 781 4036 Fax: +1 585 722 7243
e-mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 08-28-2002, 12:24 PM:

Greg said: "Don't know what they are intended for from the factory, but I make tension failsafes out of them along with a couple of extra parts."

Ingenious. I bet you've saved a few polyester prints from being "taffy pulled" with that clever failsafe. As you know, Kodak has always recommended tension-sensing failsafes between the platter feed and the projector. Polyester film is tough stuff.

Posted by Greg Pauley (Member # 503) on 08-28-2002, 12:37 PM:

Thanks John!
I started making these back in the early 80's long before the threat of the polyester film. I wanted to find a way to eliminate the possibility of losing a show due to a brain wrap and had some of the arms lying around and came up with the idea.

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 08-28-2002, 01:12 PM:

Yes, that's the guidance that comes with each Potts/Strong platter to be used as you see fit or not at all. Mark and I once set up an interlock from one end of a complex clear down to the other using those. We sawed a bunch of those aluminum bars down to a few inches long, bent them into L's, added a hole at the end, and attached them to clips which fit the dropped ceiling grid. The distance was long enough that when I ran it I was adding temporary junk film to the end of the print that I could detach and reattach to the front to pull the head back when I was going back the other way so I didn't have to rethread all the rollers.

The blood was a nice touch, Joe.

Posted by Pete Naples (Member # 761) on 08-28-2002, 02:22 PM:

Here's a good way to tell the multiplex guys from the real cinema guys! You multiplex lads don't know what those are for cuz you never need them!

One of these days I must photograph some of my more inventive platter film paths that would never have been possible if it weren't for these gizmos.

Not only are they good for film guidance and back scratching, remove the roller and you've got a nice ally bar, perfect for all kinds of 'stuff'. There's a set of RAB's and various antennas on my Range Rover that are all ingeniously held together and in place with the left overs from a couple of installs.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 08-28-2002, 02:52 PM:

Look at the picture warehouse of the "Granada Greenville" and check out how that theater used those arms as platter guidance.

I'll bet you wish you had those lamphouses at that theater, Joe. Genuine ORC vertical lamp design, complete with duct tape to hold things together!

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 08-28-2002, 07:32 PM:

I had those lamphouses at Kipling. Now I have orange ORCs. ORC rules. Only quality designs came out of ORC.

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 08-28-2002, 09:42 PM:

Maybe after coming up with one of the coolest names (Optical Radiation) in the booth biz since a fellow named ASHcraft built an arc lamp they decided their work was done.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 08-28-2002, 11:35 PM:

Seriously, who would trust a product with the name "Optical Radiation"? Doesn't that infer that if you look at it you will die?

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 08-29-2002, 08:10 AM:

Optical Radiation Corporation took pride in their origin as a supplier of high technology illumination systems to the military, medical, scientific, and other industrial applications (e.g., photo-etching). Theatre equipment was originally only a small part of their business.

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 08-29-2002, 08:50 AM:

That metal arm looks a bit wimpy, Brad. Wouldn't it be seriously bent out of shape in the event of a platter problem (brainwrap, etc.)?

Posted by William Leland III (Member # 1400) on 08-29-2002, 09:25 AM:

i call those pricey back scratchers Drop Rollers. we use the Drop Rollers inter-locking. you need tension on the film so, we place the drop rollers between the closets rollers mounted on our ceiling. the drop roller will hang about 12" or so off the floor creating tension. when i began working at the theater, they where already bent in like a U shape. they work well.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 08-29-2002, 10:53 AM:

I had those rollers as guidance arms for my Simplex projector and Potts platter. We bought new arms when we did some equipment upgrades.

Yes, they do seem chintzy but I would think that's OK in certain circumstances. First, if you use them to span the film over longer distances they don't need to be very strong. In fact, their light weight can make them easier to install on ceiling grids and such. If they are used for upper/lower magazine rollers, they will bend if there is a film wrap. I imagine they would be "sacrificial" parts... hoping they will bend in order to save the film and projector gears. One could bend them back into shape pretty quickly using the hands and maybe a pair of Vice Grip pliers, etc.

They are a good solution to the old problem...

You can have things:
(A) Good
(B) Cheap
(C) Fast

Pick any TWO of the above.

The rollers seem to be one of the FEW things in life that are the exception to the rule.

Posted by Wes Hughes (Member # 981) on 08-29-2002, 01:08 PM:

I have NEVER seen one bend in a wrap !!! They are actually quite stiff. I HAVE had a roller break off with a wrap though.

It is shocking that so many have never seen this part, which is VERY common in my area as projector lead-in and out.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 08-29-2002, 02:23 PM:

quote:
"That metal arm looks a bit wimpy, Brad. Wouldn't it be seriously bent out of shape in the event of a platter problem (brainwrap, etc.)?"

Actually no Scott, they are quite difficult to even bend into the desired position. They don't look it, but as Wes points out they are very sturdy.

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 08-29-2002, 03:06 PM:

No Joe, not when optical radiation is just a fancy term for visible light. And would you please stop pointing your TV remote at me. I don't want to get doused with all that thermal radiation!