Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: How to use MLAs?

This is topic How to use MLAs? in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Christopher Meredith (Member # 3767) on 06-04-2007, 06:57 PM:

My theater has two sets of Kelmar moveable loop accumulators, ordered, I assume, to assist with interlocking. Trouble is, as simple as they seem to be, I cannot figure out how they're supposed to work. The free sliding roller that moves up and down the pole doesn't seem to have a means for fixing it in one place, and it is too heavy to be "lifted up" by the film. It seems like one advantage to this type of equipment is to provide to back tension on the film path but given our setup, I don't see how this would be possible.

The only way I have been able to actually use this is to take a small screwdriver to wedge between the free roller and the pole to hold it in position, then use the apparatus to redirect film around obstacles. Is this what it's for, or am I using it wrong?

Thanks!

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 06-04-2007, 08:40 PM:

You want this to free travel so as to accumulate any extra film or lack of extra film between projectors. The point is to hold up the failsafe roller on the automation. Louis

Posted by Dave Macaulay (Member # 813) on 06-04-2007, 09:50 PM:

Why is it too heavy to lift with the film?
The first projector feeds from a platter payout, the film comes from the soundhead into the transfer rollers to the second projector. Somewhere between the projectors is the accumulator. Generally you lift the accumulator roller half way up unless you know which way the projector pair uses the slack. I usually thread the second projector with the accumulator slack then hand/motor advance it to lift the accumulator, it's easier than threading with the film tight.
Unless your transfer rollers are really weak and the accumulator is really heavy, I don't understand the problem. The projector sprockets can handle a pretty strong tension, and even a splice can handle a pretty good pull. Estar film stock sure won't break before a projector gets pulled over.