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Discoman
Joined: 28 Oct 2009 Posts: 16
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45PSS
Joined: 28 Sep 2001 Posts: 4081 Location: Mid Peninsula, Ca.
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Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 8:20 pm Post subject: |
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RH50 is a 70mm back. I never knew they made a motor advance one and looking at the film gate side picture I assume it is for an aircraft camera. _________________ The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU. |
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Les
Joined: 09 May 2001 Posts: 2682 Location: Detroit, MI
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Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 2:44 pm Post subject: |
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Interesting item, and I'm gonna say it's half and half. In later years Graflex existed on government contracts that insisted on American content. At one point they seriously looked into dumping the retail line and going mil spec only.
That said, they sold a lot of parts to other mil contractors. I've seen many a Graflok back on things that never came near the Graflex factory, and I think that's where this beast came in.
It left Rochester as a standard, or possibly a nearly complete RH-50 roll film back and was sent to somebody that added the power winder. It could be military it could also be for a long roll portrait camera. The exact power specs can't be gleaned from the photos (those jones plugs were used on everything from 12v audio to 110v power circuits), so without somebody's hands on knowledge, speculating what camera is pretty much a shot in the dark.
To the best of my knowledge, Graflex never made a power winder RH-50. _________________ "In order to invent, you need a good imagination and a lot of junk" Thomas Edison |
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bruiser
Joined: 15 Oct 2006 Posts: 260 Location: Northern NSW Australia
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Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 9:18 am Post subject: |
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Hi all,
The seller (carlrc) has been moving quite a lot of military Graflex stuff, and I've bought a few things myself. Some of it is pretty mix-and-match, that is it seems to be from a mountain of parts and someone (who didn't really know what they were doing) has put together a few cameras with incorrect bits and then the correct bits have been sold separately later.
He seems to be a nice seller though and I've had no problems.
So, having said all that the RH-50 mentioned is probably a military item. For what type of camera has me totally puzzled. The only RH-50 back I have came with a KS-98B Graflex XL outfit and apart from the motor of course, it is quite different. The XL version has 4 locking pins to hold the back in place and also an extra frame with a black felt light baffle around the film 'hole'.
The motorized one has the General Precision brand so was made from 1956-1968.
The seller also has some weird Graflex-based 'wood mounted shutter' for auction as well ( item 330392021957 ) so the two items could be maybe be connected somehow.
Cheers,
Bruce |
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graphicdave
Joined: 29 May 2007 Posts: 67 Location: Maryland
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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 3:36 am Post subject: |
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Well folks, I'm the one that out of pure curiosity bought this beast and it's truly a beast. It weighs a few ounces shy of three pounds with two empty film cartridges. It has a 26 VDC motor and an intricate gear drive system for the film take-up spool and the roller on the right side (anyone know if the standard RH-50 has a gear driven roller?).
All this is under the cast aluminum housing that takes the place of the lever-wind top. The paint on the housing is a close match to the Graflok back on my Pacemaker Crown. Not sure it's a factory conversion but if not, it's a professionally done job. It has patent #2,716,929 and Graflex/General Precision stamped inside the film compartment if someone would like to do some research.
The motor works (tested on 12V) but I haven't figured out the wiring on the limit switch that's mounted next to one of the gears. This gear has two protrusions opposite each other that hit a roller on the limit switch arm as the film is advanced. Three of the five pins on the Amphenol connector go to the switch and the other two are connected to the motor.
It's an interesting piece of equipment. It's also drilled and tapped on four corners for permanent mounting from the inside of whatever it was originally made for. It would look cool mounted on the back of my Pacemaker but doesn't quite fit. The cast housing rests on the part of the Graflok back that the spring arms latch into. The careful application of a Dremel would solve that because it only needs about 1/32" to clear and the housing is plenty thick enough to remove that much or more if necessary.
I have no idea what I'll do with it, just had to see what it was all about.
When we as a group start the Graflex History Museum, I'll donate it.
Dave |
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45PSS
Joined: 28 Sep 2001 Posts: 4081 Location: Mid Peninsula, Ca.
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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 11:02 pm Post subject: |
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RH50 IPB:
Parts Description:
Quote: | It has a 26 VDC motor and an intricate gear drive system for the film take-up spool and the roller on the right side (anyone know if the standard RH-50 has a gear driven roller?).
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Gear IPB #8 is mounted to the top of the film drive roller IPB #31.
Quote: | The motor works (tested on 12V) but I haven't figured out the wiring on the limit switch that's mounted next to one of the gears. This gear has two protrusions opposite each other that hit a roller on the limit switch arm as the film is advanced. Three of the five pins on the Amphenol connector go to the switch and the other two are connected to the motor.
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Does the gear make a complete 360 degree rotation per frame advance or does it make a 180 degree rotation per frame advance?
Test the switch leads with an ohm meter or test light. Does the switch make one set of contacts and break the other when the lever is moved? If it is the Single Pole Double Throw that I think it is two of the leads will have continuity with the switch at rest and one of the leads will have continuity with the other lead and not the first when the lever is moved or button pressed. If labeled A,B, and C , C makes contact with A and not with B when at rest and breaks contact with A when lever is actuated and now makes contact with B.
Quote: | I have no idea what I'll do with it, just had to see what it was all about.
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It should make a nice paper weight/conversation piece especially if connected so that it would run a cycle when you pushed the control switch that others could not see. _________________ The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU. |
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graphicdave
Joined: 29 May 2007 Posts: 67 Location: Maryland
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Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 2:11 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for the images and info 45PSS. That clears up the roller issue. Looks like it was always a driven part.
I haven't had time to wire it correctly to see exactly how it advances so I'm not sure if the gear makes a 360 or 180 for the next frame. I could temporarily re-spool some 120 in the cans to see what happens.
The switch is just as you described it, SPDT, but the five pins on the 1/2" diameter connector are so close together I would prefer to find a matching female connector so I can put some distance between the wires for testing. The switch is tucked in pretty tight and is a bit difficult to reach with the probes too.
At almost three pounds it is definitely a good paperweight! I can't imagine this was used on a hand-held camera but who knows? It would be nice to find out what it was actually made for.
Thanks again for the info.
Dave |
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45PSS
Joined: 28 Sep 2001 Posts: 4081 Location: Mid Peninsula, Ca.
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Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 8:00 am Post subject: |
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I figure it was on some special industrial application, aircraft, or school portrait camera. Pushing a remote switch started the advance motor running, internal switch kept power applied to the motor until the switch contact was broke by one of the gear levers at the end of the frame advance. _________________ The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU. |
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C. Henry
Joined: 13 Dec 2005 Posts: 360 Location: North East Georgia, USA
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Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 1:33 pm Post subject: |
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It may well have been for a camera used to make school portraits.
I seem to recall that the school portrait photographer had a motorized long roll back on a Graflex camera when I was in Jr. & Sr. High school(1950-56).
He would use a remote cord to trip the shutter with a solenoid which started the film advance motor. That thing was noisy! Somewhere during those years he started using an electronic flash instead of hot lights and had to push a second button to advance the film as the shutter synchronizer contacts were needed to trip the flash and therefore no longer available to start the film advance.
C. Henry |
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