# What is it? #69 (Chief stacker)



## derekleffew (Sep 6, 2010)

Yet another "What is it?":




(Three views of the same object.)

As always, students-only for one week please.


----------



## jstroming (Sep 6, 2010)

scale for weighing triplets?


----------



## JChenault (Sep 6, 2010)

Now you're making me feel old. Not only do I know what it is, I have used it.

Sigh


----------



## MPowers (Sep 6, 2010)

Back in the stone age, in Grad school circa 1969, did a show where these would have been a godsend. Later in life did a show with 12 of them. We actually have two in our rental stock, lord knows why, and IMHO it is rather unlikely they'll ever be used again. In their day, they were the real deal and an important piece of the puzzle. but technology has bypassed both this piece of equipment and the equipment they supported. 'Fraid that's about as much as I can print 'til the week's up.


----------



## derekleffew (Sep 6, 2010)

JChenault said:


> Now you're making me feel old. ...


Hey, I just posted the pictures. IF you feel old because you used something I last used in 1990 (I think), that's on you.


----------



## Footer (Sep 6, 2010)

derekleffew said:


> Hey, I just posted the pictures. IF you feel old because you used something I last used in 1990 (I think), that's on you.


 
Want to give us a rough scale?


----------



## gafftapegreenia (Sep 6, 2010)

Wild guess: slide projectors?


----------



## derekleffew (Sep 6, 2010)

Footer said:


> Want to give us a rough scale?


It fits in a road case approx. 24"x24"x40"high.


----------



## len (Sep 6, 2010)

I actually think I know what this one is, but I'll refrain since I'm not a student.

And yes, indicating scale would be nice. Sometimes it's hard to tell how big it is from the photos.


----------



## zmb (Sep 6, 2010)

Slide projector mount for using three projectors that will crossfade?


----------



## MarshallPope (Sep 7, 2010)

I was guessing some sort of projector mount as well, to line up three slide projectors or maybe even to stack three images vertically?


----------



## dramatech (Sep 7, 2010)

I once had to install and service several systems of these not so wonderful devices. I had one that 24 of those little shelves. The big problem is that while they are from the older days, I was working with them in my late 30s and early 40s. Wow! does time fly. Ugh!!!


----------



## Gnara (Sep 9, 2010)

Its a french fry rack! for fast food or concession stands....


----------



## derekleffew (Sep 13, 2010)

Colloquially called a Chief stacker.


From Adjusta-Set Slide Stackers - ASU Series (discontinued):

> Chief’s ASU Adjusta-Set Slide Stackers accommodate Kodak Ektagraphic III projectors. For Ektapro projectors, see model ASE.
> 
> Available in one-tier, two-tier and three-tier models, with optional additional levels


For multi-image projection, it is imperative that all projectors on the same portion of the screen be aligned (overlapped) precisely. The stacker provides precise pitch and roll adjustments so that the images from all three projectors exactly overlapped, allowing dissolves with no up/down or left/right movement.


----------



## Morydd (Sep 13, 2010)

My previous job had one of these in inventory. I never did figure out why, since the place didn't exist until 1998. Needless to say. it was never used for its intended purpose.


----------



## JohnHartman (Sep 13, 2010)

Ahhhh... The fun all of these young kids missed involved in using these. The hours I have spent with these....


----------



## museav (Sep 21, 2010)

The picture is not complete without these, AVL Dove X2 Computorized Dissolve Module - RecycledGoods.com, these, KODAK: Slide Projectors Family: Ektagraphic Projectors and keystone correction lenses. Multi-projector, stacked dissolve systems were very prevalent when I started in the business with 6 to 15 projectors in 3 to 5 stacks being very common.

Larger screens required something like this http://www.elmousa.com/files/archives/OMNI-550XENON/Omni-550Xenon.pdf or this http://finearts.uvic.ca/sim/equipment/manuals/_projectors/xenon_man.pdf.

Next you'll be asking about these, LCD Transparency Panels: Rent Com Inc: Audio Visual, Video, Projection, Presentation Rental AV Equipment.


----------



## SHARYNF (Oct 5, 2010)

museav said:


> The picture is not complete without these, AVL Dove X2 Computorized Dissolve Module - RecycledGoods.com, these, KODAK: Slide Projectors Family: Ektagraphic Projectors and keystone correction lenses. Multi-projector, stacked dissolve systems were very prevalent when I started in the business with 6 to 15 projectors in 3 to 5 stacks being very common.
> 
> Larger screens required something like this http://www.elmousa.com/files/archives/OMNI-550XENON/Omni-550Xenon.pdf or this http://finearts.uvic.ca/sim/equipment/manuals/_projectors/xenon_man.pdf.
> 
> Next you'll be asking about these, LCD Transparency Panels: Rent Com Inc: Audio Visual, Video, Projection, Presentation Rental AV Equipment.


 =

AHH the good old days, remember Schneider parallax adjusting lenses, and of course when some one forgot to lock the slide retainer rings, and during moving all the slides fell out.....

Sharyn


----------



## gafftapegreenia (Oct 6, 2010)

Decided to poke through the grave yard at work, and sure enough, high up on a shelf, two Chief Stackers.


----------



## derekleffew (Oct 6, 2010)

gafftapegreenia said:


> Decided to poke through the grave yard at work, and sure enough, high up on a shelf, two Chief Stackers.


Think of the fun you'll have asking your fellow collegiates, and possibly professors, what they are!


----------



## ColbyAtTroy (Oct 6, 2010)

I haven't seen anyone elses' answers, for fear it would influence my answer. Here's I go:

Is it a mount for things? Like, wireless mic receivers, projectors, amps, ect?

Edit: I was close.


----------



## museav (Oct 10, 2010)

SHARYNF said:


> AHH the good old days, remember Schneider parallax adjusting lenses, and of course when some one forgot to lock the slide retainer rings, and during moving all the slides fell out.....


I remember having to do an emergency replacement on a lamp to support a presentation at corporate client literally minutes before the presentation. Get the lamp in and the presenter hands me the carousel only to find out the hard way as he hands it to me that he did not use a retainer ring. Imagine myself and several major corporation executives sitting on the floor trying to put the presentation back together as people are filing in for the meeting.


----------



## Pete W (Nov 13, 2016)

A question:

Can these stackers be flown or are they just designed to be sitting on a surface?
I have one, but sadly only 2 tiers and no top bar...

Thanks
Pete


----------



## RonHebbard (Nov 13, 2016)

Pete W said:


> A question:
> 
> Can these stackers be flown or are they just designed to be sitting on a surface?
> I have one, but sadly only 2 tiers and no top bar...
> ...


People employed them in more ways than you can imagine regardless of whether they were designed to be used in those ways or not. "Tommy" used 18 triple stacks for the rear screen projection but mounted the three-way dissolves independently of the stackers to reduce overall height / distance between vertically adjacent stacks.
I recall you were to remove the two adjustable feet from the projectors and use those two points to bolt the projectors to the stacker's shelves. Once firmly attached, you used the stacker's tray adjustments to flawlessly align your images. Do you remember Spindler & Sauppe's precisely mounted pairs of alignment slides with one slide having a red and black checkerboard image and the other bearing a green and black checkerboard? One slide was red where the other was black with the other slide being green where the first slide was black. When installed and flawlessly aligned, they projected a red and green checkerboard with any minor mis-alignments appearing as tiny slivers of amber wherever red and green images were overlapping. As others have posted: You could invest hours precisely tweeking the horizontal, vertical and rotational alignment of your projectors. (and then you progressed on to your next three-stack) 
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard.


----------



## derekleffew (Nov 13, 2016)

Pete W said:


> Can these stackers be flown or are they just designed to be sitting on a surface?


Almost always sitting on a surface, often scaffolding, to vertically align the lens center with screen center. A separate scaffold with an airgap of 2-6" between them was for operator(s) who did tray changes and lamp swaps sometimes during shows. Any vibration or disturbance of the projection scaff was seen on the screen and thus avoided.


----------



## Pete W (Nov 13, 2016)

Thanks for the replies. I am wondering if its possible to fly them from a lighting bar as pin-point line-up is not so critical. They would be remotely operated and have full carousel trays. Is the bar across the top designed to take the full weight of the loaded stacker?


----------



## RonHebbard (Nov 13, 2016)

Pete W said:


> Thanks for the replies. I am wondering if its possible to fly them from a lighting bar as pin-point line-up is not so critical. They would be remotely operated and have full carousel trays. Is the bar across the top designed to take the full weight of the loaded stacker?


Designed for it or not, I've seen, and used, them fitted with one and/or two decent grade C-clamps and a safety or two. Granted this was at least a couple of decades ago in the eighties and early nineties. 
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard.


----------

