# Austrian/Brail curtain motors



## FatherMurphy (May 13, 2010)

I have a customer interested in installing a flat Austrian drop (similar to a Brail fire curtain) 20'h x 60' w as a midstage drape, which will be mounted on a dead-hung truss. I'll probably end up doing some sort of lineshaft, but I'm looking into other possibilities to simplify installation or maintenance, or at least provide cost comparisons.

To forestall the obvious questions, there isn't ceiling height to fly or trip, they aren't interested in traveling, and 60' seems just a bit wide for a roll drop. 

I have a memory from USITT eight or ten years ago (Toronto or Minneapolis) of a system that was individually controlled winches on each lift line of a swagged Austrian, programmed so that a lift chased around and around a box truss over a booth, but I don't recall who's product that was. I vaguely recall that it was a clamp-on unit with DMX control, but that might not be accurate. I'm not seeing any such products on the websites of the usual suspects (ADC, H&H, JR Clancy, Secoa, Sapsis, Tiffin). Any thoughts or memories?


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## RickBoychuk (Jun 14, 2010)

I believe that that was an I. Weiss product. Very expensive. Not for sale. Rental only. At that time. Might be different now.


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## michaelburgoyne (Jun 14, 2010)

I believe that you're thinking of the Wybron "Motovator" product: Wybron, Inc. - Denver Center

This product may no longer be available, you would have to contact Wybron to confirm.


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## Footer (Jun 14, 2010)

You could easily do a few blocks and a clew approach. It would probably be cheaper and easier to install then the line shaft. It would make the package a bit larger but just throwing that out there.


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## FatherMurphy (Jun 15, 2010)

I might think some about the clew idea, but everything needs to go onto the truss, both in terms of hardware and force vectors. The building is a church using a former health club building, with the sanctuary in a peaked roof former tennis court room, so the roof structure is just main steel and z-purlins - not something I'd want to put a lot of muling blocks on. The lineshaft and truss, though pricey, has the benefit of being largely self-contained in terms of forces.


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## Footer (Jun 15, 2010)

FatherMurphy said:


> I might think some about the clew idea, but everything needs to go onto the truss, both in terms of hardware and force vectors. The building is a church using a former health club building, with the sanctuary in a peaked roof former tennis court room, so the roof structure is just main steel and z-purlins - not something I'd want to put a lot of muling blocks on. The lineshaft and truss, though pricey, has the benefit of being largely self-contained in terms of forces.



You could still keep all the sheaves inside the truss and put the motor and clew outside of the truss, possibly anchored to the deck. It would not be the most elegant solution but its an option. Go with the line shaft if you can.


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## ajb (Jun 16, 2010)

How many lift lines are you looking at for the curtain? At 60' wide, with 4' swags that's 16 lines--quite a number to run within the breadth of the truss when you account for fleet angles and block clearances. Unless you clew some of them on the horizontal runs, but then preventing sag could become an issue.

Definitely sounds to me like the lineshaft is your best bet.


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