stupid question

Dreadpoet

Active Member
This is truly a stupid question...however...it had occured to me that in my many years of dealing with lighting equipment basic stage lighting I never heard a name given to the knobs on the yoke that tilt the instrument up and down. I know every other term for every portion of the instrument except for the most obvious one the sticks out like a sore thumb. I actually looked a student today and had to say...uhhh i'own'owe. So, what do you call them?
 
Tilt knob

Or tilt handle on older 360Q's, Strands, etc... where it's a T handle.

Steve B.
 
In their Source Four Manual , ECT calls it a "Yoke Locking Knob."

I always called it (or them) the knob(s) on the side... :mrgreen:
 
Sorry Phil, you must have posted while I was looking it up. You beat me to the draw.

~Dave


No worries! :)

When I ask for info I would always prefer several repeats of the same answer from differing sources than no answer at all. ;)
 
A) I don't think so. For WHY would ETC need to secure its eggs?

B) Since the fixture moves in two axes, "tilt lock" and "pan lock" seem to be more appropriate.

I have never admitted to being the best speller. I try though.:oops:

FYI: Selecon calls the same part the "locking clamp handle". Altman just lists a part number for each instrument, and does not even call it anything. Strand also calls it a "yoke adjustent knob".

~Dave
 
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I'm mostly with derekleffew on this one. I always call the lock on the side of the fixture a "Tilt lock", and in polite company the screw on the side of the C-clamp the "Pan lock".

However, there are of course two bolts that have to be locked down to lock the pan; the little screw on the side of the C-clamp and the bolt that attaches the C-clamp to the yoke. The bolt on the yoke is the "shank bolt".

Since a lot of electricians tend to just crank the pan lock screw down tight, strong-arm the yoke around into focus and then tighten the shank bolt (which is easier to find and lay a wrench on in the dark), and since "pan lock screw" doesn't roll off the tongue very well, the "pan lock screw" is often referred to as the "%#&*-it nut".
 
Figure 1 (from which I got "Yoke Locking Knob") shows the Source Four without a C-Clamp (just the yoke).

In figure 10, they show the Source Four with a C-Clamp and refer to the knob on the side as the "Pan Screw." :shock:

Take a peak at figure 10 again. It is not the same part. In this instance, this part is on the clamp itself, not on the actual instrument. The particular clamp they use has a hand adjustable pan screw instead of the small square headed one many companies make, hence the different name. In context the diagram illustrates only usage of c-clamp.

What we can see by this post is how vast the termanology in our industry is, even for the exact same item. I think it is important to know the proper manufacturers term for things, however, it is equally important to know the proper nomenclature in the region or facilities / companies you work for, so you can communicate effectively. That is the ultimate goal, not who is right or wrong.

~Dave
 
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A term for This knob that goes back well before my time is Century bolt. The Century, of course, refers to Century Lighting. They even had a specialized tool for adjusting the knob called a Century wrench. I think Altman still makes a variation of this wrench.
 
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I think Altman still makes a variation of this wrench.
Oddly enough, it's called an Altman Wrench, (sometimes "Dracula wrench"). About $10 from any Altman dealer. If ETC made one, it'd be $20, (but the customer service would be outstanding).

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Not as necessary as it once was, as almost everyone has gone to the "clutch" tilt lock (first used by Electro-Controls) rather than the simple T-handle/friction-washer/locking-dog.
 
I was taught to call it the tilt knob. May not be technically correct but combined with the pan nut it's just logical.
 
The various names that have been given are interesting for educational purposes and fun to pass around, but I feel that it is more important to speak the "speak", that the local focusing crew understand and use.
 

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