Eye Cylinders

[BLSTKRDR]

ok, im completely missing the eye left right cylinders for my billybob. now i know they use
clippard minimatic cylincers 3/8"bore brass cylinder single acting spring return. I figured that each cylinder needs a 1" stroke? can someone comfirm this.

also i have pictures of what the cylinders look like as far as mounting goes. It appears that the cylinders are mounted together by the end of the one cylinder threading into the bottom of the other? so this would make one a Clevis Mount and the other a stud mount?

[chuckrules]

our jasper needs a new right eye cylinder. And how much would this cost? I know that I couldn't buy it right away. Depending on price range anyway.

I know our tech would be so greatful about me buying this for him.

my e-mail is nevinleaser@aol.com.

[lildook]

They look to be about 3/4 inch stroke according to the one I measured. Also the threads on the rod look to be 5mm x 0.8

Well the closest I can find on clippard is this part number 9SS-3/4. Only problem is it shows the rod doesnt have threads in the notes section and that wont work.. Hmm... But yet the picture does show threads on the rod. Strange.

[yorkmiss]

Threads are easy to cut. We do it all the time when we have to replace cylinders with "close - but not quite perfect" replacement parts. Although I can't see a cylinder coming without threads or at least SOME way of connecting it.
Our problem is the threads are the wrong size 90% of the time. :(

Beth

[chuckrules]

this would be for a three stage version! right?:D

[BLSTKRDR]

im glad you said something david,
after reading that you said that it was 3/4" i decided to go and remeasure because i came up with the previous calculations back around april. but since then i relized that billy was so rusted and dirty that the only way to properly clean him up was to tear him completely apart and put him back together. and so far i finished the head so thats why i thought i would get onto getting eye cylinders.

well anyway... im pretty sure i put the eye mech back together right. and it looks the same as pics you sent me awhile ago. but when i measured the distant between the rear mount and the mount to the front when eyes were looking right i got 7 3/4" i didnt push the eyes all the way right just when the paint on the eye came to the corner of the eye lid. so i did the same for when the eyes look left and i didnt get to measure it because part of the eye mech got in the way. so a cylinder wouldn-t be able to do that move because the eve mech would get in the way. heres a pic

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t264/BLSTKRDR/Billy%20Bob/eyeprob.jpg

now in the pic the green shows the "cylinder" and as you can see it hits the blue before it can connect to the red. now the way the eye mech is set is the way i got it. when i tore the head apart i kept the eye mech intacked and just painted it and slid it back onto the "eye poles" and like i said it looks set up the same as davids bbb. i looked at repositoning the eyes so that as far as the eye can look left i would screw the eyes in place but then the eyes wouldnt turn as far back because the eye mech hits the frame too soon:

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t264/BLSTKRDR/Billy%20Bob/DSC00162.jpg

what a mess. the more and more i think about it the more i cant believe how easy the mech is but yet i cant understand t why it doesnt work out right. in davids pics the eyes are always looking right in their "rest position" (scine the cylinders are spring returned) so i cant see how it would look left. i know as soon as someone tells me the awnser i'll look so stupid!

also, as i said the distant between the mounts when the eyes look right is 7 3/4" but i positioned the eyes center (at least what i thought was centered) and it measured 9" which would mean the cylinder would have a 1 1/4" stroke which is even more off. awwww what a mess. ill give up for the day and figure it out tomarrow

[yorkmiss]

I don't know how easy this can be written, but here's the main scoop:

Eyes for Billy Bob have three positions. Left, Center and Right.

All of the animatronics that CEI built used air cylinders that only had two positions. So, in order to get three (or more) positions, CEI had to "stack" air cylinders.

The eyes use air cylinders that when relaxed, look to the left. (Not sure without looking... but I think this is all in the "extended" position)

When you "air up" Billy Bob - his eyes will go to the center. This is because the first air cylinder is set to always pull "back" and thus centers his eyes. When the computer wants him to look left, the system releases the air pressure to the cyl and the internal spring pushes the cylinder back to the LEFT position.

Air the cylinder back up - and the eyes PULL the cylinder back to center.

Now, the same goes for the other air cylinder - only in reverse. This cylinder is in it's "'relaxed" position all the time. When the computer wants him to look right - it pulls the spring tension back on the cylinder and makes him look right.

So, remember - the ony cylinder is technicialy working all the time keeping his eyes centered, and the other only works when he looks right. (So - when he is looking right, BOTH air cylinders are pulled "in")
Which is why he is looking left when there is no pressure delivered to the system.

Hope this helps!

Beth and Chris

[BLSTKRDR]

I understand that. Im going to make a video to show my problem and see if its easier to explain then typing it up.

Here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcYgtWo7G2U

I just uploaded it so it may take a while to work.
Hope some one can figure out whats wrong

[circuspizzafan]

Don’t know if this helps or not.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v401/arcadefan17/P7290969.jpg

[BLSTKRDR]

can you send me a pic with the eyes looking completely right? (billy bobs right) thanks for helping

[circuspizzafan]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v401/arcadefan17/P7290970.jpg

[BLSTKRDR]

ok i checked my guy again and it looks like its going to be pretty close if it will hit or not. Thanks for the pic looking at it i can see that gets pretty close. Is there a model number on the cylinder that you can give me? Im planning on just buying the cylinders and see if it will work out or not.

[lildook]

Yeah the problem I think is that yours is misadjusted. If you didnt see already you can loosen the stops with the lil allen wrench and actually turn the eyes. So.... If you were to actually set your eyeballs looking right, then move the armature to where it needs to go so that it doesnt hit the cylinders. Its all in how you adjust it.

[BLSTKRDR]

thats what i figured but if i had the cylinders i could align it better, but i dont know exactly what cylinders to put on. Do you happen to have any model numbers all i specifically know about the cylinders now is that there clippard minimatic cylinders 3/8" bore single action spring return 3/4" stroke. but if you go to the clippard site theres about 10 cylinders that match that describtion.

[lildook]

I posted ealier that I think 9SS-3/4 is the right one. But I don't wanna bet my life on it. If it isnt however, I bet it could work out. Bet you'll need to find port barbs for it too to connect the hose to the cylinder ports.

David

[harveytwoface999]

How 'bout servos? You could rig one up to each eye and run them from the relays on the valve bank! I'm not too sure how, but you could rig it up so that the signals from both the "eyes-left" and "eyes-right" relays go through the same servos.

Let me explain: In a remote-control car, when the switch on the controller is in the "forward" position, the current goes through the back wheel motor one way, making the wheels turn one way. But when it's in the "backward" position, the current reverses and goes through the motor the other way, making the wheels turn the other way. Basically, the "stream of water" moves the "water-wheel" in the direction of the current. You could probably do the same thing with servos rigged up to the eyes.

Not exactly how CEI did it, but hey, it's an idea. :bbwink:

[lildook]

Yeah, they actually did do it for the new RAE robots. But that would require him to get a servo controller board that would output the correct fsk signal to control the servo move. Plus it'd take a perty hefty servo as well on those big eye balls.

Just wanted to let everyone know I bought the cylinder and YES it is exact replacement for the eye cylinder!!! PERFECT FIT!!!

again thats clippard.com and part number 9SS-3/4

[telarium]

What do you call the bit on the end of the rod that attaches to the cotter pin? Near where his thumb is in the photo above.

Also, does anyone know the name of the part where the cylinder attaches to the back of the head? And does this joint need to rotate?

[Chad77s]

Im actually wondering the same thing for the part numbers

[showbiztech]

That is called a "clevis." I would think clippard would sell you those. I believe they are 10-32 thread.