What are these????

When i bought my lathe from an old guys family from London and had it collected a few year back. The retired toolmaker/engineer  had alzeimers so couldn`t answer any questions .

These (there are two of them) came with it.

Anyone have any idea what they are ,i assume they are nothing to do with a lathe but they swivel along a central axis and must be some kind of table.

They are 260mm square by 70mm deep and appear to be some sort of aluminium alloy. There is brass plates on the side of them but no other markings.

Thanks

Edited By mark smith 20 on 05/10/2017 15:21:40

Ok, I will kick off the wild guesses, there will be plenty of those coming

Part of a large telescope, or hospital equipment - xray or similar.

How about a camera platform for an early TV camera. London Outside Broadcasts? Similar to:-

John

Edited to add image

Edited By Journeyman on 05/10/2017 16:05:49

Is that Neil behind the camera??

Here we go again

Why not? He's everywhere else.

Neil would be in front of it. 😉

john, that makes a lot of sense to me ,never thought of that. Particularly as the brass plate fits somewhat with your suggestion.

Think i`ll put them on ebay as something like `possibly BBC outside broadcast camera swivelling mounting brackets used during filming of the 1966 world cup final !!!!! `

i work for the bbc. they are part of a camera pan and tilt head as seen in the picture from Journeyman. london obs. was indeed london outside broadcasting co which was sold to SIS the company that used to provide the tv screens for betting offices.they made no money from outside broadcasting and all the equipment for obs was sold about 5 years ago. some of which was bought by BBC wales(where I work) including a few large trucks.

Bri

the LO2 is london OB truck two. and no 3 would be head number 3

bri, thanks ive just i think located exactly what part it is . Its off a Vinten Mk VII pan and tilt head (the top part) .

As in this photo. So used until recently.

Edited By mark smith 20 on 05/10/2017 19:08:56

As a young lad a year away from leaving school I spent my Summer Holidays in W Vintens factory, Western Way, Bury St Edmunds. My father was an Engineering Draughtsman who worked on the reconnaissance camera Dept, he arranged for me to spend my summer working on the various departments and I even got paid, I was allowed to operate all of the showroom camera stands, and other related equipment, it was an interesting insight into engineering which I then took up a year later as an engineering apprentice.

Martin P