ESB Electrobinocular Battery Cover(s)

bobasfett

Sr Member
RPF PREMIUM MEMBER
Well, I've finally decided to start working on this prop after some time and I figured if you guys can figure out what the Obi saber parts are, this should be a piece of cake. :) Here is a pic of the part(s) in question on the original Electros that have been on tour. These parts cover the Simrad battery compartment and as you can see, there are two versions:

[image]http://www.wackychimp.com/uploads/BatCover1.JPG[/image]

I started researching this part over a year ago and my theory is that both versions are made from the same thing - the internals of some sort of child tamper-proof medicine bottle cap. It looks as though they used both parts of the cap, the stepped ridges and the spline part. The plastic cap is usually made of two pieces: the cap part which in my opinion would have the serrated ridged sections molded into it, and the threaded part with the spline molded into it. The basic function of the cap is obviously to allow tightening in the clockwise direction and to skip in the counterclockwise 'loosening' direction, until enough down force pressure was applied by a parent.

If you look, both parts have 12 sections. One has twelve ridges and the other has twelve splines that run from the center out. Basically, the ridged sections would positively engage the splines during tightening but would skip over when loosening, again, until enough pressure was applied.

Just a theory, but I'm hoping someone out there might be able to find one. I was able to find an example when I first began my search, but it was a smaller cap and only had four ridges. Remember too that although functionally they do the same thing, there are several different designs of the tamper-proof cap....so this may take some time to find. Of course, I'm assuming that you UK chaps will have the best luck.
 
Great project... and an inspired theory, bobasfett. :thumbsup

I'll take a look through all of my child-proof medicine bottles. I had some really old ones in the freezer for a long time, but I think my wife recently threw them away, since the contents were so far past their expiration dates. :( When she asked about throwing them out, I couldn't come up with a compelling reason not to. If only I had known. :lol

Looking forward to someone proving (or disproving) the child-proof cap theory. :)
 
Sounds good. I'm going to try to find that example again too. I've moved temporarily and most of my stuff is in storage. If I can't find it, I will try to find another. BTW, the diameter that would fit in the whole on the Simrad is 1.45", so the OD of the cap should be in this range.
 
Could be.. There are some numbers on the spline part (1-12) which baffle me. I thought the metal rods where just rivets, but maybe they are some sort of electrical prong for a vacuum tube. Keep the ideas coming though.
 
Thanks to Mike for suggesting vacuum tubes. I've been researching this for a few days and I'm thinking Mike is somewhat correct for the battery cover on the right. It looks to be some sort of 12 pin, male connector. I do not know from what yet although I believe it is definately an electrical part. That being said, I don't think it is a true vacuum tube bottom, but looks to possibly be some sort of phototube bottom (maybe). I also found a relay that was 8 pin octal that was close, so it doesn't necessarily have to be a 'tube' device either. Now the trick is finding it. Let's go detectives..

[image]http://www.wackychimp.com/uploads/TK10.jpg[/image]

[image]http://www.wackychimp.com/uploads/triodeel_1939_434061.jpg[/image]

[image]http://www.wackychimp.com/uploads/8plug.jpg[/image]
 
Well, found this plug, but diameter is too small and its not quite right. Hope others are looking for this part too. Also, since there were two versions of this prop, anyone have any idea which one actually was used on screen??

[image]http://www.wackychimp.com/uploads/SNV30269-1.JPG[/image]
 
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