Burke & James View Camera lever lock?

brianentz · Feb 2, 2023

I have been restoring my Burke & James View Camera (cleaned up, new bellows and handle) and it is ready to go - except one thing. The focusing goes back and forth on a track and there is a lever that is supposed to lock the focusing in place, but I can't see how. I've attached a couple pics from the 1942 catalogue and it describes this lever as locking the focus in place, but I must be missing something or perhaps my model is missing something. On the underside (as my pic shows) there are two oblong metal parts attached to the levers rod. I can see how shifting the lever minimizes the gap between the oblong metal part and a metal coil (?), but the gap doesn't close. I'm thinking to add a felt strip of some sort under the metal coil to reduce the gap and allow for the lever to engage with friction. Does anyone have any idea how this is supposed to work or have any clever suggestions as how I should proceed?

AnselMortensen · Feb 2, 2023

I will be watching this thread...the focus locks don't work on either of my B&J 5x7's.
Sorry I don't have a fix or explanation.

Kino · Feb 2, 2023

Isn't that simply an eccentric disc on the shaft that binds against the rail when you turn it?

Look for a drift pin that should secure the disc to the shaft; maybe it has sheared-off and allows the disc to rotate on the shaft rather than turn and bind against the rail.

If it were simply pressed onto the shaft, it might have stripped splines. See if the disc will spin on the shaft a bit.

If this is the case, you should be able to figure out the position of the disc relative to the shaft where it would work and drill a hole through the disc and shaft and drive a pin into the hole to hold them together.

brianentz · Feb 2, 2023

Kino said:
Isn't that simply an eccentric disc on the shaft that binds against the rail when you turn it?

Well, that’s a much better way of putting it than I did. Yes, it is.

Kino · Feb 2, 2023

brianentz said:
Well, that’s a much better way of putting it than I did. Yes, it is.

Is the disc lose? Even a little bit of play will negate the clamping ability. If the wheel clamped too hard, it would warp the rail.

brianentz · Feb 2, 2023

Kino said:
Isn't that simply an eccentric disc on the shaft that binds against the rail when you turn it?

Look for a drift pin that should secure the disc to the shaft; maybe it has sheared-off and allows the disc to rotate on the shaft rather than turn and bind against the rail.

If it were simply pressed onto the shaft, it might have stripped splines. See if the disc will spin on the shaft a bit.

If this is the case, you should be able to figure out the position of the disc relative to the shaft where it would work and drill a hole through the disc and shaft and drive a pin into the hole to hold them together.

Kino said:
Is the disc lose? Even a little bit of play will negate the clamping ability. If the wheel clamped too hard, it would warp the rail.

No, it’s not loose. I suspect that the disc may have had a rubber (or some like material) band around it and it has long since rotted and come off.

Kino · Feb 2, 2023

You could experiment with a zip tie around the disc and see if that thickness would work.

MTGseattle · Feb 3, 2023

I'm going to give this a shot... excuse the very crude mark ups. Eccentric round portion is supposed to live inside the red notch. When lever is tightened (to lock focus), the bottom edge of the plate yellow mark is pressed towards the "fin" that slides in the kerf(slot) on the side of the bed. In my 8x10 sample, there is almost zero left to right play in the focusing knob/rod and locking assemblies.

MTGseattle · Feb 3, 2023

I wonder what the carrying cases listed in the above sales sheet looked like?

brianentz · Feb 4, 2023

MTGseattle said:
I'm going to give this a shot... excuse the very crude mark ups. Eccentric round portion is supposed to live inside the red notch. When lever is tightened (to lock focus), the bottom edge of the plate yellow mark is pressed towards the "fin" that slides in the kerf(slot) on the side of the bed. In my 8x10 sample, there is almost zero left to right play in the focusing knob/rod and locking assemblies.

I thought about that, but I don't think it would fit and can't see how it would ever have reached in there.

MTGseattle · Feb 4, 2023

I apologize. I promise I wasn't drinking when I posted that yesterday. The eccentric bit doesn't socket into the notch like I thought. I think the eccentric bit just bears down on the flat of the rail. I have the whole metal standard carrier separate from my 8x10 so that is my reference. It's strange though, when I rotate the lock lever, the plate (that I drew the yellow line on) does move a bit.

MTGseattle · Feb 4, 2023

I need to actually look at a given thing before I post. To that end, here are 2 more images that may help.
Focus lock only clamps onto the metal rail. Perhaps the 2 springs on the op sample are worn?

brianentz · Feb 6, 2023

Somehow, shifting that lever must cause the dark grey plates to cinch down and close up between itself and the flange at the bottom. The only thing I can think is that behind the eccentric metal plate that is visible must have been something that would inside that square arch and would force the dark grey plate down. It must have been made of something that just didn't hold up. I don't think I'm up to even attempting a fix. I think I'm beat unless someone comes up with something clever.
Still there must be some simpler way of cinching the rear standard in place. Not sure what that would be...

MTGseattle · Feb 6, 2023

The plates definitely move. I'll be darned if I can tell which part of the mechanism is actually doing the work though. I may pull the main plate off and see if that lets me see what else is going on in there.

Kino · Feb 7, 2023

The grey plate moves UP to clamp on the bottom of the rail that slides in the slot when you turn the shaft.

Put the carriage back on the rail and pull the red lever UP, rather than down, to lock; have you tried that?

Jim Jones · Feb 7, 2023

brienentz is right in post #13. The round disc that is pinned and sometimes splined to the focus shaft has a cam that is hidden in the square cutout on the grey plate. It cams that plate down to pinch the rail between itself and extensions of the back standard. This works quite well in the B&J cameras that I've used. With help from that odd spring pressing down against the plate it locks the back standard without shifting focus.

Kino · Feb 7, 2023

For such a simple mechanism, it's rather confusing...

brianentz · Feb 7, 2023

MTGseattle said:
The plates definitely move. I'll be darned if I can tell which part of the mechanism is actually doing the work though. I may pull the main plate off and see if that lets me see what else is going on in there.

I want to hear what you find

brianentz · Feb 7, 2023

Jim Jones said:
brienentz is right in post #13. The round disc that is pinned and sometimes splined to the focus shaft has a cam that is hidden in the square cutout on the grey plate. It cams that plate down to pinch the rail between itself and extensions of the back standard. This works quite well in the B&J cameras that I've used. With help from that odd spring pressing down against the plate it locks the back standard without shifting focus.

Good to hear you concur. Wish I could repair but I think it’s above my abilities

jwd722 · Feb 7, 2023

Pictures show my B&J 4x5.

Vertical lever is unlocked. Notice the small gap between the sliding plate and the rail.

Horizontal lever is, of course, locked.

It doesn't move up or down more than a mm or two but it does lock it tight.

Simple but works fine.

MTGseattle · Mar 18, 2023

I always log into this site from the system without my jpegs. Anyway. there is indeed another smaller eccentric or eccentrically mounted ring on the focus knob "axel" that acts against the metal plate. They may serve double duty as the spacer that prevents left-right movement but this is only speculation on my part. I will try and remember to post pics.

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