Does anyone recognize this part?

[treddie]

Hello.

I hope this is the correct forum for this.

I was curious if anyone notices this vintage part? It comes from probably the late 1950's to mid 60's and was used for the interior of the space pod in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, which I am back-engineering. There were a number of surplus aircraft parts used in the movie, and I was hoping someone might be able to identify this particular one, if in fact it is of aerospace origin.

I'm thinking there might be a spring under the retaining ring on the side. So it makes me think this was a pressure regulator or flow control device of some sort. Or a pump...The shaft coming out on the left looks like it might be a spline shaft, but the photograph is not good enough to tell for sure. I have removed all of the surrounding details in the image in Photoshop, since they basically just stuck this thing on the cabin wall.

Many thanks for taking a look.

[rwanttaja]

One possibility might be a 90-degree gear box... input shaft comes on the left, gear inside to rotate a similar shaft on the top back. The apparent cap could just be to open the gear box so it can be packed with grease...

Ron Wanttaja

[1600vw]

Ron I would agree. It looks to be some sort of worm gear box. Maybe steering box out of an old car. But it sure does look like a worm gear box to me.

[rwanttaja]

Ron I would agree. It looks to be some sort of worm gear box. Maybe steering box out of an old car. But it sure does look like a worm gear box to me.

I like the suggestion about the steering box...something cheap and common that they could easily find for the movie prop.

Treddie, any indications of size of this thing, in the movie? Are there any scenes with the astronauts in the frame with the device, that you could use to figure out the scale? Or was this on a miniature?

Ron Wanttaja

[treddie]

Hey everyone. First of all thank you for the excellent replies!

The object is roughly 3" square on the face. Unfortunately, there are only two images which shows it well, and the other image has it in shadow...Just visible enough to tell it is the same gadget. Now, it also has another "port" on the far, hidden side, which led me to believe that the one on top and the hidden one were either gas or fluid fittings. But that could be caused by the fact that they stuck a hose on the top one, which biases my thinking. It may very well be a gear box as you all suggest. But notice that the top fitting has a hex nut at its base. Would a gear box treat a shaft exit point like that? That was another reason why I thought it might be a pump or something. Also, what we see MAY only be the visible exposed portion, if the remainder of it is behind the wall.

I will do more research, but take your tack of checking vintage auto parts. Maybe it IS a gear box.

[1600vw]

I believe that nut would set end play.

[treddie]

Hm. Interesting thought. So it would act as a friction brake then?

[1600vw]

Hm. Interesting thought. So it would act as a friction brake then?

End play has nothing to do with a friction brake. End play or backlash is just that the adjustment of the play or backlash between the two shafts. A worm gear steering box if you do not adjust the end play on the worm shaft coming out of the box, the steering wheel well have a lot of play in it. On a steering system you do not want the steering wheel to turn a 1/4 turn and not move the wheels. The steering wheel should not have a bunch of play back and forth. Its this nut that would remove this play. It has nothing to do with a brake. But to remove play between the two shafts.

In the automotive world we call this road feel. Set it to tight and your car will be twitchy. Set it to loose and you will be moving the steering wheel back and forth and nothing happens at the steering wheels. You have excess play in the steering wheel. A modern steering box has a set screw one uses to adjust this play. I would say this is the end play or backlash adjustment on this unit.

In the modern car today we use what is called a rack and pinion. That removes this gear box. Those type of cars do not use a gear box such as this. Pickup Trucks today still have a worm gear steering box as do a few cars but most has gone to rack and pinion steering.

[Blue Chips]

Reminds me more of a hydraulic motor or pump although can't see the 2nd line, maybe hid on the back side, the way it bolts the sections up doesn't at all look familiar for a steering gear box.

[1600vw]

Reminds me more of a hydraulic motor or pump although can't see the 2nd line, maybe hid on the back side, the way it bolts the sections up doesn't at all look familiar for a steering gear box.

Not for a modern steering gear box or one in a car or truck. But what about a 1900's and something say small tractor or even a car. A pump motor case will not look like this but will be more square. Its does not have the same internals that would need the case as this does.