Jacks provide lift to world of entertainment

World class musicians and circus performers alike are being raised to a new level by Nook Industries, Cleveland, OH. Nook ActionJac 5-ton machine screw jacks are being used to lift portions of a stage for the Cirque D'Soleil, a Canadian-based circus performing at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL. And, the company's worm gear screw jacks were purchased by a set design company to lift music star Billy Joel's piano on stage.

Nook ActionJac 5-ton Machine Screw Jacks

Although the load being lifted for Cirque D'Soleil was considerably less than five tons, safety concerns within the entertainment industry prompted the use of a five ton jack. Because Nook offers a wide range of gear ratios for their jacks, many choices were available for this application. At first, a 24:1 ratio unit was recommended, in order to keep the corresponding motor size small. However, the small motor also meant less power and a slower lift speed, which was not fast enough for the stage movement. A 6:1 ratio turned out to be the best choice, and provided the required speed for the set change between circus acts. No additional gearing was required to move the stage.

The ActionJac Machine Screw Jack incorporates an alloy steel worm, which drives a high tensile bronze worm gear. The worm shaft is supported on tapered roller bearings with seals provided to prevent loss of lubrication, while the housing is made of ductile iron and proportioned to support the rated load of the unit.

The lifting screw -- part of the single unit jack that includes the worm, worm wheel and lift shaft -- is made of alloy steel with a minimum tensile strength of 95,000 pounds/square inch. The threads are precision formed to Class 2-C (centralizing) tolerance. The acme thread lead accuracy of the lifting screw is better than 0.003 in. per foot and jacks can be matched to within ±0.002 in. per foot when ordered as matching sets. Within the entertainment world, matching sets are a popular option, due to their ability to keep stages as level as possible. Fabric-type protective boots or special spring steel protectors can be provided to protect the exposed portion of the lifting screw. The company also provides stainless steel lifting screws on special order.

Nook ActionJac Worm Gear Screw Jack lift systems -- like the kind used to lift the piano man's piano -- are durably built and produced in standard models with load handling capacities from 1/4 ton to 100 tons. They may be used individually or in multiple arrangements, and each jack is built to specification. These jacks are used for a range of applications in a variety of industries outside of the entertainment world, including satellite equipment, steel processing, heat treating, robotics, packaging, transportation and aerospace. --FR

For more information, contact Nook Industries Inc, 4950 E 49th St, Cleveland, OH 44125-1016. 216-271-7900. http://www. nookindustries.com Circle 711.