About that spring in the arm socket block

[Jerry Holway]

See the attached file for the pix... here is the text:

At the Banning Mills workshop last week (a great time, BTW), we took a good look at several back mount vests from different manufacturers. 

One common thing in all the back mounted vests: the standard arm to vest connection had the side-to-side adjustment screws on the outside of the armature that wraps from the front to the back. While it is easy to reach the screws in this configuration, they totally reverse the action of the spring in the male socket block. (These are the same screws that control the “fore-aft” adjustment in a traditional front mounted vest.)

That spring has been an important part of the arm design since 1976 or so, and its purpose is to pull the arm out of the way as one moves the sled across one’s body. With a back mounted vest, the spring pushes the arm towards the sled – which is not a good thing. 

A partial solution would be to remove that spring – at least that would keep the arm from being pushed towards the sled. Better would be to have a spare socket block with the spring removed, or better yet get someone to engineer a spring/socket block that would reverse the “normal” direction of the spring just for your back mounted vest.

I heard about, but did not see at the workshop nor could not find for sure, that Walter Klassen made a springless block, which would help.

BTW, the Tiffen third arm segment has the side-to side adjustment screws on the inside to preserve the proper spring action and keep the arm moving out of the way. In the pix, the 3^rd arm segment is set up for regular side operating. It is, of course, reversable for goofy side operating.

At the Banning Mills workshop last week.docx

[Mark Baluk]

I believe this is the Walter Klassen piece you are reffering to, Jerry.

 

https://shop.walterklassen.com/products/gpi-pro-rigid-socket-adaptor

[Jerry Holway]

Yes, but only for PRO arms....