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I'm sure I have posted, elsewhere, the Century schemes thoughout the years.

I have finally seen a "K" up close and if you weren't paying attention, you would swear it was a Simplex Super...very creepy.

Steve

Sam Kaplin, owner of the Kaplan Sure-Fit Company, began as a supplier of Simplex projector replacement parts. The original Kaplan projector, similar to the Wenxel Ace and the Ballatyne BW, was virtually a carbon copy of Ihe Simplex Standard, and the parts could be interchanged among the three. Kaplan's projector was marketed later as the Century Model "K," and sold in 1938 to avoid conflicts with the projectionist's union, where he was past president. Under new ownership, the New York based Century Projector Company employed many highly skilled machinists and engineers passing through Ellis Island, hoping to escape the brewing storm clouds of war in Europe. Ball bearings were used extensively in the new design, a characteristic still present in today's machine. The Century Model "P," introduced in 1939, departed from the Simplex design and would be recognized today as a Century Machine. The framing mechanism exposes major differences between the Century and Simplex. Simplex machines correct framing by rotating the intermittent movement while the machine is running, thus repositioning the intermittent sprocket. Rotating the Century framing knob employs rack and pinion gearing to move the intermittent movement up or down. More advancements then followed, and by 1940 the model "C" projector made Century a threat to the Simplex. Model "C" production continued until 1961.

The early 1950's ushered in a new home for the Century Projector Company, when it was purchased by Harry Lebensfeld and became a subsidiary of the United Industrial Syndicate. Century's product was unrelated to UIS's other interests, (hardware, furniture, auto parts) and grew in acceptance among exhibitors.

Outside the normal 35mm cinema venue, the Model "C" served as the launching point for the "VV" (VistaVision) and Cinerama machines led to the development of the model "H" projector. A magnetic soundhead was added to the 35/55mm projector for the sole purpose of the Twentieth Century Fox film release of Rogers & Hammerstein's "Carousel". It is estimated that no more than 50 of these machines were built, but the unit served as the prototype for the 'JJ" 35/70mm machine. The "JJ" was introduced in 1960, and is still in production. When the three-machine Cinerama process gave way to the single-gate 70mm format, a modified Century "JJ" became the new Cinerama projector. After Cinerama closed its doors for good in the late 1960's, virtually all of the Cinerama "JJ" heads were re-fitted for 35/70mm use Optical
Radiation Corporation (ORC), of Azusa, California purchased the Century Projector Corporation in 1982, and moved operations to their Cinema Products Division headquarters in Azuza. In 1993, ORC sold the Cinema Products Division to Ballantyne of Omaha, Inc.

Reprinted from Ballantyne's web site:
Century Projectors are world-renowned for quality and reliability. Developed as an offshoot of Simplex designs, Century came into its own in 1939 with the Model "P" soon followed by the Century "C" Projector in the early 1940's. Century was an innovative company, designing and building several different versions of the "C" projector, including the VistaVision and "DD Cinerama" (double-shutter, 5-perforation 35mm) machines in the 1950's. These innovations led to the JJ 35/70 Projector in 1960.

Century MSC & SA Projectors
The Century SA (Standard Drive) and MSC (Direct Drive) are single lens versions of the projector. Includes lens adapters (100.6mm x 70.6mm / 4" x 2-25/32") and aperture plates for two formats (Flat and Scope undersized), accessory kit, gear lube, oil, tools, operator's and parts manuals

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A=the 'standard' Century 35mm projector since the 50s, comes in several different sub-configurations:

SA=Single Shutter (or 'Standard')
DA=Double Shutter (or 'Drive-In')
SAW,DAW, etc..-the 'W' indicates water cooled trap

B=35mm Cine-Focus vacuum attachment version
Same sub-flavors as the 'A' machines (SB, DB, etc)

C=35mm straight gate late 30s/early 40s with the 3-piece 'circle and triangles' door glass
CC=Double shutter version of above

H= Curved trap version of the 'C', C mechanicals in a 'SA' style casing, no vent holes in the shutter casing
HH= Double shutter version of above

JJ=35/70mm

TA= Turret version of the SA series

M=As a prefix for the other models, it denotes the 'direct-drive system where the motor drives the picture head's mainshaft rather than the soundhead. Soundheads on 'M' machines are driven via a flex shaft and a slot in the bottom gear of the vertical shaft. Examples: MSA, MDA

VV=VistaVision 8/35 horizontal projector.

Soundheads are a bit trickier, I have seen several very different versions of the R3 and R4 heads, though the 'T' prefix (TR3, etc) indicates 'Transistor' for the then-new solid state sound systems that were coming out at the time.

I've got some late model C's with 4" lens barrel with ONE window in the door (H-SA style). S/n in the 10,000 range I think.

Apparently at the near the end of the run, some of the later model features started showing up on C's.

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The 35/55's are stamped "EE". (get it?)

That's a handy list to have on hand.