I assume Bob, you are not using very large tri flat revolves [Meddici flats] in your production!

As it would take up most of your space?

In any case you can use a microswitch control on the revolve for the motor, with a ?start? switch {[PMRB]press to make release to brake]} to energise the motor each time!

I have used pulley system & also bicycle rear wheel cogs, & a chain drive.

However if the Medici flats are large flats, you may have to use fixed castors, to stabalise the revolve platforms. This would mean using wire or rope around the plynth, as a friction drive, to keep clear of the castor wheels, as in a revolving stage!

So what?s it all about & what sizes are you using!

G?day Bob

As your only using 2? jogger flats, you won?t need castors, which helps.

Try & get the same size of the 16 old bicycle wheels whith out tires & inner tubes, of which one would need to be the rear drive wheel with the chain cog type.

This may be a lot cheaper than having separate motors for each revolve.

Mount the bicycle chain crank sprocket on the drive of the motor, line the chain up with the first rear wheel drive cog.

Set a wheel under each revolve platform & using the central bearings of the wheels to allow easier free turning. The bicycle wheel fork holding bolt, can be used to secure to the platform & the floor plate.

You will have to mount a pulley between each wheel, as a fair lead & to keep a serpentine track on the rope, threading it through from the outside tire valley rim edge of each wheel. This will also ensure that the continuos rope belt is being tracked around almost 1/3^rd of the wheel on each side, also this will keep the tension on the rope, which will also assist the rope lays in adding to the friction & gaining the ability to move the wheels in train.

Place a micoswitch with a NO NC [normally open normally closed] activation arm, wired in the Normally closed position. Then place 3 bolts through the platform as an activator position spigots, as the revolves moves to the next position, the bolts operate the microswitch arm to the open position switching off the motor. When you wish to start the motor use a press button start switch, which is wired to by pass the microswitch, keep it depressed until the initial movement releases the microswitch arm to return to the normally closed switch position, thus holding the power on to the motor until it is switched off again. You need to get a competent & qualified electrician, to wire it up if your using ordinary consumer mains power supply, although you could use a small 12 volt DC battery operated motor via an AC/DC adapter from the 120 volt AC supply outlet [ at least I think the US is 120ac volts - while we are a minimum of 250ac volts on a good day, otherwise it can be 260volts or more?]

I hope this helps you Bob & good luck with your project! 

I have a similar interest

Does anyone rent motorised periactoi in the UK for a school production on a comercial 10 meter proscenium/500seater stage

G?day Stephen!

I?d suggest that this would be a special set piece & I tend to think they will make it for you, depending on how many gold bricks you have!

But I?m probably wrong, as usual about that?

On the other hand if you get in strife! I recon, what would be a ripacise! Is to get the tin lids from the school involved, as a project to produce the mechanism, the rest is just revolves & flats, not that difficult - however I don?t no the circumstances or situation, but it could be worthwhile!

Also you may be pleasantly surprised at the ideas & amassing innovations that they will come up with!

I realise it is a commercial venue & health & safety regs, may govern most of this! However there would be off the shelf proprietary brand component products available, if you go for press button operation.

As a two bob thought, how about doing it mechanically with ropes & pulleys!

Unfortunately because we live on the pimple of the backside of the world, we tend to do our own thing with theatre, as we can?t readily hire sets & theatre ancillary equipment, without it costing an arm & leg!

Let us know how you get on mate! 

Our scene shop people built four of these several years ago and we have continued to use them in one way or another for every show we have done since, I think.  But storage could be a problem if we didn't intend to use them because they take up a whole lot of room...can't imagine how much wingspace and storage space we'd have to have to store 16 of them...ours have to be rotated manually.