New member with collection of Wild theodolites and a question

Kern bayonet base?

Yes, that must be it, though the design is quite different.  I presume that would mate with something like this: <a href=" removed link " target="_blank" rel="noopener"> removed link ?  I can't tell if there's a hole for the optical plummet in that trivet or not.  There's a reference to multiple sizes of this mount in an old thread here.  Now I just have to figure out the best way to adapt it.

Thanks!

@stevens48 The Kern DKM2 I used for a while used a physical plumbing pole - not optical

I am now able to post pictures.  This is what the bottom looks like:

and thanks to the response above from jhframe I think what I need looks something like this, with a 5/8"-11 thread on the bottom:

or possibly this, since the two-screw tribrach doesn't have very much range (at least compared to what I'm familiar with on the T2).

These pictures came from the apparently now-defunct "A. C. Tek Instruments" website.  I wonder where I might find something like this?

Thanks!

Looking at the bottom of that tribrach, the round steel plate with the triangular bracket doesn't look like standard equipment. Perhaps it's some sort of adapter. If you took off the round plate, what's underneath? Would there be a 5/8-11 thread?

The leveling screws on Kern equipment don't need much range. That plumbing pole in the center gets it pretty close when all the bubbles are properly calibrated. Only need to tweak the screws a bit to fine-tune the level.

Posted by: @rplumb314

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 If you took off the round plate, what's underneath? Would there be a 5/8-11 thread?

Probably not,

That's the real disadvantage of Kern instruments. Nothing else fits.

They need their own tripods that are now really hard to find

Here's what's underneath the plate.  There's no 5/8-11 thread, as expected:

I removed the tribrach for this picture.  The top of the tribrach looks like this:

and the bottom of the theodolite, with the tribrach removed, like this:

I think what they've done is attached a Kern-style tribrach with the Kern centering connection identified by jhframe above for use in optical tooling.  The theodolite is missing the Leica/Wild 3-prong forced centering attachment for use with a standard Wild-style tribrach.

I think my options are to either machine a plate with a 5/8-11 BSW thread and screw it to the bottom of the Kern-style tribrach, and just live with the reduced adjustment range, or find something like this (currently on ebay and probably Chinese):

and adapt the part on the left to the bottom of the theodolite.  I have access to a milling machine and lathe, so I think I can make this work.  Does anyone know if these knockoffs are any good at all, or have a source of used Wild parts?

Thanks for all the interesting input!