Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Use in Receiving and Projecting Photographic Images.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 11th May, 1896-Accepted, 4th July, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Use in Receiving and
Projecting Photographic Images.
I, AMBROISE FRANCOIS PARNALAND of 42 Bd Bonne Nouvelle Paris in the
Republic of France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The apparatus forming the subject-matter of the present invention is destined to
be used as a chrono-photographic apparatus for registering or recording different
movements or positions of living subjects as well as for the projection of such
scenes in order to give an illusion of movement.
The construction and the mode of working of the apparatus will be better
understood from the following description with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which
Figure 1 is an elevation of the whole apparatus seen from the back, with the
back cover removed;
Fig. 2 is a side view in vertical section on the line X Y of Fig. 1 showing the
right-hand portion of the said Fig. 1 ;
Fig. 3 is an elevation of the outside of certain parts of the apparatus at the
right-hand side of Fig. 1 ;
Fig. 4 is a similar view of the parts shown at the left-hand side of Fig. 1.
These views are supplemented by detail views, viz. ;-
Fig. , a partial view in horizontal section on line X' Y' of Fig. 1, and
Fig. 6 a view comprising parts of the apparatus seen from a position at right
angles to that from which they are viewed in Fig. 4.
Like reference-numerals indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
The mechanism is mounted on and between two vertical side plates 10, 11,
parallel to each other and connected to each other by cross pieces 12, which at
the same time keep them at a certain invariable distance from each other; a
horizontal tube 13 is securely held in the apparatus at a suitable height as shown
in Fig. 2 being held between the two side plates 10, 11, it affords at its front
end (ie. its left-hand end as it appears in Fig. 2) a support for the photographic
objective 14 and at its rear end a support for a vertical guide 15 for the film 16, at
the back of the objective 14.
The film 16 unwound from a fixed upper spindle 17 which supports it, passes
through the space 18 in the guide 15 and over a driving-roller 19, placed at the
bottom of the apparatus, and then is wound on a lower spool 20, which is caused
to rotate at a desired speed by driving-mechanism, as will be hereinafter
described.
The driving-roller 19 has two concentric side flanges 19 against which rest the
corresponding edges of the film 16; at the back of the roller 19 there is arranged
another and smaller roller 21, having, like the roller 19, two concentric side
flanges 22, corresponding exactly to those 191 of the said roller 19 and combining
with the latter to take the film between them and cause its movement by their
rotation.
The spindle 23 of the roller 21 is held in the upper part of supports 24, 25 which
are mounted so as to be capable of oscillating on a spindle 26, carrying two spiral
springs 27 28, the inner ends of which are fixed to that spindle at 29 while their

page_text: opposite ends are straightened so as to press on corresponding fingers 30, 31
provided on the supports 24, 25 respectively.
The result of such arrangement is that the roller 21 is pressed against the
roller 19 by the action of the springs 27 28, the tension of which can be regulated
by a handle 32 by means of which the spindle 26 can be sufficiently turned in one
or the other direction to vary the tension of the springs 27 28, as desired, this
handle 32 being then fixed in its position on a toothed pivotted catch 33, secured
to the outside of the side plate 10 (Figs. 1, 4 and 5).
One end of the roller 19 carries a toothed wheel 34 engaging with a wheel 35.
carried by the corresponding side of the roller 21 in such manner, that the
rotation of the one produces the rotation of the other in the opposite direction and
thus they cause the film 16 to move between their side flanges 19¹, 22.
The roller 19 is placed under the direct control of a spring drum 36, mounted on
the end of the spindle 37 of the said roller outside the side plate 11; the toothed
wheel 38 of this drum 36 is geared to a toothed wheel 39 keyed on the main driving
shaft 40, revolving horizontally, and supported on one side on the outer face of
the side plate 11 and on the other side in a secondary side plate 41, connected
by stays 41 to the plate 11, this sbaft 40 passing through a boss 42 in the plate 41
and ending in a square portion 43, receiving the handle or other part for
controlling the apparatus.
The end of the spindle 37 of the roller 19 opposite to the drum 36 passe outside
the plate 10 and carries a ratchet gear constituted by two discs 44, 45, exactly
alike and having each on their periphery three teeth, 46 at equal intervals, both
discs being secured on the spindle 37 in such a manner as to bring the teeth 46 of
one disc midway into the intervals of the other; in combination with the discs 44,
45 and their teeth 46 work respectively two vertical rods 47, 48 hell and guided
vertically in a common slide 49, the lower ends of these rods forming stops for
these dises 44, 45, while their upper ends are hinged to the corresponding ends of
bell-crank pawls 50, 51, oscillating round a pivot 52 and acted upon by correspon ling
cams 53, 54 secured at the end of a spindle 55, driven, as will be hereinafter
described, by the driving mechanism of the motor.
The combination of the latter parts of the apparatus is such, that the cams 53, 54
mounted on the spindle 55, so as to project in opposite directions to each other,
act, in consequence of the rotation of this spindle, successively and alternately on
their corresponding pawls 50 51 so as to cause successive and alternate raising of
the rods 47, 48, the lower ends of which release successively and alternately the
discs 44, 45, by releasing their teeth 46 so that these dises can turn under the
action of the spring drum 36 acting on their spindle 37. Under such circumstances
if the rod 48 for instance, is raised and releases its disc 45, it will enable the
spindle 37 to turn, which rotation will stop as soon as the rod 47 which at the
start was not against a tooth of its disc 44, is met by the tooth 46 of the latter,
which comes immediately after the tooth 46 of the disc 45 which has just been
released; the springs 56, 57 are arranged and combined respectively with rods 47, 48
and their common slide 49 so as to always hold the lower ends of these rods in
contact with the periphery of the discs 44, 45, when they are not raised by the
action previously explained of the fingers 53, 54.
In the apparatus illustrated with the given arrangement and combination of the
discs 44, 45, having together six teeth 46, that is to say three each, the rotation of
the spindle 37 and consequently of the driving roller 19 is effected to the extent
of a sixth of a revolution and causes therefore successive movements of the film,
each of these movements corresponding exactly to placing in front of the objective
of the portion of the said film, carrying the image or on which the photographic
image is to be produced.
At its end opposite to the fingers 53, 54, the shaft 55 has keyed on it between
the two plates 11, 41, a cam 58 in one piece with a toothed wheel 39 by which
latter the movement of the shaft 55 is effected the said cam causing by means of
intermediary articulated links 60, 61 the alternate transversal movements of a

page_text: closing shutter 62 supported on a spindle 63, arranged over and parallel to the
tube 13 and held so that it can oscillate in its transversal supports 64, 65, secured
on and between the plates 10 and 11.
The tube 13 as well as the plates 10 and 11 are provided with slots; a slot 66
(for the tube 13) and slots 67, 68 (for the plates 10, 11), permitting free working
of the shutter 62, which has near its outer edge an opening 69, the dimensions and
the position of which are such as to correspond as desired to the opening in the
objective; this opening 69, the purpose of which is to open the objective relatively
to the film noving at the back of the objective, is combined with non-perforated
parts 70, 71 causing successive closing of the objective relatively to the film,
alternately with opening the film to the objective by the opening 69; the groove
of the cam 58 is so disposed that when the opening 69 passes before the objective,
it corresponds to the position of absolute rest of the film whereas the passage of
each full part 70, 71 of the shutter across the objective corresponds exactly to
the movements of the film and consequently to the working of the parts causing
that movement.
The toothed wheel 59 is driven by another toothed wheel 72 keyed on the
driving shaft 40, which carries also the wheel 39 driving the wheel 38 of the
spring-drum 36; the wheel 72 drives, moreover, by means of pinions 73, 74
(carried by a shaft 78) and 75, the toothed wheel 76 of the spindle 77 of the
winding spool 20.
The space 18 in the guide 15 in which the film 16 travels is formed by a
rectangular vertical opening in the said guide 15 (Fig. 5) with which is combined
a back-plate 79, supported by lugs 80 and pressed by a transverse spring blade 81,
forming a latch; screws 82 pass through lugs 80 and rest with their inner ends on
the bottom of the guide 15; they permit an absolutely exact adjustment of the
pressure of the plate 79 on the film in order to hold it absolutely exactly, which
is aided by the continuation 83 of the guide 15 in between the rollers 19 and 21.
In order to prevent any sliding of the film and to secure an absolutely exact
movement of it by the action of the parts controlling it, the said film is provided
at the edges with punched "tabs" and corresponding recesses 84 at equal heights
on both sides; recesses 85 and projections 86 (Fig. 5) are formed on the flanges 191
and 22 of the rollers 19, 21; these recesses and projections 85, 86 are arranged
in opposite directions, that is to say, the flange 191 on one side of the roller 19
has projections 86 to which correspond recesses 85 on the flange 22 of the
roller 21, whereas the other flange 191 of the roller 19 has the recesses 85 to
which corresponds projections 86 on the other flange 22 of the roller 21; more-
over the film 16 is provided along its longitudinal axis with holes 87 equidistant
from each other, the distance between them being exactly equal to the amount of
successive advances of the film; these holes 87 provided with eyelets 88, which
strengthen the edges of the holes and thus prevent damaging of the film,
co-operate with the points 89 of radial pins 90 arranged on the roller 19; these
points enter successively the holes 87 whereby the film 16 is maintained in proper
position whilst travelling, the above-mentioned impressions or tabs 84 co-operating
for a like purpose with the recesses 85 and projections 86 of the flanges 191, 22 of
the rollers 19, 21.
By inventing the position of the impressions 84 on the sides of the film edges,
it is possible, given an equally inverted arrangement of the projections and
recesses 85, 86 on the flanges 191, 22 of the rollers 19, 21, to present either face of
the film 16 to the back of the objective, which is necessary, if it is desired to use the
apparatus both as a chrono-photographic apparatus and as an apparatus for
projecting the scenes registered by it chrono-photographic operations the back
pressure plate 79 is without openings whereas for optical projecting operations
this plate is provided with an opening corresponding to the opening 91 in the
front plate of the guide 15 and permitting the passage of the rays of light from
the source of light thus projecting the pictures from the film; the apparatus
comprises therefore two plates, which can be exchanged, one not perforated and

page_text: the other with an opening, thus enabling the apparatus to be used for either of the
before mentioned purposes.
The plate 10 is provided with holes 92, 93 enabling the rolls of film to be put
in; covers 94 with handles cover these openings.
The whole mechanism thus arranged and mounted on the main plates 10 and 11
is enclosed in a casing of special shape, from which it can be easily removed; this
casing has in front a circular hole for the passage of the tube of the objective
and at the back a movable cover with a circular opening 95 which is covered by
a cover 97 for chrono-photographic operations, but which on the contrary is left
open for the projection operations in order to allow the passage of the rays of the
luminous source from behind the apparatus; the casing carries besides a socket 99
for supporting a coupling for the square portion of the driving shaft, which
socket has a spindle in it with an exterior square 100 on which the action for
causing working of the apparatus is exercised by means of a crank handle or any
other suitable device; the top of the casing is besides provided with sliding
support 101 for receiving the usual prism or other sighting-device, in order to
secure proper setting of the apparatus.
The construction of the apparatus being now explained, it is easy to understand
its working.
The film 16 being placed in it as shown in Fig. 2, the spring of the drum 36 is
wound up to a desired extent; it is sufficient for this purpose to raise both the
stops 47, 48 so as to allow the discs 44, 45, to rotate, and to turn the spindle 37
till the desired tension of the spring in the drum is obtained; then the stops 47, 48
are released and return to their working position on the discs 44, 45, one
tooth 46 of which is stopped by a corresponding stop, whereby the action of the
spring drum 36 and therefore the rotation of the spindle 37 are prevented, the
result of which will secure the immobility for the time being of the film 16;
then the pressure of the roller 21 on the roller 19 is regulated by adjusting the
tension of the springs 27, 28 by means of the handle 32, which is secured in its
position on the rack 33 with a spring as aforesaid. It is sufficient now to turn the
driving shaft 40 in order to make the apparatus work; the rotation of the shaft 40
will cause by the aid of the parts operatively-connected to it, the combination of
which has been mentioned previously, the alternate raising and lowering of the
rods 47 48 and consequently corresponding disengaging of the discs 44, 45, the
result of which, in consequence of the action of the spring drum 36 will be
the successive rotating and stopping of the rollers 19, 21 aud consequently the
advance in the desired direction and successive stoppages of the film 16 behind
the objective. It is important to point out here that the continuous rotation of
the driving shaft 40 causes an equally continuous movement of the spring-drum 36
in the direction necessary to the winding up of the spring within it and the
relation between these rotations is such that the partial winding-up produced
will correspond exactly to the amount of unwinding by the discs 44, 45 and
stops 47, 48, causing the rollers 19, 21 to act; thus the tension of the spring in
the drum 36 always remains the same, and also therefore the impulse given by
that spring to the spindle 37, so that there naturally follows an absolutely normal
and uniform working of the parts causing an uniform and regular advance of the
film 16 whatever the length of time of working of the apparatus, at any given
moment.
All these parts co-operating as has been previously described with the
shutter 62, the result is that recording or projecting of the photographic images
will be effected when the objective is opened, and when this occurs the film 16
stops whereas closing of the opening by the shutter corresponds to the advance of
the said film.
The speed of the apparatus being suitably regulated, the successive advancing
and stopping of the film 16 will be effected so that all the movements of any
desired scenes can be recorded and projected in a manner which gives a complete
illusion of movement.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is;-
1. In its whole and in its different parts the mechanism above described forming
a chrono-photographic and projection apparatus substantially as illustrated in the
accompanying drawing.
2. A device for producing intermittent movement of the film 16, consisting of
the combination of two moving rollers 19, 21, the side flanges 191, 22 of which
grip corresponding edges of the film 16 one of these rollers 19 being under the
influence of a spring drum 36 with a continuous automatic winding device causing
its intermittent rotation whereas the other roller 21 is driven by the first one 19
and is pressed against it by the action of the springs 27, 28 with adjustable
tension as this roller 19 is mounted in oscillating supports 24, 25 permitting it to
be moved outwards in order to facilitate the manipulations of the film 16 when
putting said film in place or removing it.
3. Mechanism for disengaging the motor-spring drum 36 working in combination
with the mechanism for moving the film 16 and constituted by the combination of
two discs 44 45 with teeth 46 co-operating with each other and with corresponding
stop rods 47 48 which being successively and alternately raised by the action of
the driving mechanism cause successive and alternate disengaging of their
respective discs 44 45 and therefore permit intermittent equal rotation of the
latter as well as of the spindle 37 and of the moving rollers 19, 21.
4. An arrangement of the shutter 62 with opening 69 for uncovering the
objective and parts 70 71 closing the objective and its combination with the
mechanism moving the film 16 in such a manner that the passage of the part 69
to uncover the objective corresponds with a stoppage of the film 16 the movements
of the latter taking place during the passage of the parts 70 71 of the shutter
which cause complete closing of the objective.
5. In order to avoid sliding of the film 16 and to ensure absolute exactitude of
its advance the arrangement of strengthened perforations 87 on the longitudinal
centre-line of the film and of impressions 84 near its edges the said perforations
and impressions co-operating the first with the points 89 of the pins 90 carried by
the roller 19 the second with recesses and projections 85 86 formed and arranged
in opposite directions on the side flanges 191 22 of the rollers 19 21 and
permitting by their relatively inverted position corresponding exactly to the
equally inverted position of the impressions 84 on the sides of the film 16 inversion
of the position of the film in the apparatus that is to say the presentation of either
of the faces of the film to the back of the objective.
6. The combination of different mechanisms of the apparatus driving one
another and their working as a whole caused by one driving shaft 40 actuated by
any suitable motor.
Deshi 114h
1000
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.