Year: 1896

page_text: We, ARTHUR SAMUEL NEWMAN, and NEWMAN & GUARDIA, LIMITED, both of
92 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, Manufacturers of Scientific Apparatus, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide improved means for moving along, step
by step, the photographic film on which is formed the series of pictures used in a
kinematograph apparatus. For this purpose we employ mechanism of the following
character:-
In the base-plate of the instrument is formed the usual opening, which may be
covered with glass, over which the photographic pictures are to be passed. Revolving
in suitable bearings mounted on the base-plate is a shaft provided with a crank or
eccentric, and between the said shaft and the aforesaid opening is pivotted a lever
arm, the free end of which forms the fulcrum of a lever one end of which is connected
to the crank or eccentric, and the other end to a device provided with pins adapted to
take into the feeding holes in the photographic film. With this arrangement of
mechanism, when the crank shaft is rotated the device carrying the aforesaid pins is
caused to move in a peculiar path such that when the pins are down, and taking into
the holes in the photographic film, they are caused to move more or less horizontally,
that is to say approximately parallel to the base-plate on which the film rests, to carry
with them the film to the required distance; then the said pins are raised more or
less perpendicularly out of the feeding holes, and are carried back, free of the photo-
graphic film, until they come over other holes in the said film, they then descend more
or less perpendicularly into such holes, they then make another horizontal feeding
movement approximately parallel to the base-plate, feeding the film forward a step and
then return as before, and so on, each revolution of the crank producing a forward
movement of the photographic film, which then remains stationary until the pins are
again moved back and brought into engagement with the next set of holes in the
film.
When the feeding pins are caused to do the whole work of moving forward the
photographic film against the resistances produced by friction, inertia and the work of
unrolling of the film from the roll into which it has been wound, the feeding holes in
the film are liable to become unduly enlarged. To obviate this we sometimes over-
come the greater part of these resistances and correspondingly relieve the strain on
the feeding holes by passing the film from the roll over a sprocket wheel fixed on the
aforesaid crank-shaft, so that each revolution of the latter brings forward the quantity
of film required for each step by step movement, in readiness for the feeding pins to
move forward during their next feeding movement; the portion of the film thus fed
forward by the sprocket wheel being disposed in a wavy form in the space between the
sprocket wheel and the opening in the base plate until the feeding pins engage in the

page_text: holes of the film, when the said pins have nothing to do but to assist or control
the movement of the film; the actual movement of the film being effected hy its
tendency to straighten itself out of the wavy form, which has been given to it as
above described, immediately after it has been released by the clamping arrangement
hereinafter described.
In order to keep each successive part of the film fed forward by the sprocket wheel
in a uniformly wavy form we sometimes place over the part of the base plate where
the wavy accumulation of film takes place, an inclined plate, which with the base
plate, or some other suitable guide, forms a kind of funnel or mouth-piece through
which the film has to pass, and in which the wavy accumulations are caused to assume
the same form always whereby uniformity of feed is promoted.
In order to hold the film firmly in place over the opening in the base plate when
the feeding pins are out of the feeding holes and are making their backward inove-
ment, we employ a clamping arrangement which may consist of a plate of transparent
material, such as glass for example, or a frame having in it an opening at least as
large as the picture on the film. This plate or frame is placed over the opening in
the base-plate, and is operated by any suitable mechanism in such manner that when
the feeding pins are moving the film, the clamping plate or frame is raised off the
film so as to allow of the free movement of the latter between the clamping plate or
frame and the base-plate or guide; but when the film has come to rest, and just
before the feeding pins are raised ont of the feeding holes the said clamping plate or
frame is lowered in order to hold the film firmly between itself and the base-plate or
guide, and just as the feeding pins are again entering the film the clamping plate
or frame is raised in order to release the film for the next feeding movement.
The feeding arrangement above described enables the film to remain stationary for
about the same length of time as is occupied in the feeding novement, that is to
say the picture will be illuminated during about 50 per cent. of the whole time
between the beginning of one step by step movement and the beginning of the next,
and during about 50 per cent. of such time, that is to say while the actual feeding
movement is being effected, the picture will be obliterated. In order, however, to
adapt the above described feeding mechanism so that it will allow the picture to be
illuminated during a longer portion, say 75 per cent. of the time between the beginning
of one movement and the beginning of the next, and the actual feeding movement to
be effected within say 25 per cent. of that time, we provide mechanism whereby the
feeding device can be thrown out of action ever alternate rotation of the crank shaft;
that is to say one rotation of the crank-shaft effects a forward movement of the feeding
device while the latter is engaged with the film, and a backward movement of the
feeding device while it is out of engagement with the film; and the next rotation of
the crank-shaft effects both a forward and a backward movement of the feeding device
while out of engagement with the film; so that one half revolution of the crank shaft
effects the required movement of the film, and the next three half revolutions have no
action whatever upon it. This may be effected by altering the position of the
fulcrum of the lever carrying the feeding device so that the latter is held at such a
distance above the film during each alternate revolution of the crank shaft that the
said feeding device cannot engage with the film.
By a suitable modification of the above described arrangement the crank-shaft may
be caused to move the film during one half revolution, and then to make, five, seven,
or other odd number, of half revolutions not acting upon the film, whereby the
proportion of the time of illumination to the time of obliteration may be varied within
very wide limits.
Dated this 13th dow of Dutal 100

page_text: Improvements in Kinematograph Apparatus.
We, ARTHUR SAMUEL NEWMAN, and NEWMAN & GUARDIA, LIMITED, both of
92 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, Manufacturers of Scientific Apparatus, 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 object of this invention is to provide improved means for moving along, step
by step, the photographic film on which is formed the series of pictures used in a
kinematograph apparatus. For this purpose we employ mechanism of the kind
hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying three sheets of Drawings,
in which Figure 1 is a back elevation of an apparatus constructed in accordance with
our invention, Figure 2 a side elevation of same and Figures 3 and 4 views illustrative
of modifications of certain parts.
In Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawings the apparatus is shown as contained in a
box 1 the back of which is supposed to be removed in Figure 1, and the side in
Figure 2.
2 represents the usual lens through which the images of the pictures are transmitted
to the eye of the observer, or to the screen, as the case may be. The kinematograph
apparatus is mounted on a fixed board 3 and is operated by a crank handle 4 or by any
other suitable means as may be preferred. The working parts of the apparatus are
carried for the most part by frame plates 5 in the usual manner.
In the fixed plate 6 of the instrument is formed the usual opening 7 opposite to
which may be placed the glass plate 8 between which and the plate 6 the film 9,
having on it the series of photographic pictures, is to be passed. Revolving in
suitable bearings in the frameplate 5 is a shaft 10 provided with a crank plate having
on it a crank pin 11, and between the said shaft and the aforesaid opening is pivotted
on a shaft 12, also turning in bearings in the frame plates 5, a lever arm 13 the free
end of which forms the fulcrum 14 of a lever 15, 16, one end of which is
connected to the crank pin 11 and the other end of which is provided
with pins 17 adapted to take into the feeding holes in the photographic film 9. With
this arrangement of mechanisin, when the crank shaft 10 is rotated the pins 17 are
caused to move in a peculiar path (the path of the points of the pins is shown by the
curved line 17 in Figure 2) such that when the pins 17 are in the holes in the photo-
graphic film 9, they are caused to move more or less in a vertical straight line, that
is to say approximately parallel to the plate 6 opposite to which the film passes, to
carry with them the film to the required distance; then the said pins are drawn more
or less perpendicularly to the plane of the film, out of the feeding holes, and are
carried back, free of the photographic film, until they come opposite the next set of
holes in the said film, they then enter such holes more or less perpendicularly to the
film, they then make another vertical feeding movement approximately parallel to
the plate 6 feeding the filin forward a step, and then return as before, and so on, each
revolution of the crank shaft 10 producing a forward movement of the photographic
film, which then remains stationary until the pins 17 are again moved back and
brought into engagement with the next set of holes in the film.
The film 9 is led through the apparatus much in the usual way, that is to say it is
rolled up and mounted on a spindle 18, being prevented from unwinding too quickly
by a spring urged friction brake 19 bearing against the surface of the roll. The film
is then led under the guide roller 20, over the sprocket-wheel 21, the pins of which
take into the feed holes of the film, then past the plate 6, under the sprocket wheel 22,

page_text: and is finally wound on to a receiving bobbin, not shown in the Drawings, which is
mounted on the sleeve 23 carried on the spindle 24 and turned by frictional contact
therewith. Rotatory motion is communicated to the crank shaft 10, the sprocket-
wheels 21 and 22, and spindle 24 from the pitch chain wheel 25 fixed on the driving
shaft 26, by means of an endless pitch-chain 27 passing over the said chain-wheel 25,
over chain-wheel 28 on the spindle 24, over the chain-wheel 29 on the spindle 30 of
the sprocket-wheel 22, under the chain-wheel 31 on the spindle 32 of the sprocket-
wheel 21, and over the chain-wheel 33 of the crank-shaft 10.
The film is kept in contact with the sprocket wheels 21 and 22 by means of
spring pressers 34 and 35 respectively.
The part 15 of the feeding lever 15 16, may be connected to the part 16 by a
spring connection which allows the said part 15 to yield in the event of the points
of the pins 17 striking a part of the film where there are no feeding holes. For
this purpose both the parts 15 and 16 are adapted to turn loosely on the fulcrum
pin 14, but a spring 15 secured to the part 16 tenda constantly to press the
tail 15 of the part 15 against a stop 16 on the part 16, but yields when the
points of the pins 17 meet with an obstacle in their movement to the right in
Figure 2.
As the distance between the two holes in the film composing a pair is liable to
vary at different parts of the film, one of the arms, such as that marked 15 in
Figure 1 for example, may be made elastic so that it can readily bend to the right
or left in Figure 1 to accommodate the pin 17 on its end to the position of the hole
it has to enter. And as the position of the feeding holes in the film also varies
slightly in a longitudinal direction one or both of the pins 17 may be attached to its
arm 15 by an elastic connection 17" as shown in Figure 3.
The obliterating disc 36 may be rotated in unison with the crank-shaft 10 by
means of a pitch-chain wheel 37 fixed on the said shaft and a half crossed pitch-
chain 38 passing round a pitch-chain wheel 39 fixed on the axis 40 of the said
obliterating disc 36.
When the feeding pins 17 are caused to do the whole work of moving forward the
photographic film against the resistances produced by friction, inertia, and the work
of unrolling the film from the roll into which it has been wound, the feeding holes
in the film are liable to become unduly enlarged. To obviate this we overcome the
greater part of these resistances, and correspondingly relieve the strain on the feeding
holes by passing the film from the roll over the sprocket-wheel 21 and causing the
latter to rotate uniformly so as to bring forward the quantity of film required for
each step by step movement, in readiness for the feeding pins 17 to move it forward
during their next feeding movement; the portion of the film thus fed forward by
the sprocket-wheel 21 being disposed in a wavy form in the space between the
sprocket-wheel and the opening 7 in the plate 6 until the feeding pins 17 engage in
the holes in the film, when the said pins have nothing to do but to assist or control the
movement of the film; the actual movement of the film being effected by its tendency
to straighten itself out of the wavy form which has been given to it as above
described, immediately after it has been released by a clamping arrangement such,
for example, as that hereinafter described.
In order to keep each successive part of the film fed forward by the sprocket-wheel
in a uniformly wavy form we sometimes place at the part where the wavy accumula-
tion of film takes place, an inclined plate 6, which with the plate 6, or some other
suitable guide, forms a kind of funnel or mouth-piece through which the film has to
pass, and in which the wavy accumulations are caused to assume the same form
always, whereby uniformity of feed is promoted.
In order to hold the film firmly in place opposite the opening in the plate 6 when
the feeding pins 17 are out of the feeding holes and are making their backward
movement, we employ a clamping arrangement which consists of a clamping bar 41
the edge of which is covered with vulcanized fibre or other suitable material. This
bar is mounted on the free end of an arm 42 secured on an axis 43. On this axis
is fixed a lever arm 44 the free end of which is constantly pressed against a cam 45

page_text: fixed on the crank shaft 10, by means of a spring 46 acting upon the axis 43. The
clamping device acts in such manner that when the feeding pins 17 are moving the
film 9 the clamping bar 41 is moved by the spring 46, lever arm 44, axis 43 and
lever arin 42 to the right in Figure 2 so as to allow of the free movement of the
film 9 between the said clamping bar and the fixed plate 6; but when the film 9 has
come to rest and just before the feeding pins 17 are drawn out of the feeding holes
the said clamping bar 41 is moved to the left by the cam 45, (against the resistance
of the spring 46) lever arm 44, axis 43 and lever arm 42, in order to hold the film 9
firmly between itself and the plate 6, and just as the feeding pins are again entering
the film the clamping bar is moved to the right again to release the film for the next
feeding movement.
The feeding arrangement above described enables the film to remain stationary for
about the same length of time as is occupied in the feeding movement; that is to say
the picture will be illuminated during about 50 per cent. of the whole time between
the beginning of one step by step movement and the beginning of the next, and
during about 50 per cent. of such time, that is to say while the actual feeding move-
ment is being effected, the picture will be obliterated. In order, however, to adapt
the above described feeding mechanism so that it will allow the picture to be illumi-
nated during a longer portion, say 75 per cent. of the time between the beginning
of one movement and the beginning of the next, and the actual feeding movement
to be effected within say 25 per cent. of that time, we provide mechanism whereby
the feeding device can be thrown out of action every alternate rotation of the crank-
shaft 10; that is to say one rotation of the crank-shaft effects a forward movement
of the feeding device while the latter is engaged with the film, and a backward move-
ment of the feeding device while it is out of engagement with the film, and the
next rotation of the crank-shaft effects both a forward and a backward movement of
the feeding device while out of engagement with the film; so that one half
revolution of the crank-shaft effects the required movement of the film and the next
three half revolutions have no action whatever upon it. This may be effected, as
shown in Figure 4 for example, by altering the position of the fulerum 12 of the
lever arm 13 carrying the feeding device so that the latter is held at such a distance
from the film 9 during each alternate revolution of the crank-shaft that the said
feeding device cannot engage with the film.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 4 the parts of the feeding mechanism are
exactly the same as are shown in Figures 1 and 2 and are marked with the same
figures of reference, but instead of the shaft 12 being arranged to turn in holes or
bearings in the frame plates 5 so that its axial line always remains in the same position
it is free to slide to and fro in slots 47 in the frame plates 5, and is mounted in eyes
or bearings in the ends of two eccentric rods 48 which take on to eccentric sheaves 49
fixed on the shaft 26, which in this case would be arranged to rotate at half the
speed of the crank-shaft 10. The Drawing shows only one of the eccentric rods 48
and one of the sheaves 49, the other eccentric rod and sheave being at the other side
of the apparatus.
It will now be understood that as the crank-shaft 10 revolves it moves the feeding
device to and fro in the manner already described, but inasmuch as the eccentrics 49
are rotating at the same time and at half the speed of the crank-shaft, the shaft 12
is caused to move to and fro in the slots 47 once for every two revolutions of the
crank-shaft. The effect of this is that the points of the pins 17 move in a path
indicated by the curved line shown as touching the said point, the part of the curve
shown by a full line representing the path traversed by the points of the pins 17
while effecting the forward movement of the film during one half of a revolution of
the crank-shaft, and the part of the curve shown by a dotted line representing the
path traversed by the said points during the illumination of the film, that is to say
during the next three half revolutions of the crank-shaft when the pins 17 are out
of engagement with the film. The dotted lines 12, 13, 15, 16, 48 and 49
represent the respective positions of the parts 12, 13, 15, 16, 48 and 49 when the

page_text: crank-shaft 10 has made one revolution and the shaft 26 a corresponding half
revolution.
It will be obvious that instead of eccentrics 49, for throwing the feeding devices in
and out of action, cains may be employed for that purpose, the mechanism for
transmitting the necessary movement therefrom to the feeding devices being modified
accordingly.
By a suitable modification of the above described arrangement, as for example by
causing the crank-shaft 10 to rotate at three, four, or other number of times as fast
as the eccentric or cam-shaft 26, the crank-shaft may be caused to move the film
during one half revolution, and then to make five, seven or other odd number of half
revolutions not acting upon the film, whereby the proportion of the time of
illumination to the time of obliteration may be varied within very wide limits.
It will be understood that the action of the feeding arrangement above described
is largely dependent upon the relative positions of the crank-shaft 10, the shaft 12,
the fulcrum 14, and the part of the film opposite the exposure opening 7, that the
positions shown in the Drawings are given by way of example only, and that the said
relative positions may be varied according to circumstances without departing from
the nature of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. In a kinematograph apparatus, mechanism for moving the photographic
film along step by step which consists of a lever pivotted on the free end of an
oscillating arm and provided at one end with pins adapted to take into the feeding
holes of the film, and connected at the other end to a crank pin which imparts a
compound motion to the lever, substantially as described.
Second. In a kinematograph apparatus, the combination of mechanism for moving
the photographic film along step by step, of the kind herein described with clamping
devices for holding the photographic film stationary while the feeding devices are out
of engagement with the said film, substantilly as described.
Third. In a kinematograph apparatus causing the photographic film to assume a
wavy form between the feeding sprocket-wheel and the exposure opening,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Fourth. In a kinematograph apparatus the employment of a funnel or mouthpiece
for the purpose of causing the part of the photographic film fed forward by the
sprocket wheel while the part of the said film opposite the exposure opening is
stationary to assume a wavy form, substantially as described.
Fifth. In a kinematograph apparatus having mechanism for moving the photo-
graphic film along step by step of the kind herein described, means for placing such
mechanism in and out of action according to the desired proportion of the time of
obliteration of the picture to the time of illumination thereof, substantially as
described.
Sixth. In a kinematograph apparatus in which the film is fed forward by two pins
taking into corresponding holes in the film mounting one or both the said pins
flexibly on their supports, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 19th
A. S. NEWMAN.
NEWMAN & GUARDIA.
Per W. H. Beck,
115 Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.