Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for taking Photographic Pictures of Objects in Motion and for Exhibiting such Pictures.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Oct., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 12th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 12th Oct., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for taking Photographic
Pictures of Objects in Motion and for Exhibiting such Pictures.
I, HORATIO JOHN HEINZE, Mechanical Engineer, of 16, East Road, City Road,
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for taking photographic pictures of bodies in
motion and for exhibiting such pictures, its objects being to enable the pictures
in a series each to have any desired length, that is to say, to be spaced at any
desired distance from centre to centre so that there would be no waste film between
them, to dispense with the perforations which have hitherto been necessary for
feeding the film, and have inconveniently limited the feed, and therefore the
spacing of the pictures, to some multiple of the pitch of the perforations, and to
improve the taking of objects in motion by imparting movements to the camera.
According to one part of this invention the film is led from a suitable box or
over a series of rouers through a guide in proximity to which a frame is recipro-
cated in the direction in which it is desired that the film should pass through the
guide; conveniently this frame is reciprocated by means of a crank and connecting
od, the latter being made capable of yielding lengthwise in order that without
varying the throw of the crank or necessitating the adjustment of any other part
of the apparatus the distance through which the frame is allowed to reciprocate
may be shortened by interposing suitable stops in its path. Conveniently there
are two of these stops which may be fixed or adjusted one situated near each end of
the path of the frame, the adjustable stops may be both operated by a single cam
or by other mechanism under the control of a single adjusting device, for example,
in order that by the simple adjustment of this device both strips may be caused
to approach or recede from each other to the desired extent.
The yielding connecting rod may for instance be made in two parts pressed
tegether by means of a spring or other device which sets up sufficient pressure
between the two parts to prevent the rod from altering in length, except when the
movement of the frame is obstructed by either of the stops aforesaid.
The invention is not limited to this particular construction of connecting rod
which is mentioned solely by way of example.
Pivotted upon the frame is a gripping device which may be formed of one or
more fingers or plates which, when the film is to be fed onward, are caused to bear
against it and to remain bearing against it whilst the frame, by their aid, moves
the film onward, the fingers leaving the film at the completion of the feed move-
ment and remaining clear during the return movement of the frame until the
commencement of the next feed movement. From the fingers or plates of the
gripping device aforesaid springs may extend over the film along the guide to
guide it and keep it flat. To cause the gripping device to be opened and closed
at the proper moment they may be controlled by a lever, one end of which travels

page_text: along a bar serving as a cam and pivotted so that it can be raised and lowered by
a lever, which in turn is under the control of a cam carried by the crank shaft.
The cam is so disposed relatively to the crank as to operate the rising and falling
bar and also the lever controlling the fingers in the desired accordance with the
movement of the frame.
Into the film guide extends a brake or retarding device which may be a lever,
under the control of a cam also carried by the crank shaft. This brake or retarder
projects into the guide for the film and holds it except at such times as the feed
takes place.
In the guide or channel through which the films pass is a spring, preferably flat
with an opening therein through which the film is visible; this spring is employed
for the purpose of holding the film close up against the orifice through which it is
to be exposed.
To adjust the exposure opening to the position of the picture on the film, I may
conveniently raise and lower the slide in which it is formed, by a long pivotted
lever, the free end of which is provided with a spring, bearing against the framing
of the apparatus in its proximity with sufficient friction to retain the lever and
frame at any position to which it may be adjusted.
For effecting a preliminary enlargement of the picture before it is received in
the usual projecting lens there is interposed between the latter and the picture an
enlarging lens which preferably should be near to the film, this lens may be
supported in bearings on the door of the film guide or can be carried in any other
suitable support.
As an alternative to the sliding frame before referred to an oscillating feeding
device may be employed which will carry grippers which are the equivalent of
the fingers before referred to and conveniently can be caused to operate by cam and
lever devices such as have hereinbefore been referred to. The stops for the oscil-
lating frame may conveniently be arranged to act upon the heel or any suitable
part thereof.
I may also construct a feeding device comprising friction rollers, the circum-
ference of one of which may be divided into a given number of parts equalling the
pitch of the pictures on the film. Attached to this roller is a tooth wheel
divided so as to engage with a rotating worm having a portion cut away this
worm is fixed to a spindle rotating at right angles with the divided roller.
Dated this 12th day of October 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for taking Photographic
Pictures of Objects in Motion and for Exhibiting such Pictures.
I, HORATIO JOHN HEINZE, Mechanical Engineer, of 16 East Road, City Road,
County of Middlesex, 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:-
This invention relates to apparatus for taking photographic pictures of bodies in
motion and for exhibiting such pictures, its objects being to enable the pictures
in a series each to have any desired length, that is to say, to be spaced at any
desired distance from centre to centre so that there would be no waste film between
them, and to dispense with the perforations which have hitherto been necessary for

page_text: In the accompanying drawings certain constructions of apparatus according to
this invention are illustrated by way of example,
Figure 1 being a front elevation"
Figure 2a rear elevation, and
Figure. 3 a side elevation, partly in section, of one construction of my improved
film-exposing apparatus;
Figure 4 is a detail view showing the film-grippers hereinafter referred to,
together with portions of the apparatus by which they are controlled;
Figure 5 is a side clevation of the film-feeding device C which forms part of
Fig. 2, showing this part in a position at right angles to that in which it is shown
in the said Fig. 2;
Figure 6 is a side elevation of a yielding rod, hereinafter referred to as a detail
of Figs. 2 and 3;
Figure 7 is an elevation showing the means by which travel of the film-feeding
device can be regulated while the apparatus is in use, for the purposes of varying
the feed as may be desired;
Figure 8 is a front elevation of a part of the apparatus, a portion being removed
to show the film-gripping devices.
Figure 9 is an elevation of an alternative construction of a part of a machine
such as is shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, such alternative being devised for the purpose
of enabling the film-grippers to be controlled electrically;
Figure 10 illustrates diagrammatically, in section on the line of the optical axis
thereof, an arrangement of lenses suited for use with projection-apparatus of the
class hereinafter referred to;
Figure 11 is a side elevation and
Figure 12 a vertical central section, of an alternative construction of film-
exposing apparatus according to this invention in which an oscillatory film-feeding
device is employed;
Figures 13 and 14 are respectively a side and rear elevation of a further alterna-
tive construction of film-exposing apparatus according to this invention, and
With reference first to Figures 1 to 7, A is a support or main frame provided
with bearings Ain which is journalled a main shaft B provided with a belt
pulley B' or other convenient means whereby rapid rotation may be imparted to
it. C is a film-feeding device which in this instance is a block arranged to recipro-
cate upon guide rods A fixed parallel to the rear face of the support A.
D is a
yielding rod which at one end is connected by a pin connection to the lugs C¹ on
the film-feeding device C, and at the other end engages the pin of a crank B
formed on the main shaft B; this yielding rod is made in two main parts D1 and D2
which lie one upon another as shown in Fig. 6, a block 1 carrying a stud extending
from the part through a slot D in the part D2, so as to carry a nut D³ between
which and the part D a spring D is held in compression. The spring operates to
maintain sufficient friction between the meeting faces of the opposed parts D¹ Is
to prevent them from sliding endwise upon one another so as to lengthen or shorten
the rod, except when the film-feeding device C is stopped in the manner hereinafter
described at the ends of its part of travel; that is to say the spring operates to set
up sufficient resistance to prevent alteration of the length of the rod whilst the
latter is moving the film-feeding device C between stops, which may either be fixed
or movable.
One arrangement of the stops is shown clearly in Figure 7, from which it may
be seen that the film-feeding device C is provided with an extension C³ integral
therewith, being stops each mounted on a pivot F fixed on or forming part
of the support or main frame A; these stops are double-ended, the ends E³ of each
bearing upon a double cam pivotted by a pin G to the support A. and provided
with a lever G2 by which it can be adjusted to bring the ends of the stops E! 1²,
which protrude into the path of the projection C², nearer together or further apart

page_text: as required; G is a graduated plate in proximity to the lever G to indicate the
extent to which the latter is adjusted.
The film-guide is constituted in part by one face of the support A which is
grooved as at A³, Figs. 1 and 8, and in part by a door J which lies across the
groove as shown in Fig. 1, there being sufficient clearance between the opposed
faces of the door J and the groove A to permit the free passage of the film L
through the apparatus from top to bottom in the direction of its length, as indi-
cated by the arrow in Figs. 1 and 2. J is a spring latch pivotted to the door J
and engaging normally with a keeper A so us to keep the groove A³ closed. A are
hinges about which the door can readily be turned when it is desired to insert a
film into the groove A³.
The film-grippers by which the film placed in the film guide as indicated in
Fig. 1 is caused to receive intermittent movement in the direction of the arrow,
will now be described:--
Portions of the 'film-feeding device C, which latter is at the opposite side of
the support A to that upon which the film travels, extend through slots A, Fig. 8,
in the said support to and beyond the level of the surface over which the film
passes, the parts extended beyond the level of that surface have pivotted in them a
transverse shaft M (see also Fig. 4) upon which are secured fingers M. Between
those portions of the film-feeding device which are in the film guide, and the
shaft M, and fingers M', there exists normally a passage just sufficient to enable the
film to pass; but when the fingers M' are moved against the adjacent portions of
the film-feeding device in the manner hereinafter described, they grip the film
in the clearance, and if the film-feeding device then he moved the fingers M and
feeding-device C will carry with them the film. Spring extensions M8 are fixed
to the fingers M and extend therefrom in the direction in which the film, is to be
moved by the fingers, lying close to the opposed surface of the film guide, in order
to prevent any buckling of the film during each of its feed-movements.
In the example illustrated this movement of the film in company with the film-
feeding device occurs during the downward movement of the latter; during the
reverse or upward movement of the fingers M they are caused to move away from
the film-feeding device sufficiently far to pass freely over the film without exerting
any propulsive effect thereon.
Upon one end of the shaft M is an arm M2 which at one end carries an anti-
friction roller M3. In proximity to the path traversed by the roller M³ in its
movement with the arm M and the rest of the apparatus carried by the film-
feeding device, is a bar N, Figs. 2 and 4, which is carried by a shaft Ni, the latter
being pivotted to turn in bearings A fixed to the support or main frame A, and
being provided with an arm N2, which at the end N3 engages with a cam O fixed
upon the main shaft B. By the operation of the cam 0 the plate N can be moved
towards or away from the support or main frame A so as to raise or lower the
arm M as required by acting on the roller M³, no matter where the latter may
happen to be in its path of reciprocation with the device C.
P, Fig. 2, is a spring fixed upon the film-feeding device C and bearing upon the
arm M2 so as to keep it and the parts N N 0 in constant engagement and up to
their work. Preferably the apparatus is provided with a brake in the form of
a detent lever Q pivotted in bearings As to the support A, and having one end Q
engaged with the cam B' fixed on the main shaft B, and the other end Q extended
into the film guide; the cam B is so disposed in relation to the lever Q that the
end Q of the lever keeps the film pressed against the door J of the film guide at
all times except those at which the film is required to move with the descending
film feeding device C.
The shutter U employed with this apparatus is a rotating one fixed upon the
shaft R, which latter is geared by the gear wheels S S S S to the main shaft B
by way of the intermediate shaft T as shown in Fig. 2.
The shutter U is mainly composed of two thicknesses U U of wire gauze, one
thickness U being fixed to the part U, which in turn is fixed to the shaft R, and

page_text: the other thickness U¹ being fixed to the part U2 which is adjusted, the part
being pivotted thereto at U. U is the head of a screw which passes through the
parts U2 U3 so as to lock the two thicknesses of wire gauze P¹ Pa in any position
to which they may be adjusted in relation to each other. This type of shutter
forms part of the subject manner of prior Letters Patent No. 15603 of 1896 granted
to me.
V is the opening in the support through which the film is exposed in its passage
through the apparatus. V₁ is a shutter which is connected by a pin and slot con-
nection at V2 to a lever V3 pivotted at V to the support A, and provided at its
opposite end with a spring V5 fixed to this lever, and in compression between it
and the adjacent face of the support, so that it will set up sufficient friction to
retain the lever V3 in any position to which it may be adjusted. By moving the
lever V3 up or down the shutter V₁ is correspondingly adjusted in the aperture V
whereby the latter is varied in size.
In the channel between the opposed faces of the door J and groove A³ is &
spring W, secured to the door opposite the opening V through which the film is
visible; this spring is pereferably formed from a plate more or less flat, having a
rectangular opening W₁ therein, and is so secured to the door that the opening Wi
comes opposite the opening V in the main frame A through which the film is
exposed. This spring is employed for the purpose of holding the film flat between
it and the support A and close up against the orifice V in the latter.
The operation of the apparatus hereinbefore described is as follows:-
The door J is opened to permit of the insertion of one end of a strip of film L
in the groove A³ and between the fingers M', shaft M and film-feeding device C,
after which the doors are reclosed. The main shaft B is then rotated and imparts
by means of the yielding rod D a reciprocating movement to the film-feeding
devicé C upon the guide rods A2, simultaneously the cam O operates the lever N2,
plate N, roller M³ and arm M2 at proper intervals in such a manner that during
the descent of the film-feeding device C the grippers grip the film, pressing the
film against said device and causing it to move down, whereas in the ascent of
the film-feeding device the cam 0 releases the mechanism N2 N M3 M² and allows
the spring P, by its action upon the arm M², to move and keep the grippers away
from the film until the next descent of the feeding device. The cam B acting on
the brake lever Q is so set in relation to the cam that at all times when the latter
is not causing the grippers to grip the film and feed it, the brake Q will grip the
film and hold it stationary. In other words, during the descent of the device C
the grippers are operative and the brake is inoperative; and consequently during
the ascent of the device C the brake is operative and the grippers are inoperative.
The main shaft B in addition to feeding and braking the film, as described,
revolves the shutter U by means of the gearing S1 S2 S3 S4, before referred to.
The shutter is so set on the shaft and is of such angular extent as to cover the
opening V at which the exposure occurs, except at or about at such times as the
film is stationary.
Variation of the extent of movement given to the film at each operation of the
feeding-device is one of the most important advantages obtainable by this inven-
tion, because it enables perforations in the films to be entirely dispensed with;
this is effected by varying the extent of travel of the film-feeding device C in the
following manner:-
The stops E¹ E2 (Fig. 7) are adjusted so as to limit the travel of the device C
by coming into contact with the projection C therefrom, and they are enabled thus
to limit the movement of the device C inasmuch as the connection between the
latter and the main shaft B is made yielding, and in the example illustrated takes
the form of yielding connecting rod D hereinbefore described. The throw of the
crank B is such that it will impart the desired maximum travel to the device C if
the stops EE are not in action; whereas if the stops E¹ E be brought into action
they will stop the motion of the device C at the desired points without affecting

page_text: the crank shaft, which, when the moving of the feeding device is thus interfered
with, will either lengthen or shorten the rod D as the case may be.
With reference now to Fig. 9 which illustrates a modification of the apparatus
in which electricity is employed to actuate the fingers M of the film gripper, the
device C has an electro-magnet W secured upon it, the poles W¹ of which extend
into proximity to a pivotted armature M upon which fingers M' are pivotted. Nis
a contact maker, fixed upon the main shaft B, and No is a spring contact included
in a battery circuit in which the electro-magnet W is comprised. The contact-
maker is so arranged as to complete the circuit of the electro-magnet at proper
intervals, for the period during which the reciprocating film-feeding device
traverses its downward path, thus causing the armature M to approach the
poles Wand move the grippers attached to that armature to engage the film. In
other words it may be said that the contact-maker N4 makes contact with the
spring No to cause the electro-magnet W to he energised at intervals and periods
corresponding to those at which the arms N of Fig. 2 is actuated by the cam 0
in the same fig.
With reference to Fig. 10, a b c are three plano-convex lenses which are intended
to be disposed as shown with the smaller lens a close to the film L so that it may
receive upon its plane face the rays projected through the film and project an
enlarged image upon the convex face of the lens b, which in turn will deliver a
reduced image upon e, the latter effecting the final enlargement to the desired
extent. The advantages of this arrangement are that the lenses b and c, which
are such as are ordinarily used for lantern projection, are rendered equally avail-
able for use with the small pictures on a film, by the insertion of the lens a
hetween the len & and the film to magnify the picture to a size which will enable
the lens to deal with it. Otherwise the lenses b and c could not be used for
projection from the film and a distinct optical equipment would be needed for that
purpose. The modification illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12 will now he described:-
It comprises a support A in which a film-feeding device C is pivotted so as to
oscillate instead of reciprocating as does the corresponding part in the construction
previously described. is a shaft journalled in a part of the support A, about which
shaft the device C oscillates, being caused to do so by a yielding connecting rod D
operated from a main shaft B in like manner to the operation of the correspond-
ingly-lettered parts in the preceding Figures In the oscillation of this form of
the film-feeding device C, the end C thereof, (Fig. 12) which is farthest from the
shaft C moves up and down behind the 'film L in the arc of a circle, which being
very short approximates sufficiently to a straight line path for the purpose of this
inntion. M are grippers carried upon the oscillating device C and so formed as
to extend to the front of the film and grip the latter between them and the adjacent
face of the device C during the downward movement, of the latter; the grippers are
carried upon rods M which slide endwise in guides C on the feeding device C,
and are extended beyond the shaft C for connection to a link M, pivotted to the
device C, and being suitably shaped as at M7 to bear against a cam fixed on the
auxiliary shaft C3, which operate the grippers at the proper time; M is a spring
in tension between a collar C on the rod M and the guide C through which it
passes; it serves to keep the rod M5 and link M in a position in which the latter
will be always in readiness for operation by the cam 0.
The main shaft B and auxiliary shaft C are geared together by the spur
wheels BC.
C is a 'pawl pivotted to the support A and so controlled by a spring not shown in
the drawings as to engage with the teeth of the wheel C to prevent the gear from
being turned in the wrong direction.
In this construction the door J for the film guide is pivotted at its lower end to
the support A, instead of at one side.
In the further modification illustrated in Figs. 13 and 14 the film L is drawn
downward continuously by friction-rollers situated in the lower part of the
apparatas, the roller being pivotted to the support A and driven by the pulley

page_text: keyed on to its spindle, whilst the roller is journalled in a swing frame 1³ pivotted
to the support A, being caused to grip the film between it and the other roller by
a spring in tension between the swing frame and the support. A plate m is so
situated relatively to the support A as to leave a narrow passage way between the
two for the film L, in order that a certain amount of drag or retardation may be
exerted on the film as it passes through such passage. Between the lower end of
the plate m and the rollers is journalled a shaft n geared by the pinion.nl fixed
upon it to a spur wheel fixed upon the shaft of the roller . On the shaft n
is fixed a frame o which carries a roller p the radial distance of which from the
centre of the shaft n can be varied. The object of this roller p placed eccentrically
to the shaft n is to produce in its rotation about the latter a loop or deviation L' in
the film L at intervals. The rollers tend 'always to keep the film in a straight
line between the bottom of the plate m and the rollers but the roller p comes
round at regular intervals with the frame o to bulge the film out in the manner
indicated in Fig. 13 and inasmuch as the rollers are prevented by ratchet or
,equivalent means not shown in the drawings, from allowing the film to return
'upward between them, the production of the bulge or deviation L' draws the film
sharply down between the plate m and the support A and thus effects the rapid
movement necessary for the change of picture. As soon as the roller p recèdes
from the loop or deviation L' leaving it slack, such slackness is taken up by the
rollers which rotate continuously and at uniform speed, and thus make the
film taut in readiness for the next operation of the roller p. The amount of feed
imparted by the roller p acting as aforesaid will depend upon its distance from the
axis of the shaft n about which it rotates; and to vary the feed, this distance may
be varied by the mechanism now to be described:
The roller is not journalled directly in the frame o but in a frame o' (Fig. 14)
which is movable in guides in the frame o by means of the lever q pivotted at q
to the said frame o and connected at q2 by a pin and slot connection to the frame o¹.
The end of this lever 7 bears upon a cam r, which lies in the path in which the
end of the lever q travels in its movement with the rotating frame o. This
cam forms part of a lever r pivotted at to the frame A of the apparatus and
controlled by an adjusting lever s pivotted at s¹ to the said support. Adjustment of
the lever s varies the distance of the cam r, and consequently of the end g³ of the
lever q, from the axis of rotation of the frame o, and proportionately varies the
distance of the frame o' and its roller p from the same axis of rotation, thus altering
to the desired degree the size of the loop L' and the extent of the feed of the film.
With reference to the lever G2 of Fig. 7 or its equivalent it will be obvious that
it could be adjusted by means of any suitable type of worm adjusting gear which
would lock it in any position within its range of adjustment into which might be
moved or there might for the same purpose be ratchet teeth on the plate G
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In film exposing apparatus feeding the film by friction.
2: In film exposing apparatus the combination with a frictional film feeding
device of mechanism for varying the feed during the time the apparatus is in
action, with or without an indicator.
3. In film exposing apparatus the combination with a frictional film feeding
device of mechanism for varying the feed during the time the apparatus is in
action with or without a locking device.
4. In film exposing apparatus a reciprocating film feeding device 'arranged to
grip the film intermittently for the purpose described.
5. In film exposing apparatus, the combination with a reciprocating film feeding
device of the kind described of mechanism for varying the feed during the time the
apparatus is in action.

page_text: 6. In film exposing apparatus, an oscillating film feeding device substantially
as and for the purpose described.
7. In film exposing apparatus the combination with a reciprocating film feeding
device of stops such as EE, a shaft B and a yielding operative connection between
said device and shaft for the purpose described.
8. In film exposing apparatus, means whereby the stops E¹ E can be simul-
taneously adjusted whilst the apparatus is in action for the purpose described.
9. In film exposing apparatus, the combination with a reciprocating film feeding
device, of grippers such as M₁ pivotted thereto and mechanical or electro-
mechanical apparatus arranged to control the grippers substantially as and for the
purpose described.
10. In film exposing apparatus, springs such as M8 arranged and operating sub-
stantially as and for the purpose described.
11. In film exposing apparatus of the kind described a brake such as Q and
control mechanism therefore arranged and operating substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
12. In film exposing apparatus, a film guide constituted in part by a support A
and in part by a door J substantially as and for the purpose described.
13. In film exposing apparatus an elastic device such as W or other spring to
keep the film flat during its passage through the apparatus.
14. In film exposing apparatus the combination with a film guide constituted
as specified, of a film-feeding device such as C, arranged and operating substan
tially as and for the purpose described.
15. In film exposing apparatus the combination with a shutter V of the lever V
and spring Vs, substantially as and for the purpose described.
16. In film exposing apparatus the combination with a film feeding device such
as C of apparatus substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated
in Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.
17. In film exposing apparatus a yielding connecting rod substantially as and
for the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
18. In film exposing apparatus an electro mechanical gripping device sub
stantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in Figure 9 of the
accompanying drawings.
19. The employment in combination with film exposing apparatus and lense
such as B and C, of a lens such as A substantially as and for the purpose described
20. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete film
exposing apparatus substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrate
in Figures 1 to 8 or Figs. 11 and 12 or Figures 13 and 14 of the accompanying
drawings.
Dated thin 19th dox of August 1897.
HORATIO JOHN HEINZE.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant.