Year: 1898

page_text: I, CHARLES RALEIGH, of 58, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
دو
This invention relates to machines now commonly known as ❝ mutoscopes
designed to present in rapid succession a series of pictures so as to give the appear-
ance of animation or movement to the subject protrayed.
In mutoscopes as hitherto constructed, it has been usual to arrange the pictures on
flexible arms which project radially from a common centre. In the circular path
traversed by the pictures or by the arms carrying the latter, a stop is presented
which has the effect of temporarily arresting the movement of each successive
picture whilst in the line of vision. The continuation of the rotative movement has
the effect of liberating each picture, and allowing it to resume its normal and radial
position. According to this method of working, the bending of the pictures or of
the arms on which they are carried provides but an extremely limited surface for the
arresting stop to engage with; the consequence being that, unless the pictures are
mounted with great accuracy, there is a liability for more than one picture to
disengage itself at a time, the regularity in the apparent movement of the object
being thereby marred.
According to my improved method of construction, instead of arranging the
pictures radially or upon arms, so that, on arriving in position for observation, they
travel in a direction at right-angles to their surfaces, I mount them in such a manner
that in travelling towards or away from that position they move edgewise or sub-
stantially in the plane of their surfaces. On reaching a certain point in their
journey, they arrive against a curved guide so arranged as to gradually deflect them
laterally to an angle of from 60 to 70 degrees or thereabouts. On passing beyond
the curved guide, they are successively released and, straightening out, resume their
normal attitude.
In mounting the pictures, they are arranged each with its head slightly in advance
of that of the following picture; the extent to which each picture is in advance
being permissibly considerably more than is practicable with mutoscopes as ordinarily
constructed and worked.
The series of pictures may be arranged to work rectilineally or to follow a circular
path or they may be mounted on an endless band passing round one or more guide
rollers. The means for imparting movement to the band may be of any known
character.

page_text: I, CHARLES RALEIGH, of 58, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical
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 :-
"
This invention relates to machines-now commonly known as "mutoscopes
designed to present in rapid succession a series of pictures so as to give the appearance
of animation or movement to the subject portrayed.
In mutoscopes as hitherto constructed, it has been usual to arrange the pictures
on flexible arms which project radially from a common centre. In the circular path
traversed by the pictures, or by the arins carrying the latter, a stop is presented
which has the effect of temporarily arresting the movement of each successive picture
whilst in the line of vision.
The continuation of the rotative movement has the effect of liberating each
picture and allowing it to resume its normal and radial position. According to this
method of working, the bending of the pictures or of the arms on which they are
carried provides but an extremely limited surface for the arresting stop to engage
with the consequence being that, unless the pictures are mounted with great
accuracy, there is a liability for more than one picture to disengage itself at a time,
the regularity in the apparent inovenent of the object being thereby marred.
According to my improved method of construction, instead of arranging the
pictures radially or upon arins, so that, on arriving in position for observation, they
travel in a direction at right-angles to their surfaces, I mount them in such a manner that
in travelling towards or away from that position they move edgewise or substantially
in the plane of their surfaces. On reaching a certain point in their journey, they
arrive against a curved guide so arranged as to gradually deflect them laterally to
an angle of from 60 to 70 degrees or thereabouts. On passing beyond the curved
guide, they are successively released and, straightening out, resume their normal
attitude.
In mounting the pictures, they are arranged each with its edge slightly in advance
of that of the following picture; the extent to which each picture is in advance
being permissibly considerably more than is practicable with mutoscopes as ordinarily
constructed and worked.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a view of a "mutoscope" having the pictures arranged according to
my improved method.
Fig. 2 is a face view, the front portion of the casing which is furnished with the
lens for viewing the pictures being removed.
Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a number of picture cards mounted in the
manner illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 but arranged spirally upon the spindle.
Fig. 4 shows in side elevation and perspective another method of mounting
the pictures whereby they are arranged paralled with and so as to overlap each
other.
Fig. 5 illustrates a method of working where the cards are mounted as in Fig. 4
and arranged in sections upon an endless carrier.
Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing a number of pictures mounted parallel
with and so as to overlap each other and arranged upon a circular foundation.
A 'A are the overlapping picture cards or arms which are mounted upon the
spindle B; the latter being carried in the bearing C. Motion may be imparted to
the spindle B by means of the handle through the medium of the worm b¹ and

page_text: worm-wheel 62. D is the curved guide by which the picture cards are deflected
laterally and allowed to descend upon a stop E in position for being viewed through
the lens F. The picture cards or arms may be rectangular or wedge-shaped in
plan.
According to an alternative mode of mounting, shown in the diagram Fig. 3, the
picture-cards A are arranged in the same manner as in Figs. 1 and 2, that is to say,
each with its edge slightly in advance of that of the following picture, but the series
of pictures are placed on the spindle B in the form of a spire. When mounted in the
machine each picture is deflected by the curved guide D and received on the stop E
as explained with reference to Figs. 1 and 2.
The series of picture cards may be arranged to work rectilineally as shown in
Figs. 4 and 5. In Fig. 4 is illustrated a series of picture-cards A mounted on an
endless band or carrier Bº, each card being arranged with its edge slightly in advance
of the one immediately following. In Fig. 5 the same method of mounting and
working pertains, but the picture-cards A are arranged in sections; the sections with
their carriers B° being mounted upon an endless chain G which may be operated by
the chain-wheels G₁ G'. The picture-cards may be mounted on an endless band
arranged to pass round one or more guide rollers.
Or the series of picture cards, arranged as above described, may be mounted so as
to follow a circular path, as shown in Fig. 6, in which the series of overlapping
picture cards A are mounted upon a circular plate or boss B*, the latter being keyed
on a spindle B¹, carried in suitable bearings C₁, operated by means of a crank handle
and worm gearing as described with reference to Figs. and 2. A guide or
projection Do is mounted in the casing of the machine for deflecting each picture-
card in succession so as to bring the same to the position for observation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood
that I am aware of the Specifications of Linnett, No. 925 of 1868, and of Casler,
No. 14439 of 1895, and I do not claim anything described and claimed therein, and
that I am also aware that mutoscopes have been constructed in which the pictures
have been mounted on elastic cards upon an endless band, and I make no general claim
to such arrangement, but I claim :--
1. In presenting in rapid succession a series of pictures so as to give the appearance
of animation or movement to the subject portrayed, the herein described method of
mounting the pictures in the plane of their surfaces, each with its edge slightly in
advance of that of the following picture; so that, in travelling towards or away from
the position for observation, they move edgewise or substantially in the plane of their
surfaces.
2. In apparatus for presenting in rapid succession a series of pictures so as to give
the appearance of animation or movement to the subject portrayed, the herein
described method of mounting the picture-cards in the form of a spire upon a rotating
spindle, each picture-card being arranged with its edge slightly in advance of that
of the following picture-card, and being deflected laterally by a curved guide.
3. In apparatus for presenting in rapid succession a series of pictures so as to give
the appearance of animation or movement to the subject portrayed, the combination,
with the pictures A, arranged each with its edge slightly in advance of that of the
following picture, of the spindle B, curved guide D, stop E and lens F, substantially
as set forth.
4. In apparatus for presenting in rapid succession a series of pictures so as to give
the appearance of animation or movement to the subject portrayed, mounting the
picture-cards on an endless or other band or carrier arranged to work rectilineally,
each picture-card being arranged with its edge slightly in advance of that immediately
following, and causing each successive picture-card to be laterally deflected by means
of a fixed guide, substantially as herein described.
5. In apparatus for presenting in rapid succession a series of pictures so as to give
the appearance of animation or movement to the subject portrayed, mounting the

page_text: series of picture-cards in sections upon an endless chain or carrier and causing each
successive picture-card to be laterally deflected by means of a fixed guide, substan-
tially as herein described.
6. In apparatus for presenting in rapid succession a series of pictures so as to give
the appearance of animation or movement to the subject portrayed, arranging the
picture-cards in a circle, each with its edge in advance of that of the next card,
mounting the series upon a revolving carrier, and causing each successive picture-
card to be laterally deflected by means of a fixed guide, substantially as herein
described.
Dated this 24th day of June 1899.
For the Applicant,
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
Chartered Patent Agent, Clun House, Surrey Street, London, W.C.