Improvements in and Appertaining to Slide Carriers for Optical Lanterns.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Sept., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 15th June, 1897-Accepted, 7th Aug., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Appertaining to Slide Carriers for Optical
Lanterns.
I, FELIX WILLIAM HUDLASS of 13 Hartwood Road, Southport in the county of
Lancaster, Musician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to the "carriers" such as are usually employed to hold
and change the slides in optical lanterns and the objects of my improvements are
to provide in a compact and convenient form a carrier mainly intended for use
with a single lautern but which shall effect the changing of the slides in a manner
superior to and more expeditious than heretofore, and shall give an effect
approximating to that known as dissolving.
One great advantage of my improved device is that it may be used with any
ordinary lantern and not only with such as are known as open fronted.
The
In carrying my invention into practice I provide a light hollow casing prefer-
ably of wood, such as mahogany, of such height and thickness as to fit into the
space in front of the condenser usually occupied by the ordinary carrier.
body of this case is approximately about three times the length of a slide. The
slides are fed into the casing by being dropped or placed therein, one by one by
hand, preferably through a slot at top, their bottom edges then resting on the
lower rib thereof between the two sides. A slide in this position is not in such
place as to be shown on the screen but may be moved thereinto as hereafter
described. The slides are moved one by one from the place of insertion and then
take up a middle position, and are shown on the screen, whence they are again
moved on to the other end of the carrier, from which they are removed. I prefer the
used slides to simply drop down through a slot in the bottom of the carrier, their
fall being guided and cushioned by a shoot or bag of flexible fabric such as calico,
or they may be lifted from the top if desired.
The sides of the carrier are perforated or cut away to allow the light to pass
through the slide occupying the central position, and are likewise slotted to allow
the dislodgment of the used slide from its final position.
The means I adopt for moving the slides along the carrier are as follows. I
provide a pneumatic cylinder whose piston rod carries an upwardly projecting arm,
which arm lies between the two sides of the carrier in such a position that when a
rubber ball, connected by a flexible tube with said cylinder, is squeezed, the piston
is projected forward and the arm thereon pushes the last inserted slide into show-
ing position. The next inserted slide is moved into the central position in like
manner and forces the previous one into the third position whence it leaves the
carrier as above mentioned. A light spring or elastic band ensures the return of
the piston and attachments to operative position. To limit the travel of the last.
inserted slide and to ensure that it does not overshoot its proper position, but shall

page_text: be accurately and automatically centred, I provide a light catch or claw. This is
preferably at the bottom of the carrier and is normally kept out of action by a
hair spring or similar device. Just before the slide arrives at its proper position
this catch is tripped or forced up by the end of the piston rod, and the forward
edge of said slide is stopped and retained thereby. When the piston recedes the
catch again becomes inoperative till just before the next slide requires to be
retained,, when it is again brought into action.
I prefer that during the actual changing of the slides the image on the screen
shall be shaded or blurred and this I effect by interposing a semi transparent
shutter (preferably of frosted celluloid) in the path of the rays of light. This
may be either placed in front of the lens, which I prefer, or at other suitable point.
It is also actuated pneumatically from the same source of air compression as the
pneumatic cylinder, and offering slight resistance to movement comes into action
a few moments before the slides move. I wish to point out that one squeeze of
the ball suffices to both interpose the shutter, and to change the slide. The
shutter when placed on the lens front is flexibly connected to the rest of the
apparatus and offers no impediment to the focussing..
Dated this 11th Jan £1000
CHARLES COVENTRY,
Patent Expert, Applicant's Agent.
Improvements in and Appertaining to Slide Carriers for Optical
Lanterns.
I, FELIX WILLIAM HUDLASS of 13 Hartwood Road, Southport in the county of
Lancaster, Musician, 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:-
My invention relates to the "carriers" such as are usually employed to hold and
change the slides in optical lanterns, and the objects of my improvements are to
provide in a compact and convenient form a carrier mainly intended for use with a
single lantern but which shall effect the changing of the slide in a manner superior
to and more expeditious than heretofore, and shall at the same time give an effect
approximating to that known as dissolving.
One great advantage of my improved device is that it can be used with any
ordinary lantern and not only with such as are known as open fronted.
In the drawings,
Fig. 1 is an elevation of my improved carrier.
Fig. 2 is a similar view to Fig. 1, but with one of the side plates removed to
expose the interior mechanism, which is shown in its inoperative position.
Fig. 3 is a plan of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a similar view to Fig. 2, but showing the mechanism in operation, that
is, removing a slide that has been last shown and substituting a fresh one.
Fig. 5 is a view of the shutter hereinafter described.
Fig. 6 is a similar view to Fig. 2 but showing a modification.
Fig. 7 is a detail of Fig. 6.
Like numbers indicate corresponding parts in all the Figs.
Referring first to Figs. 1 2 3 4 & 6.
I provide a light hollow casing preferably of wood, consisting of two sides 1 1,
with ribs or distance pieces 22, between. This casing is of such height and thick-

page_text: ness as to fit into the space in front of the condenser usually occupied by the
ordinary carrier. The body of this case is about three times the length of a slide.
The slides are fed into the casing by being dropped or placed therein one by one,
by hand preferably, through a slot (3 Fig. 3) at top, their bottom edges then rest-
ing on the lower rib 2 thereof between the two sides. The newly inserted slide is
shown in dotted lines at A and in this position is not in such place as to be shown
on the screen, but is moved thereinto as hereafter described. The slides are moved
in rotation from their initial position A and then take up a middle position B
and are there shown on the screen, and are afterwards conveyed to the other end
of the carrier, from which they are removed. I have shown the slide in position C
as adanted to be lifted out by hand but I may if desired cut away the terminal
portion of the lower rib 2, so as to allow the slide to drop through, its fall being
guided and cushioned a shoot or bag of flexible material such as calico.
The sides 1 of the carrier are cut away as shown at 4 to allow the light to pass
through the slide occupying the central position B, and are likewise cut away as
at 5 to allow the dislodgment of the used slide.
The means I adopt for moving the slides along the carrier are as follows. I
provide a pneumatic cylinder 6 whose piston rod 7 carries a right angled arm 8,
which lies between the two sides 1 of the carrier in such a position that when a
rubber ball connected by a flexible tube (not shown) with said cylinder 6 by
union 9, is squeezed, the piston 7 is projected forward and the arm 8 thereon
pushes the last inserted slide A into showing position B. The following inserted
slide is moved into the central position in like manner and forces the previous one
into the third position C, whence it leaves the carrier as above mentioned. A light
spring, shown for clearness by a dotted line 10, assists the return of piston rod 7
and arm 8 to initial position when the pressure is removed. To limit the travel
of the last inserted slide, and to ensure that it does not overshoot its proper position
but shall be accurately and automatically centered, I provide a light catch or claw.
device. 11 shows the catch which is pivotted at 12 to the sides I, and is normally
kept depressed by a hair spring 13. Just before the last inserted slide arrives at
central position B, this catch is raised (see Fig. 4) and is thus projected into the
path of the approaching slide. The slide (shown at right hand side of Fig. 4)
just leaving central position is canted up by the catch II and rides over the top
thereof. In practice there is generally sufficient impetus imparted to the last used
slide to drive it easily to position C more especially as the bottom rib or track at
that part has a slight slant.
In my provisional specification I have described this catch 11 as operated
mechanically by the end of piston rod 7 which comes in contact with said catch
just before the last inserted slide is centered, but I have found in practice that the
movement is obtained in a more satisfactory manner by actuating said catch
pueumatically and I therefore show this arrangement.
A rubber teat 14 lies below catch 11 and, when inflated, raises it as shown in
Fig. 4. It is supplied with air by a pipe 15 fed from the cylinder 6. The posi-
tion of the hole between cylinder 6 and pipe 15 is so regulated that it is only near
the completion of the feeding stroke of the piston and after it has passed said hole
that communication is established between pipe 15 and the air in back of cylin-
der 6. When the pressure is removed catch '11 drops and allows the used slide
to pass nearly completely over it before again rising. A spring 16 serves to brake
and steady the slides.
On the lower edge of the carrier shown in Fig. 4 I have shown an adjustable
stop, which bears against the edge of the lantern front and retains the carrier in
position. I prefer that during the actual changing of the slides the image on the
screen shall be shaded or blurred, and this I effect by interposing a semi-trans-
parent shutter (preferably of frosted celluloid) in the path of the rays of light.
This may either be placed in front of the lens which I prefer, or at other suitable
point. It is also actuated pneumatically from the same source of air compression
as cylinder 6 and offering but slight resistance to movement comes into action a

page_text: few moments before the slides move. I wish to point out that one squeeze of the
ball suffices to both interpose the shutter and to change the slide.
The shutter when placed on the lens front is flexibly connected to the rest of
the apparatus and offers no impediment to the focussing.
Fig. 5 is a front view of this device the front cover plate being removed to show
the interior mechanism. It is composed of a casing 17 having cover plates 18
perforated at 19 to fit on the lens hood.
A pair of wings 20 preferably of frosted celluloid are pivotted at 21 to the plate 18
in such manner that when swung towards each other they will overlap and cover
the opening 19. They are actuated by means of a rising plate 22 sliding on a
pin 23 which has holes 24 that embraces pins 25 on wings 20, or more particularly
on arms 26 which support said wings. A teat 27 lies under the flanged end of
plate 22 and is inflated with air supplied by pipe 28 and this is connected by
flexible tubing with a branch nozzle 29 on the cylinder 6. The weight of the
moving parts suffices to re-open the shutter wings.
The carrier above described may be made of any required dimensions, but is
only suitable for passing through slides of one fixed size.
The modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is adapted to change slides of varying
width which may be fed indiscrimately and will be automatically centered for
exposure. The main portions do not differ materially from the first described
modification and are numbered to correspond, the chief difference being in the
form of catch employed, and the method of actuating it. The catch 11 does not
simply rise and fall at a fixed point as in the first described modification but rises
and approaches the centre line - as shown in dotted lines. It is actuated by a
link 31 which is canted by means of a stop 32 on piston rod 7. To minimise the
jar when stop 32 strikes the link 31 said stop is loose on rod 7 and is buffered by a
spiral spring as shown which when closed up also acts as a distance piece for said
stop on said rod. The position thus determined is so calculated that after it
engages link 31 during the feeding motion, the distance of catch 11 from the centre
and of arm 8 from the centre are equal. Thus, if a slide of comparatively great
length be passing through, it will be gripped centrally between catch 11 and arm 8
at an early portion of their travel; whereas, if a smaller sixe be passing they will
approach nearer to one another before they grip it and its travel is arrested. It
will be seen that whatever the length of the slide, within ordinary limits the fact
of arm 8 and catch 11 being equal distances from centre -, it will always be
arrested at central position, and this is a great advantage.
In practice the most common sixes are British, American and French, which
measure 3 by 3 for the former, and 4 by 3 for the two last, any or all of which
may be used in this carrier.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A carrier for lantern slides, operated pneumatically, substantially,' as
described.
2. A lantern slide carrier having a pneumatic piston which causes the slides
to pass in rotation for exhibition, substantially as described and shown.
3. A lantern slide carrier operated pneumatically in combination with a veil-
ing or blurring shutter also actuated pneumatically from the same source of air
compression, substantially as described.
4. In a lantern slide carrier, a piston adapted to move the slides, and a stop 11
which is adapted to limit the travel of the last inserted slide, substantially as
described and shown.
6. In a lantern slide carrier, the movable stop 11 and the means for actuating-
same, whereby slides of different sizes may be passed through by pneumatic
pressure, being automatically arrested at their central position, substantially as a
described, and shewn with reference to Fig. 6.

page_text: 6. The improved lantern slide carrier, taken as a whole, substantially as
described and shown.
Dated this 14th day of June 1897
CHARLES COVENTRY,
Patent Expert, Applicant's Agent.