Improvements in Cinematographic Apparatus.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Nov., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 26th July, 1899-Accepted, 14th Oct., 1899
Improvements in Cinematographic Apparatus.
I, RICHARD SIMONAU, of 35, Rue de Hennin, Brussels, in the Kingdom of
Belgium, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be us
follows:-
This invention relates to cinematographic apparatus, and has for its object to
provide means for obviating the flickering of the pictures, without lessening the
stereoscopic effect, and further to enable negatives to be taken and positives to
be reflected in the one apparatus.
These means consist mainly in the adoption of two combined apparatus, both
of which reflect a scries of pictures on to a common screen, also in the combina-
tion with the said duplex apparatus of two superposed shutters arranged to turn
or move in opposite directions, and each having an opening so formed as to
maintain during the relative movement of these shutters an uninterrupted and
constant amount of light on the screen on which the pictures are thrown in
superposition and thus rendered free from any flickering effect.
The means furthermore consist in the particular combination of mechanisms for
operating the shutters and for moving the films bearing the pictures as well as
for regulating the exact position of the reflected pictures and thereby ensuring
the proper working of the apparatus.
The whole of the mechanism is enclosed in a case and comprises two object
glasses set in the fear wall of the case for use in taking negatives, two object
glasses disposed internally in proximity to the front wall for reflecting the posi-
tives, four rotary drums mounted, on shafts and having the films wound on to
them, two driving drums adapted to move the films, and two shutters, all
operated by one handle.
These principal parts are combined and adapted to co-act one with another
substantially as follows.
Between the upper and lower film-carrying rotary drums is arranged a cross
shaft mounted in bearings and provided outside the casing with an operating
handle. This shaft carries a gear wheel and two pulleys of suitable diameters.
The latter drive by cords the shafts upon which the film drums are mounted with
slight friction and held in position by spring forks engaging the shafts. The said
gear wheel actuates through intermediate gear the two shutters and the driving
drums for moving the films.
The movement of the shutters is also effected by power transmitted from the
same cross shaft through bevel or other interposed gear to two shafts carrying
or operating the two said shutters.
The motion of the films is effected by a pin gear on one of the wheels which
engages at the proper times slots in rotary discs arranged at the side of the same
wheel and mounted independently on the shafts carrying the driving drums above
mentioned. These drums carry pins which engage in small holes near the edges

page_text: of the films, and cause each of the two films to advance in succession and without
jerking for a determined distance. The slots in the discs are so arranged as to
enable the corresponding pin gear to engage one after the other and thereby
impart to the disc a progressive speed which is accelerated until the pin arrives
at the bottom of the slot and then gradually decreased, whereupon the pin leaves
the slot, but only after the disc has been brought to rest. The result of this is
that the alternative rotations of the driving drums are effected without jerking.
To provide against any movement of the said drums during the inoperative
period of the pin gear, each film-adjusting contrivance is provided with a stop-
ping device comprising a lever with a stop pin retained by a spring in conjunction
with a disc having notches into which the said stop pin enters and thus retains
the shafts together with the drums stationary.
The shutters are of circular shape and revolved in opposite directions through
the action of the gear wheels. Each shutter has an opening somewhat larger
than a semi-circle, and such openings move in reverse directions behind two
apertures provided in the partition and in the plane of the object glasses.
The object glasses, in order to permit of the exact superposition of the two
pictures on the common screen, must be capable of a slight inclination towards
each other, for which purpose they are mounted in tubes secured by hinges to the
partition and are advanced towards each other by means of a milled disc operating
a rod having right and left screw-threads and engaging stationary circular nuts
secured to the said tubes. Thus by turning the milled disc the tubes will be
caused either to approach towards or to recede from each other by turning on
their hinges and they carry with them the two frames which serve to guide the
films, which latter are normally retained in contact with the driving drums by
guides supported by spring controlled blocks.
The combined apparatus thus constructed operates in the following manner.
The upper drums carrying the films having been placed on their shafts the ends
of the filma are drawn through the hinged frame across the apertures, then the
guides are lowered (after having previously displaced the spring block) and then
the ends of the films are drawn between the driving drums and the partition and
finally fixed to the lower drums. The guides are now replaced in normal position
and hold the films against the driving drums and cause the said films
to follow the curvature of these latter, the holes pierced along their edges
then engaging with the pins. For obtaining negatives the object glasses are used
and the cross shaft is rotated by means of the crank-handle.
The interposed gear effects the alternate rotation of the driving drums and at
the same time one of the pins disengages the stop gear from the notched diso
whereupon the corresponding drum (then no longer retained) is free to turn by
the action of the pin gear acting on one of the slots in the slotted disc.
The alternate rotation of the driving drums causes the films to move and to be
unrolled from one set of drums and rolled upon the other or lower set which
receive rotary motion through the intervention of the belts referred to. Owing
to the special mounting of these drums above described the films are unaffected
and receive no accidental jerks or any undue strains from the action of the drums.
The reflection of the positives is effected in the same apparatus by the aid of
one set of object glasses after first removing the other set and a suitable light is
placed near the openings in the casing.
The films which are mounted in the same manner as for taking the negatives
are moved as before described; simultaneously with the movement of the films,
rotation is imparted to the shutters by means of the gear wheels, which move-
ment taking place in opposite directions in front of the apertures, gradually but
alternately uncovers the latter without causing any variation in the amount of
light in any position of the two shutters. The result therefore is that flickering
is entirely avoided and that the reflected picture receives an unvarying light
throughout.
.
To obtain a perfect reflection of the positives it is advisable before using the

page_text: apparatus to adjust the position of the object glasses and frames by means of the
milled wheel so as to ensure the correct superposition of the two pictures on the
projecting screen.
Dated this Seventeenth day of November 1898
Improvements in Cinematographic Apparatus.
I, RICHARD SIMONAU, of 85, Rue de Hennin, Brussels, in the Kingdom of
Belgium, 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 cinematographic apparatus, and has for its object to
provide means for obviating the flickering of the pictures, without lessening the
stereoscopic effect and further to enable negatives to be taken and positives to
be reflected in the one apparatus.
These means consist mainly in the adoption of two combined apparatus, both
of which reflect a series of pictures on to a common screen, also in the combina-
tion with the said duplex apparatus of two superposed shutters arranged to turn
or move in opposite directions, and each having an opening so formed as to
maintain during the relative movement of these shutters an uninterrupted and
constant amount of light on the screen on which the pictures are thrown in
superposition and thus rendered free from any flickering effect.
The means furthermore consist in the particular combination of mechanisms for
operating the shutters and for moving the films bearing the pictures as well as
for regulating the exact position of the projected pictures and thereby ensuring
the proper working of the apparatus.
I will describe my invention in reference to the accompanying drawings in
which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus with casing in section. Fig. 2
is a side elevation of same, and Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are details of the mechanism.
The whole of the mechanism is enclosed in a case such as A and comprises two
object glasses BB set in the rear wall a of the case for use in taking negatives,
two object glasses B¹ B' disposed internally in proximity to the front wall a¹ for
projecting the positives, four rotary drums CCCC mounted on shafts bb¹ and
baving the films wound on to them, two driving drums DD¹ adapted to move
the films, and two shutters E E¹³ Figs. 2 and 5 all operated by, one handle.
These principal parts are combined and adapted to co-act one with another
substantially as follows:-
Between the upper and lower film-carrying rotary drums CC is arranged a
cross shaft & mounted in bearings and provided outside the casing with an operat-
ing handle F. This shaft carries a gear wheel G and two pulleys H H of suit-
able diameters. The latter drive by cords ee the shafts 66 upon which the film
drums CC CC are mounted with slight friction and held in position by
spring forks ff engaging grooves in the shafts 661 see Fig. 2. The said gear
wheel G actuates through intermediate gear the two shutters and the driving
drums for moving the films.
The movement of the shutters EE is also effected by power transmitted from
the cross shaft d through interposed gear; thus for instance the shutter E is
driven by interposed gearing consisting of wheels K on shaft g, driving wheel L
on shaft 7 and through it the wheel L' on the shaft / carrying the shutter E.

page_text: The shutter E¹ is driven by gearing consisting of wheel N arranged on the shaft ?
at the back of partition M, and driving the sleeve n, carrying the shutter E¹ and
mounted on shaft, by gear wheels N N N".
The motion of the films is effected by a pin gear on one of the wheels, for
instance K as shown, wherein pins P or P¹ engage at the proper times with
slots or in rotary discs RR arranged at each side of the wheel K_and
mounted independently on the shafts pp which carry the driving drums DD¹
above mentioned. These drums D1 carry pins D" which engage in small holes
near the edges of the films, and cause each of the two films to advance in succes-
sion and without jerking for a determined distance. The slots in the discs R. R¹
are so arranged as to enable the corresponding pin gear Pl" to engage one disc
after the other and thereby impart to said disc a progressive speed which is accele-
rated until the pin P or P¹ arrives at the bottom of the slots or r¹ and then
gradually decreased, whereupon the pin leaves the slot, but only after the disc
has been brought to rest. The result of this is that the alternative rotations of
the driving drums DD¹ are effected without jerking. To provide against any
movement of the said drums DD' during the inoperative period of the pin gear,
each film adjusting contrivance is provided with a stopping device comprising a
lever S Fig. 3 having a stop pins and retained by a spring s¹, in conjunction
with a disc T having notches t into which the said stop pins enters and thus
retains the shafts 22 together with the drums D1) stationary.
The shutters EE are of circular shape and revolved in opposite directions
through the action of the gear wheels described. Each shutter has an opening O
somewhat larger than a semi-circle, and such openings move in reverse directions
behind two apertures U, U provided in the partition M and in the plane of the
object glasses BB and B B
The object glasses B, B, in order to permit of the exact superposition of the
two pictures on the common screen must be capable of a slight inclination towards
each other, for which purpose they are mounted in tubes V, V¹ secured by hinges
to the partition M, see Fig. 4, and are advanced towards or receded from each
other by means of a milled disc W, Figs. 1 and 4, operating a rod w having right
and left screw threads and engaging stationary circular nuts Z secured to the said
tubes V, V. Thus by turning the milled disc W the tubes VV' will be caused
to either approach towards or to recede from each other by turning on their
hinges z and they carry with them the two frames Q, Q which serve to guide the
films, which latter are normally retained in contact with the driving drums D D'
by guides y supported by spring controlled blocks y¹.
The combined apparatus thus constructed operates in the following manner.
The upper drums CC" carrying the films having been placed on their shaft b
the ends of the films are drawn through the hinged frames QQ across the
apertures U, U then the guides yy are lowered (after having previously displaced
the spring blocks yly) and then the ends of the films are drawn between the
driving drums 1) D₁ and the partition M and finally fixed to the lower
drums CC The guides y are now replaced in normal position and hold the
films against the driving drums D, D', causing the said films to follow the curva-
ture of these latter, and the holes pierced along their edges to engage with the
pins D. For obtaining negatives the object glasses BB are used and the cross
shaft d is rotated by means of the crank-handle F.
The interposed gear described effects the alternate rotation of the driving
drums D D¹ and at the same time one of the pins P disengages the stop gear S
from the notched disc T whereupon the corresponding drum (then no longer
retained) is free to turn by the action of the pin gear P or P¹ acting on one of the
slots or in the slotted disc R or R'.
The alternate rotation of the driving drums D, D' causes the films to move and
to be unrolled from one set of drums CC" and rolled upon the other or lower set
CC which receive rotary motion through the connecting driving belts e e
referred to. Owing to the special mounting of the drums D D¹ above described

page_text: the films are unaffected and receive no accidental jerks or any undue strains from
the action of the drums.
The projection of the positives is effected in the same apparatus by the aid of
the other set of object glasses B₁ B' after first removing the set B B, a suitable
light being placed near the openings in the casing.
The films which are mounted in the same manner as for taking the negatives
are moved as before described; simultaneously with the movement of the films,
rotation is imparted to the shutters EE by means of the gear wheels described,
this rotation taking place in opposite directions in front of the apertures gradu-
ally but alternately uncovers the latter without causing any variation in the
amount of light in any position of the two shutters. The result therefore is that
flickering is entirely avoided and that the reflected picture receives an unvarying
light throughout.
To obtain a perfect projection of the positives it is advisable before using the
apparatus to adjust the position of the object glasses and frames by means of
the milled wheel W so as to ensure the correct superposition of the two pictures
on the screen.
Suitably coloured screens may be employed with the above apparatus in the
known manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In a cinematographic apparatus the use of a duplicated and combined appa-
ratus having two shutters moving in opposite directions over the two apertures
of the apparatus, each shutter having an opening so formed that the pictures are
projected on to a common screen without interruptions and with a constant light,
substantially as described.
2. In a cinematographic apparatus comprising a combined duplicated appa-
ratus, the means for adjusting the direction of projection so as to obtain exact
superpositions of the pictures comprising a milled disc such as (W) adapted to
actuate a right and left-hand threaded spindle, operating stationary nuts on the
tubes carrying the objective lenses, and frames (QQ) hinged to each of the said
tubes, and adapted to support the films during projection of the pictures on the
screen.
3. In a combined duplicated cinematographic apparatus the means for adjusting
the films carrying the pictures consisting in the combination with film-carrying
spools CCCC mounted with light friction on shafts bb, of the driving
drums D D¹ adapted to travel the films, the said drums being alternately revolved
through the medium of slotted cam discs such as R R driven by alternately
operating driving pins as (P P'), substantially as described.
3. The improvements in cinematographic apparatus comprising the combination
with a duplicated apparatus of oppositely driven shutters such as EE', the means
for driving the shutters and for operating the film-driving drums alternately and
in such manner that the pictures coincide with the apertures in and movement of
the shutters and are projected in exact superposition on a common screen, sub-
stantially in the manner set forth.
5. The combination of parts comprising the improved cinematographic appa-
ratus constructed, arranged and adapted to operate substantially in the manner
and for the purposes set forth in the specification and as shown in the accom-
panying drawings.
Dated this 26th day of July 1899.