New or Improved Apparatus for the Manufacture of Films, more especially intended for the Manufacture of Films for Photographic Purposes.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Dec., 1893-Accepted, 27th Jan., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Apparatus for the Manufacture of Films,
more especially intended for the Manufacture of Films for
Photographic Purposes.
I WILLIAM HALL WALKER of 28 Maresfield Gardens, Hampstead in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
My invention has for its object to provide means whereby a continuous film of
any desired length can be readily and economically made without the use of the flat
tables hitherto used for the purpose and without the expense inconvenience and
hand labour attendant thereon.
According to my invention I provide a rotatable cylinder upon which I make the
film, the material of which the film is to be made being supplied to the said cylinder
and being spread to the desired thickness thereon. The cylinder is slowly rotated
and the film becomes dried thereon and is afterwards removed which may be
effected by attaching its end to a roller which is rotated so as to draw the film from
the cylinder as it is formed and dried thereon. The cylinder may be provided
with means whereby the desired temperature of its interior may be maintained for
instance by cooling water being passed through it, and means may also be provided
whereby a current of heated air can be caused to pass in contact with the film upon
the cylinder to dry the said film from its outer side. The solution of the material
of which the film is to be formed may be supplied from a tank or reservoir above
the cylinder, and provided with means for heating the solution of the said material
and in advance of the outlet from this tank, or reservoir, is a scraper, or knife, or
equivalent straight edge, set at a distance from the surface of the cylinder
corresponding to the thickness of the film to be formed. This scraper, or the like,
may be provided with a micrometer screw adjustment by which the distance from
the cylinder can be very accurately adjusted. As the cylinder is liable to be
somewhat altered in dimensions under changes of temperature I prefer to mount
the scraper, or the like, in a frame centered, or supported, in any suitable way and
provided with shoes rollers or parts, which rest upon the cylinder, at, or towards,
its ends, so that the frame carrying the scraper follows any alteration in
circumferential dimension of the cylinder and the space between the scraper and
the cylinder is maintained constant. As the cylinder is slowly rotated the material
is spread thereover by passing beneath the scraper in a film of equal thickness and
the said material is dried upon the said cylinder and is taken off, which may be
effected by a roller which is regulated to move at the same rate as the cylinder.
The end of the film being attached to this roller the dried film is by the rotation of
the roller wound thereon until any desired length of film has been produced. The
heated air for contact with the outer side of the film may be supplied by a fan, or
the like, drawing, or forcing, air in contact with any suitable heater and then into
a casing surrounding the cylinder, or any desired portion thereof. If it be desired
to coat the cylinder with any matter to facilitate the removal of the dried film this
matter may be supplied to the cylinder at a point between where the film is taken
off and the film making material is supplied.
Dated this 25th day of February 1893.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.

page_text: New or Improved Apparatus for the Manufacture of Films,
more especially intended for the Manufacture of Films for
Photographic Purposes.
I WILLIAM HALL WALKER of 28 Maresfield Gardens Hampstead in the
County of Middlesex Gentleman 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 has for its object to provide means whereby a continuous film of
any desired length can be readily, and economically made without the use of the
flat tables hitherto used for the purpose, and without the expense, inconvenience
and hand labour, attendant thereon.
According to my invention I provide a rotatable cylinder upon which I make
the film, the material of which the film is to be made being supplied to the said
cylinder and being spread to the desired thickness thereon. The cylinder is slowly
rotated and the film becomes dried thereon, and is afterwards removed, which may
be effected by attaching its end to a roller which is rotated so as to draw the film
from the cylinder as it is formed and dried thereon. The cylinder may be provided
with means whereby the desired temperature of its interior may be maintained
for instance by cooling water being passed through it, and means may be
provided whereby a current of heated air can be caused to pass in contact with the
film upon the cylinder to dry the said film from its outer side. The solution of the
material of which the film is to be formed may be supplied from a tank, or
reservoir, above the cylinder, and provided with means for heating the solution of
the said material and in advance of the outlet from this tank, or reservoir, is a
scraper, or knife, or equivalent straight edge set at a distance from the surface of
the cylinder corresponding to the thickness of the film to be formed. This scraper,
or the like may be provided with a micrometer screw adjustment by which the
distance from the cylinder can be very accurately adjusted. As the cylinder is
liable to be somewhat altered in dimensions under changes of temperature I
prefer to mount the scraper, or the like, in a frame centered, or supported in any
suitable way and provided with shoes rollers or parts which rest upon the cylinder,
at, or towards, its ends, so that the scraper follows any alteration in circumferential
dimension of the cylinder and the space between the scraper and the cylinder is
maintained constant. As the cylinder is slowly rotated the material is spread
thereover by passing beneath the scraper in a film of equal thickness and the said
material is dried upon the said cylinder and is taken off, which may be effected by
a roller which may be rotated at the same rate as the cylinder. The end of the
film being attached to this roller (or passed over it and attached to another roller
turned by hand or otherwise) the dried film is by the rotation of the roller or
rollers wound up until any desired length of film has been produced. The heated
air for contact with the outer side of the film may be supplied by a fan, or the like,
drawing, or forcing air in contact with any suitable heater and then into a casing
surrounding the cylinder, or any desired portion thereof. If it be desired to coat
the cylinder with any matter to facilitate the removal of the dried film this matter
may be supplied to the cylinder at a point between where the film is taken off and
the film making material is supplied.
In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated an apparatus constructed or
arranged according to my invention-Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section
and Figure 2 is a plan.
A is the cylinder upon which the film is formed. The said cylinder is preferably
made of cast iron and has a truly turned periphery. It is provided with trunnions
mounted in bearings supported by the framing Aso that the said cylinder can be

page_text: rotated in the setting B upon which is mounted the casing C with an opening at c
for the application of the film forming material to the periphery of the cylinder A
and for its removal therefrom. The said cylinder is slowly rotated by means of a
band passing over the pulley a or by other suitable means such as by a worm
engaging with a worm wheel connected with or formed on the said cylinder.
Through the trunnions of the cylinder A pass pipes a² and a' by which cooling
water is admitted and withdrawn from the interior of the said cylinder. There is
sufficient space between the cylinder A and the setting B and casing C to constitute
a passage for heated air driven by the fan D past the radiator E, or other heating
device, through the passage e into the said space from which it escapes by the
passage eG is a tank or reservoir for containing the solution of film making
material the said tank or reservoir being secured to the framing A².
There is a space at the bottom of the tank or reservoir G sufficient for the
passage of the said solution onto the cylinder. The said tank or reservoir may, if
required, have a steam coil therein, or other means for keeping the solution at the
most advantageous temperature. In advance of the outlet from the said tank or
reservoir G is a knife or straight edge H secured to the said tank or reservoir by
screws g passing through slotted holes in the said knife or straight edge. By
means of the screws bearing on the springs which in turn bear on the said
knife or straight edge it can be adjusted to a greater or lesser distance from the
periphery of the cylinder A in accordance with the thickness of film to be made.
The said knife or straight edge carries rollers h³ which run on the sides of the
periphery of the cylinder A so that the edge of the knife or straight edge maintains
its position relatively to the cylinder.
I is a roller over which the film is passed it being either rolled upon this roller
or passed to another roller on which it is wound by hand, or otherwise.
If any matter is to be applied to the periphery of the cylinder to facilitate the
removal of the film it is applied by hand or by any suitable device situated
between the roller 1 and the tank or reservoir G whilst between the roller I the
part where the said matter. is so applied there may be applied a pad, or the like,
bearing upon the periphery of the cylinder to remove any impurity, or moisture,
which there may be on the said periphery.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. An apparatus for the manufacture of films, consisting of a rotatable cylinder
and means for spreading thereon the material of which the film is to be made,
means for drying the said material whilst on the said cylinder, and means for
removing the film therefrom; all substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In apparatus for the manufacture of films, a rotatable cylinder to which the
film making material is applied and means for applying a heating agent at the
exterior thereof, and a cooling medium to the interior thereof; substantially as
hereinbefore described.
3. In apparatus for the manufacture of films, a rotatable cylinder and a device
for applying the film making material thereto, and regulating its thickness, the said
device riding upon the periphery of the said cylinder, so as to constantly retain its
proper relative position thereto; substantially as herein before described.
4. The arrangement, and combination, of parts constituting the apparatus for
manufacturing films; substantially as hereinbefore described, and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
0011
1000
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.