Improved Appliance for Taking, Projecting, and Printing Animated Photographs.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Dec., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 14th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 12th June, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Appliance for Taking, Projecting, and Printing Animated
Photographs.
1, JOHN WILLIAM LESLIE NAISHI of 12 Carnegie Street, Edinburgh
Photographic Mechanician do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to an improved appliance for taking, projecting and
printing animated photographs; the improvement relates more particularly to
an improved means of gripping the film; and to an improved shutter working
eccentrically for the purpose of exposing and cutting off the picture in an improved
manner that is to say for the better showing off of the picture.
The machine consists of a brass or other metal frame with an upright front
plate and a horizontal base plate, the two being supported or kept rigid by stays
and brackets; at the front side of the upright front plate the revolving shutter is
situated; at the other side of the upright front plate is the gripping mechanism.
There is a rectangular opening through the front plate, across which the film is
passed downwards; the film beiug in a roll within a box supported at the top of
the front plate. Vertical guides are at each side of the opening for the film, at
the front side of the front plate. The film passes down the front side of the front
plate over the opening, and during its travel, and also when the film is at rest for
the instant, it is kept flat and steady by means of a flat frame piece provided with
spiral springs. This elastic frame keeping the, picture perfectly steady. In
order to readily remove the said steadying frame and also to readily replace it, a
notch is cut in the guides with another cotch in the guides at right angles thereto,
to receive short pins which project from both sides of the steadying frame so that
all that is necessary to do is to fit the pins into the notch and then by a side
motion lock the pins under the other notch.
The shutter is preferably of a segmental shape that is to say with one edge
straight and the opposite edge curved but with the one end cut across instead of
coming to a point as is the other end of the shutter; the particular formation
being such that the shutter although revolving has all the advantages of a drop
shutter that is to say, when it starts to cover the film opening, the lower edge of
the shutter is approximately straight across the opening and when the shutter
leaves the opening, it is also straight across the opening that is to say, an
approximate straight drop or chop is given by the shutter, so as to give a complete
exposure of the picture and a complete or direct cut off of the picture during the
instant that the following picture is appearing. The said shutter is attached to
the end of an arm, which arm is keyed on a horizontal shaft. The said shaft is
mounted eccentrically on a disc at the other side of the plate, which disc is carried
upon another horizontal shaft to which the rotating gear is connected. The short
shaft of the shutter arm has a triangular shaped tappet and the arrangement is
such that as the disc is rotated by the rotating gear, the shutter is simultaneously
rotated and the rotation of the tappet simultaneously operates the film gripping
and feeding mechanism. The said tappet works in a fork formed on the one end
of an arm; the other end of the arm carries the film gripping and feeding
arrangement. The said forked arm is held in position by providing at about the

page_text: centre of its length an upright guide rod which works in guides fixed to the inner
side of the front upright plate.
The film is perforated at both sides in the ordinary way and in order to grip
and feed the film, I employ two horizontal pins to correspond with the perforation
at each side of the film; the said pins are fixed at right angles to a bar, which
bar is moved backwards and forwards that is to say to and from the film by
means of the rotating disc, in the manner as hereinafter referred to. The said
pins pass through the joggling arm that is to say the arm which is moved rapidly
up and down through the medium of the triangular tappet. The free ends of the
pins work through holes in a guide bar which is bracketed to the side of the tappet
moved arm. Behind the bar to which the film pins are attached are two pins or
rollers mounted in connection with the said bar by means of a bracket. The disc
rotates between these two pins or rollers and by virtue of a bulge given to the edge
of the rotating disc, the said disc causes the film pins to vibrate in and out of the
perforations in the film. The said bulge may be effected by simply bending a
segmental portion of the edge of the disc. This may be more conveniently
effected by making a slit in the side of the disc for say one third of the circum-
ference of the disc. This slitting provides a strip along that portion of the edge
of the disc, which portion can be easily bulged or bent without interfering with
the rest of the disc which is left flat. The arrangement is such that when the
bulge of the disc comes in contact with the disc pins or rollers, on the downward
motion of the disc, it puts the film pins out of gear by drawing them back.
Meantime the motion of the tappet is carrying the forked arm upwards for the
purpose of enabling the pins to be ready to take another grip of the film. On the
Hat part of the disc coming into action with the disc pins or rollers, the film
gripping pins are put into action and when the bulge of the disc comes round
again the film pins are withdrawn from out of the perforations in the film.
When the guide rod of the forked arm is a round rod I prefer to steady that
end of the said forked rod which is opposite to the triangular shaped tappet, with
a slotted portion to receive within it a fixed upright guide rod.
Dated this 15th day of December 1896.
JOHNSONS,
115 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Petitioner's Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Appliance for Taking, Projecting, and Printing Animated
Photographs.
1, JOHN WILLIAM LESLIE NAISH of 12, Carnegie Street, Edinburgh,
Photographic Mechanician, 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 an improved appliance for taking, projecting and
printing animated photographs; the improvement relates more particularly to an
improved means of gripping the film, and to an improved shutter working
eccentrically for the purpose of exposing and cutting off the picture in an improved
manner that is to say for the better showing off of the picture.
But in order that my said invention may be more readily understood and easily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the
accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a side elevation.
Fig. 2 a front elevation and
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3

page_text: Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the operating mechanism and Fig. 5 is a section of
the film steadying arrangement..
Referring to the accompanying drawings the machine consists of a brass or
other metal frame with an upright front plate A and a horizontal base plate a the
two being supported or kept rigid by stays a'; at the front side of the upright
front plate A the revolving shutter B is situated; at the other side of the upright
front plate is the gripping mechanism.
There is a rectangular opening C through the front plate, across which the film
is passed downwards; the film being in a roll within a box C' supported at the
top of the front plate. Vertical guides D are provided at each side of the
opening at the front of the plate A. for guiding the film. The film passes down
the front side of the front. plate over the opening, and during its travel, and also
when the film is at rest for the instant, it is kept flat and steady by means of the
flat frame piece E, the plate e of which is caused to press against the film by means
of the spiral springs e as shewn more particularly in Fig. 5; this clastic frame
keeping the picture perfectly steady. In order to readily remove the said
steadying frame and also to readily replace it, a notch d is cut in the guides D with
another notch in the guides at right angles thereto, to receive short pins d
which project from both sides of the steadying frame E so that all that is necessary
to do is to slip the pins into the notch d and then by a downward motion lock the
pins under the other notch d'.
The shutter B shewn more particularly in Fig. 2 is preferably of a segmental
shape that is to say with one edge straight and the opposite edge curved but with
the one end cut across instead of coming to a point as is the other end of, the
shutter; the particular formation being such that the shutter although revolving
has all the advantages of a drop shutter that is to say, when it starts to cover the
film opening, the lower edge b of the shutter is approximately straight across the
opening and when the shutter leaves the opening the end is also straight across
the opening that is to say an approximate straight drop or chop is given by the
shutter, so as to give a complete exposure of the picture and a complete or direct
cut off of the picture during the instant that the following picture is appearing.
The said shutter B is attached to the end of the arm which arm is secured to
the disc F keyed on the horizontal shaft f. The said shaft is mounted
eccentrically on a dise G at the other side of the plate A, which disc is carried
upon the horizontal shaft G' to which the rotating gear is connected. The shaft f
of the shutter arm is set say one half inch out of line of the main shaft G¹ and is
provided with a triangular shaped tappet H, and the arrangement is such that as
the disc G is rotated by the rotating gear, the shutter is simultaneously rotated
and the rotation of the tappet H simultaneously operates the film gripping and
feeding mechanism. The said tappet H works in a fork or opening H' formed on
the one end of the arm H2, the other end of which carries the film gripping and
feeding arrangement. The said forked arm H' is held in position by providing at
about the centre of its length an upright guide rod which works in guides ¹
nixed to the inner side of the front upright plate A.
The film is perforated at both sides in the ordinary way and in order to grip
and feed the film, I employ two pair of horizontal pius J to correspond with the
perforations at each side of the film; the said pins are fixed at right angles to a
bar which bar is moved backwards and forwards that is to say to and from the
film by means of the rotating disc K in the manner as hereinafter referred to.
The said pins J pass through the joggling arm H which is moved rapidly up and
down through the medium of the triangular tappet H, and are guided by the
pin which works through a hole in the guide bar which is bracketed to the
side of the tappet inoved arm. Behind the bar to which the film pins J are
attached are two pins or rollers L mounted upon the projection . The disc K
rotates between these two pins or rollers and by virtue of a bulge k given to the
edge of the rotating disc, the said disc causes the film pins to vibrate in and out of
the perforations in the film. The said bulge may be effected by simply bending a

page_text: segmental portion of the edge of the disc. This may be more conveniently
effected by making a slit in the side of the disc for say one third of the circum-
ference of the disc. This slitting provides a strip k along the portion of the edge
of the disc, which portion can be easily hulged or hent without interfering with
the rest of the disc which is left flat. The arrangement is such that when the
bulge of the disc comes in contact with the disc pins or rollers L, on the
downward motion of the disc it puts the film pins out of gear by drawing them
back. Meantime the motion of the tappet is carrying the forked arm upwards for
the purpose of enabling the pins to be ready to take another grip of the film. On
the flat part of the cam shaped disc coming into action with the disc pins or
rollers, the film gripping pins are put into action and when the bulge of the dise
comes round again the film pins are withdrawn from out of the perforations in the
film.
To further steady the arm H2 in its up and down movements I provide the
end H³ thereof with a slot 2 which engages with the, upright guide rod ³ fixed
to the front plate A.
The drawings illustrate the pins J in the act of being drawn outwards from the
film by the bulge & on the disc K.
In place of the mechanism shewn for operating the shaft G which consists of
bevel and, cog wheels operated by a handle, I may operate the shaft direct by
securing a pulley thereto or I may operate it in any other convenient manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of ny said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The appliance for taking, projecting and printing animated photographs,
substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
2. In an appliance for taking, projecting and printing animated photographs, the
means for gripping and feeding the lm, consisting of the forked arm H2 having
an up and down motion imparted to it by the particular shaped tappet H, the said
forked arm being provided at the end H3 with the pins J which are caused to
advance and retire from the film by the cam shaped disc K; or the mechanical
equivalent of the same; substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn in the
accompanying drawings.
3. In an appliance for taking, projecting and printing animated photographs,
the cam shaped disc K, as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and shewn
in the accompanying drawings.
4. In an appliance for taking, projecting and printing animated photographs,
the construction and shape and mode of operating of the shutter B, substantially
as and for the purposes herein before described and shewn in the accompanying
drawings.
JOHNSONS,
115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agents.