An Improved Camera and Apparatus for Producing Cinematograph and other Pictures and for Exhibiting Cinematographic Pictures.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Nov., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 28th June, 1899-Accepted, 12th Aug., 1899
An Improved Camera and Apparatus for Producing Cinematograph
and other Pictures and for Exhibiting Cinematographic Pictures.
We, ALFRED DARLING, of 47, Chester Terrace, Brighton, in the County of Sussex,
Mechanical Engineer, and ALFRED WRENCH, of 50, Gray's Inn Road, in the
County of London, Optician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improved apparatus for producing a series of photo-
graphic negatives upon a film band, for printing positives from the said negatives
and for projecting the pictures upon a screen, the said apparatus being also
applicable for producing ordinary photographic negatives.
The camera which we make use of in our improved apparatus is in the form of
a box jointed on a vertical hinge, the rear part of the said box being adapted to
be fixed to a suitable stand or support and to have detachably connected to its
rear side a dark chamber divided into two compartments by a longitudinal vertical
partition, the said chamber being so constructed that either end of it may
connected to the fixed part of the camera box. The movable part of the said
camera box is adapted to carry at the front a suitable lens and has within it the
shutter and the mechanism for moving the film band past the lens.
be
The shutter which is in the form of a half disc is preferably arranged to be
operated by helical gearing and is provided with two shafts geared together in
such a manner that when motion is imparted to the shutter from one of the said
shafts the said shutter will make several revolutions for each rotation of the
driving crank or handle whilst, when driven from the other shaft, it will only
make one revolution for each revolution of the said driving crank or handle.
To the adjacent faces of the two parts of the camera box are fixed guide plates
(having openings corresponding with the size of the pictures) which, when the
camera box is closed, form a guide through which the film band is moved. To
the top of the camera box we adapt a cylindrical film box having a tangential
nozzle which is inserted into a slot or recess above the film guide so that the film
band can be drawn from the box by the feed mechanism.
Below the lower end of the guide plate on the fixed part of the camera box
is a slot through which the film band is passed after it has been drawn through
the film guide and in each end of the dark chamber is formed a corresponding
opening adapted to be closed by a shutter.
In taking a series of pictures the sensitized film is placed in the cylindrical
film box herein before described, the end of the said film being drawn through the
guide and inserted into one part of the dark chamber; the camera box is then
closed and the band is drawn through the film guide by rotating the quick speed
shaft, the said band as it is drawn from the film box through the guide being
pushed into the compartment of the dark chamber. If, now, the dark chamber
is taken off and its position upon the camera box reversed and a second film
cylinder placed in position, another band can be exposed in the manner herein-
before described.
To remove a film band from the compartment of the dark chamber in the

page_text: daylight the end of the band which projects is passed through the tangential
nozzle of the film cylinder and then the nozzle of the said cylinder is inserted
into the slot in the dark chamber, the band can then be rewound from the dark
chamber into the film cylinder and retained therein until it can be taken out in
a dark room.
The feed mechanism comprises a hooked bar attached at one end to a suitable
slide moving on guide bars, which slide is also connected by a rod to a crank on
one of the shafts, herein before referred to, in such a manner that as the shaft is
rotated the said hooked bar will be reciprocated; the hooked end of the said bar
is arranged opposite to a slot in the adjacent guide plate and is operated by a
can surface in such a manner that it will be alternately projected through the
slot to engage with a slot in the film band, remaining in engagement whilst the
band is drawn down, and then again withdrawn from the band previous to its
upward movement to again engage with another slot. The film bands which we
use with our apparatus have the slots with which the said hook engages formed
along the centre of the band at suitable distances apart.
When printing from the negative band we make use of a dark box containing
two spindles on one of which the sensitized band is placed and upon the other
of which the negative band is placed. The two bands are drawn from the said
dark box through a common slot and then fed through the apparatus together
in the manner herein before described for a single film, the crank handle for oper-
ating the shutter being, however, placed upon the slow speed spindle so that
only one exposure takes place for each revolution of the said crank or handle.
When printing, the sensitized band is delivered into the dark chamber as herein-
before described, whilst the negative band can be allowed to come out through
the bottom of the camera box.
The dark chamber has at each end openings in line with the lens for focussing
purposes, the said openings being provided with suitable shutters for excluding
light.
If desired a focus finder may be applied to the apparatus.
When our apparatus is to be used for projecting pictures the dark chamber
is removed and a suitable lighting apparatus is placed behind the camera box and
a cylindrical box containing a film is applied to the top of the movable portion
of the camera box, the object of this arrangement of the film box upon the said
movable portion being to permit of adjusting the film before bringing the latter
into the focus of the condenser so as to prevent the possibility of the film being
ignited whilst adjusting the said film. The film band as it is drawn from the
film cylinder comes out beneath the camera box.
To use our camera box for ordinary pictures the arrangement of the film band
is the same as that herein before described for taking cinematograph pictures
and the operating crank or handle is placed upon the slow speed spindle so that
one revolution of the said handle only produces a movement of the film band
corresponding with one picture. A suitable time or instantaneous shutter is
provided.
An Improved Camera and Apparatus for Producing Cinematograph
and other Pictures and for Exhibiting Cinematographic Pictures.
We, ALFRED DARLING, of 47, Chester Terrace, Brighton, in the County of Sussex,
Mechanical Engineer, and ALFRED WRENCH, of 50, Gray's Inn Road, an the
5

page_text: County of London, Optician, 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:-
Our invention relates to improved apparatus for producing a series of photo-
graphic negatives upon a film band for printing positives from the said negatives
and for projecting the pictures upon a screen, the said apparatus being also
applicable for producing ordinary photographic negatives.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the improved apparatus as adapted
for taking photographic pictures.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same:
Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2; and
Figure 4 is a longitudinal horizontal section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1:
Figure 5 is a front elevation; and
Figure 6 a rear elevation of the same:
Figure 7 is a front elevation with the front plate removed in order to reveal
the shutter and feed mechanism; and
Figure 8 is a view of the rear side of the said plate shewing a shutter for use
in taking single pictures:
Figure 9 is a rear view with the dark chamber removed; and
Figure 10 is an elevation shewing the front and rear parts of the box or camera
opened on their hinges so as to reveal the film guide and feed. mechanism:
Figure 11 is an elevation of the film box used when printing positives from
the negative film band:
Figure 12 is a horizontal section of the same; and
Figure 13 is a vertical section:
Figures 14, 15 and 16 are respectively a front elevation, a plan and a side
elevation of a support or holder for the positive film bands whilst being projected:
Figure 17 is an elevation of a portion of a film band.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.
a is a box containing the shutters and feed mechanism and which for con-
venience of description is hereinafter referred to as the camera, the said box
being made in two parts a¹, a² connected by hinges a³ and adapted to be held
together by a pivoted catch at. The part a of the said box is provided on the
underside with a screw 6 by means of which it may be detachablý connected to a
suitable stand or support.
e is a dark chamber divided into two compartments c¹, by a partition c, the
said chamber being so constructed at its ends that either end may be placed against
the rear side of the camera a as shewn in Figure 3. Each compartment has a
removable end or cover held in place by a pin c. Any suitable means may be
provided for attaching the said dark chamber to the camera; as shewn in Figures 3
and 4 the said dark chamber has at each end a stud designed to enter a corre-
sponding hole, in the part of the camera and to be held therein by means of
a sliding plate &, Figures 3, 4 and 10, the said sliding plate having in it a
hole which passes over the head of the stud and which has a slot upon one
side which allows the sliding plate, when pushed inwards to engage belind
the head of the said stud which latter is grooved as at d, Figure 3, to receive
the edges of the plate forming the sides of the slot.
d, Figure 4, is a flange at the outer end of the said sliding plate for enabling
the said plate to be pulled outwards by means of the finger nail and again pushed
inwards.
de is a hand strap on the top of the chamber c whereby the apparatus can be
conveniently carried.
e is an opening in the removable front as of the part al of the camera box and
designed to receive a suitable lens. f is the shutter to be used when taking or
exhibiting cinematographic pictures, which shutter is in the form of a half disc
and adapted to be rotated upon a stud f' preferably by helical gear wheels f², f³,

page_text: the wheel being mounted upon a driving shaft f and so proportioned to the
wheel that for each rotation of the shaft ft the shutter will also make one
rotation. fo is another driving shaft connected to the shaft f by the gear wheels g
and g, shaft 2 and gear wheels g³, g, the said wheels being so proportioned
that for each rotation of the shaft f³, the shutter will make several rotations.
is a crank handle designed to engage with the ends of either of the shafts f*
or fin order that they can be rotated. h is an opening in the back 40 of the
part of the camera between which opening and the opening e the shutter f
rotates. Attached to the part a² of the camera is a plate h having an opening h
corresponding with the opening h, the said plate having flanges engaging with
corresponding grooves h in the back of the part a¹. This plate ¹ serves, when
the two parts of the camera box are closed, as a guide for the film band and is
preferably connected to the part 2 of the camera by a spring connection he is
an opening in the back of the part a² of the camera in alignment with the
opening e, h and h².
is a cylindrical film box designed to be attached to the top of the camera by
any suitable means, for instance by a slotted hole in the base of the box and
a stud in the top of the movable part of the camera, the said hole and stud
being similar to the slotted hole and stud herein before described. 23 is a
nozzle on the film box i arranged tangentially therewith and inserted into a slot
or recess in the top of the part a² of the camera and in line with the guide h
so that the film band can be drawn from the box i through the guide by the
feed mechanism hereinafter described. The film box iis advantageously provided
with an arbor or spindle having a slit therein to receive and hold the end of
the film'band, the said arbor being rotated by a crank handle outside the box.
2 is a cap forming one of the sides of the box and designed to be removed in
order to engage the end of the film band with the arbor
The feed mechanism comprises a hooked bar j, Figure 3, the point of the
hooked end of which is designed to engage with holes in the feed band j³,
Figure 17. The bar j is connected at one end to a frame k sliding in guides ¹,
the said frame being connected by a rod to a crank disc on the shaft f* so that
as the said shaft is rotated, the bar will be reciprocated. The end of the
bar jis arranged to project through slots 4, in the plates and respectively
and is arranged to be operated by a cam surface on the crank disc it being
formed springwise so that it may bear continually on the said cam surface. The
edge of the crank disc is of the shape indicated in Figure 3 so that as the bar j
is reciprocated it will be alternately projected through the slots and when
at the top of its movement to engage with one of the holes in the film band
remaining in engagement so as to draw the band down and then again withdrawn
from the band previous to its upward movement to again engage another hole.
This arrangement of a single feed bar necessitates the holes in the film band
being formed along the centre thereof as shewn in Figure 17.
Below the lower end of the guide plate h¹ on the part a² of the camera box is a
slot through which the film band is passed after it has been drawn through the
said guide and in each end of the dark chamber is formed a corresponding
opening designed to be closed by a sliding shutter operated from the top of
the outside of the dark chamber through the medium of an arm or extension 13.
Each of the compartments and of the dark chamber c is provided with
openings m and m¹ in its ends arranged in alignment with the lens of the camera
whereby the object to be photographed can be focussed, the said openings being
provided respectively with sliding shutters m² and m³, the shutter m² being
operated from the top of the dark chamber through the medium of the arm or
extension m', while the shutter m³ is operated by a pin m³ thereon projecting
through a slot in the end of the dark chamber. These shutters are operated to
close the openings m, m² after the focussing operation is effected, so as to exclude
light. If desired, an ordinary view-finder may be applied to the apparatus.
In taking a series of pictures the sensitized film is placed in the film box j

page_text: and the part 2 of the camera box turned on its hinges so that the end of the
film can be drawn through the guide h¹ and passed through the slot into either
of the compartments or which has been placed in position for its reception.
The part of the camera box is then closed and the film band drawn through
the film guide by rotating the shaft f5 by the handle g³, the said band, as it is
drawn from the film box through the guide, being pushed into the compartment
of the dark chamber c.
If after the whole of the film in the box i has been passed into the compartment
in the dark chamber e the said chamber is taken off the camera and its position
reversed and a second film box placed in position on the top of the apparatus
containing another band, the said band can be exposed in a similar manner to that
just described.
To remove a film band which has been exposed in the camera from the com-
partment of the dark chamber c in the daylight, the end of the band which has
been left projecting through the slot is passed through the tangential nozzle
of a film box and engaged with the arbor of the same, the cap 28 being removed
to enable this to be effected. The cap is then replaced and the nozzle engaged
with the slot /, the film band being then re-wound from the dark chamber into
the film box i and retained therein until it can be taken out in a dark room.
When printing from the negative band we make use of a film box n of the
construction shewn in Figures 11, 12 and 13, the said box containing two
spindles n', on one of which the sensitized film band is placed and upon the other
the negative band. The said box is fixed to the top of the apparatus in a similar
manner to the cylindrical box hereinbefore described, that is to say, it has a
slot in its base designed to engage with the stud on the top of the camera,
a downwardly projecting plate being arranged on its base to engage in the
recess in the camera. The two film bands are then drawn from the said film
box through a common slot and fed through the apparatus together in
the manner herein before described with reference to the single film, the crank
handle g, however, being placed upon the shaft ft so that only one exposure takes
place for each revolution of the said crank handle. The negative film band is
arranged on the top spindle n so that it passes down in front of the sensitized
band whereby the latter can be delivered into the dark chamber c in the manner
herein before described with reference to the single band, whilst the negative
band is allowed to come out through a slot n in the bottom of the part a² of the
camera. n is a sliding door to the said film box.
When our apparatus is to be used for projecting pictures the dark chamber c
is removed and a suitable light projecting apparatus is placed behind the camera
box in line with the opening e and a film holder or support o, Figures 14, 15
and 16, is applied to the top of the movable part 2 of the camera the said holder
having a slotted hole o in its base engaging with the stud in a similar manner
to that herein before described with reference to the box i. 2, are recesses or
bearings in the sides of the holder o for the spindle on which the film is wound.
This arrangement of the film holder upon the said movable part 2 of the camera
permits of the said movable part being turned back upon its hinges while
adjusting the film before bringing the latter into the focus of the condenser
of the projecting apparatus so as to prevent the possibility of the film being
ignited whilst being adjusted. The film band is fed through the apparatus and
passes out through the slot at at the bottom.
To use our camera for taking single pictures the arrangement of the film band
is the same as that hereinbefore described for taking cinematographic pictures,
the operating crank handle g, however, being placed upon the shaft so that
one revolution of the said handle only produces a movement of the film band
corresponding with one picture. In this arrangement we do not employ the
shutter for determining the exposure of the film but use a combined time and
instantaneous shutter. This shutter is in the form of a disc 7 Figure 8 arranged
to rotate on its axis on the removable front a of the camera. This disc has an

page_text: opening q designed to come into alignment with the opening e when exposing
the film and is provided with a knob q2 on the outside of the camera whereby it
can be rotated on its axis when setting the shutter so that the opening q¹ comes
into the position shewn by the dotted lines in Figure 8, the disc being held in
this position by a tooth 3 on its edge engaging behind the point of a spring
catch against the tension of a spring q³, one end of which spring is connected to
a pin q on the disc q and the other to a pin q7 on the front a³ of the camera.
8 is another tooth on the disc q but slightly higher than the tooth q³ as shewn
in Figure 4.
For releasing the shutter in order to make a time exposure two studs p, pare
employed passing through the front of the camera box and each formed with an
enlarged head at each end whereby its movement is limited, the stud when
pressed, forcing the spring catch out of engagement with the tooth q³ but not
sufficient to clear the tooth 98 which therefore comes against the catch and holds
the shutter with its opening g' in alignment with the opening e, thus enabling
the exposure to be made. When the required time for exposure has elapsed the
other stud p¹ must be pressed in and being designed to impart more movement
to the spring-catch g' than the stud 2 it releases it from the tooth 98 the shutter
then returning to the position shewn in Figure 8 under the tension of the spring q³,
a projection qª on the disc o coming into contact with the pin q7 to determine
this position. is another projection on the disc q to come against the pin q
to prevent excessive rotation of the disc when setting it. s is an inclined plane
on the disc
which coming against the under surface of the spring catch q' when
the disc returns to its normal position acts as a kind of brake and reduces the
shock due to the projection q³ coming into contact with the pin q.
When making an instantaneous exposure the disc q after having been set by
engaging the tooth q with the catch t is released by pressing the stud which
moves the catch back into such a position that the tooth 78 cannot engage with
it, the disc therefore moving back to the position shewn in Figure 8, the open-
ing moving rapidly over the opening e to expose the film.
When taking or exhibiting cinematographic pictures it will be obvious that the
shutter will have to be opened, that is to say, so that the opening g' is in align-
ment with the opening e.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
1. In cinematographic apparatus, the combination with a camera provided with
mechanism for moving, a film through the focus of a lens and for operating a
shutter, of a detachable dark chamber into which the said band after exposure
can be introduced the said dark chamber being provided with a partition and
adapted at each end to be connected with the camera so that after an exposed band
has been completely introduced into one division of the dark chamber, the said
dark chamber can be reversed for receiving another band, suitable shutters being
provided for closing the apertures through which the band passes into the dark
chamber, substantially as described.
2. In a cinematographic camera, the combination of feed mechanism comprising
a spring hooked bar adapted to be reciprocated in guides, a crank shaft connected
with the said hooked bar by a rod, the said crank-shaft being extended to the
outside of the apparatus and adapted to carry an operating handle, a cam upon
the said shaft designed to press the hook into engagement with the film, a shutter
geared with the said crank-shaft and a counter-shaft also geared with the said
crank-shaft and extending to the outside of the apparatus, all arranged in such
a manner that the shutter may be made to rotate once for each revolution of the
operating handle or several times for each revolution of the said operating handle
according to whether the said handle is applied to the crank-shaft or counter-
shaft, substantially as described.

page_text: 3. In a cinematographic apparatus, a camera formed in two parts hinged together,
one of which parts carries the feed mechanism and shutter whilst the other part
is adapted to carry a drum or support for the film band in such a manner that
when the apparatus is being used for exhibiting purposes the part of the camera
which carries the film band can be turned out of the focus of the lens, substan-
tially as and for the purpose, described.
4. The combination with a cinematographic camera provided with feed
mechanism and a rotary shutter, of an additional shutter to be used for single
exposures and arranged to work either instantaneously or as a time shutter, sub-
stantially as described.
5. In apparatus for producing and exhibiting cinematographic pictures and
for producing single pictures, the combination of a camera in two parts hinged
together, a time and instantaneous shutter, a revolving shutter and mechanism
for moving the film in the one part and a film guide in and a film box or support
attached to the other part, a dark chamber divided into two compartments and
means for connecting it to the camera, substantially as described.
6. The improved cinematographic apparatus consisting of the parts_constructed
and combined substantially in the manner herein before described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings and operating as, and for the purposes, set forth.
Dated the 28th day of June 1899.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.