Improvements in Apparatus for Taking Photographs, or for Exhibiting Photographic and other Transparencies.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 13th Feb., 1897
Improvements in Apparatus for Taking Photographs, or for
Exhibiting Photographic and other Transparencies.
+
I, WILLIAM FRIESE-GREENE of 39 King's Road, Chelsea in the County of
London, Photographer, 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:-
or:
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for projecting a continuous
series of photographic and other transparent views or pictures in rapid succession..,
upon a screen in such a manner as to produce upon said screen an "animated
life-like image or picture in which are reproduced the continually changing effects
due to the movements of the actual persons, vehicles and other moving objects,
represented by the aforesaid transparent views or pictures.
This improved apparatus is also adapted for taking in rapid succession a
continuous series of photographic negatives of any animated scene such as a
street with traffic, for the purpose of reproduction in the same or in a similar
apparatus.
For the purpose of reproduction a continuous series of photographs is printed
from the continuous series of photographic negatives upon a continuous slide,
band, strip or film of suitable transparent material. This continuous strip thus..
bears a continuous series of photographs, each photograph of the series repre-
senting a complete picture, and differing only in some slight detail from the
one immediately preceding or following, such difference depending on the.
interval that was allowed to lapse between the successive exposures when taking
the photographic negatives.
This continuous strip of transparencies, hereinafter called "film" for the sake
of shortness, is caused to travel through the reproducing apparatus at the same
speed as obtained when taking the photographic negatives.
When the apparatus is to be used to reproduce the life-like scene upon a
screen, the shutters employed while taking the photographs are dispensed with and
a condensing lens or "condenser" is inserted at the back of the apparatus to project
the views on to the screen in front of the apparatus.
The present improvements relate not only to the general construction and
arrangement of the apparatus as above described, but also more particularly to..
the mode of imparting progressive intermittent motion to the film, to means for
steadying the film during the time of exposure or projection, and to means for
drawing off the correct length of film necessary for each exposure or projection.
In order that this invention may be more clearly understood reference is made to
the accompanying illustrative drawings in which :-
Figure 1 is a front end elevation of one arrangement of the improved apparatus,
with the front of the case removed;
Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a rear end elevation of the same with the back of the case removed.
Figure 4 is a front elevation of the film steadying plate, shown separately.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the improved film-clip or divided ring;
Figure 6 is a vertical side elevation of a modified arrangement of apparatus.
The same reference numerals are employed to indicate the same parts in all the
igures.
.

page_text: In the arrangement of apparatus illustrated by Figures 1 to 5, the film 1 is
initially wound on a roller 2 whence it is unwound as hereinafter described and
is guided by means of idle rollers 3, 4 and 5 ou to a driving cylinder 6 whence it
passes to and is wound on a roller 7. This roller 7 is driven by means of toothed
wheels 8 and 9, and pinion 10 from the main driving shaft 11 of the apparatus,
this shaft 11, being itself driven by means of a grooved pulley 12 by a cord
from a larger wheel (not shown) worked by hand, clockwork, or other power.
The film 1 is preferably in the form of a narrow strip to receive or having
bearing upon it the photograph transparencies in close succession, and is formed
with holes 1 along its two longitudinal edges which engage with two corre-
sponding circular rows of driving pegs or teeth 6ª provided on the driving
cylinder 6. The film is guided into engagement with the driving pegs 6ª by
two spring-mounted guide rollers 13, 13, arranged one on each side of the
cylinder 6.
To steady the film and keep it flat up against the aperture of projection 14,
there is employed a plate 15, (shown also separately in front elevation in
Figure 1) formed with a central rectangular aperture 15 of the size of photograph
on the film 1. This plate 15 is pivotally carried by arms 16, 16, fixed on an axle 17
which is acted upon by a spring pawl 18 in such a manner that the plate 15
has a tendency to keep the film steady and pressed flat up against the aperture 14,
whilst the plate 15 can be swung back so as to remain in a position away from the
film for the purpose of facilitating the insertion of the film.
Pads or strips of velvet or the like are provided around the edges of the aperture
of the plate 15 in order to increase its steadying action upon the film. Or the film
might be caused to pass between two parallel plates of glass to keep it flat and
steady.
For the purpose of drawing off the correct length of film necessary for each
exposure or projection, from the roller 2 there is employed an improved device
consisting of a roller 19 mounted on a crank arm 20 which is balanced by a counter-
weight 20" and is shown fixed on the driving shaft 11. The radius of the circular
path described by roller 19 in its rotation is made such that the distance to
which the film 1' is forced out from its normal perpendicular position by the
roller 19 each time when the latter moves into its extreme rearward position,
will be such as to draw off the exact predetermined length of film from the roller 2
necessary to bring a fresh photograph into position behind the aperture 14. The
relative arrangement of the parts is also such as to time said drawing off of the
film to take place during the period of non-exposure when the apparatus is used
for taking the photographs. During exposure the film is kept stationary behind
the aperture 14 by the steadying plate and as the roller 19 recedes from the film,
the slack in the lower portion of the latter is drawn in by the driving cylinder 6
and wound up on the roller 7. The relative times occupied respectively in exposure
and in movement of the film without exposure are with this apparatus approxi-
mately 7 and 1.
With the object of obviating undue strain on the film and consequent damage
to the same, the ends of the film are clipped on the respective rollers 2 and 7 in
each case by means of an improved device consisting of a divided ring 21 of elastic
material such as thin steel, which exerts a suitable pressure upon the roller to
which it is applied. This divided ring is placed upon the roller 2 or 7 with the
ends of the film inserted under one of the ends of the ring. In the event of undue
strain coming upon the film, the divided ring yields and slips round upon the roller
until the excess strain has ceased. This slipping of the ring also serves to com-
pensate for the variation in diameter of the roller 7 during the rolling on of
the film.
For the purpose of enabling the film 1 to register at any desired point with the
aperture 14, the driving cylinder 6 is mounted loose upon its axle 6b and is adapted
to be adjusted and fixed thereon by means of a thumb-nut 6° screwing upon the
screw threaded end of the axle,

page_text: A condensing lens or "condenser" 22 enables the apparatus to be used for pro-
jecting the pictures upon a screen (not shown) in front of the objective lens of the
apparatus.
When the apparatus is to be used as a photographic camera for "taking,"
i.e., for producing a succession of photographs upon a continuous sensitized film, a
suitable shutter such as a slotted disc or a slotted cylindrical shutter 23 (Figure 2)
is arranged to be revolved at the proper speed by means of the toothed wheels 24
and 25 driven from the pinion 10 on the main shaft 11. In such case also the
aperture 15 in the plate 15 is closed by means of a sliding plate 26.
In the modified arrangement of apparatus shown in Figure 6, in addition to the
driving cylinder 6 there is arranged close behind the winding off roller 2 another
similar driving cylinder 27 with a corresponding guide roller 28. On leaving the
steadying device 15, the film passes past two guide rollers 29 and 30 arranged one
over and the other under the film drawing device hereinafter described. A modified
form of film drawing device is employed consisting of the roller 31 mounted on an
axle 32 provided with a cross head 33 adapted to be reciprocated in a horizontal
guideway 34 by means of a connecting rod 35 by a crank 36 mounted on a
shaft 37. The latter is revolved by means of the toothed wheels 38 and 39 from
the main driving shaft 40.
In this arrangement, during exposure of the film in the steadying device 15, the
constantly revolving driving cylinder 27 draws off a suitable length (equal to
the height of one photograph) of film from the roller 2 and feeds it towards the
steadying device 15 thereby producing slack in the film between the cylinder 27
and the steadying device 15. After exposure, the outward (towards the right
hand) stroke of the roller 31 draws the said slack through the steadying device 15
and the film is then in the position shown in Figure 6. As the roller 31 recedes
towards the left hand away from the film, the latter is taken up by the driving
cylinder 6 and passed on to the winding on roller 7. A guard plate 41 serves to
keep the film from lapping the cylinder 6. In this arrangement the shutter 23 is
driven by toothed wheels 24" and 10" from the driving shaft 40.
The guide roller 28, the steadying plate 15 and the guide rollers 29, 30 and 13
are all carried by an arm 42 which is pivotted at its lower end with a spring
snap action 43 to the base of the frame of the machine and is adapted to be swung
outwards in the position shown in dotted lines to allow of easy insertion and
adjustment of the film 1.
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 apparatus for taking or for exhibiting a continuous series of photographs
in rapid succession, a film-drawing device comprising a roller mounted on a
revolving crank arm, substantially as described and shown in Figure 2 of the
annexed drawings.
2. In apparatus for taking or for exhibiting a continuous series of photo-
graphs in rapid succession a film-drawing device comprising a reciprocating roller
actuated by means of a connecting rod and crank, substantially as described and
shown in Figure 6 of the annexed drawings.
3. In apparatus of the kind referred to in the preceding claims, an adjustable
filin-driving cylinder such as the cylinder 6 and 27 of Figures 2 and 6 respectively
of the annexed drawings.
4. The combination with a film carrying roller of a divided ring (as shewn in
Figure 5) for clipping the film upon the rollers substantially as and for the purpose
described.
5. The general construction and arrangement of apparatus substantially as
described and illustrated more particularly with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of
the annexed drawings.
6. The general construction and arrangement of apparatus substantially as

page_text: described and illustrated more particularly with reference to Figure 6 of the
annexed drawings.
7. In an apparatus such as that shown in Figure 6 the arrangement of swinging
arm 42 for carrying the guide rollers and steadying plate substantially as described.
and shown.
Dated this 15th day of October 1898
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.