Apparatus for Exhibiting Tableaux Vivants.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Oct., 1895-Accepted, 23rd Nov., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Exhibiting Tableaux Vivants.
I, EDUARD VON KILANYI, of No 221 West 40th Street in the City of New
York, in the County of New York and State of New York, Scenic Artist,
do hereby declare the nature of this mvention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly ascertained in and by the following statement
This invention relates to a new and implored apparatus for displaying and
exhibiting tableaux vivants or living pictures
The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved appaintus of
this kind which is so constructed that the persons or groups of persons and the
necessary stage properties forming the tableaux or pictures, can be moved at a
greater or less speed across the lame opening the proscenium or curtain
through which the audience views the pictures, and which apparatus is 80 con-
structed that it can be built up for use or taken apart for transportation OL
stolage very readily and rapidly and when not in can be stored in Ab
comparatively small space and which apparatus can readily be used for large or
small flamed openings in the proscenium or curtain
use
In the accompanying diawings forming a part of this Specification and in which
like letters of reference indicate like pairs in all the figures
Figue 11s a plan view of one end part of my improved apparatus for displaying
tableaux vivant, paits bemg in horizontal section and others broken out
Figme 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the parts shown in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a detail sectional view on the line 33 of Figine 2
Figure 4 is a plan view of the other end of the apparatus, parts being also in
horizontal section
Figure 5 is a rear elevation of the parts shown in Figure 4, parts being in
section on the line 5 5 of Figure 4
The several persons of groups of persons and stage properties forming the
tableaux vivant are artanged and grouped on a series of flat cats A, the flours of
which gently inclined upward from the front edge a to the real edge a' for the
purpose of producing the necessary perspective effect.
Each ca is provided at one end with a wide un flanged wheel B, at eich side
and at the other end with a narrow run flanged wheel B', the flanges of the wheels
being on the inner faces and the flanges of the wide and nanow Im wheels being
in the same longitudinal planes, as shown, so that the flanges of the wide im
wheels as well as those of the narrow rim wheels un along the inner edges of the
track tails C and S on which the wheels run
The top track tails Care supported on a series of rectangular frames C¹ which
are suitably braced and stiffened and are placed in line, one next to the other
duectly behind the frame D, placed in the proscenium of the stage oi a gicater
distance back from the proscenium, suitable scenery D¹ or curtains extending from
the sides of said frame to the wings in the usual and well known mannet
A greater or less number of supporting lames C¹ are used according to the size
of the opening of the fame D.
A blade E, projects longitudinally and centrally from the underside of each
cai A, and has one end a short distance back from one end of the cai, to which it
is attached and the other end projecting a short distance beyond the other end of
the car as shown in Figure 1.

page_text: At that end of said blade E, a short distance inward or back from the end of
the cat a notch is provided in the bottom edge of the blade to form a hook E' for
a purpose that will appear hereinafter
A hook E2 projects downward from the underside of each car a greater or less
distance to one side of the longitudinal cential line and slightly in advance of the
hook E as shown in Figure 2.
A beveled guide block G is aanged adjacent to each wheel of each car as
shown in Figmes 4 and 5 for a purpose that will be set forth hereinafter.
At the starting end of the apparatus two frames H and II are placed end to
end, the frame II resting against one of the end supporting frames C' as shown in
Figures 1 and 2
At the top of the fame H and une end of the same the transverse driving
shaft is mounted which is provided with the crank driving wheel T at one end
which shaft callies the woim J engaging the worm wheel I on the lower end of
short shaft I mounted in the flame H and canying at its upper end the houzontal
uction disk 1 having its in covered with leather or rubber and in contact with a
second function wheel I mounted on a shaft 14, also mounted in the frame H
The blades E of the cats pass between the two fuction disks and when said disks
are turned they move the blade E and the cat to which it is attached lengthwise
evenly and smoothly and without any jais on shocks that might disturb the petsons
posing as pictures, statuary etc, on the cais.
Inclmed track rails K of sufficient width to receive the nairow rim wheels B¹, of
the cars only, extend from the lower inner cone of the frame II to the upper
outer corner of the frame II' and track rails K' adapted to receive the wide 11m
wheels B extend from the lower inner corner of the frame II to the upper muer
corner of the fame II' as shown, the track tails being arranged outside of the
track rails Kas shown in the detail sectional view Figure 3
At the upper ends of the track rails K and K' recesses L and L¹ are formed in
the tinck als C and upwardly swinging switch tongues M and M' as shown in
Figues 1 and 2, are pivoted to the track rails C³, so as to cover the recesses L
and L when said switch tongues M and M' are in lowered position as shown in
full lines in Figure 3.
An endless cham N, passes over a sprocket wheel O on a crank shaft O', mounted
in the upper outer corner of the trame 11 and over a sprocket wheel O² on a
transverse shaft 03 mounted in the lower mner come of the trame II as shown in
Figue 3, and said cham N is provided with a series of lugs P hom which pios Pl
project laterally which pins can engage the hooks E2 projecting from the underside
of the cars A.
At the opposite end of the apparatus two fiames Q and Q₁ are arranged end to
end and adjacent to the end supporting frame C' as shown in Figures 4 and 5
Declmed tack als R are provided in said frames Q and Q¹ and nie inclined
from the lower inner corner of trame Q to the upper outer corner of the frame Q¹
and lead to the bottom longitudinal track rails S on the supporting frames C.
The top rails C' of the frame Q are provided at their net ends and inner edges
with recesses T extending through the entire thickness of said rails, but only of
such depth that the narrow rum wheels Bcan pass through them but not the wide
rim wheels B.
Inclined guide bars U having recesses U at their lower ends extend from the
recesses T to the inclined tinck rails R
.
The top track tails of the frame Q₁ are provided at then ends with the
recesses through which the wide 1m wheels B can pass upon the upper ends of
the inclined track rails R in the frames Q and Q.
An endless cham W having lugs W1 with laterally projecting pins W2 is passed
over the sprocket wheel O' on the shaft O and over the sprocket wheel X on the
shaft Xmounted in the bottom part of the frame Q
A curtam Z on which the back-ground is painted is attached to two vertical
rollers and Y¹ behind the frames, C on which the rollers Y is driven by the

page_text: chain from the sprocket wheel'e on the shaft.I.and the roller Y¹ is driven from
the ollei by means of the endless cham I. "
The operation is as follows:
The first of the series of groups or persons for the tableaux vivants are properly
posed and placed on a car resting on the flames H and II' and said car is then.
pushed forward until its blade E is between the function disks 1, so that saidf car
will be moved in the duection of its length when the disks are turned.
+
The successive groups or persons are then successively. posed and arranged-on
the following cars which are pushed forward at the proper time, so that the several
groups or persons constituting the tableaux, successively appear in and slowly,,
move across the opening of the tiame D, the back ground Z. being unwound with
the same speed from one rolle Yand wound on the other roller
For example, the first persons or groups may represent works of Grecian art
as shown then follow groups representing subjects of the early Christian era, thent
groups representing art of the Middle Ages, then of the Renaissance period, then
of the Rococo period, then the ait in the early part of the present century,
then the schools of the various nations and finally groups representing the ait ot.
the present day,etc
"
4
In a like manner groups may be slowly passed across the opening in the frame D.
representing scenes from a popular novel, for example "Teilby" or scenes from the
life of celebrated men for example George Washington, Abraham Lincoln,,
Napoleon I.
The movements of the cars should be so as to be hardly perceptible, but
nevertheless the cars must be constantly in motion.
When the cais alive at the frame Qthe persons on the same instantly dismount
and the cars drop upon the inclined track R, the narrow rear wheel B¹ passing
through the recesses T and the wider frout wheels B, which passed over the
recesses T, passing through the recesses V.
To prevent the cars from bumping too much and descending, too rapidly
the guide blocks G have been provided which slide off the inclined sides of
the iccesses T and V and on the inclined guides U.
The cais run down the inclined uacks R upon the bottom track S of the
frames C and then hooks E' are engaged by the pins W on the lugs W of the
endless chain W and thereby the cars are drawn back to the trames H and II'
where then hooks E2 are engaged by the pins P' of the endless chain N and the
cars are pulled up the inclined tracks K and K', the wheels B' running up the
tracks K and the wheels B on the tracks K¹.
The ends of the ascending cat lift the switch tongues M and M' and the cars
then in upon the tracks C³ of the fiame H and are ready for receiving persons
o groups and to be again moved across the opening in the frame D and so.on
A limited number of cais thus suffices for exhibiting a number of persons or
groups successively as each cat is automatically returned to the initial position to
be used again.
The entire apparatus can be built up for use and taken down in a very short time
and can easily be transported.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is
1. The combination with a supporting frame having parallel top and bottom
tracks, of inclined racks at the ends of said frame for guiding the cars to and
from the upper tracks, substantially as herein shown and described.
2. The combination with a supporting frame, having top and bottom tracks, of
cars mounted to run on said tracks, inclined tracks at the end of said frame for
guiding the cars to and 11om said upper tracks and switch tongues at the upper
ends of the inclined tracks, at one end of the frame, substantially as herein shown
and described.

page_text: 3. The combination with a supporting fiame having top and bottom tracks, of
cais mounted to run on said tracks and having wide im wheels at one end and
narrow m wheels at the opposite end and of inclined tracks at the ends of the
fiame for guiding the cars to and from the upper tracks, substantially as herem
shown and described.
4 The combination with a frame having top and bottom tracks of cars mounted
to run on said tracks, mclined tracks at the ends of said flame for guiding the
cars to and from the upper track, endless chains having lugs, hooks on the cars
for engaging said lugs and means for operating said chains, substantially as herein
shown and described.
5. The combination with a frame having top and bottom tracks, of cars mounted
10 un on the same, inclined tracks at the ends of sand frame for guiding the cals
to and from the upper tracks, a longitudinal blade on the under side of each cai
and fiction wheels mounted in the frame for moving said blades and the cais
to which they are attached lengthwise, substantially as here shown and
described.
6 The combination with a fiame of top and bottom tracks on the same, cais
mounted to run on said tracks meled tracks at the ends of said frame for
guiding the cats to and from sand upper tracks, means for moving the cars in
the direction of their length, a back ground, rollers to which the same is secured
and means for rotating said ollers by the same devices that are used to propel
the cars, substantially as herein shown and described
Dated this 22nd day of October 1895.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.