Improvements in Methods of and Apparatus for Exhibiting a Series of Pictures Giving the Appearance of Motion.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 10th May, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 25th Feb., 1899-Accepted, 22nd Apr., 1899
Date Application, ruth May, 1090
..
Complete Specification Left, 25th Feb., 1899-Accepted, 22nd Apr., 1899
Improvements in Methods of and Apparatus for Exhibiting a Series of
Pictures Giving the Appearance of Motion.
We, THE MUTOSCOPE AND BIOGRAPII SYNDICATE LIMITED, and JOSEPH MASON,
all of 18, Great Windmill Street, Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W., Manufacturers,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
Our invention relates to improvements in methods of and apparatus for exhibit-
ing a series of pictures by projection in a lantern or otherwise, to give an appear-
ance of motion.
Our invention consists in a new method of operating a strip of such pictures,
or transparencies, if for use with a lantern, enabling the picture strip to be
moved continuously in one direction, from one spool to another and the pictures
on that strip at the same time to be made stationary in relation to the fixed parts
of the machine one by one. While passing from one picture to another the
picture strip is travelled at a rapid rate past the observing or projection orifice.
In carrying our invention into effect according to one modification as applied
to an apparatus for projecting the pictures by means of a projection lantern I
provide in the frame of the apparatus two spindles, one top and one bottom. On
the top spindle is placed the spool containing the picture strip. On the bottom
spindle is placed a spool to receive the strip from the top one. Between these
spools a frame is provided. This frame has a roller at its top and bottom and is
supported by swinging arms of suitable length or other contrivance, to enable the
frame to be moved up and down in a vertical plane. Guide rollers are provided as
near as possible to the pivotting point of the swinging arms.
A grooved disc is provided on the main spindle of the machine and a pin directly
to the frame carried by the swinging arms gears with a groove in this grooved
disc. The groove is of such a shape that it causes the frame to travel continu-
ously upwards at a certain fixed rate during the greater part of one revolution.
During the remainder of the revolution the rest of the groove is of such a shape
as to cause the frame to come rapidly downwards into its initial position. A spring
may be provided to increase the rapidity of descent. Another cam is provided inside
the first cam on the same disc. This cam actuates a lever to withdraw it against the
force of a spring from holding the picture strip or film steady against a fixed part
of the frame of the machine. This latter cam allows of the lever holding the
film against a fixed part of the frame of the machine during the time the other
cam is lifting the swinging frame, and withdraws the lever from such holding
before the swinging frame and film begin to travel downwards together.
friction wheel is provided geared with the back of this cam disc. This friction
wheel drives a pair of grip rollers which pull the film off the top spool, and feed
it on to the bottom one. They therefore control the rate at which the film or
strip travels.
.
A
The friction wheel can be shifted radially on the driving disc, and thus the
rate of travel of the film can be controlled by the operator. One of the grip

page_text: rollers is mounted on a pair of pivotted arms to which a spring arm is attached.
A pin engages with this spring arm and by altering the position of this pin the
amount of grip between the driving rollers can be controlled. The end of the
strip is passed first over guide roller as near as possible to the centre about which
the pivotted arms swing. It is then passed out over the top roller and bottom
roller on the swinging frame. It then passes back over a roller at a point as near
From that roller
as possible on the pivotting centre of the bottom swinging arm.
it passes under the first grip roller and over the second then down and on to the
bottom spool. One of the grip rollers may be on a fixed pivot and one only of the
grip rollers may be driven from the driving disc on the main spindle.
Two long spring arms may be substituted for the swinging or pivotted levers.
In this case the guide rollers at the point where the strip passes out on to the
swinging frame must be placed so that the point on their periphery at which
the strip leaves the top one or passes on to the bottom one, is as near as possible
to the centre about which the bending of the strip takes place.
apparao-chair is driven continuously at a constant speed over the
swinging frame. The swinging frame is caused during the greater-part-of-
revolution of the main spindle to travel upwards, that is, in the opposite direction
to the strip. During the greater part of one revolution of the main spindle the
frame is thus travelling upwards at the same rate as the strip is travelling down-
wards over the frame. Thus the strip is stationary relatively to the fixed part
of the machine, and during the latter part of the revolution of the main spindle
the frame and strip are passing downwards together into the initial position.
It will thus be seen that the period during which the picture is kept stationary
can be made as great as desired in proportion to the time during which the strip
and frame are passing downwards and the apparatus thus changing from one
picture to the next. The greater this ratio becomes, the more perfect will the
appearance of life and motion be to the eye of the observer.
This main spindle of the machine might be put at right angles to the plane of
the strip where pivotted levers are used and in that case a cam groove could be
used on the edge of a disc and another disc be provided for driving the grip rollers.
Dated this 9th day of May 1898.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.
Improvements in Methods of and Apparatus for Exhibiting a Series of
Pictures Giving the Appearance of Motion.
We, THE MUTOSCOPE AND BIOGRAPH SYNDICATE LIMITED, and JOSEPH MASON,
all of 19, Great Windmill Street, Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W., Manufacturers,
io 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 follow-
ing statement:-
Our invention relates to improvements in methods of and apparatus for exhibit-
ing a series of pictures by projection in a lantern or otherwise, to give an appear-
ance of motion.
Our invention consists in a new method of operating a strip of such pictures,
or transparencies, if for use with a lantern, enabling the picture strip to be
moved continuously in one direction, from one spool to another, and the pictures
on that strip at the same time to be made stationary in relation to the fixed parts

page_text: of the machine one by one. While passing from one picture to another the
picture strip is travelled at a rapid rate past the observing or projector orifice. In
this way the pictures may be caused to convey to an observer the idea of motion.
In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the mechanism of a projecting consecutive view
apparatus embodying our invention, the enclosing case being shown in section.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the apparatus, the front of the enclosing case
having been removed.
Figure 3 is a plan on the line XX showing particularly the parts of the
mechanism which feed the film.
Figure 4 is a diagrammatic section of the vibrating film support.
Figures 5 and 6 are respectively plan and front elevation on a larger scale than
Figure 1 and 2 of the vibrating film support.
Figure 7 is a section of the vibrating film support on the line YY of Figure 6.
Referring to these figures which illustrate the method of carrying our inven-
tion into effect according to one modification as applied to an apparatus for pro-
jecting the pictures by means of a lantern, A is a bobbin containing the picture
strip, and mounted on a spindle a attached to the frame B, which is fixed to the
containing case. The bottom of the frame B carries a spindle c upon which is
mounted a bobbin C adapted to receive the picture strip from the bobbin A.
The bobbin C is driven by a spring plate friction clutch d attached to the
pulley D which in its turn is driven by a band D¹ from the pulley E on the shaft
of the friction disc F which is mounted at right angles to the driv
ing shaft. The friction disc receives motion from the friction wheel G
which is sleeved upon the main driving shaft g.
The ends of the
sleeve are controlled by forked plates G₁ carried by the countershaft g¹.
This shaft slides in bearings attached to the frame B. A link H connects one of
the forked plates G₁ to a pivoted lever J, by means of which the position of the
friction wheel upon the shaft g can be varied so as to cause it to approach or recede
from the centre of the friction disc F. In this manner the operator can control
the speed of the picture strip by means of the hand lever J. A feeding roll K
is attached to the front of the friction disc F so as to revolve upon the same
spindle. The spring k upon the outer end of the spindle serves to press the friction
disc Fagainst the friction wheel G. A second feeding roll L is carried by the
pivoted arm, and is caused to press upon the roller K by the spring ." The
amount of grip between the feeding rolls K and L may be varied by altering the
position of the pin 12 against which the end of the spring presses.
Between the bobbins A and C is mounted a vibrating film support, enlarged
views of which are shown at Figures 5 and 7 consisting of two U shaped
levers PP, pivoting upon pins M, M. The pins M, M', are carried at the ends
of the links N, N', which are fixed upon the studs 0, 0, attached to the side of
the case.
The outer ends of the levers are connected together by links S, S¹, and
carry guide rolls R, R¹, over which the film passes. Guide rolls M2, M3, are also
provided near the inner ends of the levers P, P¹, round which the film is bent in
its passage to roller R, and from the roller R¹. The pins upon which the guide
rolls M2, M3, revolve are fixed to the pins M, M', in such a position that the film
leaves the roll M³ passes on to the roll M³ at the axis of the pins M, M¹, about
which the levers PP1 pivot as shown in Figure 7.
The bottom of the lower lever P is provided with a downward extension S² which
carries a pin $3 engaging with the grooved cam T fixed upon the driving shaft g.
The groove of the cam T is so shaped that, as the shaft g rotates, the levers, P, P",
are caused to vibrate up and down in a vertical plane, their velocity in an upward
direction being equal to the speed of the film between the bobbins A and C. It
will be seen therefore that although the part of the film between the rollers R, R',
is moving relatively to these rollers, it will be stationary relatively to the fixed
parts of the apparatus, When the levers P, P¹, move downwards, the speed of

page_text: "
objects, although its speed with respect to the rollers may not be varied.
The rapidity of descent of the levers P, P¹, may be increased by means of a
spring.
In order to keep the film steady and in focus upon the vibrating support, the
plate U is fixed so that the film shall deviate from a straight course in passing
over it, as shown clearly in Figure 4. In Figure 7 this plate is omitted for the
sake of clearness. Upon the end of the driving shaft g is fixed a grooved cam
disc T which operates a pivotted lever carrying a gripper consisting of a flat
spring 2. The groove in the cam disc is so shaped as to cause the gripper to
press the film against the plate U as soon as the levers P, P, begin to move,
upwards. It holds the film against the plate until the upward motion has almost
ceased, and when the upward motion has ceased the gripper moves
away from
the film, and does not come into operation again, until the next upward motion of
the levers P, P. The plate U is provided with an opening for light in order not
to intercept the light which comes from a lantern through the lens V to the
projecting lens W.
-Tim~ chutton_of_the_uunal_tyne, which may be driven in any suitable
manner by the shaft g. It operates to cut off the light during the periods or
changing the pictures. The supply bobbin A is provided with a grooved pulley
over which passes the band brake A¹ having a tension spring A² for the purpose
of preventing overrunning of the bobbin.
In this apparatus the picture strip from the bobbin A passes under the roller M²
over the rollers R, R' on the swinging frame, and over the lower roller M³. It
then passes under the feed roll K and over the tension or feed roll L on to the
bobbin C to which its end is secured. The film is so adjusted by means of suitable
marks upon it that the picture will register exactly with the opening in the
plate U each time the levers 1, 1" begin to move upwards.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-The shaft g is caused to rotate
by any suitable motor geared to the driving pulley G, the motion of the shaft
being transmitted to the friction disc F, which drives the lower picture drum C
by means of the pulleys D and E and band D'. In this way the picture film is
caused to travel continuously at a constant speed over the vibrating film support.
During the greater part of the revolution the shaft g, through the groovedi cam T
caused the levers P', P₁ to travel upwards with the same velocity as, but in the
opposite direction to, the picture strip. Thus the strip is rendered stationary with
regard to the fixed parts of the apparatus. During the latter part of the revolu-
tion of the spindle g the rollers and strip are travelling downwards into their
initial position the pictures changing from one to another. The period during
which the picture kept stationary, as will be seen, can be made as great as
desired, in proportion to the time during which the rollers and strip are moving
downwards, that is, during the time which the pictures change from one to
another. The greater this ratio becomes, the more perfect will be the appearance
of life and motion to the eye of the observer. The motion of the picture strip is
absolutely continuous with reference to the feeding mechanism, although with
reference to the optical field it is intermittent.
Slipping of the film upon the feed rollers may make it necessary to vary the
speed of the said rollers slightly in order to prevent creeping of the pictures upon
the screen. It may also be necessary to vary the speed of the rollers, owing to
shrinkage of the film, so as to bring the pictures into registry with the opening
in the plate U at the precise moment when the pivoted levers l', P¹ begin to
move upwards. Such variation may be effected by altering the radial position
of the friction wheel G upon the disc F by means of the handle J.
We may vary the above arrangements without departing from the nature of our
invention. Instead of the swinging pivoted levers P, P¹, we may substitute two
long spring arms. In this case the guide rollers M, M', must be placed so that
the point on their periphery at which the strip leaves the top one, or passes on

page_text: to the bottom one, is as near as possible to the centre about which the bending of
the spring arm takes place.
We may also arrange the main driving spindle 9 parallel to the plane of the
picture strip in which case the face of the friction disc might be suitably grooved
to operate the pivoted levers P, P¹.
In the apparatus above described the arrangements are shown applied to a pro-
jecting lantern with a transparent film. It is obvious however, that they are
equally applicable to a camera, or to a direct vision apparatus in which pictures
can be viewed by reflected light.
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 apparatus for taking or displaying a series of pictures giving the appear-
ance of motion, a pivoted film support actuated so as to vibrate up and down in a
vertical plane and having two levers pivoted on fixed pins, the said levers being
connected to form a parallel motion linkage, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
2. In apparatus for taking or displaying a series of pictures giving the appear-
ance of motion, in combination with a vibrating film support, a spring gripper
operated so as to hold the film whilst the support is moving in an upward direc-
tion, and release it while it moves in a downward direction, substantially as
described.
3. In apparatus for taking or displaying a series of pictures giving the appear-
ance of motion, in combination with a vibrating film support as claimed in the
first claim, the fixed plate U placed so as to keep the film steady and in focus,
substantially as described.
4. In apparatus for taking or displaying a series of pictures giving the appear-
ance of motion, in combination with a vibrating film support as claimed in the
first claim, a friction disc such as F, driven by a friction wheel such as G said
wheel being movable upon the driving shaft, substantially as and for the purposes
described.
5. The general arrangement of parts and construction of apparatus, substantially
as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, and
25, Cross Street, Manchester, Agents.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, and
25, Cross Street, Manchester, Agents.