Apparatus for the Direct Viewing of Chrono-Photographic or Zoetropic Fictures.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Oct., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 9th July, 1897-Accepted, 14th Aug., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for the Direct Viewing of Chrono-Photographic or Zoetropic
Fictures.
I, BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of 23, Southampton Buildings, in the
County of London, l'atent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion (a communication to me from Auguste Lumière and Louis Lumière, both
of 21, 23 und 25, Rue Saint Victor, Lyon-Montplaisir, in the Republic of France,
Manufacturers of Photographic Products and Materials) to be as follows:-
The apparatus forming the subject of the present application has for its
object the direct viewing of chrono-photographic or zoetropic pictures; it is
characterised by a new method of succession of the pictures which will be
clearly understood by the aid of the accompanying drawings in which the
apparatus is represented in vertical section at Fig. 1 and in horizontal section
at Fig. 2.
The successive pictures of an animated scene, obtained by Lumière's cinemato-
graphe or by analogous apparatus, are cemented on cards M or other elastic
opaque supports, to which a curved form is given, the picture occupying the
concave side. These cards are then mounted, in the order of succession of the
pictures, on a shaft A, around which they radiate in every direction, being
firmly fixed at their base by the pressure of two discs B B, or by other suitable
arrangement.
If the wheel thus formed is caused to turn in the direction of the arrow X,
Fig. 1, and at the same time a stop C, entering slightly the circumference of
the disc, is fixed slightly above the centre, the cards detained by the stop will
be straightened out and become flat and nearly radial, as shown in Fig. 1,
at the same time leaving an empty segment D. The rotary motion continuing,
the cards thus stopped will escape one after the other at regular intervals and
will rapidly traverse the empty segment by again assuming their original
form, consequent on their elasticity. The distance to which the stop C
enters is regulated so that the empty segment D shall allow the picture on the
last detained card to be viewed through the opening E, which picture is
illuminated by daylight or artificial light entering in the direction of the
arrow Y, through the side opening F of the box containing the apparatus.
The observer looking through the opening E will therefore see successively
the pictures in a state of complete rest, the successive visions being separated
from each other by the exceedingly small space of time occupied by a card
traversing the segment D. Inasmuch as the edge of the card which is escaping
from the stop C, cannot exactly coincide with the edge of the next card to be
detained, the stop C can be lowered near to the line passing through the centre

page_text: of the shaft A, so as to render this difference so slight that the eye can perceive
no lateral movement in the succession of the two pictures.
The back of each card, as also the parts not covered by the picture, are
blackened in order to avoid all radiation of light during its passage across the
field of vision. The opening E can be provided with a lens G to magnify the
pictures and with any other known arrangement for assisting observation.
The wheel might be formed of flat cards radiating from the centre of the
shaft A, but in such case the stop C would curve the pictures at the moment
of vision; this is why it is preferred to curve the cards previously in order
that they may be presented flat during observation. As the wheel makes only
one revolution or part of a revolution during the viewing of a scene, it moves
at a very moderate speed; it can be put in motion by hand by intermediate
gearing, or better by a spring motor placed at H, Fig. 2. It will be easy to
stop the motor at the end of a scene by means of a stop J in position to
act against one or several pins I conveniently placed on a wheel carried by the
shaft A. The wheel will be again set in motion by raising the stop J, which
will give a renewed exhibition of the same scene or will exhibit the following
scene on the same wheel. This very simple arrangement enables the apparatus
to be readily rendered automatic by the introduction of a piece of money into
the box, which piece has only to liberate the mechanism, which latter stops of
itself at the end of a scene.
Very long scenes or different scenes visible in succession may be reproduced
by this apparatus, either by replacing the shaft A by a drum of sufficiently
large diameter, or by arranging the cards around the axis helically and causing
the shaft to advance progressively in proportion as it turns; or again, by mount-
ing the cards upon an endless belt passing over two or more drums.
Dated this 19th day of October 1896
HARRIS & MILLS,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Apparatus for the Direct Viewing of Chrono-Photographic or Zoetropic
Pictures.
I, BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of 23, Southampton Buildings, in the
. County of London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion (a communication to me from Auguste Lumière and Louis Lumière, both
of 21, 23 and 25, Rue Saint Victor, Lyon-Montplaisir, in the Republic of France,
Manufacturers of Photographic Products and Materials) and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
The apparatus forming the subject of the present application has for its
object the direct viewing of chrono-photographic or zootropic pictures; it is
characterised by a new method of succession of the pictures which will be
clearly understood by the aid of the drawings accompanying my Provisional
Specification in which the apparatus is represented in vertical section at Fig. 1
and in horizontal section at Fig. 2.
The successive pictures of an animated scene, obtained by Lumières cinemato-
graphe or by analogous apparatus, are cemented on cards M or other elastic
opaque supports. to which a curved form is given, the picture occupying the
concave side. These cards are then mounted in the order of succession of the

page_text: pictures on a shaft A, around which they radiate in every direction, being
firmly fixed at their base by the pressure of two discs B B, or by other suitable
arrangement.
If the wheel thus formed is caused to turn in the direction of the arrow X
Fig. 1, and at the same time a stop C, entering slightly the circumference of
the wheel, is fixed slightly above the centre, the cards detained by the stop will
be straightened out and become flat and nearly radial as shown in Fig. 1,
at the same time leaving an empty segment D. The rotary motion continuing,
the cards thus stopped will escape one after the other at regular intervals and
will rapidly traverse the empty segment again assuming their original
curved form consequent on their elasticity. The distance to which the stop C
enters is regulated so that the empty segment D shall allow the picture on the
last detained card to be viewed through the opening E, which picture is
illuminated by daylight or by artificial light entering in the direction of the
arrow Y, through the side opening F of the box containing the apparatus.
The observer looking through the opening E, will therefore see successively
the pictures in a state of complete rest, the successive visions being separated
from each other only by the exceedingly small space of time occupied by a card
traversing the segment D. Inasmuch as the edge of the card which is escaping
from the stop C cannot exactly coincide with the edge of the next card to be
detained, the stop C can be lowered near to the line passing through the centre
of the shaft A, so as to render this difference so slight that the eye can percieve
no lateral movement in the succession of the two pictures.
The back of each card as also the parts not covered by the picture, are
blackened in order to avoid all radiation of light during its passage across the
field of vision. The opening E can be provided with a lens G to magnify the
pictures, and with any other known arrangement for assisting observation.
The wheel-might-be formed of fat cards radiating-from-the-centre of the shaft-A
but in such ease the-stop-C-would-curve-the-pictures-at-the-moment-of-vision--this
is-why-it-is-preferred-to-curve--the--eards--previously-in-order-that-they-may-be
presented flut during observation.
As the wheel makes only one revolution or part of a revolution during the
viewing of a scene, it moves at a very moderate speed, it can be put in motion
by hand by intermediate gearing or better by a spring motor placed at H Fig. 2.
It will be easy to stop the motor at the end of a scene by means of a stop J
in position to act against one or several pins I, conveniently placed on a wheel
carried by the shaft A.
The wheel will be again set in motion by raising the stop J, which will give a
renewed exhibition of the same scene or will exhibit the following scene on the
same wheel. This very simple arrangement enables the apparatus to be readily
rendered automatic by the introduction of a piece of money into the box, which
piece having only to liberate the mechanism which latter stops of itself at the
end of the scene.
Very long scenes or different scenes visable in succession may be reproduced
by this apparatus, either by replacing the shaft A by a drum of sufficiently
large
diameter,-or-by-arranging-the-cards-around-the-axis-helically-and-causing the
shaft-to-advance-progressively-in-proportion-as it turns, or again by mounting the
cards upon an endless belt passing over two or more drums.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. An apparatus (called kinora), intended for viewing chrono-photographic
or zoetropic pictures in which each picture is fixed on the concave side of a
previously curved card or other elastic support, said cards being arranged
radially around a rotatable axle, whilst a fixed stop detains them successively
by their free extremities, thus straightening them, and allows them to escape

page_text: after they have produced their impression on the retina of the observer, who
sees them during their time of repose, substantially as herein set forth.
2. The apparatus for the direct viewing of chrono-photographic or zoetropic
pictures, substantially as herein set forth.
Dated July 9th 1897
HARRIS & MILLS,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.