GB536463A - Cinematographic film printing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

536,463. Kinematograph film printing apparatus. TECHNICOLOR MOTION PICTURE CORPORATION. Dec. 29, 1939, No. 33032. Convention date, March 7. [Class 98 (ii)] In contact printing apparatus provided with a travelling film-feeding belt having teeth which enter the sprocket holes of the films, means are provided along the path of the belt for photographically printing one film from another while the teeth are in the sprocket holes, and for producing curvature of the belt and films at the printing position so that the films are held in non-slip relation to each other during printing. The path of the belt preferably has straight and curved portions, the films being fed obliquely to the belt in the straight portion and carried by the teeth round the convex portion, whence the printing occurs. Pictures and a sound track, and, if desired, framing lines, may be so printed, or the framing lines may be printed by leading the film away from the belt to separate frameline printers. As shown, the toothed belt 1 is endless, and passes over drums 2, 3 adjacent to which are a picture printing head 23 and a sound printing head 22. Separate printers 24, 25 are provided for printing the transverse and longitudinal frame lines of the pictures. The positive film P passes from reel 4 to the belt 1 at 7 where it is joined by the sound record negative T from reel 5, and together they pass round the drum 2 past the printing head 22. They leave the belt at 8, film T passing to take-up reel 5<SP>1</SP>, and film P first round the frame line printers 24, 25, and then back to the belt at 13 where it is joined by the picture negative film N from reel 6. These two films pass together round the drum 3 past the printing head 23, and leave the belt at 14 to their respective take-up reels 4<SP>1</SP>, 61. Rollers 18 ... 21 press the films on to the teeth of the belt as it passes round the drums 2, 3. The drum 3 and printing head 23 are adjustably mounted on guideways 27 so that the belt 1 may be tautened. The film reels may be driven from a motor through belt gearing and a reversing clutch permitting printing in either direction of movement of the films, and the same motor may drive the drums 2, 3. The printing head 23 (or 22) comprises casing having a lamp 66, Fig. 6, supported on a removable cover 64, a condenser 67, an adjustable aperture 69, a colour filter holder 170, and a pivoted printing gate 17<SP>1</SP> having an accurately dimensioned printing aperture 175. At the frame printer 24, Fig. 2, the transverse frame lines are printed from an endless film surrounding a toothed rotor round which the film passes, the periphery of the rotor being gapped opposite transparent transverse lines on the endless film so that light from an enclosed lamp may reach the positive film therethrough. At the printer 25 the film is pressed by a platen on to a plate having two slits through which light from an enclosed lamp passes for printing the longitudinal frame lines.