GB582637A - Improvements in or relating to high-speed photographic cameras - Google Patents

Abstract

582,637. Photographic high-speed cameras. SCOPHONY, Ltd., and STEVENS, E. W. June 21, 1944, No. 11824. [Class 97 (i)] A photographic camera includes means for holding stationary a carrier having a lightsensitized surface, and a continuously rotatable optical system which is adapted to -displace every entering light ray parallel to itself and which co-operates with a stationary system of image-forming elements to form successive images in spaced relationship on the light-sensitized surface. The rotatable optical system may consist of two parallel reflectors adapted to rotate about an axis passing obliquely through one of them. The stationary system may consist of or include a ring of lenses, and may include a collimating lens coaxial with the axis of rotation of the rotatable system. A reflector may be associated with each image-forming element so as to form the images on a convex or concave cylindrical lightsensitized surface. The camera may include a drum arranged to carry in its interior two spools carrying a light-sensitive film, part of the length of which is wrapped round the exterior of the drum. As shown, a stationary drum 10 carries a length of film 11 wrapped round its periphery to form a cylindrical ring. Film spools may be provided inside the drum and the film drawn off through one or more slits in the drum periphery. Fifty lenses 12 are distributed round a stationary support with their axes equidistant from and parallel to the drum axis (the camera axis). Fifty right-angle reflecting prisms 13 are placed respectively behind the lenses 12 and surrounding the drum 10. The balanced rotor 14 rotatable about the camera axis has two plane reflectors 15, 16 which reflect light passing through a collimating lens 18 and shutter 17 through the lenses 12. The rotor is directly connected to a variablespeed electric motor 19 and may attain a speed of 12,000 r.p.m. A right-angle reflector may be placed in front of the lens 18 so that the camera can be operated with its axis vertical when taking horizontally. After the rotor has run up to speed, the shutter is operated by means responsive to the beginning of the event to be photographed, and the shutter is closed as the rotor returns to the position it occupied when the shutter opened. Fixed partitions may be provided between the prisms 13 and the film drum 10 to prevent light emerging from any one lens 12 from entering the fields of the adjacent lenses. The varying orientation of the images may be rectified in printing, or by an optical device such as a Dore prism in viewing. The images may be projected by an arrangement similar to the camera, the drum being internally illuminated, and a projection lens being arranged in the axis of rotation. The projection lens may be replaced by a telescope and used as a viewing device. Large aperture lenses, e.g. F. 2.5, with a narrow slit in front of each, may be used with a narrow mirror 16.