US1624730A - Motion-picture apparatus - Google Patents

Description

A ril 12 1927.

A. s. HOWELL MOTION PICTURE APPARATUS Original Filed July 1, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet v 1927. Apnl A. s. HOWELL MDTION PICTURE APPARATUSv Original Filed July 1, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [III/11111711101011!!! 4 Q Patented Apr. "12, 1927.

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Original application illecl July 1, 192 2,

The features of my invention relate to the film engagin randretaining devices of the feeding 'mec anisni of motion picture apparatus with a view-toward the provision 5 of a simple, positive, and compact mechanism which is convenient in" lacing and unlacing the film and which is'we'll adapted for a motion picture projecting machine of the general character described and claimed" erence to the accompanying drawings and I more particularly pointed out v in the claims.

In the said drawin Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of -a motion picture projecting machine embodying the features of my invention with parts broken away. i

Fi re 2 is a similar view with parts remogiid and with parts shown in section. v

Figure? is an enlarged perspectivevi'ew of one of the support plates with film retaining rollers mounted thereon, hereinafter v them rearwardly.- In addition'thewall por- 85 described. g

Figure 4 is an enlarged section taken on the line .44 of Fig. 1.

' Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the lens mount member and parts mounted thereon, hereinafter described.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several viewsf Referring to the drawings 1 designates a 'gear casing of]a motion picture projecting machine, and this casing has a narrow transverse extension in an opening in the front wall of which, is mounted a vertical rear. film face guide plate 2. This plate has a light aperture 3 therein through which --light from a suitable source at the rear of the latepasses for projection. The main v portion of the gear casing is separated fromthe above-mentioned transverse portion by a vertical forwardly and 'rearwardly e t d.

are effected all as fully described with -re'f Serial No. 572,170. Divided and this a'ppllcatien nice-sprites 1924. 's riainmwsnoz i ingwall 4. Mounted for forward and rear- .ward movemcnt'on' opposing forwardly and 'rearwardly extending vertically spaced slides 5 on the outside of this wall is a lens mount member comprising a main tubular formation .6 alined with the aperture 3, an integral forwardly and rearwardly extending rectangular formation 7 at the i side thereof and disposed in a vertical-plane,. the upper and lower' edge. portions of which are engagedin' the slides 5, a transverse wall portion 8 spaced from the rear end of the tubular formation .6 and connected therewith by 'means of a rearward extending portion of the rectangular formation 7 and a connecting portion 9 betweenthe trans verse wall portion and the-tubular formation 1 disposed diametrically opposite with respect 70. to the rectangularformation 7 The transverse wall portion 8 lies parallel with the plate 2, andohas iii-light aperture 11' regis-.. tering with the light aperture 3 of the plate 2.- A- pair of vertic'ally'extending parallel film guiding members 12 are mounted in a suitable openin in thewafll portion 8 on opposite sides of the light-aperture 11 and are provided with shoulders 13, see Fig. 1, engaging the front surface of the Wall por-F -tion 8 to limit rearward movement of'the members 12. Springs 14 are secured to thefront surface of the wall portion 8 and:

centrally engagethe members '12 to urge 'tion 8 is provided with film'guiding rollers 15'. vertical film edge guide rail 16 is secured on thefront surface of the plate 2 on the outside of the aperture 3. The outer sides of the slides 5 are formed by 00 spring Iates whose rear ends 17 extend rearwar ly and are free for limited trans-. verse movement. These ends are vertically spaced and are disposed above and be: w the aperture 3 on the inside thereof. 'See 5 Figs-.1, 2, and 4'.- Theplate 2, the. edge, guide rail 16, ends 17,- and the transverse wall portion'8 withthe parts assembled thereon as above set forth form an aper- I tured film feed guide, and the transverse .1. Wall portion 8 with the parts assembled thereon forms a film face guide gate movablebyreasonof the slide mounting of the lens mount member on the slides S in-"a div.

rection normal to the plane of a film in the guide into and out of film retaining position. A film 18 is shown in the guide in Fig. 4. The rear portions 17 extend across the plane of the film in the guide at the inner edge thereof and individually engage the same to separately spring press the film edgewise with its outer edge engaged against the inner surface of the edge guide rail 16 whereby to exert tension upon the film and to guide it with its outer edge alined with the inner surface of the rail 16 throughout its length. A projecting lens 19 .is mounted in the tubular formation 6 for longitudinal adjustment therein and is alined with the aperture of the guide.

The film is moved intermittently downwardly in the guide by means of a toothed shuttle 21 at the rear of the guide plate 3 and operating upon the film through a vertically elongated aperture 22 in the guide plate 3, disposed between the aperture 3 and the inner vertical edge of the plate, and engaging usual perforations spaced longitudinally of the film 18 adjacent the inner edge thereof and alined with the aperture 22. See Figs. 2 and 4. A light shutter 23 in back of the guide plate 2 operating in timed relation with the shuttle serves to interrupt the projecting light through the aperture 3 during movement of the film in the guide.

A pair of rotatably mounted constant feed film sprockets 24 are carried by and disposed outside of the gear casing 1 adjacent respective ends of the guide and in film feeding alinement therewith for feeding the film to and from respective ends of the guide. These sprockets are driven in the same dircct-ion, i. e., countercldckwise, in Figs. 1 and 2, in timed relation with the shuttle 21 in a suitable manner, the usual compensating loops in the film being provided between the ends of the guide and the sprockets for compensating the intermittent feed of the film in the guide and the constant feed of the film on the sprockets.

' The outer surface of the wall 4 of the gear casing is provided with a vertically extending relatively wide groove 25 disposed centrally with respect to the film sprockets 24. .Mounted for independent sliding movement in this groove normal to the axes of the sprockets and disposed normal to said axes is a pair of support plates 26 overlapped between the sprockets. The overlapped portions of the plates 26 lie under the reetangular formation 7 of the lens mount member above described and are provided with overlying opposite cam slots 27, disposed transversely of the movement of the plates,

which are engaged by a stud '28 secured on the rectangular formation 7 of the lens mount member and projecting inwardly from the inner surface thereof, whereby the plates 26 are moved vertically with horizontal movement of the lens mount member and the film gate thereon along the slides 5 into and out of film retaining position. Two film retaining rollers 29 are rotatably mounted on each plate 26 by means of screw studs 31 and are so disposed with respectto respective sprockets 24 that downward movement of the upper plate effects movement of the rollers carried thereby into film retaining relation with the upper film sprocket, and upward movement of the lower plate efi'ects movement of the rollers carried thereby into film retaining relation with the lower sprocket.- The opposite movement of each plate effects movement of the rollers carried thereby out of film engaging relation with the respective sprocket. The cam slots 27 are so formed that rearward movement of the lens mount member to move the film gate into film retaining position effects movement of the plates to move the rollers 29 carried thereby intofilm retaining relation with respective sprockets, and opposite movement of the lens mount member effects opposite movement of the plates 26. Thus is provided a simple and effective mechanism for simultaneously operating all of the film retaining devices into and out of film retaining position which is particularly adapted to motion picture machines where two spaced film sprockets are utilized in the feeding of the film to and from the film guide. The inner surface of the rectangular formation 7 of the lens mount member has a vertical groove 32 adjacent its front end, and

engaging this groove is slide block 33 which is mounted on a crank pin 34 on a hand lever 35 pivotally mounted on an eccentric stud 36 disposed on an axis normal to the plane of the inner surface of the formation 7, ,which stud is secured on a boss at the front end of the gear casing. When the lens mount member is positioned rearwardly with the gate in 'film retaining position the crank pin is on one center with the stud 36, and the lens mount member with the gate is locked in this position, and the plates 26 are accordingly locked with the rollers 29 in film. retaining position. A stop 37 on the gear casing prevents movement of the lever 35 past this center, and a second stop 38 on the gear casing prevents movement of the lever 35 past the opposite center. The film retaining devices and related mechanism are shown in film retaining position in Fig. 4, and are shown in the opposite position in Figs. 1 and 2, the film retaining position of the lever 35-and the slide block 33 being shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

While I have described and shown the preferred embodiment of my invention I do not wish to be limited to the precisedotoils of construction as changes may readily be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, butcam s ots' extending transversely o versely of t e movement thereof, and an actuating member engaged in said formation and movable transversely of the movement of the support member for effecting movement of t e support member.

2. A motion picture machine including two parallel film sprockets, a pair of support plates overlapped between the sprockets and mounted for independent sliding movement in a direction assing through the sprocket axes and rovi ed at their overlappm portions wit overlying .op osifie t e movement thereof, an actuating member movable transversely of the. movement of the plates and engaged in said cam slots for efi'ecting opposite movements of the plates, and film retaining members mounted on respective plates in opposite'relation' with respective sprockets for movement with the plates into and out, of film retaining relation with respective sprockets.

3. A motion picture machine including an intermittent feed film guide including a face guide gate mounted for movement 1n a direction normal to the plane of a film in the guide into and out o film retaining posi tion, two parallel constant feed film sprockets' at respective ends of-the guide in film feeding alinement therewith, a pair of sup- I port plates dis osed normal to the sprocket axes at one si e of the film pathandoverlapped between the sprockets and mountedfor independent sliding movement in a di-:

rection normal to the direction of movement of the gate and provided at their overlapping portions with overlying o posite cam slots extending transversely. o the movement thereof, a stud engaged in said cam, slots and secured with the gate "to effect movement of the lates with movement of the gate, and lm retaining members mounted on respective plates in opposite relation with respective sprockets for movement with the plates into and out of film retaining relation with respective sprockets with corresponding movements of the ate.

4. A motion picture projecting mac ine including a lens mount member mounted for axial movement, an apertured intermittent feed film guide at the rear end thereof and including a film face guide gate on the rear end of the lens mount member for movement therewith into and out of film retain- .ment in a direction normal to the movement of the lens mount member and provided at, their overlapping portions with overlying opposite cam slots extending transversely. of t e movement thereof, a stud mounted on the lens mount member and engaging said cam slots to eifect'movem'ent of the plates with movement of the lens mount member,

and film retaining members mounted on respective plates in opposite relation with respective sprockets for movement with the plates into and out of filmretaining relation with respective s rockets with corresponding movements 0 the gate into and out of film retaining position.

In witness whereof- I hereunto signature this 22nd day of April, 1924.

ALBERT-S. HOWELL.

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