The Cine Technician (1953-1956)

December, 1953 THE CINE-TECHNICIAN 159 A FILM TECHNICIAN'S NOTEBOOK Compiled by A. E. Jeakins W/"E have now had an opportunity of seeing a " demonstration of the 16mm. version of the Robot joiner, which was referred to in these notes a couple of issues back. This joiner follows its 35mm. forerunner in design and works on the same principle, and incorporates all the improvements made in the 35mm. model as a result of research and actual use in the cutting room. Its designer, Mr. A. V. Jinouch, of Cine Television Equipment Ltd., said he was grateful for all the help and suggestions he had received from technicians who had used the Robot. In operation, the human element has been limited to the operation of two levers only. The forward and backward movement of the rocking block operated by the left-hand lever scrapes the emulsion to a uniform depth and at the same time applies cement to the opposite part of the film. The up and down movement of the right-hand sliding block cuts both ends of the film squarely and applies the pressure. The machine is robustly built, the main parts being made of stainless steel. Both rocking and sliding movements are compensated for wear by spring-loaded tension. It is claimed that the scraping tools of high-speed steel will never require replacement and seldom require sharpening. Machines in practical use have far exceeded the originally claimed 50,000 opera DIAGRAM of WIDE SCREEN PROJECTION ELEMENTS tions without sharpening. The Robot weighs 38 lbs. Its dimensions are 1\ x 83 x 6iins. and it can be operated anywhere without being attached to the bench. J" ATEST issue of " American Cinematographer " -*-J (October 1953) to reach us also carries information about a new type of splicer. The PrestoSplicer butt welds the film end-to-end and eliminates the need of scraping emulsion, cementing and overlap. The principle is based on a combination of controlled heat and cooling gradiant applied under pressure within a given time-cycle and producing a homogeneous splice. The splicer consists of a foundation base and an interchangeable 16mm. or 35mm. head. The base contains all the electrical and timing components with the exception of the heater element which is located in the head. All types of safety film can be spliced with this method. When splicing magnetic film, the stationary and movable knife blades are replaced with those made of non-magnetic materials. A magnetic film having no modulation was spliced every 20 feet LC" ■<••«« Left: How the four magnetic tracks for stereophonic sound are arranged on CinemaScope film. Narrowed sprocket holes make possible the additional tracks without reducing picture area. Above: Film path and mechanical layout of one model of "penthouse" magnetic sound head.