Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1929)

October 5 , I 9 2 9 1229 New and Improved Equipment A Review of the Latest Developments in Theatre Engineering Any further information that may be desired regarding equipment devices described in this department may be had upon request. Address such inquiries to The Showman, Motion Picture ISexvs, 729 Seventh Avenue, New York City. Royal Amplitone Dual System Reproducer Incorporates New Features of Design Mellaphone Introduces New Model Synchronous Device ANEW model called the Super-Mellaphone reproducer, recently was launched on the market by the Mellaphone Corporation, Rochester, N. Y. The machine incorporates features designed to prevent flutter or sound vibrations, which are described by the sponsors of the Super-Mellaphone as follows : "First, the Mellaphone equalizer-filter, consisting of a series of well constructed springs ; and second. 2 balanced flywheels and specially cut gears, are new developments which enable the machine to withstand vibration and prevent effects of them reaching into the sound reproducer. "The new machine has a new style Tone Arm and Pick-Up which insures perfect tracking for all records. Connection with the projector is made to the main drive shaft. Ball bearings are used throughout." The company recently has made shipments of the new monel Super Mellaphone Turn Tables to France. Holland. England, Belgium. Australia, and Mexico. % THE Royal Amplitone sound reproducer is one o fthe first systems to be brought on the market to supply the demand for synchronized reproducers. Originally it was a single-system disc reproducer, but this year the sound-onfilm reproducer head was developed by the company's engineers, under Rudolph Miehling. engineer who specialized in theatre work before his entry into the field of sound reproducer design and construction. The Royal Amplitone main amplifiers operate from current, eliminating all batteries. There are two types or models, the 2oS the larger is designed for theatres up to a capacity of 4,000 seats, while the smaller unit, the 12-S is for auditoriums with a capacity up to approximately 1. 000. Both have amplifiers that are of the no-volt, A C operating type. and use standard commercial vacuum tubes throughout. The film reproducer has been developed for Simplex projectors. The sound head is attached to the bottom of the projector head mounting place by bolts. The lower magazine is dropped only about two inches, which allows ample space for convenient threading. When silent or disc pictures are projected, the film does not thread through the film sound attachment, but is threaded directly into the lower magazine. When film recordings are used, the film leaves the last sprocket in the projector head and passes over an idler under spring tension, a feature exclusive with the Royal Amplitone device, and designed as a means to minimize flutter. At that point the film is intercepted and aligned by a guide roller and then enters the sound gate. It is then pulled through the sound gate and aligned by means of a sprocket driven from the main projector drive shaft, then passing over another idler into the lower magazine. The optical system is adjusted at the time of installation and locked into the gate assembly. The assembly may be removed at any time to clean the lens without disturbing adjustments of the optical system. The exciting lamp adjustments are controlled by means of thumbscrew adjustments. The photo-electric cell is located at the top of the sound head and the voltages as received from the cell pass into the film amplifier located on the front wall of the booth. New Type Sound Screen Made by Process for Coating Silk With Glass Beads Above Super-Mellaphone unit HIGH reflective quality without sacrifice of sound porosity of screens designed especially to meet the requirements of talking pictures, is claimed for a new type of material developed by the Beaded Screen Corporation and called Vocalite. The Vocalite material is the result of extensive experimentation directed toward the development of a reflective surface that would give the greatest light value while providing for extreme sound permeability! It is manufactured by a new process that applies glass beads of the smallest size obtainable from foreign glass makers — the beads are no larger than grains of fine beach sand — to a silk fabric of coarsely woven texture providing for porosity to sound. The glass heads form a coating over the threads that produces a glistening surface, having high reflective qualities, but leaving a large quantity of openings, irregularly scattered, between the threads. The screen is a cream white color and projects a soft pure white. The manufacturers claim that Vocalite will give one-third more light and from five to six times more sound permeability. The material is fire proof, and is easily cleaned. Owing to the highly polished surface given the threads by the bead coating, dust will not adhere to the material. The process used in applying the beads makes them adhere permanently to the silk fabric base, and permits rolling the material without damage to the surface, the character of which is such that the light projected thereon will not refract. The Vocalite sound screen may be cleaned by scrubbing with soap and water or going over the surface with a vacuum cleaner. The principles involved in the making of the screen are an entirely new development in the 'use of glass beads for this type of material construction.