The phonoscope (Nov 1896-Dec 1899)

THE PHONOSCOPE March, 189* H 1bome=m>abe Ikinetoscope Although the kinetoscope as invente 1 by Mr. Edison is a wonderful instrument, yet a fairly good imitation of it may be made by any boy possessing a little ingenuity. It is not to be supposed that the perfected machine can be constructed by an amateur. That would be impossible without special photographic apparatus, besides being an infringement on tne kinetscope patents. But as the commercial machine of to-day is nothing more than a development of some old-time optical toys, there is nothing to prevent any person constructing some very amusing instruments which will be like the kinetoscope in effect if not in name. The simplest of all is the thaumatrope. It consists simply of a circle of cardboard attached to which are two p'eces of cord, and on each side of which is painted or drawn half a picture. The object is to twirl the cardboard by means of the strings and thus cause the two drawings to blend so as to form one picture. For instance, if a bird is drawn on one side of the card and the cage on the o'.her, the bird will appear to be in the cage when the card is twirled. In order to have the bird appear upright in the cage, the two pictures must be drawu upside down to each other, as it were. That is, the top of the cage must point toward one edge of the card and the top of the bird toward the opposite edge. Any number of pictures may be drawn. A juggler may be drawn on one side and a number of balls on the other. He will appear to juggle the balls when the card is twirled. If an equilibrist is drawn on one side and a plate on the other, he will appear to be balancing the plate if the latter is properly placed. A man and a horse may be used, or a cat and a dog having a fight, or a man and a woman dancing, and so on with infinite variety. Kinetoscope cards are now being sold by fakirs on the streets of large cities. Each card has a figure drawn upon it. Every card shows the same figure, but each in a different position. The various positions bear a definite relation to one another, so that when the cards are flipped rapidly past the eye the figures on them appear to be moving. The cards are held in one hand and bent double with the other, then one after another allowed to spring back to their original position. If, for instance, a dancer is shown, the arms and legs must have a progressive action ; that is, if the arm is to be shown in the act of being raised, each successive picture must show it elevated a trifle higher than the last. So with every part of the body ; each succeeding card showing the action a little more advanced. A zoetrope can be made by combining the posthuinus uses of a hatbox with a little artistic talent. An old hatbox is arranged on a pivot so that it will spin easily. A series of slits or openings one-quarter inch wide by th ee inches long and about two inches apart, must be cut around the upper sides of the box. It is through these windows one must gaze to get a proper effect from what is going on within. The figures are drawn precisely as they were on the cards mentioned above, only they must be drawn side by side on a long strip of paper. This paper is placed around the lower inside wall of the hatbox. If properly drawn, some very life-like actions may be witnessed when the box is rapidly revolved on its pivot. A mo lification of the zoetrope may be made by cutting out a circular piece of cardboard, fixing it on a pivot and drawing the figures to be shown in a progressive ring around the edge of the circle. The pictures should be about an inch deep and occupy the outside quarter of the space between the center and the edge of the disc. Slits like those in the hatbox should be cut from the base of each picture to within a half inch of the center. The affair must be revolved on a pivot (a common pin stuck in a clothespin will do) in front of a mirror, and the spectator must look through the windows that have been cut in the disc. Horses may be made to run, trot or gallop, men made to walk, dogs made to chase cats, ladies to dance and many other diversive sights to be witnessed in a well-constructed instrument of the kind. Reynaud's zoetrope is a trifle more ambitious than any of the preceding. First obtain or make a pyramid of wood the height of which is equal to one side of its base-. Each side of this pyramid must be covered with a mirror cut to fit it. A handle should be fitted tightly into a hole in the bottom of the pyramid. A metal rod or spike must be driven into the apex or point of the pyramid. This completes the stationary part of the apparatus. Now for the moving figures. They are to be four in number, and are to be painted or drawn on a circular piece of cardboard or tin. This disc must have a hole cut Ln its center, so that it may be spun on the rod which projects from the point of the pyramid. Let the disc be divided into four parts. This can be quickly done bydrawing the diameters of the disc upon it. In each of the quarters so formed draw the picture to be shown. As there are only four versions of it, each one will have to be more radically different than where a number are used, as in the zoetropes. The pictures must be progressive, but the whole action must be completed in the four drawings. It is advisible, therefore, to choose some simple action as, for instance, a juggler tossing balls. His body will in every case occupy the same position. Only his arms need be changed. The operation of one of them will suffice for a description as to how to proceed. The right arm in the first picture should be extended downward, that is, as low as he would naturally put it. The next picture should show it raised half way up in the air. The next should show it raised all the way up. The fourth shows it half way down again. As the disc is turning we have now got back to the first, which shows it lowered all the way down again, and so on progressively as the disc goes around. This general principle should be adhered to throughout the series. The pictures should be drawu with the tops toward the center of the disc. When the latter is placed face downward on the pivot and revolved, the moving picture will appear to stand upright in the glass on all sides of the pyramid. A simple form of a mechanical thaumatrope can be made in the following manner : The edges of four wood boards or cardboards should be glued together so that when looked down upon from above their edges will form a cross. To be plainer they should be arranged in the same manner as the diameter of a square. They should be pivoted so as to revolve easily. In the four right angles formed by the sides of the boards should be pain'ted or drawn pictures of the same nature as those in the pyramid described above. As the number of pictures are the same, the same general directions should be observed in drawing them. The effect is very lifelike when the affair is revolved, and much pleasure and an evening's entertainment may be derived from its construction and operation. The reference to the Edison kinetoscope, made above, will be understood when it is pointed out that this wonderful machine is merely the combination of the principle involved in the above optical toys, with photography. Mr. Edison constructed a machine which would take photographs of moving objects at the rate of forty a second. These photographs are attached in a long string to a tape. The string of photographs is placed on spindles or reels and made to run past the end of a tube at the rate of forty a second or the rate at which they were taken The result, when a person gazes through the tube, is that the figures in the pictured perform the same actions they were going through when the pictures were taken. popular Science Perpetual Motion Probably on no problem has more money, more labor and more brain power been expended than on the problem of perpetual motion. In every age and in every country the cleverest of men have exercised their genius on its solution, and although they did not find what they looked for, the search after perpetual motion has led to many valuable discoveries and inventions. Latterly, Mr. F. Charquette, of Bridgeport, Coun.. claims to have practically solved the problem, and we have had an opportunity of seeing for ourselves how he has done so. Different from most former inventors, he has not contented himself with a model or experimental machine, but has built an enormous machine and already uses the same to good practical purpose. His idea is eminently simple and his execution is equal to it. There seems to be no reason why this machine, once started, should not keep on moving until it is absolutely worn out. The following is a brief description of the machine and its workings : A huge horizontal wheel with a diameter, of eighty-two feet, has been built of latticed steel girders, and is provided with ten spokes, on the ends of which are journalled three vertical wheels nine inches in diameter and weighing one and onehalf ton each. Along the periphery of the horizontal wheel are arranged one hundred air compressors, joined in couples by rocker levers, which work the pistons in the air cy linders, and which are depressed by the inner and outer vertical wheel as the horizontal wheel revolves, the center wheel running over a horizontal track. The air cylinders are 12x16 inches in diameter, and all have a stroke of .12 inches. An air tank carrying a working pressure of 100 pounds to the square inch is provided, and the air is led by pipes to this tank from the compressors. The large wheel is revolved at the rate often revolutions per minute by the two 70-horse power engines, and the solid 4}4 ton wheels in the periphery of the large horizontal wheel, continually acting on the rocker arms, do the rest. It goes without saying that such air pressure constantly reacting upon itself must create a tremendous power. The result is 2.500 horse power with only 140 horse power to start with. No such development of power from such small initial force has ever been known before. And Mr. Charquette is probably correct when he holds that the machine once started by a crank and pinion or otherwise will practically keep going by its own created power until it breaks down or wears out, and yet have a large surplus power to move machinery of any kind. Although this is not perpetual motion, it comes as close to it as anything mortal can, and the machine in itself is a perfect mechanical wonder. New Pocket Telephone A pocket telephone for policemen is one of the recent inventions. Over in England it is in general use and has been found very satisfactory. The telephone consists of a combined mouthpiece and eaqjiece with about a foot or more of wire attached, an affixing pin and a small key. This apparatus is to be used by the officers in connecting with the fire alarms placed at various parts of a city. |p Instead of breaking the pane of glass in case of a fire occurring in the neighborhood, as an ordinary individual would have to do, the policeman opens the door with his key, places the affixing pin in a socket provided for it and is in direct communication with the fire department.