The Exhibitor (May-Aug 1948)

Cool Off and Cash In ( Continued from page 5) ence or absence of thermal insulation. The engineer will quickly put his finger on the theatreman’s refrigeration trouble, and will present, at least, a partial solu¬ tion to the budget problem involved. He may well recommend that a so-called unit air-conditioner or that a group of them be put in. The “packaged” system, a post¬ war improvement, seems to be gaining wide acceptance, especially among smalltheatre owners. For them it is the ideal solution because the self-contained units may be had in three, five, and seven ton cooling capaci¬ ties (also, for larger places, in 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 40-ton capacities) and for the reason that they are quiet and relatively small. The units may be concealed behind grilles directly in the areas to be cooled. In multiple-unit arrangements, individual J. P. ADLER — President, Adler Theatre Company, Inc., Marshfield, Wisconsin — says: “RCA Service rates 100 per cent with us; never a failure in ten years.” To get the benefits of RCA Service —write: RCA SERVICE COMPANY, INC., Radio Corporation of America, Camden, New Jersey. thermostatic controls shut off the condi¬ tioners in localities that have attained the desired temperatures. This saves money and wear on the machinery. Adaptable To Heating The small conditioners are becoming dear to theatremen for the further reasons that they furnish positive control over temperature and humidity by mechanical means (usually with the sensational new development Freon-12 as the refrigerant) and that they are adaptable to heating, generally by steam coils, with attendant humidification. They also incorporate fan equipment. Besides, installation of the self-con¬ tained systems does not call for the the¬ atre’s undergoing any drastic tearing up. Nor will the job string along endlessly. The unit conditioners are easily put in as a central plant for air-refrigeration, if a distribution system of sheet metal ducts happens to be already set up throughout the house. Generally, installation is con¬ fined to electrical connection to motor, and piping to condenser water supply and drain. Before the engineer will put his stamp of approval on the theatreman’s air-con¬ ditioning undertaking, he will specify that the place be appropriately insulated. This will run the theatreman up into more money. But the engineer will warn him that the absence of mineral wool insula¬ tion, principally in the roof, will increase the load on the new system, and wear it out rapidly, not to mention its upping operation costs. The procedure of the engineer is first to ascertain the atmospheric environment of the region in which the theatre is lo¬ cated. This will necessitate his dropping into the local weather bureau. Here he will check the “wet bulb reading,” which will tell him the story in relative humidity. Should this take place in the far west or southwest, the bulb will read no higher than 72 per cent maximum outdoor rela¬ tive humidity, with the notable exception of a strip along the Pacific Coast. There, as in the deep south and in Maine and Rhode Island, the maximum relative humidity will run as high as 90 per cent. (See U. S. Weather Service map.) Ml OUTDOOR RELATIVE HUMlOITY AaMCC Of WONTHLT ut an APRIL to SCRTCMOCR luce (MX* AM Of • AM « • *• KAOMM.or v»«l| WITH ISOTh€RMAL LtNlJ TOR JVLT U. S. Weather Service Relative Hu¬ midity map. April through Septem¬ ber, based on average of readings at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., with average temperatures for this period. Z 40 20 %> 40 fcWj 85 MINIMUM Leads The Field In the event the maximum bulb reading is approximately 72 percent, the engineer may advise the theatreman to put in airwashing equipment, evaporative cooling. Elsewhere, however, only the most com¬ plete types of conditioners will do. The movie house, after all, is a windowless, fairly air-tight box in which hundreds of persons sit side-by-side for from two to three hours at a stretch in the hottest weather. The movieman, more than any other businessman, is compelled to lead the field in air-conditioning. Remodeling the Front ( Continued from page 11) terior vestibule is planned, some attention should be directed to the use of rubber mats, which are very effective both decoratively and in removing mud and dirt from the shoes of patrons. But they do require daily removal and cleaning. They should be divided into sections of not more than four feet by five feet for convenient handling. In the smaller theatre, they should be used sparingly on account of the labor required to keep them clean and in the proper condition. Electric Signs In an article at the beginning of this series, the design and construction of signs was fully discussed. The facts therein set down apply to remodeling as well as to new construction, provided entirely new signs are contemplated. However, it will be possible to remodel the existing marquee, in many cases, by the installation of new lighting, new glass panels, and changeable letters. With the application of a few coats of paint, neon or stud-lighting borders, very satisfactory result can generally be obtained. If the paint on the old sign is peeling or in bad condition, it should be entirely removed, by use of blow torches, down to the bare metal. A ground coat of paint should then be applied, followed by two coats of special outside enamel. Sometimes the addition of a name sign along the top of the attraction signs will make a pleasant change in the appearance of things and allow the removal of an up¬ right sign which has outlived its use¬ fulness. Next Issue: The Lobby Wenzel Names Export Firm New York — The firm of K. Streuber and La Chicotte has been appointed exclusive export distributors of the Wenzel Pro-4 35mm. projector mechanism, Fred Wenzel, president, Wenzel Projector Company, Chicago, announced recently. The ex¬ porters are located at 1819 Broadway. The Wenzel Pro-4 mechanism has had several improvements incorporated recently. Starting — NEXT ISSUE A PRACTICAL MAINTENANCE ENGINEER FOR A LARGE THEATRE CIRCUIT • • • tvill commence a regular monthly column of anec¬ dote and advice under the Pen Name of • • • "GENERAL MAINTENANCE" PT-14 PHYSICAL THEATRE DEPARTMENT of THE EXHIBITOR June 2, 1948