Exhibitors Herald (1927)

October 29, 1927 EXHIBITORS HERALD 29 National Organizes Engineering Division for the West Coast National Theatre Supply Company has established an engineering department in San Francisco, located at "the Western district office, of which Mr. G. G. Thompson has been placed in charge. This new department will serve all West Coast exhibitors in conjunction with the company’s One-Contract Equipment Plan and as well, on all matter wherein engineering and research service is needed. Mr. Thompson is considered one of the foremost theatre electrical engineers in the country. With twelve years experience in theatre electrical work, he is especially fitted for his position with National. During the past he has been connected with such well-known concerns as Cutler-Hammer G. G. THOMPSON and the Ward-Leonard Company, and while with the latter company, he developed the reactance dimmer. While with the Ward-Leonard Company, Mr. Thompson established an enviable reputation as a switchboard engineer and as such travelled extensively throughout the country and worked with all manufacturers of theatre switchboards. Immediately before coming into the National organization, Mr. Thompson was prominently identified with the Safety Electric Products Company at Los Angeles, formerly well-known manufacturers of switchboards on the Pacific Coast, but since merged with another company. He is therefore, quite well-known in that section. Mr. Thompson is an active member of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers. During the past two months he has been at National headquarters in Chicago, where he has been studying the National Service plan and becoming familiar with its engineering requirements. He will set about at once to build up the Western Division Engineering Department along similar lines to those in operation in the Central Division. Draughtsmen and theatre equipment experts have been employed and the Western Division engineering department will soon be ready to function. New and Improved Equipment New Generator Offered by Continental The Continental Electric Company of Newark, N. 3 ., have recently made improvements on their Con-Tel-Arc motor generator. They believe that it now fulfills the demands of the most exacting theatre requirements. The motor generator is built upon the most approved engineering principles. It has only tiuo bearings, both of zvhich are ball-bearing design. The construction of the motor on a longitudinal base is declared in accordance with the newest \ methods of motor building. The encased ball-bearings make for simplicity and compactness and prevent the lubricant from injuring the insulation or windings. The ball-bearing design gives the smoothness and quiet desirable in the projection room. Any number of arcs are connected in series by use of the Con-Tel-Arc. The desired arriperage is obtained by turning one knob. A uniformity of amperage is automatically maintained with efficiency and economy. One of the direct ways the Con-Tel-Arc saves expense, it is stated, is by elimination of a resistance coil. This cuts current costs. By the installation of a mirror reflecting lamp in connection with the Con-Tel-Arc, expenditure for carbons and lenses may be reduced more than half, the company states. * * * Framing Light Shield Widely Used Many installations are being made of the Golde framing light shield, recently developed by Golde Manufacturing Company, 2013 Le Moyne street, Chicago, and handled by theatre supply dealers throughout the country. ..Among the new theatres in which the device has been installed is the Avalon, Chiacgo. Other houses using it are the Balaban & Kata Chicago, Uptozvn and Oriental; the Michigan, Detroit; A. H. Blank’s Riviera, Omaha; Marks Brothers Marbro, Chicago; the Paramount, New York; the Publix Missouri, St. Louis and others. The framing light shield enables the projectionist to frame each reel before it starts and is an important aid in relieving eye strain. The Golde device may be attached to either reflector arc on high intensity lamps.