The Film Daily (1942)

EQUIPMENT NEWS O^SU Friday, January 2, 1942 '41 Advances In Equipment Are Many/ Varied Strides Were Registered In All Branches of Trade; Theaters Benefit Chiefly (Continued from Page 1) architects in fashioning new and practical designs to conform with the exigencies of the times; and the strategic as well as sound judgment of circuits and individual exhibitors in constructing new theaters, remodeling present properties, and maintaining their houses in efficient condition,—these in brief form the general picture of 1941 in retrospect, a survey of the year discloses. Eastman's New Glass One of 1941's major developments was the new optical glass developed by Eastman Kodak's research laboratories in Rochester'. The new glass represents the first great change in optical glass since Jena made a new glass, about 1890. Eastman's glass is made of a mixture of the oxides of the rarer metals — tungsten, tantalum, thorium, and lanthanum — mixed with borax. It makes possible a tremendous forward step in making lenses for aerial cameras. What is wanted in these lenses is glass that has a high bending power for light with as little dispersion of the rays as possible. This means clearer, sharper pictures taken from great heights. What this glass will eventually do to the science of glass making, and to cameras, is still impossible to say. So far, it is being made on a laboratory scale, and it sells for a high price. It will probably always be much more expensive than ordinary glass, because of the cost of the rare materials involved. (Incidentally, it has created a new use for a group of metallic "chemicals.") The glass was invented by Dr. G. W. Morey, U. S. Geophysical Laboratory in Washington. He first got the idea for using these new materials, and the Eastman laboratories helped in wokring out methods of putting the theory into practice. Plastics Advance One of the most important forward steps in plastics was Eastman's discovery that cellulose, treated with both acetic and butyric acid, makes a much better material highly resistant to moisture and with great dimensioned stability — which means it doesn't change shape. The new material, called cellulose acetate butyrate, was first introduced about a year ago in the form of long strips, like reeds, woven into outdoor furniture. The strips are extruded, like tooth-paste, in a continous process, and the development of this new technique, called extrusion molding, has led to many important new uses for this type of plastic. Architectural moldings to bind wall boards account for a large share of the business. Strides by Motiograph Motiograph, Inc., during 1941, materially expanded its sound system Bucci Drops Plans To Build The Cine Boma; And It Sounds Like a Very Practical Idea Detroit — Practically complete stoppage of available film product from Italian sources has caused dropping of plans for the Cine Roma Theater, according to Paris Bucci, who headed the project. Bucci has been showing Italian films for several years in various local houses, especially the Park. The ultimate aim was a new theater, to be erected on a lot selected a year ago on Gratiot Ave., but construction had not been started, and plans are now off, Bucci said. line to include models particularly suited for the needs of the smaller theater. The Mirrophonic Sound System line now has 10 different models as compared to but four in the previous year. Company also added to its line in 1941 a new low-cost projector stand with many of the adjustable features heretofore available on only higher cost projector pedestals. Motiograph, too, added to its K projector mechanism the full and exclusive use of score-proof removable oil absorbent and self-lubricating bearings instead of bronze bearings formerly utilized. NCC's Contribution National Carbon Co. has been gradually feeding into the trade, during the past year, new "Suprex" type carbons, both positives and negatives, which will result in a saving of approximately 15 per cent in the cost for the same amount of light on the screen as was obtained with the old carbons, or an increase of from 15 to 20 per cent in the amount of light for the same cost. It has not been possible to date to change over 100 per cent of production to make this advantage available to all parts of the United States, but early in 1942 company expects this changeover to have been accomplished. Improvements have, likewise, been made in 16.6 mm. high intensity carbons, whereby a greatly increased amount of light is available for a slight increase in power and carbon costs. These carbons were developed primarily for those large first-run houses who require very large amounts of light, and enable them to show color pictures, or dense film prints, with a sufficient amount of light on the screen for the comfort and enjoyment of their patrons. Accent on Carpet Alexander Smith & Sons made impressive strides in both manufacturing and distribution of their carpets, and sales were heavy throughout the 12-month span. Refinements were effected in organization's fluorescent carpet which glows with socalled black light activation. Many new theaters, as well as extant ones, installed this ultra-modern carpet. It was particularly popular among the more progressive architects and theater owners. One of the outstanding developments in carpet weaving, from the standpoint of theater operators interested in long wear, unlimited design and color possibilities and avoidance of waste was made via Lok weave Broadloom, product of the Bigelow Weavers. Lokweave emerged with a unique construction especially desirable, its makers stated, for theater use. Numerous advantages spring from fact that every tuft is woven through the back, and that each tuft is locked into place by a special backing compound, which prevents "sprouting" of tufts. Chairs Improved Kroehler Mfg. Co., Chicago, refined its sensational Push Back theater chairs which many theaters ordered during the year, and, upon a number of occasions, turned out these chairs in special designs for architects and theaters. Broadcasting studios, because of their silencedemands, also freely ordered Push Backs. American Seating, HeywoodWakefield, Ideal, Irwin and other chair manufacturers likewise brought out chairs of ultra quality and serviceability. American Desk Mfg. Co. redesigned their opera chair hinges, added streamlined seat bottom pans, and also furnished new-type back construction on certain types of their chairs. All seating companies were weighed down with national defense work. One of the standout chair developments was made by the Peabody Seating Co. during the year, but its actual introduction will be made at some future time when materials are available to manufacture it. In the interim, the company, — also inundated with defense orders,— will market its regular chairs in limited quantities, with accent on comfort and serviceability. USAirCo Sets Record Vast strides were registered in the air conditioning field by United States Air Conditioning Corp. of Minneapolis. Not only did this organization institute many refinements to its line of theater units, but had the biggest year in firm's history, passing the 8,000 mark in theater installations, which means a figure representing more than half of the theaters now operating and attended by the public. York Ice Machinery Corp. anticipates many improvements in its line for 1942. Research activity has been expanded so that latest developments in design, materials, manufacturing technique, and application engineering can be incorporated immediately in York products for every requirement. York "Freon 12" Water Cooling Systems, Yorkaire Research, Developments Aimed At Giving Public More Comfort Than Ever self-contained air conditioners, coils and coil type air units for theater . systems have been developed to inf corporate these technical advances^ and manufacturing refinements, which in many cases permit the use of materials which should be available, in some degree, for civilian requirements. S.O.S. Cinema Supply Corp.'s Inverse Feedback Amplifiers met with wide success among exhibitors, especially in Latin America. Firm's Gyro-Stabilizer Soundheads represented a forward step in construction of low-priced sound reproducers, and the S.O.S. line of Stereopticons were bettered. Refinements were also incorporated the company's cooling units. Coin Machine Scores New admission taxes and demand for box-office efficiency saw the Model 201 Brandt Automatic Cashier in lively demand. This machine became of standout importance because of its ability to deliver any amount in change from one cent to $1 by pressing but one key, — the key corresponding to the price of admission. For example, if an admission is 44 cents and $1 is tendered in payment, the ticket seller merely presses key 44 and 56 cents is instantaneously and automatically delivered directly into the cup for the patron. With mushrooming of small house where the marquee fits against the building facade, demand was brisk for the lower-priced marquees manufactured by the Artkraft Sign Co., of Lima, O. There are four models, — Crown, Regent, Royal and Princess,— ranging from 12 ft. to 20 ft., built to company's general prefabricated construction. Company also did strong business in their refined pre-fabricated marquees of all sizes. New Plastic Letters Certainly a big advance was affected via introduction by Wagner Sign Service, Inc., of Chicago, via its sensational new Plastic Letters capable of being mounted in frames, used as standee letters on top of frame, and suspended from bottom of frame in theater lobbies. They are available in 4-inch and 10-inch sizes in Opaque Black, Translucent Red, Amber, Green and Blue. Aforementioned are but a few of the vast list of 1941 developments. Technicians were busy throughout the span bringing about improvements and new developments in picture-making. Evolving of color pix for all cameras by Eastman, and that organization's acquisition of the patent covering the "gold" sound track, developed by Leopold D. Mannes and Leopold Godowsky, Jr., are examples. RCA-Brenkert Pact During 1941, RCA took over worldwide distribution of all the products (Continued on Page 7)