In the District Court of the United States, for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the United States of America, petitioner, vs. Motion Picture Patents Company, et al., defendants (1914)

Record Details:

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United States Patent Office. THOMAS ARMAT, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. VITASCOPE. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 578,185, dated March 2, 1897. Application filed September 26, 1898. 8eri*l lo. 607,058. <No model.) To.all whom it nuty concern: Be it known that I, Thomas ARMAT,acitixen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invent5 ed certain new and useful Improvements .in Vitascopes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains ro to make and use the same. This invention relates to apparatus for exhibiting pictures, but more particularly to that class of pictu re-exhibiting apparatus disclosed in my pending application, Serial No. ?5 579,901, filed February 1!), 189G, in which the impression is given to the eye of objects in motion. The primary object of the invention is to provide improved and efficient means where ao by a series of photographic or other pictures showing successively the different positions or attitudes assumed by a person or object in motion may be displayed in such a manner as to reproduce to the eye the appearance of the 25 moving object through all the phasesof such movement with a life-like and unbiurred effect. Another object is to provide simple and efficient mechanism for intermittently mov 30 ing the film or band forming the picture-cArrying surface, so as to successively place the objects thereon in position for reproduction, without liability of slipping .and not moving the film the proper distance on account of the 35 variations in its thickness or otherwise and without liability to injury from the knocking and jarring of the mechanism which is incident to the means usually employed or injury to the film by unnecessary strain and wear 40 thereon. Further objects are to provide simple and efficient mechanism capable of being also used in a photographfc camera, to provide a tension and guiding device which will avoid 45 the necessity of exerting a great pressure upon the film and which will instantaneously engage the film and hold the same in its proper position without flexing or puckering at the point of exposure, and to provide simple and 50 efficient means for holding the film while being operated With these and other objects in view the in vention consists in the construction and combination of the several parts, substantially as hereinafter described.and then pointed out 55 in the claims at the end of the description. Referring to the accompanying drawings; forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of an* apparatus for reproducing pictures from a picture 60 carrying surface, illustrating my improved mechanism for operating and controlling the movements of the picture-carrying surface. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of one of>the film-operating drums and the yielding pres 65 sure and guiding arm, and Fig. 3 is a detail longitudinal section of a modified form of drum. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation, on a smaller scale, of the film-operating mechanism and tensioning device with the projecting lens re 70 moved. Figs. 5 and 5* are a detail front elevation and plan, respectively, of the tension aud guiding device. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken on the line VI VI of Fig. 4, illustrating in elevation' the 75 mechanism for operating one of the drums so as to intermittently move the film. Fig. 7 represents the interior of a camera casing or box with the mechanism in position for operating a photographic film. Fig. 8 is a front 80 elevation of the camera-box, illustrating in elevation one means for imparting movement to the film-operating mechanism. Fig. 9 is a transverse vertical section of a casing or incisure for containing the film-reel, the reel 85 and film being removed. I ig. 10 is a' longitudinal sectional view of the film-containing casing with the reel therein in position for use. Fig. 11 represents in side elevation, partly diagrammatic, a preferred arrangement of the 90 film and support and casing or inclosu re therefor. Fig. 12 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line XII XII of Fig. 11, and Fig. 13 is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of mechanism for intermittently operating the 95 drum In this apparatus, like that shown in my pending application above referred to, the picture is exposed for projection a much longer time than is required to displace it and ioo substitute another in its stead, thus prolonging the period of illumination very greatly as compared with the period of interruption or change, and there is no necessity for obstruc