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)

578,185 a "bracket or arm e', suitably held upon the frame E, and then around the lower surface of a feed-drum E'. This drum may be of any suitable construction, but preferably con 5 sists of alight hollow casing, .as aluminium, provided with teeth or projections for engaging perforations or apertures in the film, and fitted over or upon and rigidly secured to one or more collars arranged upon a shaft e3, as io shown in Fig. 2, or said drum may consist of a hard-rubber spool o^ other bodyportion e4, secured to the shaft t\ over which is forced a soft-rubber band or ring e5, so as to be rigidly held between the' outer flanges of the 15 spool, as shown in Fig. 3, the band e5 being provided with teeth or projections for engaging the apertr res in the film. The shaft c3 may be joumaled in any suitable manner in the frame E, and may be provided with a 20 sprocket-wheel 6fi, which is connected to a sprocket-wheel e~ on the driving-shaft e* by a chain e9, or operated from said driving-shaft in any other preferred manner, so as to constantly rotate the feed-drum E' and feed the 2j film. To one side of this feed-drum may also be placed an arm e10, adjustably held to the frame, if desired, and provided with a curved spring or yielding portion adapted to bear underneath the film and press it gently against 30 the periphery of the drum, so that the teeth will engage, the perforations and prevent its slipping, the arm being preferably covered wilh plush or other soft material to prevent wearing or injuring the surface of the film, 35 and with fingers or projections e", adapted to engage the edges of the film and aline the same, and to prevent enlarging or otherwise injuring the perforations or apertures i» said film. 40 Owing to the rigidity or stiffness of the film it will be caused to move or be carried upwardly and outwardly a short distance away from the drum K' and its point of contact with the yielding portion of the arm e10, 45 so as to provide constant slack in the film at this point, and then with a return-sbend it may pass in a substantially straight line through the tension and guiding device F, and thence around the drum F', (which may 50 be similarly constructed to the feed-drum E' and provided with a similar pressure and guide arm,) from which the film may pass around an idler/, and thence around another idler or roller/', as shown in full lines in Fig. 55 1, or.in the. manner indicated in dotted lines in said figure or in Fig. 11, when the casing therein shown is employed; both the rollers /ande, as well as the others, if desired, being provided with a layer of plush or soft 60 material to prevent injury to said film. As a meaus for tensioning and frictionally holding the film ,so as to permit the series of pictures thereon to be brought successively iniolh*' illuminated field and retained therein 65 for exposure for a predetermined time I preferably provide the tension device with three yielding members /', /*, and f\ though, of course, a greater number may be employed. These yielding members are each independently hinged or pivoted to a stationary mem 70 ber/5, which is adapted to be rigidly secured to Ihe frame E, and have their outer portions provided with a covering of soft material, as plush, overlying a yielding body, as rubber, if desired, so as to frictionally hold j$ the film against the stationary member and prevent wear of the film, a layer of leather or other material being arranged upon the stationary member, so as to form an opposed bearing-surface for the film. A series of stems 80 or bolts/6 project outwardly from the stationary member/5, each of which pass through an aperture iu one of the yielding or hinged members and have a spiral spring f interposed between the outer surface of each mem 85 ber and a nut /s arranged upon the outer end of said stem or bolt, so as to vary the pressure of each spring in order to exert the desired pressure upon the film. The members/2 and/' have guides /*, Figs. 1 and 5% 90 passing through recessed portionsof the stationary member, so as to engage the edges of the film and aline the same as it passes through the tension device, while upon the lower member/4 a plate/10 may be provided to protect 95 the film from the heat of the illuminator and provide a space for the circulation of air between sa'id plate and the film, so as to keep the latter Ccol. This plate is provided with an opening adapted to register with an open 100 ing in the stationary member or plate/5, "so as to permit exposure of the pictures carried by the film, the stationary member being preferably provided with one or more adjustable plates/11, Fig. 4, for varying the size of 105 the opening therein according to the position ■ of the pictures or objects to be exposed relative to the perforations in the film, as the pictures on different films do not always occupy the same position with reference to the no apertures or. perforations. The upper member /2 preferably exerts less, pressure than the other members and serves the double purpose of a brush to keep the film free from dust and to assist in hold 1 15 ing the film so as to provide slack above the tension device and prevent flexing or puckering of said film at the point of exposure. By providing three or more yielding members the tension of each member on the film 12c may be greatly diminished, and at the same time the prompt action of qno or moro of the members is secured the instaut the film has moved the desired distance. For the purpose of intermittently moving 125 or feeding the film or picture-carrying surface in such manner as to cause the series of pictures thereon to be brought into and permitted to remain in the illuminated f\«ld for an interval of time exceeding tho lime re 130 quired to effect the displacement of any one picture and the substitution of another therefor, I prefer to employ a wheel or disk #, Figs. 1 and C, vhich is secured to the shaft g of