International projectionist (Jan-Dec 1955)

to holler about in the first place. Well, instead of preachin to Pete — which dont never do no good — the Ole Twister decides then and there to do sumthin different. You know them equalizin drums in the X-L magnetic head is black as a widow spider in a coal bin. You cant see em turn. So Ole Twister gets the bright idee to paint half of the edge of each drum white. Now after you cut a projector the white spots keep awhirlin around in front of your nose for a good 4 minutes. With that goin on how can you ferget? If Pete ever again fergets an skips the magnetic head he aint dumb but just stupid, and the Ole Twister is gonna apply a crank handle right across the place his brains shouldnt be. Pete is some charicter. When I was writin this little sermin he was lookin over my shoulder. Told me I was spellin the word "linear" wrong. Just to please him I spelled it his way. Frank W. MacDonald IA Local 199, Detroit, Michigan Electrical Exam Answers Here are answers to the electrical licensing examination questions posed on page 20. (1) Footlights must be wired with at least No. 14 B & S gauge doublebraided, rubber-covered wire. No more than 1320 watts or 32 receptacles to be dependent upon a final cut-out. Receptacles must be enclosed within approved boxes as must junction boxes of an approved type, properly enclosed and readily accessible for inspection. (2) The minimum size of wire for branch lighting circuits is No. 14, the maximum wattage permitted per branch being 1650. (3) An auto-transformer is a type of transformer in which one winding serves for both primary and secondary. Autotransformers are used where the ratio of transformation is small, as in A.C. motor starters and in certain other applications, as a considerable saving in copper and iron can be effected, and the whole transformer reduced in size as compared with one having separate windings. For the secondary circuit, one wire is connected to one end of the coil, and the other to some intermediate point, depending upon the desired ratio of transformation. (4) A volt is the electromotive force which produces a current of one ampere when steadily applied to a conductor having a resistance of 1 ohm. An ampere is the current which when passed through a solution of nitrate of silver in water, in accordance with certain specifications, deposits silver at the rate of 1.118 milligrams per second. An m (motor j TO REVERSE DIRECTION . ... of rotation interchange Drawing illustrates ANV TWO LEADS how a reversal of rotation may be obtained in an alternating-current motor. ohm is the resistance of a column of mercury (at the temperature of melting ice) of uniform cross-section of one square millimeter and a length of 106.3 centimeters. A watt is the power expended by a current of one ampere in a resistance of one ohm. One horsepower equals 746 watts. Since one kilowatt equals 1000 watts, it follows that one kilowatt eqquals 1,000/746 or approximately 1.35 horsepower. (5) By interchanging any two of its power supply leads, as shown in the accompanying diagram. (6) It would cause the motor to either run very slowly or stop altogether, depending upon the electrical load. If the motor be equipped with proper overload protection, the functioning of these would automatically disconnect the motor from the line. If, on the other hand, no protective devices be available, the motor would heat up, perhaps sufficiently to cause damage to its windings. ""Questions and answers are presented through the courtesy of Theo. Audel & Co., publisher of Audel's Questions and Answers for Electricians Examinations. Motiograph Adds Products Motiograph, Inc., has developed a new low-cost in-car speaker, its aluminum housing containing a 4-inch diameter speaker unit. This speaker and junction box is known as the Economy Line, which with the Rainmaster Series and the DeLuxe plastic line enables Motiograph to give drive-in theatre owners a wide choice of in-car speaker equipment. To meet the increased demand for greater screen illumination Motiograph is making its Hi-Power arclamp for 115ampere operation. Motiograph also has a new line of selenium rectifiers for lamps operating up to 135 amperes; and has added a new 160/320-ampere generator to its line. New 20th-Fox Process Delayed Although 20th Century-Fox has plans for a new projection process for roadshows, utilizing oversize prints from oversize negatives, actual use of the process is probably about two years away, it is reported. Fox has been experimenting with a 65-mm camera and projection process with a straight projection pulldown similar to that used by Todd-AO, but it is reported that Fox found the 65-mm film unsatisfactory for projection because of its tendency to buckle and thus go out of focus. Now experiments are continuing with 55-mm rather than 65mm prints. Use of this process would not interfere with distribution of 35-mm CinemaScope prints. All-Purpose Film Process is Foreseen by Technicolor Working out of an all-purpose motion picture production process, which would start with a large-area camera negative capable of providing prints suitable for a variety of presentation methods should be the technical goal of the film industry at this time, says Herbert T. Kalmus, president of the Technicolor companies. "We visualize a process," he said, "which starts with an increased negative area of theoretically best area and dimensions which may be printed and rephotographed to yield prints suitable for: (a) large screen special theatre projection; (b) any theatre projecting 35-mm prints with a screen of any size and shape; (c) 16-mm projection, and (d) television." Prints would be made to carry any existing sound system, stereophonic or otherwise. RKO Theatres 1954 Profits RKO Theatres' net income in 1954 was $829,920, compared with a loss of $296,570 in 1953. In a report on operations, RKO revealed that in excess of $600,000 was expended during 1954 on new screens, sound equipment, lenses, projectors and other theatre improvements. This compares with an expenditure of $1,500,000 for new equipment in 1953. All RKO theatres now have every facility for projecting films in all new media in general use. Ryder Hits Equipment Cost Warning against new projection processes that are too costly for theatre installation was issued by Loren Ryder, chief of Paramount's research and sound department, at a recent meeting of the West Coast section of the Smpte, held on the Paramount lot. The only solution to the problem of incompatible aspect ratios and processes is for industry technicians to get together in "honest criticism" of each others' thinking, he said. "Let us compare our work in the laboratories and not at the expense of the theatres and the studios." INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST • APRIL 1955 23