Motion Picture News (Jul-Aug 1922)

650 Motion Picture News i Process Used in New Laboratory Eliminates Handling of Film Associated Screen News Invests Over 100,000 Dollars in New Equipment The Associated Screen News Incorporated have opened their new laboratories at Flushing. Long Island. The Associated Screen News purchased the Gaumont Laboratories when the Gaumont Company retired from this country in 1920 and have recently added more than one hundred thousand dollars worth of the very latest laboratory equipment. The Plant has been thoroughly renovated. standing as a fine example of the modern laboratory designed and equipped along the best accepted scientific lines. One of the very commendable features of these laboratories is that the film throughout the process of developing is never touched by hand, the entire process being automatic. The tube system of development has for more than fifteen years been used by Gaumont. Years ago, photographers claimed (and believed) that hand work was the only way to develop negatives and positive plates and films, until Eastman and other manufacturers proved that tank development produced a more uniform and better grade and quality of prints than would be possible by hand. Gaumont claims to have materially improved the tank system by inventing the tube system. There are more than two dozen series of tubes used in the new laboratories of the Associated. These tubes are ingenious, both in their application and design. One of the ac New laboratories of the Associated Screen News, Inc., at Flushing, Long Island. Perforating room. All of tile machines shown are perforators ( Gaumont ) companying photographs show a view of a set of these tubes which are made of lead and placed in successive order allowing the film to pass through the entire set. Each tube has connections to those on either side permitting a constant circulation of the solution throughout the set. To overcome the apparent difficulty in threading each run of film through the entire set of tubes a piece of blank film is left in the tubes when they are not in use. Then by simply attaching the positive to the blank film and starting the apparatus the film wil be automatically threaded. The blank film is later attached to the end of the positive which runs it through to be left as the threader for the next run. A relatively heavy roller is inserted in the loop of film in each tube which serves to hold the film down near the bottom of the tube. The film is driven by means of sprockets at the top of each individual tube. In case of trouble, such as break in the film, the movement of the film through the tubes must be stopped. However, this does not mean that the film in the process of development in the tubes is subjected to over development. There is a simple contrivance at the top of each tube which allows the film in that particular tube to be drawn out of the solution. The method of finishing positive prints in the tube system is simple : The positive print comes from the > printer wound on a reel. Each series of ■ tubes is “threaded” with about 280 feet of i blank film. One end of the undeveloped I positive film is attached to one end of the i blank film. Then, it begins its journey, slowly, through tubes filed with developer. When development is completed, it continues its journey first in the “dark room (1) Through tubes filled with develop ing solution. (2) Through tubes filled with rinsing water. (3) Through tubes filled with “hypo” fixing solution. Then the film leaves the “dark room”, through a slot in the wall and the rest of the operation is in a light room. ( Continued on page 654)