Moving Picture World (Jul-Sep 1911)

7 ID THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD ighteen inches in I be attached thi •j. | folding type so constructed that when nay not pass _, . [ a flange extension outward on all tded with a sufficient number of holes, through which (1 t., floor, ,,.. ,,, i achines must be securely fastened i accidental overturning or moving of same. i with a feed reel enclosed in a metal magazine con [ oi o U. S gauge metal without solder, with a slot at the bottom igh for film to pass out, and with cover so arranged that this' si .nstantly closed. No solder to be used in trie construction Oooi on side shall be of metal and provided with spring hinges and latch, which will keep door closed tightly. llso with a take-up reel in a magazine, similar to that feed reel. A dour to be provided to cover opening through which film i received, and a door at the side to b* provided to remove door must be of metal and equipped with spring hinges and latch to kce |> same securely cloi No motion picture machine shall be operated other than by hand power. The handle or crank used in opi aid machine shall be secured to the spindle or shaft so as to prevent its coining off. \ shutter trust be placed in front of the condenser, so arranged as to be normalh closed and held open by pressure of the operator's foot, or automatically closed when film is stationary. iion No. 8. The ARC LAMP used in a motion picture machine muse be constructed and installed as follows: (a) Must be substantially constructed and entirely of metal except where ise of approved insulating material is necessary. (b) Must be so designed as to provide for proper ventilation and to being emitted from lamp when same is in operation, and mica must be used for frame insulation. (c) Self-closing doors must be provided on side arid rear of lamp en observation ports not larger than two inches square may be provided when closed with glass. (d) Lamp must be controlled by a double pole switch and cut-out within of operator. (e) Conductors supplying current to lamp must not be smaller than No. 6 I!, and S. gauge or its equivalent. Stranded conductors, provided with approved lugs, must be used between lamp and permanent wiring. An asbe-tos insulation must be used on conductors inside lamp and where liable to be brought within six inches of the lamp or resistance. Conductors ig through case of lamp must be protected with porcelain bushings. (f) i box must be kept not less than one (i) foot from any combustible material or must be separated from it by a slab of slate or marble. The resistance box must be surrounded with a substantially attached metal guard having a mesh not larger than one square IncTi, which guard be kept at least one inch from outside frame of rheostat. (g) The lamp must not be mounted upon a base or frame composed of wood. Section No. o. No artificial light shall be used in any room, compartment or booth in which a motion picture machine is installed except that produced by electricity. All electric wiring must be brought into the booth and carried to all machines, lights, etc., in iron conduits. One light will be allowed for each machine and one for the re-winding bench, but all such lights shall be provided with wire guards, and reinforced cord shall be used for pendant purposes. If house lights are controlled from within the booth, an additional emergency control must be provided near the main exit and kept at all times in good condition. All electrical wiring or apparatus used in connection with any audience room or located in any room, compartment, booth or enclosure containing a motion picture machine, or in which an exhibition thereof is to be made, must be in full compliance with the rules of the National Electrical Code and inspected and approved by Section No. in, Xo films shall be exposed in the booth at the same time, other than the one film in process of transfer to or from the machine or from the upper to lower magazine, or in process of rewinding. A separate metal case, made without solder, shall be provided for each film when the same is not in the magazine or in process of re-winding, said films to be kept in these cases. No material of a combustible nature shall be stored within any booth except the films needed for one day's operation. Section No. ii. At least two standard hand chemical fire extinguishers shall be provided, one inside the booth and located In an accessible place within easy reach of the operator, the other located outside of the booth near the door to same. Section No. 12. Neither smoking nor the keeping nor use of matches shall be permitted in any booth, room, compartment or enclosure where a motion picture machine is installed. Section No. 13. Each machine, while in operation, shall be in charge of an experienced operator. Section No. 14. The entrance door to the motion picture machine booth shall be kept closed, but not locked, when an audience is in the building. ion No. 15. No motion picture machine shall be installed, mainied in any building that does not abut directly upon a street, nor shall any such machine be installed, maintained or operated in connection with any exhibition room that does not immediately and directly abut upon a street. Every exhibition room abutting upon but one street shall have two exits, each at least live feet wide, opening upon the street; and no such room shall exceed one thousand square feet in area. Exhibition located at the corner of and abutting upon two streets, or a street and a public alley, shall be provided with at least truce exits, two upon til and at least one upon the other street or alley, said exits to be ss than five feet wide; and no such room shall exceed two thousand live hundred square feet in area. Exhibition rooms abutting directly on or on two street and i public alley, shall not exceed five thousand "i iiea unless located in a building of fireproof construc tion and shall have two exits upon each of the three sides adjacent to said streets and ly; said exits to be not less than five feet wide. An opi directlj to 1 street or alley and not less than six in width shall, for the pu ordinance, be deemed an alley: such 1 shall be kept free from obstruction, and well lighted. 1 or galleries shall be located in any buildin 1 fireproof construction. All seats in any exhibition hall for picture machines shall be securely fastened to the floor, and shall 0.01 than nine seats in a 'in. between than four between a 1 the wall. No exit from exhibition halls for pic' ■ in Tour feet wide, and all exit doors shall be arranged to s with fastenings such as can be opened readily, from the inside without the use of keys or any special effort, but not locked when the hall is open to the public. All exits and entrances shall open directly from the exhibition room upon the street or alley. All aisles shall lead directly to exits and all shall be directly accessible to aisles. No aisles shall be less than three 11 width where they begin, and shall be increased in width toward the three inches to every ten running feet length. riON No. 16. Kach exit must be marked by means of an illumi i rid sign, containing the word "Exit" in six (6) inch white letters discernible by the audience at any time dunng the performance. Light used in marking exits or lighting passageways, stairways or inclines leading from them shall not depend upon or be controlled by switches or located in room, compartment, booth or enclosure containing motion picture machines, but shall be placed in the ticket office. Sections 17, 18, 19 and jo provide penalties, etc., for violations of the law. You will note that section 3 allows galvanized iron to be used for operating room walls, while section 4 stipulates that it shall be No. 20 gauge. Sheet metal is not fit for an operating room for many reasons. Only one need be mentioned; if unprotected it would get red hot in less than one minute in a real brisk film fire. Apparently the committee proposes allowing operating room walls of one thickness of unprotected No. 20 galvanized iron, though the language : somewhat ambiguous on this point. The text precludes the use of cement and concrete, which is the ideal operating room floor. Bui it is in the matter of openings that the committee really shines. The opening for the operator shall not be more than four inches wide by twelve high. To the committee this probably seemed a trivial thing, but it literally spells ruin to projection and endless discomfort for the operator. The writer would refuse, point blank, to work in a room with a four by twelve inch observation port, under any circumstances. Imagine rubbering -through that knot-hole for eight hours. Sitting in operating position how much of the picture can you see at a time, especially if the throw be a short one? As has been time, time and again pointed out in this department, if projection is to be good it is absolutely essential that the operator be provided with an observation port ample in size to allow of a clear, unobstructed view of the entire projection, either when seated or standing in ordinary operating position. With anything less the projection will invariably suffer more or less — generally more. I only wish that committee could be compelled to keep their eye constantly glued to a space from 12 to 20 feet wide, by two-thirds that height, seeing every portion of the space all the time, for eight hours. And the committee and tjie association hopes to inflict this piece of idiocy (that is the only word that fits the case) on fifteen thousand operators! If there were any earthly sense or added ^afety in such a provision we could have patience, but there is not. With shutters, semi-automatic in operation, properly made and with heavy penalty attached for their not working perfectly, there is not one shred of reason why the operator's observation port may not be 12x20 inches, and that is what it should be. That clause is born of ignorance of matters with which such committees attempt to deal (ignorance of things front the practical end. I mean), which foists such nonsensical blunders upon us. Blunders which spell hardship for thousands of operators and injury to the exhibitor. The above is strong language, I know, but it might well be even several times stronger. At this stage of development it is absolutely inexcusable that such things should be. We rather expect city councils to make monkeys of themselves more or less, when dealing with such subjects, but when a body pretending to evolve models for the entire country does the same thing, that is something else again. We find nothing wrong, as we read, after the above, until we come to the ventilating flue. This is recommended to be ten inches in diameter in all cases. The area of a ten-inch circular pipe is 78^2 square inches, adequate, but none too large for the smallest room named, viz., 6x8 feet. It would be far from adequate for a room 8 x 12. however. This is the more certainly true if the pipe be a long one. An 8x12 room ought to have a vent pipe of not less than 144 square inches area. But this is not the worst. The recommendation is that all parts of this vent pipe be at least six inches from any combustible material, which proviso renders the installation of a vent pipe absolutely prohibitive in a very large percentage of the storeroom theaters. Asbestos insulation an inch or an inch and a half thick would have served every purpose of safety. Section 7 reads that tipper magazine shall ' of X". 20 gauge metal. Why Xo. 20? One manufacturer makes magazines fully i-i6th of an inch thick. Is that objectionable? It should, of course, read: not less than X'o. 20 gauge. Xo firetrap is required on magazines, but in place must he a "door." Ridiculous! We also see that the old, obsolete foot shutter is raked from the scrap pile and re1 to us by this committee of Solomons. In clause b. section is. we are gravely informed that the arc lamp must be designed as to provide proper ventilation and to prevent sparks being emitted when lamp is in operation. That's a