The Nickelodeon (Feb-Sep 1909)

September, 1909. THE NICKELODEON. Important Motion Picture Patents By Austin SnerriU REISSUE patent No. 12,192 was discussed in the August number of The Nickelodeon. This patent has reference to the film picture itself, and not to apparatus for manufacturing it or for projecting it for exhibition purposes. The following patents refer to machines for producing the film. Patent No. 578,185, dated March 2, 1897, was issued to Thomas Armat, of Washington, D. C., and is entitled, "Vitascope." The drawings show a projecting machine having a Geneva intermittent movement and a sprocket feed for the film. The film magazine is of the cabinet type, provided with a large number of rollers over which the film runs, the path of the film through the film cabinet being equal to the total length of the film less the small portion in the projecting head, and the strip film being joined at its ends, forming an endless band. Fig. 7. Fig. 7, accompanying this article, shows the Geneva movement, and claim 1 of the Armat patent 578,185 covers broadly the combination of such a movement with a drum and a film strip and a tension device for holding the film strip yieldingly that it may be pulled easily by the Geneva movement. Claims 1 to 9 inclusive from a group all written upon the combination of the Geneva feed with the film strip, and varying from each other only in small details. Claim 1 is as follows: 1. The combination with a film or strip, of a tension device for yieldingly holding said film, a drum engaging the film, a wheel or disk provided with projections or portions forming a series of peripheral recesses and a rotating element provided with a projection adapted to successively enter the recesses and engage a portion of the wheel at each revolution, so as to intermittently rotate the drum and move the film with a gradual start-and-stop motion, whereby a very small and light drum may be employed, and a positive intermittent motion imparted to the film so as to avoid racking and jolting of the mechanism and unnecessary wear and strain upon the film, substantially as described. Claim 6 specifies that the pin wheel of the Geneva movement shall be of greater diameter than the star wheel, while claim 7 includes the detail of the top feed and the means for producing the top feed loop of film. 'Concluded from the August number of The Nickelodeon. The film gate in the drawings is shown with three tension members for pressing upon the film as it passes through the gate. Claims 10 to 13 inclusive form a group which read upon this feature of the film gate, claim 13 bringing in the feature also of the upper feed loop. The claims are as follows : 10. The combination with a film or strip and means for intermittently moving the same so as to successively expose the pictures thereon, of a tension device provided with three or more yielding parts or members for holding the film so as to insure prompt action of one or more of said members the instant the film has moved the desired distance, substantially as described. 11. The combination with a film or strip and means for imparting movement to the same, of a tension device provided with three or more independent spring-pressed members or parts for yieldingly holding the film so as to insure prompt action of one or more of said members the instant the film has moved the desired distance ; the upper member exerting less pressure than the others, and serving to act as a brush to clear the film of dust as well as to exert tension on said film, substantially as described. 12. The combination with a film or strip, of a tension device comprising a stationary member, three spring-pressed members arranged one above the other and adapted to yieldingly press the film against said stationary member, and guides arranged upon the upper and lower members for aligning the Fig. S. film ; said upper member exerting less pressure upon the film than the other members and serving also as a brush to free the film from dust, substantially as described. 13. The combination with a film or strip, of a tension device, means for intermittently moving said film so as to impart a step-by-step movement thereto, and mechanism for feeding the film so as to provide slack therein between the same and said tension device; said tension device being provided with three yielding parts or members for holding the film so as to insure prompt action of one or more of said members the instant the film has moved the desired distance, substantially as described. Claims 14, 15 and 16 are similar to each other and form a group reading upon the arrangement of rollers in the film magazine for the operation of an endless film. The arrangement of the film and rollers inside the