The Optical Lantern and Cinematograph Journal (Nov 1904-Oct 1905)

178 THE OPTICAL LANTERN AND CINEMATOGRAPH JOURNAL jRevieu; of S.£J>aratus. \*sy*v R. W. Paul, 68, High Holborn, London. To the making ol improvements there seems no end and Mr. Paul is indefatigable in adding details to his excellent animatograph, which cannot fail to increase iis success as a projector. His last machine, which is called the " Reliance," has many new features, which may be summed up as follows : — Little strain on the film, rapid change of picture, correct optical system, strong design and accurate construction, effective safe guards from fire and accessability to all parts. In order that our readers may better understand the details of the improvements we have given herewith two illustrations which speak for themselves, and which clearly point out how old difficulties have been ingeniously overcome. Although these show the clever ingenuity of the designer, we would ask all those interested to avail themselves of an inspection of the actual mechanism and to listen to the explanation given by Mr. Paul's capable manager, Mr. Tno. W. Smith. A rear view of the mechanism is shown, the film gate being detached for the sake of clearness. The intermittently-moving sprocket 38 is mounted on a steel spindle running in hardened steel bushes, carried by the cock piece 41, which is bol.ed to the frame so that the whole movement may be taken off if necessary. On the shaft bearing the sprocket is a starwheel, ol the special form invented by Mr. Paul, having three radial slots ; a hardened steel roller in the heavy driving fly-wheel 33, on enteiing one of the slots imparts movement to the star-wheel, which (owing to the fact that the slot forms a tangent to the pilch-circle of the driving roller) is 'at first very gradual, increasing to a high speed as the roller reaches the dead centre, after which the speed gradually decreases leaving the sprocket at rest, the whole movement being effected in the shortest possible time without the slightest shock and with no strain on the film. 61 '*j\ §3° 5f4 ■' V ,51 S6 Jt^o^ ■SHH* ' 2 ^50 ^gf^Pl ss el; $8 — $p£2a}> ^ S3 The film gate has been very carefully designed to prevent heating of the film, the heat being carried oft" by a casting with large radiator. The film itself is nowhere touched by any springs, which are always apt to wear out and then tear it, but runs between the flat hard steel surfaces 51 and 59, a light pressure ouly being maintained between them. It will be seen from the illustrations that the usual top and bottom sprockets for feeding the film continuously have been provided, and a feature of the machine is the facility with which the film can be placed in position, or removed from one side without any threading operation. The masking device is extremely accurate and rapid in action, and we need hardly mention the fact that flickeriug is now entirely abolished, since the shutter is closed for only one-sixteenth of the time that it is open. The brilliancy of the picture is also much enhanced. The Walturdavv Co., Dean Street, Holborn, Have several specialities on view at their new Show Rooms, one of the most striking is their Bioscope No. 2, complete for ^20, which has been introduced to meet the demand for a cheap and good machine. The workmanship and finish is equal to their No. I Model, the only difference being that the mechanism is lighter. This firm have just put on the market a new Carrier, made of nickel brass, which entirely does away with the danger of melting or fusing joints by excessive heat. Another speciality is an improved device for raising, lowering and centring the lime-light jet in the Lantern, by means of a moving pillar. Any size of jet can be taken, so that the lauternist can keep his light centred as easily awith an arc lamp, having similar movements. The aim of the Walturdaw Co., is to supply everything of the best connected with animated Photography, and a call at their show rooms, or an application by Post, will speedily prove to Exhibitors that they are horoughly carrying out their ideas.