Society of Motion Picture Engineers : incorporation and by-laws (1923)

on the rack by rotating the loaded racks. This method is not recommended because any dirt present on the film on leaving the wash water remains on the film, while drying marks are very apt to be produced, unless the excess moisture is thoroughly removed before drying. A typical set of drying reels is shown in Figure 26. They vary in diameter from about 8 to 15 feet and the film capacity varies from 200 feet to 2000 feet. A large capacity reel is cheaper to construct than a number of smaller units, though much time is lost in stopping Fig. 26. Film Drying Reels and restarting the large reel unless it is completely loaded in one operation. The reels are usually motor driven by means of a narrow belt passing completely around the periphery of the reel. In order to eliminate fire hazards it is better to place the motor outside the drying room and to operate the reels by means of starting clutches and brakes. When transferring the film from the rack to the reel the rack should be placed in a frame similar to that used for winding as shown in Figure 13. The extension shelf at the base of the frame should be covered with cloth to prevent the film touching the floor during transference. The lower slats of the drying reel should be at least two feet from the floor, and sufficient working space should be provided on both sides of the reels so that the wet film may be applied on one side and the dry film removed on the other. The film is attached to the slats on the reel by slipping the rubber band attached to the film over pins placed on the inside of the slats. The slats should be of hard wood smoothed off with sand paper at frequent 204