US1178062A - Moving-picture apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

T. A. EDISON. MOVING PICTURE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION "FED-JUNE 5. I910.

Patented Apr. 4,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

z%zmjm" dj buuc T. .A. EDISON.

MOVING PICTURE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED mugs. mo.

Patnted Apr. 4,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

5 the desired effect.

UNITED STATES THOMAS A. nmsonfl'ornnnwmmm PARK, WEST ORANGE, NEW JERS Y, assrenon To NEW JERSEY PATENT COMPANY, or was! cannon, NEW JERSEY,';A1CORPORATION OF JERSEY.

Application filed June js, 1910. 7 Serial No. 565,158.

To alt whom it may concern:

. Be itknown that I, THOMAS A. EDISON,

a citizen of the United States, and a resi-.

dent of Llewellyn Park, West Orange, New

5 Jerse. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in MovmgfPlcture Ap-- paratus, of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to moving picture apparatus, and the object thereof is to provide means whereby various devices may be I example, the-portrayal of scenes by the moving picture. machine may be rendered more life-like by the production of various sounds.

at appropriate times during the production of the picture: If, for instance, a character portrayed, in the pictures fires a revolver, 5 the report of the revolver should be heard by the audience immediately after the press .ing of the trigger by the character portrayed in the picture. To complete the illusion, it also often happens that the sound of a falling body and various other sounds should be heard at properly timed intervals during theproduction of the picture. It

has been extremely difficult for an operatorto produce such effects at exactly the right times to coincide with the production of the accompanying scenes.

y my invention, the-film itself is inspected and provided with apertures or other controlling means. at the proper points,

.0 which controlling means upon'the film cooperates with contact-making devices or trip devices at the proper points in the progression of the film through the machineto actuate the devices required topr'oduce Among other uses to which inventionmay be put may be noted the control of devices for coloring the light projected through the moving film so that the picture may be shown in any desired color or colors,

and the color-controlling shutter or other device actuated into operativefposition and again out, of operative position at.any desired points in the projection of the picture. It will be obvious that many other ef- Specification of Letters Patent.

movme-rrcTUnE- arranATUs.

' fects than those mentioned may be produced" l -ATENT O FICE-Y Patented A r.4,1916.

by myinvention and controlled by the pas- 1 sage of the film through the machine.

Inorder that a clear understanding of my invention may be had, attention is hereby directed to the accompanying drawings forming part of this application, in which" Figure 1 represents a diagrammatic vertlcal sectional view througha projecting machine equipped with one form of my invention. Flg. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing means for firing a pistol, releasing a falling body, and operating a color screen or shutter, a portion of-the moving film and contact; devlce being shown in perspec tive. .Fig. 31s a partial perspective view of the moving film and a modified form of contact-making device contacting the edge of said film; and Flg. 4 is a similar view showving another modification in which a conducting strip is secured upon the film itself at anydeSiredpoint to close the circuit for actuating thevarious devices.

Referring to theldrawings, the film 1 is fed in the usual manner through the moving "picture projecting machine illustrated diagrammatically at 2 in Fig. 1. The film 1 may be fed in any suitable manner, as by means of the usual ratchetsv cooperating with feeding perforation 3 of the film. I have chosen for purposes of illustration as devices to be operated, thepistol 4, weight 5 and a device 6 for coloring the light projected through the film. These or other devlces as desired may be operated 0r controlled by means of. electro- magnets 7, 8, 9

and 10. I hate represented these magnets as being all connected in parallel across the circuit 11, although it is obvious that they.

might be connected in series. Circuit 11 includes a source-of energy as the battery 12." The preferred form of my circuit control ling .device is shown in Fig. 2. As here shown, thefilm 1 passes acrossa portion 13' i of the frame of the projecting -machine,

which is connected to one end 14 of the wire composed circuit 11. Theother end 15 of the circuit is connected to brush holder '16 which is mounted upon insulation 17. Brush holder 16 carries a brush 18 which. bears upon the film, prefer'ably upon the upper side surface thereof on the outer 'side'of feeding perforations 3, above plate 13 ofthe projecting machine. Brush 18 bears firmly upon the film as the latter passes beneath the 'same, being formed of spring metal or otherwise given a slight series as '7, 8

Spring pressure upon the film and may con-. sist of several smallwires. Film 1 is pro:

vided with one or more small holes 19 which are in; line with "the-end of brush 18 as the film'is fed through the machine. Whenone of these holes passes under the end of brush '18 the latter instantaneously makes contact through the same with. plate 13 completing circuit 11 and instantaneously operating all the magnets connected in the 9-and 10. The holes 19 may be very small and brush 18 which is preferably composed of a number of fine Wires, so formed as to pass through the same. The circuit is closed only momentarily upon the passage of the hole 19 under brush 18, the film 1 inits forward movement lifting brush '18 out of hole 19 and againbreaking the circuit. v f I V v Devices such as the pistol land weights 5 and their actuating magnets may well be located behind the screen upon which themoving picture is to be projected. Holes 7 19 may be punched in the film at such points in the length of the film as tocause the en- .ergization of the magnets at the exact moments when a particular picture is crossing the aperture 20-of the projecting machine,-

which pictureritis desirable should be accompanied by the-actuation of'one of the devices controlled by the magnets. I have plate 13 through a hole 19, all of th representedthe various magnets as being provided with armatures 21, 22, 23 and 24 carried by pivotedlevers 25,26, 27 and 28, the free ends of, which levers are provided withdetents' 29, '30, 31 and 32. When cir-'.-

cuit' 11 is closed by brush18 contacting e nets will'be actuated and willattract their iarmatures, rocking levers "25, 26,127and 28 about their pivots. Accordingly, when the attendant'knows that the moment for firinga pi stol, for instance, has nearly arrived,

thepistol 4 is secured in position with its hammer 33 held in cockedposition by ide on the passage m beneath brush tionfofa. armature 21 by magnet 7 releasing hammer 33 and firing .pistol 4 to cause-the I. report-of the same vwhich shouldaccompany. 5'5 tlhe portra yal of a the; smoke in jj the picture. hearmatures of all the otherjmagnetsjfare actuated at the'same time. without result. If: e a e should soon'be produced in" the exhibition oi the picture,.-as,i=for example, the dropping dant knows that some other 'eflect' of-iafgweight, the weight '5"1'n'a,y"be secu'redin' positionfinwhich it is; prevented irom fall f ngi by, ior'fexample, the detent' of; lever :26. of magnet -.8, -so -that upon the next actuatijon o'f the series of magnetsfthe weightfi is glowed to tall. ;The device 6 for coloring;

" through t the light projected through the film may take the form of one or moreshutters as 34, 35 and 36 which may carry differently. colored glass, 37, 38 and 39. These shutters may be loosely hung upon a stud so posi-' *tioned that the I colored glass carried thereby'will pass in line with the light aperture20 of the projectin machine upon oscillation of the shutter.

vice 6 may be located in any convenient pohe coloring de'-' sition in line with the light aperture of the I picture and magnet 10 is intended to remove the shutter from-operative position at another desired point in the movement of the film. I have illustrated means by which the shutter is held in inoperative position by detent 31 of magnet 9 and allowed to fall by gravity into the proper position to coldr the light upon the actuation of. magnet 9, the

shutter then being held in operative position by detent 32 of magnet 10, which detent 1s withdrawn to release the same upon the next,

actuation of magnet 10, the shutter falling again into inoperative position by gravity. It is, however, obvious that the shutters might, if desired, be positively actuated into and out of operative position by magnets 9 and 10. In theembodiment of my invention illustrated, e ch shutter as 34 is pr0- vided with a pro ection 41 upon the hub' thereof and a projection 42 upon the outer ,endofthe shutter... When, during the projectioh: ofa, picture, the attendant knows gthatthe "timelforcoloring the light has '-nearly arrived, he mounts a shutter as '34 upon stud 40 and secures the same in inoperative position with detent 31 of lever 27- contacting lug 41 upon the hub of shutter 34 to hold the shutter in the position illustrated, the shutter being under a. constant tendency to fall by gravity to the left. Upon thepassage of the next hole 19 in fi1m 1 beneath bruslr-18, magnet 9 is actuated and detent 3 withdrawn from contact with lug 541 to all w shutter 34'to. fall to the left across "light aperture 20. Magnet 10 is actuated at the" same time attracting its armature 24 a and againreleasing the same so that, detent m 32 again occupies its outerposition inwhich it.;lies in-the pathoflug 42 upon shutter 34. f

: Shutter 34' is'arrested 1n operative position and-held there b through li'g t aperture 20 also passing j y the engagement of detent 32 with 1ug42, theprojectjng light passing,"

' 12 he colored "glass-37 of the shuttenf The next. controlling perforation j 19 in the film should be for the release of shutter 341 8' "from operative position, and accordingly ma et' 19 beingactua'ted detenti32 is withtion, andanother as 34 being in positionto 1 fall into operative position'upon the actuation of magnet 9 Accordingly, upon the next actuation of the magnets the two shutters are simultaneously released and fall by gravity, shutter falling into inoperative position, shutter 34 beingcaught as "it' reaches the operativeposition by detent '32 of lever 28, which detent is returned intothe path of lu'g 42; upon shutter 34 before the latter has reached thedetent; I have illustrated a modification of my 7 circuit controlling'device in Fig. 3, in which the film l'instead of provided with punched holes 19 is notched at its edge as,

shown at 19'. The brush'18'- is mounted to press against the edge of filml, thefilm preventing contact between the brush and plate 13. When, however, notch 19' in film 1; comes opposite brush 18f, the latter makescontact with plate 13 in recess 43 thereof, thereby completing circuit 11 and actuating the various electro-magnets. i

I have illustrated another modification in Fig. 4 in which the two ends of the conductor forming circuit 11 are connected to plate 13 'on opposite sides of'insulation 44, whereby 'the circuit is normally held ,open. In

place of using a brush and making contact thereby through the film, in this embodiment of my invention I securea thin strip or coat ing of conductive material upon the under sideotthe film at any desired point orpoints. This strip 45 is wider than in sulation 44 and accordingly as" strip 45 passes across insulation 44 in'the passage ofthe 'film through the machine, it bridges across insulation 44 completing circuit 11 and actuating the electro-magnts. 1 Having now describedmy invention, what 'I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patcut is as follows:

1.'In movingpicture projecting-apparatus, in combination, a projecting machine, a

moving-picture film, means for feeding the samethrough said machine, a device for coloring the light projected through said film, and means for automatically controlling the operation of said device including a portion of-said film, substantially. as described.

2. In moving picture projecting apparatus, in combination, aprojecting machine, a moving-picture film, means for feeding the same through said machine, a device for coloring the light projected through said film,

mechanism as described. I

or controlling themovement of" said device into operative position, and. means controlledby said film for actuating said mechanism at a desiredvpoint in the I progression of said film, substantially. as described. Y a v 3. In moving picture projecting'a paratus,.in combination, a projecting mac me, a

moving-picture film, means for feedingthe' same throu h said machine, a device for coloring the light projected through said film, operable into and out of operative position,

and means controlled by said film for releassubstantially as described.

4. The combination 'with a projecting machine, a source of light and a moving pier ture-film, of a device for coloring the light projected through the film, and means for automatically rendering the [said device effective, dependent upon the portion of the in}; said device from operative-position at a desired pointin the progression of said film,

film which is being projected, substantially 5. The combination machine. a source of light and a moving picture film,.of devices for coloring the light projected through the film, and means for renderingany of the said devices efi'e'ctive,

with a projecting I dependent upon the portion of the film which is being projected, substantially as described. e

6. The combination with a. projecting .machineya source of light and a moving picture film, of a plurality of movable mounted light. coloring devices capable of being moved intothe path of the projecting light, and electrically controlledqmeans' for operating the said devices, dependent upon the position of the film in its passage through the machine, substantially as described. p

7. In moving picture projecting apparatus, in combination, a projecting machine, a moving picture film, means for 'feeding the same through said machine, a device for coloring the light projected through said film, mechanism for controlling the move merit of said device into operative position, mechanism for arresting the device in operative position and for controlling the movement of the same into inoperative position, and means controlledby said film for actuating both said mechanisms at desired points in the progression of said film, substantially as described.

- 8. In moving picture pro ecting-apparatus,

a moving picture film having a plcture area covering nearly its entire width and an opening therein outside but adjacent to the picture area thereof, an electric circuit-containingfasource' of current and an actuating device, a projecting machine through which the travels having an insulating portion and a conducting portion, said conducting portion being connected 'to one "end of the the film in the projecting machine, and a' electric circuit nd being in contact with 4 brush mounted on said insulating portion and connected to the other end of the. electric circuit, said brush normally bearing on the film, being normally held from contact with said conducting portion by the film and'being' adapted to contact with the said conducting portion through the', opening of the film in'a predetermined position of the latter, to close the circuit, substantially as described.

9. In apparatus of the character described, a moving picture film having a pic ture area covering nearly its, entire width an a cut-away portion outside but adjacent to the picture area thereof, a movingpicture machine through which the film travels, an actuating mechanism, and controlling means 2p for said actuating mechanism comprising a member mounted on the moving picture machine and a device with which said member is adapted to cooperate, said member being biased to a position engaging said de-.

was for ren ering said actuating device operative, being normally held in inoperative position by the film in its' passage through the moving picture machine, and being adapted to assume operative position through'the cut-away portion of the film in a predetermined position of the latter, substantially as described. 7 V

1 O.- In apparatus of the character described, a moving picture film having a picture area covering nearly its entire Width and a cut-away portion outside but adjacent to the picture "area thereof, an electric circuit containing a source of current and an actuating device, a moving picture machine through which the film travels having an insulatingportion and a conducting portion, said conducting portion being connected to one end of the electric circuit and: being in contact with the film in the projecting machine, and a brush connected with: the other end of the electric circuit, said brus biased to a position to contact said conducting portion to,close the circuit, being normallyheldsfa'om such position by' the film in its passage through the moving picture machine, and adapted to assume such position through the cut-away portion of the film in a predetermined position of the lat- Lter, substantially as describedi This specification signed and witnessed this 31st day of May, 1910.' g 1 THOS. A. EDISQN. Witnesses: a x

DYER SMITH, JOHN M. CANFIELD.

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