US1393859A - Synchronizer for talking motion-pictures - Google Patents

Description

K. M. WALLEY SYNCHRONIZER FOR TALKING MOTION PICTURES.

APPLICATION F lLED FEB. 17. 1917- Patented Oct. 18, 1921.v

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flmzimzze K. M. WALLEY. SYNCHRONIZER FOR TALKING MO-TION PICTURES! APPLICATION HLLD FEB.'17, 19H. 15398 859. Patented Oct. 18, 1921-.

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K. M. .WALLEY. SYNCHRONIZER FOR TALKING MQTION PICTURES.

APPLICATION HLED FEB. 17', 1917- 1,393,859, Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

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K. M. W'ALLEY. SYNCHRONIZER FOR TALKING MOTION PICTURES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.17,1917- 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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" graph speaking motion nected to the phonograph UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

KENNETH M. WALLEY,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SYN CHRON IZER FOR TALKING MOTION -PIC'IURES.

Application filed February To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KENNETH M. WAL- LEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Synchronizers for Talking Motion-Pictures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a synchronizing device adapted for use in maintaining the proper synchronism or time relation between a phonograph and a motion picture machine by means of which talking or pictures are produced. In order that speaking motion pictures may be produced with the proper effect it is, of course, necessary that the proper time relation be maintained between the move ments portrayed on the pictures and the sounds and spoken words which are produced simultaneously by means of a phonograph or sound reproducing machine, ,and

the purpose of this invention is to provide means for accomplishing this purpose.

The principal object of the resent 1nvention-is to provide means wh1ch may be operatively connected to a motion picture machine and to a phonograph in order to maintain them in synchronism when they are simultaneously operated. A further object is to provide improved. means for main taining graph and a motion picture machlne substantially constant. A further ob ect 1s to provide asynchronizer having relatively movable parts which are actuated independently of each other by a phonograph and a motion picture machine, respectively, and comprising means for indicating a variation in the speed of actuation of the which are conand the picture machine, respectively. Another feature is to provide a synchronizer having electrically operated indicating elements which are actuated continuously by the devices to be synchronized; and which indicate any variation in the relative speeds of operation of those devices. Another object is to pro vide, in a device for synchronizin a phonoand a motion picture machlne, means for automatically correcting any lack of synchronismv which may occur in the operation of the devices synchronized. A furhe e tu e o t s in ention is the proparts of the synchronizer Specification of Letters Patent.

the relative speeds of. a phono- Patented Oct. 18, 1921. 17. 1917. Serial No. 149,34

vision of a synchronizer having parts which are electrically actuated through the openlng and closing of electrical contacts controlled by the phonograph and the motion picture machine, respectively. A further ob ect is to provide a synchronizer wh1ch Wlll indicate in a plurality of ways a lack of synchronism between the devices controlled thereby and comprising also in which one embodiment of the invention is illustrated. I

In the drawings igure 1' is a diagrammatic view showmg the principal features and the circuit connections of my improved synchronizer when used in-connection with a phonograph and a motion picture machine;

Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal vertical section through the indicating device of the synchronizer Fig. 3 shows a transverse vertical section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 shows a. side elevation of the indicating device illustrated in Figs. 2' and 3;

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. shows a side elevation ofthe contact device operated by the motion picture machine;

Fig. 7 shows a sectional view on the line 77 of the device illustrated in Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is an end elevation showing one of thecamsot-the contact device.

Although the general arrangement and the method of operation of my invention may perhaps best be described in connection with the diagrammatic view shown in Fig. 1, I will first describe the indicating device shown particularly in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5, by means of which the synchronism, or lack of synchronism, of the phonograph and picture machine is indicated. This indicatlng device, designated generally comprises a base 11 having downwardly extending flanges around its outer edge which bythe numeral 10,

are adapted to rest upon a suitable support and having an upwardly extending flange 11 on the upper side thereof which is adapted to be secured to thehousing 12 comprising the end walls 12 and the cover portion 12. This housing has a removable section or door 12 to permit access to the interior thereof.- Mounted within the housing 12 are twolbearing members 13 and 14, having supporting arms or brackets 13 and 14, respectively, which are secured to the base 11. The end walls 12 of the housing have formed integrally therewith, or secured thereto, the hubs or bearings 15 and 16, which are in alinement with the bearing members 13 and 14. The bearing members 13 and 15 have journaled therein a shaft 17, and the bearing members 14 and 16 have journaled therein a shaft 18, these two shafts being in alinement with each other and terminating adjacent each other at their inner ends. The outer ends of these shafts 17 and 18 project through the end walls 12 and have hand- wheels 19 and 20 secured thereon by means of the set screws 21. Endwise movement of the shafts is prevented by the collars 22. The two shafts 17 and 1'8uare adapted to be rotated continuously in the same direction by the phonograph and the motion picture machine, respectively, and the relative speeds of rotation of these shafts are adaptedto'be indicated by means of the indicating wheels 23 and 24, which are mounted upon the inner adjacent ends of the shafts 17 and 18, respectively, and secured thereto by means of set screws 25 or other suitable means. The outer peripheral surfaces of these indicating wheels 23 and 24 have marked or printed thereon similar series of numerals 26, such as numerals running from zero to twenty-five as illustrated in Fig 1. The cover portion 12 of the housing is provided with two oppositely disposed apertures or windows 27 and 28, through which two oppositely disposed numerals carried by the wheels 23 and 24, respectively, are revealed to the observer. Vhen the two shafts of the indicating device are rotating at the same rate of speed, two identical numerals will be revealed through the windows 27 and 28, as illustrated in Fig. 4, assuming that the wheels have been set properly when the device was initially adjusted, and this initial adjustment may be effected by means of the handwheels 19 and 20 previously described. If one of the indicating wheels rotates at a slower rate of speed than the other, the numerals appearing in the windows will be different and the difference between these to the difthe shafts and to the numerals will be proportional ference in speed of magnitude of the lack of synchronism of the phonograph and the motion picture machine, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

The shaft 17 is operated by means of a solenoid 29, and the shaft 18 by means of a solenoid 30, these solenoids being operatively connected to ratchet wheels 31 and 32 which are mounted upon and fixed to the shafts 17 and 18, respectively. The operating connections between each of these solenoids and its corresponding ratchet wheel are similar to those for the other solenoid and ratchet wheel, and one of said connections only will therefore be described. The core 30 of the solenoid 30 is connected by a link withan operating lever 34 which Is 'pivotally mounted on the shaft 18 adjacent to the ratchet wheel 32.- This operating lever 34 has a pawl 35 pivoted thereon at the point 36 and actuated to engage the teeth of the adjacent ratchet wheel by means of a leaf spring 37 which is secured to the lever bya pin 38, and which bears upon another pln 39 secured to said lever. The downward movement of the lever, in response to the downward movement of the core 30 of the solenoid, causes a rotation of the ratchet wheel 32 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, and the return movement of the lever 34 is effected by means of a coil spring 40 connected to the end of the lever at one end and connected at its other end to the housing 12, or other suitable support. The limits of movement of the lever 34 ,are controlled by means of a U'shaped bracket 41, the lower wall 41 of which is adapted to engage the lower surface of the arm 34 in order to limit the downward movementof the latter. The upper arm 41 of this bracket 41 carries an adjustable screw 42 which serves as a stop to limit the upper movement of the lever. In practice, this bracket is preferably con structed and arranged so that the lower stop 41" will permit a downward movement of the lever corresponding to an angular advance of the ratchet wheel through-an are equal to the length of one tooth, and the upward movement of the lever may be regulated as desired by means of the screws 41. The bracket 41 is carried by an arm 42, which in turn is secured by means of screws 43 to a supporting member 44 having a flange 44 attached to the adjacent end wall 12 of the housing by means of the bolts or screws 45. A spring tooth 46 is clamped between the arm 42 and the member 44 and engages the teeth of the ratchet wheel 32 to prevent return movement thereof after it has been moved forwardly by the operation of the solenoid. The intermittent action of the solenoid thus operates to rotate the ratchet wheel 32 and the shaft 18, which carries the indicating wheel 24. It will be understood that the core 29 of the other solenoid 29 is connected through similar operating connections to the ratchet Wheel 31, and that these operating connections are 7 from by means of bushings 54.

by means of which the carried by another supporting member 47 connected to the other end wall of the housmg.

The terminals of the solenoid 29 are connected by means of electrical conductors 50 and 51 to the binding posts and 53, respectively. which are mounted in suitable apertures in the base 11 and insulated there- An electrical conductor leads from the binding post 52 to one terminal of a contact maker 56, and a conductor 57 leads from the other terminal of this contact maker to a ground connection shown at 58. The binding post 53 is connected by means of a conductor 59', through a switch 60, to one terminal 61 of a storage battery 62, or other source of electrical energy. The other terminal 63 of. the storage battery is connected through a conductor 64 to the ground as shown at 65. Each time the circuit thus .described is closed by the action of the contact maker 56 the circuit will be made through the solenoid 29 and the adjacent ratchet wheel 31 will be actuated to rotate the shaft 17.

The contact maker 56 comprises a cam 66, having opposite projections 66, which is fixed to the turn-table 67'of a phonograph. preferably on the underside thereof, so that the cam will rotate with the disk or record sounds are reproduced bv the phonograph. The projections 66 of the cam are adapted to engage a leafspring 68 mounted on an insulating support 69 and electrically connected to the conductor 57 previously described. Another arm 70 of conducting material is supported by the insulating block 69 and connected to the conductor55. This arm 70 carries an adjustable contact screw 71, and the screw 71 and the spring 68 carry platinum contacts 72 and 73, which are adapted to engage each other to close the circuit when the spring 68 is moved downwardly by the cam 66, this downward movement occurring twice during each revolution of the phonograph disk. The view of these parts of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 maybe considered as an inverted plan view of the phonograph table and the contact maker actuated thereby.

The solenoid 30, by means of which the indicating wheel 24 is actuated, has one terminal thereof connected by an electrical conductor 75 to connected through the conductor 59 and the switch 60 to one terminal 61 of the storage battery. The other terminal, of the solenoid 30 is connected by a conductor 76 to a binding post 77 which is mounted in and insulated from the base 11. A conductor leads from the binding post 77 to one terminal 79 of the contact maker and the other terminal 80' of this contact maker is connected by a conductor 81 to the ground as shown at 82. When the terminals 79 and 80 ratchetwheel 97 by means of a leaf-sprin the binding post 53, which is.

of this contact maker are connected. a circuit will be established through the solenoid 30. since the other terminal of the battery is connected to the ground through the conductor 64:, as previously described. If the circuit is intermittently-broken by the alternate engagement and disengagement of the con tacts 79 and .80. it will be seen that the indicating wheel 24 will be rotated in the same direction that the indicating wheel 23 is rotated by the solenoid 29,.and if the circuits of the solenoids are interrupted with the same frequency the indicating wheel 24 will rotate at the same rate of speed, and the numbers revealed through the windows 27 and 28 will be similar, if the proper initial adjustment is made.

The contact maker 85, by means of which the terminals 79 and 80 are actuated, comprises a frame 86 having upwardly extending arms 87 carrying the bearings 88 and 89. A hollow shaft 90 is journaled on a solid shaft 96 which in turn is journaled in the bearings 88 and 89. Three cams 93. 9-1 and are fixed on the shaft 90, the cam 93 having the form shown particularly in Fig. 8, and the cams 94 and 95 having the forms shown particularly in Fig. 7. A ratchet wheel 97 having sixteen teeth is fixed on the shaft 96 between the bearings 88 and the cam 95, and a pawl 98 pivoted on the cam 95 is normally held in engagement with the 99 fixed on the cam 95 at the point 100. crank 91, having a handle 92, is fixed on the shaft 96 at one end thereof and the other end of this shaft is adapted to be connected by means of a clutch 101 to the shaft 102 of a motion picture machine. It will be seen that when the clutch 101 is engaged, the shaft 90 will rotate with the same speed as the shaft of the motion picture machine. being driven through the cam 95 by the pawl and ratchet 98 and 97,-respectively. WVhen it is desired to operate the motion picture machine by hand, this may be done by rotating the crank 91, whereby the shaft 102 will be driven through the shaft 96. It will be apparent that the pawl and ratchet will permit the shaft 90 to be rotated with respect to the shaft 96 in order to permit the cam 93 to be positioned in. any desired manner.

Projecting outwardly from the frame 86, beneath each of the cams 93, 91and 95, is an arm 103 carrying a transverse head 104 to which a plate 105 is secured by means of bolts 106. Each head 104 and the corre sponding plate 195 have formed therein a rectangular guideway in which a vertically reciprocating plunger or operating member 107 is mounted. Each of the members 107 is held in contact at its upper end with one of the cams 93, 94 or 95 by means of a coil spring 108 which surrounds the operating member and. engages at its ends the head 104 and a collar 109 secured to the operating member. The lower end of each member 107 has secured thereto an insulating plate 110. Each of the insulating plates is adapted to co-act with a leaf-spring 111 mounted on an insulating block 112 carried by a supporting arm 113 projecting outwardly from the frame 86. It will be understood that there are three supporting arms 113,. each located beneath one of the arms 103. Each of the supporting arms 113 has mounted in and insulated from adjustable terminal screw 114, carrying a clamping nut 115 at its of which a connection may be formed with an electrical conductor. The terminal screw 114, beneath the cam 93, has secured to the upper. end thereof the contact terminal 79 previously described, which may be formed of platinum or other suitable material. The leaf-spring 111 above the contact 114 car ries the contact 80, previously. described.

also formed of platinum or the like and adapted to engage the contact 79. The other terminal screws 114 and the other leafsprings 111, beneath the cams 94 and 95, carry the platinum contact terminals 116 117 and 118119, respectively, which are adapted to be connected in circuits hereinafter described.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the cam 93 rotates with the same speed as the shaft of the motion picture machine and the cam 66 rotates with the sam speed as the record supporting table of t e phonograph. As these cams rotate, thediametrically disposed projections 66 and 93 of these cams will operate to close the contacts 7 27 3 and 79-80, respectively, thus completing the circuits through the solenoids 29 and 30 and causing the indicating wheels 23 and 24 to rotate. As long as the phonograph and the motion picture machine continue to operate in synchronism, the indicating wheels will rotate at the same rate of speed; but if the picture machine falls out of synchronism with the phonograph, this condition will be revealed by the display of different numerals through the windows 27 and 28 of the casing 12. By comparing the numerals revealed through these windows the operator can determine whether it is necessary to increase or decrease the speed of the motion picture machine in order to bring it into synchronism with the phonograph.

In addition to the indication given by the numerals through the windows 27 and 28, I have provided other indicating means, or signals, comprising a red lamp 125 and a green lamp 126, which are normally unlighted when the two machines are in synchronism, but which are arranged to be lighted, when the machines fall out of synchonlsm, in such a manner that the lighting the outer end thereof an lower end by means of the green lamp will indicate that the motion picture is running too slowly, while the lighting of the red lamp will indicate that the motion picture machine has too great a speed. In order to bring about this indication, I have provided the inner face of the indicating wheel 23 with a commutator 127, which consists of three arcuate conducting segments 128, 129 and 130, which are separated from each other by segments 131 of insulating material. These segments are insulated from the wheel 23 by suitable insulating material 132 having at intervals inwardly extending projections or bushings 133 which extend into suitable apertures formed in the face of the wheel 23. Suitable studs, or bolts, 134 are formed on or secured to the commutator segments and these bolts extend through the insulating bushings 133 and through insulating washers 135, being engaged at their ends by the nuts 136. It will be observed that the two segments 128 and 129 are of relatively great length,-extending almost throughout the circumference of the commutator, while the segment 130 is of relatively short length.

and is disposed between two ad acent extremities of the other segments. The other indicating wheel 24 has mounted therein a brush 137 which is adapted to bear upon the commutator 127. This brush 137 is mounted in a sleeve 138 secured to the wheel 24 by means of a collar 139 and a nut 140, and it has mounted therein a coil spring 141 held within the sleeve by a cap 142 and serving to force the brush into close contact with the surface of the commutator. The brush 137, not being insulated from the wheel 24, is electrically connected through the frame of the machine to an uninsulated binding post 143 secured to the base 11, and this binding post is connected by a conductoil 144 to a conductor 64 and the terminal 63 of the storage battery, as shown in Fig. 1.

The commutator segments 128 and 129 are electrically connected to the conductors 145 and 146, respectively, which lead through the hollow shaft 17 and thence through a suitable aperture in the shaft, being connected to the terminals 147 and 148, respectively, carried by the slip rings 149 and 150, which are fixed on the shaft 17 and insulated therefrom by means of bushings 151. The slip ring 150 is further insulatedfrom the bearing 13 by means of an insulating ring 152. A brush 153 bears upon the slip ring 149, and a brush 154 bears upon the slip ring 150. These brushes are mounted in sleeves 155 mounted in insulating bushings 15.6 secured in suitable apertures formed in the bracket 47, previously described. These sleeves 155 have shoulders 155 which bear u on the upper ends of the bushings 156 an thus serve to support the sleeves. Insulating washers 157 engage the lower ends of the sleeves 155,

and the latter are secured in position by means of nuts 158. Coil springs 159 are mounted in the upper ends of the sleeves and retained therein by means of the threaded caps 160, these springs serving to maintain the brushes 153 and 154 in contact with their slip rings. Electrical conductors 161 and 162 are connected to the brushes 153 and 154 through terminal screws 163 and 164, respectively. The conductor 161 is connected to a binding post 165 which is mounted in and insulated from the upper wall of the casing 12 adjacent to the red lamp 125. This binding post is connected within the casing through the conductor 166 to one terminal of the lamp and the other terminal of the lamp is connected through a conductor 167 to another binding post 168, also mounted in and insulated from the casing. The last named binding post 168 is connected withinthe casing by means of a conductor 169 to the conductor 51, previously described, which latter conductor is connected to the binding post 53 and to the terminal 61 of the battery. The other conductor 162, leading from the brush 154, is connected to a binding post 170 mounted in and insulated from the casing 12 adjacent to the lam 126. A conductor 171 leads from this binding post to one terminal of the lamp, and a conductor 172 leads from the other terminal of the lamp to another binding post 173 which is also mounted in and insulated from the cas ing adjacent to the lamp. A conductor 174 leads from the binding post 173 within the casing to a conductor 75, previously mentioned, which latter conductor is connected to the binding post 53 and to the terminal 61 of the battery. It will be seen, therefore, that the segment 128 of the commutator is permanently connected to one terminal of the lamp 125, while the other terminal of the lamp is connected terminal 61 of the battery. In a similar manner the segment 129 of the commutator is permanently connected to one terminal of the lamp 126, and the other terminal of this lamp is ermanently connected to the terminal 61 o the battery. Since the brush 137 is continuously connected to the terminal 63 of the battery, it will be seen that the connection of this brush with the segment 128, or the segment 129, of the commutator;

will complete the circuit through the lamp 125 or through the lamp 126. The segment 130 of the commutator, with which the brush 137 is normally in contact when like numerals on the wheels are disposed opposite each other, is a dead segment, so that the circuits through the lamps 125 and 126 remain open when the two machines being controlled are in synchronism. .If the speed of the motion picture machine falls below that of the phonograph, the wheel 24 will lag behind the wheel 23, and the brush 137 will thus permanently to the the segment 128, thus lighting the red lamp 7 125 and indicating=to the operator that the speed of the motion picture machine should be decreased. In this way the lack of synchronism .of the devices being controlled is indicated not only by comparison of the numerals revealed through the windows27 and 28, but also by the positive indication given by the lights 125 and 126. As soon as the operator observes the indicatlon so given, he controls the rheostat or the speed controlling means of the motor which drives the motion picture machine and thus brings the latter machine back into synchronism with the phonograph.

Instead of depending upon the operator to observe the indications of the synchronizer and then manually operate the controlling means for regulating the speed of the motion picture machine, I preferably combine vwith the apparatus heretofore described an automatic controller which will adjust the speed of the motion picture machine to correct the same without attention on the part of the operator. This novel means comprises two ratchets 180 and 181, which have oppositely directed teeth and which are fixed on the shaft 182 of the rheostat or motor controller 183, by means of which the speed of the motor (not shown) which drives the motion picture machine is regulated. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that this rheostat may be connected in any suitable part of the motor circuit for controlling the speed of the motor. Loosely mounted on this shaft 182 are two operating arms 184 and 185, con'nected at their extremities by the pivoted links 186 and 187 with the magnetic cores 188 and 189, respectively, of the solenoids 190 and 191. A pawl 192 is pivoted on the lever 184 and engages the teeth of the ratchet 180, being held in normal engagement therewith by'means of a s ring 193 secured to the lever 184 at 195. l hen the solenoid 190 is actuated, the arm 184 will be moved downwardly and thus rotate the ratchet 180 and the shaft 182. The downward movement is limited by means of a stop 196 projecting outwardly from the frame of the rheostat, and the upward movement'is limited by an adjustable screw stop 197 mounted in av stop 198 extending outwardly from the frame of the machine. Another pawl 199 ispivoted on the other operating arm 185 and engages the over the hubs ofthe arms 184 and 185.

When the solenoid 190 is actuated and moves the arm 184 downwardly, the arm 185 being connected through its pawl to the ratchet 181 will be moved upwardly until it engages its stop 197. Before this upper limit of the arm 185 is reached, the pawl 199 will be moved out of engagement with the ratchet 181 byumeans of an adjustable stop 201 mounted i'if'a lug 202 carried by the frame of the rheostat. After the pawl 199 is disengaged as described, a number of succeeding operations of the solenoid 190 will be permitted. In the same manner, a downward movement of the arm 185 will cause the pawl 192, carried by the lever 184, to engage an adjustable stop 103 carried by the lug 104 mounted on the frame of the rheostat. It will be apparent from this description that the solenoids 190 and 191 will operate to rotate the shaft 182 in opposite directions so that the solenoids may be utilized for controlling the speed of the motor, in accordance with the indications given by the lamps 125 and 1,26.

, One terminal of the solenoid 191 is connected by a conductor 205 to one terminal of the lamp 126' through the binding post 173, and the other terminal of the lamp 126 is connected from the binding post 170 by a conductor 206 to the contact terminal 116 of the circuit closing device 85. The other contact terminal 117 of this circuit closing device is connected through a conductor 20 to the other terminal of the solenoid 191. When the circuit is closed through the lamp 126, a circuit will also be established through the parallel connections just described extending through the solenoid 191, thus operating the lever 185 and rotating the shaft 182 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1, thereby increasing the speed of the motor. In order to give an intermittent action to this soles noid 191 whereby it will continue to operate as long as the circuit is closed through the lamp 126, I have provided the circuit interrupting device actuated by the cam 94, so that the circuit of the solenoid 191 will be interrupted once during each revolution .of the shaft 90. In a similar manner one terminal of the lamp 125 is connected from the binding post 168 by a conductor 209 to one terminal of the solenoid 190, while the other terminal of the lamp 125 is connected by a conductor 210 from the binding post 165 to the contacting terminal 118 of the circuit closing device. The oppositely disposed contact terminal 119 of this circuit closing device is connected through a conductor 211 to the other terminal of the solenoid 190, so that. when the terminals 118-119 are connected the solenoid 190 will 'be actuated provided a circuit has been established through the lamp 125, and thus the rheostat will be operated to decrease the speed of the motor in accordance with the indication given by the lamp 125.

When putting this apparatus in operation it isdesirable to adjust the cam 93 so that it will close the contact terminals 7 9--8O at the same time that the contact terminals 7 2-73 are closed by the cam 66. To do this, the operator merely grasps the cam 93 and rotates'the shaft 90 until the cam 93 occupies the same relative position with respect to the contacts operated thereby that the cam 66 occupies with respect to its contacts. Then after starting the apparatus in operation, the solenoids 29 and 30 will be actuated simultaneously as long as the two machines remainin synchronism, and the two wheels 23 and 2 4 will be given a step-by-step movement' which will maintain similar numerals opposite the windows 27 and 28 in the casing; However, when the motion picture machine runs slower or faster than the phonograph, the change will be indicated by the difference in the numerals revealed through the two windows, and at the same time one of the lamps 125 or 126 will be lighted, depending upon whether the motion picture machine 1S running too fast or too slow, respectively. At the same time, when either of the lights 125 or 126 is lighted, the corresponding solenoid 190 or 191 will be actuated/to decrease or increase the speetl of the motion picture machine. It will be understood that one of the lamps 125 or 126 remains lighted as long as the machines are out of s nchronism, and as long as this lack of sync ronism continues one of the cams 94 or 95 will continue to actuate one of the solenoids 191 or 190; but as soon as the condition of synchronism is restored, the brush 137 will move on to the dead segment 130 of the commutator and thus open the circuits through the lamps 125 .and 126 and through the solenoids 190 and 191. It will be seen that the binding posts adjacent the lamps 125 and 126 permit the automatic motor controller to be disconnected when desired;

This apparatus has the advantage that it permits the operator to compensate for portions which are cut out of the film of the motion picture after the corresponding phonograph record has been made; When the film is torn, or broken, or when it is necessary to cut out a portion of it, and a patch, or joint, is made to unite the broken ends operator may with the result that the picture is thrown out of time with the phonograph record, the according to the usual practice make a pumber of pencil holes, preferably five or six, in the film on the f rward side of the patch or joint to indicate to the operator that a portion of the film has been cut out at that point. The operator, having previously made a note of the number of squares of the films which have been cut out at the point indicated by the pencil holes, will watch the operation of the film, and when the pencil holes appear on the screen, will manually move the cam 93 forwardly on the shaft 96 as the same rotates, a number of notches of the ratchet 97 corresponding to the number of squares of the film which have been cut out at that point. The ratchet 97 being provided with sixteen teeth as heretofore explained, which is the same as the number of pictures moved across the focal aperture of the picture machine during each rotation of the drive shaft of the machine, according to the usual present construction, it will be apparent that the movement of the cam 93 forwardly through a space corresponding to the number of pictures which have been cut out of the film, will operate at once in the manner previously set forth to move the indicating wheel 24 forwardly to such a degree that it will properly indicate the extent to which the motion picturemachine is in advance of the phonograph .OWIIIO to the elimination of a certain art of the film. Having made this adjustment of the cam 93, the synchronizing mechanism. will then automatically reduce the speed of the motor driving the motion picture machine until the latter is again brought into synchronism with the phonograph. It will be apparent thatthe cam 93 may be adjusted readily while the machine is running since the number of clicks of the ratchet 98 will indicate the extent to which the cam has been advanced.

Although I have shown and described a particular embodiment of the invention for the purposes of illustration, it will be understood that it may be constructed in various different forms without departing from the scope of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. In apparatus of the class described, a member adapted to be driven by one machine, a second member adapted to be driven by a second machine, a rheostat for controlling the speed of one of said machines, ratchet mechanism for operating said rheostat, a solenoid for operating said ratchet mechanism,,means actuated by a change in the relative speeds of said members for establishing a circuit through said solenoid, and means for intermittently interrupting the circuit of said solenoid to effect the operation of said ratchet mechanism.

2. In apparatus of the class described, one machine, a second machine, a speed controller for regulating the speed of-one of In apparatus of the class described, a

member adapted to be driven with a speed proportional to the speed of one machine, a second member adapted to be driven with a speed proportional to the speed of another machine, achange in the relative speeds of said machine being adapted to effect a change in the relative positions of said members, a controller for regulating the speed of one of said machines, reciprocating means for operating said controller, means comprising an electrical circuit for actuating said reciprocating means, means actuated by a change in the relative positions of said members for establishing said circuit, and continuously operating means for intermittently interrupting said circuit while said last named means is in operation.

4. In apparatus of the class described, a member adapted to be driven with a speed proportional to the speed of one machine, a second member adapted to be driven with a speed proportional to the speed of another machine, a change in the relative speeds of said machine beingadapted to effect a change in the relative positions of said members, a controller to increase the speed of one machine, means for operating said controller to decrease the speed of the same ma chine, electrical circuits for actuating each of said controller operating means, means actuated by a change in the relative positions of said members for establishing one or the other of said circuits, and means for continuously interrupting the established circuit to eifect the operation of the connected controller op erating means.

5. In 'an apparatus of the class described, a member adapted to be driven with a speed proportional to the speed of one machine, a second member adapted to be driven with a speed proportional to the speed of another machine, a'change in the relative speeds of said machine being adapted to effect a change 1n the relative positions of said members, a

controller for regulating the speed of one of said machines, an operating arm on said controller for increasing the speed of one of said machines, another operating arm on said controller for decreasing the speed of the same machine, a pair of solenoids each connected to one of said arms, an electrical circuit for each of said solenoids, means operated by a change in the relative positions of said members for establishing said cir- 10 cuits, and means for intermittently interrupting said circuits to effect an intermittent actuation of said solenoids.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

KENNETH M. VALLEY.

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