US1413598A - Printing of photographic films - Google Patents

Description

H. v. LAWLEY. PRINTING 0F P HOTOGRAPHIC FILMS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11, I92]. 4

r Patented. Apr. 25, 1922.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

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H.'V LAWLEY. PRINTING 0F PHOTOGRAPHIC FILMS.

APPLICATION FILED FEE-11,1921.

Patented Apr. 25, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PRI NT|NG 0F PHOTOGRAPHIC FILMS. APPLICATION man FEB. 11, 1921.

Fig.6.

H. V. LAWLEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT ,QFFlC-E.

HENRY VASSAR LA'WLEY, OF KENSINGTON, LONDON, ENGLAND.

' PRINTING OF PHOTOGRAPHIG FILMS.

To (all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY VASSAR LAW- LEY, of Kensington, London, W. 8., England, a British subject, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Printing of Photographic Films, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the printing of photographic films chiefly of the classes used for cinematographic purposes, and the object is to provide a novel method and means whereby such printing may be effected in an entirely automatic manner throughout to produce the proper intensity of light according to the varying intensity of the picture or pictures on the film. The invention is distinct from a known method which provides means for sounding an alarm when it is necessary to manually change the printing light and in which an edge of the film is cut away or notched to permit a contact to be made to produce the alarm, the light required being then applied by 'the operator after inspection of a previously prepared card or chart giving the varying degrees of lighting for the different sections of the film.

Othenmeans used at present which are termed automatic printers consist of an intermittently moving disc or drum on which are pegged contacts, for the purpose of automatically switching in a .light of predetermined printing power. A notch is placed in the film on or before each section and as each notch passes through, a contact is made and the disc or drum is caused to move on by means of a ratchet for a distance of onepoint into the next contact. The contacts are inserted in the disc orcylinder by hand according to a card or ,chart. Each notch in the film actuates electrically a ratchet mov ing the disc or cylinder one notch.

According to the present invention the use of such card or charts is dispensed with, and the film negative is repared in such a manner that the particul quired for different sections of the film will be entirely automatically applied as or before thefilm is caused to pass through the usual printing gate or other; similar device provided in the apparatus, thus enabling the actual printing operation to be performed by unskilled operators.

The invention may be carried out in a number of different ways, but it essentially consists in the provision of electric contacts or means for producing same at one or both ar intensity of light re-- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 25, 1922. Application filed February 11, 1921. Serial No. 444,118;

sides or edges of the film, these contacts being spaced along the film at different .dis-

tances from one or more key contacts and these distances determining which light shall be applied by the closing of one of a number of different circuits according to which contacts are in operation.

The contacts are provided on the film during its initial inspection or grading for the determination of the intensity of light required .for the different sections and nothing remains for the printing operator to perform in connection with the actual lighting operations.

The invention consists of an improved method for the entirely automatic printing of films and in the improved apparatus whereby said automatic "printing may be carried into practical operation, all as set forth in the following specification and particularly as pointed out in the claim.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings 1n;

which Fig. 1 is a front elevation showing the general arrangement of a film printing machine with part of the invention, 'viz:' the contact arrangement, applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is an elevation on an enlarged scale showing said contact arrangement.

Fig. 3 is a View of part of a film showing key contact and a lighting contact thereon.

Fig. 4: is a side elevation on a still further enlarged scale showing one of the circuit closers for the lighting circuit.

Fig. 5 is a plan view on. a reduced scale showing the whole switch board and a number of circuit closers as illustrated in Fig. 4 thereon, and

Fig. 6 is a trio connections and circuits employed.

To refer firstly to Figs. 1 to 3 the former figure shows the front plate a of a conventional form of film printing machine, this plate supporting flanged spindles a and a for carrying the film reels for unwind ng and re-winding respectively. On leaving the upper spindle a the film passes under a guide Z), then through a contact gate 1), hereinafter described, then under a second guide 6 over a driving sprocket roller 0, thence under guides 0 and a passing the printing aperture 0 behind which 1s located the electric lamp, thence over another diagram illustrating the elecspindle a. v

fill

The contact gate 5 above referred to and shown more clearly in Fig. 2 taken in con junction with the conductive contacts (Z and d attached to the film d (Fig, 3) will now be described.

For each section or picture of the film (Z in which a change ol printing light is to take place, there is provided a key contact al in the form of a conductive clip located at one edge or side of the film and another cooperating conductive contact (Z either at the same or at the opposite edge'or side of the film and at such a determined distance from the key contact as corresponds to the particular degree of light required for the film section in question. ln the particular case under consideration a contact d is shown at a point corresponding to that re quired for a light of No. 8 intensity, and the description in connection will be retained throughout the specification. The said contacts are suitably in the form of small metal clips attached to the film as by placing their ends through certain of the usual periorations 0Z adjacent the edges of the film and bending them flat at the rear.

The film, as above described, is caused to pass through the contact gate 6 in advance of the printing aperture 0 and said gate comprises a non-conductive base 6 carrying bars or rails e divided into a number of insulated sections with intermediate conductive contacts shown as comprising a key contact e and others designated by the numerals 1 to 10 corresponding to the different intensities of light required. The gate is also provided with a hinged cover or door 6 (shown open in Figure 2 but closed in Figure 1) this door being provided on its upper surface with conductive bars 6 adapted to coincide with the bars 6 on the base and spaced apart therefrom, when the door is closed, and coupled together outside by a conductive connection 0 (Figure 1).

Thus, as the film passes through the gate a circuit will be completed through the key contacts (Z on the film and e on the gate, then through one bar e connection 6 sec- 0nd bar 6, film contact (Z and gate contact No. 8 (or any other number according to the position of the contact on the film) and thence through a connection f (Figure 1) to the switch board and lighting ,circuit to be hereinafter described. It will thus be seen that the bars 6 connected together by the connection a or either of said bars, form or forms a connecting member which, in the operation of the device, is positioned adjacent to the contacts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 and e and is spaced apart therefrom, the film (Z with its contacts (Z and 0Z being adapted to connect said contacts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,

6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, or either of them with the key contact e by means of said connecting member. It will be obvious, as the film .passes through the gate and the contacts colights be required, for instance, more than can be conveniently provided for by the size of the gate, and to avoid undue length of said gate 1 may arrange the gate contacts to cooperate with the film contacts in such a manner that any particular pair of cont acts may serve for two different lights, for instance in practice, one gate contact may serve for lights designated 1 and 6, another for lights 2 and 7, a third for lights 3 and 8 and so on according to the total number of different intensities of light required.

The preferred apparatus employed for closing the lamp circuits will now be described, reference being directed to Figs. 1, 5, and 6 of the drawings. As shown in Fig. 5 there is provided, one for each change of light, in the present case ten in number, a tumbler switch each of which comprises a pair of electro-magnets or coils g and g and a pivoted armature 9 one end of which is provided with extensions dipping into mercury cups 9 and the other end of which is counterbalanced by an adjustable nut mounted on a screw 9 which is held against accidental displacement by a light spring The armatures g are pivotally mounted by means of pins h in grooves h in a bus-' bar 7L extending between the two series of magnets; Each electro-magnet g is also fitted with a shunt device comprising a spring armature 2' adapted to be attracted by a pole piece 71 mounted on the top of the magnet g, the arrangement being such that when the magnet g is energized the armature 2' is also attracted to short circuit the magnet 9 corresponding to the pair, for a described to contact No. 8 and thence through the conductor j to electro-magnet or coil 9, which is energized from battery m, through connection 7%, bus-bar h and connections, attracts its armature and.

closes the circuit through the extensions 7 and mercury cups 9, thence over the resistance k, through the lamp Z, conductor 971., battery m, conductor 12 to other coils 9 through all of which it passes (with exception of No. 8) by means of series connections a which connect said coils together to energize same and hold the respective tumbler switches open by reason of the armatures being held by the coils in the position illustrated in dotted lines Fig. 4: with the extensions 9 out of contact with their respective mercury cups 9 and thence back to key-contact e by way of conductor 0.

It will be obvious that the greater the length of the resistance is which the current has to traverse the less intense will be the light produced at lamp Z. The holding open of all switches except No. 8 is very necessary to ensure that immediately the light is changed only the coil 9 for the particular light is energized and anypreviously closed switches are at once re-opened, thus avoiding any possibility of two switches being closed at the same time.

The coil 9 of No. 8 is short-circuited by the shunt device 2' 71 thus avoiding the energization of this coil and any tendency which might arise in consequence of the switch for the light desired being improperly reopened, and in this case the return circuit, instead of passing through the coil 9 of No. 8 as mentioned, is shunted by the shunt device through an auxiliary circuit including the conductor p, switch i (shown 1 closed for No. 8) and conductor 1". The circuit of only one pair of coils has-been described since the' description applies to all the others which are similarly arranged.

The attractive effort of the coils g is sufiicient to release the rear end of the armature g from the restraining effect of the light spring 9 but on the other hand this spring retains the armature in open-circuit position against vibration or other exterior influences likely to occur.

What I claim as m to secure by Letters States is 1. A method for the entirely automatic printing of photographic films, which consist-s in providing the films with conductive contact means, passing said film through a device also provided with contact means adapted to co-operate with those on the film, passing the film past a printing aperture and connecting the contact means of said invention and desire atent of the United I device with a source of light whereby the intensity of the latter will be increased or reduced according to the co-operation of difi'erent contacts on the film and device.

2. A method for the entirely automatic printing of photographic films, which consists in providing the film with a key contact and with a plurality of other contacts at various distances from the key contact according to the intensity of light required for printing different sections of the film, passing the latter through a device provided with contacts adapted to co-operate with those of the film, passing the film past a printing aperture behind which is a source of electric light, and connecting the contacts of said device with said source of light whereby the intensity of the latter will be increased or reduced according to the. co-

"of photographic films, comprising a .fil

operation of different contacts on the film and device corresponding to the aforesaid difierent sections of film.

3. A method for the entirely automatic printing of photographic films, which consists in providing the film with conductive contact means, passing said film through a device also provided with contact means adapted to co-operate with those on the film, passing the film past an illuminated printing aperture, and electrically connecting the contacts of said device to a source of illumination adjacent the printing aperture through apparatus comprising a plurality of switches, one for each pair of co-operatingcontacts on the film and device whereby the intensity of the illumination will be increased or reduced according to the co-operation of different pairs of contacts on the film and device relating to different sections of the film.

4, Apparatus for the automatic printing m provided with contacts, a device through which'said film is passed and provided with contacts adapted to co-operate with those on the film, a source of light adjacent a printing aperture past which the film is caused to travel, and electrical connections from the contacts of said device to said source of light whereby the intensity of the light is increased or reduced according to the co-operation of different contacts on the film and device respectively.

5. Apparatus for the automatic printing of photographic films comprising a film provided with a key contact and a plurality of other contacts at various distances therefrom for difierent sections of the film, a device through which said film is passed and provided with contacts adapted to co-oper ate with those on the film in the passage of the latter through the device, a source of li ht adjacent a printing aperture past w ich the film is caused to travel and elec trical means connecting the contactsof said device with the source of light and includ' ing a resistance more or less of which is utilized to reduce or increase the intensity of the light according to the co-operation of different contacts on the film device corresponding to the aforesaid different seo' tions'of film. 1

6; Apparatus for theautomatic printing of photographic films comprising a gate having conductive contacts and through which an associated film also provided with j co-operating conductive contacts is adapted A '2'. Apparatus for the automatic printing of photographic films comprising a gate having conductive contacts and through which an associated film also provided with co-operating conductive contacts is adapted to be passed, a source of light adjacent a printin aperture past which the film is traversed, a switch device comprising a plurality of switches one for each pair of cooperating gate and film contacts, circuit connections from the contacts on the gate through said switch device to the source of light, a resistance in said circuit connections between the switch and the source of light, means for closing the switch which corresponds to a pair of co-operating contacts, and means for holding open all the remaining switches.

8. Apparatus for the automatic printing of photographic films comprising a gate having conductive contacts and through which the film also provided with co-operating conductive contacts is caused to pass, a source of light, a switch device comprising a number of switches, one for each pair of co-operating gate and film contacts, each of said switches comprising a pair of electromagnets, an armature pivoted centrally thereof and a mercury cup, circuit connec tions from said gate contacts to each switch,

other circuit connections between the mercury cups of the switches and the source of light and a resistance coupled to each switch in said last mentioned circuit connections.

9. Apparatus for the automatic printing of photographic films comprising a gate having conductive contacts and through which the film also provided with co-opcrating conductive contacts is caused to pass, a source 01 light, a switch device comprisim a number of switches, one for each pair or co-operating gate andfilm contacts, each oi said switches comprising a pair of electromagnets, an armature pivoted centrally thereof, and a mercury cup, circuit connec tions from said gate contacts to each switch, other circuit connections between the mercury cups of the switches and the source of light, a resistance coupled to each switch in said last mentioned circuit connections, and means for short circuting one electromagnet of a pair when the switch containing these magnets is closed.

In witness whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY VASSAR LA'WLEY.

VVitnesses':

ALAN J. WILLIAMSON, KATHLEEN Asnwm.

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