US1418180A - And lewis richard - Google Patents

Description

W. P. STUNZ AND L. R. GILBERT.

MULTIPLE RECORD TABLE (on MOTION PICTURE MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULYIZ. 1920.

Patented May 30, 1922.

I0 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

a ll!!! lint:

III/I115 HT v W. P. STUNZ AND L. R. GILBERT.

MULTIPLE RECORD TABLE FOR MOTION PICTURE MACHINES.

APPLXCATXON HLED JULYIZ. 1920.

1,41 8, 1 80, Patented May 30, 1922.

I0 SHEETS-SHEET 2- W. P. STUNZ AND L. H. GILBERT. MULTIPLE RECORD TABLE FOR MOTION PICTURE MACHINES.

APPLICATIDN FILED JULYIZ. 1920. 1,418, 180, Patented May 30, 1922.

I 0 SHEETSSHEET 3- galls/24182234 ffinv 1%.

W. P. STUNZ AND L. R. GILBERT. MULTIPLE RECORD TABLE run monon PICTURE mamas.

APPLICATION FILED IULYIZ. I920. 1,418,180, Patented May 30, 1922.

I0 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

W. P. STUNZ AND L. R.'G|LBERT.

MULTIPLE RECORD TABLE FOR MOTION PICTURE MACHINES.

APPLICATION HLED JULYIZ. 1920.

1 ,4 1 8, 1 80. at ted May 30, 1922.

10 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

M r? A /f. M0), fllioflzey.

W. P. SIUNZ AND L. R. GILBERT.

MULTIPLE RECORD TABLE FOR MOTION PICTURE MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED )ULYIZ. I920.

Patented May 30, 1922.

I0 SHEETS-SHEET. 6.

w. P. STUNZ AND L. R. GILBERT.

MULTIPLE RECORD TABLE FDR MOTION PICTURE MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED IULYIZ. [920. 1,418, 180. ented May 30, 1922.

I0 SHEETS-SHEET I. JmaLj:

W. P. STUNZ AND L. R. GILBERT.

MULTIPLE RECORD TABLE ronmonon PICTURE MACHINES.

m rucmou men JULYIZ. L920.

Patented May 30, 1922.

ID SHEETS-SHEET 8.

W. P. STUNZ'AND L. R GILBERT.

MULTIPLE RECORD TABLE FOR MOTION PICTURE MACHINES.

APPLTCATTDN HLED IULYTZ. I920.

Patented May 30, .1922.

10 S HEETSSHEET 9.

W. P. STUNZ AND L. H. GILBERT.

MULHPLE RCORD TABLE FOR MOTION PICTURE MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED 1uLY12. I920.

1,41 8 180, Patented May 30, 1922.

I 0 SHEETS-SHEET I I].

o V 6??? w "223W 4% va w siding UNITED STATES WILLIAM PRESTON STUNZ, OF

PATENT OFFICE.

LANSDOWNE, MARYLAND, AND LEWIS RICHARD GILBERT, OF KALAILAZOO, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNORS TO- THE WEBB TALKING PIC- TUBES COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

' MULTIPLE-RECORD TABLE FOR MOTION-PIOTURE MACHINE.

Application filed. July 12,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that lVILLiAM Puas'roN S'rtmz, a citizen of the United States. reat Lansdowne, in the county of Baltimore, State of Maryland. and LEWIS R1011- ARD GILBERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kalamazoo, in. the county of Kalamazoo and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Multiple-Record Tables for Motion-Picture Machines; and they do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

()ur invention relates to motion picture and sound-reproducing record machines. It has primarily for its object the making of a machine of the type mentioned in which will be embodied a plurality of record-supporting tables, a motion-picture projector to which is fed the picture film containing matter corresponding to that on the record, and a counting mechanism operatively connected with the projector-shaft and having elements corresponding to the number of feet of film to be fed for each record and capable of adjustment to insure the starting of one record table at the proper time in relation to the completion of the record of the other table and the'completion or ending of the picture film corresponding to that record so that reproduction of the second record will not begin until the non-remrding matter grooves of that record have been passed and the second-producing grooves are reached, thus eliminating the disturbing and disagreeable scratch ordinarily existing in starting a record, and by this elimination producing practically a continuous reproduction without detection of the period of finishing the reproduction of one record and the starting of the other. It has further for its object to provide for better or more exact syncbronisin betwe n the record and the film, and also to provide for the ready and easy restoration of sy nchronism between Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 30, 1922.

1920. Serial No. 395,595.

the record and film in the event of the synchronism being destroyed by the reproducing needle jumping in a groove or from other cause.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as may hereinafter appear the invention consists in the elements and their relation one to the other as hereinafter particularly described and then sought to be clearly defined by the claims. reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, and in which Figs. 1 and 1 represent a side elevation of the machine with parts in section;

Figs. 2 and 2 a plan view. with parts in horizontal section;

Fig. 3 a vertical cross-section;

Fig. 4 an end view with parts in section;

Fig. 5 a front view of the counting dials. with one set of dials in section;

Fig. 6 a cross-section through Fig- 5, with the Begin dial omitted;

Fig. 7 a side view, looking from the right of Fig. 5. with the Begin dial and oscillating plate omitted;

Fig. 8 an end view of the counting dial mechanism looking from the left of Fig. 5;

Fig. 9 a dial, with parts in section, showing the pivoted dog of the tens dial and cam for actuating the same;

Figs. 10. 11, 12, 13 and 14 views in perspective. with parts in section. showing the counting dials; oscillating plate, and Begiif dial. of one set of counters. separated from each other;

Fig. 15 a diagrammatic plan view of the counting dials mechanism. showing the relation of the shifting forks for the two record tables;

Fig- 16 a detail view ofparts of the counting mechanism. with some of the parts sectioned. looking at the rear of the counting mechanism Fig. 17 a detail view of parts of, the counting mechanism. with portions omitted. looking at the rear of the counting mechanism:

Fig. 18 a perspective of the counting dials and one of the dogs associated with the parts of Fig. 17, separated therefrom;

Fig. 19 an end view looking from the right hand side of the counting mechanism, showing one of the Begin dials and associated P Big. 20 a detail plan view of one of the d and its latch pawl;

i s. 21, 22, 23 and 24 detached views of clutc ing elements of one of the record tables;

Fig. 25 a detail view of the record tables drive shaft and hub on which the clutch elements of Figs. 21-24 are mounted;

Fig. 26 a perspective view of parts of the electric switch throwing mechanism, with the parts separated.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates an electric motor of any approved type which has proper driving connection with shaft 2 that extends through the machine and from which motion is transmitted to various parts of the machine, which shaft has a tachometer 3 connected to one end, and is also provided towards the motor with a suitable governor, for instance comprising a plate 4 having swinging shoes 5 thrown by centrifugal force a must periphery of casing 6 under the in uence of springs 7 connectin the shoes to elbow levers 8 one end of which bears against a slidable collar 9 movable to bear with more or less pressure against the ends of levers 8 so as to govern the speed of shaft 2, the pressure of collar 9 against levers 8 being controlled by a swinging yoke 10 connected with the slidable collar and depending from shaft 11 and connected by an arm 11 with a rod 12 connected at its other end with a lever 13 pivoted to a rack-quadrant 14 and which has a slidable latch 15 to engage the teeth of the rack to hold the lever and connecting rod to the adjustment given for the speed desired. For lengthening or shortening the connecting rod 12 in relation to the lever 13 and thus get a more refined adjustment of the rod than by the fixed spacing of the quadrant teeth, the end of the rod is thread- 1 ed and passed through an internally threaded sleeve 16 having a knurled lZlHllIll)ll1llJ fast to its outer end, the inner end of the sleeve having a swiveled or rotatable connection with the extensions 17 of lever 13 by studs 17, engaging a groove in the end of sleeve 16. or otherwise, so that by turning the thumb-nut the rod 12 will be shifted or adjusted longitudinally. Any other suitable type of governor than that mentioned may be used and the details of governor need not therefore be more particularly shown and described.

The governor controlled motor shaft 2 has a worm 18 meshing with a worm wheel 19 fixed to shaft20 through which shaft motion is tralnsmitted as hereinafter described to the supporting shafts 21 of two record-carrying tables 22 which are'operated in alternation as hereinafter described. The

shaft 20 also has fixed to it a toothed wheel 23 which meshes with a toothed wheel 24 mounted to turn freely on the projector shaft and having a bevel gear 25 attached to its face to rotate therewith, which gear meshes with two bevel gears 26 which have free rotation in hubs 27 extending from the hub 28 of a casing or housing 29 mounted freely on the projector shaft, the gears 26 meshing with a bevel gear 30 made fast to the projector shaft 31 so that motion may be transmitted to the projector from the governor controlled motor shaft 2 through the train of gears described at a regulated predetermined normal speed. The planeta gears 24, 25, 26 and 30 constitute also a diii erential drive for the projector shaft which is controlled by a gear 32 carried by a spindle 33 mounted in the frame of the machine and meshing with a toothed member 34 forming a part of the housing 29 so that by turning the gear32 the housing carrying the gears 26 may be partially rotated in one direction or another relatively to the gear 29 and thus through shifting of the gears 26 speed up or lower the normal speed of the projector according as the cars 26 are shifted in one direction or the ot er, and thus producing a differential speed. The gear 32 may be turned in one direction or another by a handle or crank 35 pivotally connected to the spindle 33 so that its pivoted end in one osition may engage or interlock with a toot ed rack 36 attached to the spindle 33 to hold the housin 29 and gears 26 in ad justed position, and be disengaged from the rack 36 when the housing and gears are to be adjusted for speeding up or retarding the projector shaft for synchronizing the film and record if from jumping of the reproducing needle or other cause they get out of synchronism.

The record tables 22 are brought alternating into action and non-action by clutch mechanism, one for each table, and each of like construction and brought into and out of action as will now be described. The clutch mechanism for each record-table comprises a hub 37 mounted loosel on the record-table power transmitting sha 20 and upon which hub is mounted a gear wheel 38 (having a limited rohitive movement) and meshing with a gear 39 fast on each record-table shaft 21. ()n the same hub 37, alongside the gear 38, is loosely mounted a disk 38 having teeth 40 on on face; and, alongside the disk 38, there is mounted on the record-table transmitting shaft 20 a shifting clutch-plate 41 and its grooved hub 42 feathered to the shaft 20 so as to be slidable thereon and rotatable therewith, said plate having clutch teeth 43 to engage the teeth on the disk 38 to clutch one to the other when brought together and also having a cone-shaped ring or cam 44 on the same face to engage a pin 53 of a latch-bolt slidably mounted in disk 38 when brought into engagement therewith, said clutch-plate being shifted to clutching and unclutching position at periodic times by a yoke or fork 46 connected to a sliding bar associated with a counting mechanism and operated as hereinafter described. The hub 37 is held against longitudinal movement on shaft 20 by one end hearing a inst a bushing in which the shaft is journa ed and by a collar 47 at the other end fast to theshaft. In order that the gear 38 may gradually take or pick up the same speed as the record-table transmitting shaft 20 and thus avoid jerking action to the table in taking its motion, a collar 48 is made fast to the hub 37 and has attached to it one end of a spring 49 which is coiled around the hub 37 and attached at its other end to a screw 50 which passes through a curved slot 51 formed in the gear 38 and is threaded in the disk 38 so that when the clutch-plate 41 is clutched to the disk 38 motion is transmitted to the gear 38 through the yielding or spring connection, the spring acting as a cushion under its increasing tension and this continues until the screw 50 reaches the end of slot 51 and thereafter the gear 38 and shaft 20 have the same speed during the continued rotation of the record-table. When the screw 50 reaches the end of slot 51 a spring controlled latch 52 carried by gear 38 will enga e the end of latch-bolt 45 which is pro ected by engagement of the cone-shaped ring 44 on c utchlate 41 against the stud pin 53 projecting rom bolt 45 so as to lift the latch-bolt that it may be engaged b i the latch 52 and lock the gear 38 and dis 38together. When the clutch is released a spring 54 that bears down on latch-bolt stud 53 will lower the latch bolt from engagement with the spring latch 52 and thereupon the recoil of cushion spring 49 will return the clutch disk 38 to its former position and with the screw 50 to its other limit of movement in the slot 51 of gear 38 for repetition of the action described when the parts-are again brought to clutching position. The length of slot 51 in gear 38 will be determined by the conditions to be met, and in the illustration given its length is proportioned for one fourth revolution of the shaft 20, or four whole ictures of sixteen pictures per revolution of shaft 20. the loss of the one fourth revolution being discount/ed when setting the starting point of the reproducing or transmitter needle on the record.

The clutching and unclutching of the respective record-tables to start and stop the same is effected and controlled by a counting mechanism which is set for the number of feet of the picture film to be fed for the respective records and which is controlled in its action through suitable connections with the projector shaft which bears a fixed relation to the movin picture projector so that the counting mec anism measures a predetermined length of film passing throu h the projector. in the resent instance, se ected as illustrative. one alf foot of film is measured by the units dial of the counter but one foot (sixteen pictures) is taken as a standard; a predetermined length of film formed of sections being joined to ether (a section for each record,) and sync lironized, each section for its respective recor and each record being noted with the number of feet of film for that record as a guide for the operator. The counting mechanism comprises sets of dials, one set for each record table, each set being similarly constructed and operating, and therefore a description of one set will answer for both sets. This counting mechanism comprises a casing 55 in which is mounted a rock shaft 56 passing through a quill 57, at each end, held fast by a screw 58 to a bushing 59 extending inwardly from the heads of the casing. Made fast by keys to the quill 57 are cams 60 each formed with a depression or notch 61, and mounted loosely on the quill are three dials, a unit dial 62, a tens dial 63 and a hundreds dial 64, and a setting or Begin dial 65, while between the Begin dial 65 and the units dial is an oscillating drive plate 66 made fast by pins 67 to the rock shaft 56. The tens and the hundreds dials are each provided on one face with ten teeth 68, and the units dial is provided on one face with twenty teeth 69, and the Begin" dial is formed on one face with teeth 70 and with a rest-plug 70 between two of its teeth, the teethand rest plug being formed in the ratio of sixteen teeth to the dial. Each of the dials 62 and 63 has pivoted thereto by a pin or screw 71 a dog 72 one end of which is pressed by a spring 73 into contact with the periphery of cam 60 and the other end of which is disposed to engage one of the teeth on the next adjoining dial so as to move the same one tooth or one tenth of a revolution when and while its other end is in the notch of its can] 60 in the rotation of the two dias. The oscillating plate 66 is provided on each face with a pivoted dog 74, so disposed as to have one end thereof pressed by a spring 75 so that one dog will engage the teeth 69 of units dial 62 and the other dog engage the teeth 70 of the Begin dial 65. The Begin dial 65 carries a spring-pressed pawl 76 that engages a ratchet 77 keyed to the quill 57 so as to prevent backward movement of the Begin dial. The two sets of counting dials are separated one set from the other by a partition 78 through which rock shaft 56 passes; and rocking or oscillatory movement to the oscillating plate 66 is derived through an arm or connecting rod 79 pivoted to the plate and pivotally connected at its other end to a link 80 which at one end is pivotally connected to a rod or arm 81 which is under the influence of a suitable spring (not shown) so as to press the link against a cam 83 made fast to the pro jector shaft 31 which is so formed with two lobes as shown as to impart two movements to the link 80 in each revolution of the pr0-x jector shaft and thus oscillate the plate 66 so that the dog on one face thereof will push the units dial the distance of one tooth every time the plate rocks forward so that in every revolution of the projector shaft the units dial will be turned one tenth of a revolution, there being two forward movements of the oscillating plate in every revolution of the projector shaft. The cam 83 is so dimensioned as to give more than 5; of a revolution to rocker plate 66 but less than of a revolution so that two teeth on units dial 62 cannot be pushed at one and the same time.

The counting mechanism also includes two shafts 84, one for each set of dials, made fast in the heads of the counter-housing and the partition 78 (Fig. 16) and on each shaft is loosely mounted three dogs 85, 86. and 87 positioned at the rear of the counter dials, the dog 85 being pressed forward by a spring 88 and dog 87 by a spring 89. ,The dog 85 has fingers 90 on one face positioned to enter recesses 91 in the peripheries of dials 62, 63 and 64 when the recesses are in alinement, and it has a laterally projecting lug or lip 92 that will lap over the adjoining dog 86, and on its top is provided with a catch-pawl 93 pivoted thereto in position to engage a latch 94 extending from a shifting bar 95 which carries the record-table clutch actuating fork 46, there bein a shifting bar and clutch operating fork for each set of counting dials, said catch-pawl 93 holding the clutch fork shifting bar against retraction by spring 95 until released by the catch-pawl 93 in the outward movement of dog 85 in setting the counting dials. The dog 86 has a pin 96 projecting from its face which when the dog is moved forward by the dog 85 is carried back of a stud 97 depending from the clutch fork 46 so as to permit the bar 95 carrying the fork to he shifte i, whereupon the pin will lie back of the sh. .l 97 as shown (Fig. 16) and thus hold the dog 86 in its forward position after the dog 85 has been moved backward in setting the dials. The dog 87 is provided at its upper end with a cam-plate 98 which is held by the spring 89 in the path of a cam 99 on the Begin dial 6:3 and when said cam in the revolution of the Begin dial contacts with and presses the dog 87 outward its cam 98 acts on an arm 100 depending from the clutch fork shifting bar 95 so as to shift said bar longitudinally, against the tension of its retracting spring 95, for shifting the record-table clutch into unclutching relation through the clutch-fork. It will be understood that while the several parts described bar in the other direction for its recordtable, the arts functioning substantially the same for 0th tables. Each clutch shifting bar 95 has a pin 101 pro'ecting from one face, both of which pins fie within a fork 102 at the end of an arm 103 which is connected by a pin 104 to a pintle 105 which is revoluble in the end of a stationary bracketarm 106 and has at its lower end diverging arms or a fork 107 and constituting a rocking switch lever which is thrown in one direction or another from the shifting bars 95 so as to permit a switch to be thrown to bring the transmitter of one record into ac tion and of the other record out of action. This switch lever cooperates with the transmitter switch actuating means as follows: On the pro'ector shaft 31 is loosel mounted a hub 108 aving a plate 109 wit which is connected an eccentric 110 likewise mounted freely on shaft 31 and also a collar-plate 111 mounted loosely on shaft 31, the eccentric and two plates being connected one to the other by pins 112 so as to turn together, and the eccentric 110 is encircled by a strap 113 from which a connecting rod 114 extends to the arm 115 of a double throw four pole switch 116 which determines the transmitter of the particular record that shall be made active as well as the one that shall be made inactive it being contemplated to use with the apparatus electric telephone transmitters having the reproducing needles of the records connected therewith of a type well known and in use and not specifically claimedherein and therefore not here described more in detail. The plate 109 is provided with a stop lug 117 which projects into the path of movement of the switch throw lever 107. On the hub 108 is loosely sleeved what for convenience will be designated a friction-clutch plate 118 having on its face next to the plate 109 a pad 119 of suitable material, preferably leather, said friction-clutch plate being connected by a spring 120 with a collar 121 made fast to the projector shaft 31. The rotation of the projector shaft winds up or tensions the coiled spring 120 which tends to turn the friction clutch plate 118 and which in turn would rotate the eccentric-plate 113 except for the fact that the latter is prevented from rotating by engagment of its stop-lug 117 against the arm of the switch-throw lever 107, and conse uently power is stored in the spring 120. Vihen however the switch lever is rocked by movement of one of the shifting bars 95 so as to move its arm from engagement with the stop-lug in the. eccentricplate 109, the spring 120 by reason of its stored energy quickly rotates clutch-plate 118 and through its frictional engagement with plate 109 rotates the latter so as to turn the eccentric 110 and through the strap 113 and connecting rod 114 throw the transmitter double-throw four pole switch so as to cut-out'one transmitter while the switch is brought/into position for bringing the transmitterof the other record into action at the proper time, the eccentric-plate 109 being stopped in a half revolution by the other arm of the switchin lever having been moved into the path 0 the stop-lug 117 so as to arrest the rotation of the eccentric-plate and attached eccentric and hold the two against rotation from frictional contact of clutchin -plate 118 until the switching lever is rocke in the other direction by the shifting bar of the set of counters for the other record-table whereupon the eccentric-plate is again released and the stored energy of spring 120 rotates the eccentric to throw the transmitter switch, and so on in repetition. Operation.

The machine operates as follows: A predetermined length of film synchronized toa multipleof records are joined together. On each record is noted the number of feet of film for that record as a guide to the operator. The film is placed in the projector and one of the records placed on, say the right hand turn-table it havin been noted that the other turn-ta le was t e last used; the dials of the counter for the right hand table are set to the predetermined number of feet noted for the record of that table. The Begin dial for this table is set to allow for the number of non-recording grooves of the record on the table, which have been predetermined and noted on the record so that the transmitter reproducing needle of this record will not give forth the reproduction of the record until the point of definite recorded matter is reached at which moment the switch of the transmitter reproducing needle is instantaneously thrown so that the actual reproduction of the record begins the moment the definite recorded matter of the grooves is reached. The reason for this is that usually a number of grooves turned in the beginning of a record have nothing definite recorded and the needle working in these non-productive grooves would give forth scratchy and discordant notes or sounds until the definite recorded matter is reached. This is obviated in the resent construction by making provision or the transmitter ncedlc not becoming actively reproductive of sounds until the definite recorded matter of the rooves is reached whi h is effected by shifting the switch for the reproductive activity of the transmitter at the moment that the definite recorded matter is reached, the switch being thrown at such time throng its connections with the counting mechanism, the Begin dial of which is set for the switch to be actuated at the end of the non-productive or scratch grooves of the record. With this preiminary statement and with the dials of the counter of the record to be reproduced set for the number of feet of film for that record and the Begin dial set for the nonproductive grooves in the record, the machine is started. The rocker-plate 66 being oscillated through its connections frpm cam 83 on the projector shaft 31, the several dials are rotated hrough their respective detzga or pawls operating as previously. describ and by the time the definite recorded matter of the record grooves is reached in the rotation of the record table the Begin dial has reached the limit of rotation to which it was set for the non-productive matter grooves and then the actuating pawl for the Begin dial plays idly upon the rest interval 70' of its row of teeth so that the rotation of that dial ceases or comes to rest while the other dials continue their rotation, and the cam 99 of the Begin dial 65 presses the dog 87 outward so that its cam 98 will bear against the arm 100 of the clutch-fork shifting bar 95 and move said bar sideways so that its pin 101 will contact with the forked end of switch lever 107 and move it from engagement with stop-lug 117 of eccentric-plate 109 and the stored-up energy of spring 120 will shift eccentric 110 and t irough the connecting rod 114 throw the pole switch 115 so as to close an electric-circuit (not shown) through the transmitter for the record and thus give audible reproduction from the record grooves. At the same time that the shifting bar 95 is moved by the cam 98 the clutch-fork of that bar is moved with the bar so as to unclutch the other or left hand turn table, (looking at Fig. 16, which is a view from the rear of the machine), and said bar is held against spring retraction into clutching position, releases pressure on dog 87, by the latch 93 engaging the catch 94 depending from the shifting bar carrying the clutch-fork of the table unclutched. By this time also, the units, tens and hundreds dials of the unclutched table have reached the limit of the points of rotation for which they were set and the recesses 91 in their peripheries are in register and the dog 85 has been thrown inward so that its fingers 90 have entered said recesses, and in this movement of the dog it has pressed the dog 86 inward so that its upper end bears against the tails of the pawls 74 of its oscillating plate so as to hold said pawls from engaging with the teeth of the Begin and unit dials of the when the cam 99 set of counters for that (now non-rotating) table and making said dials for the time inactive. In the inward movement of the dog 86 its pin 96 has been moved back of the plane of movement of the stud 97 of the clutch-fork for that table so that even when the dog 85 moves outward in setting the dials ot that table the dog 86 will be held in its inward position against the tails of the rockingplate pawls by the stud 97 hearing against the front face of pin 96, which is during the time the countlng dials are being set. While one turn-table and itsassociated parts are operating, the counting dials of the other table, say the left hand table, are set for the number of feet of film for that record and for the scratch grooves of the record. hen the dials of the record-table which is operating have reached the limit for which they have been set the recesses 91 in their peripheries are in register whereupon the fingers of the dog 85 enter the recesses and its companion dog 86 is pressed inward against the tails of its oscillating plate pawls and the latch 93 disengaged from the catch 94 so that the shiftin bar 9:- carrying the clutch fork of the ot er, or let't hand table, can be retracted by its spring "5 into clutching position for that or lett hand table so to start that record-table and whose transmitter needle will travel the unrecorded matter grooves of that record. By the time that the end of the unrecorded or scratch grooves of this record has been reacheththe cam 99 on the Be in dial of this set of counters has reached the point of contact with dog 87 of that set and said dog being pressed outward its eam 98 bears with side pressure against th arm 100 depending from the shifting bar of the other or right hand table and mores said bar against the tension of its spring 9:3 so as to move the fork of the right hand table and uuclutch that table and at the some time cause pin 101 to shift the electric pole switch of the transmitter circuit and so that the recorded matter of the record may be given forth by the trans mittcr \t the time that the shifting clutch bar of the right hand table is moved towards the left hand table the latch 93 of the dog R5 of the left hand table counters engages the depending arm 94 of that bar and holds it against spring retraction until released. and at the same time the lug 97 of the other shitting yoke passes over and stands in front of the pin 96 of dog 86 oi the right hand record-table so that the dog will hold the oscillating-plate pawls of that set out of operative connection with the dials of that table while being set for the next record to be placed on'the table. It will be noted from the foregoing that one table is running while the other table is running for the length of its unrecorded mutter grooves and that when the matter recorded grooves of the latter is reached and reproduced by its transmitter the other table stops in its rotation, That fact together with the quick throw of the transmitter switch by the stored up energy of spring 120 makes it possible to have the ending of a portion of a sentence on one record and the beginning of the remainder on the other record practically nondetectable because of the quick shifting or change from one record to the other. It will be understood that the tables operate in alternation and that the record is placed on one and its counting dials set while the other is operating, and that the parts of one are substantially the same in formation, ar rangement and operation as the other. It will also be noted that the counting mechanism is operated directly from the shaft which drives the moving picture projector and so counts the number of film feet that if a mistake is made in setting the needle of transmitter inthe correct place or groove of the record the error can be corrected by adjustment through the differential synchronizing gears 26, 29, 32, 34.

he upper end of each record turn-table shaft 21 is formed with a reduced coneshaped end 122 and threaded stem 123 to which is fitted a split-nut 124 having a knurled thumb-piece 124 so that by screwing down the nut it will be expanded to grip the wall of the record on the table and prevent the record from slipping on the table which if occuring would put the record out of synchronism with the film.

A plate attached to a suitable part of the counting mechanism has spring fingers 126 which bear against the peripheries of the units, tens and hundreds dials. in the depressions where the numerals of the dials are stamped, so as to prevent slipping of the dials on the quill in which they are mounted.

The numeral 127 indicates a box containing electrical equipment for the double pole throw switch to throw the current from one transmitter to the other and also the main current switch for the entire machine; 128 the starter hand shaft for the electric motor; 129 a resistance lamp for the transmitters; 130 the sockets for the terminals of the direct circuit and voice circuit of the respective transmitters: and 131 a test receiver horn; the electric circuits not being shown because they are Within the expert knowledge of the skilled in the art, and not claimed herein.

The counting mechanism described acts as a subtractor instead of as an addition counter, and while the construction described for it is preferred for use yet where other forms of counting devices already on the market suitable for the purposes may be used such substitution can be made without departing from other features of the invention. 38!

We have described with particularity the preferred details of various parts and their relative arrangement but it is to be understood that changes can be made in various details and essential features of the invention retained.

Having described our invention and set forth its merits what we claim is:

1. A pluralit of record supporting tables, a counting mec anism for each record table having successivel acting dials adapted to be set for the num er of revolutions of each record employed, and means for rotating one record table and its companion counting dials in unison and stopping the rotation of the other table while its companion counting dials are being adjusted for the record of that table.

2. A plurality of record supporting tables. a counting mechanism for each record table having successively acting dials adapted to be set for the number of revolutions of the record employed, means for rotating one record table and its companion counting dials in unison, and means for stopping the rotation of one table after a predetermined period of rotation of the other table.

3. A plurality of record supporting tables a counting mechanism for each record table having successivel acting dials adapted to be set for the num er of revolutions of each record employed, means for rotating one record table and its companion counting dials in unison and stopping the rotation of the other table while its companion counting dials'are being adjusted for the record of that table, a motion-picture-film projector shaft, and means cooperatively associated with the projector shaft and counting mechanism for actuating the latter from the projector shaft.

4. A plurality of record supporting tables, a counting mechanism for each record table having successively acting dials adapted to be set for the number of revolutions of each record employed, means for rotating one record table and its companion counting dials in unison, means for stopping the rotation of one table after a predetermined period of rotation of the other table, and means for making audibly effective the reproductive transmitter needle of the record that has made a predetermined number of revolutions.

5. A record supporting table, a power transmission shaft and a clutch mechanism for operatively connecting the transmission shaft and record table, said mechanism comprising a transmission gear connected with the shaft of the record table, and loosely mounted on the power transmission shaft, a clutch-plate mounted loosely on the hub of the transmission gear, a spring connected with the hub of said er and with said clutch-plate, and a clutc member rotatable with the pgwer transmission shaft and adapted to der tension and transmit motion to the transmission gear, said gear and clutch-plate" having a positive interlocking engagement with each other at a point in their rotation whereby the speed of rotation of the table is brought up gradually to the speed of the power transmission shaft.

6. A plurality of record supporting tables, means for rotating one table and stopping rotation of the other in alternation, a picture film projector shaft, a clutch mechanism associated with said shaft and comprising two plates looseiy mounted on the shaft and one having a slidable connection with the other, one of the plates being connected by a spring to the shaft to transmit motion through the spring to the plate, the other plate being connected with an eccentric, a switch lever positioned to have a part to lie within the path of a part of the eccentric to lock the eccentric-plate against rotation, and means for releasing the lever from engagement with the eccentric-plate to permitthe eccentric-plate to be rotated from the stored up energy of the spring when one of the record-tables is to be stopped in its rotation.

7. A motion picture and sound reproducing machine comprising a plurality of record supporting tables and a film projector shaft, a counting mechanism for each record table having successively acting dials adapted to be set for the number of revolutions of each record, one of said dials being rendered inactive when the end of the unrecorded matter is reached and the other dials continuing active throu bout the recorded matter of the record, and means for rotating one record table and its companion active computing dials and automatically stopping rotation of the other table at the end of the unrecorded matter and beginning of the recorded matter of the companion table for adjustment of the counting dials of the nonrotating table. q 8. In a motion picture and sound reproducing machine comprising a plurality of record supporting tables and a film projector shaft.|of a counting mechanism for each record table having successively acting dials adaptedtto he set for the number of revolutions of each record, means connecting the counting mechanism with the projector shaft for actuating the counting mechanism from said shaft, and means actu ated from the counting mechanism for auto; muticnlly stopping the rotation of one ree ord table upon cessation of activity of its associated setting dials and automatically starting rotation of the other table upon activity of its associated setting dials.

9. A motion picture and sound reproducbroiight into locking relation with the clutch-plate to place the spring un-- in machine comprising a plurality of rec org supporting tables, a film projector shaft, and an electrical sound transmitter for each record, a counting mechanism for each record table having successively acting dials adapted to he set for the number of revolutions of each record, means connecting the projector shaft with the counting mechanism for actuating the counting mechanism from said shaft, means actuated from the counting mechanism for automatically stopping the rotation of one table during inactivity of its associated setting dials and starting rotation of the other upon activity of its associated setting dials, and means connecting the countin mechanism with the switch of the electrical sound transmitters and operating to throw the electrical transmission current into one transmitter at the end 01 the non-recorded matter and beginning of the recorded matter of its record table and simultaneously cut-ofi' the transmission current from the other transmitter at the termination of the recorded matter of its record table, as predetermined by the setting dials of the counting mechanism for the respective records. a

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands.

\VILLIAM PRESTON S-TUNZ. Signed at Baltimore cit State of Maryland, in duplicate, by \l ILLIAM PRESTON STUNZ, the 16th day of April, 1920.

In the presence of- MARGARET K. SOHAFFER, IVM. G. HENDERSON.

Images