US1455393A - Motion-picture machine - Google Patents

Description

J. DOHERTY MOTION PICTURE MACHINE May 15, 1923.

Filed Jan. 27, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet i I NI 'EN' TOR.

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ATTORNEYS May 15, 1923.

J. DOHERTY MOTION PICTURE MACHINE Filed Jan. 27. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 \JJHM- yzrerr 1 N V EN TOR.

r ATTORNEYS Patented May 15, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATE OFFICE.

JOHN DOHERTY, OF NEW YORK, N. Z, ASSIGNOR T0 SUPERIOR PROJECTOR, INC.

MOTION-PICTURE TdACI-IINE.

Application filed January 27, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN DOHERTY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motion-Picture Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to improvements in motion picture projecting machines, particularly that portion which relates to the so-called framing of the pic ture. As is well understood in the art, it is necessary from time to time, while the machine is in motion, to adjust the relation of the film to the exposure opening, so as to bring the succeeding photographs in correctrelation to that opening.

One of the objects of my invention is toprovide a simplified form of framing mechanism.

With this and other objects in view, my invention consists in the combinations and arrangements hereinafter described and more specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a portion of a projecting machine embodying one form of my invention; Fig. 2 is a view from the left of Fig. 1, with some of the parts omitted, and Fig. 3 is a View from the right of Fig. 1, also with some of the, parts omitted.

The same reference characters designate the same parts in the respective views.

For purposes of illustration, I have shown in the drawings only so much of the mechanism of a motion picture machine as is necessary to understand the application of my invention. It will be understood that such a machine has the usual su ply and take-up reels to support the bul of the film, together with the usual continuously moving sprockets for feeding off and taking up the film from these supply reels, as well as the usual guide rollers for leading the film into the position opposite the ex-' posure opening which is located in the optical axis of the projecting machine.

A. portion of one form of frame commonly used for supporting the mechanism of a projecting machine is shown at 10. To this frame is attached a support 11 having an exposure opening 12 in the foot or plate 13 extending from the plate 11 which is fastenedto the frame 10. On the plate 13 is and a driving pulley 25.

Serial No. 440,254.

slidingly mounted a film supporting frame comprising the plate 14: and the door 15 which is hinged at 16, 16 to the plate 14. This door is held closed by the catch 17 and the door 15 may be supplied with the usual spring shoes 18. At the upper end of the plate 14 is a guide roller 19.

The frame 10 has a circular opening formed therein in which is mounted the exterior of the cylindrical support 20 provided with flanges 21, 22 extending on either side of the frame 10 to hold the support 20 in position in the frame 10. A handle 231 is attached to the plate 21 so that the support 20 may be rotated in the frame 10. The plate 21 carries a bearing 221 through which extends the driving shaft 23 which is also provided with suitable outer bearings as 24: The center of the shaft 23 is located in the center of the support 20 so that the latter may be rotated around the shaft.

@n the plate 22 is an extended bearing 26 through which projects a driven shaft 27 on the outer end of which is mounted the intermittent sprocket 28 which is in the usual relation to the film support and the exposure opening.

On the inner end of the driven shaft 27 and the outer end of the driving shaft 23 is the usual pin and star intermittent or broken gearing, the cam being shown at 30, the pin at 81, the star wheel at 32, this star wheel Between the plates 14 and 22 is a connecting link 10 pivotally connected at either end by studs 11, 12 to the two plates so as to transmit motion from the plate 22 to the plate 14.

The machine is provided with the usual rotary shutter 50 having exposure openings, of which 51 is one, the shutter beim so arranged that as it rotates with the shaft 52, the openings will pass across the exposure opening 12 to allow the light to pass through the film.

The shaft 52 is driven from the driving shaft 23 by screw gears 53, 54, the former being attached to the shaft 23 and the latter being splined to the shaft 52 by a spline 55, whereby the gear 54 may be moved longitudinally of the shaft 52 and yet the gear and shaft will always turn together. It will also be understood that suitable bearings (not shown) will be provided for the shaft 52.

At the end of the gear 54 and forming a part thereof is an extension in which is turned a groove 56 in which projects a shoe 57 pivotally connected to a link 58, the lower end of which is pivotally connected at 59 to the plate 21. The upper end of the link 58 carries a shoe 60 which moves in a slide 61 attached to the frame 10 in any suitable manner, as by the screws 62.

With the mechanism just described, if the picture is not properly framed, the operator, while the machine is in motion will changed.

rotate the support 20 by moving the handle 231 in the suitable direction. This will move the sprocket 28 in relation to the exposure opening 12 and will thus move the film so as to bring the picture in proper relation to the exposure opening. As the sprocket thus moves, it is carried around the center of the driving shaft 23 so that the distance between the centers of the two portions of the broken gearing remains un- Also by using my preferred arrangement, in which the film support itself is also moved, the relation between the sprocket and the film support also remains substantially unchanged. Because of the relatively small are through which the sprocket 28 need be moved around the center 23, there will be a very slight rotation of the sprocket 28 by reason of the connection through the broken gearing with the driving shaft 23. This slight rotation of the sprocket 28 on its own center is constant irrespective of whether the cam 30 is in engagement with one of the curved faces 34 or whether the pin 31 is in engagement with one of the slots 33 at the time such adjustment takes place. In other words, I have provided an arrangement by which the sprocket may be shifted to frame a picture, which arrangement does not introduce uncertain errors, but which is fixed in its operation.

When the sprocket 28 is shifted around the center of the driving shaft 23, the relative time in which the film will be moved past the opening 12 is changed. For instance, if with the parts in the positions shown in Fig. 3 and with the driving shaft stationary, the sprocket 28 be moved downwardly, 1t will be obvious that the pin 31 would have to travel a shorter distance before commencing to turn the sprocket 28 than it would if the parts were in the position shown in'Fig. 3. To compensate for this shifting, it is necessary to rotate the shutter 50 so that a solid portion thereof will be over the exposure opening 12- at the time the film is shifted by the movement of the sprocket 28. As one means of accomplishing this, I use the mechanism shown rect relation to the exposure opening to correspond to the new relation between the in 31 and the star wheel 32. It will be un erstood that the angle of the slide 61 and the portions of the parts, as well as the angle of the teeth on the screw gears 53 and 54, are calculated to provide the desired compensation. Because, however, the only thing that need be considered is the change in the relation between the pin 31 and the star wheel 32. a fixed mechanism, such as that described, will fully provide for all changes in the relative positions of the parts in framing the picture, and no hand adjustmentto compensate for errors introduced by such mechanism is required.

While preferably I provide the movable film slide 14-15 so as to obviate the pushing of the film through the slide when the picture is to be framed upwardly, it will be understood that for some purposes a fixed slide may be used.

It will also be understood that other mechanisms may be used for moving the screw gear 54 longitudinally of the shaft 55, and that the construction which I have shown is merely illustrative for that purpose.

I claim:

1. In a motion picture projecting machine, a vertically movable film support adapted to hold a portion of the film opposite the exposure opening, an intermittently operated sprocket to draw the film step by step through the support, a driving shaft supported in fixed bearings in the.

machine frame, broken gearing between the driving shaft and the sprocket, means to move the support in relation to the exposure opening, and means to move the sprocket bodily around the axis of the driving shaft and to maintain its relation to the support substantially constant as the support is moved.

2. In a motion picture projecting machine, a vertically movable film support adapted" to hold a portion of the film opposite the exposure opening, an intermittently operated sprocket to draw the film step by step through the support, a driving shaft supported in fixed hearings in the machine frame, a star wheel connected to the sprocket, a pin on the driving shaft ada ted to engage the star wheel intermittent y, means to move the support in relation to the exposure opening, and means to move the sprocket bodily around the center of the driving shaft while maintaining the pin and star wheel in engaging relation, and to maintain its relation to the support substantially constant as the support is moved.

3. In a motion picture projecting machine, a vertically movable film support adapted to hold a portion of the film opposite the exposure opening, an intermittently operated sprocket to draw the film step by step through the support, a driven shaft on which the sprocket is mounted, a driving shaft supported infixed hearings in the machine frame, a support for the driven shaft mounted on the machine frame and adapted to be moved to carry the driven shaft bodily around the axis of the driving shaft, broken gearing between the driving and the driven shafts, and a connection between the film support and the driven shaft support, whereby the relation between the film support and the sprocket is maintained substantially constant as the supports are moved.

4. In a motion picture projecting machine, a vertically movable film support adapted to hold a portion of the film opposite the exposure opening, slides for said support, a driving shaft supported in fixed hearings in the machine frame, an intermittently operated sprocket to draw the film step by step through the support, broken gearing between the driving shaft and the sprocket, a movable support for the sprocket arranged to permit the sprocket to be moved bodily around the axis of the driving shaft, and a connection between said movable support and said film support arranged to maintain said film support and said sprocket in substantially constant relation as the sprocket is moved bodily.

is mounted, a driving shaft out o 5. In a motion picture projecting machine, a film support having an exposure opening therein, an intermittent sprocket adapted to draw the film' across the opening, a driven shaft on which the s rocket alignment with the driven shaft, broken gearing connecting the shafts anda support for the driven shaft, constructed and arranged to permit the driven shaft to be (revolved around the axis of the driving shaft, a rotary shutter having an opening adapted to pass across the exposure opening when the shutter rotates, a shaft on which the shutter is mounted and extending at right angles to the driving shaft, screw gearing between the driving shaft and the shutter shaft, the screw gear on the shutter shaft being splined thereto and adapted to be moved longitudinally thereof, a connection hetween the driven shaft support and the shutter shaft screw gear, whereby said gear is moved longitudinally of the shaft as said support is moved, said connection comprisinga link connected at one end to said support, a slide block connected to the other end of the link, a slide for the block attached to the machine frame and a connection between the link and the gear.

6. In a motion picture projecting ma chine, a film support having an exposure opening therein, a rotary shutter having an opening adapted to pass across the exposure opening when the shutter is rotated, a shutter shaft to which the shutter is attached, a driving shaft extending at right angles to the shutter shaft, screw gearing connecting the shafts, the screw gear on the shutter shaft bein splined thereto and adapted to be moved ongitudinally thereof, means to move said gear longitudinally of the shutter, whereby the position of the shutter opening relatively to the exposure opening may be changed while the driving shaft is stationary, said means including a link having one end rotatable around the driving shaft and the opposite end connected to a slide block, a slide for the block attached to the machine frame and a connection between the link and the gear.

JOHN DOHEBTY.

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