US1758768A - Multicolor cinematograph and other film - Google Patents

Description

May 13, 1930. J, E, THORNTON 1,758,768

HULTICOLOR CINEMATOGRAPH AND OTHER FILM Filed May 5, 1924 Wlorzz Patented May 13, 1930 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN EDWARD THORNTON, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN OWDEN OBRIEN, F MANCHESTER, ENGLAND MULTICOLOR CIN EMATOGRAPH AND OTHER FILM Application led May 5, 192, Serial No. 711,254, and in Great Britain May 18, 1923.

This invention relates to the manufacture and production of double width multi-color cinematograph film-positives either in four or three colors, of the screen-filter type, as

` described in my co-pending application, Serial No. 711,251, filed May 5, 1924, upon one half of which double width film is formed a half-image or section-picture in two colors and upon the other half another half-image in two other colors, both half-pictures being complementary toeach other, and both halfpictures being necessary to produce a complete or full picture.

ccording to this invention, I make a positive film in which the images are produced on a silver bromide panchromatic emulsion by printing from a negative through the celluloid support and the two two-color screens interposed between the celluloid and the emulsion, the lm being of double standard width adapted to receive partial images in two colors upon both half widths or strips. I

To more clearly illustrate the invention, attention is invited to the accompanying drawings, in which igure 1 is a plan view of a double width film sensitized with a silver bromide emulsion.

Figure 2 is a transverse section greatl enlarged in depth through a double widt Hlm material, the picture being printed through the color screen and the celluloid base as shown by the arrow.

Figures 3, 4, 5V and 6 are plan views greatly enlarged of portions of the color screens adjacent to the center line of the double width Figure 7 is a plan view of a double width film showino' a pair of images formed one upon each alf, the images having been printed through their respective color screens.

Referring to the drawings, the celluloid support which. is made in dou- 45 ble width of single thickness and is, therefore, as will presently appear, made to form the two strips a-a. Upon this support is placed an adhesive substratum B, the layer C of the two-color filter screens to each strip 50 a-a with the final panchromatic emulsion A designates D being placed and adhesively attached to the support through the medium of the substratum.

This is accomplished in the following manner, v1z:- 55

Structure of the negative /hn stratum B and superimposed upon the substratum two filter-screens C are formed sideby-side, one of' which filters two colors of the subject photographed and the other screen the remaining two colors. Superimposed upon these two screens is a layer of rapid panchromatie emulsion D, the pictures being photographed thereon by exposing thc film in the camera with the celluloid at the front, so that light passes first through the celluloid, then through the two filters, and thence to the sensitive layer, upon which two component images are thus formed side by side7 both images being differently ltered, but forming a complementary pair capable of producing prints which give a complete color-reconstruction of the original subject.

The screens of the negative consist of a mosaic of fine lines, dots or grains of color, 'l two colors being alternately interspersed on one half the film and two different colors interspersed on the other halfand in the manner as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5.

For four-color pictures there are four such colors in the pair of screens, but for three color pictures there are only three colors, one of the colors being repeated in both screens so that there are still two colors in each screen. f"

` pictures as in the negative Structure of the positive jbm,

The film-material for the positive pictures is identical with the negative-material above described, but with the difference that it is only half standard thickness. The screens are made for each four-color or three-color film, and composed of a mosaic of fine lines, dots or grains of color, two colors being alternately interspersed on one half the film and two different colors interspersed on the other half.

In the present invention each pair of differential positive images is printed as black silver images of a negative character in one layer of non-colored sensitive silver-brom'id emulsion superimposed upon a screen of colored lines, dots, or other pattern which are visible by transmitted light only to the extent allowed by the silver image, which forms a mask or cut-out for portions of the colorscreens andallows light to pass through the remainder and thus constitute the positive picture.

The positive process used in this invention is therefore quite different from the processes used in any of the other applications in which the images themselves are colored images of a positive character.

For a four-color print the color-screens `will be a complementary pair such as crimson red and blue green upon one half of the film, and another complementary pair such as blueviolet and orange-yellow upon the otherhalf. In this way a quadrate of color is completed.

For a three-color print the color-screens upon each half will be only semi-complementary in their coloring, because, as shown in Fig. 6, the first color such as red will be upon one half, the second color such as blue upon the other half, and the third color such as orange-ygllow will be repeated upon both halves, bing interspersed with the colors already there. In this way the trial of color is completed.

f Printing the color positives vThe doublewidth positive material is preferably exposed and printed by projection, either through one large lens which covers the fullwidth of strip and projects both images, or through two lenses which each cover only half the strip, each lens proj ectig each image separately, which permits of adjustment of accuracy of' registration.

Modifications A number of modifications are possible within the scope of the invention without departing from the principles described. For example The two negatives may be formed upon two separate single-width films, and the two posiany deviaton from strict tives may also be printed upon two separate single-width films.

Four-color and and film-positives may be made of the various rectangular forms for ordinary amateur and professional photography. This system gives not only a simpler method of producing color positives but also a better result than most of the color-photograph systems now in use. A

What I claim as my invention and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. A double width multi-color screen-mosaic picture positivev comprising a double width film of transparent material, a colormosaic screen in two colors covering each half width of the double width film, .an adhesive substratum between each color-screen and each half width of the film, and a half-picture of negative character upon each half width of the film superimposed on its own color-screen.

2. A double width multi-color screen film picture positive comprising a double-width film of transparent waterproof material, an adhesive substratum covering both halves of said film, a tw-o-color mosaic forming a color screen or light filter entirely covering one half of the double width film and indissolubly attached thereto by the adhesive substratum, a second ,two-color mosaic forming a color screen or light filter entirely covering the other half of the double width film and indissolubly attached thereto by the adhesive substratum, the two colors of one filter being different from but complementary to those of the other filter, and two half pictures of negative character, one upon each half of the film, each imposed upon its own color screen, the final positive image being actually formed by combination of such portions of the two screens or filters as remain uncovered by the two black silver images of negative character.

3. A. double width multi-color screen-film positive as in claim l; produced with four colors in two images, crimson-red and bluegreen on one half of the double width film and blue-violet and orange-yellow on the other half of the double width film.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN EDWARD THORNTON.

three-color film-negatives

Images