US2410577A - Picture or film timer - Google Patents

Description

NOV 5, 1946. M.-FLE1scHER ErAI. 2,410,577 V PICTURE oR FILM TIMER Filed Oct. 16, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheetl nel@ vll-"lll: MMIII.

m? HA mum LD, FR .0. xF AF Mmw i AM. FLEISCHER Erm. 2,410,577

`PICTURE OR FILM TIMER Nav. 5, 1946.

Filed Oct. 16, v1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 d' D FIG 5 MAX FLEISCHER jC l Y t GH-'Folio M` MAST, i B Y@ handys Patented Nov. 5, 1946 UNITEDl STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in indicating means adapted to be attached to the casing of a phonograph or the like and operatively associated with the sound producing record thereof to give a striking visible indication of the appropriate times to actuate a complemental Picture projecting apparatus so that there will be concomitant descriptive and portrayal of objects reproduced in the records of the phonograph, a special indicating means being provided for each recording and complemental slide film.

It has heretofore been attempted to couple-up a phonograph with a picture projecting apparatus whereby the latter is operated in attempted synchronization with the phonograph but ourimprovement relates more particularly to a phonograph used in connection with a pictorial or other display machine operated manually and Where appropriate indications must be imparted by the operation of the record of the phonograph to guide or tell the operator exactly when to actuate the picture projecting apparatus to exhibit the appropriate picture or illustration.

An object of the invention is to provide an embodiment of the foregoing idea which will be simple in construction and readily applied and adjusted to the cabinet or other fixture of an ordinary or preferred type of phonograph and which will Isuspend an indicator and actuating means therefor in a plane above the ordinary record plane and in operative association with a part at the axis of the record disc whereby to receive an actuation (in this instance a progressive circular movement) therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide the immediate indicating element of the device in the form of a disc having a number of concentrically arranged spots or the like-indicative of places intended to be illustrated or Where illustrations should be changed, cooperatively related to a movable pointer progressively actuated as the phonograph record is rotated, to register definitely with the respective spots-preferably aligned through a sight opening-to strikingly indicate to the operator that an actuation of the picture projecting machine should take place to coincide with the description, lecture, song, or other matter imparted by sound from the phonograph.

The particular object and advantage of our machine, is that it silently indicates to the operator when the picture projecting apparatus should be operated to exhibit a picture or lm, which entirely dispenses with the common objection to sound indications such as gongs or high-frequency notes coming from a record to call for a picture or change of picture, which mars the continuity of the desired entertainment or instruction intended to be given by the con- `ioint use of talking and picture machines; the sound, such as the voice of a commentator, may be permitted to iow without interruption from scene to scene since the indications or signals do not form part of the record. This characteristie of the machine also simplifies recording of the record since careful calculation of the timing in advance of recording in order to determine the exact position at which the voice, music, or sounds must cease in favor of the signa1 recording may be avoided.

Another particular object of the machine is to provide a timing device Iwhich is extremely simple ,to use, requires no extra motive power than exists in the phonograph, and can be produced at very low cost.

Other features of novelty and details of parts and combinations thereof Will be understood from the specic description hereinafter contained When read in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part hereof and wherein the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top view of a portion of a phonograph lshowing particularly the motor driven record thereon, with our improved indicator superposed thereabove in operable association with the driven centering pin or post of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view to better show portions illustrated in Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional View on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like reference letters designate corresponding parts in all of the views, A represents a part of the cabinet of an ordinary phonograph or equivalent talking machine or apparatus within which is the customary motor (not shown) for rotating the turntable B for supporting the ordinary record disc C, centered in this instance upon a post of pin D, having a pivoted detent d adapted to occupy a horizontal position offset from the post D or vertical position in line with the post D for purposes as will appear.

E is an end wall of the cabinet A to which my improved attachment, now to be specially referred to, is conveniently secured. An angle twopart bracket constitutes the support for the indicating mechanism. F is one part oi the support and G the other part, the part F' having a vertical leg extending parallel to and against the wall E of the cabinet and a horizontal portion underlying the turntable E and projecting horizontally outwardly to near the peripheral edge of the record C. The part G overlies the horizontal portion of the angle bracket F and is intertted and interlocked therewith by having a tongue f on the lbracket F extended upwardly through a lslot g in the part G and a thumb nut f passing through a slot f2 in the part F and having threaded engagement with the part G. This affords means for longitudinal adjustment oi"- these two parts of the angle bracket FG. The upright or vertical portion of the bracket F is rmly anchored to the wall E of the cabinet by thumb screws e passing through the bracket and wall E and having threaded engagement as at e with a metal plate H secured by screws h to the wall E on the inner 'side thereof.

The outer end of the part G, of the bracket just described, at a point well beyond the periphery of the disc C, is bent upwardly a substantial distance as at i and has a return-bend portion J disposed parallel to the interengaging horizontal portions of the brackets F-G and also parallel to the phonograph record or disc E and its 'support B, the part J being, however, spaced a substantial distance above the disc B and its record disc C thereon. At the inner end of the member or arm J is a vertically disposed pivot K and mounted for rotary movement thereon, upon a washer k, is my indicator' disc L which may be made of any suitable material, conveniently cardboard, metal, or a combination of the two. It has been found in practice that a. durable structure comprising a metal underlying di'sc on which there is a paper facing, is satisfactory. On the top of this disc, and disposed therearound at distances determined by the appropriate times for illustrations of matter played on the record C, are a multitude of spots M, which spots are adapted to respectively register with a sight opening N in the horizontal when said detent is in a horizontal position and is rotated under the actuation ci the moto-r which drives the post and record turntable B. The detent d is pivoted in a slotted end of the post D and is frictionally held in either its horizontal or vertical position, it being understood that it will be vertically disposed when it is desired to remove or place a record over the post D with reference to the turntable B, but that when the timing mechanism for indicating the actuation of the picture machine is to be used the detent will, of course, be in a horizontal position.

It will be understood that the disc L will be rotated very slowly with reference to the rotation of the phonograph record disc and owing to the rapidity of travel of the reproducing needle over the record disc and the relative infrequent illustrating or picturing required, it is found that by a view of the concentrically arranged spots M near the outer edge of the disc L will be all that is usually required, but it will be understood fi i) 4 that the series may be augmented and the other parts formed to correspond therewith as necessity may require.

It remains to describe how the pointer shifts radially of the disc from one circular series of spots to the next outer series as the phonograph record is played, and such means will now be pointed out.

P represents the pointer referred to, arranged to slide longitudinally of the sight opening or slot N and register with a spot M therebelow as the disc L rotates, this pointer depending somewhat into the slot to more closely approach the disc. The pointer is carried by, and preferably integral with, a sleeve Q of oblong cross-section adapted to surround and have sliding engagement with the horizontal portion n that has the sight opening N and is moved longitudinally of said portion n in an outward direction as the disc L rotates to correspondingly effect registration of the pointer with the successively outwardly arranged series of spots or dots M as follows. Also integral with the sleeve Q, and preferably offset somewhat upwardly therefrom as at q, is a horizontal extension R carrying on its under surface, and suspended above the disc L, a series of ns S spaced apart to provide ways therebetween through which a shifting stud or pin T, projecting upwardly from the disc L, may pass and engage the fin placed in the path of circular passage oi" said stud. The hns S are arranged in parallel relationship and they are disposed at an inclination to the longitudinal axis oi the extension plate or member R that carries the iin's or, stated in another way, the ins are arranged to intersect the circular path of movement of the stud or pin T so that said pin while permitted to enter the space between a pair of dns must, however, come into Contact with the inclined n crossing said path of travel of the stud whereby the movement of the stud will, by engagement with the 1in, shove the sleeve Q and pointer carried thereby outwardly from one position, in registration with a 'series of spots or dots M to an advanced position in registration With the succeeding outwardly located series of said spots or dots; then as the disc L continues to rotate the pin or stud T will engage the next inwardly located iin S to still `.Further push the pointer to its outermost position.

As previously suggested, the three concentrically arranged circular series of spots or dots will ordinarily be sufficient to embrace the requirements or the phonograph record for which the disc L is provided as a complement, and without any sound or disturbance an operator keeping his eye on the pointer and associated sight opening will know instantly upon registration of the pointer with a dot or spot that the picture apparatus should be operated to display a picture equivalent co-incidently with the descriptive or other matter emanating from the sound record.

While we have herein disclosed a practical and preferred embodiment of the invention it will be understood that various changes in the construction and arrangement ci parts of the device shown may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention as embraced within the hereto appended claims. For instance, while we have disclosed the device as especially useful in connection with strikingly indicating the time for manually controlling or operating a pictorial apparatus, as a complement to a sound reproducing apparatus it will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that the principle of the machine, as illustrated, may be carried out in instances Where provision is made for automatically actuating thel picture machine as through electrical impulses or transmission.

We claim:

1. The combination with a sound producing apparatus having means for supporting and operating a sound producing record of a given subject, of an indicator to guide the showing of complemental pictorial representations devoted to said subject comprising a disc mounted for rotation with said sound producing record, said disc bearing concentrically arranged series of spots the successive spots in each series indicative of time for actuation of a picture projecting machine to visually portray matter in consonance with the subject matter given 01T by said sound producing record, a movable pointer, and means actuated by the movement of said disc to propel the pointer to positions to register with said spots, said last-mentioned means including parallel diagonally disposed fins on the pointer and a cooperating lug on the disc, the ns crossing the path of movement of the pin With the disc whereby to be engaged by the lug and pushed with the pointer in a radial direction from an inner series of spots to an outer series of the same.

2. A timer for complemental pictorial representation of matter given on' by a sound producing record, comprising supporting means for attachment to a phonograph or the like, a disc rotatably mounted on the support to occupy a horizontal position parallel to a sound producing record, the said disc bearing spots in line in separate series, the successive spots in each series indicative of time for actuation of a picture projecting machine to be in consonance with the subject matter given off lby said sound producing record, a sight opening facilitating observation of said spots as the disc rotates, an automatically propelled pointer at said sight opening adapted to be adjusted therealong to progressive series of spots, in combination with means for rotating the disc comprising a toothed peripheral portion and a rotatable detent mounted to be rotated axially of a rotatable sound producing record.

3. The combination with an apparatus of the character described having means for supporting and operating a sound producing record and the sound producing record devoted to a given subject, of an indicator to guide the showing of complemental pictorial representations devoted to said subject, comprising a disc mounted in superposed parallel relation to the sound producing record and operatively connected for rotation therewith, said disc bearing concentrically arranged series of spots, the successive spots in each series indicative of time for actuation of a picture projecting machine to visually portray matter in consonance with the subject matter given off by said sound producing record, a movable pointer, and means actuated by the movement of said disc to propel the pointer to position to register with the spots of the successive series.

MAX FLEISCHER. GIFFORD M. MAST.

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