US922743A - Automatic light-shield for moving-picture machines. - Google Patents

Description

D. G. WOODWORTH. AUTOMATIC LIGHT SHIELD FOB. MOVING PICTURE MACHINES.

APPLIGATIQN FILED JAN. 30, 1909.

Patented May 25, 1909 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

D. c. WOOD-WORTH. AUTOMATIC LIGHT SHIELD FOR MOVING PICTURE MAGHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAILGO, 1909.

Patented May 25, 1909.

2 BKEETS- BKEET 2- nnunnnnuum,

UNlTEi PATENT OFFICE.

I DALLAS C. WOODWORTH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TOCARL LAEMMLE, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC LIGHT-SHIELD FOR MOVING-PICTURE M:AGHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1909.

Application filed Januaryto, 1909. Serial No. 475,249.

To all whom ithrm; concern:

Be it known -tliht l, DALLAS (1. W001)- worrrii, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, end State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Light- Shicids for lvloving-licture Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to moving picture 111$.Ghi11555,-811d more specifically to safety devices thcrcfor.

The object of invention is to provide a device of the character mentioned which will be in the nature of e shield. so crrenged as to be adapted to be nuton'ieticolly actuated-to intercept the light projected from the illu ur nating lamp of the machine, whenever the intermittently operated sprocket for any reason, while the machine is in operntiomceases to draw the i'ilm or ribbon through the machine.

In moving picture machines, the rays of light are concentrated or focused at a point sd nccnt to the film or ribbon, and inasmuch as the latter is usually composed of a. highly inflammable, and combustible material utmost care and ceutionis required to revent the ecc'idcntal ignition thereof. WYiile the ""film is in motion it passes rapidly enough to prevent undue hosting, but if fornny reason 1t stops, with the light concentrated thereon,

, the ignition thereof is inevitable.

It is it well known fact, particularly among moving picture machine operators that the cause of the great majority of such accidents,

that is the igniting of the picture'fihns, is occasioned by the use of films containing torn or wornsprocketdiolcs, or thick splice-s. The

films containing such sprocket holes or splices Will nvsi rmbly pass the feed sprocket of the machine, there being notension of the film up to this point, the friction roller in cn-' thick splice or torn sprocket-holes in the film reach the intermittently operated sprocket,

the film clogs at that point, that is said sprocket will cease to draw'the some, owing to the restraining force of the tension springs which it or its friction roller is not powerful enough to overcome, hence causing the re tarding or sto ping thereof at the point, with a result as be ore stated. It is therefore the object of my invention to provide, as before stated, a. shield which will be adopted to be effectually actuated upon the occurrence. of

' the circumstances above stated.

A still further object of my invention is to prdvide a device of the-character mentioned which will be in the nature of an attachment adapted to be readily arranged upon a machine while in use orsimultnncous with 'th manufacturing thereof.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide ashield device which will be highly efli cient and which will be simple of construc tion, hence of low cost to manufacture.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

With these objects in view my invention just described.

My invention will be more readily under stood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming it part of this specification, and in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of it moving picture. machine which'is provided with the preferred formof my device, and Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the rear door or gate of the machine casing detached.

Referring now to the drawings 1 indicates it moving picture machine casing, which may be of any ordinary or preferred form, {LIN l'lingedly secured as at 3 by moons of a hinge pin 4 t0 the rearward end of snidcusing is the ordinary door or gate 5 thereof.

6 indicates the usual continuous feed sprocket o the machine which is so connected as to continuously feed the film or ribbon 7 when the machine is in o )erntion.

8 is the usual friction roller mounted in a 2 the lens holder ortubo thereof.

held in orced engagement with the sprocket 6, the edges of the iiini 7 resting, when the machine isin operation between said sprocket and said roller.

10 is the guide roller over which the film 6 and roller 10 the film is looped at 12 for known reasons. Provided upon said door 5- ordinarily, are elongated tensional leaf springs (not shown) between which and the inside surface of the door the film passes, such being provided to facilitate holdin the latter stead orrigid while projecting ight therethroug 1. springs the film passes between the ordinary intermittently operated sprocket 13 and the friction roller 13, thence to a reel (not shown) upon which it is coiled. Thus far my description has dealt only with the general construction and operati n of a moving icture machine, no claim whatsoever being aid to the same. i I

What I am about to claim as novel will be described in the followingi Arranged upon the outer surface of the door 5, the same be ing secured thereto in any suitable manner, butpreforably'by means of brackets 14 secure as by screws 15 to said door, is a preferably rectangular plate 16 formed of any suitable material but preferably of sheet aluminum arranged parallel to said door 5. Said plate 16 is so arranged upon said door that an aperture 17 provided therein which is .of dimersions substantially the same as those of the door a )erture 11, will be in direct alinement with the latter, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. llaving its shank 1S swingingly mounted upon a pivotal pin 19 secured in and projecting from the outer surface of said p'latclii is a plate'or shield proper 20, the same being of such a shape and so arranged as to be adapted, when abutting a sin 1 21 projecting from the plate 16, to en tire y cover the aperture 17 as clearly shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 A coil spring 22 the respective extremities of which are secured to said .pin it) and said shank 19, is adapted to normallyhold said shield 26 in closing position.

Having its lower edge 23 hingcdly secured to the upper edge of the plate 16 is a curved I plate or trigger 24, said plate being so p0s1- tioned and arranged as to be adapted to' be engaged and rocked by the film loop 12 upon the enlargement thereof. Depending from the lower edge of said plate-2 1m an angular arm 25 the extremity 26 of which extends through a slot 27 provided in the plate 16 for the reception of the same. Said extremity 26 of said arm 25 is adapted to act in the capacity of a sto for the shield shank 18, the same being M apted when in enga ement with the edge 28 thereof, to hold said shield After leaving the tension loop said film will obviousi in opened position, as clearly shown in full lines in Fig. 2. A coil spring 29 the respective extremities of which are in engagement with said trig. er plate 24 and the upper edge of said base p ate 16, isadapt'ed normally to hold said arm extremity 26 in engagement with said shield shank.

In the opera tion of the machine the shield blade 20- is arranged in open. position as shown in full lines. New, upon the occurrence of the before described circumstances, that is a of the intermittently operated s )rocket 13 ceasing to draw theiihn through the machine as it is fed by the feeding spi-bcket 6, the film loop 12 will imrnediateiy rent of said J contact the in-- side surface of the trigger piato 24 forcing the same over, thereby causing the withdrai'al of the extremity 26 thereof from engagement with the shield shank 18 the enlarge. Upon such enla shield 20 in such event being immediately rocked into closing position, thereby intercepting the irojecte rays of light and hence obvioysly obviating all possibility of the i nition of the film. In order that the shiel d 20 ma be readily returned to initial iosition, t 1e edge portion 30 of the shank tLQIC" of is bent outwardly as sh wn, such provi* sion obviously eliminating the necessity of the machine operator havinr to (la rress the trigger extremity 26in returning t re shieid to its initial position.

l/Vhile l have shown what I deem to be the to be limited thereto, as there might be many changes made in the details of con struetiw and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit. of my invention. And although I have'shown my device ar ranged upon a machine of particular design, I may use the same upon any other'machlne to which it'is applicable.

liaving described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters l atcnt is:

1. ,In a device of the class described, the combination with a moving picture achin'3 v of a, normally withdrawn shield ad ted in be interposed between the i. source and the light aperture 1 0 said nra'chine casing, and means in ouerau t connection with said shield and in of an enlargement oi thegfilm loo whe said shield will be released, an Jstan. as described.

2. in a device of the class described 1; combination with a moving icture mac 1' (it-a normally withdrawn. s ield ada tedbe interposed between the picture h m and the illuminating source, said'shield being adapted when released to intercept the light rays projected from said illuminating source,

in source, said shield being adapted whennection with said shield and in the the film loop, whereby said shield will be released, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a moving picture machine, of a swingin'gly mounted normally withdrawn shield adapted to be inter osed be.- tween the picture 'film and the 1 luminatre eased to swing into a )o'sition intercepting the light rays, rojecteil from said illuminating source, an means in operative conpa th of an enlar ement of the film loopjwlwrehy said shield will be released, substantially as described.

4. In a. device of the class described, the combination with a moving picture machine,

: of aswinginglymounted normally withdrawn "shield interposed between the picture lilm and the illuminating source, said shield bein adapted when released to intercept the ligit rays rojected from said illuminating source, and means adaptedto hold said shield in a position out of the path of said light rays, said means being adapted, upon the enlargement of the'filmloop, torelease said shield, substantially as described.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a moving picture-machine, of a, swingingly mounted normally withdrawn shield interposed between the picture film and the illuminating source, said shield bein adapted when released to intercept the ligdlt rays projected from said illuminating source, a p ate arranged in the path of the film loop when enlarged, a portion of said plate being adapted to hold said shield in a position out of the said platebeing adapted, u on the calm ement of the film loop, to

a moving picture machine,

path of said light rays,-

re case said shie d, substantiallyasdescribed. In a device of. the class described, the

combination with plate being adapted to hold said shield in a position out of the path of said light rays, said plate being adapted when contacted by said enlarging film loop, to release said shield, substantially as described.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with a moving picture machine and the casing thereof, of an apcrturcd base plate mounted parallel with the rearward end portion of the machine casing; the aperture in said plate being in alinen'ient with the light aperture in said machine casing, a normally withdrawn shield swingingly mounted upon said )late adapted when released to intercept the light rays projected from the illuminating sourre, and a curved trigger plate hingedly secured to the upper edge of said base plate, the upper end portion of said plate being positionedin the path of the picture iilm loop when enlarging, the lower end portion of said plate being adapted normally to hold said shield in a position out of the path of said light rays, said plate being adapted when,eontactedby the enlarging film loop to release said shield, sub stantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this" specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

' DALLAS C. VVOODWORTH.

Witnesses:

JosHUA R. H. Po'r'rs, .VHELEN F. LILLIs.

Images