The Boy's Book of New InventionsMaule, Harry E. (Harry Edward)
History
The Boy's Book of New Inventions
Maule, Harry E. (Harry Edward)
Inventions
The manner in which modern mechanical skill took advantage of
this physiological defect, proved many years ago by the leading
scientists, is nearly as interesting as this slight defect in
nature's own camera--the eye.
Above the film gate is a metal fireproof box (many of them are lined
with asbestos) in which is the roll of unprojected positive film.
Below it is another similar box in which the film that has been shown
is wound. The motion, which is directed either by a crank turned by
hand or by electrical power, is the same speed, and practically the
same in detail, as that of the film in the cinematograph camera. From
the film box the film runs to a roller, where a sprocket enters the
all-important perforations and draws out the strip to make a small
loop above the film gate.
The shutter is placed in front of the lens. It is made up of a
black metal circular disk, with either two or three open spaces,
and a similar number of solid or opaque spaces. In general it looks
like a very wide flat aeroplane propeller. Like the movement of the
camera, the film is stationary while the shutter is open, and when
the shutter is closed the film is jerked down three fourths of an
inch, or the length of one picture, and brought to a dead stop by
the time the shutter revolves and is open again. This is repeated
sixteen times every second, so the film is cast upon the screen for
one thirty-second part of a second, and the screen is blank one
thirty-second part of a second while the shutter is closed and, as we
might say, the scenes are being changed for the next act. Although
the movement is just the same as in the camera, it may be well for
the sake of making the thing perfectly clear to go through the motion
very slowly.
For the sake of keeping out of fractions entirely too small for our
consideration we have assumed that in both camera and projecting
machine the shutter is open one thirty-second part of a second and
then closed one thirty-second part of a second, the whole operation
taking one sixteenth of a second. As a matter of fact the effort
of the experts in animated photography is to have the shutter of
the camera open for just as brief a space of time as possible, and
on the other hand it is their effort to have the shutter of the
projecting machine open just as long a space of time as possible, and
closed as short a time as possible. In other words, they desire to
shorten the time when there is nothing on the screen, and lengthen
the time for the eye to photograph each image on the brain. By using
a little different mechanism in the film gate of the projector this
is accomplished to some extent, as well as obtaining a clearer,
steadier picture than formerly was shown.
You will remember that in the camera and printing machine the film
was jerked down by little teeth or fingers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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