[1]Patentect I)ec. 10, 1935 21023,411 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,023,411 MOTION PICTURE CAMERA Theodor M De La Garde, Los Angeles, CaHf., assignor @f three-fourths to Thomas L. Tally, Beverly Hills, Cabf. Application August 18, 1931, Serial No. 557,810 2 Claims. (Cl. 88-18.4) This invention relates to cameras and especially to motion picture cameras of the type having a detachable magazine for a roil of film wliich is windable from one reel to another. 5 The invention has for, its object the provision of a camera involving numerous material improvements giving the camera (which term we mean to include an entire unit with tripod features, mount and photographing apparatus, and 10 actions) many valuable capacities and superior advantages in several particuiars over previous motion picture cameras. The invention consists in certain advancements in this art as set forth in the ensuing dis15 closure and having, with the above, additional objects and advantages, and whose constructions, combination and details of means, and the manner or operation wiII be made manifest in the description of the herewith illustrative embodi20 ment; it being understood that modifications, variations and adaptations may be resorted to within the scope, principle and spirit of the invention as i' is more directly clailned hereinaf ter. 25 Mgure I is a front elevation of the camera. Figure 2 is a left-hand side elevation. Figure 3 is a rear view. Figure 4 is a sectional i@levation of the cover side of the magazine. Figure 5 is a transverse vertical section of the magazine on a 30 reel axis. Figure.-6,is, a bottom plan of the maga,zine back and cover,hin .,ge plate. Figure 7 is a sectional detail roll6k in the magazine dome. Figure 8 is a front elevation of the gear ca,sing and mechanism therein, and a part of 35 the camera housing and related parts. Figtire 9 is a detail of clutch means between magazine sprocket and transrnission parts. Figure 10 is detail of clutch parts between transmission and ma'gazine reel spindle. Figure 11 is a trans40 verse section on line I 1-1 I of Fig. 8. ngure 12 is a vertical, longitudinal section of the camera head or box and shows film movement shell, and a focusing device in the box. Figure 13 is a perspective of the pull-down pres45 sure gate. ngure 14 is a cross-section of the cameri box on line 14-14 of Fig. 12. Figure 15 is a horizontal, transverse section of a portion of the camera box, and shows the improved lens mount. Mgure 16 is a detail sec50 tion of a part of the mount device. Figure 17 Is a front elevation of a fragment of the lens mount. Mgure 18 is an elevation of the movement means for feeding the fllm past the aperture; parts being in section. Mgure 19 is a plan 05 of movement parts. Flgure 20 is a cross-section of the movement. Mgure 21 is a detail of drive clutch between the movement and the transmission gearing. The apparatus includes a turntable 2 with a rigid pillar 3 standing on one side of its top and 5 providing a journ.al, 4 in which is turnable a substantial trunnion 5 having @a nutring 6 on its outer end. The other end of the trunriion Is fixed on the back of a circular housing part herein called the casing 7 which encloses transniission 10 means later described. This casing has V-shaped segmental beads 8-9, Fig. 11, at its lower part, the bead 9 resting in a fixed way IO and the bead 8 being engaged by a segment I I clamped down by screw means 12 passing to the front of the 15 pillar 3. The trunnion 5 is on a cover plate 13i Fig. 11, of the gear casing 7 and this Is secured at top flanges 14-15 to a box 16 forming the camera compartment of the housing one side of which IS 20 closed by a side door 17 having a bottom lip 18 to close over a dome 19 of a sectional magazine 20-21. The dome has side flanges 19' adapted to slide into channels 2 provided erefor in the bottom of the box 16 where this overhangs 25 the side of the gear case 7. Thus, the magazine can be easily attached or removed from the box while the cover 17 is open. When closed and locked, the cover firmly secures the attached magazine in place. 30 The magazine sections 20-21 are hinged on a longitixdinal axis at the bottom and open from top to bottom on a medial plane longitudinally of the magazine. The section 20 constitutes the main or body piece and contains certain oper-.35 ative devices for a roll of film to be exposed in the camera. Referring to Fig. 4 it will be seen that the magazine is in the form of two segmen,ts which meet on a vertical chordal line so as to form a common film chamber with reels 23-24 40 on parallel centers which are spaced apart a distance a little more than the sum of the radii of two equal rolls of fllm F passing from reel to reel. Hence, by this construction a magazine, with twinned compartments, of rninimum over-all 45 length is obtained. The reels 23-24 have center spindles 25 with clutch drums 26 exposed at the back (20) of the magazine so as to instantiy mesh with mutual drive studs 27, Fig. 10, which project from 50 the near face of the gear casing 7. These s ds have spring keys 28 to mesh in the drums 26 and form a part of an automatic action device whereby either reel 23-24 can be operated at will, without attention, as take-ups. 55
[2]2 2,023,411 This action is secured by means of a ratchet face 29 on the Inner end of the stud 27 wliieh is automatically meshed by a complementary ratchet sleeve 30 slidably and tumably mourited on a shaft 31 on which is fixed a drive gear 32 (of which one is provided for each reel 23--24). The sleeve 30 has a slight oil-&ag resistance in a hollow boss 33 and has turning and sliding action limited by co-action of its helical slot 34 and a 10 pin 35 in the shaft 31. When one shaft 31 is tuming in one direction Mg. 10, the oil drag on the sleeve 30 wiR cause it to slide out of mesh with stud ratchet 29 and permit the spindle 25 to freely rotate In a reverse 15 direction (and permii its reel fUm to pay off). As soon as shaft 3 1, Flg. 10, is reversed the drag will cause the sleeve 30 to shift outward and close Its ratchet face on the part 2 9, which 'then causes spindle 26 to become the winding sidl,. 20 To effect operation of the set of reel-spindle, drive gears 32 these are in constant mesh with a large lntermediate gear 34, Ogs. 8 and 11, loose on a tti,nnion 35 and under control of a friction clutch disc 36 driven by a master gear 37. This 25 friction transmission is to form a compensating reel action according to the gradual increment of winding reel roll of fllm; the master gear 37 having a constant rate, positive motion derived from an intermediate pinion 38 loose on a stud 39 hav30 ing a splined clutch 40. This is under control of a shift lever 41 in the camera box 16 and is used to de-clutch the stud 39 to permit threading of a fUm over feed sprockets (later described) in the dome of the magazine. 35 The pinion 38 is driven by a gear 42, in the camera box, fixed to a larger timing gear 43 geared to a small pinion 44 on a cross-shaft 45. This shaft has a helical gear 46 meshing with an equal gear 47 flxed on a driven shaft. 48 one end 40 of which is adapted for motor or crank drive while the other (front) end has a shutter 49 running in front of the aperture wall of the camera box I 6. From the above it will be seen that the master gear can be rotated in either direction at will 45 and that the clutches 29-30 controuing the takeup spindles 23-24 will act automatically to connect up the winding reel and disconnect the unwinding reel, depending only on direction of main shaft 48. 50 The gear 37 not oniy drives top stud gear 38, of stud 39, but also drives a pararel stud 50 by means of a gear 5 1. The two spinriing studs 39-50 project from the wall of the gear box and are provided with spring 55 keys 52 to interlc>ck with respective sprocket spools 39'-501 suitably mounted in the dome IS of the attached magazine and as the magazine is placed in position the sprockets are concurrently coupled to their driving studs in the gear 6o train. Referring to Mg. 4, the threading of the magazine will be apparent. Film extends from reel 23 through a small port 53 to an idle roller 54, to and under sp.,ocket 391 thence up through a 65 small port 55 in the ceiling of the dome 19 to form a camera bight B. The bight retums through a small port 56, to and under sprocket 50', to idler 57, thence by port 58 to the reel 24. A light-stop and guide rorer 59 lies between the 70 sprockets 39'-50'. It will be seen that the dome structure and its system of guide rouers and fllm ports are so eff ective a seal for the rolls of film in the magazine that all form of light traps and gates which are usuahy employed and bear fric75 tionally on the :dlm,. are effectively eliminated. The roller 59 is mounted on a slide 60 adapted to be moved toward and from the sprockets to facilitate threading the film through the dome. A detent 61 serves to lock the slide in adjusted positions. 5 The film lc>op or bight B is adapted to be pulled up and enlarged to a desired degree and be threaded in the necessary movement mechanism which intermittently steps the fllm to the lens aperture A of the camera box I 6. The bottom of 10 this box overhangs the dome of the magazine and has a bight-way 62 flanked by side rollers 63-64 and a flanged lead roner 65. The'fllm F extends toward and under a movement shell 66 whose front face has a flat facet 67 merging with a 15 curved guide face 68 merging to an upper flat facet 69; the surfaces being concentrlc with and spaized slightly from the near face of a film race block 70 set in the front bottom 6orner of the box 16 and having a window 71 at aperture A. 20 At the window 71 is hinged a pressure and guide gate 73 adapted to be swung down by action ot a link 72 connected to an actuating bar 74 slidably mounted in the box and to one side of the film track. 25 The gate 73 has a finger 73' lying in front of the fUm and forms means whereby the film at the aperture can be bent down and back out of line of lens axis so that a view focus may be obtained by direct sighting through the box on the 30 lens axis, as will be later explained. Fig. 14 shows the block 70 as having a pair of parallel guide channels 75 and a pair of pin pockets 76 all to register with the usual sprocket holes at the sides of the fUm. 35 The feeding movement i ' ncludes a main shaft 77, F@g. 20, having an eccentrically disposed crank-cam 78, of more or less equilateral triangle form, wliich operates in a quadrangular eye 79 of a shuttle rc>d 80 on whose opposite end is a cross- 40 head 81 whose ends have verticauy spaced, register or feed pins 82-83 to eliter the film holes and advance or reverse the film step-by-step. The shuttle rod 80 is slidable in a sleeve bearing 84 with bifurcated arms 85 hung by coaxial bear- 45 ing screws 86. The spaced arms 85 provide clearance for a vertical walking lever 27 pivoted on an eccentric 88 of a trunnion 89 in a bearing post 90. The trunnion 89 hns a small handle 91 outside the shell 66, and inside the box 16, so that by 50 turning the trunnion slightly it will throw the eccentric, carrying the lever 87, from the Mm race as needed to allow ready threading of the Mm past a pair of pilot pins 92 provided on a cross-head 93 and having a piston rod 94 recipro- 55 cative in suitable bearings in the shell. The rod 94 has a pin 95 engaging in a slot 96 in the lever 87 which has in its part below the trunnion 88 a slot 97 receiving a pin 98 fixed on the shuttle rod 80. co The action of the cam 78 is to reciprocate the rod 80 to carry the register pins to and from the film, while this is caught and held by the pilot pins 92, and to give the rod variable spee(i up and down strokes; the pins 82-83 sweeping 65 fast while engaged with the film, due to swing of the cam 78 in toward the ayds of oscination of the rocking, bearing sleeve 84. Conversely, as the cam swings away from the, center (86) the rod sweep decelerates. A great advantage of this 70 cycle is-that it makes it possible to use a shutter 49 with an opening of 240'. The pilot pins 92 have periods of rest and hold the fUm F at aU interims when the feed pins 82-83 are out of fllm engagement; the set of 74
[3]21028,411 3 pins so coacting that the Mm is at aR times under perfect control of movement. To clear the fllm track, the operator has only to turn the shuttle cam to draw back the regisr) ter pins 82-83, and then turns crank 91 to draw back the effective pilot pins by rocking the lever 87 on pir. 98 as a fulcrum. The 3ust 90 is a part of a bearing chair 100 which is adj ustably clamped by screw IC 1 so that io the plane of trunnion 88 may be set to nicely locate the effective points of pins 92, 82-83. The drive shaft 77, of the movement, has a pin clutch 103 noiselessly taking into a fiber head 104 flxed on the gear 46, Flg. 15. Also secured on i5 the shaft 17 is a momentum wheel 105. As above alluded to, means are incorporated whereby to permit of direct view focus through the camera box on the lens axis and for that reason the gate 13 is tiltable inward over the 20 shell 66 of the film movement. This gate action is acquired by motion of the bar 74 which is actuated by a connected extension 106, Mg. 14, of a front arm 107 which is secured on a tubular shaft 108 surrounding the main shaft 48. The arm lies 25 close to the front window 71 and is attached to a tube 109 extending parallel to the sleeve shaft IO$, at the rear end of which is an arm I IO supporting the relative end of the sight tube 109. The sleeve shaft has an exterior knob III by 30 which the operator may instantly rock the sleeve shaft ICB and bring the sight tube 109 down to window 7 1, and in line with a peep-hole 7 11 in the back wall of the box 16. Since a loop of the film is normally playing 35 in the camera box and exposed above the movement shell 66 means are provided to sliift this loop out of the sighting position of the tube. As shown this means includes the finger 73' and 8, device carried by the tube, and consists of a flex4o ible sheet II 2 which acts as a light blind as well as a push down device depressing and covering the film loop while the tube 109 is in sighting position on the lens axis. As the tube is returned to ineffective position the resilient film 1(>op wiU 45 spring back to free position. A feature, also, greatly aiding in focusing the camera consists of a lens mount capable of carrying a plurality of lenses and providing for instant selection of one or Another and for quick 50 focusing. This mount comprises an annwar casement .1 15- hinged at one side to the front wall of the camera box and having a threaded bezel i 16. A turnable barrel I 1 7 engaging fine threads I I 8 55 in the casement has a handle I I 9 extended thereth rough to provide for manual operation. The b arrel has a system of intemal thread grooves 1 20 engaged by respective thread beads 121 on cup 1 22 slidably fltting the barrel and also the bezel b ore. Splines 123 interrelate the bezel and the 5 c up so that the latter has only an axial adjustm ent as the screw barrel 117 is ttimed. Turnably fitted in the cup is a multiple lens tu rret 124 on a center hub 125 of the cup and u nder pressure of a friction brake 126 including 1 0 a button 127 engaged by a spring-key plunger 1 28 latching the turret in rotated adjustment to hold a selected lens L in register with the c amera aperture. It is only necessary to press in the key Plunger to permit rotation of the 1 5 tu rret to change lens. A simple bolt 122 may be u sed to lock the turret to the barrel 117 after le ns register. A set of turrets being provided w ith various lenses on each, quick change of turret may be made, by running off the screw 20 button 127 and substituting one turret for another. It will be seen that by provision of the swinging casement for the lens system several advantages are attained, such as-easy access to 25 rear of cells of lenses for cleaning, and for ready introduction of filters or other devices at the aperttiie or back of lenses. Owing to the current use of highly sensitive photographic film loading and unloading of mag- 30 azines is done in total darkness and the threading of the film must be done by sense of touch. In old forms of magazines the film has to be carefully and tediously threaded through the chamber in a slow and unhandy manner. On 35 the contrary, by the magazine of this disclosure it Is very simple to place a reel of film in position and thread up the parts because of the great degre e of accessibility afforded by tot@l removal of the full cover side, or half, of the casing. 40 What is
