claimed is: 60 1. In a motio-q picture projector, adapted to automatically thread film for projection, a mounting strL3cture, an aijerture plate havin,a an aperttire mou@ited on the mounting structure, at least ore sprocket mounted for rotation on a portioi of the structure for advancing film to the aperture 65 plate, a gate pivotally mounted on the motiiiiiii@, structure for movement toward and away from a closed position parallel to said oortion of the structure, and gliide means includin.- a sprock-et guide portion mounted on the @aate and adapted to cooi) v,,it said at east one sproc t 70 to hold film in mes the sprocket to enable the film to be automat;cally threaded when the gate is in its closed position, and to release tl-.e threaded film so that the filni can be easily removed from the sprocket when the @aate is piiotally mo,@ed to a nonpararel open position relative to 75 said portion of the structure.

5 2. In a motion picture projector adapted for automatically threading a film for pr(yjectioi, a mounting structure, upper and lower sprockets mounted for rotation on the mounting structure for advancing film, a norinally stationary aperture plate mounted on the structure and having an aperture, a gate-iilounted on the structure for pivotal movement relative to the aperture plate, a pressure plate caxried by the gate and adapted to copperate with the ai)erture plate wheil the gate is closed, an upper loop former mounted on the structure adiacent the aderture plate alid above the aperture, a lower loop former mou-@i@led on the structure adiacent to the aperture plate and below the aperture, an upper sprocket guide fixed to the ate and , g adapted to hold t@e film in engagement witli the lower ' heral portion of the upper sprocket when the gate is perip closed, said upper sprocket guid@- being movable away from the upper sprocket when the gate is opened, a lower sprocket P:uide fixed to the gate and adapted to hold the film in engagement with the upper peripheral portion of the lower spr6eket when the gate is closed, said lower sprocket guide bein- movable anvay from the lower sprock0 et when the gate is opened, whereby a film may be easily rem6ved f-rom the sprockets and ,iperture plate wheq the gate is opened. 3. The motion picture projector of claim I wherein the guide means further includes an inner loop forming portion mounted on the moiin ; ting structure and an outer loop fornier mounted movably on the mounting structure for, coacting with the inner loop foriniiig portion to thi-ead a film. 4. The motion picture projector 611 claim I wherein the said at least one sprocket has a plural-'@ty of spaced film perforation engaging teeth positioned near the end of the sprocket more remote from the structure, said guide 3,137,200 6 meqns furlher including a-@i additional sprocket guide portion fixedl@y mounted on the structure in a position adjacent to a portion of the sprock-et axially spaced along the sprOcl,,e't from said teeth, said additional sprocket guide .5 portio-@i being adadted to copperate with said sprocket guide portion on the pate fo,r holding a film in mesh with the sprocket when the gate is moved to its closed position, said additional sprocket guide portioii havin.- a length less than the Nvidth of the film whereby a film mav be easilv re10 moved from a meshing relationship with the teeth of the sprocket Nvhen ttae gate is iii its open position by umneshing the Mm perforations from the teeth and pulling the fflm edgewise from its @p@osition between the sprocket and the additional sprocket guide portion. 15 5. The nibtion picture projector of claim 1 and inc'iuding; a film supply reel mounted at the upper forward portion of the str-ucture, a filni take-up reel inounted at the rear of the structure, a second sprocket mounted for rotation on a portion of the structure for advancinz fdm from 20 the aperture plate, aiid additional glide means mounted on the st cture for guiding film from the second sprocket ru to the take-up reel, said addition,,tl guide means being op I en at the side opposite the structure to permit edgewise withdrtwal of the filmtherefrom. 25 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,973, 477 Fritts --------- --------- Sept., 11, 1934 30 2,051, 788 Foster et al - ------------ Aug. 18, 1936 2,114, 608 Ross --------- --------- Apr. 19, 1938 2,327,776 Fairbanks et al. -@ ------- Aug. 24, 1943 3,063,610 Brisklin ---------------- Nov. 13, 1962,

United States Patent Office, p 311371200 3,137,200 SELF-THREADING PROJECTOR Bruno Mich.-el,s3 Chicigo, Ili., assignor to Bell & Hoivellt Company, Chica.-o' Ili., a corporatioii of Illinois Filed Dec. 19@ 1960, Ser. No. 76,754 5 5 Claims. (Cl. 88-17) This invention rehites to a self-threading projector, and more particularly to a self-threading motion picture projector from which an intermediate portion of a film maY 10 be readily removed from the gate and repositioned therein. An object 6f the invention is to provid-. a motion picture projector which threads film automatically and perinits the portion of the film in the threading and gate 15 portions of the projector to be removed therefrom and replaced therein. Another, object of the invention is to provide a motion picture projector having self-threading means which is partially mounted oii gate structure thereof to permit an 20 intermediate portion of the film to be removed from and replaced in the gate structiire. Another object of the invention is to provide a motion picture projector having rollers for guiding film during projection together with threading means extending be- 25 tween the rollers and so positibned that, when the film is taut between the rollers, the film is not in engagement with the threading means. Another object of the invention is to provide a mbtion picture projector provided with a hinged gate having self- 30 threading guide sections moulited on the gate and swingable by the gate toward And away from selfthreading guide sections mounted on a mounting plate of the projector. A complete understanding of the invention may be ob- 35 tained from the following detailed description of a selfthreading motion picture projector, when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which. FLIG. I is a side elevation view of a self-threading motioii picture pr6jector forming one embodiment of the 40 invention; FIG@ 2 is a t6p plan view of the projector of FIG. I ,9.nd taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, side elevation view of a portion of the projector of FIG. I with the elements 45 thereof in threading positions-, FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but with the elements of- tfie projector in normal operation positions; FIG. 5 is an enlarged, vertical sectional view taken 50 along line 5-5 of FIG. 3; FIG. 6 is an enlarged, horizontal sectional view takeii along line 6-6 of FIG. 3; FIG. 7 is an enlarged, vertical sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 4; 55 FIG. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary side elevation view, partially in section, of the self-threading elements of the gate of the projector of FIG@ I with the gate open; FIG. 9 is an enlar-,ed, vertical sectional view taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 8 with the gate open; FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9 but with the gate 60 closed; FIG. 11 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along line 11-11 of FIG. 8 with the gate open; FIG@ 12 is a view similar to FIG. 1 1 but with the gate 65 closed-, FIG. 13 is an enlarged, fragmentary side elevation view of a portion of the projector of FIG. 1; and FIG. 14 is an enlarged, fragmentary side elevation view of the gate. The invention provides a self-threading motion picture 70 projector in which a gate carries self-threading guides atented June 16, 1964 2 thereon and is adapted to move the guides between threading positions and open positions permitting the film to be removed from and relplaced in the gate area. The guides may be longitudinally split with sections thereof fixed to and movable with the gate and other sections fixed to a mounting plate to facilitate manual replacement of the film in the gate area and hold the film in engagement with sprockels of the projector. The projector may be provided with guides for self-threading the film from the gate to a take-UP reel, and these guides may be open at one side to permit manual removal of @ the film therefrom and may have camming portions tending to retain the film in the guides as the film is threaded therethrough. Guide rollers may be positl:oned at the ends of the guides in positions such that, during operation after the threading of the fflm has been effected, the film does nbt contact the guides. Referrilig nbw in detail to the drawings, the @rojector shown therein includes a supply reel 21 (FIG. 1) from wh"ch the forward end of a film 22 is drawn, automatically threaded through a gate portion 23 and guide sectiohs 24 afid 25 and dutomatically latched to a take-UP reel 26. The intermediate portion of the film between the reels 21 apd 26 may be removed nianually from the projector to permit removal of sections of the film andsplicin,@, andthe intermediate pbrtion of the film may be manually rethreaded through the projector. 'Ehe projector includes a mounting plate 31 carrying an upper sproc,@@et 32, a lower sprocket 33 and pivotal outer loopformers 34 and 35. A gate 36 is hinged to a bracket 37 fixed to the plate '31, and carries an optical objective or projector lens 38. The gate also carries a pressure plate 30 (FIG. 14) of known construction, and, when the gate is closed, guides the film along a known aperture pla+e 39 (FIG. 8) as the film is advanced by a known intermittent feed'uig device (not shown). The upper and lower loop-formers 34 and 35 are generally of the same construction and operation as those disclosed and clamed in copending application Serial No. 737,429, now Patent No. 31029,686, assigned to the common assignee, and are pivotal from retracted or open positions to closed or loo@forming positions as shown in FIG. 8, and, when moved to their loop-forming positions, , are latched therein until released by movement of a roller 40 (FIG. 1) to the left by structure disclosed in the above co-pending application and co-pending application Serial No. 739,085, now abandoned, assi,-ned to the common assignee. The loopformer 34 is pivotally mounted on the plate 31 by a shaft 41 (FIG. 8) a d has a pin 42 projecting through slot 31a in the plate " to k and, connected a nown linka-,e (not sho wn) behind the plate. The pin 42 is movable laterally upwardly in the slot 31a when the loop-former 34 is moved from its loop-forming position to its retracted position. An upper fixed inner loop-former or guide 43 is secured to the plate 31 in fixed position by screw 44. The loop-f6rmer 35 is pivotally mounted on post or shaft 51, and is connected by a pin 52 rigid thereon to the linkage interconnecting the loop-formers 34 and 35. The pin 52 projects through and is movable laterally in slot 31b iii the plate 31. The shaft 51 is ce-.rried I by the plate 31 and a guid.- roller 51a is rotatable on the shaft 51. A lower fixed iniier loop-'Lormer or guide 53 is rigidly mounted on the plate 31 by screw 54. The gate 36 (FIG. 14) comprises a plate carrying the lens 38 and upper and lower inner guides 55 and 56, which are fixed to the gate 36 by screws 57 and 58. The 911-ides 55 and 56 are of the same shape as the guides 43 and 53, respectively, and fit into, face to face, laterally aligned positions with the, guides 43 and 53 so that, in efject, when the ga:'Le is clos-ld, the guides 43 and 55 may be considered to be a longitudinally split single guide.

3,137,200 3 Similarly, the guides 53 aid 5C,, when the gate is closed, forni a lonc.itudinally split single guide having the same guidin.- periphery. The guides 55 and 56 have beveled or relieved portions 55a and 56a to provide clearance for the sprockets 32 and 33 (FiG. 1) to permit the gu;des 55 and 56 (FIG. 14,N to be swun.- betwee-@i opoli a@-d closed positions. In the self-thread;ng operatioii, the lepder erd ol the filni 22 is minually push-,d alon@ tapered entrance pOrtions 43a (FIG. 8) aid 55b (FIG. 14) of ti@e guides 43 and 55, the teeth 32a (FIG. 8) of the sprocket 32 pick up the perforatioiis in the filih and p,,ish the ii-Iiii alovg arcuate sprocket guide portiois 43b ai-d 55c which hold the film in engagement with the sprocket. The forward or leader end of the film is ptisl-,ed by the snrocket 32 along the loop-former 34 w'@,ich has be,-n closed, betnveen the loop-former 3@' and the giiides 43 a@-id 55, between the aperture plate 3,0 and the pressure plate 30, along th,- lower loop-former 35 into tapered enlranee portions 53a and 56b (FIG. 14) of the in-.ior guides 53 and 56 and is picked up and advanced by t'iie sprbc-ket 33 (FIG 8", sprocket guide portioils 53b and 56c 14) of the guides 53 and 56 servin.a to hold the film in engagemeit with the ii@oper portion of the sprocket -13 (FIG@ 8). The sprocket 33 pushes the I-,ad,- r elid of the film butween the roller 51a end rounded, tapered entrance end 61a of fixed - uide 61. Th,- forward end of the film travels downwardly, as viewed in FIG. 1, betwee--,i t'-,-, guide 61 and opposin.- gu;de 62, belween flangedloopformer releash-ig roller 40 and c@arved portion C@--4b, to the left between straight gilides 63 and 6,@, between curved portion 66a and roller 64, up alon.- pivotal guide 65, and into th--- take-up reel 26, which has te,-;th 26a which latch the leading end of the film to the t,,ik,--up reel. Th-, take-up reel is driven by gearing 67 (F-t G. 2) and a slipping clutch 63, and tensions the filni between th-, sprocket 33 (r-'IG. 1) aiid the take-up reel. This s@,vir@-s thp, roller 40,to the left to release the loop-formers 34 and 35, which are spring returned to their open pos-'-tions spaced outwardly from the loops o'i the film. The proicctor now is in its rull or projeeling positio-ii. Certain feattir,-s of th-. reel 26 and the guide 65 are d:lsclosed and cia,',med in co-peiiding application Serial No. 814,894, now Patent No. 3,053,465, assi.-ned to the commoii assi.-nee. The gude 61 has a beveled or sloping guide .'ace 6'-e (FIGS. 5, 6 tnd 7) which cams the film sli.-htly and constantly toward edge -uide slirfaces Gif. The guides 62, 63, 65 and 66 are provided with simiiar camming ,zurfaces 62a, 63a, 65a and 66b. These camm-ing surfaces obviate any edge giiidin,a sur'Lace at 'che opposit.- ed-e of the film 22 and p,-rmit this side of the compos-I'Le structure to b.- open so that the film 22 may b-- readily removed edgewise from the guiding surfaces for editing, splicin-. and the like. The rollers 51a and 40 are so positioned that wheil the film is taut therebetween the film is held out of contact with the g,,iides 61 and 62, the rollers projecting into the space betixieen these guides. Similarlv, as illusl,rated in FIG. 13, the roll@ers 41,0 and 64 and -uid-,s 63 and 66 are so positioned that, durin-, threading when the film is being pushed aiid is -.lack, the film en-ages the guides 63 and 66 as illustrated in full I;nes and, after the film is latched to the take-up reel 26 (FIG. 1), the film is 'tensioned and assumes the brokeii-l-,ne posit-loii shonvn in FIG. 13 in wbich film is guided solely by the rollers 40 and 64 and is held out of contact with the guides 63 and 66. The roller 40 is mounted rotatably on post 31 (FIGS. 3, 4 and 5) rigidly moi-inted on I-,Yer 82 and projectin-. throu.-h slot 83 in the mounting plate 31. T ever is keyed to and pivotally i-nounted by shaf'L 84, and the guide 62 also is keyed to the shaft 81. The lever 32 forms thb releasing portion of thle linlage .nterconnecting the loop-formers, and, when the roller 40 is swung by film tension to the left from its pos,@t,.on showii in FIG. 3 to the position thereof shown in FIG. 4, the lever releases the interconn-,ctin g lin!-,age of the loop-form-,rs @o that the loop-formers are spring re'ur@ied to open or retracted positions as disclosed in th-- abov-- mentioned cop5nding application Serial No. 739,085, now abandoned. As the rollers 40, 51a and 64, or alternat,-Iy, may stist rewl the guide out of tLe path of the film while the i'ilm is te.,isioned. 11' it is desired to rer@iove the film from the proj-@ctor @vhi'@e the f-i'!m is still cor@nected to bol@h th-. supply reel 21 10 (FIG. 1) arl-d th-- talce-up reel 26, the projector is stopped by switch 35 and 'the gate 36 is swung open -nanually. Th-- operator then pushes th-. film out of en@agement with the sprockel@s 32 and 33 ar@d withdraws Viie film la'cerally froin the guides 43 and 53 (FIG. 8), the upl)--r end of 15 edge guide 03 be-Ing slbstancially below the guide 43 and 'he low,-r end o' 'Lhe guide 83 bein,- substantially above @he lower gi-lide 153, thus facilitatin.- ed.-ewise removal of -the film from the presiire plqte and tfe ends of the c.,-ti-,"dcs 43 and 53. The operator theq may withdraw c 20 laterally from '@hc, -@uides 61, 62, 63, 65 and C-6 and tiie rollers 4CO, 51a and 64, or alternately, niay start rewindir@g with the film entirely out of the g,,ite bul, sill in g@,iides 61, 62, 63, 65 aiid 66 and on the rollers 40 and 64, !he filti traveling froh-1 the rotinded end 61a of "he 25 @@uide 61 directly to the sup),)Iy reel 21. If the enlire :Intermediate porlion of the i'ilm betnveen the re-,Is 21 and 26 has bepn removed foi- splic;n,- or 4Lhe like and it is desired to rethread the projector, the fi'@m is pushed edgewise back :LpLo the guides 61, 62, 63, 65 and 30 66 the open guides makiiig this a simple operat,@'on, and fneri the film is rethreaded into the gate Prea of the projector. This is accomplished, the gate 36 beirg open and the loop-formers 3,4 aiid 35 bei-@i@, in th,-:r retracted positions, by maiiually pushirg the filni over til@- inr@er guides 35 43 and 53 (FIG. 8) leaving loops above -,-@id below po-, 'Lions 43c and 53c which are directly opposite the loopforming portiois of the loop-forriiers 34 a@ld 35. The ope@-ator ma-@iip,-,Ia'ies the film, if necessary, to e-iiga.@e the fih-n with the teeth of the sdrockets 32 and 33, and 40 -,he guides 43 aiid 53 then hold the fili-ii in thispositioii which is illustrated i@i FiG. S. Then, t;'@ie gate 36 is swun.closed, ilie pres@.ure p'lat,- 30 en.-ag-'@ijg the film and the a ides ES and 56 movirg into alignriient with tLe guides A3 and 53, resnectively to aid these guides in hold;n,- the 45 film on the sproelets. The projeelor then may be a.-ai@i started and proj;ect;o-@i ope@-ation coaiinued. The film 22 in the tbove described projector may be threaded and latched to the t,,ike-up reel 26 (FIG. 1) merely by insertin.- the leader end ol' 'L"-le film 22 into the 5o entranc@- portion 43a of the guide 43 and after complete threading, the intermediate port@',On of the film mty e easily removed from aiid reinserted into either or both the gate area and the several guiding elements betv;een the gate area and the supply and toke-up reels. 55 While the invention is thus described, it is Pot wished to be limited to the precise details describ-.d, as changes may be readily made without departing froin the spirit of the invention. - What is