108

Home - Made Motion - Picture

Camera and Projector
IN THREE PARTS — PART I

By CHARLES FRANK

Motion pictures are made and repro- tight box with a lens at one end and a
duced by means of a camera and pro- sensitized plate or film at the other.
jector, each having a similar mechan- The motion-picture camera (Fig. 1) is
ism that would seem entirely too com- nothing more than a hand camera with
plicated for the amechanical device for stepping a long
average person roll of film through a space in the focal
to construct at plane of the lens at a speed of about 16
home, yet a cor- pictures a second, and stopping the
respond- film long enough to make the requisite
entof the exposure on each division. The first
N i c k e 1 o- thing to consider is the lens. A lens
deon has de- having ordinary speed for a hand cam-
vised a simple era, and one with about 3-in. focal
rotary cylinder length will give satisfactory results.
shutter that can If one does not care to purchase a lens,
be substituted a small l^ij-in. or 2-in. reading glass can
for the compli- be used, if it is stopped down, or a lens
cated parts. may be taken from a hand camera.
While this sim- The width of the camera from front to
ple cylinder back (W, Fig. 2) must be determined
shutter is not by the focal length of the lens. The
claimed to be dimensions given in the drawing are
Fig. 1
non - infringing only approximate, and they can be
on existing patents, yet, as it has no changed if the camera is to be used in
commercial value, there would be no making an extra long film negative.
objection on this score. The instru- The roll of unexposed film (A, Fig.
ments described are nothing more than 2) is placed on a small shaft between
toys, and if the amateur photographer U-shaped bearings, made of sheet metal
can secure a few dozen feet of ani- and screwed to the top board of the
mated photographs about the home camera. The lens B is set in the front
that are dear to his heart, and repro- board at a point 4 in. below the top. If
duce them on a screen, it will have a large roll of film is to be used, this
served its purpose. The camera and distance must be greater to allow room
projector described uses standard film, for the film roll in the top of the cam-
1% in. wide, with perforations every era. The cylinder C. which acts as a
tV in. shutter and intermittent movement, re-
The Camera volves directly behind and in the path
The ordinary hand camera for mak- of the light passing through the lens.
ing still pictures consists of a light- Partitions, DD, are set in grooves cut
 199

in the boards, forming the sides of the hole in the film snugly, but the points
camera. These partitions are to keep should be slightly rounding, so that
the light,which may be diffused from they will easily enter the perforations.
the lens, from striking the film at either When the upper sprocket, which is ap-
side of the shutter, and at the same proaching the film, engages a perfora-
time acting as guides for the film at the
rear end of the camera. Their edges
at the back are covered with black vel-
vet. The back of the box is a hinged
door, rabbeted on all edges, and open-
ing at the side to allow the insertion
and removal of the film, and also act-
ing as a guide for the film when closed.
A strip of black velvet, E, a little wider
than the film, is pasted to the inside
surface of the door, so that it bears
lightly against the back edges of the
partitions DD. The film passes be-
tween the edges of the partitions and
the velvet on the door with some fric-
tion, which keeps it from moving ex-
cept when pulled through with the
roller shutter. A wire-staple guide,
F, is fastened in the lower partition,
through which the end of the film is
passed before closing the door. The
film as it is run through drops in folds
in the bottom of the bo.x.
The rotary cylinder shutter is the Fig. 2 — Details of Camera
heart of the machine and should be
made well and strictly according to the tion, just below the upper partition, it
dimensions. The detail of this part is will carry the film downward until the
shown in Fig. 3. A rectangular open- sprocket disengages from the perfora-
ing is mortised through one of its tion at the lower partition. The dis-
diameters to admit light on the film tance of travel must be exactly in., %
when in certain positions. The cylin- as that is the height of each picture.
der is of wood with a i/4-in. steel rod The cylinder requires some adjustment
inserted in the center of each end for to meet this condition therefore the;

axles. A small grooved pulley (G, Fig. axles are made to revolve in holes
2), about 1 in. in diameter, is fastened bored in two strips of wood, JJ, which
to the outer end of one of these rods. can be moved forward or backward to
The cylinder is revolved by a round obtain the proper distance from the film.
belt from a drive wheel, H, 3 or 3i/L' in. To allow for this movement, the axles
in diameter and turned by the aid of a pass through slots cut in the sides of
crankpin. Owing to the backward ro- the camera box instead of round holes.
tation of the cylinder, the belt must be The strips JJ are fastened temporarily
crossed between the drive wheel H, and when the correct position for the
and the pulley G. The projections or cylinder is found, they are permanently
sprockets. Fig. 3, must be accurately fastened to the box. Grooves, K, are
set at a distance of % in. from the 90- cut through the black velvet and into
deg. point, using the center of the mor- the back of the door to allow a space
tised hole as a base. These projec- for the sprockets to pass through freely.
tions can be pins or small staples, but The inside of the box should be painted
they must not be over tu in. in size. a dead black, and black paper pasted
The base of the sprockets must fit the on all corners and joints. Black velvet
 200

is pasted in the rabbet of the door to tion of film, and so on as rapidly as

insure a light-tight joint when the door the cylinder is turned, but the average
is closed. The cylinder shutter is also should be about 16 pictures per second.
painted a dead black inside and out. A view finder must be supplied so
The cylinder in revolving exposes the the field covered by the lens can be de-
-15"- termined. Such a finder is made of
i^s two pieces of metal, L and M, bent L-
shaped and fastened to the top of the
camera box. One of the pieces (L)
has a rectangular opening 1 in. wide
and %
in. high, and the other (M) is
drilled with a %-in. drill, the distance
between the two pieces being the focal
-21- length of the lens. One eye applied
Fig. 3 — Details of Shutter to the %-in. hole in the piece JM will
film immediately behind it through the see through the rectangular hole in the
mortised hole. The sprockets or cylin- piece L about the same field as covered
der does not touch the film while the by the lens. The pieces should be ac-
exposure is being made, but as the hole curately placed and fastened on the
turns toward a perpendicular position, box when the camera is set, so tliat the
the sprockets catch the perforations of lens will throw the same portion of the
the film and it moves down in. Just % picture on the space where the film
as soon as the sprockets disengage the passes as will be seen through the
film, the shutter exposes the next sec- finder.

( To be continued)

A Swimming Raft a piece of burlap or other strong ma-

terial was nailed across the center with
Swimming is learned only by expe-
slack enough for it to be partially sub-
rience and to get this experience one
merged.
must not be afraid to trust himself in
the water. This is sometimes accom-
The middle of the band, its depth,
etc., can be adjusted to suit the user.
plished by the use of a swimming raft
or water wings. As the water wings
Be sure to remove all the roughness of
the logs and boards with a rasp and
need to be inflated frequently, I made
a swimming raft instead, in the fol-
—
sandpaper. Contributed by W. P.
Johnston, Sumner, 111.

Removing Finger Marks on Books

Dampen a piece of wash leather and
use it to rub pumice on the spot to be
cleaned. Brush off the pumice and
rub again with a piece of dry wash
leather.

Tightening a Tennis Net

Anyone who has ever played tennis
Plan of Raft
will readily see the advantage of the
lowing manner: Two logs, about 6 or net-tightening device shown, in prefer-
7 ft. long and about 8 in. in diameter, ence to the old method of pulling the
were fastened together with large net tight by hand. All that is neces-
nails, as shown in the illustration, and sary to make the device is 1 ft. of or-