US1350023A - Photographic printing - Google Patents

Description

W. V. D. KELLEY AND J. MASON.

PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING.

APPLICATION HLED .IULY 26,1917.

Patented Aug. 17, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

W. V. D. KELLEY AND J. MASON.

PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26, I917.

Patehted Aug. 17,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W. V. D. KELLEY AND J. MASON.

. PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING.

4 APPLICATION FILED JULY 26.1917.

1,350,023. ted Aug. 17,1920.

F 3SHEETS-SHEET 3,

' INVENTORY A TTORNEY UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

wIL Iamv. n. KELLEY, or BROOKLYN, AND Josarn MASON, or NEW YORK, N. Y.,

assIoNons, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, 'ro PRIZMA INCORPORATED, a oonromrIoN or MAINE.

rno'roemrmo PRINTING.

- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 17, 1920.

Application filed July 26, 1917. serial No. 182,817.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, WJLLIAM V. D. KELLEY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, and JOSEPH MAsoN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York city county of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Photographic Printing, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to method and apparatus for photographic printing, and has particular reference to'the manufacture of projecting positive film for color motion picture reproduction.

In manufacturing projecting positives from color value records made by exposures through color screens, and especially where the positive is to have one color value record registered with another on the same image area, a number of practical difiiculties are encountered in obtaining the necessary accuracy of registry and printing. Celluloid film is affected by liquids, humidity, age, etc., and has a general tendency to shrink. A positive after being developed and dried, or after coloring treatment, is always shorter and narrower than the negative,

while the negative itself will also var from tive with the sensitive positive strip, and r particularly at the printing window, and in obtaining the same registry of the sec ond negative with that positive area. Heretofore, it has been considered sufficient in printing machines to register beyond the printing window, by means of guides for side play, and by the feeding devices for the up and down play, and to assume that the images would then register at the printing point, but we have found that this is not suflicient, because the registering 1s perpoint.

vided with perforations at the side, we use a certain perforation of each positive image area at the printing gate as a standard, and exactl register the corresponding perforation 0 each negative with said selected positive perforation, as for example by us1ng a pin tightly fitting the perforationfrom end to end and top to bottom, so that any negative shrinkage, warping or distortion is all taken up at this standard perforation. With standard perforations, this single pin will definitely register the negative both laterally and longitudinally, but in practice we preferably use a second cooperating pin which fits corresponding opposite perforations of positive and negative tightly from top to bottom, but loosely from side to side so as to allow the shrunk negative to slide laterally under the control of the full fitting pm. This second pin consequently only assists the longitudinal regis tration and acts independently of, although simultaneously with, the full fitting pin.

The invention presents distinct advantages where double coated film is employed for a positive, intended to have a color value of one color family printed on one side, and a color value record of a complementary color family printed in exact registry on the other side by the same light. In printing a double coated film, one side is printed in contact with the negative, emulsion to emulsion, while in printing the other side of the positive film, both the negative and the positive film are reversed, bringing thecelluloid side of the negative against the second emulsion on the positive. Since a certain perforation on one edge of the positive is used as the standard, and'a certain other perforation on the other edge of the-positive is used for longitudinal registration of the negative, it is necessary to reverse the registration devices in the printing machine after printing one side, in order to obtain perfect registration of the impressions on the other side, because otherwise the relation to the standard perforation which obtains when the first negative is registered with the positive, is lost in registering the second negative and making the second print, thereby throwing the second image out of registry by the amount of shrinkage of the negative. In case the second print be made on the same sideof the positive; strip, as is sometimes done, the registration devices do not have to be reversed, nor in case two negatives are printed simultaneously on bppoo aque coatings between the two emulsions.

eretofore, double coated film has either been provided with an opaque coating which is dissolved out in subsequent treatment, or else optical'methods are used in which one or both negative images are simultaneously projected on opposite sides of the film. Another method is to have a negative on each side and print simultaneously. All of these methods involve complications either in treatment or care of the film or apparatus required, or preclude the use of ordlnary stri negatives directly and also 1nvolve registration difliculties. that contact printing from strip negatives can be effected in succession without fogging, if a sufficiently intense lightbe used in con unctionwith a slow? emulsion on the double coated positive, and this discovery has especial applicability and advantages in connection with the method and apparatus herein described.

In the accompanying ing a preferred form,

drawings illustrat- Figure 1 is an elevation of a machine for.

carrying out the invention,

Fig. 2 isa front view, Fig. 3 is a detail, on an enlarged scale, of the registering mechanism,

Fig. 4 is a front view of the right, and

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views showing the separate vertical and horizontal registering mechanism.

The printing machine consists of a casing 1 carrying a bracket 2 on which a spool carrying a negative-strip 3 is mounted and below the negative spool so as to run outside thereof is another spool carrying the sensitive or positive strip 4 preferably sensitized on both sides with a "slow emulsion. The material of the strip is of ordinary celluloid Fig, seen from used for this purpose without being colored,

as is sometimes done to prevent the passage of light from one side to the other. The two strips 3 and 4 pass through a guiding means consisting of hinged plates 5, 6, which are latched by 'a latch 7, the strips being separated in passing through the guides'by the thickness of the intermediate plate 6. After passing through the guides, the strips are brought in approximate contact and then pass through the registering and clamping devices consisting of an inner smooth plate 9 having a printmg window 10. Outside of We have discovered istration pins 17, 18, which fit in the perforations 19 in the edges of the strips. These pins are disposed at the printing window, so that no displacement of. the strips is possible between registration and printing. Heretofore, it' has been customary to have the registering occur above or below the printing window, which sufiiees for ordinary work. The positive and nega tive, before any exposure or baths are perforated by the same perforator or make of perforator, generally by the film manufacturer, so as to be practically identical. The shrinkage or alteration in size of films is progressive, and if registration is made at the picture which is one picture away from the window, we begin to lose accuracy and if two or more pictures away, less and less accuracy is obtained. These perforations in the negative may be made'either before it is exp0sed,-or at the moment of making the exposure, and the certain perforations in negative and positive which are to be used for registration, should be made withforations on each edge is employed for registering, or the registration perforations can be made in the camera when the negative is taken. Fig. 5 shows the shape of the standard perforation, having flat sides and curved ends, and the pins 17, 18 are made of peculiar shape for the purpose of cooperating with these standard shaped perforations. As shown in Fig. 5, the left hand pin 17 is so shaped and formed as to substantially fill the perforation in both the positive strip 4 as shown in Fig. 5, and the negative str1p 3 which will be in contact therewith at the printing window, thus constituting the registration standard. The opposite pin 18, as seen in Fig. 5, does not fill the perforation from end to end laterally, but does exactly fit the perforation from top to bottom, thus giving longitudinal registration. The two pins thus work independently on both positive and negative without any possibility of straining the perforations, and thus insuring exact registration. When the positive strip is re-,

ing their positions on the plate, or more conveniently in practice by substituting another plate having the pins reversed, when the second series of prints is to be made. Registration is consequently always toward the same edge of stri 4, however it is faced in the machine. The function of this becomes apparent when it is considered that for double colored transparencies, each image area of strip 4 is to receive impressions from two different negatives of strip 3, which impressions must be in exact registration. These impressions may be on the same side of the positive either in the same or different layers, or overlying one another in different coatings on opposite sides of the positive strip 4. In this machine the full fitting pin 17 at the printing window may be said to be the standard to which the positive strip 4 and the first negative image are adjusted, and then the second negative is adjusted to the same standard, and this standard remains the same however the images are arranged.

Another advantage of this invention is that it is automatic, and when the machine is once properly set and started it will continue without requiring adjustments during the process, or supervision, as we have been able to set the machine running and leave it entirely alone. This is very important when it is considered that a negative strip frequently varies from place to place by reason of warping, or uneven tension in drying, or age, humidity, etc., besides the variatlon to be expected from normal shrinkage. Mounted on shaft 21 having a driving pulley 22, is a cam 23 for actuating the reciprocating feed bar 24. This bar slides in guides 25, and carries sliding feeding or draw pins 26. These pins have a vertical motion for drawing one or both strips down and horizontal motion for engaging one or both strips according as one or both is to be fed. For reciprocating 'the'draw pins 26 horizontally a face cam 27 is provided having one throw 28 approximately twice the height of the other throw 29. Pivoted at 30 is a lever 31 having a slot 32 which engages a cross bar 33 connecting the two pins 26, the upper end of bar 31 having a roller 34 which is held in engagement with the cams 28, 29 by spring 35. This mechanism is intended for use where the negative strip 3 carries color value images in recurring cycles, such as alternating red and green images, or recurring three or four color cycles. In such cases, the negative strip 3 will have to be fed at a predetermined faster rate than the sensitive positive strip 4, which is accomplished, in the case of a two color process for example, by causing the cam 28 to insert the pins 26 through both films just before spring 37 draws down the bar 24 on cam 23. \Vhen only the negative strip is to be fed, the

cam 29 only throws the pins 26 far enough to engage the perforations in the strip 3. a

At the same time that the bar 31 moves to the left to withdraw the pins 26 from the strip perforations, after the feeding motion of bar 24, an arm 38 carried by bar 31 and actuated through link 39 and bell crank 40 causes the push rods 41 to be withdrawn from engagement with the clamping plate 11, and thus permittin springs 16 to expand and simultaneous y re ister and then clamp the two strips, as a ove described. During the feeding of one or both strips, the registration pins 17, 18 are held in a position shown in Fig. 3 by the push rods 41, which are controlled through bar 31 by the cam surfaces 28, 29 on cam 27. If the ordinary single image positive is to be made by this machine, the negative and positive will both be fed, registered, clamped and printed at the same speed.

Shaft 21 also carries a shutter 44which cooperates with a lamp 45 adjacent the barrel 46 leading to the printing window 10. Suitable lenses may be used in the barrel 46 for rendering the rays of light parallel, so that there will be no blurring or indistinctness of printing by reason of dispersion of the light around the edges of the negative image, especially when the negative is reversed with its celluloid side toward the sensitive strip 4. The period of exposure is determined by the aperture in the shutter, which can be selected according to the character of the positive emulsion, so as to obtain uick exposure on the slow emulsion and t ereby prevent fogging of one side of a double coated positive by exposure of the other side. After simultaneously develop ing and fixing, the positive can be projected, or can be colored by suitable methods, such colored transparency, or the process of making it, not being a part of this invention. By our method we have entirely eliminated any necessity for opaque layers between the two emulsions on the positive, or the necessity of coloring the stock so that it will have reduced light transmitting capacity, and yet we have obtained double coated positives in such exact registry and fine detail as to show no lack of registration even when magnified many times and projected on the curtain.

The terms negative and positive are used in the relative sense herein, and not as limitations upon the invention, which can not only be used specifically for making colored projecting transparencies for motion picture reproduction, but can also be used for various other purposes, such as ordinary black and white positives, or single pictures. Positives made by this invention will be so accurately registered as to run much more smoothly than positives printed without being registered at the printing tive strip, occupying a fixed position relaw window. Although the apparatus is described herein with reference to two color cycle negatives, three or four color cycle negatives can be used in a similar manner by suitably varying the feed mechanism cams 23, 28, 29. The method is also not to be restricted in its broad aspects to the use of positive film coated on opposite sides, since various features of the invention are applicable to the handling of film coated on one side.

So far as we are aware, one or more images registered with a predetermined standard perforation of a strip, with or without using a perforation in the opposite edge to assist in longitudinal registration, have not heretofore been produced, and we believe ourselves to be the first inventors of such product, as well as a transparency carrying a plurality of images, each registered with the same standard perforation at which all shrinkage'is taken up.

What is claimed, is:

l. The method of photographically printing images upon a positive strip from a negative strip while in contact, whichconsists in exactly registering laterally and longitudinally a single perforation in the negati'vely to the image thereon, with a corresponding like perforation in the positive strip and simultaneously registering another corresponding separated perforation in both positive and negative inone direction only to effect both longitudinal and lateral registration of the negative with the positive as the standard, and printing an image on the positive strip from said nega-' tive while so registered.

2. In photographic printing of/positive film having a registration perforation other than round from negative fihn having a like perforation,'the step which consists in registering the negative in contact with the positive by passing through said like peI'-' forations in both positive and negative a registration pin means shaped to exactly register said two perforations both laterally and longitudinally? while permitting the negative as a whole to take a definite printing position determined by said positive negative strip, occupying fixed positions .relatively to the imagethereon, into longiperforation and the registration pin means irrespective of negative variation relatively I to the positive.

3. The method ofphotographically printing images upon a positive strip from a negative strip while in contact, which consists in positioning a negative film with relation to the particular area on the positive film strip on which the image. is to be printed by bringing two perforations on the tudinal and lateral registration respectively with two correspondingly positioned perfosponding perforation of the positive constituting the standard, making the print, positioning the second negative in contact on the other side of the positive with a corresponding perforation inexact registration with the same positive standard perforation, and making the second print.

- 5. In photographic printing of perforated positive film from like perforated negative film, the step which consists in exactly registering one perforation of the negative with a corresponding perforation of the positive as the standard and simultaneously registering one other perforation at the opposite edge of'the negative with acorresponding other perforation at the opposite edge of the positive only at such opposite sides of the latter perforations as to permit the exact registration of said first two perforations.

"6. In photographic printing of positive film having a perforation other than round from like perforated negative film, the step which consists in positioning the negative in contact with the positive by exactly registering the'edges of a single corresponding perforation of each to determine the printing position to laterally and longitudinally register the negative in printing position on the positive.

7. In photographic printing of positive film having a perforation other than round lay produce a plurality of registering images 11 each positive area from a plurality of negative film areas each having a like perforation and an image in uniform relation thereto, positioning each negative in contact with one side of the positive by exactly registering edges of said negative perforation with the edges of said positive perforation to determine laterally and longitudinally the respective printing position of each negative, and printing said positive area from each negative while so registered.

8. In photographic printing of positive film having a perforation other than round to produce a plurality of registering images on each positive area from a plurality of negative film areas on a single strip each having a like perforation and an image in uniform relation thereto, positioning one negative area in contact with one side of said positive by exactly registering the perforathe perforation of a second negative area on the opposite side of the positive with the same positive perforation, and making the second print.

9. In a photographic printing machine, the combination with a printing window and means for feeding positive and negative film strips each having like perforations other than round, of pin means other than round at said window for exactly registering a predetermined single perforation of both positive and negative.

10. In a photographic printing machine, the combination with a rinting window and means for feeding positive and negative perforated film strip, of two pin means at said window for exactly registering a predetermined single perforation of both positive and negative on one edge of the film and corresponding perforations at the opposite edge only at such opposite sides of the latter perforations as to permit the exact registration of said first two perforations.

11. A device for printing a positive film strip provided with perforations other than round from a negative strip provided with like perforations and carrying alternating families of color value records, having means to independently feed the negative a plurality of predetermined lengths, and the positive one length, and pin means other than round for registering the negative with the positive at the exposure aperture cooperating with a single perforation in each image area of both strips so that said perforations are exactly registered and all of one family of color records recorded in sequence.

12. In a photographic printing machine, a full fitting pin for registering a negative film laterally with respect to a positive film to be printed, a loose fitting in spaced therefrom for effecting lon itu inal registration only by another per oration of each film, and means for clamping the negative and positive in registered printing position.

13. In a hotographic printing machine, means for eeding two perforated strips, a pin engagin with a certain perforation in each strip or registering them laterally, and a separate pin engaging with a certain other perforation in each strip for registering said strips longitudinally.

14. In a hotographic printing machine, means-for ceding two perforated strips, a pin engagin with a certain perforation in each strip or registering them laterally, a se arate pin enga 'ng with a certain other per oration in eac strip for registering said strips longitudinally, and movable clamping means carrying said registering pins.

15. In a photographic printing machine, a full fitting pin for registering two perforated strips, and a cooperating second pin top to bottom for effecting longitudinalregistration at the printing gate at the time of making the exposure.

17. In a photographic printing machine, a printing window, a movable plate for clamping a negative and a positive film strip in printing position, and registering means carried by said plate.

18. In a photographic printing machine, a printing window, a movable plate for clamping a negative and a positive film strip in printing position, a pin fixed on one side of said plate for laterallyregistering the edge perforations of said strips, and a pin on the other side of said plate for longitudinally registering the opposite edge perforations of said strips.

19. In a photographic printing machine having a printing window, a reciprocatory and bodily movable means for engaging and feeding a perforated film strip located at one side of the printing window, and clamping means carrying a full and a loose fitting registering pin located at the printing window.

20. In a photographic printing machine, feeding means adapted to be moved into engagement with a predetermined number of film strips, means for moving said means to bodily feed the strips engaged thereby, and means for periodically varying the number of strips engaged by said feeding means.

21. In a photographic printing machine, a reciprocatory and bodily movable film strip feeding pin, and means for varying the reciprocation of said pin according to the number of strips to be fed during its bodily movement.

22. In a photographic printing machine, feeding means adapted to be moved into engagement with a predetermined number of film stri s, means for moving said means to bodily eed the strips engaged thereby, means for periodically varying the number of strips engaged by said feeding means, and means registering said strips at each feeding movement of said feeding means.

23. In a photographic printing machine, a printing window, strip feeding means for engaging a photographic strip and located longitudinally of the strip beyond one side of the window, film registering means located laterally of the window, and clamping means p t ng with said. regis ering me ns.- I

feeding means driven thereby, and means for varying successive reciprocations of said strip engaglng means.

26. A photographic printing machine having a power shaft, reciprocatory film strip engaging means driven thereby, means for periodically varying the reciprocatory movement of said engagmg -means, and

means for bodily shifting said engaging means after each reciprocation. 27. A photographic strip printing machine comprising a source of light, a shutter,

a printing window, and registering and clamping means located at the Window.

28. A photographic strip printing machine comprising a source of light, a shutter,

a printing window, and registering Y and clamping means eifective' to independently register laterally and vertically and to clamp together a plurality of strips when said shutter admits light to said window.

29. A photographic strip feeding machine comprising a power shaft, a movable shutter, a printing window, means for in-' termittently feeding two strips at different rates of speed, strip registering means, and

means for intermittently clamping the strips in registry opposite the printing window.

30. In a photographic printing machine having a printing window, the combination with said window of means for independently registering a perforated strip horizontally and vertically, a shutter having an aperture disposed on the opposite side of said window from said registering means, and means actuating said shutter. and said registering means in synchronism.

31. In photographic printing, means for printing sep'arated'negative images in succession on a' sensitive strip, comprising means for feeding spaced negative images and successive sections of said sensitive strip into printing position, means independent of said feeding means for registering said strips vertically and laterally, and. means for clamping said strips. in printing relation.

32. In photographic printing, means for printing separated negative images in sficcession on a perforated sensitive strip, comprising means for feeding a perforated negative strip and said sensitive strip simultaneously to printing position by said perforations alternately with feed of said cession on a perforated sensitive strip, comprising means for feeding spaced negative images on a perforated strip and successive sections of said sensitive strip into printing position, means independent of said feeding means and located at the printing. aperture for independently registering said strips longitudinally and laterally by said perforat'ions, and means for printing said negative strip on said positive strip.

34. In photographic printing, the method which consists in placing perforated negative and sensitive film strips in contact, alining a certain perforation of each for lateral registration and a certain other perforation of each for longitudinal registration, printing said negative strip on said sensitive strip, similarly registering a second portion of the negative strip having like perforations with the same perforations in said sensitive strip, and printing saidsecond negative on a second portion of sensitive coating on said sensitive strip with the same light.

35. In photographic rinting, means for supplying a positive and a negative strip in spaced relation, a pin having a variable throw and transversely en aging 'one or both of said strips, means or varying the throw, and means for bodily moving the pin when in engaging position for effecting the feed.

36. In photographic printing, means for supplying a positive and a negative strip in spaced relation, a pin having a variable throw and transversely engaging one or both of said strips, means for periodically varying the throw, and means for bodily moving the pin when in engagingposition for efi'ecting the feed. Y

37. In photographic printing, means for supplying a' positive and a negative strip in spaced relation and located in advance of a printing window, a pin having a variable throw and transversely'engaging one or both of said strips, means for varying the throw, means for bodily moving the pin when in engaging position for eifecting the feed, a printing window to which the strips are fed, and registering and clamping means at the window.

38.- A photographic strip printing machine having a printing window, means for registering a plurality of strips in predemined relation and located laterally of the termined relation and located at said winwindow on each side at said'window, and dow, and means for clamping said strips means for clamping said strips in registered 10 in registered relation. relation.

39. A photographic strip printing machine having a printing window, means for WILLIAM V. D. KELLEY.

registering a plurality of strips in predeter- JOSEPH MASON.

Images