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Lot Essay
The Phantascope projector was designed by C. F. Jenkins and Thomas Armat, and exibited at the Cotton States Exposition in Atlanta, Ga., in October 1895. Following a lawsuit in 1895 Jenkins handed over the rights of the motion picture projector to Armat. Armat later sold these to Thomas Edison who later marketed the Phantascope as his own invention as the Vitagraph.
Mechanical: Light signs of wear.
In 1911 C. F. Jenkins filed an application for patent no. 1.017,672 for a motion picture apparatus (in fact a camera), which was granted in 1912. Since he had no rights to his previous collaborations with Armat, he probbaly based his new invention on a concept for a motion picture camera by Louis Du Cos for which Jenkins had discovered the patent in the 1890s. This he market as the Phantascope. This cameras is marked with Jenkins's patent number. The patent states: 'The general object of this invention is to provide for securing perfect accuracy when the film is accurately perforated and in good condition. This result is secured by providing a slightly yielding film engaging device and moving this against a rigid stop placed in its path.' The patent claimed the following novel features:
1. The combination with a yielding reciprocating film feeding device, of a stop arranged to limit, positively, the film-advancing movement
2. The combination with a suitable film guide, of a film engaging device, means for reciprocating said device, a stop positively limited the advance movements of said device, and means whereby force imparting reciprocating movement to said device causes it to engage the film before advancing and release the film before retreating
3. The combination with a reciprocating film engaging device adapted to yield when in its advance it meets strong resistence, a stop in and near the end of the path through which said device advances, and means for reciprocating said device.
4. The combination with means for guiding a perforated film, of spurred reciprocating devices arranged to advance said film step by step and adapted to yield when meeting strong resistence to film advancing movement, means for causing said devices to engage and disengage the film alternately, and an unyielding stop in position to limit the film-advancing movement of said devices.
The Thomas Armat Papers held at Georgetown Univesrity and associated library website, cited above, give further details regarding Edison and these two American movie pioneers.
Mechanical: Light signs of wear.
In 1911 C. F. Jenkins filed an application for patent no. 1.017,672 for a motion picture apparatus (in fact a camera), which was granted in 1912. Since he had no rights to his previous collaborations with Armat, he probbaly based his new invention on a concept for a motion picture camera by Louis Du Cos for which Jenkins had discovered the patent in the 1890s. This he market as the Phantascope. This cameras is marked with Jenkins's patent number. The patent states: 'The general object of this invention is to provide for securing perfect accuracy when the film is accurately perforated and in good condition. This result is secured by providing a slightly yielding film engaging device and moving this against a rigid stop placed in its path.' The patent claimed the following novel features:
1. The combination with a yielding reciprocating film feeding device, of a stop arranged to limit, positively, the film-advancing movement
2. The combination with a suitable film guide, of a film engaging device, means for reciprocating said device, a stop positively limited the advance movements of said device, and means whereby force imparting reciprocating movement to said device causes it to engage the film before advancing and release the film before retreating
3. The combination with a reciprocating film engaging device adapted to yield when in its advance it meets strong resistence, a stop in and near the end of the path through which said device advances, and means for reciprocating said device.
4. The combination with means for guiding a perforated film, of spurred reciprocating devices arranged to advance said film step by step and adapted to yield when meeting strong resistence to film advancing movement, means for causing said devices to engage and disengage the film alternately, and an unyielding stop in position to limit the film-advancing movement of said devices.
The Thomas Armat Papers held at Georgetown Univesrity and associated library website, cited above, give further details regarding Edison and these two American movie pioneers.