A MOBILE KINEMA OUTFIT.
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THE use of the motor vehicle in confiection with the display of kinema films is not new. Dining the war the British Government succesSfully eme
• ployed a number of lorries, equipped with self-contained generating plant, for propaganda work ,in this and other countries. These machines were provided with a separate engine and dynamo, which were carried in the body oi the prime mover, and although they proved to be a very useful adjunct to a branch of military intelligence which was at that time in sore need of _development, they were of a bulky nature, and; moreover, required several skilled men to operate them.
At the close of the war the idea was conceived of using machines similarly equipped in areas where the extent of the populace did not warrant the erection of a permanent kinema house, arid several companies were floated'to effect this end. Very little has, however, been heard of their activities, possibly because the amount of capital required to guar antee success was large. Con'siderahly less money would be required to exploit an equipment such as we were able to inspect a few days ago at a demonstration held at the Parish Hall, Radlett, Hertfordshire.
One would have thought that the channels of usefulness for the ubiquitous Ford car had been fully explored by now,• but that this is not. the case was amply proved by the demonatratiee to which we have referred, which was organized by International Motors, Ltd. in conjunction with Mr. George Palmer, of 81, Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W. • On this occasion a Ford car was the sole means employed for providing a kinen,a, exhibition, the engine of the vesicle being used as a driving unit to light the hall, provide light for the, projector And 'supply current for operation 01 the films by electric motor.
It is claimed that an average individual 824
can fit the De Vry generator—for that is its name—to a Feed engine in 14 -hours. The method of 'fitting is as follows:— The radiator must•-firste of all be _taken down—this is a simple operation. The generator bracket. is placed in position on the, near zicle of the engine, and then bolted to the lower half of the ;crankcase. The generator is held in position on the bracket by two split rings, and a steady bar is attached from the top of the generatorto one pf the engine bolts on the top of the cylinder -casting. The driving dog an thastartinghandle shaft is removed by punching out its pin, and a 4 in. gearwheel is substituted for the flat fan belt driving pulley, which has been previously withdrawn. The driving dog is then refitted, and a silent chain connected up from the chain wheel to the sprotket on the dynamo spindle. The leather belt is then Tun from the. pulley on the generator to that on the cooling fan, and the erection
completed. A jockey pulley maintains the tension of the Coventry chain.
The question of connecting tip the wiring,which is taken through the dashboard, is a matter for individual requirements, and it can be taken to the pay box, gangways, and any part of the hall. One might expect an engine 'Necking under these conditions to overheat, but no tendency iii tfhis direction was noticeable. In the course of a two-hour programme it is necessary to refill the radiator once, whilst, during the course of a show of this duration, 1 gallons of petrol are consumed.
As seen as the projector is put in•to operation the lights are extinguished, and vice versa, a switchboard conveniently placed to the projector operator serving this purpose. He is also in a position to adjust the voltage. The -De Vry generator can seppl current to some 25 globes of 20 watts each or their equivalent. This article would not be complete without a short reference to the De Vry projector used in conjunction with the Ford oar. This apparatus is portable, and can be carried with less effort than the ordinary suit ease. It Measures 17 ins. by 17 ins. by 74, ins., and weighs only 201 lb. It will project a picture up to 12 ft. square, and at a distance of 80 ft. . This projector -has been on the British market for some months past as an independent apparatus, it has built up a worthy and well-deserved reputation, and its popularity should be considerably enhanced when'used in connection with the Ford vehicle.
The generator costs £85 15s. and the projector £67 10s., so that the total cast of the complete apparatus is covered by about £400. For educational, advertising, and such purposes. ie should possess a promising future, whilst its portability should recommend it for adoption in place of the permanent kinema in rural and sparsely populated areas.