Page 8 - RD_2020-12

Left: The Nicholas Power Company of New York were
makers of Magic Lanterns. Then seeing the potential
of Moving Pictures, they created their Powers first
Motion Picture Projectors in 1900. The Cameragraph
used a rather complex open design. However the
machine soon became popular throughout America
and Australia because of its robust reliability.
A typical 6B Powers in "Silent" mode, c. 1917 with the
unique square magazines and the Model E.
lamphouse, this one opened the Majestic Theatre in
Pomona, Queensland, in 1921.

Although hardly portable, it became a favourite with
Australia's Travelling Picture Show Men. Today they
are a Collector's item. Ah yes, no lounge is complete
without a Powers in the corner, or at least a head on
a pedestal, complete with the square magazine.

"Oh, great", said Charlie. "Well, that's a I had never seen anything like the Powers
Powers", pointing to the second projector before. A large square magazine sat atop a
already threaded up ready to run reel two. solid looking block of metal. The film gate was
"Memorise the film path and the loop sizes. I'll on the outside of the block at the rear facing
go over everything with you as soon as I start the lamphouse. A focusing lens mount was
the show." He threw the switch and the stuck on the front of the block and the whole
machine chattered to life, house lights and thing was a mass of exposed gears and
stage lights out with a bang as he opened the sprockets. At first glance it was a monstrosity
dowser and the Cinesound Review hit the and I could now well understand how easily it
screen. No smooth presentation at this could take off a finger or two.
performance.
Right: The main gear train has a bad reputation for
removing finger tips - nail and all. The horizontal
rod and gear assembly is a "ghost chaser" for
adjusting the shutter timing while the machine is
running to remove picture ghosting. This assembly
is often disabled or removed. The intermittent
movement is unique to the Powers, consisting of 4
pins on a cross attached to the 4 frame imtemittent
sprocket. The pin cross is locked over a circular
rotating cam.

Then on each revolution a diamond shaped cut out
in the cam flicks the pin cross over a quarter of a
turn with the locking pins passing through the slots
in the cam (see drawing) A small peak on the
diamond activates this movement. The
intermittent sprocket advances one frame of film
and the pin cross locks on the cam once again.
Running in an oil bath, this long wearing and
highly efficient movement is located behind the
knob of the "ghost chaser".
8 REEL DEALS December 2020