This is topic Early cinema automation in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by James Robertson (Member # 888) on 02-01-2002, 04:32 AM:
How far back do cinema automation systems go? I was using one in 1957. It was called Projectomatic and was installed at the Cosmo,Glasgow {first cinema in Scotland to have it installed) The Cosmo is still operating by the way and hopefully someone is using the Projectomatic control unit as a boat anchor 
Basically it consisted of a series of relays across all presentation functions i.e. lights,curtains,masking, non-sync,etc. and a rotating drum in the control unit would have pins placed in slots in the drum. Each slot represented one of the various functions e.g. a pin in slot 8 would trip relay to bring up footlights, slot 9 curtains and so on. The drum rotation was initiated by pulses from pick-off roller in projector just before hold back sprocket(foil tape stuck on film edge triggered the pulses) or on start of show by a clockwork timer(really primitive) We used to bypass the timer and start show manually which sort of defeats the whole purpose of the exercise
Changeovers were initiated by pulses received from the pick-off roller, again triggerd by foil tape placed on film edge. Xenon lamps were rare beasts then and the arc lamp was struck when a metal pellet placed between positive and negative carbons fused on incoming projector motor startup.
This meant that the arc had 7 secs to stabilize before changeover.
Even using Peerless Magnarcs this was a big ask and the light on screen was usually wobbly for a few seconds after changeover.
The funny thing about this installation is that it was never intended to replace staff- as far as I can make out it was a whim of the cinema owner. It didn't do what we projectionists couldn't do better and more smoothly.
Anyway the Chief at the time who had always presided over a booth providing first class presentation was so pissed off by this intrusion that he resigned and left the industry entirely:
This was 1957. Any earlier automation?
Jim
Posted by Pete Naples (Member # 761) on 02-01-2002, 04:50 AM:
Projectomatic was also kown as Esseldomatic and later, Cinemation if I remember right. They were all made by Bernard Bentley. I had Cinemation at the Orient Express, Dunfermline., although there are a fair number of Cinemation MkIV and Mk10T still clunking away. These things were quite amazing for their time, and in many ways still are.I've never used one to strike a carbon arc, as the strontium ( I think! ) pellets that you were supposed to put between the carbons would vaporise and somewhat shorten the life of the mirror.
Where is the Cosmo in Glasgow? Is it now known by another name? It's just I've never come across that one in my travels!
Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 02-01-2002, 06:51 AM:
Powers projector company advertised in the late 1920,s that
they had available an automated changeover system which was
triggered by a film notch and used a clock type mechanism
to trigger functions. The ads displayed the projectionist
sitting watching the show in a tuxedo since he had more time
to insure quality presentation.....like any factory announcement
it may have been vaporware...........
Richard Fowler
TVP-Theatre & Video Products Inc. www.tvpmiami.com
Posted by Larry Shaw (Member # 388) on 02-01-2002, 08:54 AM:
Pete,
I never had luck with the pellets anyway in the Peerless Magnarcs I was running at the time: not enough current. They just fizzled.
I ran another pair of Magnarcs equipped with a rotary solonoid operated mechanical arc striker made by Raven Labs in New Jersey. That simple device worked flawlessly.But by then the march to xenon had begun.
------------------
Larry Shaw
Boston Light & Sound, Inc.
North American Distributor of Kinoton GmbH
290 North Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02135-1990
Tel: 617-787-3131 x104 Fax: 617-787-4257
E-Mail: larry@blsi.com
Web site: http://www.blsi.com/kinoton
Posted by Bernard Tonks (Member # 809) on 02-01-2002, 10:18 AM:
Only a couple of weeks ago I had Mr Cinemation himself, Bernard Bentley visit me at the Regal. He is very well at 79 years of age and has definitely retired now, Cinemation 2005 now installed in many cinemas being his last design project.Picture of Projectomatic at the Granada Rugby 1960. (kindly supplied by Harry Rigby)
Posted by Pete Naples (Member # 761) on 02-01-2002, 10:46 AM:
Bernard!! Thank you, you've just answered a question I am continually being asked, is BB still around and how is he?!!
If you happen to see him or speak with him again soon, give him my best wishes and also those of the crew from the Dominion, Edinburgh.
Posted by Colin Wiseley (Member # 247) on 02-01-2002, 01:10 PM:
We use a Purdue automation that was made locally in Roanoke VA although I don't know how old it is. It's similar to the rotating drum automation mentioned above except it uses a rotating shaft with plastic discs which have notches in them that trip switches to turn on the projector and the curtains and so forth. It's also triggered using copper tape.Curiously, when I first started working at the theater it only had the ability to turn everything on at the start of the show and then turn everything off at the end. There was no way to get it to turn the house lights up at the credits and then turn everything off at the end. As a result, I had to get out my trusty Dremel tool and cut new notches into the discs to get it to turn on the house lights but still keep everything else going until it's triggered again at the end of the film. Now it works like a charm.
------------------
Colin Wiseley
Lyric Theatre
Blacksburg, VA
www.thelyric.com
Posted by Bernard Tonks (Member # 809) on 02-01-2002, 02:29 PM:
Pete,I will be in touch with Bernard Bentley next week; I will give him a copy of your posting! I know he will be pleased with your messages. I should have mentioned that his lovely wife Annette also visited, she is 81 and was a projectionist in the early years. There must be something in those diodes; they both look so well and active.
Jim,
There was also Projectomatic model ‘0’ that just did changeovers!
Posted by Joseph Pandolfi (Member # 223) on 02-01-2002, 06:15 PM:
At our Milford theatre, we have four Cinemation Mark IV still in use here. We had them all modified for interlocking and fire alarm shutdowns. If you want to these things can start your coffee for you when you come in the morning. Ours is set up, even though we don't dare to use it, start the first show the next day and we would come in late. I believe they have been here since the theatre was built in the early 1960's.
Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 02-01-2002, 10:26 PM:
Well let Mr Bentley know there are still many Mk4's still in use across the pond in Canada.
As note about starting coffee makers
There was a theatre in Ottawa Ont. Canada that open that was leeked into the newspapers that the cinemation was so advanced that it would flush the urinals at the end of the intermission
Posted by James Robertson (Member # 888) on 02-01-2002, 11:52 PM:
PeteNever had any problems with pellets striking arc-we were running 60 amps.
Incidentally Westrex were the agents for Projectomatic at that time.
The Cosmo is/was in Rose St off Sauchiehall St. and was still there about 5 years ago.
It is/was a magnificent repertory cinema and the owner's criterion was "the best films from any source" and I screened many classic films there.
Bernard,
Are those FP7's in your picture of Granada,Rugby
Jim
Posted by Bernard Tonks (Member # 809) on 02-02-2002, 05:16 AM:
Yes Jim, the projectors are Philips FP 7s. The Granada, Kingston-upon-Thames was equipped exactly the same as the Rugby cinema where I saw them running, so quiet you could hardly hear them, in fact you heard the Peerless Magnarc feed motor more than the projector.Picture of an early Cinemation console in Odeon 1 Leeds, Bradford (now closed) – dating from the 1970s, long disued. (picture kindly supplied by Harry Rigby).
Posted by Joseph Pandolfi (Member # 223) on 02-02-2002, 06:57 AM:
There is a shot of one in the PICTURES Section, GCC Northpark West 1 & 2 and it is the eighth one down.
Posted by Pete Naples (Member # 761) on 02-02-2002, 07:20 AM:
James, sorry to say I don't think the Cosmo is still operating, unless it's become the 'Bombay', which shows Bollywood stuff. I don't know Glasgows geography too well though. There are few 'real' cinemas left in Glasgow now, the Grosvenor in Hillhead is still open, due for major refurbishment soon, the Glasgow Film Theatre has had some major work in the last few years. Other then the Bombay and the Renfield Street Odeon, the rest are all modern neon and plastic affairs. The Salon, Hillhead closed as a cinema, but is open again as a restaurant. Some of my colleagues are former Westrex engineers, and worked with BB when Cinemation MkIV was new.Bernard, I'd be astounded if BB remembers me, I met him in the dark days of Caledonian Associated Cinems, when I was nowt but a lad! Danny Cattigan is still around though, he was CAC's engineer, so BB will have a better chance of remembering him. It's great to know that he's well and enjoying retirement.
Posted by Les Brock (Member # 1041) on 02-02-2002, 08:23 AM:
I worked with Projectomatic at the Granada Harrow ( was Chief Projectionist from 1974 to 1979). We had the change over-version model "O" and it was connected up to a pair of Cinemeccanica Vic 8's when our reliable and trustworthy Phillips FP 7's were retired in 1972. Bernard Bentley came along with Roger Purle and connected up to the Vic 8's and also converted our Peerless Arcs to Xenon.
Sadly we lost the 4 Track mag system with the FP 7's and had the Cinemeccanica T12 system installed but no Penthouses on the projectors.
Somewhere I have some pics of the projectors old and new. Must try to find them and post them.
I left Granada Harrow in 1979, by then the cinema had been tripled but the Projectomatic was still working. The only problem was the safety shutters on the Vic 8's. The solenoids were always burning out as the relays never seemed to release early enough and the solenoids fried !
Posted by Joseph Pandolfi (Member # 223) on 02-02-2002, 03:08 PM:
Benard: We still use the same 24 hour clocks that is on the console, but we have them mounted seperately on the wall. We would insert pins into the slots for show start times. We also have Rodene 36 minute timers if we wish use those instead of the 24 hour clocks.
Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 02-02-2002, 08:11 PM:
In canada the FP7 were always the super7 with the highspeed movement and they were very loud and noisy but I have seen a Simplex 1K carbon lighting a 38' screen like a roman candle
Posted by Bob Koch (Member # 1062) on 02-03-2002, 12:13 AM:
The first alleged automation I`d ever seen was in pre 1940 era when someone decided they could automate changeover operation.I never really saw the point of this.There was a projectionist, we were known as operators in those days, in SF ca Local 162 named Crabtree who decided he could automate the xover. He started with a phenolic covered panel with proj motor contactors actuated with momentary on/off pushbuttons that you could normally run a show from. He then had a bunch of 2000 reel s made[Walter G Preddy Inc] that had fingers you could place at the motor cue[12ft and the other at xover,1 ft from the endas you put the film in the rewind.The magazine was drilled so these fingers actuated a mercury switch as it fell down and sent a pulse to the motor contactor in his panel and when the next finger actuated [changeover] the pulse would operate the douser.There were no pellits to strike the Magnarc in those days so you had to strike the arc manually before his automatic xover took oplace.
I think this was designed around 1932-33 and the only one I ever saw used was in the town where Aaron Sizemore lives in Petaluma Ca. The old T&D.Jr California theatre had a booth where a huge beam prevented the operator from seeing the top portion of the screen where the cues were. This was before I went overseas and remember the operator of the time explaining this to me. Susequently went into a few theatres that had the control panel with the contactors but nobody except in Petaluma used the special reels. "Long ti
I went overseas
Posted by Don Sneed (Member # 955) on 02-03-2002, 12:15 AM:
The Cinemation MK IV, was to me the best automation ever made !! I have a funny story, I was at a old single screen theatre a few years ago & the local newspaper run a full page story about the theatre, one thing they kept talking about was "ROBBIE THE ROBOT" a automation system that will allow the projectionist to attend other duties at the theatre....when I went to service the theatre & ask to see Robbie...Robbie was a "contactor" that started & ended the show !! The newspaper made a big deal over this !!