Motion picture projector

Abstract

A motion picture projector having various functions such as, projecting and rewinding, all of which can be selectively performed by a single control knob, and including an intermittent-drive film advancing mechanism which comprises a pull-down structure, a compound cam of an up-and-down cam wheel and an in-and-out cam disk, and first and second cam followers arranged between the pull-down structure and the compound cam to be consecutively operated so that the pull-down claw enters the perforations of the film and moves it in a forward direction always by the length of a frame and at a desired frequency through a film gate mechanism. The film gate mechanism consists of a film guideway, a resilient thin aperture plate self-biased to move away from the film guideway and defining an actual projection aperture, and a movable film gate member arranged on the opposite side of the aperture plate from the guideway and biased to urge the aperture plate for guidance and support of the film against the guideway. The pull-down structure and the film gate member have respective input means arranged to be consecutively actuable by a common mode changeover means cooperative with the control knob. The mode changeover means has at least three switched positions, that is, a first position for a normal projecting operation, a second position where the pull-down structure is maintained disengaged from the in-and-out cam follower to project a still picture, and a third position where the film gate member and the aperture plate are spaced from the film guideway to permit continuous transportation of the film at a far faster speed than that occurring in the normal projecting mode of operation.