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56 MODERN MAGIC LANTERNS.
wood of the carrier, the first slide is in the centre of the
opening In some forms the grooves are bigger, and a frame
holding two slides can be pushed backwards and forwards
as shown in Fig. 46. This has the drawback that the slides
are inserted and taken out from alternate sides of the lantern.
In the simpler pattern the slides are put in at one
side and taken out
at the other, a more
convenient method,
but still not so good
as one by which they
are manipulated entirely
from one side.
Fig. 46. A SLIDE CARRIER.
This is the case
with the Eclipse
carrier, one of the most ingenious devices of the many which
lanternists owe to Mr. R. R. Beard. The Eclipse carrier, which
is shown in Fig. 47, consists of a frame with a brass runner
carrying the slide. The runner being pulled out, the slide
is put on it and pushed into the lantern, after which the runner
Fig. 47. 1HE ECLIPSE CARRIER.
is again withdrawn and a second slide inserted. On pushing
this into position, it is superimposed on the first, so that the
two pictures are seen mixed up on the screen, the first being
withdrawn on pulling the runner out once more to put the
next slide in, when the second springs up into the exact
position occupied by the first, with a little click. The means
THE LANTERN BODY. 57
by which this is effected is extremely simple, and the only
drawback the carrier possesses is one in common more or
less with all othersthat it does not deal well with slides
which vary much in thickness. This difficulty has been surmounted
in one form of the carrier shown in Fig. 45, by the
introduction of two springs which keep the slides pressed up
against one side of the groove, and so prevent one slide overlapping
the other when pushed through, the grooves being
made sufficiently wide to accommodate the thickest glass
likely to be met with ; this is due to Mr. Chadwick.
Other forms of carrier are those in which the slides are
actuated by a tape travelling over pulleys ; those having a
shutter which cuts off all light while changing a slide ; a
third variety made by Messrs. Archer, of Liverpool, has a
screen of matt celluloid by which the picture is partially
obscured during changing, which is done by one movement
of a lever.
A carrier, although apparently a simple and unimportant
part of the lantern outfit, is, as regards the smoothness and
success of an exhibition, one of the most vital spots. A case
occurs to me where the regularity of a display was ruined
while the operator was engaged in extracting a slide stuck
in the carrier in consequence of a piece of its binding having
become loosened. In the presence of an audience such
a mishap should be impossible, the slides should pass
through in an even and unbroken succession. To secure
this, nothing is so effectual as the simple push-through
carrier, shown in Fig. 45, provided it has springs as mentioned,
and provided that the groove at the bottom is just
so deep that the centre of a 3,1 x 31 slide comes in the centre
of the opening, the top groove being fully one-eighth deeper
than this. When this is the case, slides of varying thickness
and height can be passed through without any overlapping,
and without the smaller slides falling backward or
forward or the bigger ones jamming.
A point generally neglected, but in the case of a public
display a great safeguard against accident, is the provision of
some arrangement by which the slide in the carrier, just
before it is passed into the lantern, can be seen, so that the
Dperator may be able to tell by a glance whether it is in the