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Unusual Cine Items  
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Projector ACE - 8 mm - prototype 

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Projector Bauer P6 16 mm

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The system which was not accepted by the cine amateur
    










 

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Projector ACE - 8 mm - prototype


The owner of the prototype  Ace 8 mm- Ken Valentine

The projector is unusual because it is only model, which  was never produced. The projector has never been implemented in production.
The prototype was constructed before 1960.

The designer of the projector was Johnny Foster – Works Manager of Pathescope in London

The constructor was a visionary man. At the time he constructed the projector, he had a feeling that aria, period of 9,5 mm was nearly at its end. The new size of film – 8 mm will be a dominant and leading on the market. 

Ken Valentine was a witness of the projector construction. He was working at Pathescope, at the time, as well.

 Ken Valentine remembered:” the Directors of the Pathescope were not interested in 8 mm. A year after Foster died they descended on his workshop asking for this projector. I thought they have been so mean, that I hide the projector that they could not find it. As they would not give him credit when he was alive, I would make sure they would not have it, when he was dead”.

It is all history of the projector creation.

Let’s look closely at the projector construction.  The body is the same as 9.5mm projector; the shape was unchanged. Only all mechanisms were adapted to 8 mm width of the film.

Here are pictures of both projectors: 9,5 mm and 8 mm:

                                                                            
                                               The pictures of the prototype Ace 8 mm projector

                       The pictures of Ace 9.5mm projector, which was produced since 1935 to 1960.

              The picture of Ace 9,5 mm                                           The picture of Ace 8 mm prototype

The prototype is based on the model Mk 2 Ace 9, 5 mm projector launched in 1949.
Looking closer we can see some differences between projectors: Ace 9, 5 mm and prototype Ace 8 mm.
The first difference is on the spool carriers. The 9, 5 mm has a double spring retaining clips, when the prototype 8 mm has a single pin to locate on the film spool.

                                                     

                                                 The pictures of film gate on Ace 8 mm prototype


We can see the film gate on the 8 mm prototype has been redesigned for 8 mm film width. The metal gate has been prolonged to the top; closing the gap which was in the model 9, 5 mm (look at the picture Ace 9,5 mm at the top).

                                                                                        

                     The film gate on Ace 9,5 mm                                     The film gate on Ace 8 mm prototype

The position of the film claw has been moved.  The pitch has been altered for 8 mm. The designer modified the  shutter as well.  

Presumably the lens condenser for the lamp has been modified.

The cover of the lamp house is a later version of the Ace projector 9, 5 mm for the longer Pathe lamp – type AD. The lamp came out in 1950.

                                                                                                                                                                                                    

                                             

The picture of film rollers of Ace 9,5 mm                                               The film rollers of Ace 8 mm prototype

The film rollers had been narrowed to 8 mm. 

After years of retrospection, we feel regret that this prototype has not been further altered, subjected to further experiments and observation and next placed into production.  Presumably many users could like the projector as small and very functional equipment to have in their home movie apparatus.  

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