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The AEG Euro M2 was fitted with
barrel shutters that doubled as efficient
Safety shoe blower fans for cooling. They also had
forced-air film gate cooling. In the
picture (left), the slot between the
guides at the top of the back plate is the
forced air vent which blows cool air,
supplied from a small compressor,
Forced air vent
down the back-plate to reduce the
extreme heat from the arc lamp.
Other features in this image are the
Framing lamp framing lamp - the hole just above the
aperture - and the film-frame speed
Light cut-off knob tachometer. For nitrate film a fast
mechanical light cut-off was
mandatory. This device was a
combination of curved metal film
safety shoe at the top of the gate and a
light cut-off shutter behind the aperture.
Should the film break as it entered the
projector gate, the top film loop would
immediately enlarge. The safety shoe
would then tilt forward and activate the
light cut-off shutter and reduce the
chance of broken film igniting at the
aperture. The safety device was re-
instated by pressing the light cut-off
knob.

Above: A simple and efficient Klangfilm sound head.
Compare this to a Western Electric or RCA device of the
period - both over-engineered.

Left: Slide attachment on the right-hand projector. Three
slides were placed in the carrier and dropped into
position. When a slide was removed the transition from
one slide to the next was not seen on the screen.

10 2008 CINEMARECORD