RESEARCH PLANT.

Waipa Post, Volume 39, Issue 3088, 12 December 1929, Page 2

RESEARCH PLANT.

FINEST OF ITS KIND. IMPORTANCE TO INDUSTRY OF NEW BELL TELEPHONE LABORATORY. Final work on a self-contained laboratory—providing facilities where the Bell Laboratories can control all of the factors from start to finish in the production of sound pictures and make studies on related problems, with particular reference to recording on film—is nearing completion. The building proper has been ready for occupancy since the middle of August and preliminary tests, such as acoustical measurements have already been made. INDUSTRY’S PIONEERS.

The production and exhibitions of sound pictures has been the most rapidly developed of any great industry. The factors which enter into this business embrace practically all the activities of the civilised world. In the development of this business the Bell Telephone Laboratories—the talking picture equipment manufacturing department of which is known as the Western Electric Company—are the pioneers and now stand in the forefront of progress in the development of methods and equipment for the satisfactory recording and reproducing of sound. The Western Electric System is well known in New Zealand, being already installed in over 35 theatres in this country. No great industry such as this which involves highly-skilled technical minds working upon mechanical, electrical, physical and commercial problems can be developed effectively unless the. best technical equipment available is at hand for use in the study of its problems, the development of its methods and equipment and the determination of the operating and maintenance problems that will be encountered.

ASSEMBLE SKILLED CORPS. The Bell Telephone Laboratories have, therefore, undertaken to assemble in a new and completely equipped building the technical apparatus and the scientists required to carry on in an effective way this great work. Their activities will, of course, be confined entirely to scientific studios and to the development of equipment. No commercial work of any kind will be undertaken by them but they will be engaged for years to come in research work and in the scientific study of methods and equipment which will be required for the logical progress of the art. APPEARANCE OF BUILDING. The new building has a frontage of 44. feet on Bank Street, New York, is 118 feet deep and three stories high. In reality the height is equal to a building of five stories, due to high ceilings. These ceilings are 15 feet in height on the first floor, 12 feet on the second and 25 feet on the top floor. Construction is of buff brick and steel on concrete piles., entirely firepAiof throughout. The southern exposure and ample windows provide plenty of natural light.

On stepping through the doorway at Bank Street, one faces on a hall off which opens the offices. Continuing along tfye corridor, on the right is the air-conditioning room, which is equipped with the latest type machinery which has several functions; ventilation, cooling, heating, and the . accurate humidity control required for those rooms in the building devoted to film processing. The airconditioning equipment is subject to automatic control in all rooms where temperature may be regulated without affecting other rooms. The refrigerator 13 set on individual concrete piles to prevent the transmission of vibration to other parts of the building. .' MODEL REVIEW ROOM SEATS 30. Also on the first floor is the review room, which will be fitted up as a model of its kind to accommodate from 25 to 30 persons. The spectators’ seats will be elevated on ,‘tiers to afford everyone an unobstructed view of the screen. Provision has been made for an 8 x 10 • screen, but there is plenty of space should a larger one be found desirable for special work. Directly in the back of this is a projection room, which is equipped with three projectors and 41-A, 42-A, and 43-A amplifiers with their associated controls. Rn*h fdm and disc may be reproduced. In the back of the fire wall, space is devoted to film processing and cutting. Special rooms have been provided for handling, cutting and printing. The film processing machines will be shortly installed. These dark rooms are reached through light-trap doorways, which follow the form of a “ U ” and thus eliminate the necessity for double doorways. The front part of the second floor is given over to general office space. There are three individual large offices and three dressing rooms for the artists. Further back are the photo laboratory, optical laboratory and a tank room. STAGE ON THIRD FLOOR.

The generator and battery room on this floor provide power for the re; cording equipment. The power equipment includes both. “A” and “ B ” battery charging generators and two distributors. In' back . of this is the amplifier room containing complete equipment for a single channel system, including an 88706 main amplifier. The film-recording ’laboratory, containing three, film rej cording machines, is also' floor. < ' w On the third floor is /' Ns 4ch is almost 70 k rplete width of the,. lfliggHß9|

are provided for changing the sound damping at both ends of the room. Included in the equipment of this room is a 15-A horn suspended from a 14-foot tower, adjustable for various heights. At one end is a projection room, which has been provided to meet scoring needs. THOUGHT OF EVERYTHING.

At the other end of this floor is the monitoring room which is also the entire width of the building. The actual monitoring will be done from a mezzanine control balcony opening off this room and directly above the projection room. An excellent view of the entire stage is afforded through a monitor window 5 feet square. In the planning of this building nothing seems to have been forgotten, As an example, provision is made for bringing into the monitoring room scenery and other stage property from the street. Double iron doors 8 feet wide and 12 feet high, and a small crane on the roQf, make the hoisting of scenery a simple matter.

A film storage vault, with a capacity of 1000 reels, and designed m conformance with the latest practices, is located on the roof. There is also an extra tank to supply the automatic sprinklers throughout the building. Theatres equipped with the Western Electric Sound System will_ benefit from the further _ discoveries of science which these facilities will from time to time afford.