Strange 120 Film Spool

[Steve Smith]

At the weekend I spent a whole £1 on a 100 year old Brownie box camera.

The spool which was in it is unusual in that only one end has a slot which can engage with the winder. The other end is just a round hole.

I haven't seen anything like this before and wonder what the point is.

It is a plastic spool so I don't think it was the camera's original spool as that would probably have been either all metal or wood and metal. I also don't see how it could be the spool from a film as not all cameras run the film through in the sme direction.

Any ideas?


Steve.

 

[Mark_S]

At the weekend I spent a whole £1 on a 100 year old Brownie box camera.

The spool which was in it is unusual in that only one end has a slot which can engage with the winder. The other end is just a round hole.

I haven't seen anything like this before and wonder what the point is.

It is a plastic spool so I don't think it was the camera's original spool as that would probably have been either all metal or wood and metal. I also don't see how it could be the spool from a film as not all cameras run the film through in the sme direction.

Any ideas?


Steve.

Is it possible that it is a 620 spool, not a 120? - 620 is slightly smaller diameter than a 120, and was done by Kodak to force people to buy their film. It was used on a lot of the old brownies.

620 spools were made both in plastic and metal.

 

[Steve Smith]

No. It's definitely 120.

My later box Brownie is 620 but this one has "use 120 film" embossed on the back.


Steve.

 

[Steve Smith]

Actually, I haven't thought this through properly.

If it had film on it, it wouldn't matter as neither side locates in a slot. It only needs a slot when used as a take up spool. Then it can be put in to match the position of the winder.

I still haven't seen one like this before though.


steve.

 

[RichardH]

Hey Steve
This doesn't have anything to do with your post but I thought you'd like to know the pentax stuff I got from you last year is getting good use. I cleaned and put light seals in them. Working great. Hope the lens you got is getting some use also.

Richard Haas

 

[railwayman3]

Actually, I haven't thought this through properly.

If it had film on it, it wouldn't matter as neither side locates in a slot. It only needs a slot when used as a take up spool. Then it can be put in to match the position of the winder.

I still haven't seen one like this before though.


steve.

Just checked and I have a few plastic 120 spools like this in my darkroom "junk box", from film used a few years ago, but I have no way now of checking what the brand was. Hadn't really noticed that it was in any way unusual.

 

[waynecrider]

Apparently some engineer thought that the spool didn't need a slot on both ends. My 116 spools from the Kodak Autographic series all have slots thru round holes on both ends and they're close to a 100 years old.

 

[DLawson]

Actually, I haven't thought this through properly.

If it had film on it, it wouldn't matter as neither side locates in a slot. It only needs a slot when used as a take up spool. Then it can be put in to match the position of the winder.

I still haven't seen one like this before though.


steve.

I have a dozen of so plastic 127 spools, and they have solid nubs on one end and slotted on the other. Fortunately, in a sense, none of my 127 cameras will handle a plastic take-up spool. So I don't have a practical problem with it. (Well, I suppose I would if I were sending the film out.)

 

[summicron1]

efke 127 spools are like that -- i am guessing yours is a fairly recent spool made by someone trying to cut corners. A real 100 year old spool would have a wooden core and metal ends.

 

[Steve Smith]

It has a patent No. on it (629067) which is dated 1953 and is assigned to Eastman Kodak.


Steve.

 

[Jim Jones]

efke 127 spools are like that -- i am guessing yours is a fairly recent spool made by someone trying to cut corners. A real 100 year old spool would have a wooden core and metal ends.

Some spools with metal flanges and wood cores were made that way to save metal during WWII.