The Latham Loop

The Latham loop is a process of pulling film through the threading device of a camera so the sprockets didn't tear. It's used in film projection and it changed cinema by allowing films to be projected for extended periods of time. This feat was possible because the film could gently spool over from the back of the camera to the front, and the film strip didn't tear because it was isolated from vibration and tension. The loop was created by a father and his two sons in their quest to film and screen a boxing match. After their initial success, they teamed up with Edison to create a device that would indefinitely allow for longer pictures, so more boxing matches could be projected for admission. They were successful with Edison and continued to to screen spectacles until their money ran out, although they received a patent on their mechanism in 1902.