How did the Kinetograph move film through the camera at regular intervals?

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Zazu Pitts, Gibson Gowland, and Hughie Mack in a dramatic scene from the silent film Greed (1924); Gowland stands center, supported by Pitts and Mack on either side. — Silent film era (From left) Zasu Pitts, Gibson Gowland, and Hughie Mack in the silent film *Greed* (1924), directed by Erich von Stroheim.

The Kinetograph moved film through the camera using a specialized sprocket system designed by W.K.L. Dickson. This system utilized sprocket teeth that engaged with two rows of holes running along the edges of the 35-mm film.12

To achieve the necessary intermittent movement—where each frame is brought to a full stop to record a sharp image—the Kinetograph employed a mechanism featuring a Maltese cross, also known as a Geneva watch movement. This mechanism converted the tension of the camera's drive into the precise, ticking motion required to advance the film at regular intervals. By synchronizing this intermittent movement with a shutter, the camera was able to capture a rapid succession of individual frames.2