While residing in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, Thomas Sharlow invented a new film reel for moving picture machines. The United States Patent Office issued Thomas a patent (971,317) on September 27, 1910. Specifically, the invention related to film reels of movie picture machines.
Thomas’ invention consisted of the specific construction and arrangement of parts, distinguishing features would include…
… the manner in which the hollow film drum and concentric spindle sleeve are attached to the side disks, the formation of the latter with protruding hubs or bearing surfaces with the line of circumference of the film drum for the purpose of preventing frictional contact with the peripheral portions of the disks beyond the drum; the formation of the hollow fil drum with a longitudinal slot for the reception and retention of the end of the film…
This invention improved the movie reel in two ways. The first being how the reel is attached to the spindle on the projector. The splined spindle sleeve added both strength and stability to the hub while making it easier to place and remove the reel from the machine.
The second improvement had to do with how the film is held in place while it is wound onto the reel. Thomas was the first inventor to propose a slot to receive the film, which created enough friction to hold the film in place as the reel rotated on the movie picture projector.
In 1914, Charles Sharlow would patent an idea that improved on this design. You can read more about Charles’ invention here: Charles Sharlow Film Reel for Movie Pictures. You can see the full text of Thomas’ invention here: Thomas Sharlow Film Reel for Movie Pictures.