Improvements in or in connection with Cameras and Camera Tripods.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or in connection with Cameras and Camera Tripods.
I, FREDERICK WOODWARD BRANSON, of the Firm of Reynolds and Branson Ltd.,
of Commercial Street, in the City of Leeds, Pharmaceutical Chemists and
Scientific Instrument Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to increase the adaptability of the camera,, or
the facility with which the camera can be placed in position for taking views,
which would otherwise necessitate much time and trouble in adjusting the
camera in position; and also to means for facilitating the packing up of the
tripod legs for transport.
-
In the first place this invention refers to the construction of the guide frame
carrying the frame of the small end of the bellows, that is the lens slide. In
its present usual construction the guide frame is a rectangular frame having
two vertical sides in which the grooves for the lens slide are formed, and a
bottom and top cross bar. The top cross bar is usually placed to the front of
the vertical sides, to allow the lens frame to be moved up behind it. The extent
to which the lens frame can be moved upwards behind the cross bar is however
limited, as the lens cylinder comes against the underside of the cross bar. This
part of the invention consists in dispensing with the top cross bar altogether, and
supporting the vertical sides by means of a truncated Vee shaped strip of
metal the upper ends of the inclined side pieces of the strip being secured
to the vertical side pieces of the guide frame, and the short hori-
zontal bottom piece of the strip being secured to the bottom cross bar. The
guide frame is secured in position at the proper distance from the camera slide
frame by means of a hinged hook catch, hinged on a pin passing through the
horizontal piece of the strip and the bottom cross bur, and a corresponding catch
plate fixed to the camera base. It will be evident that with this construction
of guide frame, that the lens slide can be raised to any height limited only by
the length of hold in the grooves of the guide frame necessary to ensure the
lens slide being held sufficiently firm. The guide frame, as in many cameras,
swung on the upper end of a pair of side levers, hinged at their lower ends to
the camera base. The convenience of the swinging device is much increased by
cranking the upper ends of the levers inwards.
is
In the second place this invention refers to a new construction of camera-
base plate and ball and socket support for carrying the base piece of the camera
from the top of the tripod. The ball of the ball and socket joint is provided
on its upper side with a short pin, having a screw thread formed thereon. Two
or more, preferably three, wide grooves are cut on the outside of the pin, down
to just below the bottom of the threads; and the width of the grooves is pre-
ferably made just slightly greater than the width of the thread portions left
projecting. A notch, hereinafter called the lock notch, is formed in the upper
end of the screwed pin, which latter is preferably formed or bored out hollow.
The camera-base plate is provided with a centre hole, which is bored out and

page_text: •
tapped to correspond to the screwed pin; and provided in a similar manner with
wide grooves cut to the bottom of the threads. This arrangement enables the
camera-base plate to be dropped over the pin and properly tightened with about
one quarter of a turn only. The end of a flat spring catch; on the top side of
the turntable plate, drops into the before mentioned lock notch in the end of the
ball pin when the camera base has been turned into the corresponding position;
and thus prevents the camera-base plate from being inadvertently unscrewed
from the ball pin. A pin or button on the underside of the flat spring, which
passes through the camera-base plate, enables the flat spring to be pressed upwards
out of the lock notch, when it is desired to unscrew the camera-base.
The upper half of the ball socket is provided with an opening through which
the ball pin projects, and is sufficiently larger than the pin to permit of the
camera base being tilted as required. The lower part of the socket piece is bored
out cylindrical to receive the cup piece, which latter is approximately M-shaped
in section. A bottom cap piece screws into the lower end of the socket piece,
and prevents the cup piece falling out. A sciew, passing through the centre
of the bottom cap piece, serves to tighten the cup piece against the underside of
the ball. In order to prevent the camera tilting, owing to its own weight, when
the screw is slackened back, a spiral spring is fitted in the annular V rccess in
the underside of the cup piece, and keeps the cup piece constantly pressed against
the ball, but not with sufficient force to prevent the camera being conveniently
tilted by land:
The socket piece is preferably cast in one with the tripod top, which for the
sake of lightness may be formed as a triangular frame, with curved sides, carry-
ing the hinge pins for the legs at the corner of the triangle.
Lastly in order to permit of the legs of the tripod being readily secured
together for transport, a bridge plate is attached to the upper end of each of
two of the legs at one side, and on both sides of the other leg; and a bayonet
strip is fastened on each of two of the legs at their lower ends on one side, and
on both sides of the third leg. The legs are slipped the one over the other, so
that the projecting part of the bayonet strip of the one leg slips, beneath the
bridge piece of tlie adjoining leg. A slight bend or spring is given to the pro-
jecting part of the bayonet strip, so that any tendency of the legs to come apart
is counteracted.
21
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.'
Improvements in or in connection with Cameras and Camera Tripods.
I, FREDERICK Woodward Branson, of the Firm of Reynolds and. Branson Ltd.,
of Commercial Street, in the City of Leeds, Pharmaceutical Chemists and
Scientific Instrument Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
'
The object of this invention is to increase the adaptability of the camera, or
the facility with which the camera can be placed in position for taking views,
which would otherwise necessitate much time and trouble in adjusting the
camera in position; and also to means for facilitating the packing up of the
tripod legs for transport.

page_text: In the first place this invention refers to the construction of the guide frame
carrying the frame of the small end of the bellows, that is the lens.slide.. In
its present usual construction the guide frame is a rectangular frame having
two vertical sides in which the grooves for the lens slide are formed; and a
bottom and top cross bar. The top cross bar is usually placed to the frout of
the vertical sides, to allow the lens frame to be moved up behind it. The extent
to which the lens frame can be moved upwards behind the cross bar is however
limited, as the lens cylinder comes against the underside of the cross bar. This
part of the invention consists in dispensing with the top cross bar altogether, and
supporting the vertical sides by means of a truncated Vee shaped strip. of
metal, the upper ends of the inclined side pieces of the strip being secured
to the vertical side pieces of the guide. frame; and the short hori-
zontal bottom piece of the strip being secured to the bottom cross bar. The
guide frame is secured in position in the front of the sliding base by means of
a hinged hook catch, hinged on a pin passing through the horizontal piece of
the strip and the bottom cross bar, and a corresponding catch plate fixed to the
sliding base of the camera. It will be evident that with this construction of
guide frame, that the lens slide can be raised to any, height limited only by the
length of hold in the grooves of the guide frame necessary to ensure the lens
slide being held sufficiently firm. The guide frame, as in many, cameras, is
swung on the upper end of a pair of side levers, hinged at, their lower ends to
the camera base. The convenience. of the swinging device is much increased
by cranking the upper ends of the levers inwards.
In the second place the invention refers to means for permitting the legs of
the tripod being readily secured together for transport.. A bridge plate is
attached to the upper end of each of two of the legs at one side, and on both
sides. of the other leg; and a bayonet strip is fastened on each of two of the
legs at their lower ends on one side, and on both sides of the other leg. The
legs are slipped the one over the other, so that the projecting part of the bayonet
strip of the one leg slips beneath the bridge piece of the adjoining leg. A slight
bend or spring. is given, to the projecting part of the bayonet strip, so that any
tendency of the legs to come apart is counteracted.
And in order that my invention and the manner in which the same is to be
performed may be more readily and' clearly understood, I have annexed hereto
the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a camera constructed in accordance with my
invention.
a indicates the lens slide, which is fitted between the two vertical sides bb
of the guide frame.
The guide frame consists of the two vertical sides bb, the bottom cross bar c
and the Vee shaped stay bar or strip of metal ded, placed across the front of and
secured to the vertical guides and bottom cross liar c. The bar or strip ded
is preferably formed in one single piece, and with a short horizontal portion e,
where it is secured to the bottom cross bear c; the upper ends of the sides d d
being secured to the vertical sides or guides bb.
The under side of the cross bar e is provided with the usual studs fitting in
slot plates in the front of the sliding base f; and to secure the guide in such
position, the bottom cross bar e is fitted at its centre with a hook catch lever g,
hinged on a pin passing through the horizontal bar of the stay bar and into
the cross bar c; the front side of which is recessed behind e to receive and allow
full play to the catch lever g. The bent end of the hook catch lever g, catches
beneath the cross piece of the catch plate i, secured in the front part of the
sliding base f.
The guide frame is further steadied as in most cameras by the side levers or
bars, which are fitted at the ends to the sides or guides 6 and the inner sides
of the sliding base f respectively by pin joints, to allow the guide frame to be
swung parallel to the sliding base prior to being packed up. To facilitate this

page_text: packing up of the camera, the guide frame is made appreciably narrower than
the internal width of the sliding base, and the upper ends of the side bars or
levers are cranked inwards as shewn at ji to correspond.
Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate the means for rapidly securing the tripod legs together
for transport in place of the usual buckle and strap. This consists of a bridge
piece m, as shewn separately in Fig. 3, and a bayonet strip n. A bridge piece m
is attached to the upper end of each of the two legs, and on one side, and a
bayonet strip n at the bottom end of each of the same legs 1, on the same side;
whilst a bayonet strip is attached on both sides of the lower end of the third
leg, and a bridge piece on both sides of the upper end of the same leg 7. The
engagement of the strips and bridges is brought about by sliding the legs over
cach other respectively as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
1 claim is:
1. In photographic cameras the construction of guide frame for carrying the
lens slide substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.
2. In photographic cameras the construction of guide frame for carrying the
lens slide characterized by the absence of the top cross bar usual in such frames
and the substitution therefore of a Vec shaped bar ded secured to the vertical
guides bb and the bottom cross bar c substantially as and for the purpose or
purposes herein set forth.
3. The combination with the subject matter of Claim 2 of the hooked catch
lever and catch plate i substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.
4. The use of cranked side bars or levers holding the vertical guides bb. in
position and allowing the swinging of the guide frame and lens slide down upon
and parallel to the base board substantially as and for the purposes herein set
forth.
5. In photographic cameras the means for rapidly securing the tripod legs
together for transport substantially as herein set forth and illustrated in Figs. 2
and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
This 20th day of Movah 1000