Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
We, ARTHUR CHARLES SMITH Patentee and ALBERT ARTHUR SMITH
Assistant, both of 258 Albert Road Peckham in the County of Surrey, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates more especially to hand cameras in which sensitised cut
films are used, and has for its object the production of apparatus which shall
change such films by the aid of similarly notched backing pieces, but without any
special preparation of the films themselves.
Although described as adapted to magazine cameras the principle of changing
the films etc., is also applicable to changing boxes and may in that form be used in
connection with ordinary cameras.
In a camera made according to this invention the sensitised films are packed in
the magazine, together with alternating backing pieces of greater width than the
films, and having notches on opposite edges.
The interior of the magazine is fitted on opposite sides with ribs or ridges,
extending from back to front. These ridges are of the same shape as the notches
in the backing pieces, and when the pack of films and backings is in position the
films are between the tops of the opposite series of ridges; while the backing
pieces extend into the spaces between the ridges which then enter the notches.
The contents of the magazine are acted on by a spring from the back and are
pressed against an upper and a lower row of projections formed on, or attached to,
bars which are caused to advance a short distance towards, and recede from the
centre of the magazine in a vertical plane. These bars have not a direct up and
down movement, but travel in a transverse direction also. The projections on the
bars are so arranged that when most nearly approached they hold the foremost
film in position for exposure, after which operation the bars are made to recede
and so release the film, and by the oblique movement the projections slip on to
the backing piece, at the sides of the notches. The return action of the bars
releases the backing piece by taking the projections back to their original position
where they retain in position for exposure the next film, the edges of which
overhang the tops of the notches.
Motion may be imparted to the bars carrying the projections by any convenient
means, but preferably by the aid of inclined slots acting in conjunction with a
magazine having a short movement sideways.
After exposure the films and backings fall into the well of the camera and are
covered by a flap operated from the exterior of the instrument.
A shutter is provided consisting of a circular disc having a suitable aperture,
and arranged so that it may revolve in one direction only. Motion is given by a
crank pin attached to the disc traversing a slot made in a driving arm which
is pivotted at its lower end and actuated by a spring, bearing at or near its
middle.
The shutter is set by giving the disc a half turn, and is released by a trigger
attachment working in connection with a lever. Provision is made for prolonged
exposures by bringing a bent lever into gear, which prevents the aperture passing
the lens until the operator removes pressure from the releasing lever.
Dated this 23rd day of February 1895
ARTHUR C. SMITH.
ALBERT A. SMITH,

page_text: Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
We, ARTHUR CHARLES SMITH and ALBERT ARTHUR SMITH, formerly
of 258, Albert Road but now of 26, Hanover Street, Peckham, in the County
of London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in photographic cameras and has for
object improved means for successively presenting the sensitized films or plates for
exposure.
According to our invention we provide the interior of the magazine with ribs or
ridges extending from back to front and the sensitized films or plates fit in the
magazine inside the ribs or ridges. The said films are packed in the magazine
alternately with backing pieces which are larger than the sensitized films and are
notched so as to pass between the ribs or ridges in the magazine. The films or
plates and backings are pressed forward in the magazine, by means of a spring or
other device, against projections formed on two bars or piates adapted to move
towards and away from one another in a vertical plane and at the same time
laterally relatively with the magazine. The projections are so arranged that when
the bars or plates are nearest together they hold the foremost film in position for
exposure and when the bars or plates are farthest apart they release the film and
hold the foremost backing piece in position whilst when the bars are again moved
towards each other the backing piece is released and the film behind it
retained. This motion may be imparted to the bars by any suitable means but
preferably by the magazine which to this end is allowed a short lateral movement
and is provided with studs or pins which work in inclined slots in the bars or
plates.
After exposure the films and backings fall into the well of the camera and are
covered by a flap operated from the exterior of the instrument.
To enable our invention to be fully understood we will describe it by reference
to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a photographic camera having our
improvements applied thereto :
Figure 2 is a plan of the same partly in section:
Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 shewing the bars or
plates in their normal position:
Figure 4 is a similar view to Figure 3 but shewing the bars moved to release the
foremost film.
a is the body of the camera, and 6 the magazine which is provided with ribs or
ridges c, c on the top and bottom of the same, and is made of such a size that it
can be moved to-and-fro in the camera by means of the rod d which passes through
the side of the camera. e,e are the sensitized films, and f, the backing picces
which are packed alternately in the magazine. The sensitized films e, e are made,
as shewn, of a size to fit between the two sets of ribs c, c in the magazine and the
backing pieces f,fare provided on their upper and lower edges with notches g, g
which pass over the ribs or ridges in the magazine, the said notches being of such
depth that the bottoms thereof are inside the edges of the sensitized films, as shewn
clearly in Figure 3.
h, h are the bars or plates which retain the films and backing pieces in the
magazine. The said bars or plates are provided with projections i, i which are

page_text: normally opposite the notches in the backing pieces and overlap the edges of the
sensitized films and with inclined slots j, j through which pass pins or studs, k
fixed to the top and bottom of the magazine b. The films e and backing pieces f
are pressed against the projections i, i by means of the spring 1, the pressure of the
spring being communicated by means of the two plates or strips m, m³.
In Figure 3 a film is shewn in the position for exposure. To drop this film into
the well m² of the camera and to bring a fresh film into position for exposure the
magazine is pulled by means of the rod d into the position shewn in Figure 4.
The movement of the magazine causes the bars or plates h, h to move apart into
the position shewn in Figure 4 by the engagement of the studs k, k in the slots j, j,
thereby releasing the film. The movement of the magazine relatively with the
bars or plates besides setting free the foremost film also causes the projections on
the said bars or plates to pass in front of the foremost backing piece thereby
retaining it and the remaining backing pieces and films in the magazine. In order
now to expose a fresh film, the magazine bis pushed back into its normal position,
thereby again bringing the projections i, i in front of the notches in the backing
pieces and causing them to overlap the edges of the sensitized films so that the
loremost backing piece can drop into the well of the camera on the top of the film
previously dropped, the depth of the notches allowing the backing pieces to drop
away after the fingers of the retaining bars are over the edges of the film.
o is the flap adapted to protect from light the exposed films whilst exposing the
foremost film in the magazine. This flap o is operated through the medium of the
lever p, link p and lever by means of the lever or handle 7 arranged outside
the camera. This handle is also so arranged that when in its normal position it
covers the handle d' of the rod d so that the latter is prevented from being operated
to move the magazine for the purpose of changing the film, thereby obviating
the liability of exposed films falling onto the top of the flap o.
On the back of the camera is mounted a ratchet wheel adapted to be actuated
when the magazine is moved by a spring pawls on the same so that the number
of the films already exposed can be seen through the opening t in the back of the
camera.
Although we have described the magazine as being adapted to be moved
laterally relatively with the retaining bars or plates h, h, it is to be understood that
the magazine may be fixed and the said bars or plates h, made movable to
the required extent. Also, instead of forming the magazine with ribs or ridges
at the top and bottom, such ribs or ridges may be upon the top or bottom only,
a fixed retaining ledge being provided on that edge of the magazine most remote
from the ribs.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a magazine camera, the magazine proper of which is designed to receive
films or plates and notched backing pieces of larger size than the said films or
plates, a retaining device for supporting the films or plates at several points, tho
said magazine and retaining device being so arranged that they have an oblique
movement relatively with one another, substantially as described.
2. In a magazine camera wherein the sensitized plates or films are packed in the
magazine alternately with notched backing pieces, making the notches in the said
backing pieces of such depth that the bottoms thereof are inside the edges of the
filnis, substantially as described.
3. In photographic cameras, a magazine provided with ribs or ridges on the
interior and bars or plates having teeth or projecting pieces, the said bars being
adapted to be simultaneously moved up or down in a vertical plane and to have
a lateral movement relatively with the magazine, substantially as, and for the
purposes, described.

page_text: 4. The improved photographic camera bereinbefore described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 25th day of November 1895.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.