Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Oct., 1886.
Complete Left, 5th July, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 5th Aug., 1887.
RESEDI
BENJAMIN JOSEPH EDWARDS of The Grove Hackney, London in the county of
Middlesex, Photographer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows, viz. :-
To provide improvements in certain parts of the machine for coating Photographic
plates with gelatine emulsion for which Letters Patent were granted me in 1884
No. 8643 or in other machines for the same purpose.
The improvements are designed-
1st to effect more perfect contact between the distributing roller and the edge of the
scraper which carries the emulsion to the plates.
2nd to effect the more rapid and perfect setting of the emulsion or cooling of the
plates when coated.
3rd to provide travelling bands of greater utility and durability for carrying the
plates.
4th to effect the more perfect cleaning and drying of the backs of the plates together
with greater facility of working and saving of time and material.
5th to provide for colouring the backs of the plates.
6th to effect the removal of particles of dust from the surface of the plates previous
to coating.
I effect the improvements in the scraper by introducing a separate adjustable blade
of india rubber or other suitable material of a soft and yielding nature which is inserted
in or attached to the metal scraper and may be removed from time to timè as
required.
I effect the improvements in the cooling of the plates and setting of the emulsion
in the following manner in place of the continuous close tunnel or cooling chamber
as described in my former specification through which the plates are made to pass I
construct the roof of the said chamber of a series of bars which may be of the form of
the letters S or Z and upon a grid formed by these bars I place lumps of ice. 1 fix
the bars in such proximity to each other and incline them at such an angle that they

page_text: shall carry off the water from the melting ice and also the water of condensation
which forms on their lower surfaces and at the same time allow for the passage of a
current of intensely cold and partially dried air to the plates as they pass underneath.
To provide improved travelling bands for carrying the plates I do not alter the
general construction of the ordinary woven wire band which I have hitherto employed
further than to insert two or more wires which may be somewhat stouter than the
rest, which are woven in and run the entire length of the warp and I cause these
wires to be woven over cross wires of suitable thickness at short intervals. The cross
wires being afterwards withdrawn each of the stouter wires is left forming a row of
projecting loops upon which the plates rest slightly above the surface of the rest of
the band. If preferred the loops may be formed in the weft instead of the warp.
To effect the improvements in clearing and drying the backs of the plates I make
use of a similar arrangement to that described in my former specification but I make
the surface of the cleaning band of soft cloth, felt, woollen velvet pile or other
suitable material and I arrange it to pass over one or more rollers so adjusted that
the under side of the coated plates shall rest upon and be drawn or pushed (by the
action of the travelling band) over its surface while it is made to travel slowly in
the opposite direction. Thus any emulsion which may have escaped onto the backs
of the plates is removed, onto the band which passes through a tank (through
which a stream of hot water is kept constantly flowing) before coming again into
use. More than one cleaning band may be employed if desired. To remove any
excess of moisture I arrange one or more strips of india rubber or other suitable
material to act as a scraper or squeegee over the edge or edges of which the plates
pass as they enter the cooling chamber.
The above described cleaning apparatus may be dispensed with altogether if desired
when my improved endless wire bands as specified above, are employed in which
case any emulsion which may have escaped onto the backs of the plates is dried on
and if necessary afterwards removed by hand or by other convinient method.
In order to keep the cleaning band (or in the event of the travelling bands only
being used to keep these) as clean as possible, and also to economise the material
used I employ a narrow trough or receptacle of porcelain, glass or metal which I fix
immediately below the lower edge of the scraper or distributor from which the
emulsion flows on to the plates keeping its upper edge slightly below the surface of
the travelling bands, space being obtained by arranging the rollers over which the
bands pass (as described in my previous specification) so as to allow for the insertion
of the trough. Thus any of the emulsion which escapes is caught by the trough and
may be used again.
To provide for colouring the backs of the plates I employ one of the cleaning bands
(if more than one is provided) or I arrange an additional band of similar construction
and by passing it through a solution of suitable colouring material I carry a portion
of it to the backs of the plates and thus prevent the defect in photographs on glass
known as halation. When the colouring band is employed the squeegees are
dispensed with.
To effect the removal of particles of dust from the surfaces of the plates before
coating I employ a revolving or stationary brush secured immediately in front of the
distributor so that the plates shall be brushed as they are drawn or carried by the
band into the machine."

page_text: I BENJAMIN JOSEPH EDWARDS of The Grove Hackney London in the county of
Middlesex Photographer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINES FOR COATING PHOTOGRAPHIC PLATES and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
It relates to improvements in certain parts of the machine for coating photographic
plates with gelatine emulsion for which Letters patent were granted me in 1884 No.
8643 or in other machines for the same purpose.
The improvements are designed
First. To effect more perfect contact between the distributing roller and the edge
of the scraper which carries the emulsion to the plates.
Second. To effect the more rapid and perfect setting of the emulsion or cooling of
the plates when coated.
Third. To provide travelling bands of greater utility and durability for carrying
the plates.
Fourth. To effect the more perfect cleaning and drying of the backs of the plates
together with greater facility of working and saving of time and material.
Fifth. To provide for colouring the backs of the plates.
Sixth. To effect the removal of particles of dust from the surface of the plates
previous to coating.
Referring now to the accompanying drawing in which similar letters refer to
similar parts throughout. Figure 1 is a side view of the machine partly in section.
Figure 2 is a sectional view of part of the machine. Figures 3 and 4 are cross
sections of the cooling chamber or tunnel.
I effect the improvements in the scraper lettered E by introducing a separate
adjustable blade A of indiarubber or other suitable material of a soft and yielding
nature which is inserted in or attached to the metal scraper E as shown and may be
renewed from time to time as required.
I effect the improvement for the more rapid cooling of the plates and setting of
the emulsion in hot weather in the following manner in place of the continuous close
tunnel or cooling chamber as described in my former specification through which the
plates are made to pass I construct the roof of my improved chamber B of a series
of bars C as shown in figures 3 and 4 which may be of the forms of the letters S or Z
and upon the grid formed by the bars in the space B¹ I place lumps of ice. I fix
the bars C in the positions shown and incline them at such an angle that they shall
carry off the water from the melting ice and also the water of condensation which
forms on their under surfaces through holes F and at the same time allow for the
passage between them of a current of intensely cold and partially dried air to the
plates as they pass underneath.
To provide improved travelling bands for carrying the plates I do not alter the
general construction of the ordinary woven wire band which I have hitherto employed
further than to insert two or more wires D which may be somewhat stouter than
the rest and flattened on the underside these are woven in and run the entire length
of the warp.
In the manufacture of the band I cause the wires to be woven over
cross wires of suitable thickness at short intervals. The cross wires being afterwards

page_text: withdrawn each of the stouter wires is left forming a row of projecting loops as
shown upon which the plates rest slightly above the surface of the rest of the band.
If preferred the loops may be formed in the weft instead of the warp.
To effect the improvements in cleaning and drying the backs of the plates I make
use ef a similar arrangement to that described in my former specification but I make
the surface of the cleaning band G of soft cloth, felt woollen velvet pile or other
suitable material and I arrange it to pass over one or more rollers H so adjusted
that the undersides of the coated plates shall rest upon and be drawn or pushed (by
the action of the travelling band I) over the surface of G while it is made to travel
slowly in the opposite direction. Thus any emulsion which may have escaped on to
the backs of the plates is removed, onto G which passes through a tank K (through
which a stream of hot water is kept constantly running) before coming again into
use More than one cleaning band may be employed if desired-To remove any excess
of moisture from the cleaning band I arrange one or more small rollers L which are
pressed against the said band as shown.
The above cleaning apparatus may be dispensed with altogether if desired when
the improved endless wire bands as specified above are employed in which case any
emulsion which may have escaped onto the backs of the plates is dried on and if
necessary afterwards removed by hand or by other convenient method.
In order to keep the cleaning band (or in the event of the travelling bands only
being used to keep these) as clean as possible and also to economise the material used
I employ a narrow trough or receptacle M of porcelain glass or metal which I fix
immediately below the lower edge of the scraper or distributor E from which the
emulsion flows onto the plates keeping its upper edge slightly below the surface of
the travelling bands space being obtained by arranging the rollers H and N over
which the bands pass (as described in my previous specification) so as to allow for
the insertion of the trough M. Thus any of the emulsion which escapes is caught by
the trough and may be used again.
To provide for colouring the backs of the plates I employ one of the cleaning
bands (if more than one is provided) or I arrange an additional band O of similar
construction and by passing it through a suitable solution of colouring material
contained in P I carry a portion of it to the backs of the plates and thus prevent the
defect in photographs on glass known as halation.
To effect the removal of particles of dust from the surfaces of the plates before
coating I employ a revolving or stationary brush secured Qimmediately in front of the
distributor so that the plates shall be brushed as they are drawn or carried by the
band onto the machine.
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 I claim is :-
1. In a photographic plate coating machine the use of the flexible scraper A as set
forth.
2. The employment of a cooling chamber as described and shown.
3. In a photographic plate coating machine the use of a carrying band as
described.
4. In a photographic plate coating machine the use of a trough M as and for the
purposes shown and described.
5. In a photographic plate coating machine the use of one or more improved bands G
and O as and for the purposes shown and described.
6. In a photographic plate coating machine the use of a brush Q as set forth.
Dated this Fifth day of July 1887