Photograph Exhibitors.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 9th Jan., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Photograph Exhibitors.
I, CARL GUSTAF SODERSTROM, of Sixteenth and Lawrence Street, Denver, in
the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado, United States of America, Boiler
Maker, 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 :-
My invention relates to a novel form and construction of photograph exhibitors
and the object of my invention is to provide a device to take the place of photo-
graph albums or at least to answer every purpose of the album while possessing
many novel and interesting features entirely foreign to albums and picture
receptacles heretofore used so far as known to me.
The invention consists of a rotating frame located within a suitable chamber and
provided with pivoted radial arms adapted to grasp photographs, cards or pictures,
these arms being capable of such manipulation by depressing a key fitting over the
axis of the frame that any picture, card or photograph may be thrown upward and
exposed to view and retained in sight until the key is raised when the arm returns
automatically to the concealed position when another picture may be seen by
actuating another arm.
The device is designed to be located in a recess of suitable depth formed in the
table, the foot of the frame being rigidly secured to the base-plate or bottom of the
recess, while the top of the table conceals the mechanism. In the centre of this
top, however, is formed an opening for the insertion of the key which when first
depressed releases a spring-actuated arm which rises to the vertical position, said
arm carrying a contents card upon which may be written the names of all the
persons whose pictures are held by the device and the corresponding numbers of
cach picture, since each arm is numbered, and after the pictures are arranged the
contents card is formed to correspond.
The arm carrying this card forms a portion of the top of the table when in a
horizontal position, but when upraised leaves a slot therein; it is through this slot
that the picture subsequently rises as the actuating key is used. The mechanism
will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawing wherein is
illustrated an embodiment of the invention. In this drawing,
Fig. 1 is a top or plan view of a table provided with my improvement, the top
being partially broken away to show the mechanism within.'
Fig. 2 is a similar view with the spring-actuated arm shown in the upright
position.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line c-a, Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is an elevation of the key.
Fig. 5 is an end view of its lower extremity.
Fig. 6, an end view of one of the radial arms with a picture in place, while
Fig. 7 is a section illustrating the manner of joining the wires which form a part
of the rotating frame, and the axis and support for the pivoted radial arms.
In these views wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding
parts of the mechanism let the numeral 10 designate a suitable receptacle or
chamber, 11 the bottom and 12 the top.
To the bottom of this chamber is rigidly secured a foot 13 within which is
pivoted the lower extremity of a vertical pin 14 rigidly secured near the pivotal
point to a base plate 15, the upper extremity being located within an aperture 17
formed in the top of the table, said aperture being large enough to permit the

page_text: key 18 to slip freely over the pin 14. This key is provided with an angular
opening 19 and the upper portion of the pin 14 being fashioned to correspond so
that when the key engages the pin the two parts rotate together. The lower
extremity of the key is provided with a button or enlargement 20 while upon its
upper extremity is formed a small knob or head 21 for convenience in handling.
Upon the base 15 are erected the stationary supports 22, the lower extremities
being secured to the base while the upper extremities which are located just
beneath the top 12 are connected by wires 23 and 24, the former lying in a hori-
zontal plane slightly above the latter and in a vertical plane nearer the axis of
the frame. These wires are joined and secured to their supports in any suitable
manner, but preferably as shown in Fig. 7, the meeting extremities being oppositely
beveled and the points 25 of these extremities being bent outward and clinched, so
to speak, on opposite sides of the support 22. It will be observed that these
wires when in position upon their supports are preferably circular in shape.
To the outer and lower wire 24 are pivoted the radial arms 26 at a point near
the inner extremity. Each of these wires may be considered a lever of the first
:class, the outer and longer arm holding the card while the inner or shorter arm is
acted upon by another lever 27 fulcrumed near the axis to a stationary plate 28,
.and actuated by the key 18.
The outer arm of the lever 26 forms a spring clasp adapted to secure and retain
the picture or card 29 as shown in Figs. 3 and 6.
There may be as many arms or levers 26 as desired depending of course upon
the size of the rotating frame and the circles described by the wires 23 and 24.
Wire 23 is so arranged relatively to the wire 24 and to the levers 26, that when
these levers are in the horizontal position the wire 24 engages their shorter or
inner arm and prevents the longer arm from falling farther, while when these
levers are in the vertical position, the wire 23 engages their longer arms and
prevents farther movement toward the axis of the frame.
Plate 28 is depressed in its length out of a plane and provided with two
flanges 30 and 30" secured to the inner side of the top of the receptacle. The
flange 30 is of considerable length and provided with a slot 31 forming an opening
through which the longer arm of the levers 26 rise as they are acted upon by the
.lever 27.
A
Pin 14 passes through a suitable aperture formed in plate 28 and rotates freely
therein. Lever 27 is provided with a fulcrum secured to the plate 28 near the
pin 14 as before stated. One arm 27 of this lever is also provided with a
weight 32 which normally retains its opposite arm 27 at its upward limit of
movement, a portion of said arm lying in a horizontal plane just above the top of
the supports 22, which when the frame is rotated must pass beneath said arm.
portion of the arm 27" when at its upward limit of movement, curves downward
toward the fulcrum and engages the pin 14 whereby as the key 18 is pressed down-
ward over said pin, the bottom 20 engages the lever 27 and forces the arm 27ª
downward, which arm by this movement engages the shorter arm of a lever 26 and
throws the longer arm upward and so forces the picture to view as shown in
Fig. 3.
Let the numeral 35 designate the arm carrying the contents card 36 which is
retained by a suitable spring clasp 37. The arm 35 is hinged or pivoted at 38 to a
suitable support 39, and is provided with a spring 40 which normally maintains it
in the upright position, as shown in Fig. 3. This arm is, however provided near its
free extremity with a locking hook 41 which when the arm is in the horizontal
position is engaged by the outer extremity of the arm 27* of the lever 27 which
retains the arm 35 in this position until released by the movement of the lever 27
actuated by the key when the arm carrying the card 36 rises to the upright position
shown in Fig. 3.
The weighted extremity of the lever 27 is engaged by a stop 45 secured to the
under side of the top 12 which stop, checks the movement of the lever after its
opposite arm has moved downward sufficiently to accomplish its function.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1st: The combination with a horizontally rotating frame, of arms pivoted
thereon and adapted to move in a vertical plane and means for actuating said arms,
consisting of a vertically movable key located at the axis of the frame, and a lever
connecting the key with the pivoted arms, substantially as described.
2nd The combination with a horizontally rotating frame, of radial arms
pivoted thereon and adapted to occupy any position from the perpendicular to the
horizontal, and means for actuating said arms from the axis of the frame, said
means consisting of a vertically movable sliding key and another arm or lever
connecting said key with the radial arms, substantially as described.
3rd: The combination with a horizontally rotating frame, arms pivoted on the
same and adapted to clasp a card or picture, and means for manipulating said arms,
said means consisting of a vertically movable key, and another arm connecting said
key with the pivoted arms, substantially as described.
4th-The combination of a horizontally rotating frame, arms pivoted thereon
and adapted to clasp a card or picture, and means for actuating all of said arms
separately from a common point, said means consisting of a vertically movable
key, and an arm connecting said key with the pivoted arms, substantially as
described.
:
5th The combination with a frame adapted to rotate horizontally in a suitable
receptacle, of arms pivoted on said frame and normally occupying a horizontal
position and means for actuating said arms from the axis of the frame whereby they
are moved to a perpendicular position, substantially as described.
6th-The combination with a rotating frame of a perpendicular pin secured to
its centre and forming its axis, of levers fulcrumed near the circumference of the
frame and adapted to clasp a card or.picture, and means for engaging an arm of
these levers whereby they are actuated from the axis of the frame, said means
consisting of a vertically movable key and an arm connecting the key with the
levers, substantially as described.
7th A horizontally rotating frame having a series of levers 26: pivoted thereon
and arranged about a common centre, said levers being adapted to move in a
vertical plane and fashioned to clasp a card or picture, another lever 27 suitably
fulcrumed and adapted to engage one arm of each lever 26 separately, and suitable
means for actuating lever 27, as set forth.
8th-The combination with a rotating frame, of a series of levers pivoted
thereon and arranged about its axis, each of said levers being adapted to clasp a
photograph or card, a lever 27 fulcrumed on a stationary frame and adapted to
engage separately one arm of each lever of the rotating frame, and suitable means
for actuating lever 27, said means consisting of a vertically movable key located at
the axis of the rotating frame, substantially as described.
9th The combination with a rotating frame, of a series of arms pivoted
thereon and arranged about its axis, a lever fulcrumed on a stationary frame and
adapted to engage each pivoted arm separately as its frame rotates, and means for
actuating said lever from the axis of the rotating frame whereby one arm is
depressed, the opposite arm being provided with a weight whereby the lever is
automatically returned to its normal position after each action, substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
:-
10th The combination of a rotating frame consisting of a base and supports
secured thereto and extending upward therefrom, these supports being connected
near the top by two circular wires lying in different horizontal and vertical planes,
the one nearer the axis of the frame being also the more elevated, a series of arms
pivoted on the lower and outer of these wires, and means for actuating said arms
from the axis of the frame, substantially as described.
11th The combination with two frames, one rotating horizontally and the

page_text: other stationary, a series of arms arranged about a common centre and pivoted on
one of these frames, the other frame supporting a lever adapted to act on the
pivoted arms and a vertically movable key located at the axis of the movable frame
for actuating said lever, substantially as described.
12th-The combination with two frames, one rotating horizontally and the
other stationary, one of these frames supporting pivoted arms and the other
supporting a lever adapted to act upon these arms, and means for actuating this
lever from the axis of the rotating frame, said means consisting of a vertically
movable key, substantially as described.
13th: The combination with two frames enclosed within a suitable receptacle,
one rotating horizontally and the other stationary, of arms pivoted upon one of
these frames, a lever supported upon the other trame and adapted to act upon these
arms, a vertically movable key adapted to actuate this lever from the axis of the
rotating frame, and a display slot formed in the top of the receptacle permitting
the levers separately to pass upward therethrough when acted upon by said key,
substantially as described.
14th-The combination with two frames, one rotating and the other stationary,
one of these frames supporting a series of pivoted arms arranged about a common
centre, and the other frame supporting a lever adapted to act upon the pivoted arms,
and a removable key adapted to actuate the lever by a vertical movement at the
axis of the rotating frame, substantially as described.
15th The combination with two frames, one rotating and the other stationary,
of pivoted arms supported upon one frame and a lever supported upon the other
frame and adapted to act upon the arms, a pin forming the axis of the rotating
frame and a key having a sliding vertical movement upon this pin for the purpose
of actuating the lever, the key and the pin being so connected that they rotate
together substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 19th day of October A.D. 1891.
CARL GUSTAF SODERSTROM.