An Improved Coin-freed Apparatus for Taking Photographs.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Aug., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Sept., 1890-Accepted, 15th Nov., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Coin-freed Apparatus for Taking Photographs.
Communicated by ABRAHAM DIRK LOMAN, of 157, Warmoesstraat, Amsterdam, in
the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Manufacturer.
JAMES HART-DAVIES M.A. of the firm of Hart & Co. Patent Agents of 186 Fleet
Street in the City of London do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for taking photographs on
the insertion therein of a coin which shall produce good and lasting pliotographs.
To carry out this object a suitable casing is constructed in one convenient part
whereof is a slot for the reception of the coin and this coin on its reception through
any usual appliances causes a card preferably numbered to fall into a drawer and
unlocks this drawer. The person operating the apparatus can then draw out this
drawer or otherwise remove the card therefrom and push the drawer back into position
which return of the drawer opens another slot in the casing and may also cause
another card to fall thereinto in which case the reception of the coin aforesaid would
only unlock the drawer. The person operating the apparatus having written his or
her name and address on the card then inserts it into the slot that has been opened
as aforesaid by the return of the drawer and the reception of this card into this slot
through any usual appliances or devices operates the photographic apparatus. This
consists of an upper chamber wherein are stored the desired number of sensitive
plates and the aforesaid reception of the card causes one of these plates to leave the
chamber and station itself in the proper position behind the lens which is properly
mounted in the front part of the casing when it is very convenient to cause a bell to
ring as a signal to the person who has if necessary stationed himself or herself in
front of the lens at the proper distance therefrom that the exposure is about to bo
made and then the shutter is operated giving the desired exposure to the sensitive
plate either instantaneous or prolonged as may be desired and when this exposure has
been completed the bell can ring again as a signal thereof and the so exposed plate
leaves this position and passes into another chamber where all the exposed plates are
stored in their due sequence. When the casing is opened the chamber with all the
exposed plates can be removed and taken to a dark room or elsewhere so that the
plates can be properly developed fixed and otherwise treated as has been arranged
for and the photographs are sent to the persons whose names and addresses are on
the corresponding cards while at the same time if necessary a chamber with a fresh
stock of sensitive plates can be placed in the casing and of course a chamber for the
reception of the exposed plates is likewise placed therein.. All these parts of the
photographic apparatus may be placed in such relative positions and be so actuated
as may be convenient or may be usual in cameras that take a number of photographs
in a similar manner and these actuating appliances may be operated by the card
also as may be convenient by any devices such for example as clock work or
otherwise.
1000

page_text: I
r
$
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Coin-freed Apparatus for Taking Photographs.
Communicated by ABRAHAM DIRK LOMAN, of 157, Warmoesstraat, Amsterdam, in
the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Manufacturer.
'
I JAMES HART-DAVIES M.A. of the firm of Hart & Co. Patent Agents of 186 Fleet
Street in the City 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
Fascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for taking photographs on
*the insertion therein of a coin and by this apparatus good and lasting photographs
shall be produced as the same are not developed and fixed in the apparatus but when
the exposures have been duly made the so exposed plates or films are removed from
the apparatus and can then be developed and fixed and otherwise treated as may be
desired and arranged for in any usual and ordinary manner.
In order the more clearly to explain this invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed I refer to the accompanying drawing wherein 1 have shewn a very
convenient form and style and arrangement of this apparatus as fitted for the use of
sensitive plates and Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the apparatus and Figure 2
is a front elevation of the same with the front of the casing thereof removed.
A suitable casing A is made to support and contain the whole, apparatus and in
one convenient part of or place in this casing A is fitted any usual or suitable coin-
freed apparatus which I do not shew in the drawing as it may be of any ordinary
character but I will presume that it has been placed in the chamber B. This coin-
freed apparatus is so fitted and arranged and provided and furnished as on and by
the insertion of the proper coin or coins either to cause a card or tablet to fall into a
drawer or receptacle and to unlock the same when it may be thrust out by a
spring or otherwise or only to unlock this drawer C into which the card or tablet
has previously been caused to fall it may be when the drawer C had before been
pushed back into position and thereby locked and when the drawer C has been drawn
out or thrust out the person using the apparatus can remove this card or tablet
therefrom and can write his or her name and address thereon and this card or tablet
is then to be inserted into a suitable slot formed in the casing A in manner and
in position hereinafter explained which slot can most conveniently be opened by
the closing or pushing in of the drawer and can most conveniently be closed
again by and on the insertion of the card or tablet and the insertion of the card or
tablet in this slot operates the apparatus by which the photograph is taken as I
will now proceed to describe.
In the proper position in the casing A is an aperture D behind and in connection
with which is an horizontal tube E wherein is mounted in any usual manner a
lens provided if desired with a diaphragm or other ordinary appliances. Above
this tube E is an horizontal partition or are horizontal rails G whereon a box H
can slide or travel and in this box H are a series of corresponding and parallel
vertical grooves wherein can be separately placed the sensitive plates J and below
this tube E is a similar horizontal partition or are similar horizontal rails K whereon
also a box L can slide or, travel and in this box L also are a series of similar and
corresponding parallel vertical grocves wherein can be separately received the
sensitive plates J and both these boxes H and L. are pressed forwards in the casing A
by helical springs M and M' or by other suitable appliances and are held back and
retained against the springs M and M preferably by double escapement pawls N
and N mounted it may be on the partitions or rails G and K and which engage
racks O and O' fitted on and along the sides of the boxes H and L and the teeth of
these racks O and O' are the same distance apart as and correspond with the vertical
grooves in these boxes H and L and these two boxes H and L therefore are always
umaintained in the same relative positions as both the pawls N and N₁ are con-
nected with and can be actuated simultaneously by one and the same rod P. The
lower end of this rod P is situated in such position as to rest on a rod Q connected

page_text: with the drawer C and when this drawer C is drawn or thrust out as aforesaid a
projection Q on the rod engages the lower end of the rod P lifting this rod P up
and thereby actuating the pawls N and N' and allowing the springs M and M to
push the boxes H and L forwards by the space of one tooth of each of the racks O
and O and the lower end of the rod P is jointed as shewn at P¹ so that the
pushing in of the drawer will not raise the rod P or when it may be desired so
to do this arrangement aforesaid may be inverted or reversed so that only the
pushing in of the drawer will raise the rod and actuate the pawls. At or about the
inner end of the tube E a proper slot is made or position created to receive a
sensitive plate J¹ for purposes of exposure which plate falls thereinto out of the
box H through the aperture or recesses G₁ made therefor in the partition or rails G
being guided, in such descent by guides R and being sustained in the proper
position in respect of the tube E by a frame S which is suspended from the
partition or rails G on and by the pivots S and is pressed forwards into position
by the spring S2 and the guides R are continued downwards to the box L to guide
in its descent thereinto the sensitive plate J2 after exposure.
The tube E is divided preferably as is shewn in the drawing before or in front
of the lens F and in this division is fitted a disc I mounted on a centre Toutside
of the tube E and this disc T therefore works eccentrically to the tube E being
caused to revolve on and with its axis T by a weight V or by a spring or other-
wise and the speed at which this disc T is to revolve can be governed by gearing
it into and with a pinion W which carries adjustable fans or vanes or in other
usual and convenient manner and a certain portion it may be about an half as is
shewn in Figure 2 of this disc T is cut away and removed and therefore as this disc T
revolves at one period of its revolution light can pass to the lens while at another
period thereof light cannot pass to the lens and it is therefore obvious that
according to this arrangement the duration of the exposure that is to be given to
the sensitive plate J' at the inner end of the tube E is governed by the size of that
part of the disc T that is so cut away as aforesaid and by the speed at which this
dise Trevolves and all these parts can be so formed and fitted in any usual and
convenient manner that these factors can be readily and easily and quickly altered
and adjusted as may be desired. The axis T of the disc T is prolonged along the
side of the tube E and a suitable cam or other usual device is fitted thereon in such
position and in such manner as to be capable at a certain desired period of the revolution
of the disc T when the light cannot pass to the lens F of pushing back the frame S
against its spring S² so that it will no longer sustain the sensitive plate but allow
the same to fall into the box L. On the periphery of the disc T is a long ratchet X
into which can engage the hooked arm of a rocking lever Y pivoted in the proper
position on the casing A or elsewhere on the other arm whereof is mounted a
tumbling bucket Z or other similar appliance which bucket Z is so situated in the
casing A as to receive the card or tablet when inserted into the slot as herein before
described and this lever Y is so balanced that normally its hooked end is engaged
into the ratchet X which ratchet X is so placed on the disc T that when the
lever Y is so engaged into the ratchet X no light can pass to the lens F.
The action of this apparatus as hereinbefore described and shewn in the drawing
and the method of using the same are as follows.
The person has inserted the necessary coin or coins and obtained the card or
tablet on which has been written the name and address and as aforesaid by the
pulling out or by the pushing in of the drawer C the pawls N and N' have been
actuated through the rod Pallowing the boxes Hand L to move forwards one tooth of
the racks O and 0 thereby allowing one sensitive plate J in the box H to fall into
position in the tube E being there sustained by the frame S. The person taking
up the proper position in front of the aperture D drops the card or tablet into the
bucket Z through the slot whereby the lever Y is counterbalanced releasing its hooked
arin from the ratchet X and the bucket Z falls as shewn by dotted lines in
Figure 2 until this tumbling bucket Z discharges the card or tablet into a
suitable receptacle made therefor in the casing A when the lever Y can immediately

page_text: regain its normal position. When as aforesaid the hooked arm of the lever Y is
disengaged from the ratchet X the disc T is released and therefore revolves at the
regulated speed giving the desired exposure to the sensitive plate J through the
lens F until the revolution of the disc T is completed and the hooked arm of the lever Y
again engages into the ratchet X when as aforesaid no light can pass through the
tube E. During the latter part of this revolution of the disc T while the tube E is
closed the cam on the axis T pushes back the frame S and allows the sensitive plate
which has been thus exposed to fall into the box L as shewn at J and the
cycle of operations is completed all the parts of this apparatus being again in
position ready for these operations to be repeated until all the sensitive plates that
were contained in the box H have passed therefrom consecutively and successively
into the box L having been duly exposed.
It may be desirable and convenient to give due warning when the exposure is
about to be made and when the same has been completed. This can very easily be
effected by mounting a bell in the proper position in the casing and by studs or
other appliances duly fitted on the disc T causing through contact or electricity or
otherwise this bell to ring or sound at the desired times in any usual or suitable manner.
At the proper times an attendant can come round and remove the box L with
its exposed plates and the cards or tablets all of which can conveniently be corre-
spondingly numbered and the exposed plates being taken to a suitable place can be
properly developed and fixed and otherwise treated in any manner as may be desired
and arranged for and the resultant photographs can be despatched to the persons
whose names and addresses are on the corresponding cards or tablets.
It is obvious that when this apparatus is constructed as hereinbefore described
and as shewn in the drawing the box I that holds the non-exposed plates must
have no solid bottom as also the box L that receives the exposed plates must have
no solid top even as is shown but these boxes can easily be fitted with such ordinary
appliances to tightly close the same that I need not describe them. These boxes
also must be so mounted on and fitted in their respective partitions or rails as to be
easily removable therefrom when it is desired it may be to place a box full of non-
exposed plates above or to remove a box full of exposed plates below and this can
be effected in any usual or convenient manner.
I have thus described and i have shewn in the accompanying drawing as is afore-
said a very convenient form and style and arrangement of this apparatus as fitted for
the use of sensitive plates but I would have it clearly understood that I do not limit
myself exactly thereto for even in the apparatus as so described and shewn the shapes
and forms and relative proportions and positions of the apparatus and of the several
parts thereof and the methods and details of construction and operation and actuation
may be varied as may be desired in each particular case.
Again instead of the disc T it is obvious that any suitable shutter may be used
that will or can by means of any usual and ordinary appliances and devices perform
its required part in the cycle of operations herein before described.
Again instead of sensitive plates J it is obvious that any suitable film or other
sensitive. surface may be used which can be mounted on rollers or other proper
appliances and be actuated and moved in any usual manner and by any ordinary
appliances in a manner corresponding to that herein before described through the rod P
so that a fresh surface or part of the surface may be duly presented for eposure
whenever such is required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is
The arrangement and combination of parts and appliances constituting this coin-freed
apparatus for taking photographs substantially as hereinbefore described and set forth
Dated this 22nd day of September 1890.
HART & Co.