IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Joseph Edwards, of 6, the Grove,
Hackney, London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING."
Sealed the 8th November 1870, and dated the 10th May 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Joseph
Edwards at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 10th May 1870.
I, BENJAMIN JOSEPH EDWARDS, of 6, the Grove, Hackney, London,.
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS,
IN APPARATUS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING," to be as follows:-
This my Invention relates to improved apparatus for producing.
photographic prints, and is specially designed to facilitate the production
of prints or pictures in the making of which more than one negative
is employed, and which prints are commonly known by, the name of
combination photographs.

page_text: This apparatus consists, firstly, of a frame or frames to hold the
negative or negatives from which the prints are to be made. The
negative plates are held firmly in their places in the frames by means of
a grooved sliding bar pressed against the end of the plate by a screw,
this screw being made to work in the same plane as the plate or slightly
above it, in order to prevent the plate being forced from its seat when
pressure is applied.
And, secondly, of a frame or frames to which the sensitive paper or
tissue, as used for photographic printing, is firmly attached. These
frames or boards which carry the sensitive paper or tissue are made
by means of guiding pegs or supports to fit a register exactly to
the frames which cairy the negatives to be used in printing, the
whole being clamped or fastened together to ensure contact between the
surfaces of the paper or tissue and the negatives during the operation
of printing, thus securing great accuracy or truth in the various
parts of the print or picture, and obviating the necessity of adjusting
the prints by hand in their proper position on the negatives used in
their production.
In using this apparatus for making: photographic combination prints.
I fix the negatives in the frames by means of. the sliding bar and screw;
and in the case of one or more of the negatives not being of the proper
size to fit the frame or frames I attach the negative in its right position
by means of a suitable cement to a glass plate of the proper size to suit
the frame, and having taken a proof from the negative or negatives from
which masks are required to be cut for the protection of portions of the
print I cut out the mask or masks following the outlines of those por-
tions of the print which are required to be protected from the action of
the light during the operation of printing other parts of the picture.
These masks are now attached to the negatives in the following manner:
-A piece of sensitive paper is fixed to the frame or board and placed in
contact with the frame carrying the negative, and exposed to the light
until the outlines of the picture are sufficiently visible. The frames are
then separated, and the mask is adjusted over the parts of the picture to
be protected from the light in the subsequent operations. The mask is
held in position on the print by a little cement of india-rubber solution
applied to the edges of the mask, a larger quantity of the same solution
is then applied to the surface of the mask, and the frame or board

page_text: carrying the print or mask being brought into contact with the negative
from which the next portion of the picture is to be made, the whole is
pressed together for a few seconds. The frame or board carrying the
print is then lifted away, when the mask will remain adhering to the
negative in its proper position. Any excess of india-rubber solution on
the surface of the mask or print can be removed by a little friction with
a piece of pure india-rubber or a sponge moistened with bensole when
required. To remove the mask from the varnished negative it is only
necessary to moisten the same with a little bensole, when the mask may
be removed without injury to the negative. By the plan above described,
and by means of my apparatus, photographic prints in silver or pigments
can be produced from any number of suitable negatives, the masks being
adjusted in the manner described; and when this is done the prints may
be made in about the same time as ordinary prints from single negatives,
using of course a sufficient number of frames to carry the negatives, and
a similar number of frames or boards to carry the paper, or tissue, or
fabric of which the prints are made.
For the purpose of attaching the paper or tissue to the frames or
boards I prefer, in the smaller sizes, to use an arrangement which
consists of a frame having an opening of the required size into which is
fitted a board made to project a little beyond the inside of the frame,
the paper is stretched over this board, and the latter is then fixed in its
place. In making prints of a larger size I sometimes attach the paper
or tissue to the board or frame by means of glue or cement round the
edges, or I fix the paper or tissue to the frame by ordinary drawing pins,
or any other means by which the paper or tissue can be firmly attached
to the frame or board, this frame or board being made to fit or register
exactly with the frames carrying the various negatives used in making
the print. I thus obtain greater facility in the production of photo-
graphic prints from several negatives, a greater degree of accuracy or
precision in adjusting the masks or coverings of the various. portions of
the negative or negatives, less risk of waste arising from defects in
printing or joining the various parts of the picture; and, lastly, greater
cheapness in production, with increased certainty of result.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Benjamin Joseph Edwards in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 10th November 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
JOSEPH EDWARDS, of 6, the Grove, Hackney, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Benjamin Joseph Edwards, Her special licence that
I, the said Benjamin Joseph Edwards, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Benjamin Joseph Edwards, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "Improvements
IN APPARATUS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Benjamin Joseph Edwards, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Benjamin Joseph Edwards, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :—
This my Invention relates to improved apparatus for producing
photographic prints, and is specially designed to facilitate the production
of prints or pictures, in the making of which more than one negative
is employed, and which joints are commonly known by the name of
combination photographs.

page_text: This apparatus consists, firstly, of a frame or frames to hold the
negative or negatives from which the prints are to be made. The
negative plates are held firmly in their places in the frames by means
of a grooved sliding bar pressed against the end of the plate by a screw.
This screw being made to work in the same plane as the plate or slightly
above it, in order to prevent the plate being forced from its seat when
pressure is applied.
And, secondly, of a frame or frames, to which the sensative paper or
tissue as used for photographic printing is firmly attached; these frames
or boards, which carry the sensitive paper or tissue, are made by means
of guiding pegs or supports to fit or register exactly to the frames which
carry the negatives to be used in printing. The whole being clamped
or fastened together to ensure contact between the surfaces of the paper
or tissue and the negatives during the operation of printing, thus
securing great accuracy or truth in the various parts of the print or
picture, and obviating the necessity of adjusting the prints by hand in
their proper position on the negatives used in their production.
In using this apparatus for making photographic combination prints
I fix the negatives in the frames by means of the sliding bar and screw,
and in the case of one or more of the negatives not being of the proper
size to fit the frame or frames. I attach the negative in its right position
by means of a suitable cement to a glass plate of the proper size to suit
the frame, and having taken a proof from the negative or negatives
from which masks are required to be cut for the protection of portions
of the prints, I cut out the mask or masks, following the outlines of those
portions of the print which are required to be protected from the action.
of the light during the operation of printing other parts of the picture;
these masks are now attached to the negatives in the following
manner: A piece of sensitive paper is fixed to the frame or board and
placed in contact with the framie carrying the negative and exposed to
the light until the outlines of the picture are sufficiently visible; the
frames are then separated and the mask is adjusted over the parts of the
picture to be protected from the light in the subsequent operations, the
mask is held in position on the print by a little cement or india-rubber
solution applied to the edges of the mask, a larger quantity of the same
solution is then applied to the surface of the mask, and the frame or
board.carrying the print and mask being brought into contact with the

page_text: negative from which the next portion of the picture is to be made, the
whole is pressed together for a few seconds, the frame or board carrying
the print is then lifted away, when the mask will remain adhering to
the negative in its proper position; any excess of india-rubber solution
on the surface of the mask or print can be removed by a little friction
with a piece of pure india-rubber, or a sponge moistened with bensole;
when required to remove the mask from the varnished negative it is
only necessary to moisten the same with a little bensole, when the
mask may be removed without injury to the negative. By the above
plan described, and by means of my apparatus, photographic prints in
silver or pigments can be produced from any number of suitable
negatives, the masks being adjusted in the manner described; and
when this is done the prints may be made in about the same time as
ordinary prints from single negatives by using a sufficient number of
frames to carry the negatives, as a similar number of frames or boards
to carry the paper, or tissue, or films of which the prints are made.
For the purpose of attaching the paper or tissue to the frames or
boards I prefer, in the smaller sizes, to use an arrangement which
consists of a frame having an opening of the required size into which
is fitted a board made to project a little beyond the inside of the frame,
the paper is stretched over this board, and the latter is then fixed in its
place.
For combination printing upon sensitive films supported by glass or
other plates, I use for holding such plates the arrangement of a sliding
bar and screws working in the same plane as the plate, the same as
described for holding the negatives, both halves of the frames being
made similar and to fit or register to each other. In making prints of.
a large size, I sometimes attach the paper tissue or plate to the barrel
or frame by means of glue or cement round the edges, or I fix the
paper, tissue, or plate to the frame by ordinary drawing pins or any
other means by which the paper, tissue, or plate can be firmly attached
to the frame or board, this frame or board being made to fit or register
cxactly with the frames carrying the various negatives used in making
the print. I thus obtain greater facility in the production of photo-
graphic prints from several negatives, a greater degree of accuracy or
precision in adjusting the masks or coverings of the various portions of
the negative or negatives, less risk of waste arising from defects in

page_text: printing or joining the various parts of the picture, and lastly, greater
cheapness in production, with increased certainty of result.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Joseph Edwards, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.