Improved Apparatus for use in Photographic Printing.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 31st July, 1891-Accepted, 5th Sept., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for use in Photographic Printing.
I, Louis JOSEPH SELLIER, of Corunna in the Kingdom of Spain, Photo-
grapher, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In order to obtain portraits vignetted upon a white ground by the aid of the
vignetting glasses at present in use, it is necessary to give to the photographic
printing frame a half or quarter turn in the shade every five or ten minutes, in
order to obtain a uniform and regular shading, as the light always comes with more
intensity from one side or the other.
This process, or rather this manner of working, requires sustained attention on
the part of the photographic copyist, and in spite of all his care there are always
some copies badly printed, that have to be destroyed.
Besides this, the attention required is difficult, when the same copyist has to
look after ten, fifteen or twenty frames at the same time, and if one of the
negatives happens to be cracked, an accident which frequently happens, a still
greater attention will be required, or the crack will infallibly be reproduced on
the paper; therefore in this case the frame containing the cracked negative must
be specially watched, to the neglect of all the others.
The object of the present invention is to remedy these inconveniences, and it
consists in displacing automatically and regularly the printing frames, so that
the negatives which they carry are uniformly submitted to the action of the
light in all directions.
•
In carrying out this invention, a mechanical rotary apparatus is employed.
The apparatus is composed of a number of plates, cach provided with a two-
grooved pulley, in the centre of which is inserted the stem, fixed firmly to a
foot. This foot is secured to a plate of suitable length, and at one of the ends
of this plate is placed a clockwork operated by a spring or weight, and serving to
drive the apparatus.
The last wheel of this clockwork carries a grooved pulley, which is connected
to the nearest plate pulley by an endless cord. Similar endless cords connect
the other plate pulleys in pairs, so that all the plates will simultaneously receive
rotary motion from the clockwork, which motion may be regulated as desired.
The presses or printing frames are simply laid on the plates, or they may be
fixed in any convenient manner, and will thus partake of this rotary movement,
whereby the negatives will be submitted regularly to the action of the light,
which will produce a perfect shading of the prints, without the operator concerning
himself about anything but the requisite period of exposure.
In this way, I not only obtain a more perfect result, but I can economise the
work of the copyist, by giving him a larger number of frames to attend to.
It is obvious that I may make use of any suitable motor; that which I have
described above is given as an example only; the mode of transmitting the
power may also be varied at will, as well as the mode of mounting the rotary
plates. These may be fixed to the stems, the driving pulleys being also fixed
on the stems.
Dated this 22nd day of November 1390.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant..

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved. Apparatus for use in Photographic Printing.
I, Louis JOSEPH SELLIER, of Corunna in the Kingdom of Spain, Photo-
grapher, 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 :-
In order to obtain portraits vignetted upon a white ground by the aid of the
vignetting glasses at present in use, it is necessary to give to the photographic
printing frame a half or quarter turn every few minutes, so as to obtain a uniform
and regular shading, the light always falling with greater intensity from one side
than from the other.
This manner of working necessitates sustained attention on the part of the
attendant. and notwithstanding this, it often happens that copies are badly printed,
and have to be destroyed.
The attention required is also considerable when the same attendant has to look
after a number of frames at the same time. If one of the negatives happens to be
cracked (an accident which frequently happens), a still greater amount of attention
will be required, or the crack will be reproduced on the paper; therefore, the
frame containing the cracked negative must be specially watched, to the neglect of
all the others.
The object of the present invention is to remedy these inconveniences, and it
consists in displacing the printing frames automatically and regularly, so that the
negatives which they carry are uniformly submitted to the action of the light in
all directions.
In carrying out this invention, a mechanical rotary apparatus is employed which
I will now describe, reference being had to the drawing hereunto annexed:-
Figs. 1 shew in side elevation and in plan view, my mechanical rotary
apparatus.
Figs. 2 shew in side view and plan, one of the printing-frame carrying-plates
detached; and
Figs. 3 similar views of one of the plate supports.
The apparatus is composed of a number of plates A, each of them being provided
with a two-grooved pulley B, in the centre of which is inserted a stem a, fixed
firmly to a foot b. This foot is secured to a plate P, of suitable length, and at one
of the ends of this plate is placed a clockwork C, operated by a spring or weight,
and serving to drive the apparatus.
To the last wheel of this clockwork, is fitted a grooved pulley c, connected to
the nearest plate pulley B by an endless cord. Similar endless cords connect
all the plate pulleys in pairs, so that the plates will simultaneously receive
rotary motion from the clockwork, which motion may be regulated in any suitable
manner.
The presses or printing frames are simply laid on the plates A, or they may be
fixed in any convenient manuer, and will thus partake of the rotary movement of
the plates, and the negatives will thus be submitted regularly to the action of the
light, which will produce a perfect shading of the prints, without the necessity.
for the operator concerning himself about anything but the requisite period of
exposure.
In this way, I not only obtain a more perfect result, but I may economise the
work of the attendant, by giving him a larger number of frames to attend to.
It is obvious that I may make use of any suitable motor, that which I have
described above being given merely as an example. The mode of transmitting
the power may also be varied at will, as well as the mode of mounting the rotary
plates A, which may be fixed to the stems a, the driving pulleys being also fixed
on the stems.

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 :-
1. Producing a regular and uniform shading of photographic prints, by mounting
the photographic printing frames on a series of suitable supports, to which a slow
and regular rotary motion is imparted, so that a large number of frames can be
operated upon at one time, without requiring sustained attention on the part of the
attendant, as set forth.
2. The mechanical rotary apparatus, formed of rotary plates A, for the reception
of photographic printing frames, such plates being arranged in one or more lines
upon a foundation plate P, and each operated by a pulley B fixed to the plate, or
keyed to the supporting axle,-the plates being either loose upon their supports, or
fixed thereou, the whole acting in combination with a motor mechanism suitably
operated, as and for the purpose above set forth.
Dated this 31st day of July 1891
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.