A Cabinet or Case for the Holding and Carrying of Lantern and other slides.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Mar., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 25th Nov., 1893-Accepted, 10th Feb., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Cabinet or Case for the Holding and Carrying of Lantern and
other slides.
JAMES POTTS, of 14 Bennetts Hill, in the City of Birmingham Manufacturing
Optician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a cabinet or case for the holding and carrying of optical
lantern and other slides, such for example as slides used in connection with maggio
lanterns, microscopes and the like, and has for its object a ready means of holding
and carrying the said slides, without the liability of the same being scratched
when stored, and shaken when carried.
In carrying out my invention, I take an elongated rectangular shaped case, with
an open top, and a turned-down and hinged front, and which open top is covered
up by a hinged lid, having upon its middle top side (when closed) a handle or
carrying means. When the hinged front is turned down to the plane of the bottom,
the whole interior or inside, which is divided off into two, three or other number of
compartments by division walls, panels or the like, and the slides or plates, which
are arranged in piles, or one above another, are perfectly accessible.
Thus, the inside of the case is divided off into two, three or more compartments,
and the slides or plates to be stored and carried ranged pile-wise in these
compartments. Fitted to the ontside edges of the divisional walls of the said
compartments or divisions are thin metal plates of a greater breadth than the said
divisions or walls, and normally overlapping the edges of the slides or plates of the
adjacent compartments, and being there locked, thereby prevent the withdrawal of
the said slides, unless the same be raised vertically above the tops of the compart-
ments when the lid is open.
On the slides requiring to be moved or slid outwardly, the said metal plates are
capable of being moved either to the right or left hand, clear of a compartment, by
which means the slides become readily accessible for removal.
To move the retaining metal plates either to the right or left, inverted T shaped
slots are made within them, wherein pins take, so that, when the metal plates are
required to lie clear of say the first compartments, then the pins are passed to the
near side ends of the slots, but when the said plate is to be clear of say the second
compartment, then the plate is slid backwards until the other ends of the slots come
against the pins.
It is understood that before the positions of the slots can be changed, they have
to be slightly raised, so as to bring the horizontal slots coincident with the pins,
but when looking of the plates is performed, then the vertical slots are pressed
downwards over the pins.
Situated upon the top of each pile are forward and rear side spiked retaining
blocks or plates, whose spikes penetrate indiscriminately the wood at the inside
back of the case, whilst the spikes at the front take into or pierce the inside of the
turn-down front, when the same is turned up, hence the retaining of the said plates
in position, without any liability to the same being disturbed, as the said spiked
plates lie upon the topsides of the piles.
The slides have upon their boundary edges, paper or like boundary sheaths, to
prevent the same from scratching.
Assuming the plates to be placed in piles in the recesses or compartments, then
place the retaining or clamping blocks upon each pile, then close the turn-down
front, when the spikes in the fronts of the retaining blocks, press into the wood of
the front, whilst the spikes at the rear of the blooks press into the wood at the back
T
-

page_text: of the case, and the alosing of the cover, which is secured by a rotatory or other
catch, completes the means of holding and stowage.
Dated this 6th day of March 1893.
TAMRG DOTTS
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Cabinet or Case for the Holding and Carrying of Lantern and
other Slides.
I, JAMES POTTS, of 14, Bennetts Hill, in the City of Birmingham, Manu-1
facturing Optician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what..
manner the same is to bo performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to a cabinet or case for the holding and carrying of optical
lantern and other slides, such for example as slides used in connection with magic
lanterns, microscopes and the like, and has for its object a ready means of arranging; .
holding and carrying the said slides; without the liability of the saine being
Boratched when stored, and shaken when carried, and affording a certain means of:.
the lanternist taking them in consecutive order.
• .1
"
In carrying out my invention, I take an elongated rectangular shaped case, with: 2
an open top, and a hinged and turned-down front; and which open top is covered up
by-a hinged lid,.having upon its middle top side (when closed) a handle or carrying.
means. When the hinged front is turned down to the plane of the bottom, the
whole interior or inside, which is divided off into two, three or other number, of
compartments by division walls, panels or the like, and the slides or plates, which. 2
are arranged in piles, or one above another, are perfectly accessible.
Thus, the inside of the case is divided off into two, three or more compartiments, :
and the slides or plates to be stored and carried are ranged pile-wise in, these..
compartments. Fitted to the outside edges of the divisional walls of the said com-
partments or divisions are thin metal plates of a greater breadth than the said 3
divisions or walls, and normally overlapping the edges of the slides or plates of the
adjacent compartments, and being there locked and thereby prevent the withdrawal
of the said slides, unless the same be raised vertically above the top of the compart-
ments when the lid is open.
On the slides requiring to be moved for the purpose of inserting or abstracting a 3
slide or slides in a certain place without altering the arrangement of them, the said
metal plates are capable of being moved either to the right or left hand, clear of a
compartment, by which means the slides become readily accessible for removal by
aliding outwards.
To move the metal retaining plates either to the right or left, inverted T shaped
slots are made within them, wherein pins take, so that when the metal plates are
required to lie clear of say the first compartment, then the pins are passed to the
near side ends of the slots, but when the said plate is to be clear of say the second
compartment, then the plate is slid backwards until the other ends of the slots come
against the pins.
It is understood that before the positions of the plates can be changed, they have
to be slightly raised, so as to bring the horizontal slots lignable with the pins, but
when locking of the plates is performed; then the vertical slots are pressed down-
wards over the pins.
Situated upon the top of each pile are forward and rear side spiked retaining a
blocks or plates, whose spikes penetrate the wood at the inside back of the case,
whilst the spikes, at the front take into or pierce the inside of the turn-down front,
when the same is turned up, henuo the retaining of the said plates, in position, t

page_text: without any liability to the same being disturbed, as the said spiked plates lie upon
the topsides of the piles.
The slides have upon their boundary edges, paper or like boundary sheaths, in'
the usual manner to prevent the same from scratching.
Assuming the plates to be placed in piles in the recesses or compartments, then
place the retaining or clamping blocks upon each pile, then close the turn-down
front, when the spikes in the fronts of the retaining blocks, press into the wood of
the front, whilst the spikes at the rear of the blocks press into the wood at the back
of the case, and the closing of the cover, which is secured by a rotatory or other
(catch, completes the means of holding and storage.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents a perspective view of 'n lantern
slide cabinet, open, constructed, arranged, and provided with improvements made
according to my invention.
It will be seen that the lantern slides are kept within their respective com-
spartments, and confined in all directions by the overhanging edges of parts of the
sliding plates and the universally adjustable top closure blocks having spikes at
their front and back edges which take into the wood of the back wall and the inside
of the hinged turn-down front respectively.
Figure 2 represents upon an enlarged scale, a front elevation of the said lantern
slide cabinet with the hinged turn-down front, and the hinged turn-back top shown
in the positions which they respectively assume as in Figure 1.
Figure 3 represents a transverse vertical section upon the dotted lines A B
Figure 2, and which section, it is to be understood, is taken both through the
confining plates, and the confining blocks resting upon the pile.
Figure 4 represents upon a still further enlarged scale, the rotatory catch for
the fastening and locking of the cabinet when closed..
Figure 5 represents a front view of the rotatory catch.
a is a rectangular shaped case open at top a', and sides a", the latter a³, provided.
with a turn-down and hinged front b, and the former a', with a turn-back and
hinged lide, having upon the middle topside of it (when closed) a handlo o', and
upon the inner side outer edges, stapio hooks, which engage with the rotatory.
catches, let within and carried by the top edge of the turn down front b.
When the front b, is turned down, and the top c, turned back, as in the several
views, then the whole of the interior of the cabinet, and the slides contained within
it, are exposed and become.accessible.
Thus the said interior is divided off into three or other number of compart-
ments d, d², dª, by division walls e, e', and deposited upon the floor of each of the
said compartments, are piles of lantern slides f, having resting upon the tops of
them, confining blocks or plates (preferably of wood) g, with spikes g', upon their
back and front edges g', ', and which spikes respectively take into the inside
back walls of the cabinet and the inside wall of the hinged and turn-down front' b.
To confine the slides, and to prevent the same from rattling or from being
accidentally withdrawn, I provide the front edges of the partition walls e, e', with
confining metal strips or plates h, having inverted T-shaped slots A', within them,
which take over the shanks of pins i, secured in the edges of the said
partitions e, el.
These confining plates are capable of limited horizontal and vortical movements,
to admit of the edges of the slides being either overlapped by the edges of them
or to be clear of them, as represented in the left-hand compartment of Figure 2.
Thus, supposing that the slides in the left-hand compartment are required to be
removed, they are first exposed by throwing the front b, forward and. the top o,
back, then by sliding up the confining plate h, in the direction of the arrow
Figure 2, and then sliding the plate horizontally from left to right, the overlapped
edges of the slides become clear of the edge of the confining plate, when the slides
5 within the pile can be removed consecutively or indiscriminately.
When the confining plates are in the positions as represented upon the right
hand sides, then the edges of the slides are overlapped and the said slides confined.

page_text: I might add that by arranging the slides in piles, the lanternman cannot-take-
the wrong slide from the cabinet as is the case when slides are confined within
racks.
Besides simplicity of the arrangement of the slides and accessibility to them,
the cabinet admits of containing four times the number of slides as held by
ordinary cabinets of the same size.
The rotatory, catch part 3, consists of a turning plate b, on the neck of a
pin, and having a knob 6 at one part and a pusher 6, passing through the
plate 6, in another part. 6 is an interlocated catch plate with a hole in it, and
is a stud on a flat spring 6, and which stud takes into the hole in the catch
plate &', when the stud and hole are coincident, and locks the fastener, thereby
affording perfect security against the slides boing interferred with.
The unlocking is performed by pressing the pusher 6, pushing back the stud 6º,
clear of the hole in the plate, and then by rotating the plate b³, and the parts
carried by it, the hook staple c', is disengaged from the catch.
When the body part is not divided off into compartments, then the confining
plates may be fitted to the front edges of the ends of the cabinet, in the same
way as they are fitted to the fronts of the divisions.
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 :-
First. A cabinet or case for the holding and onrrying of optical lantern and other
like slides, consisting of a rectangular shaped box or case, open at top and front;
and closed by a hinged turn-back top and a hinged turn-down front, and with the
inside body part divided off, when necessary, into compartments or divisional spaces,
within which spaces the slides are arranged or placed in pilęs, substantiälly as
described and set forth.
Secondly. In a cabinet or case for the holding and carrying of optical lantern
and other like slides, fitting or providing the top sides of the piles of slides with
confining blocks fitted with extended spikes at their front and back edges, substan
tially as and for the purpose as described and set forth.
Thirdly. In a cabinet or case for the holding and carrying of optical lantern
and other like slides, fitting or providing the front edges of the divisional walls
with movable or adjustable confining plates h, substantially as and for the purpose
described and set forth.
Fourthly. In lantern slide and other like cabinets, the general construction,
arrangement, combination and fitting of the parts of the cabinet, and the arranging
of the slides in piles within the divisional spaces, or within a divisional space,
substantially as described and set forth.
Fifthly. The combination with a cabinet as herein described, of a rotatory catch,
substantially, as described and set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of November 1893.
E