Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 4th June, 1891-Accepted, 4th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
1 JOHN HENRY GRAYSON CLARKE of Abbey House Kenilworth in the County
of Warwick Architect's Assistant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows :—
This invention consists firstly in improvements in arrangements in connection
with the change box of hand cameras and is affected as follows the plates are
placed in an upright position in the upper portion of the box in sheaths held at
their bottom angles in a groove or slot and kept in position one behind the other by
a spring pressing against the rear one.
At the bottom of the box is a tray arranged so that pressure on a spring button
will actuate a bar and cause the front plate to fall down two slots into this tray.
Upon the sides of the tray are flanges to prevent the plates falling excepting when
opposite the before named grooves. The tray is pivotted so that it may be tilted
up back into the box by means of an handle outside after it has received the plates.
A piece forming the back of the tray then becoming the bottom to hold the plates
in a groove from which they may be slid to be removed. The box has "light-tight"
back and front sliding plates and it can be detached from camera without interfering
with the plates inside.
The second part of the invention consists in improvements in film holders in
connection with cameras generally and is constructed as follows; the film is placed
upon a roller at the top of the box and passed over a guide roller through a slot
at the top of the front of the box and from thence downwards to expose it. It is
then passed back through another slot round a bottom roller and attached to a
fourth roller.
This last named roller is constructed as a spring roller so as to wind the film
automatically on to it, but it is checked in so doing by arrangement similar to a
clock escapement, placed upon the shaft of the bottom roller working so as to allow
only a given quantity of film to be wound at a time. The required lengths of film
are perforated by means of a bar carring pins which take into holes in this bottoni
roller. The bar is attached to the catch of the escapement and it is actuated by
of a press button and rod. The action is as follows, pressure upon the
utton moves the bar toward the roller and at the same time releases the catch and
allows the roller to revolve until stopped by the other catch of the escapement
when the pins fall into the holes in the roller and perforate the film. The two
rollers upon which the film is wound are removable for refilling. Another part of
my in ention consists in constructing the camera so as to enable me to attach at the
back thereof an enlarging lantern thereby dispensing with the necessity of using a
seperate camera for enlarging purposes.
The description of hand camera (that is to say, the portion containing the focusing
arrangement) which I prefer to use in combination with the above named improve-
ments is a front case or box to the back of which may be attached the box
containing the plates, the film box, or the lantern, as desired. This front box
contains the lenses fitted with the ordinary bellows action.
My improvements also refer to instantanious and time shutters for cameras and
consists firstly of constructing instantanious shutters in what is known as the fan
shape.
The fan works betwen two plates with a circular groove in the front plate
through which a hook projects to which is which attached an elastic band which
being attached to a peg on the front plate will draw the fan forward when released
from the catch which consists of a peg passing through the front plate into the fan

page_text: and held down by a spring. This peg is raised by a pneumatic tube and ball placed
under the spring. My improvements consist secondly in the construction of time
shutters as follows I form a cylinder and piston rod connected by a rod to rigid arm
or crank attached to the hottoin of the fan shaped shutter, to the bottom of the
cylinder is attached a pneumatic tube so that pressing the ball of the tube raises
the piston rod and works the slutters.
Dated the 2nd day of September 1890.
HENRY F. TALBOT,
7, Cherry Street, Birmingham, Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
1 JOHN HENRY GRAYSON CLARKE of Abbey House Kenilworth in the County
of Warwick Architect's Assistant 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, reference being had to the
acermpanying drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon:-
This invention consists firstly in improvements in the arrangements in connection
with the change box of hand cameras and is effected as follows.
The plates are placed in an upright position in the upper portion of the box in
sheaths held at their bottom angles in a groove or slot and kept in position one
behind the other by a spring pressing against the rear ones.
At the bottom of the
box is a tray arranged so that the pressure on a spring button will actuate a har
and cause the front plate to fall down two slots into this tray. Upon the sides of
this tray are flanges to prevent the plates falling excepting when opposite the above
named grooves. The tray is pivotted so that it may be tilted up back into the box
by means of a handle outside after it has received the plates. A piece forming the
back of the tray then becoming the bottom to hold the plates in a groove from
which they may be slid to be removed. A screw button pressing against a spring
keeps the tray and plates in position; the box has light tight back & front sliding
plates & it can be detached from the camera without interfering with the plates
inside.
Referring to the drawings
Fig. 1 is a section of a camera showing the change box (A) attached to the
camera at (C) and
Fig. 2 is a modification in which the change box (A) forms part of the whole
casc.
(BB) are the plates placed in an upright position in sheaths held at their bottom
angles in the groove or slot (1) kept in position one behind the other by a
spring (E). Pressure on the spring button (i) will cause the bar (11) to push the
front plate (B) down the slot (F) into the fray (1) as shewn at (B2). On the
sides of the tray (1) are wing pieces (1) with flanges on their edges at (1).
The tray (1) is pivotted at (d) so that it may be tilted up by means of a handle
outside to place all the plates (13) back into the box (A) the back of the tray (1)
this becoming the bottom as shown in dotted lines at (!).
in Fig. 2 the tray is dispensed with the plates are held in the groove (D) & kept
in position by the spring (E) the pusher (G) acting upon the bar (H) pushing the
plate down the groove (F) to the bottom of the box as at (132). I do not confine
myself to the precise form of spring (E) or mode of keeping the plates in position
described & shown in Figs. 1 & 2 nor the precise construction of pusher (G) as any
suitable arrangements for causing the plates to fall from the slot (D) into the
slot (F) may be used. (X) is a false hotton to receive the rack (Y), (M) shows
one of two arms carrying the focusing screen (N) & (M) one of two clips to hold
the arms up when the screen is raised up by their means into the position occupied

page_text: by the plates (B) so that it may be used when the change box is detached. This
change box is described as applied to hand cameras but it may be used with other
suitably constructed cameras. With reference to that portion of my Provisional
Specification which is therein termed the second part of my invention & which
relates to film holders in connection with cameras generally, I wish it to be under-
stood that I abandon any claim to its novelty & disclaim it as being in any way
part of my invention which I desire to fully protect under Letters Patent it having
come to my knowledge that such an arrangement as described by me has already.
formed the subject of a prior Patent.
Another part of my invention consisting in constructing the camera so as Lo
enable me to attach at the back thereof an enlarging lantern thereby dispensing
with the necessity of using a separate camera for enlarging purposes. This I
effect by forming a sliding groove on the back of the camera as at (C) Fig. 1 so
that the change box (A) may be removed & enlarging lantern (formed so as to
slide into the groove) substituted. The description of hand camera (that is to say
the portion containing focusing arrangement) which I prefer to use in combination
with the above named improvements is a front case or box to the back of which
may be attached the box containing the plates the film box or the lantern as
desired.
This front box contains the lenses fitted with the ordinary bellows action as at L
Fig. 1.
My improvements also refer to instantaneous & time shutters for cameras &
consist firstly in constructing instantaneous shutters in what is known as the fan
shape.
The fan works between two plates with a circular groove in the front plate
through which a hook projects to which is attached an elastic band which being
attached to a peg on the front plate will draw the fan forward when released from
the catch which catch consists of a peg passing through the front plate into the fan
and held down by a spring.
This peg is raised by means of a pneumatic tube & ball placed under the
spring.
Referring to the drawings
Fig. 3 Sheet II. shews an instantaneous shutter contained in the fan shaped
case (OO). The dotted lines show the position of the shutter when the elastic
band (P) which is on the hook (R) projecting through the circular slot (Q) is
placed over the peg (R¹).
When air is pressed in the ball (S) it expands & raising the bent piece of spring
metal (T) lifts the peg at (U) out of the hole through which it passes into the
shutter & the shutter being free is drawn quickly by the elastic band over to the
side (01) and the opening (V) in the shutter is caused to flash past the opening (W)
in the case. Reversing the elastic band from peg (R') to (R³) the hole (U1) being
then under the peg (U) the peg falls into it & hold the shutter till released by the
ball (S) raising the spring (T) when the shutter flies back to the side (O)..
My improvements consist lastly in the construction of time shutters as illustrated
in Figs. 4 & 5 of which Fig. 4 is a front view shewing the parts in their stationary
position and Fig. 5 an inside view from the back shewing the shutters thrown open
by the pneumatic action.
I form a cylinder (a) & a piston rod (6) (shewn on drawing in dotted line), this
rod (6) carrying a rod (c) which comes in contact with a peg or arm (d) on a sliding
piece or cover (e) when the air in the pneumatic tube moves forward the piston
rod () in the cylinder (a). The back of this arm or peg (d) passes through a
curved slot (e) covered by the sliding piece (e) and is attached to the fan (g)
Fig. 5. The fans (g) and (f) are pivotted at (9') and (") so that when the rod (c)
comes in contact with the peg (d) it drives it forward and causes the fan (g) to
"tilt" as shown in Fig. 5 and the fan (9) in its turn causes the fan () to tilt by
reason of the teeth (h) on each of the fans, thus exposing the opening (i) the
spring () being for the purpose of throwing the fans (f) & (g) back into a closed

page_text: position when the piston rod (6) is drawn back into the cylinder (a). The rod (c)
is jointed at () to allow it to pass the peg (d) on its return & it is provided with
a spring () to throw back the jointed portion into position. (k) is a pivotted stop
which when turned up as shewn in dotted lines (4) stops the peg d from travelling
further & thus keeps the fans open until pressure on the pneumatic ball is
released.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion & in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is
1. The improvements in connection with the change box of hand cameras
consisting of the general combinations & arrangements of parts substantially as
described & illustrated.
2. The improvements in instantaneous & time shutters substantially as described
& illustrated by the drawings.
Dated this 2nd day of June 1891.
HENRY F. TALBOT,
7, Cherry Street, Birmingham, Agent for the Applicant.