IMPROVED CAMERA FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAITS AND INSTANTANEOUS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Sutton. Bachelor of Arts, Lecturer ori
Photography at King's College. London, for the Invention of
IMPROVED CAMERA FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAITS AND INSTANTANEOUS
Scaled the 14th January 1862, and dated the 20th August 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Sutton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
August 1861.
1. THOMAS SUTTON, Bachelor of Arts. Lecturer on Photography at King's
College, London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED CAMERA FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAITS AND INSTANTANEOUS
PICTURES," to be as follows:--
This Invention relates to an improved camera by means of which a photo-
grapher can take portraits and instantaneous pictures with greater convenience
than by any of the cameras now used for that purpose. It is constructed
thus: The body of the camera is an oblong box of the usual shape, having
the end open for the reception of the dark slide, and having an orifice in the
front for the lens. At the upper edge of the open end of the camera is hinged
a moveable plane reflector, which may be made of polished metal, silvered
glass, or other suitable reflecting material. When this reflector is placed

page_text: within the camera at an angle of 45° with the top or bottom, and the sensitive
plate is put in its place behind it, with the front shutter of the dark side open,
the reflector must be large enough to shield the sensitive plate from the light
which passes through the lens. Thus, when the reflector is turned up on its
hinge till its lower edge touches the top of the camera, the image formed by
the lens will be thrown upon the sensitive plate; but when the reflector is
turned down till its lower edge touches the bottom of the camera, and makes
an angle of 45° with it, none of the light from the lens can fall upon the
sensitive plate. The reflector may be turned up and down on its hinge
instantaneously by any suitable contrivance with an external handle.
Instead of a focussing screen, which in an ordinary camera fits into the open
end of the camera, the focussing screen is fitted into an open panel in the top
of the camera, so that when the face of the reflector is turned towards the
lens at an angle of 45° with its axis, an erect image is thrown upon the screen.
This image may be viewed from without at the same time that the reflector
screens the sensitive plate from the light which passes through the lens.
When the image is correctly focussed upon the screen in the top of the
camera, that screen must be at such a distance from the reflector, that when
the latter is turned up a sharp image will also be formed upon the sensitive
plate. In order that this condition may be fulfilled, the planes of the focussing
screen, the sensitive plate, and the reflector must have a common line of
intersection, and the latter plane must bisect the angle between the two former
planes.
The focussing screen may be conveniently made of ground glass, either
plain or of an orange colour, so as to stop actinic rays from entering the
camera through it. The camera should be mounted upon the stand in such
a way as to be easily turned in any required direction; this may be done by
means of a ball and socket or other similar contrivance.
The advantage of this improved camera consists in this, that the operator
can see an erect image of the object whilst the open slide is in its place in the
camera, and can focus the image upon the screen, and then expose the plate
at the proper instant by merely turning up the reflector, without having first.
to remove the focussing screen, put the cap on the lens, put the dark slide in
its place, open the shutters, and then expose by removing the cap from the
lens according to the present awkward method.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Sutton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th February 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, A. THOMAS
SUTTON, Bachelor of Arts. Lecturer on Photography at King's College,
London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria. by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself. Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Thomas Sution. Her special license that 1, the said Thomas
Sutton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Thomas Sutton, my executors, administrators, or 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 AN
IMPROVED CAMIRA FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAITS AND INSTANTANEOUS
PICIURES," upon the condition (amongst others) that 1, the said Thomas
Sutton, my executors or administrators. by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of one of them, 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 Thomas Sutton, 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. reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
My said Invention relates to certain improvements upon and additions io
the cameras employed in taking photographic portraits and instantaneous
pictures. According to this Invention, the body A of the camera, of which a
longitudinal vertical section is represented on the annexed Drawing, consists
of an oblong box of the ordinary shape, having the rear end open for the
reception of the dark slide or plate-holder B. and having an opening in the
front end, into which the ordinary lens holder C is inserted in the usual
manner. So far the camera resembles those in common use; but I have

page_text: added to it a plane reflector D, which turns on an axis or centres at E in the
upper part of the camera near its back or open end. This reflector may be
made of polished metal, looking glass, or other good reflecting material.
When the reflector is in its downward position, or adjusted inside the camera
at an angle of 45°, as shewn in the Drawing, and the sensitive plate in the
dark slide B is in its place behind the reflector with the shutter of the slide
open, the reflector should intercept all the rays from the lens, and shield the
plate entirely from their action. On turning up the reflector, however, into
the position indicated by the dotted lines, or until it touches the top of the
camera, the image formed by the lens will be thrown upon the sensitive plate;
but when the reflector is turned down until its lower edge touches the bottom
of the camera, or rests upon a stop or support F fixed thereon, as shewn in
the Drawing, so as to be at an angle of 45 degrees with the bottom of the
camera, then one of the light from the lens can fall upon the sensitive
plate.
Instead of fitting the focussing screen into the open end of the camera, as is
usually done, I propose to fit it inside a frame or panel let into the top of the
camera, as shewn at G. and consequently when the reflector is turned down
at an angle of forty-five degrees with the bottom of the camera, an erect image
will be thrown upon the screen in place of the inverted image, which is thrown
thereon, when the screen is placed at the back or open end of the camera.
This image may be viewed from without at the same time that the reflector
screens the sensitive plate from the light which passes through the lens.
When the image is properly focussed upon the screen in the top of the
camera, it is necessary that the reflector should be equidistant from the
sensitive plate and screen, or in an exact midway position between the focussing
screen and the inner or sensitive surface of the plate, in order that when the
reflector is removed or elevated, a sharp image precisely similar to that thrown
upon the screen may be thrown upon the sensitive plate. For the proper
fulfilment of this condition, it is requisite that the respective planes of the
focussing screen, the sensitive plate, and the reflecting surface of the reflector
should have one common centre of convergence, and that the plane of the
reflecting surface should bisect the angle formed by the sensitive plate and the
focussing screen.
The focussing screen may be made either of plain ground glass or of ground
glass of an orange tint, so as to intercept the entrance of actinic rays into the
camera. The camera should be mounted upon its stand in such a manner as to
admit of its being easily turned in any required direction, a ball-and-socket joint
or other convenient contrivance being used for that purpose. When it is

page_text: required to take instantaneous pictures, the dark side should be inserted
through the side of the camera in place of through the iop, as is usually done,
and the shutter must be opened through the side.
The principal advantages of this camera over the ordinary ones are, that
the operator is enabled to see an erect in lieu of an inverted image of the
object, whilst the open slide is in its place in the camera, and can focus the
lens and afterwards expose the sensitive plate at the proper instant by
means of an external handle H of any suitable form, which is fixed to the
axis of the reflector, and which enables the reflector to be readily turned up
and down.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would now observe, in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
hefore in part recited Letters Patent, is-
1st, the general construction and arrangement of camera for taking photo-
graphic portraits and instantaneous pictures, as herein-before described.
2nd, the application and use to and in photographic cameras of a moveable
reflector arranged and worked substantially in the manner and for the purpose
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I. the said Thomas Sutton, have to this my Specification
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of February, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witnesses of the above signature..
GEORGE FREDERICK SAMS,
BLAS RANGEL.
THOMAS SUTTON. (L.S.)