IMPROVEMENTS IN THE RESTS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED WHEN TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE HUMAN FIGURE
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Oliver Sarony, of Scarborough, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE RESTS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED WHEN TAKING
PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE HUMAN FIGURE."
Sealed the 9th March 1866, and dated the 16th November 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Oliver Sarony at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th
November 1865.
I, OLIVER SARONY, of Scarborough, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE RESTS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED WHEN
TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE HUMAN FIGURE," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the rests or apparatus
employed when taking photographs of the human figure. For these purposes
the stand which carries the rests is on legs, and is arranged to be fixed by
screws to the floor in any desired position. Through the upper surface or
table of the stand are two sliding upright bars, which are capable of being
raised or lowered and of being retained in any desired position in respect to
the upper part or table of the stand. At the upper ends of these sliding bars
are applied two horizontal plates, which are capable of being drawn towards
each other by a screw bolt and thumb nut. Between these two plates is a third

page_text: plate, through which the screw bolt passes, and about which the third plate
can turn as on an axis. On the third or central plate is a projection to
which is fixed a bent or curved plate, which is formed to receive a slide to
which a chair back is attached, whilst the seat of the chair is separate, and
the part where the back is ordinarily fixed to the seat is masked or hid by a
fringe or drapery; from the upper edge of the curved plate are projections to
which a horizontal bar is affixed. The upper and under edges of this horizontal
bar are formed into inclines or dovetails to receive a slide, which by a stem
carries a socket through which an inclined hollow bar or tube slides. This
inclined bar or tube can be set by a thumbscrew in any desired position. The
inclined bar or tube carries at its end a hollow socket, through which socket
a cylindrical bar slides and turns, and it is retained in any position by a
thumbscrew. This bar at its end is formed for and receives the rest for
sustaining or supporting the body of the person. This rest is composed of
two curved plates which pass through the socket; the plates can be drawn to
or from each other through the socket and fixed by a thumbscrew, and the
rest can thus be set to the size desired.
In addition to the slide above mentioned the horizontal bar supports
another slide in a dovetail groove or otherwise. This second slide carries a
hollow socket, through which an upright cylindrical bar slides and turns. This
upright bar is retained in any desired position in its socket by a thumbscrew.
At the upper end of this bar is a socket which receives a rod, at the end of
which is applied the rest for the head, and such rod can be retained in any
desired position in its socket by a thumbscrew.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Oliver Sarony in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th May 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, OLIVER
SARONY, of Scarborough, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by. Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Oliver Sarony, Her special licence that I, the said Oliver
Sarony, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Oliver Sarony, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at

page_text: 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE RESTS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED WHEN TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OF
THE HUMAN FIGURE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Oliver Sarony,
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 Oliver Sarony, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the rests or apparatus
employed in taking photographs of the human figure. For these purposes
the stand or pillar which carries the rests is arranged to be fixed by screws to
the floor in any desired position. Through the upper surface or tube of the
stand a bar (or it may be two bars) slides, and it is capable of being raised
or lowered and of being retained in any desired position in respect to the
upper part or table of the stand. At the upper end of this sliding bar are
applied two horizontal plates, which are capable of being drawn towards each
other by a screw bolt and thumb nut. Between these two plates is a third
plate, through which the screw bolt passes, and about which the third plate
can turn as on an axis. On the third or central plate is a projection to which
is fixed a bent or curved plate, which is formed to receive a slide to which a
chair back is attached, whilst the seat of the chair is separate and the part
where the back is ordinarily fixed to the seat is masked or hidden by a fringe
or drapery. The projection carries a socket through which an inclined hollow
bar or tube slides. This inclined bar or tube can be set fast by a thumbscrew
any desired position. The inclined bar or tube carries at its end a hollow
socket through which socket a cylindrical bar slides and turns, and it is retained
in any position by a thumbscrew. This bar at its end is formed for receiving
the rest for sustaining or supporting the body of the person. This rest is
composed of two curved plates which pass through the socket; the plates can
be drawn to or from each other through the socket and fixed by a thumb-
screw, and the rest can thus be set to the size desired.
in

page_text: In addition to the slide above mentioned the horizontal bar supports another
slide in a dovetail groove or otherwise. This second slide carries a hollow
socket, through which an upright cylindrical bar slides and turns. This upright.
bar is retained in any desired position in its socket by a thumbscrew.
At.
the upper end of this bar is a socket which receives a rod, at the end of
which is applied the rest for the head, and such rod can be retained in any
desired position in its socket by a thumbscrew.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more.
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
If
At the top of
Figure 1 shews a side elevation, Figure 2 a back elevation of apparatus.
constructed and combined according to my Invention; Figure 3 shews a plan
of some of the parts; Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 shew detail views of
some of the parts. In each of these Figures the same letters are used to
indicate the same parts. a is the stand which is fixed to the floor, through
the upper table or surface of which stand an upright bar b slides, which is set
-fast in any desired position by a set screw c, or it may be by other means.
desired two sliding bars may be used parallel to each other to ensure additional
steadiness, but one it generally found sufficient. The sliding bar b may be
conveniently raised and lowered by rack and pinion, as shewn.
the sliding bar are two plates d and e, which are drawn together by means
of the screw bolt and nut f. Between these two plates is the plate g, through
which the screw bolt f passes, and about which the plate g turns as on an axis,
and it can, by means of the screw bolt and nut f, be fixed in any desired
position; the separate plate e may, if desired, be dispensed with. On the
plate g is a projection or bar h, on which is fixed or formed a curved front
plate with grooves to receive a curved slide i, to which a chair back may be
suspended or attached, whilst the seat of the chair (which is made separate
from the back) rests on the floor below. This arrangement is found con-
venient when the person is standing and has one hand on the chair back.
The projection or bar h carries a socket j, through which the stem of a bar k
is received, and is set fast therein by a thumb or set screw k¹. It is preferred
that the stem of this bar k should be hollow to obtain lightness with stiffness.
At the upper end of the bar k is a hollow socket k³, through which a
cylindrical bar slides, and it is set fast by a thumb or set screw therein when
in any desired position. This bar k at its end receives the support for the
body of the person. This support is composed of two curved plates m, m;
the ends of which slide through an opening in the enlarged end of the bar 7,

page_text: and the parts m are held in position by a set or thumb screw m¹. The
projection or bar carries a slide n, by preference in a dovetail groove, as
shewn. This slide carries a socket n', through which an upright cylindrical
bar o slides, and is set fast therein at any desired position by a thumb or set
At the upper end of this bar o is a socket through which a rod p
slides, and is set fast therein by a thumbscrew; q is a table or plate intro-
duced on the top of the projection or bar h when the apparatus for supporting
the body is not in use. It is preferred that all parts of the apparatus should
be of metal and as light as may be, so long as the requisite stiffness is
obtained.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same,
the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is the
combined arrangement of an upright sliding bar or bars 6 (in a suitable stand),
the plate g, the part h with means of receiving a curved slide i, the slide n,
and the stems or bars k and o, substantially as herein described, and combined
therewith the supports for the body and head as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Oliver Sarony, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eleventh day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
OLIVER SARUNY.
(L.B.)