AN IMPROVEMENT IN CAMERA STANDS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Emil Peter Spahn, of the City of Newark, State
of New Jersey, in the United States of America, for the Invention
of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN CAMERA STANDS."
Sealed the 13th August 1872, and dated the 29th June 1872.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Emil Peter Spahn at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 29th June 1872, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EMIL
PETER SPAHN, of the City of Newark, State of New Jersey, in the
United States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT
IN CAMERA STANDS," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for
the same, and have made solemn Declaration that I am the first and true
Inventor thereof.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Emil Peter Spahn, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and

page_text: seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing
forming part of this Specification :-
The nature of my Invention consists in the arrangement of a table
which supports the camera on suitable guides working in the frame of
the stand, and connected with a suitable band or strap passing over a
roller;
said band or strap containing weights in its other end to counter-
poise the weight of the table, guides, and camera placed upon the
table. And further, in the arrangement of a slide working in suitable
ways in the frame of the stand at right angles to the guides supporting
the table, and operated by a suitable screw so as to act against the
surface of said guides to hold the same, and consequently the table and
camera in any position the same may be moved.
In order that my Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
I shall refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed, forming a part of this Specification, and to the letters of
reference marked thereon :-
Figure I. represents a longitudinal section of a stand embodying my
Invention, and Figure II. is a perspective elevation of the same.
A represents the frame of the stand, near the centre of which a plate
or guide B, extending nearly the whole width is arranged, moving
perpendicularly in suitable slides. On the top of this plate or guide B
a table D is hinged. Behind the guide B a slide H is arranged,
working in suitable ways in the stand A, and operated by a suitable
screw L. This slide H works at right angles to the plate B, and
bears nearly against the whole surface of the perpendicular plate B
and holds the same, and consequently the table D as well as the
camera placed on the top of the same, by its friction in any desired
position the same may be moved. To the lower end of this perpen-
dicular plate or guide B a band K is attached, passing over a roller T
running in suitable bearings in the frame A. To the other end of
this band K weights x, y, are attached to counterbalance the weight
of the perpendicular plate or guide B, the table D, and the camera
placed on top of the same. The weights x and y are made in separate
pieces on account of the different weights of cameras which may be

page_text: placed upon the stand. To the forward end of the table B a brace
C is hinged, the lower end of which is attached to a sliding piece m
working upon the guide rod n, attached to the lower part of the
perpendicular plate B. This sliding piece m is operated through a
screw rod F attached to the upper part of the plate B, and screwed
into said sliding piece m in such a manner as to move the same
upwards or downwards upon the guide rod n, and thereby give any
desired inclination to the table D, and at the same time hold said
table perfectly steady in this inclination or position.
The perpen-
dicular plate or guide B may be strengthened by angle pieces attached
fore and aft, or the same may be made circular or triangular so as to
give more firmness to the table D, and prevent any vibration of the
same.
Instead of counterpoising the table, camera, or other parts by means
of weights arranged as above described, springs may be arranged at
the bottom of the plate B or below the table D.
By the arrangement of the slide H acting against the surface or
part of the surface of the width of the perpendicular plate or guide B,
so as to hold the moveable table in any desired position by its friction,
the same can be kept firmer, and the position can be regulated with
greater nicety than by any other means. The table D may be firmly
attached to the perpendicular plate or guide B, and the brace C be
made a fixture so as to give more stability to the stand, but in that
case a second table must be arranged on top of the table D, hinged
at its forward end to the same for the purpose of giving any desired
obliquity to the camera, the position of which may be fixed by means
of screws or wedges. The end of the band K, and the weights x and y,'
must be arranged so as to move between suitable guide; sor rods V, V,
may be attached to the bottom of the stand A, upon which these weights
are allowed to slide to prevent their swinging about when the stand is
moved over the floor.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
and constructed, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to
be novel and original, and therefore claim as my Invention is,―
First. The arrangement of a camera stand, consisting of a perpen-
dicular plate or guide B and horizontal table D, with moveable brace C

page_text: sliding in the frame A in combination with the slide H, substantially
as and for the purpose herein set forth.
Secondly. I claim in combination with a sliding table D arranged and
operated as above described, the weighted band K working over a
suitable roller T, to counterpoise the weight of the table and camera,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Emil Peter Spahn, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this 13th day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
EMIL PETER SPAHN. (L.S.)