Improvements in Means for Trimming the Edges of Photographs Prints, and the like, or Reducing them in Size
Year: 1897

page_text: "Improvements in Means for Trimming the Edges of Photographs
Prints, and the like, or Reducing them in Size."
I. WILLIAM POOLE SINGLETON, of 9 Acfold Road, Fulham, in the County of
London Engineer, do hereby, declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
Heretofore the methods in general use by photographers and others for the
purpose of trimming the rough or damaged edges of photographs, prints, pictures,
scraps, or the like, have usually required much time and considerable skill, and
moreover the results have often been far from satisfactory.
Now my invention has for its object an inexpensive device to enable the edges
of photographs, prints, pictures, scraps and the like to be readily and easily
trimmed or reduced in size on any centre or base line in or on the picture, and
I carry my invention into effect in the following manner:-
I take a rectangular sheet or plate of glass or other suitable transparent
material having one or both of its surfaces ruled, impressed, engraved, cut, or
otherwise marked with a number of lines. Half of these are parallel to one
another and to one of the edges of the plate, whilst the remainder are parallel
to one of the adjacent edges of the plate and at right angles to the first mentioned
lines these said lines forming a number of right angles situated one within the
other. The lines are placed at any suitable distance apart, and may either be
lettered, numbered, or otherwise distinguished in any convenient manner, or
left without such distinguishing marks, according to the particular purposes for
which same may be required.
When it is required to trim a photograph or other picture, the transparent
sheet is placed on said picture, having any one of its required lines made to
coincide with any desired centre or base line in or on the picture. The trans-
parency of the material used enabling the operator to arrange the intended
centre of the picture exactly to his liking.
The edges of the picture or the like can be readily trimmed and the size of
the same reduced so that the edges thereof will be at right angles to each other.
D: 15th day of Lana 1807
CASTLE SMITH,
"Invention" Office, Mitre Court, Fleet Street, London, E.C.
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Means for Trimming the Edges of Photographs,
Prints, and the like, or Reducing them in Size.
I, WILLIAM POOLE SINGLETON, of 9-Acfold Road, Fulham, in the County of
London Engineer, 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:-
Heretofore the methods in general use by photographers and others for the
purpose of trimming the rough or damaged edges of photographs, prints, pictures,
scraps, or the like, have usually required much time and considerable skill, and
moreover the results have often been far from satisfactory.
Now my invention has for its object an inexpensive device to enable the edges
of photographs, prints, pictures, scraps and the like to be readily and easily
trimmed or reduced in size on any centre or base line in or on the picture, and
I carry my invention into effect in the following manner:-
I take a rectangular sheet or plate of glass or other suitable transparent
material having one or both of its surfaces ruled, impressed, engraved, cut, or
otherwise marked with a number of lines. Half of these are parallel to one
another and to one of the edges of the plate, whilst the remainder are parallel
to one of the adjacent edges of the plate and at right angles to the first mentioned
lines these said lines forming a number of right angles situated one within the
other. The lines are placed at any suitablé distance apart, and may either be
lettered, numbered, or otherwise distinguished in any convenient manner, or
left without such distinguishing marks according to the particular purposes for
which same may be required.
I will now further describe my invention with reference to the accompanying
sheet of drawings, of which Fig. 1 represents a rectangular sheet or plate of
glass or other suitable transparent material, having lines, as previously described,
marked upon or cut in it in any suitable manner. The lines numbered from 1
to 15 being parallel to one another and to the edge K of the plate or sheet, and
the lines lettered A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, being parallel to one another and
to the edge L of the sheet or plate and crossing the lines numbered 1 to 15 at
right angles.
Fig. 2 shows a similar sheet or plate made of a thin piece of transparent
celluloid, mica, or other like material strengthened and protected by having
two of its edges bound with a metal rim M, the said rim M being secured to the
plate or sheet by means of rivets, or in any other suitable manner.
In this Fig. the lines are arranged as in Fig. 1, but in order that they may
be the more easily distinguished, every other line is dotted or broken and only every
other line running in either direction is lettered or numbered respectively.
It is obvious that these letters and figures may be entirely or partly omitted
without departing from the spirit of my invention.
When it is required to trim a photograph or other picture, the transparent
sheet is placed on said picture, having any required one of its lines made to
coincide with any desired centre or base line in or on the picture. The trans-
parency of the material used enabling the operator. to arrange the intended
centre of the picture exactly to his liking.
The edges of the picture or the like can then be readily trimmed and the size of
the same reduced so that the edges thereof will be at right angles to each other.
It is obvious that lines as described may be marked with reference to any

page_text: other two adjacent sides of the rectangular transparent plate than L and K
without departing from the spirit of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
(1) A rectangular sheet of transparent material or substance having lines
ruled, impressed, engraved, cut, or otherwise marked upon one or both of its
surfaces substantially as and for the purpose herein described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
(2) A rectangular sheet of transparent material or substance having lines
ruled, impressed, engraved, cut, or otherwise marked upon one or both of its
surfaces and having one or more of its edges bound with a metallic rim sub-
stantially as and for the purpose herein described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
Doted thin 9th d...
1
1007
CASTLE SMITH,
"Invention" Office, Mitre Court, Fleet Street, London, E.C.
Agent for the Applicant.