Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
I, THOMAS ERNEST MEADOWCROFT, of 233, Lavender Hill, London, Dealer in
Photographic Apparatus, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in that kind of photographic camera
in which a number of sensitized plates or films are so stored in a magazine that
they can be exposed one after the other without removing them from the camera,
thus avoiding the necessity of employing a dark room until the whole of such
plates or films have been exposed; and the object of this invention is to provide
suitable and convenient means whereby such a camera may be focussed for each
successive picture to be taken.
For this purpose I provide the front part of the camera into two compartments
connected by a bellows or other device capable of being expanded or contracted
at will by means of racks and pinions operated for example by a milled-head on
the exterior of the camera. The two compartments can be maintained parallel to
one another by one or more suitable guide plates, rods, bars, or the like. Or in
some cases instead of dividing the front part of the camera as above described I
effect the focussing entirely by the adjusting devices of the lens.
The focussing screen is hinged to one side of a yielding spring frame which is
so mounted in the rear part of the camera body that when in the focussing posi-
tion, the focussing screen is held in the plane which will afterwards be occupied
by the sensitized plate or film in the magazine while the picture is being taken.
The magazine containing the sensitized plates or films may be of any con-
venient known form, but I prefer that in which the plates or films are transferred
by hand from back to front of the magazine or vice versa by the aid of a flexible
bag or hood. The magazine is hinged at its front part to the back part of the
camera body and is closed light-tight on that side by a hinged door or shutter
which can be opened or closed from the exterior of the camera by means of a
lever or other suitable device. For example, I sometimes provide a pin projecting
from one side of the said hinged door or shutter, which engages with a slotted
crank-arm which may be connected by a link to a second crank-arm the axis of
which passes through the side or top of the camera and is actuated by a lever or
other suitable device conveniently situated on the exterior of the camera.
During the focussing operation the magazine is turned out of the way of the
focussing screen, but when it is desired to take the picture the magazine is closed
against the back end of the camera body containing the yielding frame of the
focussing screen, which frame is thereby forced inwards until the foremost of the
sensitized plates or films (which is however covered by the hinged door or shutter
of the magazine) is in the focussing plane. The hinged door or shutter may now
be opened by means of the lever or other device on the exterior of the camera,
the aforesaid pin passing into and traversing a segmental slot in the side of the
yielding frame of the focussing screen, and in opening the said door or shutter
comes into contact with the hinged focussing screen, and not only causes the said

page_text: screen to open, but also serves to mask the glass surface thereof whilst in the open
position. After the picture is taken, the hinged door or shutter of the magazine
is closed by means of the lever or other device and the focussing screen is returned
into its normal position by means of a spring or otherwise. The magazine may
now be turned back out of the way, when the yielding frame will spring outward
into the focussing plane, and the cycle of operations can then be repeated.
Dated this 10th day of December 1898.
Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
I, THOMAS ERNEST MEADOWCROFT, of 233, Lavender Hill, London, Dealer in
Photographic Apparatus, 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in that kind of photographic camera
in which a number of sensitized plates or films are so stored in a magazine that
they can be exposed one after the other without removing them from the camera,
thus avoiding the necessity of employing a dark room until the whole of such
plates or films have been exposed; and the object of this invention is to provide
suitable and convenient means whereby such a camera may be focussed for each
successive picture to be taken.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 illustrates in longitudinal vertical
section a camera constructed in accordance with my invention, the parts being
shewn in their normal position, except that the front part of the camera is partly
drawn out as in the focussing operation. Figure 2 is a similar section of the rear
part of the camera in the focussing position; and Figure 3 is a similar section
of the same part of the camera in the position for taking the picture. Similar
letters relate to like parts in all the figures of the drawings.
The front part of the camera is divided into two compartments a and b con-
nected by a bellows c or other device capable of being expanded or contracted at
will by means of racks d and pinions operated for example by a milled head e on
the exterior of the camera in a manner well understood in connexion with such
apparatus. The compartments a and b can be maintained parallel to one another
by one or more suitable guide plates f, or by rods, bars, or the like. Or in some
cases instead of dividing the front part of the camera as above described I effect
the focussing entirely by the well-known adjusting devices of the lens, which is
situated at g (Figure 1) in the usual manner.
Suitable finders (as h for example, Figure 1) shutter, stops and other parts
incidental to cameras of this class are provided, but I have not considered it neces-
sary to illustrate those in the drawings. The front (Figure 1) of the camera
is hinged to the camera body in the usual manner.
j is the focussing screen hinged to one side of a yielding spring frame & which
is so mounted in the rear part of the camera body that when in the focussing
position, the focussing screen is held in the plane which will afterwards be occu-
pied by the sensitized plate or film in the magazine while the picture is being
taken. 2 is a stud or projection on the inside of the camera body taking into a
slot or guide way 3 in the side of the yielding frame k and by which the said frame
is guided and kept in place. Z are springs acting to force the frame k towards
the rear of the camera.

page_text: The magazine containing the sensitized plates or films may be of any convenient
known form, but I prefer that in which the plates or films are transferred by
hand from back to front of the magazine or vice versu by the aid of a flexible bag
or hood such for example as is shewn in the drawings, being the magazine con-
taining the plates or films m and fitted into the rearmost part n of the camera.
The plates m are preferably mounted in the usual holders, and are kept pressed
forward in place by the springs o. p is a Z-shaped bar by which the hindermost
of the plates may be raised to such a height above the others that it may be
grasped by the fingers of the operator acting through the light-tight flexible
bag and transferred to the front position in a manner well understood and to
which I make no general claim. The part n of the camera which contains the
magazine is hinged at r to the back part of the camera body and is closed light-
tight on that side by a hinged door or shutters which can be opened or closed
from the exterior of the camera by means of a lever or other suitable device. For
example, I sometimes provide a pint projecting from one side of the hinged door
or shutters, which pin engages with a slotted crank-arm u which may be con-
nected by a link to a second crank-arm w the axis a of which passes through the
side of the camera as shown and is actuated by a lever or other suitable device y
(Figure 3) conveniently situated on the exterior of the camera.
During the focussing operation the rearmost part n of the camera containing
the magazine is turned on its hinge rout of the way of the focussing screen j,
(as shewn in Figure 2); but when it is desired to take the picture the said part n
and magazine are closed against the back end of the camera body containing
the yielding frame of the focussing screen j, which frame is there-
by forced inwards against the resistance of the springs, until the
foremost of the sensitized plates m (which is however covered by the
hinged door or shutter s of the magazine 7) is in the focussing plane that is to
say, in the position shewn in Figure 1. The hinged door or shutter s may now be
opened by means of the lever y or other device on the exterior of the camera,
the pin t passing into and traversing a segmental slot A in the side of the yield-
ing frame of the focussing screen j and in opening, the said door or shutter s
comes into contact with the hinged focussing screen j and not only causes the said
screen to open, but also serves to mask the glass surface thereof whilst in the
open position, as seen clearly in Figure 3. After the picture is taken, the hinged
door or shutters of the magazine is closed by means of the lever y or other
device, and the focussing screen j'is returned into its normal position by means
of a spring or otherwise. The rearmost part n of the camera and the magazine /
may now be turned back on the hinge out of the way, (as in Figure 2) when the
yielding frame k will be forced outwards by means of the springs z into the focus-
sing plane, and the cycle of operations can then be repeated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
First. In photographic cameras, the means by which the picture to be taken
may be first focussed on a hinged screen, and the sensitized plate or film be
brought into the plane previously occupied by the said focussing screen during
the focussing operation, substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
Second. The improvements in photographic cameras which consist of a yielding
frame carrying a hinged focussing screen, a magazine so mounted that the fore-
most sensitized plate or film contained therein can be brought into the focussing
plane, and devices for removing the focussing screen and exposing the said plate
or film, substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
Third. In photographic cameras the combination of the yielding frame k,
hinged focussing screen j, magazine l, hinged door or shutters, and actuating

page_text: devices t, u, v, w, c, and y with the plate-changing device p, q, substantially as
described with reference to the drawings.
Fourth. In photographic cameras the combination of the yielding frame k,
hinged focussing screen j, magazine, hinged door or shutters, and actuating
devices t, u, v, w, and y with the bellows or other focussing devices cand plate-
changing devices p, q, substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
Fifth. The new or improved photographic camera which consists of a front part
divided into two but flexibly connected, a yielding frame carrying a removable
focussing screen, a magazine with hinged door or shutter, means for changing
the position of the plates or films, and devices for focussing, removing focussing
screen, and exposing the sensitized plate or film, combined, arranged, and opera-
ting substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
Dated this 7th day of Sentembor 1800
T. E. MEADOWCROFT.
Per W. H. Beck,
Agent, 115, Cannon Street, London, E.C.