Year: 1897

page_text: I, SILAS FRENCH of the City of Rochester, County of Monroe and State of New
York, Inventor, 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:-
My invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of photo-
graphic cameras, whereby they are made more compact and portable than
heretofore, which improvements are fully described and illustrated in the follow-
ing specification and the accompanying drawings, the novel features thereof
being specified in the claims annexed.
In the accompanying drawings, representing my improvements, Figure 1 is
a plan er top view of my improved camera expanded into position for making
exposures. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same collapsed. Fig. 3 is a detail showing
the locking device on the expanding-bars. Fig. 4 is a side view of my improved
plate-holder removed. Fig. 5 is an end view of the same as seen from the left
hand in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 represents the opposite end of the plate-holder. Fig. 7
is an edge view. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section on the line 8, 8 Fig. 4. Fig. 9
is a section on the line 9, 9 Fig. 4.
My improved camera consists, essentially, of the front A, carrying the lens and
shutter; the back B, containing the plate-holder; the bellows C, and the expanding
bars or links D D. The front is of any suitable construction, arranged to hold the
lens E and a suitable shutter, which may be located in a recess at F. The front
is conveniently made of two wooden plates, having the shutter between them and
having the forward end of the bellows attached to the rear plate and with a pro-
jecting ledge all around, to which the ends of the links are pivoted. The back
is similarly provided with a projecting ledge k, to which the rear ends of the links
are pivoted, and it contains a recess for the plate-holder H which is thin, of sheet
metal, so that when the camera is closed up, as indicated in Fig. 2, the result of
the construction is the production of a camera which for any given size of plates
is smaller and more compact than any with which I am acquainted. In order to
secure this result, the links D are made to fold entirely within the flanges on the
front and back when the camera is collapsed, and the plate-holder contributes
to the effect by being made of the least possible dimensions, of sheet metal. The

page_text: forward ends of the links are pivoted inside the flanges i on the pins j and their
rear ends on the pins on the flanges k. The links cross each other as shown,
the bent ends m of one being pivoted to the ends of the other at n. The positions
of the links when the front is collapsed on the back is indicated by the dotted lines
in Figs. 1 and 2. It will be observed that the links are pivoted to the front and
back, respectively, on studs permanently inserted in such parts near their outer
edges and that such construction and the crossing of the links afford great rigidity
and avoids sliding joints between the links and the front and back. One of the
links D of each pair is provided with a slot p, in which a pin or stud o, inserted
in the other link, plays backward and forward when the camera is opened or
closed. The studs o, travelling in the slots p, serve as guides and maintain the
proper relative positions of the front and back.
A suitable locking device may be provided such as a spring-catch, or, more
simply, that form of spring-catch shown in Fig. 3, in which the slot p is slightly
narrowed, as indicated at r, near its end, the link being sawed or split, as shown
at s, beyond this point, so that a recess t is formed in which the stud o engages
and is held with sufficient force to maintain the camera distended for ordinary
purposes while it may be readily collapsed when desired, the stud spreading the
It will be under-
sides of the link, so as to enable it to escape from the recess t.
stood that the inner surface of the flanges i and k are recessed to permit the
folding up of the links and that the system of links is duplicated on the opposite
side of the camera from that shown on Fig. 1.
To hold the camera closed, the spring-catch u is employed, preferably on both
sides, arranged inside the flanges and attached to one while engaging with a pin
on the other and provided with a push or knob v, which extends to the outside.
The back is provided with an internal flange, to which the rear end of the bellows
is attached and which is provided with an opening of proper size for the exposure
of the plate.
At
It will of course be understood that when the camera is opened out the length
of the links and the position of the locking device is so proportioned to focal length
of the lens that the sensitive surface of the plate will be properly in focus.
one end or side the back frame B is provided with a recess to receive the plate-
holder H, which is provided with the projecting ledges bb, which assist in securing
a light-tight joint by fitting close up against the edges of the recess when the
plate-holder is inserted, the rear wall a being cut away, if desired, for this purpose,
as shown most clearly in Fig. 1. The plate-holder is made by enclosing a
wooden frame c clcll within two sheet-metal shells & d', which are so formed and
bent as to fit over the frame, space e e¹, Fig. 9, being left between the inwardly
projecting flanges of the shells and the sides of the frame to permit the insertion
of the exposing slides I I', which may be made of sheet metal or any suitable
material.
In Fig 8 two plates J J¹ are indicated in place in the holder, separated by a
septum f, which may be either removable with the plates or fastened to the
interior of the frame. The shells are attached to the interior wooden frame in
any suitable way, such as by pins or screws, or a groove is formed, centrally
lengthwise on three sides of the frame and the shells are provided with the
The shells
inwardly-turned flanges g, Figs. 8 and 9, which engage in the groove.
can be slid lengthwise onto the frame, the flanges entering the grooves, and they
are then secured in place by pins, or by bending the ends of the sides of the shells
over on the ends of the frame-bar c", as indicated at 2, Figs. 4 and 5, the plate w
being then fastened over the ears zz by the screws . The bars constituting the
interior frame are halved or jointed onto each other and secured together in any
suitable manner. In the case where the shells d d are not provided with the
internally-projecting ribs the shells are held on the frame by pins or screws,
which may also be used with the ribs, but are unnecessary when the ears z z are
employed, the latter giving a superior finish and appearance.
Inside the frame-bar c¹ is placed a plate, secured by screws or otherwise, pro-

page_text: vided with the projecting ledges y, Figs. 4 and 8, which engage over the edges
of the plates and hold them in place, a spring a¹ being applied to the opposite
frame-bar c and provided with ledges reaching over the edges of the plates, so
that the latter can be removed or replaced by compressing the spring. In order
to make the openings through which the exposing-slides pass light-tight, I form
a recess on three sides of the frame bar c¹, and fit into it a strip L, Fig. 8, of felt
or other suitable material, which springs outward and closes the openings when
the slides are removed. This strip is secured in place by the plate w. By my
improved construction I am enabled to make a plate-holder which for two plates
does not exceed one-quarter of an inch in thickness, being considerably thinner
than any wooden-plate-holder now on the market.
The camera with my improvement is very compact, and it is exceedingly con-
venient, because if it be carried collapsed (as it readily may be in the pocket)
with the forward exposing slide I removed, (and this may be stored in a
receptacle on the plate a of the back) the operator has only to draw the front
and snap his shutter on the desired object, thus securing a negative with the
least possible preparation in a collapsible camera.
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. The combination in a collapsible camera of the front, back and bellows, a
pair of crossed links pivoted to the front near its outer edges, a pair of crossed
links pivoted to the back near its outer edges, each link extending inward beyond the
point of crossing and pivoted to one of the opposite pair, and a spring-catch con-
sisting of a slot p contracted at one end in one link and a pin o in its crossed link,
substantially as described.
2. The combination in a plate-holder, of the frame having grooves on its opposite
sides and sheet-metal shells having internal flanges g fitting said grooves to hold
said shells upon the frame, the frame members in transverse section being of
less dimensions than the shells to provide slide-receiving spaces e, e¹ and slides I, I¹,
substantially as described.
3. The combination with the interior wooden-frame, of the flanged apertured
sheet-metal shells d d, applied to and inclosing the frame from opposite sides,
and exposing slides I I¹ arranged to slide in recesses between the shells and the
frame, the septum in the frame, means for holding the plates in the frame and
means for excluding the light when the slides are removed, substantially as
described.
4. The combination with the interior wooden-frame, of the flanged apertured
sheet-metal shells d d applied to and inclosing the frame from opposite sides
the exposing slides I I¹ arranged to slide in recesses between the shells and the
frame, the septum and means for holding the plates in the frame, the removable
the frame at the end between the slides over the ears, and the light-excluding
device L, substantially as described.
5. The combination with the interior wooden-frame, of the flanged apertured
sheet-metal shells d d¹ applied to and inclosing the frame from opposite sides
and having the ears zz bent over the end of the frame, the exposing slides I I¹
arranged to slide in recesses between the shells and the frame, the septum and
means for holding the plates in the frame, the removable plate w attached to
the frame at the end between the sides over the ears, and the light-excluding
device L, substantially as described.
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