Improvements in Photographic Apparatus.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 14th June, 1893-Accepted, 29th July, 1893
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Photographic Apparatus.
I, NEWNHAM BROWNE, of 73 Cheapside, in the City of London, Fellow of the
Chartered Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention which has been communicated to me by Eugène Cheron and Leandre
Marco Mendoza, of Paris, in the Republic of France, Photographic Apparatus
Manufacturers, to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an apparatus by which photographs may be taken and
forthwith developed without requiring a separate dark room.
The apparatus
consists of two chambers, the upper contains, a series of plates and means for
exposing the same, the lower one the means for developing the picture. The upper
chamber is fitted with a camera, lens, shutter, and a plate magazine and other parts
hereinafter more fully specified and the lower part contains a cage, or basket,
receiving the plate from the camera, and a series of tanks, or baths, for developing,
fixing, and washing the picture.
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The arrangement and operations are substantially as follows:
The plates that may be ferro types, or glass, or other plates, and either for
positives," or "negatives," are each placed in a frame, or carrier, and inserted in
a magazine provided for the purpose, when a rod connected with suitable mechanism
is pulled, one plate takes its place in the camera. The shutter covering the lens is
moved by another rod, or push, and a bell is sounded by suitable clockwork. The
operator, by the strokes of the bell measures the time necessary for exposure and a
third rod, or push, causes the shutter to close and the bell to stop striking.
Another suitable button, push, or stud, serves to open a slide at the bottom of the
camera, so that the plate that has been exposed drops into a basket or carrier below
(in the second compartment of the apparatus). A spring carries the slide back into
position.
The basket is carried on a cross-bar, having a handle at its outer end and sliding
in a guide tube. The arm on said cross-bar from which depends the basket, works
in a slot of the guide tube.
The bar is marked and the sleeve fitted with transverse slots so that by pulling
on the cross-bar and turning it, the basket is successively carried along the series
of baths and dipped in each.
When the plate that is in the basket has passed through all the baths, it
approaches a door in the side of the apparatus which, being opened allows the
removal of the finished plate.
Dated the 02nd den of Contambar 1802
NEWNHAM BROWNE.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Photographic Apparatus.
1, NEWNHAM BROWNE, of 73 Cheapside in the City of London, Fellow of the
Chartered Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention which has been communicated to me by Eugène Chéron and Leandre
Marco Mendoza of Paris, in the Republic of France, Photographic Apparatus:
Manufacturers, 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 automatic photographic apparatus, and
consists of an arrangement enabling all the operations required for the production
of a photographic image or negative to be carried out in the daylight.

page_text: The construction of the improved camera will be best understood by reference to
the accompanying drawings, in which-
Fig. 1. is a perspective view, with one of the partitions broken off, so as to
disclose the internal mechanism.
Fig. 2. is a longitudinal section on the line passing through the axis of the
object glass; and
Fig. 3. is a cross section on line v, x, y, z, Fig. 2.
The complete apparatus consists of a rectangular box or chamber; which a
partition C divides into two compartments A and B one of which is hermetically
closed by means of a horizontal cover or lid a, while the other is similarly closed
by a vertical cover or lid b.
Within the upper compartment are arranged the shutter D with the object
glass the camera E and the magazine G for the reception of a pile of sensitized
plates which are provided with a metal frame.
The lower compartment B which constitutes as it were the laboratory contains
firstly the developing fixing and washing baths R S and T and further a cage or
basket of wire coated with parafin which at a given moment receives the plate
bearing the photographic impression; this plate being adapted to be so operated
from the outside as successively to plunge into the several baths R S and T as may
be required in the course of a photographic operation for which purpose a rod F is
provided.
The plates (preferably ferro-types but which may he glass plates or films if
desired) are arranged with their metal frames within the magazine G, in a
vertical position, and so that their sensitized surfaces are turned towards the object
glass.
These plates are subjected to the yielding pressure of a spiral spring H.
The camera being provided with a sufficient stock of plates, protected from the
light, and the baths R, S, and T, being filled with their respective liquids,
photographic views may be readily taken, developed and completed.
The lids a and b having first been carefully closed a rod j carrying the rectangular a
plate J is pulled on the outside, and then the whole device is pushed in such a
manner that the said plate J forces the first or foremost of the plates contained in
the magazine G to the back of the camera E, i.e. exactly behind the object
glass O.
The camera is now ready to perform its function. By pushing the knob X the 3
shutter D is opened, and at the same time the hammer of a bell Y is set in motion;
this bell being arranged to strike at regular intervals under the action of ordinary
clockwork. The operator having counted the number of strokes of the bell which
varies according to the quantity of light he has at his disposal presses the knob or
button Z and thereby releasing the shutter D closes the object glass and 4
simultaneously stops the striking of the bell.
Upon the plate having been thus exposed in the camera E a knob V₁ is pulled,
whereby a spring controlled shutter or door V is swung round or tipped and the
exposed plate allowed to descend into the wire cage P arranged as shown in Fig. 1.
When the button or knob V₁ is released, this spring controlled plate or door V 4
closes of its own accord under the action of its spring.
At this juncture commences the laboratory operations.
The cage P is pivotted upon an arm p secured to the rod F. This rod externally
terminates in a knob or button f and slides within a tube M which serves to guide
it and has a slot extending over the greater part of its length, to afford a passage 5
for the arm p, as shown in Fig. 2 the lower edge of the slot has in front of each
bath a notch m¹ and m¹ formed in it, each presenting a double bevel or incline,
and also a fourth notch n situated outside of the plane of the baths.
The cage P being arranged as shown in Fig. 2 in full lines, and having received
the plate by reason of the door V having been swung open, the rod F is pulled. 5
The externally projecting part of this rod is provided with index marks or
divisions and with the assistance of these it is pulled until the arm p engages in

page_text: the notch m along one incline of this notch. The cage P is in consequence
immersed in the developing bath as indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 3 along
with the plate it contains.
By slightly turning the knob the said cage with the plate it carries is somewhat
shaken in the developing bath Ŕ. Immediately after this the rod F is pulled so as
to cause the arm p to rise again, and thereby also to cause the cage P to re-ascend
along the other incline of the notch m. The cage P having thus been removed
from the bath R, as the movement is continued, the arm in due course arrives at
the notch m². The cage or basket containing the plate now descends into the
fixing bath S in which it is slightly stirred as before, and from which it is directly
afterwards lifted; so that as the pulling action of the rod F is continued, the
arm p is at length brought to the notch m" which allows the basket to drop into
the washing bath T.
The basket is now raised for the last time, while the arm p with the plate, which
has thus gone through all the required operations, is moved up to the last
notch n where it takes up the position shown diagrammatically in dotted lines
Fig. 2.
It now only remains to open the lid b and remove the completed photographic
plate by hand from the cage P.
The lid is then immediately closed again and the cage P having been returned
to its initial position (Fig. 1) further photographs or negatives may be successively
obtained by repeating the operations just described, until the stock of plates in
the magazine G is exhausted.
The baths R, S and T which are removable at will, are placed in the
compartments of a bed plate or rack L occupying the whole of the bottom of
the case, and also adapted to be slid out when necessary.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents I declare that what I claim is
1. Photographic apparatus consisting of a case divided into two compartments
viz., an upper compartment A containing the plate magazine, camera, and shutter,
with a counting or signalling bell; and a lower compartment B, which serves as a
laboratory, and contains the developing, fixing, and washing baths; also mechanism
for conveying the impressed plate from one bath to the next.
2. A camera E with a magazine G containing sensitized plates; the said camera
being arranged side by side with the said magazine, and the latter provided with a
plate J enabling the plates to be pushed into the camera by means of the external
pushing rod j.
3. A cage or basket P of wire coated with parafin, connected by a rod p with a
horizontal rod F, the said cage being adapted to receive the exposed plate through
the hinged plate or door V and permitting the said plate to be carried from one
bath to the other under the action of the rod F arranged to be operated from
outside, and located within a slotted sleeve M, whereby the rod p may be brought
successively to the slots m, m³, and m to enable the cage or basket, and the
plate, to drop into each bath in succession; and lastly moved up to the notch n so
as to enable the operator to remove the completed photographic plate.
4. A photographic apparatus constructed and arranged as herein before described
and shown in the drawings and for the purposes set forth.
Dated the 13th day of June 1893*
NEWNHAM BROWNE.

page_text: the notch m along one incline of this notch. The cage P is in consequence
immersed in the developing bath as indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 3 along
with the plate it contains.
By slightly turning the knob the said cage with the plate it carries is somewhat
shaken in the developing bath R. Immediately after this the rod F is pulled so as
to cause the arm p to rise again, and thereby also to cause the cage P to re-ascend
along the other incline of the notch m. The cage P having thus been removed
from the bath R, as the movement is continued, the arm in due course arrives at
the notch m¹. The cage or basket containing the plate now descends into the
fixing bath S in which it is slightly stir ed as before, and from which it is directly
afterwards lifted; so that as the pulling action of the rod F is continued, the
arm p is at length brought to the notch m" which allows the basket to drop into
the washing bath T.
The basket is now raised for the last time, while the arm p with the plate, which
has thus gone through all the required operations, is moved up to the last
notch n where it takes up the position shown diagrammatically in dotted lines
Fig. 2.
It now only remains to open the lid b and remove the completed photographic
plate by hand from the cage P.
The lid is then immediately closed again and the cage P having been returned
to its initial position (Fig. 1) further photographs or negatives may be successively
obtained by repeating the operations just described, until the stock of plates in
the magazine G is exhausted.
The baths R, S and T which are removable at will, are placed in the
compartments of a bed plate or rack L occupying the whole of the bottom of
the case, and also adapted to be slid out when necessary.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents I declare that what I claim is
1. Photographic apparatus consisting of a case divided into two compartments
viz., an upper compartment A containing the plate magazine, camera, and shutter,
with a counting or signalling bell; and a lower compartment B, which serves as a
laboratory, and contains the developing, fixing, and washing baths; also mechanism
for conveying the impressed plate from one bath to the next.
2. A camera E with a magazine G containing sensitized plates; the said camera
being arranged side by side with the said magazine, and the latter provided with a
plate J enabling the plates to be pushed into the camera by means of the external
pushing rod j.
3. A cage or basket P of wire coated with parafin, connected by a rod p with a
horizontal rod F, the said cage being adapted to receive the exposed plate through
the hinged plate or door V and permitting the said plate to be carried from one
bath to the other under the action of the rod F arranged to be operated from
outside, and located within a slotted sleeve M, whereby the rod p may be brought
successively to the slots m, m³, and m¹ to enable the cage or basket, and the
plate, to drop into each bath in succession; and lastly moved up to the notch n so
as to enable the operator to remove the completed photographic plate.
4. A photographic apparatus constructed and arranged as hereinbefore described
and shown in the drawings and for the purposes set forth.
Dated the 13th day of June 1893.
NEWNHAM BROWNE.