Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 20th Mar., 1897
I, ANTOINE HURST, of 42 Boulevard Bonne Nouvelle, Paris, in the Republic
of France, 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 improvements in plate boxes for photographic cameras
and has for its object to allow of the transfer of the exposed plate in a simple and
certain manner.
My invention consists of a box which has provided a drawer within which the
plates are arranged as a pile of 12 or other convenient number and retained in
position by means of spring clips engaging with the lateral edges of the bottom
and top plates of the pile; the box being likewise provided with a hinging wedge
surface opposed to the drawer upon which the exposed plate may be caused
to slide and upon closing the drawer within the box be forced underneath the
pile thereby disengaging the spring clips retaining the lower plate and forcing
the upper plate out of engagement with the spring clips by which it was previously
retained, ready to be transferred to the bottom of the pile in like manner after
exposure.
The accompanying sheet of drawings illustrates a plate box made in accordance
with my invention.
Figure 1 illustrates a longitudinal section of the box closed completely as it is
placed at the back of the camera.
Figure 2 illustrates a transverse section of Figure 1.
Figure 3 illustrates the box open during the first stage of transfer.
Figure 4 illustrates the same box during the second stage of operation.
In carrying my invention into effect I provide a box B placed at the back of the
camera closed by a sliding shutter C in the usual way. In, this box a drawer A.
is arranged containing the pile of plates P, and a back partition D is provided
thereupon and an opening m and n respectively allowed above and below. This
dawer A can be taken out of the box B without uncovering the plates, by means
0 a flexible screen E. fixed to the box at e which effectively covers the upper face
of the drawer when it is withdrawn.
On the opposite side of the drawer A the box B is closed by a door F on which
is hinged at a wedge board H.
The operation of transfer is effected in the following manner.
•
The box being charged as indicated in Figure 1, and the top-most plate
having taken an impression the drawer A is withdrawn from the box by the
rin A', the board H thereby passing from under the pile. The box and drawer
are then inclined towards the left as indicated in Figure 3 and the exposed
plate passes through the opening m and falls upon the wedge board H in the
box B. This plate alone falls out as the remainder of the pile is retained by the
part.ion D, and also by the springs I whose upper curve extremities leave
the exposed plate free.
The exposed plate having left the position 1, indicated in Figure 3 is deposited
upon the board in the position 2 indicated and the apparatus is thereupon inclined
towards the right as indicated in Figure 4 and the plate instantly passes to the
position 3 immediately underneath the pile.

page_text: Finally the drawer A is returned into the box B, and during this operation the
extremity of the board H slides on the inclined plane a and passes under the pile
and raises the plate which it carries and causes it to pass on to the spring clips R,
and presses the pile against the upper lateral edges of the drawer A. and causes the
second upper plate to pass over the points of the spring clips I and thereby placing
the second plate in position for exposure.
The operation of transferring the exposed plate it will be seen involves only
four movements, 1st. The withdrawal of the drawer. 2nd. The inclination of the
box and drawer to the left in order to cause exposed plate to pass out into the box.
3rd. The inclination of the box and drawer to the right in order to cause this plate
to slide underneath the pile. 4th. The return of the drawer into its closed
position.
In order to charge the box with a fresh supply of plates in the dark room the
door F is taken away together with the wedge board H and also the partition D
held by lateral pins.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. A plate box for photographic cameras comprising 1st, a drawer such as A
provided with spring clips intended to support a pile of plates therein, and with
springs I the bent extremities of which serve to separate the topmost plate from
the remainder of the pile, and 2nd, a wedge board such as H serving to press the
pile of plates against the upper edges of the said drawer when the drawer is closed
substantially as described.
2. In a plate box such as claimed in Claim 1 a movable drawer which when
withdrawn is separated from a wedge board H so that the pile of plates is loosened
in such a manner that in order to transfer the exposed plate it suffices to incline
the box and drawer in a manner so as to make the plate fall into the box, and
further incline the box and drawer in an opposite direction in order to cause the
said plate to pass under the pile, and afterwards push back the drawer so as
to make the wedge board enter under the pile, to engage the exposed plate
upon the spring clips R and produce the tightening of the pile substantially as
described.
3. Improvements in plate boxes for use upon photographic cameras substantially
as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
Dated this 25th day of Tenu 1907
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.