Improvements in Apparatus for Taking Instantaneous Photographic Pictures.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 31st May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 10th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 4th Mar., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Taking Instantaneous Photographic
Pictures.
I, GEORGES PHILIBERT CHARLES MARONIEZ, of 101, Rue Faidherbe,
Boulogne-sur-Mer, in the Republic of France, Merchant, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for taking instan-
taneous photographic pictures, the movement of the shutter and the changing of
the sensitive plates or surfaces being effected by a single movement of a knob or
handle.
The apparatus consists of a box or camera forming a dark photographic chamber
provided with a lens adjustable by a rack and index, so that the exact position and
focus can be determined beforehand.
Behind and against the front of the camera is a shutter in the form of a disc,
revolving always in the same direction. It is provided with two opposite openings,
which pass in turn in front of the opening of the lens, and it is mounted upon an
axle having a toothed wheel operated by a coiled spring which can be wound up
with a key when required so as to afford a considerable number of exposures.
At right angles to the diameter of the disc on which the openings are made, and
at its circumference, two catches are arranged which serve as stops. For this
purpose they act in combination with an escapement or anchor piece pivotted in the
upper part of the camera.
This escapement is held back in its normal position by a spring, one of its teeth
being down and the other up so that the first engages and with and holds one of the
stops upon the disc and prevents the latter from turning.
When by the action of a bar or pusher moving longitudinally and provided with
a tappet, the escapement is turned on its centre, the tooth described is released
from the disc, which makes a semi-revolution, uncovering the lens as it does so.
The other tooth of the escapement, which is now down, then stops the other stop
upon the disc, but when the pressure upon the pushing bar is released it is returned
to its normal position by a spring, and the escapement takes its original position,
the second stop upon the disc being released but being immediately caught by the
other tooth of the escapement, where it is held in readiness for another exposure,
and so on as often as may be desired.
In order to change between each exposure the sensitive surface, which may be
either glass plates or films of any convenient size, they are contained in frames or
discs of thin metal slightly concave to give elasticity, and having their edge turned
over to hold the plate or film.
These frames are arranged one behind the other in the back of the camera, and
are all pressed forward by a spring. They are supported below by two guides
allowing a slight amount of play, and the front frame is pressed against two pieces
of metal which project very slightly above the ends of the guides, and have their
projecting ends rounded.
In the middle of the upper part of the camera is arranged a longitudinal bar or
spindle turning in bearings and having upon its front end a toothed pinion gearing
with a rack upon the pushing bar already described, so that immediately after the
shutter has operated, the pinion and spindle are made to make a quarter of a turn.
The spindle carries two curved teeth, at right angles to each other in end view,
and one somewhat in advance of the other, the forward tooth, which in its normal
position is inclined downward and curved to the left, serving to release the front
sensitive plate and frame. For this purpose it is combined with a stop at the end

page_text: of a flat spring which presses it down, and against which in this position the top
edge of the first or front frame presses.
By the revolution of the spindle by means of the rack, the front tooth rises to
the left and having made an eighth of a turn comes against and presses up the spring
and stop, pushing the latter into a recess in the top of the camera, so that the top
of the front frame is released and being pushed forward by the spring at the back
and by an angular spring described presently, falls forward (turning upon its lower
edge) and guided by two curved guides in the body of the camera falls flat upon
the bottom of the latter where it is held by two springs in the sides.
At the same time that the forward tooth upon the spindle has moved up, the
corresponding back tooth has moved down and prevents the next frame from falling
forward..
When the pressure upon the pusher bar is removed, the spindle is brought back
to its original position by a spring, and the next frame is pressed forward and held
in position ready for a fresh exposure.
The back tooth upon the spindle operates a wedge-shaped piece at the end of a
flat spring which tends to force it down. This piece has a notch into which the
said back tooth engages and raises the wedge into the recess at the top of the
camera. When the tooth is lowered it releases the wedge which is forced down by
its spring, its edge entering behind the frame which has just been exposed and
driving. the upper edge of the latter forward so that it falls over as already
described, even in case the camera in inclined somewhat backward.
Inside the camera at its right and left sides, are two vertical springs of thin steel
- metal split into strips of different lengths, the thickness of (say) three superposed
frames being left between their successive ends which are bent somewhat outward
so that the frames as 'they fall easily press them back but are afterwards prevented
from rising from the bottom or being displaced even if the camera is turned in any
direction. An opening in the bottom allows these exposed plates to be removed
without disturbing the others.
The pushing bar is provided at its end with a spring cam which, at each operation
advances a ratchet wheel one tooth, the wheel having a number of teeth corre-
sponding with that of the plates, and having an exterior index hand which can be
brought back to zero by a button and indicates automatically the number of plates
exposed.
The pusher bar itself which actuates the entire mechanism, is of brass having a
rack cut in it to fit the toothed pinion on the spindle, and it is also provided with a
pall which in its forward movement actuates the escapement. This movement is
so arranged that the escapement is released after the first part of the stroke, during
the remainder of which the teeth upon the spindle disengage a frame as described
and cause it to fall to the bottom of the camera, the two movements being in
succession and not simultaneous.
The pusher bar is operated by a cam having an exterior thumbpiece which can
be worked without shaking the camera. By turning this thumbpiece a quarter
of a turn the cam is turned and forces forward the pusher bar which starts the
escapement and the spindle. A safety catch prevents the thumbpiece from being
accidentally moved.
When the pusher bar is brought back by its spring, the whole of the parts take
their original position ready for a fresh exposure, and all the required movements
are made with great rapidity by a simple pressure upon the thumbpiece, so that
a large number of exposures-say twenty a minute-may be made without
interruption.
From its simplicity of construction and operation, only a simple pressure upon
the thumbpiece being required, the apparatus may be safely used by persons
inexperienced and without knowledge of photography.
Dated this 31st day of May 1892.
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Taking Instantaneous Photographic
Pictures.
I, GEORGES PHILIBERT CHARLES MARONIEZ, of 101, Rue Faidherbe,
Boulogne-sur-Mer, in the Republic of France, Merchant, 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 and
accompanying drawings, that is to say :-
My invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for taking instan-
taneous photographic pictures, the movement of the shutter and the changing of
the sensitive plates or surfaces being effected by a single movement of a knob or
handle.
In the accompanying drawings which are in illustration of my invention,
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the apparatus,
Figure 2 a plan of the interior mechanism,
-,
Figure 3 a transverse section through the line
Figure 4 a frout view of the lens-adjusting index,
Figure 5 a plan of the indicator shewing the number of pictures exposed,
Figures 6 and 7 detailed views of the escapement,
Figures 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13, detailed views of the catch and of the spring
presser.
The apparatus consists of a box or camera forming a dark photographic chamber
provided with a suitable lens A adjustable by a rack and index v, so that the
exact position and focus can be determined beforehand, (Figures 1, 2, and 4).
Behind and against the front of the camera is a shutter B in the form of a disc,
revolving always in the same direction. It is provided with two opposite
openings S, S', which pass in turn in front of the opening O of the lens (Figures 1
and 3). The disc is mounted upon an axle a having a toothed wheel operated by
a coiled spring in a barrel e which can be wound up with a key d so as to afford a
considerable number of exposures.
At right angles to a diameter of the disc passing through the openings in the
latter, and at its circumference, two catches C, C, are arranged which serve as
stops. For this purpose they act in combination with an escapement or anchor
piece T arranged in the upper part of the camera. This escapement turns upon.
the centre W and is held back in its normal position by a spring D, one of its
teeth E being down and the other F up, so that the tooth E engaging with and
holding the stop C prevents the disc from turning in the direction of the arrow by
the action of the coiled spring.
When by means of a bar or pusher P provided with a tappet P¹ the tooth E is
raised, it leaves the disc B free which accordingly makes a semi-revolution,
uncovering the lens as it does so. The other tooth F of the escapement which is
now down, forms a stop against which the second stop C¹ upon the disc strikes.
When the pressure upon the pushing bar ceases and it is brought back to its normal
position by a spring U, the escapement T takes its original position and the stop C
being released by the tooth F which rises, comes in contact with the tooth E and
is then ready for another exposure and so on as often as may be desired (see
Figures 3, 6, and 7).
In order to change between each exposure the sensitive surface, which may be
either glass plate, or films of any convenient size, they are contained in frames or
discs of thin metal made slightly hollow or concave to give elasticity, and having
the form shewn at G (Figure 14).
These frames are arranged one behind the other in the back of the camera and
are all pressed forward by the spring H. They are supported below by two
guides I allowing a slight amount of play (about 1 millimetre).

page_text: The front frame is pressed against two pieces of metal J which project about two
millimetres beyond the surface I and have their projecting ends rounded. In the
middle of the upper part of the camera is arranged a longitudinal bar or spindle K
turning in bearings and connected with the pushing bar of the shutter already
described by a rack L and a pinion V fixed upon it and gearing with the rack so
that immediately after the shutter has operated the pinion and spindle are made to
make a quarter of a turn.
The spindle carries two curved teeth M N at right angles to one another in end
view, and one somewhat in advance of the other, the forward tooth M which in
its normal position is inclined downwards and curved to the left serving to
release the front sensitive plate and frame. For this purpose it is combined
with a stop e fixed at the end of a spring which tends to press it down, and against
which the top edge of the first or front frame presses in this position.
By the rotation of the spindle K by means of the rack L, the front tooth M
rises to the left and having made an eighth of a turn comes in contact with and
presses up the spring and stop, pushing the latter into a recess in the top of a
camera, so that the top of the front frame is released and being pushed forward by
the spring at the back H, and by an angular spring Y presently described, falls
forward and guided by two curved guides Q falls flat upon the bottom of the
camera where it is held by springs X of different lengths.
At the same time that the forward tooth M has moved up to the left the corre-
sponding tooth N behind it has moved down in front of the second frame which it
prevents from falling forward like the first.
When the pressure upon the pusher bar ceases the spindle, brought back by
a spring R, returns to its original position and the next frame is pressed forward
against the tooth N which has come down, and is ready for a fresh exposure.
The tooth N operates in combination with a wedge-shaped piece Y at the end of
a flat spring Z which tends to keep it down.
This piece has a notch into which in its normal position the tooth N, which
is raised to the right, engages and consequently pushes back the wedge into the
recess in the camera. When the tooth N is lowered by the oscillation of the
spindle K, it releases the wedge Y which is forced down by its spring, the edge
of the wedge entering behind the frame which has been exposed and driving the
upper edge of the latter forward so that it falls over as already described, even
although the camera is inclined somewhat backward (see Figures I and II).
Inside the camera at its right and left side are fixed two very thin springs X
split into strips of different lengths, the thickness of (say) three superposed frames
being left between their successive ends which are bent somewhat outward so that
the frames as they fall easily pass them but are afterwards prevented from rising
from the bottom or being displaced even if the camera is turned in any direction
or inverted.
A door in the bottom allows these exposed plates to be removed without
disturbing the others.
The pushing bar P is provided at its end with a spring cam h which at each
operation advances a ratchet wheel oue tooth, the wheel having a number of
teeth corresponding with that of the plates. This wheel has an exterior index
hand which can be brought back to zero by means of a button k and indicates
automatically and continuously the number of plates exposed, (Figures 1, 3,
and 5).
The pusher bar P which actuates the entire mechanism is of brass having a
toothed rack cut in it at L which drives the pinion V. It is also provided with a
pall P which in its forward movement actuates the escapement T. This move-
ment is so arranged that the escapement is released after the first part of the stroke
during the remainder of which the teeth M and N being turned by the pinion
disengage a frame as described and cause it to fall to the bottom of the camera,
the two movements being in succession and not simultaneous. The pusher bar P
is operated by a cam having an external thumb-piece a which can be worked

page_text: without shaking the camera. By turning this thumb-piece a quarter of a turn the
cam which turns at the same time forces forward the pusher bar which sets in.
operation the escapement and then the spindle with its teeth. A safety catch at t
prevents the thumb-piece from being accidentally moved.
When the pusher bar is brought back by the spring U the whole of the parts.
take their original position ready for a fresh exposure.
All the required movements are dependent upon each other and are made with
great rapidity by a simple pressure upon the thumb-piece, so that a large number
of exposures-say 20 a minute-may be made without interruption.
From its simplicity of construction and operation only a simple pressure upon
the thumb piece being required the apparatus may be safely used by persons.
inexperienced and without knowledge of photography.
The details of the apparatus may be varied more or less as may be found
advisable.
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. The method of combining the movements of all the parts of photographic
apparatus of the kind described, in such manner that a simple pressure upon a knob.
sets the whole in operation.
2. The arrangement of the pushing bar P in combination with the circular
wedge h which when the thumb-piece is operated moves forward the pushing bar
without shake and operates in succession the escapement of the shutter and the
devices for changing the plates by means of the rack and pinion and the spindle.
provided with catches.
3. The arrangement of the plate changing devices in such manner that their
movement is in every case subsequent to that of the shutter.
4. The combination of the spring wedge with the holding catch so as to move
the plate forward even when the camera is inclined backward.
5. The arrangement of the shutter operated by the spring in combination with.
the escapement, all substantially as and for the purposes described and illustrated.
Dated this 10th day of January 1893.
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant..