IMPROVEMENTS IN PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Carl Bernhard Gruner, of Frauenfeld, in the
Republic of Switzerland, but at present residing at No. 25, Alfred
Street, River Terrace, Islington, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS."
Sealed the 6th January 1863, and dated the 8th July 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Carl Bernhard Gruner
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 8th July 1862.
I, CARL BERNHARD GRUNER, of Frauenfeld, in the Republic of Switzer-.
land, but at present residing at No. 25, Alfred Street, River Terrace,
Islington, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain apparatus by means of which the ordinary
dark chamber employed by photographers can be entirely dispensed with,
and the operations of preparing plates, and of developing, strengthening,
fixing, and washing carried on in broad daylight, the operator being at the
same time able to watch and follow the progress of the various processes.
Being portable, the said apparatus is eminently useful for operating in the
open air, and in picture galleries, and other places where a dark chamber is

page_text: not obtainable; and, amongst other advantages, it possesses that of unusual
cleanliness and economy in the use of the various chemical preparations.
The apparatus is composed of four double boxes, the lower part of each
box containing a dipping bath, and the upper part being made to receive the
camera back or exposing slide with its plate. This camera back is fitted
with a moveable inner frame of ebonite, glass, or other suitable material
capable of withstanding the action of the chemicals employed, and this frame
is arranged to receive and hold securely the plates under operation. Sup-
posing the plate to be coated with collodion, it is placed into the glass
or ebonite frame much in the same manner as glasses are generally fixed into
camera backs. The camera back is then inserted through the upper part of
the double box holding the silver bath, and a rod having been screwed into a
socket provided for this purpose at the top of the glass or ebonite frame, and
the sliding bottom of the camera back, and the sliding top of the lower part
of the double box having been withdrawn together, the ebonite frame with
collodionized plate is lowered into the silver bath. The glass plate having
been sufficiently long in the silver bath, the ebonite frame holding the same
is withdrawn from it, and the slides being pushed in again, the camera back
is altogether removed from the box, whereupon the rod is unscrewed, and the
camera back placed into the camera. After the necessary exposure in the
camera the back is withdrawn as usual, and then placed into double box
No. 2, the lower part of which contains the glass dipping bath with developing
solution. The front and back of this box being provided with doors, and the
dipping bath itself of yellow, glass, the process of developing can be watched
with the greatest ease. From box No. 2 the camera back is transferred to
double box No. 3, centaining the fixing solution, also with bath of yellow
glass, and from thence to double box No. 4, with water for rinsing and
washing the plate. This last bath may be made of japanned or lacquered tin
or other material, and provided with taps for supplying fresh water and
draining off the dirty water. It is evident that the apertures for rod. for
lowering the plates into the bath, as well as the slides referred to, must be
made so as to exclude all light whilst being used. The dipping baths are
removed from and restored to their places when required through the hinged
bottoms with which the various boxes are fitted for this purpose.
:
According to the number of operations required for various processes, a
greater or lesser number of boxes are employed. The several boxes can be
binged or otherwise connected together, and thus forming one single apparatus
placed on a three-leg or other suitable pedestal or stand.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Carl Bernhard Gruner in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 8th January 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CARL
BERNHARD GRUNER, of Frauenfeld, in the Republic of Switzerland, but
at present residing at No. 25, Alfred Street, River Terrace, Islington, send
greeting..
WHEREAS Iler most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Iler heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Carl Bernhard Gruner, Her special licence that I, the said Carl Bernhard
Gruner, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Carl Bernhard Gruner, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that 1, the said Carl Bernhard Gruner, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Carl Bernhard Gruner, do hereby
declare the nature of my said 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 certain novel apparatus by means of which the
yellow or dark chamber can be entirely dispensed with, and the operations of
preparing the plates and of developing, strengthening, and fixing the image
after exposure in the camara, as well as that of washing the plate, can be
carried on in broad daylight, the operator being at the same time enabled to
watch and follow the progress of the various operations, and to conduct them
with ease, precision, and certainty. Concise in shape, and of small dimensions,:
and therefore portable, these apparatus are particularly suitable for operating
.

page_text: in the open air, in picture galleries, and in fact in all places where a dark
chamber is not attainable, and amongst numerous other advantages they
possess those of perfect cleanliness and of great economy in the use of the
various chemicals employed in photography. The said apparatus may be
constructed and arranged in various ways, they may constitute a separate
apparatus entirely distinct from and independant of the camara, or they may
be connected with and form part of the camera. If the apparatus is to be
detached from the camera it may consist of as many double boxes as there
are solutions or fluids to be employed. The lower part of each box contains
the dipping bath, the upper part being made to receive the camera back, or
exposing slide with its plate. This camera back is fitted with an inner
sliding frame of ebonite, glass, or other suitable material or substance, and is
made to receive and hold the plate under operation. Supposing the plate to
be coated with collodion it is placed into the glass or ebonite frame, where-
upon the camera back is closed and inserted through the top of the double
box holding the silver bath. A slide dividing the upper and the lower box is
then withdrawn, and the ebonite or glass sliding frame is lowered into the silver
bath by means of a rod screwed into the top of this frame and passing through
the top of the camera back. When the collodionized plate has been a
sufficiently long time in the silver bath it is withdrawn therefrom by means of
the said rod, and the slide, dividing the upper from the lower box is again
inserted. The camera back is then transferred to the camera and the plate
exposed in the usual manner, and thereupon it is again removed and inserted
into double box No. 2, the lower part of which holds the dipping bath with
developing solution. This dipping bath is formed of yellow glass, and the
frame or box holding it is made with apertures both in the front and at the
back so that when the prepared and exposed plate is immersed the develop-
ment of the image can be clearly seen and watched. From box No. 2 the
plate is transferred to box No. 3, and so on till the image is complete; and
I prefer, though not absolutely necessary, to make all the dipping baths
of yellow glass so as to permit of following the entire operation from
beginning to end. Instead of making this apparatus of so many double
boxes as there are dipping baths, I can use only one box for receiving the
camera back, and arrange the several dipping baths to slide in at the bottom
of this box below the division slide above referred to. When several double
boxes are used as described they may be joined or hinged together so as to
form an apparatus which may be supported on a suitable three-leg or other
stand, and in a like manner may the single box named be supported.
☐ I will now proceed to describe my improved apparatus when made so as

page_text: to form part of the camera, reference being had to the annexed Sheet of
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is an end view partly in section of a photographic camera to which
my improved apparatus is applied, and Fig. 2 is a transverse section of
the same.
A is the body of the camera; and B the adjustable sliding box which is
fixed by the set screw C. The camera may be of any of the usual construc-
tions and of any desired size. The slide box B is formed with a projecting
part D, reaching above the body of the camera, and is fitted with a door E.
The camera A is fixed upon a frame F, which serves at the same time as
guide to the box B. The uprights D', D', of slide box B act as guides to
the cross bar G, to which the frame J for supporting the glass plate K is
attached, and which cross-bar G is counterbalanced when being raised and
lowered by the cords and counterweights H. The plate J is secured to the
cross bar G by means of a small plate G' lined with a piece of india-rubber G",
hinged on one side to the cross bar and on the other side secured by a catch.
The frame J is made of glass, ebonite, or other substance capable of with-
standing the action of the chemicals. For removing the frame J it is only
necessary to disengage the catch. At the upper and lower ends the frame J
is fitted with holders L, likewise made of ebonite or glass, V-grooved at the
back, and which are slipped over the frame J fitting on the bevilled-off' edges
of the latter. The lower end of frame J has a number of round holes M
recessed into it which serve for adjusting the holder L' upon it by means of
a stop L', to suit plates of the various sizes. The inner surface of the nose or
catch of holder L is parallel with the frame J and in line with the focus, and
when the plate K is inserted into the notch formed by the catch the slanting
surface of the holders will cause the plate K to lie close against the catches.
Whatever the thickness of the glass plate it is evident that the collodionized
surface of the same cannot fail to fall into the focus line. The frame J is
held in a position parallel to the plane of focus by the cross bar G and its
lower end by the V-groove N, formed in the slide O. The plug Q passing
through the upper part of frame D and bearing upon the cross bar G is
depressed by the india-rubber cord P passing over it and thus secures the
frame J with plate K in their positions during exposure. The slide O forms
the bottom of this part of the frame D, which it closes hermetically. The
dipping baths or "curvettes" R with the requisite solutions are one after the
other placed immediately under the slide O, and supported by the frame F:
These dipping baths are either formed of one piece of yellow or red glass, or
they are composed of two plates of glass R' placed parallel to each other and

page_text: secured in a wooden frame with india-rubber packing R", as shewn in Fig. 2.
The dipping baths may be made with a lid S with india-rubber lining S¹,
which closing hermetically allows of the solution being retained in the dipping
baths when travelling. The stop T screwed against the slide box B has for
its object to keep the dipping bath in its proper position.
The mode of operating with my 'improved apparatus is as follows:-The
glass plate for receiving the image having been thoroughly cleaned and then
covered with the collodion or other film in the well-known manner, and which
operation may be performed in open daylight, the plate is placed and fixed
on the frame as already described, and thereupon the door E is closed, and
the camera thereby made dark. The india-rubber cord P is now slipped off
the plug Q, and the frame J with glass plate K raised out of the V-groove in
slide O by means of the cords and weights H. The slide O is thereupon drawn
out and the glass plate lowered into the silver bath, when the cross bar G, will
occupy the space vacated by the slide O, and shut out the light from the
silver bath. Whilst the plate is in the bath the door E is opened and the
focussing screen U, see Fig. 3, introduced for setting the lense and bring-
ing the image into focus. After removing the focussing screen U, the
door E is closed, the glass plate raised from the bath, the slide O replaced in
its former position, and the frame J again depressed into the V-groove, which
latter now also serves to collect the liquid dripping from the frame J and
glass plate K. The exposure of the plate now proceeds as usual, and when
completed the plate is lowered into a dipping bath containing developing
solution which bas in the mean time been substituted for the silver bath, and
the action of which can now be followed with the greatest ease through the
transparent sides of the dipping bath or curvette. The light falling through
the yellow or reddish glass being neutral the solution in the curvette is not in
any manner affected by it. After the developing process a curvette with
strengthening solution may follow if required, and after that one with water
for washing, and finally, one with the fixing solution; but the two last
operations may be performed in open daylight. If the dipping baths are to be
placed on a separate frame or stand, the frame part D of slide box B
would also be made separate similar to an ordinary camera back, and fitted
with two sliding doors. It is evident that the processes and apparatus above
described are, with suitable modifications also applicable to dry plates.
Having now described several methods for carrying out my Invention, I
wish to observe that the construction of my improved apparatus can be
modified and altered in various ways, and that I do not therefore confine or
restrict myself to the precise-details and arrangements herein-before described

page_text: and shown in the Drawing, but what I claim as the Invention to be secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the method of
securing the glass plates under operation in the camera back or plate slide,
and of lowering them into the dipping baths, and again raising them into the
camera back, and the use of one or more dipping baths or curvettes placed
immediately under the camera back, in the manner and for the purposes
substantially as described
In witness whereof, I, the said Carl Bernhard Gruner, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Second day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
CARL BERNHARD GRUNER. (L.S.)