An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Exhibiting Pictures by Means of an Optical Lantern or otherwise.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Dec., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Sept., 1896-Accepted, 23rd Dec.. 1896
An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Exhibiting Pictures by
Means of an Optical Lantern or otherwise.
WILLIAM JAMES SPURRIER, 6 Queenswood Road, Moseley, Birmingham,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Improvements for the simplification of the troublesome & cumbersome methods
now in use for the exhibition of pictures, such as lantern or stereoscopic slides and
the like. For the purpose of my invention I construct specially suitable automatic
magazines or a revolving slide carrier somewhat after the style of the sails of a windmill,
for the reception of and automatic insertion and withdrawal of the pictures, the said
magazines or revolving carrier being driven by a motor, such as a spring, weight,
electricity or the like, as may be desired. The magazine or carrier is conveniently
placed to place the pictures in position to be viewed or shown on a transparent
screen by a specially constructed optical lantern having a short focus lens, the said
screen being attached or connected by stretchers, cords or chains so that by merely
pulling out the screen and lighting the lamp or jet and starting the motor the
apparatus is instantly ready for exhibition. To facilitate the use of the said lamp,
that is oil lamp, 1 arrange the oil container so that it can be lowered, or the wicks,
(in either case the latter being inclosed in a tube or cage,) raised, so that the wick
is removed from contact with the oil, thereby the flame of the lamp soon consumes
the oil in the wick, burns out and consumes the charred portion of the wick so that
it is trimmed ready for re-lighting by again being returned to the oil. For this
purpose I connect the container to the burner by means of jointed links, rack and
pinion or other suitable mechanism. I also construct a reversable catch to connect,
at will, the wick tube to the container so that it, the said wick may be lowered
for lighting. The whole apparatus is enclosed in a case or cabinet, there being an
outer cover to the before mentioned screen, which is jointed thereto, the said cover
being decorated with a picture or panels, to form a cabinet or cupboard. The
said screen and cover may be mounted as on an easel, the cover being jointed to
the screen at its lower edge, I further joint upon the opposite edge of the cover
two short legs, which when the cover is closed I arrange to act as fastenings to
keep the cover closed. For the purpose of exhibiting the pictures in the daytime
I cover the space between the lens & the screen with light impervious material
and provide a bood connected in front, with an opening for viewing the pictures
through, or the screen may be jointed at the correct focus (so that it may be
folded away) in a dark chamber, such as a photographers dark room, and viewed
through an aperture for the purpose.
The revolving carrier may be operated by hand, and when used automatically
the magazine consists of a grooved box and another for the store, these two latter
are made to work synchronously by means of a connecting rod & gear wheels
driven by revolving the said carrier, which is constructed with at least two
receptacles for the lantern slides provided with pads upon which the slides may
fall noiselessly, and spring catches to hold in and release the slides. Another
way of arranging the two grooved boxes or magazines is to place one above and
the other below the lens tube, mounted in a frame, slides or runners. The
magazine is placed upon a board or bottom, the frames, slides or runners are

page_text: provided with notches or pegs upon which a pusher rod acts each time it is
actuated for changing a slide or picture, opening and closing a stop or rest for
the slide while in the lantern. When there is not sufficient space to allow of the
before mentioned magazines I adapt that form of changing set forth in my
Patent Number 17022, September 11th 1893, Figures 7. 8., providing lengthened
changing grippers, a stop or rest as before mentioned and gripping springs in the
store to hold the shown slides or plates. When these magazines are actuated
automatically, the mechanism is arranged to allow a specified time for each picture
to be viewed.
By the before mentioned means and in accordance with this my invention,
I construct an automatic or otherwise picture exhibiting apparatus.
Dated this 21st day of December 1895.
An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Exhibiting Pictures by
Means of an Optical Lantern or otherwise.
WILLIAM JAMES SPURRIER, Manufacturer, 6 Queenswood Road Moseley,
Birmingham, 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 :-
This invention relates to apparatus for so facilitating the exhibition or display
of pictures. Firstly, transparencies such as lantern slides, that an optical lantern
can be successfully used without trouble or loss of time, and even by those who
know nothing about lantern work, secondly, opaque or transparent pictures such as
stereoscopic slides.
This apparatus consists of a carrier, with or without an automatic magazine, an
optical lantern and a screen, which are conveniently and optically, correctly
connected together.
Figure 1. of the accompanying drawings, represents a side elevation, of a hanging
or bracket apparatus having a portion, of the case or frame removed, to show the
lantern in position, and by dotted lines to show the screen and front opened and
extended.
Figure 2. is a plan, showing the screen in position for exhibiting pictures,
extended by means of jointed stretchers, and supported by a bracket e², on the
door e.
Figure 3. is a front elevation of the jointed stretchers and the lugs or bosses by
means of which and the necessary bolts or pins, they are connected to the lantern
and the screen.
a is the case or framing by means of which the lantern b. is connected by the
stretchers c¹, c³ to the screen frame d. e is the cover or door. ff, f³, are the
lugs or bosses by means of which the stretchers c¹, c² are connected to a and d.
Figure 4. represents a side elevation of the apparatus with the lantern case a.
supported on legs, and the screen d on an easel, and these two said parts connected
together by means of material g. impervious to light which covers up the whole of
the space between the lantern and the screen, and further to enable the pictures to
be viewed in brilliant light, a hood of simelar material is put in front of the screen,
the said hood being supported by a rod h' on either side, and having an aperture h³
through which to view the pictures.
Figure 5. represents the lantern and screen fitted in a room or closet, b the

page_text: lantern, d, the screen fitted to a suitable portion of the room or closet, such as
the wall or side or the ceiling, in the latter case the said screen may be hoisted
out of the way by the cord and pully 3, 3, and if it is required to view the pictures
during the day (or other) light an aperture is provided for the purpose in the door
or side of the room or closet.
Figure 6. represents a side elevation of the oil container attached to the lamp or
lantern, with the container lowered for lighting.
Figure 7. represents the said lamp or lantern with the container raised up into
position for burning.
Figure 8, shows the lamp when a circular burner is used.
K is the lower portion of the lamps, L1, L2, are two of the links connecting the
container J to the lamp K, M is the plate carrying the burner tube or tubes ani
under which is a case or cage with a hole in the bottom to hold the wick, when
the plate M is held up by the spring catch, one on each side, as shown at n, other
simelar but longer spring catches o, o₁, hold up the container J when in position
for burning as shown at Figures 7 & 8. My object in this arrangement is, that by
releasing the hold of the spring catches o, o', the container J is lowered, but the
catches n hold up the burner plate M carrying the burner and the wick in the cage
or case which is provided with a hole for the oil to run out into the container, the
light then soon consumes the oil remaining in the wick, burns off the charred
portion of the wick and goes out, where by it is trimmed ready for lighting when
required.
Figure 9, represents partly in section and partly in elevation a front view of the
circular revolving carrier, with a lantern slide falling out of the magazine into one
of the grooved receptacles, made like unto an open frame with channelled guides
and a rest for the slide to fall upon, and the bevelled gearing and racks and
pinions for imparting motion to the magazine and store for the used lantern slides,
the said frame being provided with channelled guides for conducting the slides
into and out of the carrier.
Figure 10, shows a top side plan of the frame (a portion thereof being removed
to show the position of the carrier & gearing) with the beds or carriages for the
magazine & store for the lantern slides.
P is the circular carrier with openings P1, P2, P3, P4, through which the lantern
slides are shown or projected, these said openings being provided with channelled
guides to hold the slides, and the outside frame Q is also provided with channelled
guides Q, Q, to guide the slides from the magazine and into the store R¹, both
of which are provided with grooves. The said magazine and store slide in or upon
their respective beds or carriages S, S', S, S³. t is a shaft provided with bevel
wheels, T¹, T, T³, gearing with other bevel wheels fixed to the circular carrier
and the pinions T', T. T, T', T, T, are the racks fitted to the magazine R,
and the store R¹. Q³, is a slot in the frame Q for the slides to pass through from
the magazine R into the carrier P. Assuming a lantern slide is passing out of the
magazine R as shown in Figure 9, and into the carrier receptacle P₁, which has
previously been brought into position to receive same, when the slide has fallen
into the said receptacle, a quarter turn is imparted to the carrier P, to bring the
slide to the position P', on the said Figure 9, while it is there being shown another
slide falls into the carrier, and at the next quarter revolution of the carrier P, the
first slide is kept in the carrier by and guided into the store R', by the guide Q³,
attached to the frame Q. The revolving of the carrier P, imparts motion to the
shaft T, and to the pinions T4, T5, by means of the bevel gearing T1, T2, T', and
there by to the magazine R and the store R', by means of the racks T', T', T³, T,
all working synchronously together. To, is the bearing for the spindle of the
circular carrier to revolve in, and T", T, are bearings for the shaft T, one end
of the pinions T4, T, the other ends of the said pinious being respectively provided
with bearings inside the frame Q. Figures 11 to 14 represent magazines and their
attachments accordings to this my invention for my picture exhibition apparatus
when there is not sufficient space to allow of using the revolving carrier,

page_text: and show the working parts of the said compact magazines, open frames, and
stores.
Figure 11. is a side elevation of the said working parts, portions of the frame Q
being removed to show the interior working portions.
Figure 12. represents a vertical section upon the dotted lines A, B, Figure 11,
and shows a slide falling into the open frame with channelled guides from which
the picture is exhibited.
R, shows the position of the grooved magazine, R', that of the store, Q is part
of the outside frame, Q, Q, are platforms attached to the outerframe Q for the
support of the magazine and the store, and Q4, is a central platform. U is the
connecting rod with the cranks U8, U%, and the shafts U10 U11,
the pawls U1, U2, U³, U', are mounted and work in bearings U", U¹³, U¼, U¹,
upon which
which respectively act upon the racks or rackets, T', T', T³, T', and move the
magazine R and the store R', in the directions as indicated by the arrows shown in
Figure 11. U³, is a knob, handle, or connection for conveniently effecting the
changing of the picture or slide. U, U³, are bearings or guides for the rod U.
U, is the rest upon which the slide or picture falls upon coming out of the
magazine R and it is also the port which is opened to let the said slide fall into
the store R'. This rest and port U16, is mounted in bearing U", U18, and is
connected with the connecting rod U by a crank U, which is provided with a
peg U2, which fits into the notched slot Un.
Figure 13 is an end elevation of the port or rest U18.
Figure 14 is a side
Assuming that the apparatus is fixed in position ready for exhibiting pictures
with a lantern, which is preferably fitted with a lens of short focus, and closed up
as it would be when not in use.
First open the cover or door, which may be hinged at its lower edge as e, in
Figure 1. or at its side as Figure 2. then pull the screen d into position as shown
in Figures 1. 2. 4. and 5. Now light the lantern b. which if fitted with an oil lamp,
will require to be filled with oil, which is done by releasing the springs o. o¹ and
thus lowering the container J. For lighting, the spring or springs n. are pulled
out to allow the burner plate M to fall onto the container J. The wick is then
accessable for lighting, and the container is raised up so that the said springs n. o.
hold all together.
To insert the lantern slides for exhibition in the lantern, assuming the magazine R
which is of the usual form with grooved sides is filled with twenty-five or maybe
fifty slides, the said magazine is put into position for the first slide to fall into the
channelled guides at P₁ of the revolving carrier Figure 9. A quarter revolution
is now given to the circular carrier to bring the slide into the lantern at P¹ and at
the same time the rod T. has by means of the gearing T1, T2, T3, and T₁, T,
brought the magazine a groove forward so that the next lantern slides falls into
the revolving carrier, and another quarter turn is given to bring the first slide over
the store R¹, into which it falls, these movements being repeated until all the slides
are shown.
My compact form of magazine shown at Figures 11. 12. 13. and 14. has a
magazine of usual form (provided with interior grooves,) the position of which is
shown at R. Figures 11. and 12. and the corresponding store for the reception of
the used slides or pictures at R'. It is with this magazine that pictures may be
exhibited otherwise than with a lantern, so I will describe it in operation without
a lantern, although the action is exactly simelar in either case, the difference being
that only one person can conveniently see the pictures at one time.
The pictures are placed in the grooves in the magazine R, the knob U³ is
grasped and lowered as far as it will go from the position shown in Figures 11. 12.
Then raise the knob U³ and the pawls U¹, U³, U, U', engaging with the racks or

page_text: rackets To, T, To, and T', move the magazine R. one groove forward so that a
picture is brought over the channelled guides and falling therein and upon the
rest and port U which has been closed by the same movement.
The picture is thus in position for being viewed or exhibited. Thus by a
very slight movement the pictures contained in the magazine are successively
exhibited.
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:
First. In an optical lantern, providing the same with an attached screen, whereby
the apparatus is ready for use, by simply opening the cover and pulling out the
screen, substantially as described and set forth.
Secondly. In an optical lantern apparatus consisting of an optical lantern with
a short focus objective lens, a transparent screen attached or connected to the
lantern, and a revolving carrier or automatic magazine, substantially as described
and set forth.
Thirdly. In an optical lantern, providing same with hoods impervious to day or
other light, so that the pictures may be exhibited in day or other light, substantially
as described and set forth.
Fourthly. In an optical lantern, for use in a dark room, the screen being
attached to the side or wall, or to the ceiling, substantially as described and set
forth.
Fifthly. In optical lanterns, slide revolving or automatic carriers, substantially
as described and set forth.
Sixthly. In lantern lamps, providing same with a loose burner plate, and falling
container for facilitating the lighting and trimming of the wick, substantially as
described and set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of September 1896.
WILLIAM JAMES SPURRIER.