Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Jan., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 9th Sept., 1892-Accepted, 15th Oct., 1892
TRUVIDIŲNAD DE BUITICATION.
Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
I JOHN TAINTON PRIDE of 179 Markhouse Villas, Markhouse Road,
Walthamstow in the County of Essex, Photographic Camera Maker, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:―
My invention relates mainly to photographic hand cameras and has for its object,
first, to provide a bellows body which is capable of being readily extended or
collapsed and which is entirely self supporting when in the extended position. To
this end the invention consists in making the body to fold but once in its length and
so arranging the lines upon which it is folded that the four sides fold inwards
towards the centre and meet, or nearly so, when in the folded position. For this
purpose two opposite sides (say the top and bottom) fold inwardly upon a trans-
verse crease at the middle of their length, whilst the other two sides fold inwardly
along diagonal creases extending from each corner to, or nearly to, a common centre.
These sides also have transverse creases corresponding to, and folding with, those of
the first mentioned sides. Instead, however, of all these creases converging to a
common centre, it is preferred to avoid fatigue of the material at this point that
they should connect with a crease surrounding a central uncreased portion of square
or other form.
When the bellows body is extended its four sides are flat and sufficiently rigid to
maintain the body in its extended position. In order to collapse it, it is only
necessary to slightly press inwards at the folds the transversely folded sides where-
upon the diagonally folded sides commence to assume a concave pyramidal form at
same time that by the continued folding of the other two sides the whole body is
collapsed and folded upon itself. To permit of this being readily done, the leather
body is stiffened with paper or other material in the usual way with lines of weak-
ness where the creases are to come, and a small light-tight air valve or door is
provided in the camera front to permit the ready ingress or escape of the air.
The invention relates secondly to the means whereby a number of plates brought
in succession to focal position for exposure, may be removed therefrom after
exposure, and it consists in the combination with two boxes or compartments placed
side by side and destined to contain the plates respectively before and after exposure,
of means whereby the plate which has been exposed may be slid through an aperture
connecting the two boxes into the other box, thus making way for the next
succeeding plate to be brought forward to focal position by a spring behind, whilst
the plate so transferred is, by a combination of springs in the second box, caused to
assume such a position as to admit of the next plate to be transferred, coming in
front of it.
The plates are encased in metal sheaths so that their sensitized surfaces are
protected, and the means by which the plates are transferred from one box to
another consist of a bar fitted to slide across the exposure aperture and to bear
against the edge of the plate to be transferred, said bar being attached to a longi-
Ludinally sliding bar working light-tight in a slot in the frame and provided with an
external finger piece for working it by.
The provision whereby the plates are permitted to come in front of one another
in the second or receiving box, consists of convexly bowed springs against which the
rims of the sheath bear and by which the plate is forced backwards in the box at
same time that it is rocked upon the bowed surface of the springs by the unbalanced
pressure of another spring at the back of the plate, so as to readily give admission
to the next plate to be transferred,

page_text: A sliding shutter is provided at front, and the back of the double box is closed
by a rebated lid locked by suitable clamps to give access to the chambers for
inserting and removing the plates.
Dated this 13th day of Lan 1905
J. T. PRIDE,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
11
I, JOHN TAINTON. PRIDE of 179, Markhouse Villas, Markhouse Road,
17 Walthamstow, in the County of Essex, Photographic Camera Maker, 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 :-
.3
- My invention relates to photographic cameras and has for its object to render the
bellows body entirely self-supporting when extended for use. To this end the
invention consists in making the body to fold and expand as illustrated in the accom-
¨panying drawings, forming part of this Specification, wherein
Figure I is a longitudinal sectional elevation, Figure 2 a horizontal sectional
plan, and Figure 3 a cross-section (on line 1-1 Figure 1) of the camera body in
the expanded position.
r.-
•
Figure 4 is a sectional elevation shewing the bellows body nearly collapsed, and
Figure 5 is a rear view of the body, shewing the inward folding of the four sides
when quite collapsed.
:
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
I'n carrying out my invention, two opposite sides (say the top a and bottom b)
have a transverse inwardly-folding crease at the middle of their length, whilst the
other two sides d, d, have diagonal creases e, e, extending from opposite corners.
These sides also have a transverse crease f corresponding in position to the crease c
of the first mentioned sides a, b, so that the four sides fold inwards when the body
is collapsed, as shewn in Figures 4 and 5..
•
In constructing the bellows body, the leather covering is stiffened with paper or
other material inserted between the leather and the canvas lining in the usual way,
so as to leave lines of weakness at the creases, and in order to ensure the requisite
stiffness to, maintain the body in its extended position the transversely-creased
sides a, b, are so stretched or formed that when extended they have a slight tendency
to bulge outwards at the line of the crease c, as shown in Figures 1:2, 3, so as to
'counteract' any tendency to fold inwards at the crease which would allow the body
to collapse. This bulging can best be produced by rivetting a steel spring g to each
of the sides a, b, just alongside the crease c, the spring having an outward bend or
set, as shewn, but yielding easily to inward pressure in the act of folding the camera
body.
.
In order that. the camera. body may be collapsed without the opposite sides
_ meeting or overlapping each other which would interfere with the perfect collapsing
of the body, it is necessary that the length of the body, from front to back, should
be rather less than the least dimension of the. body at the point at which it is
attached to the back frame.
n
- 'In order to collapse the body, it is only necessary to slightly press inwards the
outwardly bulging transversely-creased sides a, b, whereupon the diagonally-folded
sides'd, d, commence to. fold inwards, as shewn in Figure 4, at same time that by
the continued folding of the sides a, b, the whole body is collapsed and folded upon
itself.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is-
The herein described camera body folding as described and when extended
adapted to be wholly self-supporting by the rigidity imparted to two of its sides
substantially in the manner described.
Dated this yun day of September 1834.
J. T. PRIDE.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.