A Bracket Stand for Photographic Cameras, to Replace Tripod or Ordinary Stand.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Aug., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 13th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 11th Feb., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Bracket Stand for Photographic Cameras, to Replace Tripod or
Ordinary Stand.
EDWARD MICHAEL MATTHEW SMITH, 12, St. Thomas' Road, Spalding, Artist
in Stained Glass, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:--
The bracket can be made of wood, metal, or other combinations. It consists of
three principal parts, the fixed frame, the swinging frame, & the sliding or extend-
ing frame with camera table attatched.
Drawing No. 1 illustrates the bracket with sliding frame G, slightly extended.
A the fixed frame. C, one of the grips for hanging the bracket, these grips are
adjustable and of different capacities. B, quadrant arm, with claw which acts
upon F the quadrant when tightened by K the thumb nut & keeps D, in the
position required. G, the sliding frame working in D, & retained in position by
the thumb-screws H, H, to this frame is attatched I the camera table which has
a swinging motion both to left & right hand-which is regulated by thum
screw J. L, camera screw.
Drawing No. 1. Side view of bracket.
44
No. 2. Front
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This apparatus which may quickly & rigidly be fixed to any firm object is of
especial use to photographers who require to take photographs from places where
an ordinary stand cannot be used, such as parapets, balconies, battlements, bridges,
window sills angles of roofs, rigging of ships, ladders, steps, stools, &c. &c. &c.
and will be found invaluable by architectural photographers for obtaining details
of carving, mural decorations, bases & heads & pillars, & generally for use in
lofty positions on ladders & in cramped spaces.
Dated this 10th day of Au 1908
A Bracket Stand for Photographic Cameras, to Replace Tripod or
Ordinary Stand.
I, EDWARD MICHAEL MATTHEW SMITH, of 12, St. Thomas' Road, Spalding, in
the County of Lincolnshire, Artist in Stained Glass, do hereby declare the nature

page_text: of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to an improved device or apparatus for the support of a
photographic camera, its object being to provide means for supporting and rigidly
fixing the said camera upon a surface, place, or thing of any angle, such for
instance as upon parapeits, balconies, battlements, bridges, window-sills and
sashes, angles of roofs, the rungs or and sides of a ladder, the rigging of ships,
steps, stools, and other equally awkwardly situated places, where it would be
utterly impossible to fix an ordinary camera stand.
In order that my said invention may be understood and as examples of some
of its applications and manners of use under the circumstances stated, I have here-
unto appended two sheets of drawings, of which
Fig. 1 Sheet 1 is a side elevation of the entire apparatus, shewing the camera
fixed thereon horizontally.
Figs. 2 and 3 are plan view and end elevation respectively of Fig. 1, with the
camera removed.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an accessory to the said device or apparatus,
hereinafter explained.
Fig. 5 is an illustration shewing how the sliding frame of Fig. 1 may, with the
camera, be removed and reversed without removing the camera therefrom.
Fig. 6 Sheet 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken upon the line CD of the
swinging frame of Fig. 1, and illustrating a locking device hereinafter explained,
Fig. 7 being an also enlarged plan view of the before mentioned swinging frame.
Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 11 are perspective views of a few of the many different angular
places and surfaces to any and all of which my said device or apparatus is capable
of being quickly, easily and rigidly fixed.
My invention consists of a preferably rectangular wood or other frame A (herein-
after referred to as the fixed frame) having upon one of its faces a pair of grips
or grapples C C₁ capable of adjustment vertically by the means of slots a, and
screws or pins b, (Fig. 3) or by any other suitable means, and capable of easy
removal for the substitution of a pair of smaller or larger dimensions, as may be
required. The upper end of the fixed frame A has pivotally connected thereto
(which may conveniently be by the means of hinges E) a preferably rectangular
wood or other frame D, (hereinafter referred to as the swinging frame) and capable
of swinging through an arc of 120 degrees or thereabouts, as suggested by dotted
outline at X Fig. 1. The sides of the said swinging frame I are connected
together by cross pieces c, c¹, and c², the one c¹ being extended in depth and affixed
to extension pieces 3, to the latter of which is fixed the one ends of a pair of
sectors F and F¹, the opposite ends of these being fixed to the side piece of the
frame D, while the upper ends of the sides of the fixed frames A carry plates or
arms B and B¹, the top extremities of each of which carry a clip or bolt d'adapted
to engage with the sectors F and F¹, and for preference I form a slot e in each
of the said sectors, through which the said bolts d may pass and receive a thumb-
nut K, the tightening of which upon the bolts would grip the sector F and F
and retain the swinging frame D in any desired position.
The inner sides of the frame D have grooves g and gl, in which slides a wood
or other frame G. (hereinafter referred to as the sliding frame) the sides of the
said frame being held together by cross-pieces h. h1, h2, and adanted to be retained
in position in any part of the length of the swinging frame D by the means of
thumb-screws or their equivalents H. Upon the cross pieces h and h² are mounted
a pair of brackets MM upon which are mounted, by the means of suitable bolts
or pins, a pair of plates N, supporting a table I, one or the other or both of the
said plates N being provided with a slot f, (Fig. 3) through which, and one or
the other or both of the brackets M or and M', pass a threaded bolt, provided with
a thumb nut J, the tightening of which serves to retain the table I in any position
between the two shewn by dotted outline in Fig. 3. The table I has one or more

page_text: holes therein for the reception of a thumb screw L, for securing thereon the table
of the camera O to be used.
The architectural or other photographer employing my said invention would
probably carry with him two or more different sized pairs of the grips or grapples C
and C, so that he may use whichever pair may be most suited for grasping any
surface, place, or thing most suitable and available in the fixation of the camera,
and in Figs. 8, 9, 10, and 11, I illustrate a few out of the many to which my
apparatus may be easily and quickly connected.
In the illustration Fig. 8, where it may be convenient to mount the said camera
upon the outer face of a ladder S, leaning against a wall or other vertical surface.
In this case a small pair of grapples C C may be used for grasping one of the
rungs of the said ladder, with the fixed frame A resting upon some of the other
and lower rungs, the swinging frame D in this application being shown as fixed
in a horizontal position with the camera above the table I, but where necessary
the said camera may be below the table I, as illustrated by Fig. 5, to achieve which,
the operator would simply loosen one or the other or both of the thumb-screws H
and draw out the sliding frame G, and having reversed the latter and replaced it
within the grooves in the frame D, the camera would then be below I as shewn
in Fig. 5, and by referring to the dotted outline of G in Fig. 1 it will be under-
stood, that this may be caused to extend beyond either end of D as required, with
the table I above, as therein and in Fig. S shewn, or beneath as previously
described.
In Fig. 9 I illustrate how the position of the camera may be changed, so that
the lens of the camera is pointing downward. To effect this the grapples C, C¹.
may still grasp the same rung of the ladder but at the opposite side thereof, while
the swinging frame D, and the fixed frame A, may be so fixed, relatively to each
other, by the means of the thumb nuts K, that while the former may be perfectly
vertical, or at any angle approximating thereto, the fixed frame A would, by the
weight of the said frame G and the accessories thereon be pressed up against the
under side of the rungs below.
In Fig. 10 I illustrate the manner of using my invention for supporting a
camera in a horizontal position upon a sloping roof such as T. For the purposes
of such a position, I provide with cach apparatus a pair or more of auxiliary
grapples or grapnels, such as V Fig. 4, each provided with an attached cord, rope,
or wire m. In this arrangement the frames D and A would be so fixed together,
that the lower end of the latter, and the inner end of the former may rest upon
the roof T', so that the table I is in a horizontal position, or at any angle approxi-
mating thereto, and in order that the whole may not slip from the position in
which it is placed, the grapnels V may be caused to grasp the brickwork, slates,
tiles, chimney stack or any other convenient part of the roof, while the ropes or
cords m may be connected to the grapples C and C₁ as shewn.
In Fig. 11 I illustrate the fixation of a camera upon the top of a wall, or may
be the sill of a window. For the purposes of such a case a large pair of grapples C
and C¹ would be desirable, those being preferably of such length as to grasp the top
of the wall, or its equivalent window sill W, and support the entire weight of the
apparatus, while the frames D and A are so adjusted, relatively to each other that
the lower end of the latter, may rest against the face of the wall W, and so steady
the apparatus, while the former may be at such an angle as to support the camera ()
in the desired position, which in this case as an example, is shewn similar to Fig. 9.
From the foregoing it will be understood, that while the position of the camera
may be adjusted in certain directions by means of the frames A and D, and in
certain other directions by the sliding frame G, the lateral adjustment or turning
round of the camera may be effected by the means of a thumb screw L upon the
adjustable table I, and by means of the said apparatus a photographer is enabled
to take photos of places and things situated in such obscure positions as to render
such an operation absolutely impossible without my said apparatus, which consti-
tutes my invention particularly useful if not invaluable to architects, surveyors,

page_text: and others for obtaining details of carving, mural decorations, bases and heads
of pillars, and generally for use in lofty, cramped and out-of-the-way places, not
accessible with an ordinary tripod.
In order that by the sometimes necessary changing of the camera from one
position to another, mishap may not occur by spontaneous slipping of the sliding
frame G through omission to tighten the thumb-screw or screws H, I provide in
each of the cross bars c and of the frame D a hole p (Figs. 6 and 7) through
each of which passes a bolt r, provided with an extending hand-hold or knobs.
and surrounded within the hole 2 by a spiral-spring t, the tension of which serves
to keep the inner end of r extending above the level of the cross pieces c², and
ready to collide with the cross pieces h¹ h h of the sliding frame G, so that such
cross pieces cannot pass beyond the said bolts r in either direction, until these or
one of them has been lowered by a pull upon the handhold s.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
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1st. The improved bracket stand for supporting photographic cameras in any
desired position, substantially as herein described and shewn by the accompanying
drawings.
2nd. The bracket-stand or support for photographic cameras, consisting of a
main or supporting frame A, having a pair of adjustable grips or grapples C
and C, and pivotally connected to a second or swinging frame D, in which slides
a third frame G. carrying a table I, for supporting a camera 0 by the means of
a thumb-screw L and rendered adjustable by the means of brackets M and M',
plates N, and thumb nuts J, the said swinging frame D being adjustable upon
the frame A by the means of a pair of sectors such as F and F1, with adjusting
bolts and nuts such as and K, working in arms or plates B and B upon the
frame A the said swinging frame D having bolts actuated automatically by
springs t, for arresting the spontaneous motion of the frame G when released by
thumb screws H, the whole connected, combined, and operating with or without
auxiliary grapples or grapnels V, and ropes or cords m, substantially as herein
set forth and shewn by the appended drawings.
Dated this 13th day of December 1898.
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1, Broad Street Buildings, Liverpool Street, Londen, E.,
Agent for the Applicant.