Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 4th Dec., 1890-Accepted. 10th Jan., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
I, LOUIS VAN NECK, of Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Merchant, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to photographic cameras.
The camera constructed according to the said invention has the appearance of a case
covered with leather, and presents in front two circular openings one being designed
for the objective and the other for the sighting.
At the upper part of the camera is arranged a handle for the transport, and a
square opening provided with a deadened glass protected by a spring actuated
shutter.
The camera possesses at its lower part a rectangular opening likewise provided with
a deadened glass masked by its metallic shutter; the lever of the obturator having an
exterior helical spring which can be detached at will and expanded so as to act upon
a series of tappets; and a knob provided on a rack designed for the focussing.
On the side of the apparatus is arranged a presser of the disengaging device.
The camera has at its rear a closing device operated by a spring which device
enables a portion of the cover to be removed and the bag which serves for changing
the plates or films or the key of the roller frame to be uncovered or laid bare; further-
more a metallic handle, and an opening for the numbering frame.
My improved apparatus is composed of two distinct parts, one being fixed and
the other removable. The latter part includes the portion of the cover hereinbefore
referred to.
The anterior fixed part is formed of a reservoir upon which is placed in front the
objective actuated by the rack for the focussing and immediately preceding the obturator
having a mirror which exactly closes the opening on the side of the chamber for the
plates or films placed behind. Above, the deadened glass is at the exterior and reflects
the image produced by the objective. A number of levers actuated by springs enables
the obturator to be put under tension without uncovering the opening of the chamber
towards the sensitive plates or films. At the moment of the disengagement the mirror
is raised and lowered with a velocity corresponding to the tension of the springs
acting upon the levers. For prolonging the exposure the obturator can be manipu-
lated through the medium of a string or the like.
The posterior fixed part of the apparatus comprises a chamber which can hold say
from twelve to thirty sensitive plates or films possessing frames of metal, celluloid, or
other light material. Use can also be made of a roller frame having say from forty-
eight to one hundred sensitive plates or films.
After each exposure the sensitive plate or film can be changed by means of a key; or
giving a quarter of a turn to the handle at the rear the last frame holding the sensitive by
plate or film is raised in the impermeable bag in such a manner that the operator can
eize it and easily place the same before the others without fear of making a mistake.
At the same time the numbering disc is caused to advance through the distance
between two notches and in the opening provided for this purpose appears the number
corresponding to the figure indicating the number of plates or films used. In like
manner a hand shows upon the roller frame the number of turns imparted to the
rollers.
Dated this 4th day of March 1890.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
I, LOUIS VAN NECK of Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, 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:
My invention relates to what are known as hand or detective cameras of that class
in which a combined shutter and reflector hinged within the body of the camera stands
normally at an angle of 45° to the optical axis of the lens, and whilst shielding the
sensitive surface reflects the image projected by the lens, upon a focussing screen at
the top of the camera..
The invention relates mainly to the means of operating said shutter for the purpose
of exposing the sensitive surface, the object being to enable the said mechanism to be
<i set in readiness for an "instantaneous" or rapid exposure without moving the
shutter itself, so that no light will be admitted in setting the mechanism, and no
other shutter will be required to protect the sensitive surface whilst the shutter is
being set.
My invention also relates to an indicator to denote how many plates have been
exposed.
My invention is ilustrated in the accompanying drawings as applied to a camera
provided with a magazine intended to contain a series of sheathed plates which are to
be, placed in front of one another and to be brought in succession to the position for
exposure by transferring the rearmost plate to the front through a flexible bag
covering the top of the magazine, the camera being provided at back with a plate.
lifter by which the indicator is also operated.
The invention is also applicable in connection with a roller slide, as will be readily
understood.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
Specification, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of the camera with the near side of
the outer casing broken away to shew the shutter-operating mechanism. Figure 2 is
a longitudinal section of the camera, shewing the combined reflector and shutter.
Figures 3 and 4 are detail views, shewing the one lever passing over the other, in
setting the mechanism. Figure 5 is an inside view of the rear end, shewing the
indicator mechanism, and Figure 6 is an outside rear view.
A is the outer casing and B an inner casing having a movable front on which the
lens tube is mounted and provided with a focussing rack and pinion motion C. D is.
the flap shutter carrying the mirror E. It is hinged at the top of the inner case B
and the mirror which, when the shutter is in the normal or closed position, is in the
optical axis of the lens, and at an angle of 45° thereto, then reflects the image on to
a focussing screen E' in the top of the inner casing B, said screen being situated at
exactly the same distance from the centre of the mirror as the sensitive surface is
behind it, when in position for exposure, so that an image in sharp focus on the screen
would also be so on the sensitive surface, were.the shutter raised. The shutter when in
its normal position closes light-tight against a seat F and when raised for a prolonged
exposure it also closes light-tight against another seat G to prevent access of light
through the focussing screen. It is hinged upon end gudgeons d in the sides of the
inner casing B, one of said gudgeons having a short lever arm d¹ which is acted on
by a spring d² whereby the shutter is pressed upon its seat F. Upon the side of the
inner case B is also mounted a lever H whose upper end is pressed forward by a
strong spring and whose lower end projects in the form of a thumb piece / through
a slot in the bottom of the outer case. The end of the lever d' is bevelled towards

page_text: the front, as shewn on an enlarged scale in Figure 3, and the upper end of lever H
is also bevelled towards the rear and the said lever is also flexible laterally so that
when its upper end is moved backwards it will ride over the bevelled end of d¹ and
fall into engagement therewith, as shewn in dotted lines in Figure 1, in which position
it tends to force lever d¹ forward and to raise the shutter D. By this riding of the
one lever over the other, it will be seen that the shutter D is not disturbed in setting
the mechanism. A trigger lever K (see Fig. 1) is pivoted to the bottom of the inner
case B and it has a catch k which is caused, by a spring acting on said lever, to engage
with the lower end of lever H, when it is thus moved forward, and retain it in that
position, in readiness to be released at the proper moment for exposure. The other
end of the trigger lever has a thumb piece that projects through the bottom of the
outer casing A, by pressing on which the catch k will be disengaged from lever H
and the spring I will be permitted to come into action for the purpose of operating
the shutter D through the levers H and d¹. These levers are so arranged and
proportioned that the upper end of the former, in describing an arc in the forward
direction, will cause the latter to describe an arc and so raise the shutter D until it
just abuts against its seat G, whereupon the end of lever d¹ will escape from H and
the shutter will instantly fall back upon its seat F. To modify the time occupied by
the shutter in making this double movement and so varying the period of exposure, a
spiral spring (not shewn) may be attached to lever H and provided with means of
varying its tension. A prolonged exposure may be given by lifting the shutter D by
a cord passing through the top of the camera.
Referring now to Figures 5 and 6, L is the plate-lifting lever operated by a key
on the lever axis and projecting from the back of the camera, the purpose of this lever
being to raise the rearmost plate into the flexible bag at the top of the magazine.
M is the indicator disc pivoted in the back of the camera, having a circle of numbers
marked on its outer face and successively brought opposite an aperture m in the back
of the camera at each motion of lever L. For this purpose, the disc has as many
ratchet teeth as there are numbers on its face and it is moved to the extent of one
tooth each time lever L is raised by a pawl n engaging with its teeth in succession and
carried by an oscillating lever N connected by a link with lever L. The numbers
on the disc correspond with the number of plates in the magazine, and by this means
it can be ascertained at a glance how many exposures have been made.
P is the light-tight bag for enabling the change of position of the plates to be
effected. It is attached to a removable frame Q forming part of the outer case A and
covered by a hinged cover A¹ which is raised when the bag is to be made use of. The
frame is rebated to the outer case A and is secured by an internal bail r engaging
with an internal projection R on the inside of frame Q and also by an external plate
fixed to frame Q springing into engagement with a pin s fixed in A. This plate S also
forms a staple for the spring-catch T by which the cover A¹ is held closed.
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 :-
1. In a photographic camera, the combination, with an internal flap shutter and
reflector arranged for operation as described, of the herein described mechanism
consisting essentially of the combination of spring-actuated levers adapted to engage
with each other, as described, whereby the parts may be set in position for actuating
the shutter without moving the latter, as specified.
2. The combination, in a camera, of a plate-magazine or roll-holder and of the
herein described combined flap shutter and reflector provided with mechanism
combined and operating as herein described for actuating the shutter in the manner
specified.
3. The combination, with the plate-lifter, of the automatic indicator consisting of
the toothed number-disc operated by said lifter, as specified.
4. The herein described means of fixing the flexible bag frame to the outer case,

page_text: consisting in the combination of the internal hinged bail and projection and the
external spring-catch, as specified.
Dated this 4th day of December 1890.
L. VAN NECK.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.