IMPROVEMENTS IN FRAMES EMPLOYED FOR PRINTING PHOTOGRAPHS ESPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR DIRECT PHOTOGRAPHY OR "BLUE PRINTING
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Philip Middleton Justice of 14 Southampton Buildings
in the County of Middlesex Patent Agent for an invention of IMPROVEMENTS
IN FRAMES EMPLOYED FOR PRINTING PHOTOGRAPHS ESPECIALLY ADAPTED
FOR DIRECT PHOTOGRAPHY OR "BLUE PRINTING."-A communication to him
from abroad by George Stockton Street of the Town of Moncton in the
Province of New Brunswick in the Dominion of Canada.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Philip Middleton Justice at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd May 1882.
PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE of 14 Southampton Buildings in the County of
Middlesex Patent Agent "IMPROVEMENTS IN FRAMES EMPLOYED FOR PRINTING
PHOTOGRAPHS, ESPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR DIRECT PHOTOGRAPHY OR BLUE
PRINTING" A communication to 'me from abroad by George Stockton Street of
the Town of Moncton in the Province of New Brunswick in the Dominion of
Canada
This invention relates to that class of frames which are employed for
photographic printing and particularly to the frames for direct photography or
Blue Printing
The invention consists in the means or arrangement of parts whereby the tracing
cloth, paper or other material may be readily arranged and held closely in position
during the operation of printing I effect this desirable result by the application
of a water or other pressure cushion in the place of cross bars and set screws as
ordinarily used and by the improved arrangement and combination of parts all as
hereinafter described and set forth
The advantages gained by the use of my invention are first, the pressure applied
is uniform and lessens the liability of breakage to the glass; second, the pressure
can be applied instantaneously, third, the apparatus is entirely self contained there
being no parts which it is necessary to remove to accomplish the work on hand
To the carriage are secured two equal sized frames to one of which is secured the

page_text: air cushion while the other carries the glass, said glass being secured to the frame
by pieces of tin let into the frame and bent over the glass or in any other suitable
manner The frame being rabetted to receive the glass. The pressure cushion is
formed of two sheets of rubber the same size as the frame and is secured thereto
in any convenient manner, the joint between the sheets can be made in various
ways Instead of making said pressure cushion of two sheets of the same material
the lower sheet only need be of flexible material which may be secured to a stiff
backing of zinc tin iron wood or other suitable substance. The two frames are
hinged either with straps or butt hinges but preferably with strap hinges at
intervals, the number depending on the size of the frame On the opposite side of
the frame is placed a system of levers which will operate in such a manner that it
is only necessary to fill the pressure cushion once after which the required pressure
can always be obtained by the use of the said levers The hooks or clamps which
hold the frames together are so made that they can be turned round so as to
disengage with the top frame and be dropped down below the level of the glass
thus allowing tracings and paper to be easily put into and removed from the frame
When the cushion is filled the frames will not come freely together at the front and
consequently when drawn together by the hooks or clamps and levers the pressure
is greatly augmented When the frames are drawn together and the pressure is on
the levers are held in position by a spring catch which has a shoulder which will
catch and hold the said levers If the levers are released the cushion will rise as
far as the hooks will permit to disengage which entirely, it is necessary to give
them a quarter turn The cushion frame is then free to rise to such a heighth as
to enable the operator to easily remove or place his subject to be printed The
frames are held apart by quadrants provided with spring thumb catches.
The adjustment of the levers is effected by nuts The frames are prevented from
swinging and are held at the desired angle on the stand by a clamp screw in
connection with the pivots or axles The cushion may be filled by a pair of small
bellows an air pump or a small blower, the pressure required being very small
The cushion can be easily filled by simply blowing with the mouth through a
suitable pipe; water or other liquid may be employed for filling the pressure
cushion but air is deemed preferable while a safety valve may be attached to the
cushion to prevent the application of too great a pressure At either end of the
frame containing the glass may be placed a box for the purpose of holding tracings
which are more than the length of the printing frame and have to be printed in
sections On each box there is a lid or cover. In small size printing frames the
combination of levers and quadrants may be dispensed with the two frames being
pressed together by hand and secured with a catch spring.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Philip Middleton Justice in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th November 1882.
PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE of 14 Southampton Buildings in the County of
Middlesex Patent Agent IMPROVEMENTS IN FRAMES EMPLOYED FOR PRINTING
PHOTOGRAPHS ESPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR DIRECT PHOTOGRAPHY OR BLUE
PRINTING A communication to me from abroad by George Stockton Street of
the Town of Moncton, in the Province of New Brunswick in the Dominion of
Canada
This Invention relates to that class of frames which are employed for photo-
graphic printing and particulary to the frames for direct photography or Blue
printing The invention consists in the means or arrangement of parts whereby
the tracing cloth, paper or other material may be readily arranged and held closely
in position during the operation of printing I effect this desirable result by the
application of a water or other pressure cushion in the place of cross bars and set
screws as ordinarily used, and by the improved arrangement and combination of
parts all as hereinafter described and set forth The advantages gained by the use
of my invention are; first, the pressure applied is uniform and lessens the liability
of breakage to the glass; second, the pressure can be applied instantaneously;
third, the apparatus is entirely self contained, there being no parts which it is
necessary to remove to accomplish the work on hand. To clearly explain the
nature of the invention and how the same may be practically employed reference
is made to the accompanying drawings in which Fig 1 represents in cross section a
large sized frame or press mounted upon a carriage
Fig II represents a longitudinal elevation of the carriage and frame, the latter
being turned edge wise with the glass downwards
On
There are two equal sized frames A A and B B to one of which is secured the
air cushion, while the other carries the glass In Fig I.the glass is indicated by a
heavy black line; in Fig II by the dotted line marked C said glass being secured
to the frame B. B by pieces of tin let into the frame and bent over the glass or in
any other suitable manner The frame B B being rabetted to receive the glass.
The pressure cushion D is formed of two sheets of rubber the same size as the
frame A A, and is secured thereto in any convenient manner, the joint between
the sheets can be made in various ways Instead of making said pressure cushion
of two sheets of the same material, the lower sheet only need be of flexible material
which may be secured to a stiff backing of zinc, tin, iron, wood or other suitable
substance The two frames A A and B B are hinged as at the point E Fig 1 at
suitable intervals, the number of hinges depending on the size of the frame.
the opposite side of the frame is placed a system of levers as shewn which will
operate in such a manner that it is only necessary to fill the pressure cushion once
after which the required pressure can always be obtained by the use of the said
levers F. F The hooks or clamps G G which hold the frames together are so made
that they can be turned round so as to disengage with the top frame A, and be
dropped down below the level of the glass, thus allowing tracings and paper to be
easily put into and removed from the frame When the cushion is filled it is
obvious that the frames A A and B B will not come freely together at the front
and consequently when drawn together by the hooks or clamps and levers the
pressure is greatly augmented Figs I and II show the frames drawn together and
the pressure on, the levers F F being held in position by the spring catch J which
has a shoulder which will catch and hold the said levers F F If the levers are

page_text: released the cushion will rise so far as the hooks G G will permit, 'to disengage
which entirely it is necessary to give them a quarter turn The cushion frame is
then free to rise to such a heighth as to enable the operator to easily remove or
place his subject to be printed The frames are held apart by the quadrants L L
which have spring thumb catches as shown The adjustment of the levers is
effected by the nuts M M The frames are prevented from swinging and are held
at the desired angle on the stand by the clamp screw N N in connection with the
pivots or axles 00 The cushion may be filled by a small pair of bellows, an air
pump or a small blower, or as the pressure required is very small it can even be
filled by simply blowing with the mouth through a suitable pipe; water or other
liquid may be employed for filling the pressure cushion, but air is deemed
preferable, while a safety valve may be attached to the cushion to prevent the
application of too great a pressure if deemed desirable At either end of the frame
containing the glass may be placed a box X X Fig II for the purpose of holding
tracings which are more than the length of the printing frame and have to be
printed in sections On each box there is a lid or cover In small size printing
frames the combination of levers and quadrants as well as the carriage may be
dispensed with, the two frames being pressed together by hand and secured with
catch springs Having described the nature of the invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent and how the same may be practically employed
What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is
1st The application and use in photographic printing frames or frames for direct
photography or blue printing, of a pressure cushion arranged and operating
substantially as and for the purposes set forth
2nd In photographic printing frames or frames for direct photography or blue
printing the combination of levers F F, hooks G G and catch J, all substantially as
and for the purposes set forth
3rd In photographic printing frames or frames for direct photography or blue
printing the application and use of boxes or recesses X X substantially as and for
the purposes set forth
In Witness whereof I the said Philip Middleton Justice have hereunto set
my hand and seal this seventeenth day of November in the year of Our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
Signed sealed and delivered
in the presence of
ALLEN P. JONES
53 Chancery Lane
London W.C.
PHILIP M, JUSTICE (L.S.)