Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Sept., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 14th June, 1892-Accepted, 3rd Sept., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
We, Fox SHEW, of 88 Newman Street, Oxford Street, in the County of
Middlesex, Manufacturer, and LORENZO CECIL VAUGHAN HENRY, of Kylemore
Castle, County Galway, Ireland, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
-
The invention has for its object improvements in photographic cameras whereby
lenses of shorter focus than that used with the camera in its normal or extended
condition can be used and accurately focussed, and whereby the front of the camera
can be tilted and swung within certain limits, thereby obtaining, amongst other
advantages, that of a rising front.
The invention relates to that class of camera in which the back and front are
connected by bellows, and in which the front is adjusted and fixed between side
wings hinged to the back of the camera, thus obtaining rigidity in the camera
when in use and at the same time enabling it to be folded readily into a small
compass.
According to the present invention the wings are slotted longitudinally and the
slots are carried past the holes fitting over the lens when the camera is folded.
One method by which this is effected is by the use of metal or other guides or
rods mounted with capability of being slidden across the holes in order to continue
the slots, but which, when the camera is folded, are pushed back, so as to leave the
holes clear for the passage of the lens therethrough. Other methods of continuing
the slots across the holes can however be employed.
•
Thus the front of the camera can be adjusted in relation to the back, so as to
enable various lenses to be used therewith and accurately focussed and fixed by
means of clamping nuts working on screws attached to the front of the camera and
passing through the said slots. By this arrangement the front of the camera can
be tilted and swung within certain limits and securely fixed in such position by the
clamping nuts or screws.
The invention also relates to a new method of raising the front of the camera,.
which is applicable to the description of camera above referred to, as also to other
kinds of cameras.
For this purpose the front of the camera is formed with a frame or false front,
which is provided with guides to receive a sliding lens board carrying the lens and
the front of the bellows, a screw and nut or other suitable means being employed.
to raise and lower the said lens board.
In some cases we provide the sliding lens board above described with an
additional board sliding in horizontal guides mounted on the said lens board.
When employing this particular form of front, the lens is mounted in the additional
sliding board. This will enable the lens to be moved in a horizontal as well as in
a vertical direction.
Dated this 15th dox of September 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
We, Fox SHEW of 88 Newman Street, Oxford Street, in the County of
Middlesex, Manufacturer, and LORENZO CECIL VAUGHAN HENRY, of Kylemore
Castle, County Galway, Ireland, Gentleman, 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:-
The invention has for its object improvements in photographic cameras whereby
lenses of shorter focus than that used with the camera in its normal or extended
condition, can be used and accurately focussed, and whereby the front of the
camera can be tilted and swung within certain limits, thereby obtaining, amongst
other advantages, that of a rising front or swing back.
The invention relates to that class of camera, in which the back and front are
connected by bellows, and in which the front is adjusted and fixed between hinge
bound side wings hinged to the back of the camera, thus obtaining rigidity in the
camera when in use, and at the same time enabling it to be folded readily into a
small compass.
According to the present invention, the hinge bound wings are slotted
longitudinally, and the slots are carried past the holes fitting over the lens when
the camera is folded. One method by which this is effected is by the use of metal
or other guides or rods mounted with capability of being slidden across the holes,
in order to continue the slots, but which, when the camera is folded, are pushed
back, so as to leave the holes clear for the passage of the lens therethrough. Other
methods of continuing the slots across the holes can however be employed.
In some cases we dispense with the lens holes in the wings and carry the slots
from one end to the other thereof, in which case the lens is removed from its fixing
before folding the camera.
Thus the front of the camera can be adjusted in distance in relation to the back,
so as to enable various lenses to be used therewith and accurately focussed and
fixed by means of clamping nuts or screws attached to the front of the camera and
passing through the said slots. By this arrangement the front of the camera can
be tilted and swung within certain limits and securely fixed in such position by the
clamping nuts or screws, thereby obtaining similar results to those of a double
swing back camera.
The invention also relates to a new method of raising the front of the camera,
which is applicable to the description of camera above referred to as also to other
kinds of cameras.
For this purpose the front of the camera is formed with a frame or false front,
which is provided with guides to receive a sliding lens board carrying the lens and
the front of the bellows, a screw and nut or other suitable means being employed
to raise and lower the said lens board.
In some cases
we provide the sliding lens board above described with an
additional board sliding in horizontal guides mounted on the said lens board. When
employing this particular form of front, the lens is mounted in the additional
sliding board. This will enable the lens to be moved in a horizontal as well as in
a vertical direction.
And in order that our said invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect, we will proceed, aided by the accompanying drawings, more
fully to describe the same.

page_text: Figure 5 is an interior elevation of one of the wings, and Figures 6 and 7
are respectively a side view and an edge view of one of the clamping plates drawn
full size.
Figure 8 is a side view and Figure 9 is a front view representing a slight
modification.
Figure 10 is a plan of this latter camera folded.
Figures 11 and 12 are respectively a face and an edge view of a clamping plate,
and Figures 13 and 14 are respectively a side and an edge view of a clamping
screw employed with this latter modification, Figures 11 to 14 being drawn
full size.
In all the figures like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference.
We will first describe the camera represented at Figures 1 to 7.
a is the front and b is the back of the camera, which are connected together by
a bellows body c, and d d are side wings, which are hinged to the back b, and
which are employed to support the front a. The parts above referred to, except
as they are modified as herein described, are now well known and form no part of
our present invention.
According to the present invention, the wings d d are slotted longitudinally
at d' d' and the slots are carried past the holes de fitting over the lens when the
camera is folded. One method by which this is, effected is by the use of metal
guides or rods d d mounted with capability of being turned across the holes d' in
order to continue the slots d' d', as shown at Figure 2, but which, when the camera
is folded, are turned back, as shown at Figure 4, so as to leave the holes d* clear
for the passage of the lens therethrough. In the arrangement shown the bars or
rods are hinged at one end, and at the other end are capable of passing under
fixed bars or catches d'. Other methods of continuing the slots d' d' across the
holes can however be employed.
Thus the front a of the camera can be adjusted in distance in relation to the
back b, so as to enable various lenses to be used therewith and accurately focussed
and fixed by clamping screws e passed through clamping bars f having projections f
fitting the slots d', and such screws e screw into nuts g fixed to each end of the
false front a' carrying the front a.
By this arrangement the front a of the camera can be tilted and swung within
certain limits and securely fixed in such position by the clamping screws e.
The invention also relates to a new method of raising the front of the camera,
which is applicable to the description of camera above described as also to other
kinds of cameras. For this purpose the front of the camera is formed with a frame
or false front a', which is provided with guides a³ to receive a sliding board or
front a, to which the front of the bellows c is attached. The sliding board or
front a may also carry the lens direct, or it may, as shown in the drawings,
be fitted with horizontal guides a³ to receive an additional board to which the lens
is fixed.
The sliding board a is acted upon by a screw a fixed thereto, and a nut a
working on said screw and in a recess in the false front a; other suitable means
may however be employed to raise and lower the sliding board a.
By the above described means the lens is enabled to be moved in a horizontal
as well as in a vertical direction.
-
We will now describe the modification shown and described at Figures 8 to 14.
In this camera the front a is fixed directly to the front of the bellows, as hereto-
fore, but the wings d have no holes d', but have a longitudinal slot d' extending
nearly from end to end thereof. The clamping plate is of circular form as, on
account of the wings being without the holes d', such clamping plates are not
required to extend so far across the wings d as in the arrangement described with
respect to Figures 1 to 7. The clamping screws e are also provided with hinged
flaps e, by which they can be readily turned, and which can lie close to the
wings d when the camera is folded.
In the above described modification, when the camera is desired to be folded

page_text: into compact form, the lens is first removed from the front a, as the wings d have
no holes through which the lens could pass; the wings d will otherwise fold down
over the front a as heretofore.
Should it be preferred to swing the back portion instead of the front of camera,
we simply reverse the ends, that is to say, we put the lens on the fixed frame and
we arrange the swinging portion to carry the dark slides.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
'
1. In cameras of the character herein referred to, the slotted hinge bound side
wings, and the combination therewith of means for guiding the camera front in
said slots and for fixing said front at different distances from the back, substantially
as herein shown and described and for the purpose stated.
2. In cameras of the character herein referred to, the longitudinally slotted
side wings, and the combination therewith of means for guiding the camera front
in said slots and for fixing said front at different distances from the back and at
various angles therewith, substantially as herein shown and described.
3. In cameras of the character herein referred to, when employing perforated
side wings to fit over the lens, the combination with such perforated side wings,
of longitudinal slots on each side of the perforation, and of moveable means for
continuing said slots across the perforation, substantially as herein shown and
described and for the purpose stated.
4. The combination with cameras, of a sliding front whereby the lens is capable
of being raised and lowered, substantially as herein shown and described.
5. The combination with cameras, of a front provided with frames so guided as
to be capable of being moved at right angles to each other, one of such frames
carrying the lens, so that the latter can be moved either in a vertical or
horizontal direction, or in both directions, substantially as herein shown and
described.
6. In cameras in which the front and back are connected by a bellows body and
held in position by hinge bound side wings, the construction of such side wings
with longitudinal slots, and the combination therewith of means for fixing
the moveable parts of the camera at any desired position in such slots, substantially
as herein shown and described.
1
L
T
1000
FOX SHEW,
L. C. V. HENRY,
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.