IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS BY ARTIFICIAL LIGHT
Year: 1885

page_text: I, EUGEN HIMLY, late captain a resident of the city of Berlin, kingdom of
Prussia, Empire of Germany, residing at Nr 54 Zossener Street, do hereby declare
the nature of the said invention for IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR
TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS BY ARTIFICIAL LIGHT, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
The application of the new method described in the specifications as granted to
me by Her Majesty's Letters Patent under Nro 11,556 A.D. August 22nd 1884,
requires strong and powerful sources of light, as for instance electric arc lamps,
extraordinary regenerativ gas burners of Siemens as well as a considerable quantity
of incandescence lamps. The costs of installation, the entertaining of these strong
lights are high and the construction of the necessary apparatus is often very high
in weight, for this reason my process could not become of general use. The use of
ordinary gasburners or a number of relative small electric incandescence lamps,
appears to be possible and the price of installation remains within reasonable prices,
so that it is now a fact that besides the artificial diffuse light as described in my
patent Nr 11,556. small sources of light, which spend direct or reflected rays, can
be used. The method and the apparatus which give this favorable result, form the
present object of this request for a patent.
Essentially it consists out of:
1st A principal source of light as for instance the Siemens regenerative gas-
burners of an intensity of 350 Normal candles or a quantity of incandescence
lamps combined with a crane in form of a reflector built similar to a promptors
box. This latter does not withhold the direct rays and does not irregularly reflect
like that as described in my patent Nr 11,556 but its concave surface has not a
regular curve, the rays are not reflected in uniform direction couvergent or divergent
and cross themselves in the whole arrangement without order. This reflector can
be built either of tinned sheet iron or nikled slieet iron which has been polished.
2nd A certain number of common gasburners (for example Argand burners) or
electric incandescence lamps, of which every one is furnished with a reflector suitable
for this purpose.

page_text: "
These different sources of light and their reflectors are supported by the cross-
beams which are fitted on the crane mentioned in my patent specification Nro 11,556
and which are represented in the annexed drawing fig 1. The secondary lights are
fitted to the crane in different rows, their reflectors receive an inclination so that
the whole mass of reflected light as well as that of the direct is concentrated on
the object which is to be photographed. As suitable reflectors can be employed
with great advantage the concave mirrors of commerce, because their surface is in
consequence of the manner of its manufacture sufficiently irregular for the proposed
purpose. It is possible also to employ the spherical mirrors of metal if they are not
turned and polished, but hammered and polished. It is one of this kind, I employ
for my principal reflector.
The principal strong source of light, has to light up the front of the object to be
photographed, without giving hard and heavy shades on the background. The
different secondary sources of light, are posted so that they illuminate the sides and
give top light. The movement for turning the crane like that as described in my
letters patent Nr 11,556 has the purpose to produce gradation in the tones and
shades, which are similar to that of day light.
Besides these movable sources of light, there are a certain number of sources of
light, placed in one row above the background, for the purpose to evade the
heavy shades on the same and to illuminate the rear parts of the objects to be
photographed,
The lamps which are supported by the crossbeams of the crane, as well as their
reflectors, can be lowered or elevated just as necessary by mechanic which is already
known.
In some cases especially for photographing objects of which the shades need not
to be perfectly gradated, I employ my system with advantage in turning the crane
before the operation, until I have obtained the most favorable position, then I can
make the exposure with fixed lights.
The large semicircular reflector in form of a promptors box, which is closed at
the bottom by a semicircular reflecting surface, adjustable on an axis, has a reflecting
surface as the other reflectors of the system. Its purpose is to illuminate more or
less the lower parts of the object to be photographed in front.
For illumination with electric arc lamps after the method which is described in
my patent Nr 11,556, I also employ a double movable fond of the niche. The
double fond can by aid of a counterweight and a mechanisme for regulation more
or less be approached to the fond of the reflector by which means it is possible to
obtain different variable effects of light.
In Fig 1. is represented a crane which can be turned into different positions by
a crank i. Below the crane and at a small distance from the background is placed
a gas pipe which carries the burners a, a, a, a, etc. which are destined to
illuminate the model which is placed near k, and the rear of it. This pipe com-
municates with that of the crane by a flexible tube of caoutchouc f. Below the
crane are differently arranged the burners with their concave reflectors c, c²,
c, c; d, d¹, d¹¹ dш; e, e¹, e¹¹, el Into the semicircular reflector g is placed a
powerful source of light, be it a Siemens regenerative burner Fig 1"; be it a lot of
electric incandescence lamps Fig 1b which must furnish an intense illumination in
the first place. The sheet iron pipe 6 Fig 1. serves to lead off the products of
combustion into a chimney, as well as for ventilation. The numbre of sources
of light is not limited.
After having given to the crane the position which is of the best advantage, it is
possible to take the exposures with or without moving the system, it is also
possible for obtaining especial effects of light to diminish the light of the gas
burners by special cranks. When electric incandescence lamps are employed, the
same effect can be obtained by adding resistances and by weakening in this manner
the current, by these means the necessary gradation and artistical effect for photo-
graphing can be obtained.

page_text: Fig 2. represents the application of a reflector with a double and movable fond
of the niche, according to my patent Nr 11,556. On the upper part of the
reflector there is a lever which is bent into a right angle, at the angle point this
lever has an axis around which it can be moved. The upper part of the lever is
fitted with a counterweight and a noose, into which a cord or a wire can be fastened.
The lower part of the lever has a straight notch, through which a bolt is fastened,
which is situated in a double T iron on the middle 'part of the movable screen of
the niche. The double screen is guided above and below and in the center by
iron rails and small rollers which prevent that the screen can not make noise
when it is moved by the mechanisme and that it can be moved easier by this. The
upper part of the lever on which is fastened the cord or wire, can be raised by the
same, if the cord or wire is led over suitable rollers which are already in use and
known and is pulled down, as soon as the strain on the cord or wire is diminished,
the counterweight comes into action and presses the lever downwards. By these
means the double screen of the niche is moved towards the fond of the reflector
and more or less light cut off from the niche. If the double screen is approached
up to the fond of the reflector so that it touches the same, of course it will be
quite dark, whereas it can be easy understood that any desired effect of light can
be made in this manner only by giving the lever with aid of the cord or wire,
different positions.
Having now particularly described the nature of my invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is this
1. The use of a number of sources of light adapted to the crane which is
protected by my patent Nr° 11,556 or an analogue disposition combined with
reflectors. Of these sources of light there is one very strong and placed in a
semicircular niche with irregular curves, but its regular reflexion is destined to
illuminate the front of the model. The others below the crane furnish an equal
light and serve to grade off the shades, which the principal. source of light has
occasioned.
2. The use of fixed lights with reflectors to evade the formation of heavy shades
on the background and to illuminate the rear of the model.
3. The use of the system as described in 1 and 2. for selecting the illumination
which is most favorable, in turning the crane and leaving the same stationary
during the exposure.
4. The use of a double movable fond for a reflector with counterweight and
regulation by mechanic, for giving light of different intensity, and modulation.
EUGEN HIMLY.
Adolph Farenhulz,
Agent for the Applicant,
22, Gt. St. Helen's, London, E.C.