A Levelling and Sighting Adjuster for Photographic Cameras and other Apparatus.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 29th Jan., 1890-Accepted, 8th Mar., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Levelling and Sighting Adjuster for Photographic Cameras and
other Apparatus.
I, FRANK COLET LARKIN of The Lodge Seamer Road Scarborough in the County
of York, Bachelor of Medicine & Master in Surgery do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the rapid, rigid, and accurate adjustment of Photo-
graphic Cameras, & other instruments requiring instantaneous adjustment to any level,
angle, or focus; the following being some of the processes to which it could be
applied-Surveying instruments for sighting & levelling, Theodolites, Rocket firing.
apparatus, Signalling platforms either for flash or steady light.
The following being a short description of the mechanism :-Two parallel planes of
wood or other rigid substance connected by four movable slotted bars, one of the
said bars being fixed to the upper plane at each of the ends of the sides by a pin fixed
into the wood, or other substance, its head being held in a socket at the end of the
bar allowing of movement round the said head in any desired direction. The lower
plane is perforated to hold a bar passing through its substance and which by means of
a washer or other contrivance, at the left side, and a thumbscrew at the right side may
be tightened & hold the four slotted bars & the upper plane, attached to them as
described, rigid and fixed as long as desired. Thus, for example, in respect to cameras
on tripods obviating the necessity of moving any of the legs to get the exact angle &
level desired at once rigidly, and instantaneously alterable by the simple loosening and
tightening of the thumbscrew as described above. The slotted bars moving in any
forward, backward up or down, or angular way as required when the screw is
loosened.
"
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Levelling and Sighting Adjuster for Photographic Cameras and.
other Apparatus.
I, FRANK COLET LARKIN, of the Lodge, Seamer Road, Scarborough, in the County
of York, Bachelor of Medicine and Master in Surgery, do hereby declare the nature
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 :-
This invention has for its object the rapid rigid and accurate adjustment of photo-
graphic cameras and other instruments requiring instantaneous adjustment to any
level angle or focus. The following are some of the uses to which the invention may
be applied :-
Surveying instruments for sighting and levelling, Theodolites, Rocket firing
apparatus, Signalling platforms either for flash or steady light. Two planes of wood
or other rigid substance are connected by four moveable slotted bars, one of the said
bars being fixed to the upper plane at each of the ends of the sides by a pin fixed into
the wood or other substance, the head of the pin being held in a socket at the end of
the bar allowing of movement round the said head in any desired direction. The
lower plane is perforated to hold a clamping rod passing through its substance
which by means of a washer or other contrivance at the left side and a thumbscrew at
the right side may be tightened to hold the four slotted bars and the upper plane
attached to them as described, rigid and fixed as long as desired. This arrangement
for example in respect to cameras on tripods obviates the necessity of moving any
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page_text: of the legs to obtain the exact angle and level desired. The desired angle and level
are obtained and secured by the simple loosening of the thumbscrew moving the
slotted bars and the upper plane in any forward, backward, up or down or angular
way as required and then again tightening the screw.
In order that my said invention may be more fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 is a side elevation and Figure 2 a front or back elevation of the apparatus.
Figure 3 is a section of the socket of one of the slotted bars and shows also the pin
which is held in this socket. Figures 4 show the tightening bar with the washers
and thumb nut upon it.
a is the lower plane, it is carried by tripod legs bb. The tightening rod c passes.
through the lower plane. d d are the four slotted bars, the tightening rod c passes.
through them. e is the upper plane and this carries the camera or instrument which
may be attached to it by a central clamping screw or in any other convenient manner.
ff are the four pins fixed at the four corners of the plane e, they have globular heads,
which are contained within the sockets of the bars d; thereby forming universal
joints connecting the plane e with the bars. gg are washers upon the tightening rod
and is a thumb nut thereon. The tightening rode has a head at one end with an
elongated projection c¹ thereon, which enters the slot in one of the bars d so that the
pin may not turn around in the slot. At the other end of the tightening rod there is
a screw thread and when the thumb nut h is screwed tight on this thread the bars d
are drawn together and up to the washers g g which in turn are caused to bear firmly
against the sides of the plane a. It will be seen that (with limits) the plane e may,
when the screw is loosed, be inclined in any direction and raised or lowered and when
the desired position is gained the parts can be securely clamped simply by tightening
the thumb nut.
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 :-
1. A levelling and sighting adjuster for photographic cameras Theodolites, and
other apparatus, consisting in two planes connected by slotted links attached by
universal joints to one of the planes and clamped together and to the other plane by a
clamping rod as herein set forth.
2. A levelling and sighting adjuster substantially as herein described.
D
1
FRANK COLET LARKIN..