Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 18th Apr.. 1896
COMI LEIN DIMITIVA LIVA
[Communicated from abroad by AUTOMATIC CAMERA COMPANY, of 71 Spring
Street, New York, United States of America.]
Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 object of my invention is to provide a simple, economical and efficient
camera of small portable size, readily loaded with continuous lengths of film and
readily unloaded, and simple and convenient to operate; and the invention
consists in the features and combinations herein described and hereinafter claimed.
The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention by showing two forms of
camera, each of which embodies the invention.
Figure 1 is a front view of the smaller of the two forms of camera;
Figure 2 is a rear view with certain parts broken away;
Figure 3 is a sectional view showing the rear of the front wall of the case;
Figure 4 is a vertical section and Figure 5 a horizontal section of the small
camera.
Figure 6 is the filin holder.
Figures 7 and 8 are sections of the two parts of the film holder.
Figures 9, 10, 11 and 12 are details of the small camera.
Figure 13 is a top view partly in section of the larger of the two forms of
cameras; Figure 14 is a vertical section of the same; Figure 15 is a rear view
of the front wall of the same, and
Figure 16 is a rear view of the camera with parts broken away and one
film-holder partly raised.
Referring first to the form of camera shown in Figures 13 to 16 with
Figures 6, 7 and 8, 50 is the rear box-like portion of the case; 51 is the base
which is hinged to 50 and folds up catching under the spring catch 66 and at
such time constituting one side of the camera case; 52 is an extension which
is hinged at 53 to 51 to give greater focal distance; 54 are bracing pieces
pivoted to 51 and adapted to swing out over 52, to hold same down in place;
55 is the front wall of the camera case when in use. 55 carries the lens 10 in
the lens opening, the outer shutter or lens guard 11, the inner or exposure
shutter 18, and the finder lens 59 and reflector 60. 55 is removably secured by
screws 56 to slides 57 in suitable slideways in 52 and 51. 58 is the bellows.
61 is the top of the rear portion in which the film holders are carried. 62 is
the hinged back, hinged at 63 and held by spring hook 64 taking over a
catch 65.
Fis the film. 68 is a film guide to bring the film before the rear
window 67. D is the film holder. It is shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8 as well
as in Figures 13, 14 and 16.
Referring to this film-holder mechanism D is the holder proper and E its
mounting mechanism. Of the holder proper 31 is a small inner rotatable spool
around and upon which the sensitive film is wound and carried. This spool is
slotted (32) as
a convenient means of receiving and holding one end of the
film to assist in winding the same. 30 is an outer rotatable film case having

page_text: closed ends which exclude the light and also form bearings for the end portions
of the inner spool. This outer casing is provided with a slot through which
the film is inserted and withdrawn. In practice the film is wound upon the
spool 31 until the desired amount has been rolled thereon when a length of
opaque paper is attached to the film and wound several times about the outside
of the case 30, thereby entirely covering the slot in the case and with the
closed light-tight ends and other parts of the case effectually preventing any
light from entering the case to fog the film. The opaque paper end of the
film may be dispensed with and the sensitized or unsensitized end of the film
be wound round the case, and so much of it as has been wound around the
outside may be cut off after the desired photographs have been taken. It will
thus be seen that in storage and shipment the film-holder D by its construction
and use as described above, prevents rays of light from entering the same and
preserves the film for use. To readily load and unload and mount the film-
holder in or from the camera, I provide a head piece E for the film-holder or
case. This head piece has a journal portion 35 constructed to be detachably
connected with the film case 30 as by a pin 34 in the latter taking into a
recess 38 in the former where it is securely held when both parts are suitably
mounted in the camera; and the journal portion 35 is also adapted to be
rotatably mounted in the camera, a holding arm e pivoted to the camera taking
for that purpose into a circumferential groove 36 in the head piece 35. This
permits rotation of the head piece in its seat in the camera but prevents any,
other motion of the head piece from such seat. A spring pin 39 in the heal
piece 35 is adapted to take into a recess in the camera, thereby locking the
journal portion 35 of the head piece in proper rotative position to permit the
movement of the film in to or out of the case 30 while the loaded camera is being
used. It will be seen that by the construction described not only is the spool 31
rotatable in the film case but the film case is also rotatable in its seat in the camera
so that the two parts are thus simultaneously and independently rotatable in the
camera. The purpose of this is to permit the initial unwinding from the outside of
the film case itself of the several layers of opaque paper or film that have
been wound upon it as described above, for the purpose of making it light-
tight; and also to permit the final similar winding of a sufficient length of
film or opaque paper around the outside of the film-case after the films
have been exposed and before unloading the film-case from the camera
for the purpose of development. To rotate each of these parts the journal
portion 35 of the head piece of the film-case projects sufficiently outside of the
camera in the form of a thumb-screw head to be rotated by hand and through the
centre of this journal portion of the head piece projects a shank 41 carrying a
suitable actuating stud or thumbpiece 42 suitably secured to the inner rotatable
spool 31 and turning in the part 35 of the head piece as its bearings. There is a
dish-shaped tension spring 40 interposed between the actuating stud 42 and the
cylindrical hend piece 35 to produce the necessary tension upon the film in
unwinding. The actuating stud or thumb-piece for the inner spool is secured to
the spool by a screw-thread 43. In order to tighten this sufficiently and also to
adjust the tension on the film, the shaft of the rotatable spool is flattened or squared
near its upper end (33) and the cylindrical head piece 35 of the film-case has a
circumferential notch or groove 37 permitting a key or wrench to be applied to this
flattened part of the inner spool to hold it in tightening the thumb-piece 42. In
use the film cases will both be normally locked in the camera by the spring pins 39,
but in beginning the use of a loaded film holder the spring pin should be drawn
back out of its recess and the head piece permitted to revolve until all of the
wrappings either of the film or of opaque paper exterior to the case itaelf are
unwound when the spring pin should be allowed to drop into its recess. It wil
thereby lock the film case in proper position for the subsequent delivery of the
sensitized film through the slot in the side of the film case. And at the end of the
operation in order to wind layers of the film upon the outside of the film case

page_text: the spring pin should be in a similar way drawn back and the head piece of the
case revolved.
In front of the lens opening on the outsile is a shutter or lens guard 11 pivoted
as shown at 12 (see also Figure 1) and to be operated by hand, which serves when
in its central position to cut off the light entirely from the camera lens and, when
in either extreme position, to admit light to the camera lens, the two openings for
that purpose being of different sizes in the usual way, the larger opening for
instantaneous exposures, and the smaller opening for time exposures. Inside of
the front wall 55 of the camera is the shutter 18. It is pivoted at 20 in this front
wall of the camera and is adapted to reciprocate back and forth across the lens
opening. This movable shutter 18 has a central opening 19 to register with the
lens opening and to adimit light to the camera when the shutter is substantially at
its centre of motion. The shutter closes the lens opening when said shutter is at
either of its limits of motion and thereby cuts off the light from the camera. The
shutter is adapted to give an instantaneous exposure when it passes quickly from
either limit of motion to the other limit of motion, and when at either limit of
motion it is by that fact ready for another exposure. In this way only one motion
of the shutter is necessary for an instantaneous exposure, and that motion leaves
the shutter ready for another instantaneous exposure. A stop 27 is provided which
when thrown into operative position as by screwing the stop sufficiently into the
case will stop the shutter in its central position with its opening registering with the
lens opening. This is for time exposures, the shutter being reciprocated back to
its original limit of motion when the time exposure is over. When the stop 27
is unscrewed out of stopping position the shutter becomes again adapted for
instantaneous exposures. The shutter 18 is operated from the outside of the case
in the following manner. A T-shaped lever 23 engages by means of an internal
gear 25 at its foot with a small gear wheel 22 integral with the shutter, and the
cross-arms of its head contact with two push buttons, 28, 29, in the camera case and
it is fulcrumed at 24 between these two points. The push pins are so arranged
with reference to the T-shaped lever and the shutter that pressure upon one of the
two throws the shutter to one of its limits of motion, and pressure upon the other
throws the shutter to the other of its limits of motion. A locking and stopping
spring 26 bears against the crest 21 of a cam or cone on the shutter when the
shutter is in its central position, and upon one side or the other of said cam or
cone when the shutter is on one side or the other of its central position, the
spring at such time tending to force the shutter toward its extreme limit of
motion in whichever direction the shutter has started, and to lock it in such
position of limit of motion. The spring also answers the purpose of a stop,
positively determining such limit of motion as is clearly shown in the drawings.
The finder in the form of camera shown in Figures 13 to 16 is exterior to the
camera case in use, and the mirror is mounted in a hinged support or holder 60 for
purposes of compactness when the camera is closed together. In the rear wall of
the camera case, properly placed near the edge of the film, is a small window 67 in
which red celluloid may be placed and through which may be read numbers and
index marks on the film, whereby the film may be exactly and properly placed
after each new exposure and the number of films already used may be known.
This does away with the use of all dials and marking and numbering fingers on the
camera case.
The camera shown in Figures 13 to 16 may be mounted on a tripod or held in
the hand. Moreover, the main part of the case is separable, one part from another
(61 from the rest), whereby the films and their holders and connected parts may be
removed and an ordinary plate holder may be used, and also in order that where a
film is used film holders may be readily removed and replaced. This camera while
permitting considerable focal distance through the extensibility of the bellows 58,
and the general construction shown, is on the other hand capable of being closed
together into very compact form and is light, and for these two reasons is convenient
and portable. The side 55 carrying the lens and shutter and finder is detachable

page_text: from 52 and 51 and folds in with the bellows, and 52 and 51 are hinged and fold up
and are caught by the spring catch 66 to the top 61 of the camera. The dimensions
of the camera when thus closed in for carrying purposes are, in practice as I use it,
five and one-half inches by four and three-quarter inches by two inches, and yet
when extended for use it has an available focal distance of six inches and the
picture is four inches by five. The camera can be loaded and unloaded with
perfect safety in daylight, the film rolls can be safely and readily carried apart
from the camera, and the shutter action is reliable and requires but one act for
each instantaneous exposure, that act leaving the camera in condition for another
instantaneous exposure by another single act. No counting of the films is necessary
and the uncertainty of index fingers due to the slipping of the film on the internal
measuring rollers is eliminated.
In the form of camera shown in Figures 1 to 12 the invention is embodied in a
compact form, the camera being capable of producing a picture two inches
square. Referring to these figures of the drawings A is the front half of the
camera case consisting of the front 1, the top 2 and the false bottom 3 with the
catch a. B is the rear half of the camera case consisting of the back 4,
the bottom 5 and the sides 6, 6, and having the spring hook b. C is the light-
guard. It has a reduced or throat-like inner portion 7 and an outer larger end 8
forming a mat and provided with rounded or turned-over elges 9, the mat portion
and the light-guard proper being integral. The light-guard at its inner or reduced
end has a flange engaging with a groove in the front wall 1 of the camera case,
this holding the light-guard in place. Between this flange and groove is the
shutter 18 having, as heretofore described, the central orifice 19 adapted at the
proper time to register with the lens 10, the pivot 20, the cam crest or
projection 21, the pinion 22, the T-shaped lever 23 pivoted at 24 and having the
internal gear segment 25, the spring 26, adapted as before to act upon the cam
crest or point 21 and lock the shutter in either of its limits of motion, and also to
positively stop the shutter at each of its limits of motion, and the removable stop
pin 27 for time exposures and the two push buttons 28 and 29. 10 is the lens,
11 is the outer shutter or lens guard pivoted at 12 and having the larger and
smaller openings 13 and 14 respectively for instantaneous and for time exposures.
15 is the finder lens, 16 is the ground glass finder plate, 17 is the finder light-guard
for supporting the finder reflector. It is properly inclined as shown and is
removable from the top 2 of the camera case by slipping out of and into grooves
provided for that purpose. D are the film holders as before, consisting of the
case 30, the spool 31 having slot 32 and flattened portion 33 and pin 34. This
portion D is the film-holder as it is loaded and carried about before and after
being mounted in the camera and operated there for the purpose of exposures.
E is the operating portion of the film holder when mounted in the camera,
consisting of, as before described, the head piece 35 having a circumferential
groove 36, a notch or opening 37 to permit the access of a key or wrench to the
square end 33 of the spool 31, a hole 38 for engagement with the pin 34, and a
spring pin 39 for engagement with a hole in the top 2 of the camera case; also
the shank 41 rotatively mounted in the head piece 35 and adapted to be held
from endwise motion therein by the actuating stud or thumb-piece 42 which is
screwed into its upper end, 40 being a dish-shaped spring (interposed between the
bead-piece 35 and the actuating stud 42), aud the lower screw-threaded portion 43
of the shank 41. This portion 43 screws into the upper end of the spool 31 which
is internally screw-threaded for that purpose. d is the opening in the top 2 of the
camera case into which the film-holder D is introduced. e is the holding hook or
arm which is adapted to take into the circumferential groove 36 of the head
piece 35 and thereby to hold the film holder from lengthwise motion into or out of
the camera while permitting rotative motion of the same. Figure 11 shows the
hook open and Figure 12 shows it closed with the head piece in place. 44 and
45 are guiding or stay rollers. F is the film; is the window in the camera case
closed with red celluloid through which is seen the number or other mark on the

page_text: ilm F. The film-holder D is securely held at its lower end in any suitable way
as by a central small cup-shaped depression in its lower end taking over a small
pin-head in the case (see Figure 16 where an additional dish-shaped tension spring
is found at the bottom). The light-guard in the small form of camera, like the
bellows in the larger form, effectually excludes the light from the film holders
during the use of the camera, and constitutes in such small cameras a very compact
and efficient construction and combination of parts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :
1. In a film-loader, the combination of an interior small rotatable spool around
which film may be wound, and an outer rotatable protecting case provided with a
longitudinal slot for the passage of the film, and closed light-tight ends in which
the spool may rotate, substantially as described.
2. In combination with a camera or roll-holder, a film-loader comprising an
interior small rotatable spool around which film may be wound, an outer rotatable
protecting case for the spool provided with a longitudinal slot for the passage of
the film and closed light-tight ends in which the spool may rotate, and means for
securing the film-loader in the camera or roll holder to secure an independent and
simultaneous rotation of the parts, substantially as described.
3. In combination with a camera or roll holder, a film-loader comprising a small
inner slotted rotatable spool around which film may be wound, an outer rotatable
protecting case for the spool provided with a longitudinal slot for the passage of
the film and closed light-tight ends, a head piece for the film-case, an actuating-
stud for the film-spool, and means for obtaining tension between the spool and
case to permit an independent and simultaneous rotation of spool and case,
substantially as described.
4. In combination with a camera or roll holder, a film-loader comprising an inner
slotted rotatable spool around which film may be wound, an outer rotatable film-
case for the spool provided with a longitudinal slot through which film may be
inserted to engage the spool, and closed ends to form a portion of the bearings for
the spool, a cylindrical head piece adapted to engage with the film-case and form
its bearing portion, an actuating thumb-piece engaging with the film-spool to rotate
the same, and a tension-spring inserted between the actuating thumb-piece and
cylindrical head piece to permit an independent and simultaneous rotation of the
parts, substantially as described.
5. In combination with a camera or roll-holder, a film-holder comprising an inner
rotatable spool around which film may be wound and provided with a flattened or
irregular end to he engaged by a key to prevent rotation, an outer rotatable film-
case for the spool provided with a longitudinal slot through which the film may be
inserted to engage the spool, closed ends to form at least a portion of the bearings
for the spool, a cylindrical head piece adapted to form the bearing portion for the
film-case provided with a notch or groove through which a key or wrench may be
inserted to engage the flattened or irregular end of the spool, an actuating thumb-
piece adapted to engage with the film spool and rotate the same, and a tension-
spring inserted between the actuating thumb-piece and film-case head piece to
permit a simultaneous and independent rotation of the parts, substantially as
described.
6. In combination with a camera or roll holder, a film-loader comprising an
inner rotatable spool around which film may be wound, an outer rotatable film-case
for the spool provided with a longitudinal slot through which film may be inserted
to engage the spool, a cylindrical head piece for the film-case having a circum-
ferential groove, a holding arm pivoted in the camera and adapted to engage with
the groove and prevent vertical motion while permitting rotation, the cylindrical
head piece and the camera case being provided the one with a spring pin and the
other with a recess to receive it to form a detachable clutch engagement between

page_text: the parts, an actuating-stud having its bearing portion in the cylindrical head
piece adapted to engage with the spool to rotate the same, and a dish-shaped
tension-spring interposed between the actuating-stud and the cylindrical head piece
to permit an independent and simultaneous rotation of the parts, substantially as
described.
7. In a shutter for photographic cameras, the combination of a holder provided
with the usual lens or light opening and a reciprocating movable shutter provided
with an opening adapted to register with the lens opening and admit light when the
shutter is substantially at its center of motion and close the lens opening when the
shutter is at either of its limits of motion, and a T-shaped lever engaging with
the reciprocating shutter to throw it from one limit of motion to the other when
one or the other arm of the T-shaped portion is operated, and a stopping and
locking spring arranged to contact directly with the reciprocating shutter to assist
in throwing the shutter in either direction after it has passed a center of motion
and to stop it at and hold it at its limit of motion, substantially as described.
8. In a shutter for photographic cameras, the combination of a holder provided
with the usual lens or light opening and a reciprocating movable shutter provided
with an opening adapted to register with the lens opening and admit light when
the shutter is substantially at its center of motion and close the lens opening when
the shutter is at either of its limits of motion, and a T-shaped lever engaging
with the reciprocating shutter to throw it from one limit of motion to the other
when one or the other arm of the T-shaped portion is operated, and a stopping and
locking spring arranged to contact directly with the reciprocating shutter to assist
in throwing the shutter in either direction after it has passed a center of motion
and to stop it at and hold it at its limits of motion, and a removable stop for time
exposures, substantially as described.
9. As a new article of manufacture, a light-guard for cameras having a mat
provided with rounded edges, the mat and guard being integral, substantially as
described.
10. A light-guard for cameras, having a mat at one end provided with rounded
edges, and a flange at the opposite end for engaging a recess in the camera-frame,
substantially as described.
11. In a camera, the combination with a light-guard having a reduced or throat-
like portion and an integral mat provided with rounded edges, of film-rolls mounted
contiguous to the said reduced portion, substantially as described.
12. A camera having its front side provided with a circular groove and a shutter
in combination with a light-guard having one end provided with a circular flange
engaging the groove, said flange being provided with a recess in which the arm of
the shutter works, substantially as described.
Dated this 17th day of March 1896
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.