Improvements in or connected with Photographic Cameras.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 17th May, 1892-Accepted, 25th June, 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Photographic Cameras.
We, EDWARD VALENTINE SWINDEN, of 81 Merton Road, Bootle, in the County
of Lancaster, Accountant, and JOSEPH EARP, of 50 Falkland Road, Egremont, in
the County of Chester, Accountant, 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:
Our invention has reference to photographic cameras or apparatus in which a
number of sensitised plates or films are carried for taking a succession of photo-
graphic pictures, without having to open the containing chamber or camera, or to
manipulate the plates in any way from within; and it has mainly for its object to
provide a more convenient, simple, and efficient mode of operating said plates or
films than those at present in use, both as regards their removal one by one from
the position in which they are stowed, to that in which they are adapted to lie after
exposure; and also to provide a simple and inexpensive construction of the
parts.
To enable this invention and the manner in which its operations are to be
performed, to be particularly understood, we will now describe it fully with
reference to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this Specification.
In the following description of the drawing, wherein is illustrated, a camera or
photographic apparatus embodying all the features of our present invention in com-
bination, similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
Our invention is however not confined to these specific devices and combination
of devices illustrated and described herein; and the points of novelty which we
desire to secure by these Letters Patent will be specifically pointed out in the
claims concluding the Specification.
Referring to the drawings.
Figure 1 is a section illustrating the invention, and shewing the carriers or
sheaths, and other parts connected therewith, in elevation.
Figure 2 is an outside elevation of the camera provided with our improvements,
shewing the hand actuating gear.
Figures 3 and 4 are, respectively, end view, and plan, of a catch for holding the
carriers or sheaths, in an upright position after being filled.
Figure 5 and Figure 6 are transverse sections illustrating our improved plate or
film carrier or sheath, respectively, without and with a plate; whilst Figures 7
and 8 are, respectively, plan and end view of the said carrier or sheath with a plate
fixed therein.
In the drawings, A designates the camera generally (which it may be assumed is
of the kind generally termed "detective cameras or "hand cameras"); B denotes
generally the plate or film carriers or sheaths; C are the side plates in which said
carriers B are mounted and work; and D is the handle by which the actuation of
the carriers is effected.
The carriers or sheaths B consist of a back plate, having at each side a
flange, and at one end or edge fixed to it, a wire spindle 63. At the opposite or
upper end, that is, the free end, of these carriers, are fastened to the flanges b',
springs 6. The example of carrier or sheath B shewn in the drawings is con-
structed and adapted more especially to receive and hold glass plates, but not
solely, and its construction provides for receiving and holding plates of varying
thicknesses, that is to say, the spaces between the overhanging portion of the
springs at the free or outer end of the carrier B where the glass plate or other
media is first pushed in, is larger than that at the other or lower end; and in fact

page_text: in the example shewn in Figure 5, this space vanishes to nothing, and the lower
and free end of the springs actually come in contact with the edges of the plate >>',
of the carriers B, at that point. Thus, it will be seen, the carriers or sheaths may
not only be used for holding glass plates of variable thicknesses, but they will also
serve to hold and carry sensitised films, suitable means being provided on the
carriers, or they may be suitably adapted, to hold the films flat and even.
springs may be so fixed to the flanges, at the upper end, say by rivetting or
soldering, or otherwise, that about 4, or more or less, of their whole length will be
be free, and serve to act as springs.
The
It follows, from the construction of carriers just described, that the depth
between the flanges 6, and the inner surface of the plate b¹, between the outer and
lower ends of the carrier, decreases from that as shewn in Figures 5 and 8, to
nothing.
It will be plain that the carriers or sheaths B, as regards the back plate b¹ and
flanges b³, can conveniently be produced by stamps in the well known way.
The spindles or pivots of the carriers B work in holes, constituting journals, in
the side supporting plates C, and they are so arranged or pitched apart in these
plates C, that they can freely move in any position required. This pitching is
used in order that the carriers may not touch each other at their bases when in
their vertical position in the camera, whilst at their outer or free end they do touch,
The side plates C, one of which is provided on each side of the camera, are
connected together and mounted upon a shaft c' which passes through the bearing c³,
and is continued through one side of the camera; and onto the end of this con-
tinuation, the actuating lever or crank D'is fixed.
The movement of the plates C is about 90°, but it may be more if desired. In
the example shewn, there are 12 carriers (but of course there may be more or less
if desired), whilst the number of holes in the plate din connection with which the
actuating lever D, works, is thirteen, the upper or first hole corresponding with the
position of the parts within the camera before any carriers are released or removed
from the vertical position in which they are stowed.
Each of the other holes
correspond with the successive carriers B, and in operating the camera, the handle
or lever D is moved from one hole to the other in rotation to remove each
successive plate or film, as shewn. To effect an engagement between the lever D
and the plate d', the lever d may have spring in it, and, at its outer end, a suitable
pin, adapted to fit in the holes in d¹.
The upper ends of the plate or film carriers or sheaths are held in the vertical
position by the detent f. This detent is immovable in one direction, that is, in the
direction in which the carriers B are moved forward, but has free movement in the
opposite direction from the vertical towards the horizontal plane, its normal position
being the vertical plane as shewn in Figure 1. These movements or effects are
provided for by hingeing the detent f by a pin f¹ to a holding plate, fixed to the
roof of the camera, and by providing a weak spring f', which normally presses the
detent into the position shewn.
.
The plate carriers or sheaths B are pressed and kept up to the detent f. by
the spring which is fixed to the back hinged door h¹.
To hold the carriers or sheaths B in the vertical position, as they are filled, and
to prevent their falling backwards, we provide the spring catch i which is hinged
at i, and passes through a staple fixed on the side of the camera. This staple
has an aperture in it of different sizes at different parts. When the spring i is
pressed into the narrower part, its catch does not engage with the edges of the
carriers or sheaths, and only when it is moved into the lower part of the staple,
wherein the aperture is larger, does it extend outwards sufficiently to engage with
the said carriers.
"To provide a means for preventing the possibility of the breakage of thin
glass plates, when such are used, by the forward end of the carriers B coming in
contact with the bottom of the camera, we provide a buffer or buffers. In the
example of apparatus shewn, this buffer consists of a spring k, and the plates,. that

page_text: is the first plate, comes in contact with the free end of the buffer, and so its fall,
and the fall of the subsequent plates, is cushioned.
7 represents an intermediate shutter, (now well known and used in the "Swinden
and Earp Camera") between the front part of the camera and the space or chamber
in which the plate or film carriers or sheaths are disposed and work, and serves to
shut off the light from the plates, in the same manner as in the "Swinden and
Earp Camera."
The action or operation of the camera, that is, the carriers B, and other parts
connected therewith, is as follows:-The plates, or films, or equivalent or analogous
media, are placed within the carriers B through their upper or wide ends and
pressed towards their hinged edges until they are home, and retained by the
springs 6 thereof.
In charging the camera with plates or films, the door h¹ is thrown open, and the
plates C in which the carriers B are mounted, are turned backwards until the free
ends of the carriers project outside the camera, and the handle or lever D is pulled
back beyond the plate d'. The carriers are now filled, and as they are filled, are
passed behind the catch in succession, and the handle D is then placed back in
the first hole in the plate d' ready for the first plate to be exposed. The door h³ is
then closed and the apparatus is ready for exposing the plates or films.
In the action of changing, after exposing a plate, the handle D is moved forward
from one hole to the other in d'; the effect of this is that the axis of the foremost
carrier (whose position, as will be seen, is considerably in advance of or in front of,
the vertical plane in which the axis of the mounting plates C lie) is lowered, and
sufficiently lowered to bring the carrier and plate or film below the tip of the
detent, and thus this carrier or sheath, and its plate or film, are free to move
forward about the axis thereof, into the horizontal or approximately horizontal
position, and out of the field of the succeeding plate or film. In a like manner the
whole of the carriers or sheaths and plates or films are released in succession, and
move or fall down from the vertical position in which they are stowed, into the
horizontal or approximately horizontal position.
If it is desired to expose any particular plate out of its due order, this can be
done by moving the lever D to the hole in the plate d¹ corresponding with the
plate desired to be used. Should this plate be one of those lying in a horizontal
position in the bottom of the camera, it may be brought back to the vertical
position and behind the detent f by turning the camera on end, and moving the
handle D to the hole in d¹ corresponding with the required plate. On lowering the
camera to the horizontal position, the plates in front of that required to be used
will fall into the horizontal position.
The carriers or sheaths constructed as herein described are, by a simple modi-
fication, adapted to serve as carriers or sheaths for ordinary cameras, or other
cameras, wherein such carriers or sheaths are loose, that is, not hinged or connected
to the camera. In such a modification the spindle or wires 63 would not be used,
and the edge of the carrier or sheath at that part would be just turned up, or other-
wise suitably formed, to retain, or serve as a stop to, the lower edge of the plate or
film. Otherwise than in this respect the modified carriers or sheaths would be the
same as those herein before described and shewn.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, it is to be stated that the inven-
tion is not confined to the particular form or construction of the parts shewn in the
drawings, since these may obviously be modified, and equivalents used, without
departing from the scope of the invention, but what is claimed in respect of the
herein described invention is :--
1. The herein described mode of arranging and operating a plurality of sensitised
plates or films or other equivalent or analogous media within a photographic
camera or apparatus, consisting in mounting loosely or hingeing at one end or part
a plurality of plate or film carriers or sheaths upon a movable support, which, when

page_text: moved by a suitable actuating device on the camera, releases said carriers or sheaths
from a detent or catch, seriatim, from the vertical or approximately vertical position
in which they are stowed, and allows them to move or fall out of the field of the
succeeding plate in the horizontal or approximately horizontal position; substan-
tially as described.
2. In a photographic camera or apparatus, the combination of a plurality of
carriers or sheaths B mounted loosely at their lower ends to a movable support C,
and a detent fadapted to hold said carriers or sheaths at their upper ends, from
which detent the foremost carrier or sheath in succession, of the set, is withdrawn
by the rotation or movement of said support, and consequent lowering of said
carrier or sheath; substantially as set forth.
3. A carrier or sheath for photographic sensitised plates or films consisting of a
back of tin, brass, or other suitable material, and having at two opposite edges
springs, adapted to press upon one end of the plate or film and hold it in position,
substantially as set forth.
4. The construction of the plate or film carrier or sheath support, having said
carriers or sheaths mounted and arranged therein or thereon closely together, and
in the manner as shewn in, and set forth with reference to, the drawings.
5. The particular arrangement and disposition of parts set forth with reference
to the drawings, and operating as described.
Dated this 16th day of May 1892.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON, Fels. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Applicants' Patent Agents.