Improvements in Apparatus for Printing Photographs from Negatives.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Mar., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 8th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 8th Mar., 1898
Improvements in Apparatus for Printing Photographs from
Negatives.
CHARLES SHAW, 104, Aston Road, Birmingham, County of Warwick, Photo-
graphic Apparatus Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:
-
This invention relates firstly; to an improved method of securing and holding
in contact, photographic negatives and sensitised or other photographic papers
during the process of printing; whereby nearly the whole of the print may be
examined whilst still being held firmly to the negative; and secondly; by
reducing the size of the apparatus for printing to nearly the size of the negative
employed.
Thirdly; to obtain a print from a photographic negative without using a frame
as is usually employed.
First I provide a pad or board of papier mache, cardboard, wood or other suit-
able material about the size of the negative desired to be used. This I cut through
about nine tenths of its length, and hinge the same together with metal or other
suitable hinges, leaving a front flat surface. On the narrow hinged end of the pad
and on its extreme edge I attach a metal plate to which I hinge a metal bar, to the
underside of which bar I attach metal rubber or other suitable springs to allow
of any thickness of negatives being used; at the opposite edge of the narrow
hinged pad I attach a snap spring, screw or other suitable fastener which engages
with the one end of the metal bar opposite to the hinged end and fastens the bar
firmly down on the face of the pad. "The action of the said snap spring allows the
bar to be opened to admit of the paper and negative being placed in position on
the pad; and the closing of the bar to secure the pad, paper & negative firmly
together.
On the back of the larger portion of the pad and at its extreme edge opposite to
the bar formerly described I attach a sliding bolt between which and the pad
I insert a spring or springs upon the surface of which the bolt slides thus allow-
ing of any thickness of negative being used. The said bolt is bent up at its one
end at right angles and again bent inwards to form a hook which when in use clips
the pad, paper, and negative firmly together thus securing the whole substantially
during process of printing.
My method then is having the pad with the hinged metal bar released from the
spring or screw fastener, fastener, I put first my sensitised or other photographic
paper on the pad sensitised surface upwards, I then place on this my negative
film side downwards and in contact with the paper. I then secure my pad, paper
and negative at the one end with the metal bar described above, and finally push
home the sliding bolt with the bent hook at the opposite end of the pad, securing
the whole substantially together. When I wish to examine my print I slide back
the bolt and release the one end of the pad which lifts on its hinges, the opposite
end still being held firmly by the metal bar thus allowing the print to be examined

page_text: and replaced in contact without moving the paper from the negative until the
process of printing is completed.
I also provide for use with a vignetting shape a frame of suitable size and
material attached to the metal bar previously described or to the back of the pad
and which frame shall fold over allowing of its lying flat upon the smooth surface 5
of the negative. To this frame I attach by pins or other suitable attachments
the vignetting shape in any required position.
1
Improvements in Apparatus for Printing Photographs from
Negatives.
I, CHARLES SILAW, of 104, Aston Road, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
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 follow-
ing statement :-
This invention relates firstly to an improved method of securing and holding
in contact, photographic negatives and sensitised or other photographic paper
during the process of printing, whereby nearly the whole of the print may be
examined whilst still being held firmly to the negative, and secondly by reducing
the size of the apparatus for printing to nearly the size of the negative employed
thirdly to obtain a print from a photographic negative without using a frame as is
usually employed.
First I provide a pad or board of papier-mache, cardboard or other suitable
material about the size of the negative desired to be used. This I cut through
about nine-tenths of its length and hinge the same together with metal or other
suitable hinges leaving a front flat surface. On the narrow hinged end of pad
and on its extreme edge I attach a metal plate to which I hinge a metal bar to
the underside of which bar I attach metal, rubber or other suitable springs to
allow of any thickness negatives being used. At the opposite edge of the narrow
hinged pad I attach a snap spring, screw or other suitable fastener which engages
with the one end of the metal bar opposite to the hinged end, and thus fastens the
bar firmly down on to the face of the pad, thus allowing the bar to be opened to
admit of the paper and negative being placed in position on the pad, and the
closing of the bar to secure the pad, paper and negative securely together.
I also arrange a metal plate B" Fig. 3 bent at right angles, with two slots C"
Fig. 1 on its top or upper side through which I attach by screws the said metal
plate B" Fig. 1 to the edge of the pad thus allowing the said angled plate B"
Fig. 1 to be lifted from or pressed down to the surface of the pad. I attach to
the underside of this plate B" Fig. 1 a cam or lever D" Fig. 1 of suitable pattern
which same works against a spring or springs F" Fig. 2 of suitable shape and
size, the said spring or springs F" Fig. 2 forcing the cam or lever D" Fig. 1
and plate B" Fig. 1 to which it is attached downwards, thus bringing the the
front part of angled plate B" Fig. 3 into contact with the face of the pad. In
order to raise the plate B" Fig. 1 sufficiently to allow of the placing of the negative
and paper between the metal angled plate B" Fig. 3 above described and the
surface of the pad I provide another metal plate Fig. 2, G" which I attach to the
back of the pad by screws or other attachments with which the cam or lever D"
Fig. 2 engages thus lifting up the metal angled plate B" Fig. 3 from the surface
of the pad.

page_text: When holding a negative and paper the cam or lever D" Fig. 1 is drawn down
and allows the metal angled plate B" Fig. 3 to press firmly down upon the face
of the negative, thus holding the one end securely in contact.
On the back of the larger portion of the pad and at its extreme edge opposite
to the bar or plate B" Fig. 2 formerly described, I attach a sliding bolt H "Fig. 2
between which and the pad I insert a spring or springs J" Fig. 3 upon the sur-
face of which the bolt H" Fig. 2 slides. The said bolt is bent up at right angles
and again bent inwards to form a hook which when in use clips the pad, paper
and negative firmly together, thus securing the whole substantially together and
in contact during the process of printing.
My method for using is, having the pad with the metal bar or plate B" Fig. 1
released from the spring, screw or cam fastener, D" Fig. 1 I put first my sensitised
or other paper on the pad sensitised surface upwards, I then place on this my
negative, film side downwards and in contact with the paper. I then secure my
pad, paper and and negative at the one end with the metal bar or cam fastener
above described D" Fig. 1 and finally push home the sliding bolt Fig. 2 H"
securing the whole substantially together. When I wish to examine my print,
I slide back the bolt H" Fig. 2 thus releasing one end of the pad which lifts on its
hinges K" Fig. 2 the opposite end still being held firmly by the metal bar or plate B"
Fig. 3 thus allowing the print to be examined and replaced in contact without
moving the paper from the negative until the process of printing is completed.
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:-
A pad with various attachments or fasteners for holding firmly in contact_a
photographic negative and paper during process of printing, and to allow of nearly
the whole of the said print being examined and replaced identically as before
examination without the use of a frame as hitherto used.
"