IMPROVEMENTS IN- THE APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR PRODUCING PHOTOGRAPHIC PICTURES
Year: 1852

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said "Frederic Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 2nd October 1852.
I, FREDERIC NEWTON, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for IMPROVEMENTS IN- THE APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR PRODUCING
PHOTOGRAPHIC PICTURES" to be as follows:.
The Invention consists in an improved; arrangement of apparatus
for taking photographic pictures without the use of a dark room, the
essential feature consisting in so constructing a camera that the surface
upon which the picture is to be formed may be subjected to the various
treatments necessary to render the plate sensitive, and afterwards to
develope and fix the picture in the camera itself.
Hitherto it has been found necessary to perform these. processes in 'a
dark room, but I propose to effect the desired. object without removing

page_text: the plate from the camera, and without the necessity of introducing
the hands through-sleeves or other contrivance for keeping out light.
Various plans may be devised for effecting the desired object; for
instance, supposing the collodion process to be employed, the glass or
other plate covered with collodion may be introduced into a glass vessel
placed in the camera, and supplied in turn with the proper solutions for
rendering the plate, first, sensitive, then to develope and finish and fix
the picture. In this case the picture must be taken on the plate while
the latter is in the nitrate of silver solution, which must be subsequently
drawn off, and the other chemical agents poured in.
By another method of accomplishing the same objects the vessel
containing the nitrate of silver (after the coating is effected) is drawn
down through the bottom of the camera, and another vessel containing
the developing solution inserted in its place, a slide being adapted to
keep out light during the change, water for washing and fixing matter
being in like manner introduced; or, instead of drawing the vessels
down, the plate may be raised up from and dipped down into the
several vessels situate beneath the camera.
Another modification may be made by adapting to the underside of
the camera a drawer or-box containing vessels supplied with the requi-
site chemical solutions. This box must be made to slide backwards
and forwards under the camera, so, that the several vessels may be in
turn brought beneath the plate, which must be slidden down into the
vessels. In order to enable the operator to examine the developement
of the picture I make an eye hole in some convenient part of the
camera, and admit light to the interior through a window at the top.
This window must be glazed with coloured glass so as not to affect the
picture while under the action of the chemical solutions, and should be
provided with a shutter to exclude the light while the picture is being
taken. If the pictures are to be produced on glass, plates, or other
transparent substance, the window at the top of the camera would not
be required, but a colored glass back behind the picture may be
employed, and will give sufficient light to enable the operator to
observe the progress of the process.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Frederic Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 2nd April 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
FREDERIC NEWTON, of Fleet Street, in the City of London, Optician,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the sixteenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Frederic Newton, Her especial licénce
that I, the said Frederic Newton, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Frederic Newton, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise; and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR PRODUCING PHOTOGRAPHIC PICTURES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Frederic Newton, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Frederic Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):
My Invention of improvements in apparatus to be employed for
producing photographic pictures relates to an improved arrangement
of apparatus for taking photographic pictures without the use of a

page_text: dark room, the essential feature of the Invention consisting in so con-
structing a camera, and the apparatus to be used therewith, that the
surface upon which the picture is to be formed may be subjected to the
various treatments necessary to render the surface sensitive, and to
develope and, if necessary, fix the picture without the necessity of
handling the plate or surface, or introducing the hands into the camera
or other part of the apparatus. One method of accomplishing this
object consists in suspending the glass plate or other surface over a
long slot or aperture made in the bottom of the camera for the purpose
of enabling the operator to introduce from below the vessels containing
the chemical solutions. For instance, the plate or other surface
having been properly coated with collodion, or other suitable material,
must be secured in a clip or holder fixed to or suspended from the
upper part of the camera. The vessel containing the nitrate of silver.
is carefully passed up from below through the slot or opening made in
the bottom of the camera, and the plate is allowed to remain in the
solution a sufficient length of time to be properly coated by the silver
solution, after which the vessel is drawn down through the bottom of
the camera, and the aperture is carefully closed by a slide to exclude
the light. The picture may then be taken in the ordinary way on
the sensitive surface, and then the vessel containing the developing
solution must be passed up through the opening in the bottom of the
camera in the same manner that the silver solution was; vessels
containing water for washing the surface, and also a solution for fixing
the 'picture, are in like manner introduced from below, care being taken
to close the opening by means of a slide or other convenient contrivance
whenever a change of the vessels is required to be made.
Instead of introducing the vessels from below, and drawing them
down out of the camera when done with, the vessels may be suspended
under the opening in the bottom of the camera by making them slide
into grooves made for the purpose. The plate or other surface being
suspended from a clip attached to a moveable rod may then be easily
dipped down into the several vessels, which may be placed in turn
beneath the camera. The clip holder or other contrivance for holding
the glass plate or surface, if made of brass, should be well plated with

page_text: silver, or strongly gilt, or, if preferred, it may be made, of bone or ivory;
and being attached to one end of a rod, which passes through a stuffing
box at the top of the camera, the plate may be easily lowered into and
raised out of the chemical solutions contained in the troughs situate
beneath the camera by merely pushing down the suspending rod..
Instead of placing the troughs or vessels containing the chemical
solutions under the camera in turn, and removing them therefrom
separately, it will be found, convenient in practice to adapt to the
underside of the camera a drawer or box, in which all the vessels with
the requisite chemical solutions may, if required; be placed: This
arrangement is shewn in the accompanying Drawing at Fig. 1,
which is a sectional view of part of a camera constructed according to
my improvements. The box b, containing the troughs with the
chemical solutions therein, must be made to slide backwards and
forwards, like a drawer, in grooves made under or attached to the
underside of the camera a, a, so that the several vessels may in turn be
brought beneath the plate or other surface, which must be slidden
down in the manner already described through the opening a*, into
the troughs or vessels containing the chemical agents. To facilitate
this operation I adapt to the drawer containing the vessels a tail
piece b, on which I mark the distances to which the drawer must
be,slidden in order to bring the several solutions beneath the hole a*,
through which the plate descends. A modification of this plan may be
made by placing the box or drawer with the troughs or vessels contain-
ing the chemical solutions inside the camera, in which case when it is
required to change from one trough to another, the plate or surface,f,.
must be drawn up ont' of the body of the camera into a chamber fixed
on the top, in order to allow the box containing the troughs to be pushed
forward. This modification is shewn in the accompanying Drawing
at Figures 2, and 3, in which Fig. 2, is 'a longitudinal vertical section
of a camera, with this plan of carrying out my improvements adapted
thereto. Fig. 3, is an end view thereof. a, a, a, a, is the box of the
camera; b, b, the drawer or box containing the solution troughs d, d, 'd,
and which drawer or box slides in grooves made inside the camera;
c, c, is a chamber secured to the top of the camera above a long slot

page_text: or, opening extending right across the camera. This chamber is
supported by side pieces c, and when the camera is not in use the
chamber c, may be removed altogether for the convenience of packing.
This chamber c, is provided with a sliding front e, which may be taken
out when the plate is required to be placed in or removed from the
camera. The glass plate or surface f, on which the picture is to be
taken, is secured by a screw in a clip g, attached to the lower end of
the rod h, which passes through the stuffing box i, above. For the
purpose of enabling the operator to bring the several troughs or
solution vessels with accuracy beneath the plate or surface f, the box b,
which contains the vessels d, d, is provided with a projecting tail
piece, on which is marked the several distances to which the box
must be moved in order to bring the solution troughs beneath the
plate, as described in reference to Fig. 1. For the convenience of
examining the surface of the plate f, or the developement of the picture
at any time while in the camera, I have provided the chamber c, c,
with a yellow glass window j, which is covered up by the shutter k,
when not required. Fig. 3*, is a longitudinal vertical section of
another modification, in which the chemical solutions are contained in
troughs placed in a box which is suspended from beneath the camera
instead of inside. In this instance the box or drawer containing the
troughs d, d, is not intended to be moved backwards or forwards for
the purpose of bringing the several troughs d, under the plate in
succession, but is always stationary, and the plate is made moveable
backward and forward instead of the box. To effect this object the
stuffing box i, through which the suspending rod h, passes, is fixed in a
moveable bar. This bar is made capable of sliding in guides m, m,
which are screwed or otherwise firmly fixed on the top of the camera, and
are shewn detached and upon an enlarged scale in plan at Fig. 4, and
also in side and end elevation in Figures 5, and 6. In order that the
operator may be able to bring the plate immediately over the several
troughs in the box below, certain marks, as shewn in the plan view
Fig. 4, are made on the guide plates m, m, and when an index marked
on the moveable plate 7, is brought into coincidence with either of the
marks on the fixed guides, the operator will at once know that the plate

page_text: is above a certain trough; it will then only be necessary to push down
the rod, and the plate will be dipped into and be acted on by the solu-
tion. In order further to ensure the plates descent in a line perfectly
parallel with the troughs d, d, a groove is made all down the rod h, and
the end of a screw n, which passes through the collar of the stuffing
box i, enters this groove and prevents the bar from turning round. I
would here observe, that I find it convenient to arrange the apparatus
in such a manner that the first trough containing the silver solution
should be placed under that part of the camera where the plate or
surface f, would stand for a short focus lens or lenses, and the last
trough is placed in a position corresponding to the longer focus of
another lens or lenses. In order to obtain the proper focus a piece
of ground glass is placed in the clamp g, and the sliding bar 1,
is moved so as to bring the index point 7, on the sliding bar 1,
coincident with the mark on the fixed guides m, corresponding to the
long or short focus, as the case may be; the bar 1, is then to be clamped
there by means of the clamp screw o, and securely held until the exact
Focus (that obtained by the index being merely an approximation) has
been obtained by the ordinary rack or sliding motion in front, but not
shewn in the Drawing. The bar l, may then be unclamped and moved
backwards or forwards, as may be required, but. can always be brought
back with accuracy to the original spot. In order to enable the
operator to examine the developement of the picture in the construction
of camera just described, an eye hole may, if required, be made in some
convenient part of the camera, and light may be admitted to the
interior through a window at the top. This window must be glazed
with glass of a suitable color, so that the light that is admitted may not
affect the picture while under the action of the chemical solutions, and
the window should also be provided with a shutter to exclude the light
while the picture is being taken; as some operators do not consider
these windows (for examining the plate or surface while under operation)
are necessary, they may, if preferred, be dispensed with.
It will be understood that a picture upon a surface of any size
within the limits of the camera may be taken without the necessity of

page_text: separate frames, the ground glass being marked, as is now usual, in
order to shew the extent of view that will appear upon a certain size,
and by raising or lowering the rod h, from which the surface is
suspended, the relative amount of foreground and sky may be déter-
mined, care being taken to restore the rod h, and plate f, to the focussed
elevation, and retain the rod h, there by the screw n, when the picture
is to be taken.
:
I have mentioned only the collodion process in the foregoing descrip-
tion, but it will be obvious that the albumen or others which admit of
the employment of rigid surfaces to be dipped into the solutions may be
adopted in conjunction with my improvements; and I would observe
that, if thought desirable, such a portion only of the operations may be
carried on in the camera as must be effected in the absence of light; it
will, therefore, be obvious that the final fixing or other treatment which
may be carried on under the action of the light may be carried on in
any convenient and ordinary manner.
By means of the arrangement shewn in Fig. 1, which is a modifica
tion of the plan shewn in Fig. 3, the use of the moveable or sliding bar 7,
and its guides m, as shewn in Fig. 3, may be dispensed with by making
the box or drawer b, b, which contains the solution troughs, moveable
in guides under the camera a, a, so that each trough may, in succession,
be brought under the plate or surface f, in the manner already explained.
It will, of course, be understood that if the troughs are made moveable
the necessity for making the plate or picture surface moveable will no
longer exist, and, therefore, the suspending rod is made to pass through
a stationary stuffing box fixed in the top of the camera, as shewn in
ig. 1. As the drawer or box b, containing the solution troughs or
vessels is made moveable instead of the slide 1, the tail piece *, must
be marked to indicate the distance the box b, must be moved to bring
the troughs under the plate or surface f.
If lenses of different foci are intended to be employed in the same
camera, then à hole or opening corresponding to: each focus must be
made in the top of the camera for the purpose of receiving the stuffing
box through which the suspending rod passes.

page_text: At Figures 7, and 8, I have shewn a modification of the plan shewn
at Figures 1, 2, and 3. In this instance, however, the solution troughs
are detached from the camera, and are contained in a separate box.
Fig. 7, is a longitudinal vertical section of the camera; and Fig. 8, is a
sectional view of the box containing the solution troughs d, d. The
plate or surface f, is suspended by means of a clip from a rod, as shewn
in Figures 2, and 3, and is enclosed in a moveable box or chamber
c, c, (as in Figures 2, and 3,) the rod h, passing through a stuffing
box i, at the top of the moveable chamber c, but instead of this box or
chamber c, being placed on the top of the camera, as in Figures 2, and 3,
it is introduced either from above, as shewn at Figures 2, and 3, or
from below, a long slot or opening being made in either case in the
camera to allow the box to be introduced. Now supposing the surface f
has been made sensitive by means of a silver bath, and the moveable
chamber c, has been introduced into the camera, as shewn at Fig. 7,
the shutter e, must be drawn up so as to expose the sensitive surface f,
to the light from the lens, and when the picture has been taken the
shutter e, must be lowered so as to make the chamber quite dark.
The chamber may then be removed from the camera, and fixed on the
top of the box b, b, Fig. 8, above a long slot or opening 6, made in the
lid thereof. The troughs or vessels d, d, containing the chemical
solutions are. then brought successively under the plate or surface f, by
pushing forward the tail piece 6, and the bottom of the chamber c,
being opened by the withdrawal of a sliding piece p, Fig. 7, the plate
may be moved down into the solutions' by means of the sliding rod h,
as in the other cases.
In the Figure. 8, I have also shewn another improvement whereby the
necessity of carrying separate bottles for the solutions is avoided. Each
of the troughs is provided with a stopper s, s, made of wood, covered
with a thick piece of vulcanized caoutchouc or other suitable elastic
substance, and these stoppers are kept in their places by the lid of the,
box, which securely holds them down, and prevents the solution from
slopping about. It is evident that the same arrangement for stopping
the troughs may be adapted to the other plans above described, in

page_text: which the box or drawer containing the troughs is adapted to the
camera, and by this means much room is economized in the camera, and
the weight of the apparatus complete for working is thereby very
materially diminished.
I would here remark, that I have not thought it necessary to enter
into any explanation of the process of obtaining photographic pictures,
nor have I mentioned the chemical agents that are intended to be
employed, as I do not propose to make any material alteration therein,
but merely to operate in any of the well-known manners that have
hitherto been found suitable when dipping troughs are used.
Having now described my improvements in apparatus to be employed
in producing photographic pictures, I would observe, in conclusion, that
in order to avoid unnecessary detail, and a too lengthy description of
triffing modifications, I have only described those arrangements or con-
structions of parts which have, from experience, been found to answer
the intended purpose in the best and most satisfactory manner. I do
not, therefore, mean or intend to confine myself rigidly thereto, as I am
aware that the construction and arrangement of the various parts may
be varied, without departing from the nature and object of my improve-
ments; but that which I consider to be new, and therefore wish to
claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent, is, the general
arrangement or construction of photographic cameras as above de-
scribed, or any mere modification thereof, whereby the plate or surface
on which the picture is intended to be produced may be subjected to
the operation of the chemical solutions or agents in the camera itself, or
in another apparatus or box which may or may not be connected with
or attached to the camera; the essential feature of novelty being, that
the various operations of dipping or introducing the plate or surface
into the solutions or chemical agents, or withdrawing it therefrom, may
be effected without handling the plate or surface itself, or introducing
the. hands into the camera. I claim, particularly, suspending the plate.
or surface in any convenient manner from a rod which is capable of
moving up and down in a stuffing box, or through a hole or aperture
made in the camera, so that the plate or surface may be lowered into

page_text: and raised out of the troughs d, or vessels containing the chemical
agents, without handling the same. I also claim placing the troughs
or vessels containing the chemical agents in a box or drawer, which
may either be placed inside the camera or made to run in grooves on
or attached to the underside of the camera, or used detached therefrom,
as above described. I further claim the method herein shewn and
described, or any mere modification thereof, for stopping the troughs d, d,
so as to dispense with the use of separate bottles or vessels to carry the
chemical solutions.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederic Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
FREDERIC NEWTON. (L.S.)