Improvements in and relating to Photographic Cameras.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Apr., 1890-Accepted, 28th June, 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Photographic Cameras.
We, JOHN MERRITT, residing at No. 842, President Street, and WILLIAM
EDWARD SPENCER, residing at No. 293, Dekalb Avenue, both in the City of
Brooklyn, County of Kings and State of New York, one of the United States of
America, Physicians, do hereby declare the nature of this our invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to bo particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,
in which
Figure 1, is a perspective view of our camera from the front;
Figure 2, is a like view of the operative mechanism separated from the casing ;
Figure 3, is a vertical, central section of the camera upon a line passing from
front to rear ;
Figure 4, is a horizontal section upon line, a-a, of Figure 3:
Figures 5 and 6, are cross-sections upon lines, -2, and, ¹¹, respectively of
Figures 3 and 4, and—
Figure 7, is a side elevation of the mechanism used for operating the carrier and
for setting and tripping the shutter.
The object of our invention is to enable all of the operations necessary for the
placing in position, exposure and removal of a number of sensitized plates or films to
be easily, quickly and accurately performed without requiring that the camera
should be opened, and to such end our said invention-
Consists in the camera and its parts constructed and adapted to operate in the
manner and for the purpose substantially as hereinafter specified.
In the carrying of our invention into practice we employ a camera casing, A,
which has a rectangular form and preferably, has a length equal to about twice its
breadth, and a height that is considerably greater than such breadth.
The rear half of the casing. A, is divided by a horizontal partition, as into an
upper and a lower compartment, a¹, and, a², respectively, that have equal size. From
the front end of said partition, a, another partition, a³, extends forward and down-
ward and then horizontally to the front end of said casing so as to separate vertically
the space within the front portion of the casing into an upper and a lower
compartment, a, and, a³, respectively, that have the relative size and shape shown in
Figure 3. A vertical partition, a, extending from near the rear end of said partition, a³,
to the top of said casing, separates said compartment, a³, from said compartment, a¹.
The front end of the casing, A, is constructed from two parallel plates, a!, and, as,
which are separated as shown in Figure 3. Within the inner plate, a', is provided
an opening that receives and contains a lens tube, B, which tube is placed just below
the partition, a³, in a line with the horizontal centre of the lower, rear compartment, a²,
while at a point just above said partition, a³, a second lens tube, C, is similarly placed
in said plate, a. The frames, b, and, c, which carry the lenses, b¹, and, c¹, are
connected together so as to enable them to be simultaneously moved for the purpose
of focusing an object and are so moved by means of a rod, D, which is journalled
vertically within the front end, at one side of the casing, A, and has secured upon its
upper and lower ends two arms, d, and, d, respectively, of which said arm, d',
engages with said lens frames, while said upper arm extends along the upper side of
the camera casing in convenient position for use. As thus arranged, by moving said
arm, d, said lenses may be adjusted to position. Suitable openings, a³, and, a³, are
provided in the outer plate or front wall of the casing through which light is
permitted to pass to said lenses.
Within the upper side of the casing, A, is provided a glazed light opening, E, and

page_text: at a short distance below the same is a horizontally arranged plate, F, of ground
glass, while within the rear, lower part of the compartment, at, is arranged a mirror, G,
which has such angle with reference to said glass, F, and lens, c¹, as to cause an
image of whatever is in the field of the latter to be reflected upon the former. This
mechanism constitutes the "finder apparatus' of the camera and is used in the
ordinary manner.
وو
The rear compartments, a', and, a', are intended, respectively, for the storage of
sensitized and exposed plates or films, H, and, H, such as are usually placed within a
frame or holder, h, that embraces the side and bottom edges of the same. In each
instance such plates are inserted within the front end of the compartment against a
plate, I, that substantially fills the latter vertically and is adapted to slide freely
lengthwise of the same. Said plate or follower is pressed forward by means of a
device, K, known as a "lazy-tongs" which has one of its ends attached to said follower
and its opposite end attached to the casing at the front end of its chamber, while at
one of its ends or at some suitable point between the same, said lazy-tongs are provided
with a transversely arranged spiral spring, k, that operates to extend the same so as
to produce a forward pressure upon its follower.
At the front ends of the chambers, a¹, and, a², within each side of the inner face
of the casing, A, is formed a vertical groove, L, which is adapted to receive one edge
of a carrier, M, so as to enable the latter to be moved vertically between the top and
bottom of the casing. Said carrier has such vertical dimensions that when moved to
the upper limit of its motion said lower compartment will be entirely unenclosed at
its front end.
Secured upon the rear side of the carrier, M, near each lower corner, is a flat
spring, m, which from thence projects rearward beneath the lower edge and then
downward and forward so as to form a pawl which when said carrier is at the lower
limit of its motion, extends beneath and engages with the bottom edge of a plate-
holder, h, as shown in Figure 3. If now said carrier is moved upward, the adjacent
plate, H, which is engaged by said spring pawls will be moved from the lower
compartment into the upper compartment where it will be held by means of two
springs, N, and, N, that are arranged in position to engage with the lower corners of
said plate or its holder.
When a plate is being moved into the upper compartment, the upper, front side of
its holder engages with a guide, O, that is secured to each side of the casing and has
a rearward and upward curve, the effect being to carry the upper portion of such
plate rearward a distance substantially equal to the thickness of its holder. Upon
the upper end, at each side edge of the carrier, M, is a roller, m¹, which is journailed
upon a horizontal axis that is parallel with the face of the latter and has such relative
arrangement as to cause its periphery at the rear side to be substantially in a line
with the rearmost portion of the upper end of the contiguous curved guide. Said
rollers are received into a pocket, a, when said carrier is at the upper limit of its
motion and when the latter is moved downward, they bear against the contiguous,
front face of the plate-holder, h, and operate to press the lower portion of the same
and its plate rearward into line with the upper portion thereof. When thus moved
back to place, the lower edge of said plate drops behind an upward extending
flange, a, which is provided upon the front edge of the partition, a, and by such
flange is held in position.
After the removal of a plate from the lower compartment, a³, the remaining plates
are moved forward by the spring pressed follower, I, until the front plate at each of
its side edges, impinges against a vertical strip, O¹, which is secured upon the inner
face of the said wall of the casing. When now the carrier, M, is moved downward,
the spring pawls, m, and, m, will engage with the upper, ends of the sides of the
contiguous holder, h, and be pressed forward beneath said carrier until they have
passed below the lower edge of said holder, when said pawls will automatically move
rearward into engagement with the latter and the mechanism be in position for
moving another plate into the upper compartment. It will be seen that as each plato
L-

page_text: is raised into such compartment, it presses rearward the upper follower and such
plates as may be already there until the storage capacity of said compartment has been
reached.
The movements of the carrier, M, are effected by means of a bell-crank lever, Q,
and a straight lover, Q1, which are secured rigidly upon opposite ends of a shaft,
that is journaled horizontally and transversely within the front portion of the
casing, A. The lever, Q¹, and the lower portion of the lever, Q, correspond in size,
shape and length and are parallel and at each of their rear ends engage with and are
contained between two lugs, m², and, m², that are formed upon or project from the
contiguous side edge of said carrier. The upper end of said lever, Q, is provided
with a knob or stud, 71, which projects laterally outward and when grasped by the
fingers of the operator, enables said levers to be moved so as to operate said carrier.
For the purpose of rendering more easy the movements of said carrier, there are
pivoted near each side edge of the same two rollers, m³, and, m³, which bear upon the
sides of the casing and operate to reduce friction.
In order that the operating levers, d, Q, and, Q', together with other mechanism
hereinafter described, may be protected from injury, the casing, A, is made double as
shown, the inner portion containing the mechanism describet and constituting the
frame of the camera, while the outer portion is adapted to be placed downward over
the latter and to be secured thereto by screws or any similar fastenings. The inner
front plate, a', thus forms part of such inner section and the outer front plate, a³, is a
part of the outer section of said casing. For convenience, said plate, as, is made
separately removable in any desired manner. The portion of said outer casing over
the finder opening, E, is preferably, hinged and capable of being opened outward so
as to uncover said opening and the focusing lever, d, by which means said finding
and focusing mechanisms are entirely concealed and are protected when not in use.
Both the inner and outer casings are made removable immediately over the upper
storage chamber, to enable plates to be removed therefrom and the portion of said
inner casing which constitutes the rear end of the lower storage compartment is'
made detachable to permit of the removal of the follower and the insertion of plates
within such compartment. As thus constructed none of the operative mechanism
described is in sight except the lever knob, 7', which projects outward through a
notch in the outer casing.
The opening through which light passes to the photographic lens tube, B, is closed,
when desired, by means of two shutters, R, and, R¹, which are pivoted to the plate, a',
upon opposite sides of such openings and preferably, have the shape in front elevation
shown in Figure 5. Said shutters are adapted to have relatively opposite motions
within certain limits and are connected together by means of a rod, S, that at its ends
is pivoted to the same at points below their pivotal bearings so that whenever one of
said shutters is moved, the other shutter will be simultaneously moved in an opposite
direction.
Each shutter, R, or, R', is provided with an opening ", which coincides with a like
opening, r, of the other shutter and with the light opening of the lens when said
shutters are at the centres of their swinging motions, while when the latter are at
their limit of motion in either direction, their said openings do not coincide and said
lens opening is covered by the coinciding solid portions of said shutters.
The normal positions of the shutters, R, and, R', are, as shown by dotted lines in
Figure 5, with the free end of one, R, at the upper limit of its motion and the free
end of the other shutter, R, at the lower limit of its motion and they are held in
such positions with a yielding pressure by means of a spring, T, which has one end
secured to the casing, A, and at its opposite end is coiled around the pivotal bearing of
and is secured to one of said shutters. At the opposite limits of motion, said shutters
are automatically locked in place by means of a spring pressed trigger, U, that is
pivoted upon the plate, a', and at its inner end engages with a notched projection, ?,
upon one of said shutters. When thus locked in position, by pressure upon the outer
end of said trigger, said shutters will be released and by the operation of said spring, T,
will be instantly moved to the opposite limits of their motion, during which change

page_text: of position the openings, », and, ", will coincide with each other and with the lens
opening and light will be admitted to the camera through the lens.
The shutters, R, and, R¹, are automatically set by the downward movement of the
carrier, M, through the following described means, viz. : Journalled within one side
of the casing, A, is a shaft, V, which is arranged horizontally and parallel with said
casing side and at its front end carries a radial arm, v, that extends across in front
of the shutter, R, and is provided with a longitudinal slot, v¹, which engages with a
stud,, that projects forward from the front side of said shutter. To the rear end of
said shaft is secured a second arm, 2, which from thence extends radially across the
front face of the carrier where it is engaged by a stud m*, that projects forward
from the latter near its upper end.
The position of said stud is such that when said carrier reaches its lowest point
said arm, v2, has been moved just the necessary distance to cause the shutters to
be set.
In order that the entrance of light into the camera may be prevented while the
shutters are being set, there is pivoted upon the pivot of the shutter, R, a bar, w,
which upon its outer end has secured a plate, W, that has the form seen in Figure 5.
The length of said bar and the size and shape of said plate cause the latter, when
moved downward, to occupy a position directly in front of the lens opening where it
would prevent access of light to the same whatever the position of said shutters.
The slotted arm, v, instead of being connected with the stud, 2, as before described,
is now connected with a stud, 20, which projects from the front side of said plate or
hood, W, while the lower side of said bar, w, engages with said stud, ³, as shown.
As thus arranged a downward movement of said carrier, M, will cause said hood, W,
to be moved in the same direction and the latter, through the stud, 22, will move said
shutters to setting position.
As the hood, W, must be moved away from in front of the lens before an exposure
can be had, a stud, m³, is provided near the lower end of the carrier, M, which
engages with the arm, , as said carrier nears the limit of its upward movement and
operates to move said hood upward out of the way and to hold it in such elevated
position until the carrier again descends.
When the carrier, M, again moves downward, the weight of the arms, v³, and, ²,
and the hook, W, cause the latter to move in the same direction until the bar, w,
engages with the stud, 23, when further movement in such direction ceases until the
upper stud, m³, impinges upon said arm, ², and causes the setting operation of the
shutters to be effected, as before described.
To release the shutters and expose a plate, it is only necessary that the outer end of
the trigger, U, should be raised and for such purpose said trigger may project
through the side wall of the casing in a convenient position for manipulation by the
hand of the operator, but it is preferred that the exposure of a plate should be auto-
matically caused by the raising of the carrier and for such purpose the following
described mechanism is employed, viz. :-
.
Pivoted upon or within the outer side of the inner section of the casing, A, is an
L-shaped, lever, X, which has the end of its horizontal arm, a, contained within a
notch, u, in the outer end of the trigger, U, so that by a movement of said lever
upon its pivotal bearing a correspondingly opposite movement of said trigger will be
produced. A spring, 21, secured at one end to said lever arm, a, and at its opposite
end to some relatively stationary part below the same, operates to hold said parts,
with a yielding pressure normally in the position shown in Figure 2, with said trigger
in engagement with the notched projection, ¹, of the shutter, R.
Extending from near the upper end of the vertical arm, ², of the lever, X,
upward to or near the top of the inner section of the casing, A, is a lever, Y, which
near its longitudinal centre is pivoted so as to be capable of a swinging motion in the
plane of the side of said casing. The lower end of said lever bears against the front
side of said arm, a², or against a horizontal prolongation of the same which is
provided for convenience, and is held in engagement therewith by means of a
spring, y, that is arranged to press the upper end of said lever, Y, rearward, as shown

page_text: in Figure 2, the construction being such that by moving the upper end of said
lever, Y, forward, its lower end moving rearward, will rock the lever, X, and cause
the trigger, U, to be released from engagement with the shutter, R, so as to permit
said shutters to resume their normal positions.
The automatic movement of the lever, Y, is effected by the impingement upon its
upper end of a projection, ², upon the lever, Q, contact between such parts being
produced at the instant said lever reaches the limit of its motion in the direction
necessary for the raising of the carrier, M.
In the use of the camera thus constructed a downward movement of the carrier
first moves the hood over the lens and then sets the shutters, whilo by the upward
movement of said carrier said hood is withdrawn and at the instant when the plate
is fully uncovered by said carrier, said shutters are released and an exposure is
had. In practice it will probably be desirable to move the carrier nearly to the
upper limit of its motion before focusing an object and then, while centering the
object to be photographed by means of the finder mechanism, complete the motion
of said carrier and produce an exposure of the plate.
It will be seen that the plate which is to be used has a double protection while
the shutters are being set, as in addition to the hood the carrier is interposed between
it and the lens opening during the setting motion, such operation being effected
at the instant that said carrier reaches the lower limit of its motion.
By means of the constructions shown, an operator has only to move the operating
lever back and forth in order to expose and transfer a plate so that he can secure
as many exposures as there are plates in practically such time as is required for
focusing and centering the objects to be photographed.
In order that the number of plates which have been exposed, and consequently,
the number of unexposed plates remaining may be known without opening the
casing, an indicating mechanism, Z, of any usual construction may be placed
within the upper side of said casing and such mechanism actuated by means of a
rod,, that is engaged by a plate, and raised each time that the carrier is moved
to the upper limit of its motion.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is-
1. A camera in which a series of prepared plates contained within a storago com-
partment may, by mechanical means, bo successively moved into position for exposure
and each plate after having been exposed will be automatically ejected into a storage
compartment as the next plate of the series is moved to position, substantially as and
for the purposes specified.
2. A camera which is provided with a compartment for the storage of prepared
plates, a compartment for the exposure of plates and a compartment for the storage of
exposed plates, in combination with mechanism, whereby each plate, after exposure,
will be automatically moved to and placed within such storage compartment as the
next plate of the series is moved to position for exposure, substantially as and for the
purposes shown.
3. A camera which is provided with a compartment for the storage of prepared
plates, a compartment for the exposure of prepared plates and a compartment for
the storage of exposed plates, in combination with mechanism whereby the prepared
plates may be successively moved to position for exposure and mechanism whereby
each plate, after exposure, will be automatically transferred to the storage compartment
as the next plate of the series is moved to position to be exposed, substantially as and
for the purposes set forth.
4. A camera in which are combined a compartment for the storage of prepared
plates, a compartiment for the exposure of prepared plates, a compartment for the
storage of plates that have been exposed, mechanism to automatically move a plate to
position for exposure, mechanism to automatically uncover the lens whenever a plate

page_text: is brought into the field of exposure, and mechanism to automatically eject such plate,
after exposure, into the storage compartment, substantially as and for the purposes
shown and described.
5. A camera in which are combined compartments for the storage of prepared
plates, for the exposure of plates and for the storage of plates that have been exposed,
mechanism to automatically move a plate to position for exposure and then transfer
such plate to the storage chamber and automatic mechanism to uncover and then
cover the lens when a plate is moved into the field of exposure and to cause the
same to be covered while said plate is being moved from such field to said storage
compartment, substantially as and for the purposes specified.
6. A camera which is provided with a compartment for the storage of prepared
plates and a compartment for the storage of exposed plates, in combination with
a carrier that is adapted to transfer plates from the former to the latter and
mechanism whereby such carrier may be operated, substantially as and for the
purposes specified.
7. A camera which is provided with compartments for holding and exposing plates,
a lens covering shutter, and mechanism whereby the removal of an exposed plate and
the operation of the shutter may be automatically effected, in combination with finder
mechanism which is adapted to adjust the camera so as to bring an object to be
photographed within the field of the lens, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
8. A camera casing which is adapted to contain the operative mechanism and is
composed of an inner part and an outer part that are separable, substantially as
and for the purposes specified.
9. A camera in which is combined compartments for the storage and exposure
of prepared plates and for the storage of plates that have been exposed, spring-
actuated shutters to cover and uncover the lens opening mechanism to set and release
such shutters and a carrier which is adapted to transfer an exposed plate to a storage
compartment and to automatically cover the plate about to be exposed while said
shutters are being set, substantially as and for the purposes shown and described.
10. A camera in which is combined compartments for the storage and exposure of
prepared plates and for the storage of plates that have been exposed, a carrier which
is adapted to transfer each plate after exposure to a storage compartment, spring-
actuated shutters that are adapted to cover and uncover the lens opening, mechanism
which is adapted to set and release such shutters and to operate said carrier so as to
cause the plate about to be exposed to be covered while said shutters are being set,
substantially as and for the purposes specified.
11. In combination with the photographic plates and their holders and their storage
compartments, mechanism whereby said plates are held with a yielding pressure at
the front end of such compartment, the vertically reciprocable carrier having at its
lower end spring-engaging pawls and the mechanism for moving such carrier,
substantially as and for the purposes shown.
12. In combination with the photographic plates and with the vertically reciprocable
carrier which is adapted to raise a plate from the exposure compartment to the storage
compartment, the spring detents that are adapted to engage with and to lock such
plate in an elevated position, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
13. In combination with the photographic plates and with the vertically reciprocable
carrier, curved guide plates which are arranged to turn the upper end of each plate
rearward as it moves into the storage compartment, and rollers pivoted upon the
upper end of said carrier that operate to move the lower portion of such plate
rearward as said carrier descends, substantially as and for the purposes shown and
described.
14. A camera in which is combined compartments for the storage and exposure of
prepared plates and for the storage of plates that have been exposed, mechanism for
the transfer of a plate from one compartment to another compartiment, spring-actuated
shutters to uncover and cover the lens opening, mechanism to automatically set and

page_text: release such shutters, and a hook which is automatically moved over said lens opening
immediately before said shutters are set, substantially as and for the purposes shown
and described.
15. The combination with the lens opening and a reciprocating shutter provided
with an exposing aperture, of a hood arranged to co-operate with the lens opening
when the shutter is moved in one direction and to remain out of position when moved
in the other, substantially as and for the purposes specified.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.