Improvements in Enlarging and Reducing meras.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in Enlarging and Reducing
meras.
I WALTER GRIFFITHS of Highgate Square Balsall Heath Birmingham in the
County of Warwick Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object Improvements in enlarging cameras and is
particularly applicable to the enlargement of negatives taken by the kodak camera.
By my improvement I make such enlarging Cameras so that they may be closed
into a very small compass when not in use while at the same time when open they
are rigid and firm while in use, & an improved arrangement is embodied for
supporting the negatives whether of film or plate. The body.of my enlarging
camera is of the bellows form and is capable of being closed into a small compass.
For the further reduction of the length when closed I make the one end which
contains the lens reversable and around the lens on the one side I provide a pro-
jecting neck or tunnel which at its end supports the negative to be enlarged. When
not in use the end is placed so that the neck is within the closed body of the
Camera, but when in use the end of the camera is reversed and the neck projects
outside. The body of the Camera is provided with metal strips on each side of the
top and bottom of the Camera cach having a centre joint so as to allow of folding
when the body is closed and for the purpose of gaining increased rigidity I provide
fixed stops at the one end of the strips so as to prevent the said strips from folding
outwards, while pivotted stops are provided at the other end on the inner side of the
strips which can be so turned when the camera is open as to prevent the strips
from folding inwards by which means the lateral rigidity of the body is considerably
increased. For the purpose of enabling the negative to be brought into exact
position whether it be a film or plate, I provide a sliding clip having a spring to
pull it against the plate & in the case of a film I provide a plain plate, against
which the film is placed being retained in position by a second plain plate and in
the case of a plate negative being used the plate is placed with the picture on
the inside against a plain plate thus in each case bringing the negative film into
exact register while the before mentioned spring slide allows for the difference
in the thicknesses of the plate. In cases where the enlarging or reducing camera
is not required to be portable I may construct the body of my camera of straw
card or other similar board & such enlarging or reducing cameras may be applied to
the enlargement or reduction of negatives of all kinds in which case I provide a
simple arrangement by which the plates bearing the negative are retained securely
in the required position for poper register and at the same time is self adjustable

page_text: to any thickness of plate which may be used. In carrying this into effect I form
the slide bearing the plate preferably of a wood frame with a top and bottom
strin which is grooved on its face; to allow of the insertion of the glass these strips
are each mounted on the frame by two pins in such a manner that the strips are
free to slide on the pins and thus increase or decrease the distance between the
frame and the strips, the strips being pressed against the plate by a suitable band-
spring which is placed outside the strips & fixed to the pins for the purpose,
Dated this 8th day of December 1896.
Improvements in Enlarging and Reducing Cameras.
I WALTER GRIFFITHS of Highgate Square Balsall Heath Birmingham in the
County of Warwick Manufacturer 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:--
My invention has for its object Improvements in enlarging and reducing cameras
and particularly refers to the means for supporting the negatives whether of film
or plate and is equally applicable in the case of enlargement of negatives such
as taken by the Kodack camera or the reducing of larger negatives.
In order that my invention may be readily understood I have added a sheet of
drawings upon which I have illustrated my improvements.
Figure 1 is a view of the negative end of an enlarging camera, suitable for
Kodack negatives shewing means for supporting the film or plate.
Figure 2 is a similar view of the end of an enlarging or reducing camera for
larger negatives.
In carrying my invention into effect and for the purpose of enabling the negative
to be brought into exact focus whether it be a plate or film I mount the sliding
clip A on the casing C by the pins el and provide the spring B which has one end
attached to the clip at b' and the other to the casing at 63 by which means the plate
is retained in position. In the case of a film being used I provide the plain
plate E against which the film is placed and retained in position by a second plain
plate F and in the case of a plate negative being used the plate is placed in the
position shewn by F with the picture on the inside against a plate E thus in cach
case bringing the negative film into exact register while the spring slide allows
for the difference in the thickness of the plates. In cases where larger cameras
whether reducing or enlarging are required I provide the arrangement shewn in
Figure 2 by which the plates bearing the negative are retained securely in the
required position for proper register and at the same time is self adjustable to any
thickness of plate which may be used.
In carrying this into effect I form the slide H bearing the plate J preferably
of a wood frame with a top and bottom strip K and K which is grooved on its face
at to allow of the insertion of the glass. One of these strips is mounted on the
frame by two pins N₁ in such a manner that the strip is free to slide on the pins.
and thus increase or decrease the distance between the frame H and the strip K
the strip being pressed against the plate by the band spring N which is placed
outside the strips and secured by pins for the purpose. The bottom clip A¹ and
bottom strip K may be provided with springs in the same manner as to A and K,

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
fuvention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1st. The improvements in enlarging or reducing cameras consisting of a spring
clip such as A or K substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth and shewn
upon the accompanying drawings.
WALTER GRIFFITHS.