Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 13th July, 1894-Accepted, 25th Aug., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
JOHN DUNSEITH MCKELLEN 23 January Street Chorlton-on-Medlock
Manchester Gauge Maker and SAMUEL DUNSEITH MCKELLEN 2 Clarence
Street Albert Square Manchester Photographic Engineer do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to an improved method of changing & storing sensitive
photographic plates & films and is especially applicable to so-called magazine
hand cameras. We carry the plates or films in sheaths with projections or spurs
on two adjacent corners. When placed in the camera for exposure these sheaths
stand one behind the other and are pressed forward by springs at the back in the
usual way.
The projections are formed on the lower corners of the sheaths and
rest upon rails for convenience called guide rails one rail on each side and running
from back to front of the magazine. The upper part of the front sheath rests
against a top rail which keeps the sheath from falling forward at the front end
(ie. the end nearest to the lens) of these guide rails we provide two similar circular
discs mounted on a spindle which is capable of rotation about its axis between
bearings which are placed so that the axis of rotation is parallel to the front of the
plate and nearly on the same level as the lower edge of the sheath when in
position. The discs are placed upon the spindle at such a distance from each other
that the pins on the sheath shall bear against their edge when they are pressed
forward by the back springs. In each disc we cut a notch of width & depth just
enough to take the pins. When the discs are revolved until the notches and pins
are opposite each other the pins enter the notches owing to the pressure from the
back springs forcing the sheaths forward.
By means of a suitable thumb piece we impart rotatory motion to the discs.
When the pins have entered the notches the rotation forward of the discs carries
the lower edge of the sheath forwards & downwards until the sheath is drawn
from the top supporting rail & falls forward into a receptacle provided for it.
The discs revolve inside circular rings which encompass them so that the pins
cannot leave the dises until they arrive at a given point where the outer rings
terminate when they drop out and the now released sheath falls into the receiver.
The thumb piece is then rotated back to its normal position when the pins of the
next sheath (which meantime have been bearing against the edges of the discs)
enter the notches ready for the next exposure. The removed sheaths fall into a
receiver which for one of its sides has an arrangement called a gripper. By an
automatic arrangement connected with the thumb piece this gripper is moved out
of the way to allow the sheath to fall into the receiver & when the thumb piece is
returned to its normal position the gripper is pressed by a spring and caused to
bear over against the sheaths thus preventing them from shaking about in the
camera.
It is unnecessary to discribe the other parts of the camera to which this
invention may be applied as it can be adapted to many of the forms of camera
now on the market.
Dated this 12th day of October 1893.
J. D. MCKELLEN.
S. D. MCKELLEN.

page_text: Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
We, JOHN DUNSEITH MCKELLEN, formerly of 23 January Street, Chorlton-
on-Medlock Manchester, now of 4 Bull's Head Yard, Manchester, Gaugemaker,
and SAMUEL DUNSEITH MCKELLEN formerly of 2 Clarence Street Manchester,
now of 4 Bull's Head Yard, Manchester, Photographic Engineer, 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 relates to an improved method of changing and storing sensitive
photographic plates and films and is especially applicable to so-called magazine
hand cameras.
We
We carry the plates or films in sheaths with projections or spurs on two adjacent
corners. When placed in the camera for exposure these sheaths stand one behind
the other and are pressed forward by springs at the back in the usual way. The
projections are formed on the lower corners of the sheaths and rest upon rails for
convenience called "guide rails" one rail on each side and running from back to
front of the magazine. The upper part of the front sheath rests against a top rail
which keeps the sheath from falling forward. At the front end (i.e. the end nearest
to the lens) of the guide rails we provide two similar circular discs mounted on a
spindle which is capable of rotation about its axis between bearings which are
placed so that the axis of rotation is parallel to the front of the plate and nearly
on the same level as the lower edge of the sheath when in position. The discs
are placed upon the spindle at such a distance from each other that the pins on
the sheath shall bear against their edge when they are pressed forwards by the
back springs. In each disc we cut a notch of width and depth just enough to take
the pins.
When the discs are revolved until the notches and pins are opposite
each other the pins enter the notches owing to the pressure from the back springs
forcing the sheaths forward. By means of a suitable thumb-piece we impart
rotatory motion to the discs. When the pins have entered the notches the rotation
forward of the discs carries the lower edge of the sheath forwards and downwards
until the sheath is drawn from the top supporting rail and falls forward into a
receptacle provided for it. The discs revolve inside circular rings which encompass
them so that the pins cannot leave the discs until they arrive at a given point
where the outer rings terminate when they drop out and the now released sheath
falls into the receiver. The thumb-piece is then rotated back to its normal position
when the pins of the next sheath (which meantime have been bearing against the
edges of the discs) enter the notches ready for the next exposure. The removed
sheaths fall into a receiver which for one of its sides has an arrangement called a
gripper. By an automatic arrangement connected with the thumb-piece this
gripper is moved out of the way to allow the sheath to fall into the receiver and
when the thumb-piece is returned to its normal position the gripper is pressed by a
spring and caused to hear over against the sheaths thus preventing them from
shaking about in the camera.
The guide rails may be made in any convenient form. We prefer to make them
with a groove running the full length, which grooves form guides for the pins and
prevent the sheaths from shaking up and down in the magazine. These guide rails
may be placed at the top of the magazine instead of the bottom. The sheath
projections would then be at the top and the other side of the sheath would rest
against a rail at the bottom. In this case the transfer of the sheath would be
effected by turning the shaft so as to lift the sheath upwards until the lower edge
is clear of the bottom supporting rail. The motion of the shaft would then be
reversed being turned backwards until the notch had arrived at the position to

page_text: allow the pins to escape, and the sheath to drop down, when it would fall forward
and take its place in the receiver. But we prefer the arrangement previously
described.
One of the methods of working the gripper, and which we prefer is as
follows:-The gripper is made to form one side of the receiver, and is hinged at
the bottom. By a strong spring this is caused to lean against the plates when in
their place in the receiver. A connecting rod reaches from this gripper to the
shaft and is so connected with the shaft that the forward movement of the thumb-
piece will cause it to remove the gripper out of the way until the sheath has passed
into the receiver. The backward movement of the thumb-piece withdraws the
connecting rod and allows the gripper to press against the sheaths, thus preventing
them from being shaken about in the camera.
Instead of a shaft with discs mounted thereon the same result may be obtained
by using a shaft so thick that by turning down the middle part the two thick ends
will act as discs.
It is unnecessary to describe the other parts of the camera to which this
invention may be applied as it can be adapted to many of the forms of camera now
on the market.
In order to assist the description of the arrangement we prefer to adopt in
carrying out our invention we append drawings of the same.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation and plan of the changing and storing mechanism,
shewing a sheath containing a sensitive photographic plate or film, in the
positions, S₁, S2, & S3.
S₁ being the sheath in position for exposure as described:
S, being the sheath after it has been withdrawn from the supporting rail, and
has fallen forward on to the gripper: and,
Sa being the sheath when the thumb-piece has been rotated forward as far as
possible, allowing the projections on the sheath to leave the notches in the discs
and the sheath to fall into the receiver.
G₁, G, & G-C R₁, C R., & CR, are corresponding positions of the gripper
and connecting rod, to S₁, S., & S3-
S3, G3, CR, and the top rail T. R. are only shewn in elevation, and the thumb-
piece T. P. only in plan.
Fig. 2 shews one form of sheath with suitable projections attached.
Fig. 3. shews the arrangement of the guide rails, GR; grooves, Gr; bearings
for spindle B; and circular rings, OR, which encompass the discs when in
position.
Fig. 4. shews the spindle with the discs mounted upon it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The use of a revolving shaft with notched discs mounted thereon, or a solid
shaft shaped to answer the same purpose, to catch up and remove sheaths containing
photographic plates or films after exposure into a receiver.
2. The arranging of one side of the receiver, so that by suitable pressure it is
caused to grip the removed sheaths and prevent their shaking.
3. The use of a connecting rod actuated by the movement of the thumb-piece
to remove the gripper out of the way of the plates when being transferred and to
allow it to return to its position of pressure on the sheaths.
Dated this 12th day of July 1894.
J. D. MCKELLEN.
S. D. MCKELLEN.