Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
I, HUDSON CLOUGH PARKINSON 2 York Crescent Road Clifton Bristol in the
County of Gloucester Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in photographic cameras and more
especially to an improved form of camera base and parts combined therewith. My
new base, hereinafter called the base-tube, consists of a single tube disposed
horizontally and of circular cross section and is made of aluminium or other
suitable metallic alloy or material. Fitted to the exterior of the base-tube and
continuing the full length of the saine is a projection or "feather." The outer face
of this "feather" has teeth or cogs cut into it to form a geared rack for the
purpose of focussing or adjusting the position of the front and back of the camera
relatively to each other. The base tube has mounted upon it two clamps adjustable
horizontally upon the base-tube upon which they can be clamped by means of
thumb screws at any part of its length. The upper part of one of the clamps is
continued to form a standard to carry the front of the camera. The combined
clamp and standard for carrying the front of the camera is fitted with a small
pinion operated by means of a thumb screw suitably arranged to gear with the
beforementioned geared rack fixed upon the base-tube. The object of this said
pinion and rack is to adjust the focus by moving the clamp and standard carrying
the front of the camera and lens upon the base-tube. The second of the before-
mentioned two clamps is arranged to carry the back of the camera with the
focussing screen and dark slide. The back of the camera is supported on a
standard attached to the clamp by means of screws, and the clamp, standard,
and screws are so arranged that the back of the camera can be placed
vertically or inclined backwards or forwards as required so as to form a
"swingback."
A third clamp is placed on the base-tube between the two beforementioned
clamps. This third clamp is for the purpose of securing the base-tube
carrying the camera to the top of the tripod. On the underside of this third
clamp a circular turntable is formed which turns in a circular recess formed
in the tripod top. A screw is provided for securing the parts of the
turntable to each other and locking or fixing them together in position as
required. The before described projection or "feather" on the base-tube fits in
a groove in each of the three beforementioned clamps by which means the two
clamps carrying the front and back of the camera are prevented from turning
round on the base-tube, and the base-tube itself, is prevented from turning round
in the third clamp forming part of the turntable at the top of the tripod. That is
to say, the teeth formed on the outside face of the projection or "feather" answer
the purpose of a geared rack, and further, the projection or "feather" fitting in
the groove in the clamps enables the base-tube and clamps to be adjusted as may
be required in a direction parallel with the axis of the base-tube but prevents the
clamps and base-tube moving relatively to each other in a direction at right angles
to the axis of the base-tube. All three of the beforementioned clamps are fitted
with thumb screws, and when the parts have been adjusted relatively to each other,
these thumb screws are tightened up, and the clamps with the parts of the camera

page_text: attached thereto are thus fixed upon the base-tube in position as required. The
clamps, standards, turntable and geared rack or "feather" are made of aluminium.
or of other suitable metallic alloy or material.
Dated this Twanti first dose of Fabra 1900
.
Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
I, HUDSON CLOUGH PARKINSON 2 York Crescent Road, Clifton, Bristol, in the
County of Gloucester Mechanical 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in photographic cameras and more
especially to an improved form of camera base and parts combined therewith. In
order that my invention may be better understood reference will be made in the
following description to the drawings accompanying this specification:-
Figure 1 Sheet 1 is a side elevation;
Figure 2 Sheet 1 is a front elevation; and
Figure 3 Sheet 2 is a back elevation.
The drawings are full size and shew a camera of the size known as "half plate."
My new base (hereinafter called the base-tube) consists of a single tube (A)
(Figures 1, 2 & 3) of convenient length and of circular or other suitable cross
section and is made of aluminium or other suitable metallic alloy or material.
Fixed to the exterior of the base-tube and continuing the full length of the same is
a projection or "feather" (B) (Figs. 1, 2 & 3). The outer face of this "feather"
has teeth or cogs cut into it to form a geared rack for the purpose of focussing or
adjusting the position of the front and back of the camera relatively to each
other. The base-tube has mounted upon it two clamps (C and D on the
drawings) adjustable horizontally upon the base-tube upon which they can be
clamped by means of thumb screws (E. E) at any part of its length. The upper
part of the clamp (D) is continued to form a standard (F) to carry the front of the
camera. The combined clamp and standard for carrying the front of the camera
is fitted with a small pinion (G) operated by means of a thumb screw (H) suitably
arranged to gear with the before mentioned geared rack fixed upon the base-tube.
The object of this said pinion and rack is to adjust the focus by moving the clamp
and standard carrying the front of the camera and lens upon the base-tube. The
second of the before mentioned two clamps (C) is arranged to carry the back of
the camera with the focussing screen and dark slide. The back of the camera is
supported on a standard (I) attached to the clamps by means of screws (J&K).
The standard can move through a portion of a circle on screw (J) as a centre and
it can be locked or fixed to the clamp in any part of the range of movement by
means of the screw (K); the combination of clamp, standard and screws are so
arranged that the back of the camera can be placed vertically or inclined backwards
or forwards within the range of movement so as to form a "swing back," as shewn
in dotted lines on Fig. 1.
A third clamp (L) is placed on the base-tube between the two before mentioned
clamps. This third clamp is for the purpose of securing the base-tube carrying the
camera to the top of the tripod (M). On the underside of this third clamp a
circular turntable (N) is formed, which turns in a circular recess formed in the
tripod top. A screw (O) is provided for securing the parts of the turntable to
each other and locking or fixing them together in position as required. The before
described projection or "feather" on the base-tube fits in a groove (P) in each of

page_text: the three before mentioned clamps by which means the two clamps (C & D) carrying
the front and back of the camera are prevented from turning round on the base-
tube, and the base-tube itself is prevented from turning round in the third
clamp (L) forming part of the turntable at the top of the tripod, that is to say..
the teeth formed on the outside face of the projection or "feather" answer the
purpose of a geared rack, and further, the projection or "feather" fitting in the
groove in the clamps enables the base-tube and clamps to be adjusted as may be
required in a direction parallel with the axis of the base-tube, but prevents the clamps
and base-tube moving relatively to each other in a direction at right angles to the
axis of the base-tube. All three of the before-mentioned clamps are fitted with thumb
screws (E) and when the parts have been adjusted relatively to each other these
thumb screws are tightened up and the clamps with the parts of the camera
attached thereto are thus fixed upon the base-tube in position as required. The
clamps, standards, turntable and geared rack or "feather" are made of aluminium.
or other suitable alloy or material.
The drawings shew the camera as arranged to take a vertical picture, that is
with the longest dimension of the dry plate placed vertically, but should a.
horizontal picture be required the camera bellows with the front and back attached
would be turned round at right angles so that screw (S) would be connected to
standard (F) instead of screw (T) as shewn, and the back of the camera would be
attached to standard (I) by means of screws (U U) instead of screws (VV) as shewn.
on the drawings.
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 :-
First. In a photographic camera the carrying of the front and back on a single-
metallic tube of suitable cross section and material in combination with a geared
rack and "feather" substantially as described in the accompanying specification
and shewn on the annexed drawings.
Second. In combination with the metallic tube and combined rack and "feather"
in the first claim as above, the use of a clamp and standard to carry the back of the
camera aud arranged so as to form a swing back; also a clamp and standard
combined with an adjusting or focussing pinion to carry the camera front; also
the combination of the metallic tube and geared rack and "feather" together with
the clamp and turntable to connect the camera to the top of the tripod.
Third. The combination and arrangement of mechanical parts in connection with.
photographic cameras as described in this specification and shewn on the annexed
drawings.
1000
H. C. PARKINSON.