Apparatus for Automatically Producing and Completing Photographs.
Year: 1889

page_text: Apparatus for Automatically Producing and Completing
Photographs.
We KARL RAMSPECK, Machinery Manufacturer and BARTHOLD SCHÄFER, Merchant
both of 2 Jacobstrasse, in the City of Hamburg Empire of Germany do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
The object of this invention is an apparatus which shall be capable of producing
and completing automatically the photographic likeness of persons.
The essential features of the apparatus are, that a motor actuated by clockwork, by
weights or by electricity or otherwise, revolves an upright shaft arranged in a closed
box or casing. The shaft carries a radial arm attached thereto at the end of which
is a holder which seizes a plate at its upper end shifted forward from a conveying
apparatus. The plate is revolved by the rotating shaft and during this rotation it
receives the necessary preparation for producing the photographs as well as the
further treatment after exposure, necessary for developing and fixing the picture.
This is done in the following manner; during revolution of the shaft the arm
carrying the plate, dips the latter by corresponding.downward movements first into
a solution of collodium and then into a bath of nitrate of silver. The 'plate thus
prepared arrives in course of the further revolution of the shaft in front of the lens
and during a short stoppage of the arm in front of the said lens, a shutter opens
and the plate is exposed. The plate then continues its movement and is successively
brought in front of several syringing and rinsing apparatus. Finally the picture.
is immersed in a solution of lac and quickly dried. The baths arranged underneath
the arm are in basins in a circle around the shaft.
Instead of carrying the plate around the circle the baths can be revolved by
attaching them to the vertical axis, the plate then only moves up and down.

page_text: The intervals of time which are necessary for the immersion and the remaining of
the plates in the baths and for the stopping in front of the lens are regulated by the
motor.
In the accompanying drawing an apparatus is represented with revolving vertical
shaft.
Figs. 1 and 2 show the apparatus in sectional front elevation and plan whilst
Fig. 3 represents a section through the lower part of the same.
In the box A closed all round is revolvably arranged the vertical shaft W with
pointed ends which is propelled by worm and pinions by means of a motor of any
kind M. The shaft W carries a double arm B pivoted thereto on pin ; at the outer
end of this arm is fixed the holder C which receives the plate P on which the
photograph is to be taken, and releases it after the completion of the process. The
other end of the arm B carries a counter weight which lifts the arm so that the
roller on the arm B is pressed against a cam ring K concentric with the shaft
provided with suitable recesses and fixed on the frame above the arm. The roller
passing the recesses during rotation of the arm, the latter is raised or lowered thereby
and the plate P is thus dipped into the different baths. The baths are in basins made
of suitable material and arranged in a circle around the shaft W.
O is the lens which can be shut in the interior of the case by a shutter or small
slide k.
After the arm B has commenced its rotation in the direction of the arrow it first
arrives underneath a feed mechanism T containing the plates P as indicated in dotted
lines in Fig. 2.
In Figs. 4 to 7 is represented this position of the arm with regard to the feed
mechanism and the construction thereof. In a secure frame is journalled a drum T¹
divided by partitions and fixed to a shaft w³ provided with a ratchet wheel t. In each
division of the drum is a plate, the plates being revolved with drum T' until they
successively fall out of a slot in the bottom of the frame (Fig. 7). This takes place
whenever the arm a of shaft W strikes the pawl 2 of wheel and thereby turns the
drum T for amount equivalent to one division thereof. The plate P falls through the
opened holder C until it touches a fixed stud when the holder closes up and carries
along the plate. The holder consists of the arms or plates d d of which is secured
and d movable on the arm B. The lower ends of d and d' are drawn together by a
spring. The opening of the holder takes place upon the touching of a lug on d¹
against an arm e situated on the frame.
After the holder has received the plate the roller r moves along the cage of a
downward slope on the ring R. the holder is thus moved downward with the plate
and immerses the latter into a basin K filled with collodium, the so called collodium
bath (see Fig. 8). After passing the point of slope the holder rises at once and the
roller moves along the edge fi of ring R the superfluous collodium falling back
into the basin. Then the roller is pressed down again by edge f and the plate is
immersed in the basin S filled with the nitrate of silver solution in the same manner
as shown in Fig. 8 with regard to the immersion into the collodium bath.
After the plate has arrived at the end of the bath S extending along a large
part of the circumference as in Fig. 2 the roller slides upwards again on ring R,
the plate is removed from this bath, and arrives in front of the lens O.
In Figs. 11 and 12 is represented the position of arm B with plate P in front of
the lens whilst Figs. 13, 14 and 15 show the mechanism for opening the shutter k.
As soon as the plate has arrived in front of the lens the arm B touches a dog g
on the double lever D pivoted at y and the upward motion of which is limited by a
pin and said arm is prevented from further rotating until the exposure of the
plate is done. The shaft W continues to rotate and an arm attached thereto turns
the lever E pivoted at w in the frame from the position of Fig. 14 into that of
Fig. 15 by touching the pin on the lever E, the slide k connected with the lower
end of the lever E is opened thereby. At the same time a stud h secured to the
lever E slides beneath hook of lever D and prevents the immediate return of the
slide from the open position, (Fig. 15) after a certain time, which is regulated by

page_text: a mechanism to be described hereafter, the arm a touches with continued rotation
of shaft W the end m of lover D and revolves the same on its axis so that the
stud becomes free from hook (as in Fig. 15 in dotted lines) and the slide k is
shut again by a weight p. Then the arm B becomes free from the dog y and can
take part again in the further rotation of the shaft W.
The stoppage of arm B in front of the lens with simultaneous rotation of shaft. W
is provided for by the following arrangement represented in Figs. 16 to 19.
2
The arm B is pivoted by means of the studz not direct on the shaft W but on a
ring L loosely fixed thereto. This ring rests on a ring M wedged firmly to the shaft ;
the ring M. catches with a pin u through a slot v in the ring L. By a weight which
is attached to a cord o which runs over a roller n located at the ring M and is
connected with the pin t secured in ring L the said ring I is drawn so that the end of
the slot vis drawn towards pin u as shown by Figs. 16 and 17 as well as Figs. 2, 5
and 12.
The weight must be sufficiently heavy to overcome back thrust by the roller », as
soon however as the arm B touches the dog y, (Figs. 14 and 15) the shaft continues
to rotate with ring M. and in consequence thereof the weight q is raised by the roller
and the pin u moves along in slot v.
When the arm B becomes disengaged from the dog g the weight draws the ring I
again into its original position on the ring M. (Fig. 15), the arm B in consequence
thereof moves quickly forward and arrives in the position indicated in dotted lines in
Fig. 12 and in full lines in Fig. 18. Fig. 19 shows the positions of rings L and M
towards one another before the quick forward motion of the arm B. During this
sudden forward motion of arm B the front end thereof provided with hinge joint w¹ is
lifted by sliding up the ascending guide F and takes up the position over basin G
shown in Figs. 9 and 10; the roller r now slides along edge f³. The plate P arrives
then successively in front of the openings of tubes 1 to IV provided with roses
the cocks G of which are successively opened by the lever H of shaft Was
represented in Fig. 9. The tubes I to IV are in connection with basins which are
omitted in the drawings and serve to bring into contact with the plate, the liquid
required for producing and finishing the picture. For instance there is poured
upon the plate from tube I the developer, from tube II cleansing solution or rinsing
water, from the tube III cyanide of potassium or fixing solution and from tube IV
again rinsing water.
Instead of the spray tubes 1 to IV there could also be arranged separate baths and
rinsing basins into which the plate is immersed.
After leaving basin G the photographic operation is finished and the arm B returns
again into its original position of Figs. 1 and 2 in which position the shaft W can
be stopped by a pawl Z (Fig. 3). The holder is opened by an arm el which touches
the dog on the part a¹ and the plate P falls into a channel J which throws it out
of the apparatus.
Along the track of the channel J there could be suitably arranged a contrivance
for varnishing and drying the plates, such contrivance does not however form part
of the present invention.
During the different positions of arm B and roller r changes take place with the
necessary power for rotating shaft W.
A roller slides on the
These differences are suitably regulated as follows.
edge of the cam disc Q on the shaft W and this roller is connected at the motor
with a brake contrivance, the shape of disc Q being so chosen that when required,
when for instance the plate P is in the silver bath the speed of the motor is
reduced.
In order to provide means for regulating the duration of the exposure according
to the photographic power of light for instance for dull or for fair weather the
following arrangement is made.
By means of an angle lever U sliding on a divided arc, a plate may be adjusted
higher or lower, said plate must be passed by a roller a on an arm ẞ which is adjusted
in suitable position on shaft W.

page_text: With assistance of an inserted spring; Fig. 1 the adjustment of the plate V can
be regulated to a nicety so that for instance the roller a presses more or less heavily
thereon and more or less brake power is thus applied to the shaft and in consequence
thereof a correspondingly prolonged exposure of the plate in front of the lens.
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. In apparatus for automatically producing photographs the construction whereby
the series of various operating agents are arranged in a circle about a central
holder in which the plate to be treated is supported, so that said plate may be
brought under successive operation of said agents for the production thereon of a
photograph by the rotation of said holder or of said series of operating agents.
2. In apparatus of the nature set forth in claim 1 for automatically producing
photographs, the construction of the plate holder and of the several mechanisms for
performing the stages of the process in combination with said holder substantially
as illustrated and described.