Improvements in Automatic Photographic Machines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Apr., 1891-Accepted, 30th May, 1891
PROVISIONAL, SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Photographic Machines.
I, ALEXANDRE TOUFFREVILLE, of Paris in the Republic of France, Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This machine is intended to be erected in places of public resort similarly to the
weighing machines etc. now existing, and to supply each person on his or her
inserting a coin into it, with a photographic likeness.
The apparatus consists of gearing operated by a weight and which when actel
upon by the descending coin causes the sensitized plate to take up its position in
front of the object glass and there to receive the impression of the person using the
apparatus; then to undergo the developing and fixing operations; and at last to be
delivered to the user; the whole occupying but a very short space of time.
The person who wishes to set the apparatus in operation, must stand exactly
opposite the object glass and insert a coin of a given size and weight, say 1d., into
the slot or tube provided for the purpose in the outer casing of the machine. Hence
the coin falls upon the pallet or arm of a lever which under its action swings about
a pivot with the result that a roller mounted upon this lever escapes from the notch
provided in the ring integral with the crank shaft cach photograph being begun
and completed in the time necessary for this shaft to make one revolution. The
displacement of the lever causes its end to disengage from a stop provided upon a
second shaft.
Owing to the action of heavy weights upon the barrel a permanent tension or
strain is created, in consequence of which, when the lever is displaced as aforesaid,
the machine at once begins to act. The roller is released from the notch and as
the main shaft continues to turn, this roller travels upon the ring until the crank
shaft has completed one revolution.
As the lever owing to the action of the counter weight has a tendency to resume
the position it occupied before being released by the coin, its return in front of the
stop after each turn of the crank shaft is ensured.
The opening of the shutter. The shutter is opened by means of a cam or finger
travelling in a slide or groove which is provided in a toothed wheel secured upon
the crank shaft. When this cam or finger meets a roller secured to a forked lever
it thereby causes the latter to swing about its pivot hence the shutter receives an
upward motion and exposes the object glass. But as soon as the roller comes into
contact with the cam or finger the lever falls down and carries with it the shutter
which in descending shuts out the light from the object glass. By the time that
this takes place the photograph of the customer is taken.
Removal of the negative plate. Upon the cam secured to the opposite end of
the crank shaft is provided a groove wherein another cam or finger is adapted to
slide. This cam or finger when the object glass is shut acts upon levers and by so
doing imparts to a slide a backward horizontal motion. The displacement of this
slide enables the plate to leave the case of the object glass or in other words the
camera proper and to fall into the developing basin.
Washing and bathing operations. The cam is provided throughout its circum-
ference with number of undulatory projections enabling it to impart to the barin,
through the medium of a rod, lever and rack, a slight rocking motion when it is

page_text: used for developing or fixing baths; or to set it at an angle of 45° for washing
purposes. This cam is also provided with a projection larger than those just
referred to, which projection at a given moment overturns the basin in such a
manner that the plate after having undergone the desired action of the bath may
fall into a tray from which it is conducted outside by a tube or channel similar to
that provided for the insertion of the coin.
This cam has also two notches formed in it whereby the basin may be swung
round into position for receiving the diverse liquids which have already served their
purpose in succession and can be utilized again."
Liquid feeding arrangement. The supply of the respective liquids is ensured by
valves operated by two fingers secured to the cam while water is admitted by the
fingers formed upon the projection of the said cam.
When these various fingers or cams raise the levers of the barrels a certain
amount of air enters the vessels containing the liquids and forces out the desired
quantities of the same. These vessels are arranged around the machine-proper in
the position most favourable to their operation, but such as not to allow them to
interfere with the general operation of the mechanism. When the said air-valves
are opened the contents of these vessels are conveyed into the basin by glass or
india-rubber tubes.
Method of conveying the negative plates into the camera. While a photograph
is being taken the crank shaft through the medium of a link and slide which it.
carries at its end, pushes a plate into the tray whence it falls into the camera.
The manner in which this movement takes place will be readily understood.
When the link has reached the backward end of its .stroke, one of the sensitized
plates piled up in the box or container is moved into the slide and it will be under-
stood that this slide in performing the second half of its forward stroke, will also
push forward the plate it carried so that at each complete revolution of the crank
shaft one plate will enter the camera in position to receive the image of the person
inserting the proper coin into the slot.
Method of winding up the mechanism. The mechanism is wound up by means
of a crank fitted on to the square end of one of the shafts. The weights are
retained on the desired level by means of a ratchet wheel and a pawl integral with
the barrel, a governor or flyer being provided in the mechanism to prevent.
undue speed.
Dated this 12th day of July 1890.
I.
THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic. Photographic.. Machines.
I, ALEXANDRE TOUFFREVILLE, Merchant, of Paris, in the Republic of
France, 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 :-
This machine is intended to be erected in places of public resort similarly to the
weighing machines etc. now existing and to supply cach person on his or her
inserting a coin into it with a photographic likeness.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings,
in which
Fig. 1 is a cross-section of the main parts of the machine.
Fig. 2 is a plan thereof.
Fig. 3 shows the mechanism whereby the lever which receives the coin is engaged
and released, and
Fig. 4 illustrates the manner in which the bottles containing the re-agents are
caused to open when required.

page_text: The apparatus consists of gearing operated by a weight and which when acted
upon by the descending coin causes the sensitized plate to take up its position in
front of the object glass and there to receive the impression of the person using the
apparatus then to undergo the developing and fixing operations, and at last to be
delivered to the user, the whole occupying but a very short space of time.
The person who wishes to set the apparatus in operation must stand exactly
opposite the object glass and insert a coin of a given size and weight, say 1d., into
the slot or tube provided for the purpose in the outer casing of the machine (but
which is omitted from the drawing). Hence the coin falls upon the pallet or arm 1
of a lever 2 which under its action swings about a pivot 3 (Fig. 3) with the result
that a roller 4 mounted upon this lever escapes from the notch 5 provided in the
ring 6 integral with the crank shaft 10 each photograph being begun and completed
in the time necessary for this shaft to make one revolution.
Owing to the displacement of this lever 2 the end which carries the counter-
weight 13 rises, the tappet 7 secured to the lever 2 in rising at the same time comes
out of engagement with the tappet 8 provided on the piece 9 which is mounted upon
the shaft 11. This piece 9 by which the whole mechanism had been arrested up to
that moment now begins to turn in the direction indicated by the arrow under the
action of the weighted drum 12 with which it is connected by gearing.
The machine now begins to act. The roller 4 is released from the notch 5 and
as the main shaft continues to turn this roller 4 travels within the ring 6 until the
crank shaft 10 has completed one revolution.
As the lever 2 owing to the action of the counterweight 13 has a tendency to
resume the position it occupied before being released by the coin it is returned in
front of the stop 8, after each turn of the crank shaft 10 at the precise moment
when the roller 4 re-engages with the notch 5.
Method of conveying the sensitized plates into the camera. When a photograph
is to be taken the crank 10 through the medium of the link 44 and the slide 45
which it carries at its end pushes a sensitized plate into the hopper 46 from whence
it is allowed to drop into the camera proper.
What then takes place will be readily understood. When the link has reached
the extreme limit of its backward stroke, the sensitized plates being piled up
within the chamber B, one of them takes up its position within the slide. It will
be understood that this slide in completing the second half of its forward stroke
will then move the said sensitized plate along with it, and at each revolution of the
crank a plate will thus be caused to descend vertically into the camera and to take
up its position behind the object-glass in readiness to receive the image of the user
of the apparatus.
The opening of the shutter. The shutter 19 is opened by means of a cam or
finger 14 fitted in a slide or groove which is provided in a toothed wheel 15 secured
upon the crank shaft 10. When this cam or finger meets the end of the lever 16
connected by the shaft or spindle 17 to a forked lever 34 it thereby causes the
latter to swing about its pivot 42 hence the shutter 19 receives an upward motion
and exposes the object glass. As soon as the lever 16 comes into contact with the
cam or finger 14 the lever falls down and carries with it the shutter which in
descending shuts out the light from the object glass. By the time that this takes
place the photograph of the customer is taken.
Descent of the negative. As soon as a sensitized plate has received the photo-
graphic impression and the shutter 19 is dropped the lever arm 22 is operated by
the tappet 21 of the cam 18 so as to turn its shaft 40 and the lever arm 23 which
latter in moving the lower slide 24 permits the negative to descend into the
basin D.
Washing and bathing operations. The cam 18 is provided throughout its
circumference with a number of undulatory projections enabling it to impart to the
basin, through the medium of a rod 25, lever 26 27 and rack 28, a slight rocking
motion when it is used for developing or fixing baths; or to set it at an angle of 45°

page_text: for washing purposes. This cam 18 is also provided with a projection larger than
those just referred to, which projection at a given moment overturns the basin in
such a manner that the plate after having undergone the desired action of the bath
may fall into a tray from which it is conducted outside by a tube or channel similar
to that provided for the insertion of the coin.
This cam also carries two projections or tappets 41 and 29.. When the first
tappet 41 engages with the roller 25 the basin D takes up a horizontal position
and in so doing pours out the developing liquid without however allowing the
negative to drop out. As the basin rises to its vertical position again it fills with
water owing to the pressure of the projection 33 upon the corresponding valve;
whereupon the tappet 29 (which is longer than the tappet 41) by moving the
roller 25 a little further causes the basin D to turn over almost entirely as shown
in dotted lines in Fig. 1 so as to pour out all the liquid .it contains and allow the
negative plate to pass into a channel or shoot arranged to carry it outside of the
apparatus.
Liquid feeding arrangement. The supply of the respective liquids is ensured by
valves S operated by two fingers 31 and 32 secured to the cam disc 18 while water
is admitted by the fingers formed upon the projection 33 of the said disc.
When these various fingers or cams raise the levers of the valves S a certain
amount of air enters the vessels containing the liquids and forces out the desired
quantities of the same. These vessels are arranged around the machine proper in
the position most favourable to their operation, but so as not to allow them to
interfere with the general operation of the mechanism. When the said air-valves
are opened the contents of these vessels is conveyed into the basin D by glass or
india rubber tubes.
Method of winding up the mechanism. The mechanism is wound up by means
of a key or crank handle fitted on to the square end of the shaft 47.
The weights
are retained on the desired level by means of a ratchet wheel and a pawl integral
with the barrel 12, a governor or flyer being provided in the mechanism to prevent
undue speed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I am
aware of Joels (Sacco) Patent No. 113548 and do not claim anything therein
described and claimed. What I claim is :-
1. In clockwork operated coin-freed photographic apparatus a slide such as 45
operated by a link or rod so as to convey sensitized plates into a hopper such as 46
so as to present them vertically behind the object glass in combination with a
shutter 19 raised along with its lever by a tappet such as 14 acting upon another
tappet such as 16 adapted to operate the shaft 17 substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In clockwork operated coin-freed photographic apparatus the combination
with a disc or cam such as 18 provided with projections and corrugations at its
circumference, of a roller 25 and lever such as 26, 27 arranged to operate through
the medium of a rack 28 a basin such as D into which the sensitized plate descends
immediately after receiving the photographic image and which is also adapted to
receive in succession the developing and fixing liquids the corrugated circum-
ference of the cam 18 imparting the requisite rocking motion to the said basin D
which is ultimately overturned by the projection 29 substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In clockwork operated coin-freed photographic apparatus the arrangement of
pins or stops upon the external surface of a disc such as 18 for the purpose of
alternately opening valves by means of tappets such as 31 and 32 so as to enable
the different liquids to flow into a basin such as D in the order of succession in
which they are required substantially as described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.

page_text: 4. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete automatic
photographic machine substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this Second day of April 1891
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.