Photographic Cameras.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Jan., 1890
Complete.Specification Left, 24th May, 1890-Accepted, 19th July, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Photographic Cameras.
I, WILLIAM SNOW ROGERS, of 7, Addison Road, Bedford Park, Chiswick,
Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My inventon relates to photographic cameras of the type known as 'hand' or
'detective' cameras, and particularly to the means for effecting the transfer within
the camera of any plate, film or other sensitised surface from its place within the
storage reservoir to its position for exposure, and its removal therefrom, its replace
ment within the reservoir, and the substitution of another unexposed plate, the:
operations providing for the exposure of any or all of the plates as desired.
To carry this invention into effect I employ a light-tight reservoir with vertical
parallel grooves to contain the plates, forming a backward extension of the camera.
This reservoir can be filled through a door provided for the purpose or by means of
the valve to he described hereunder. I also provide in the camera proper and
immediately in front of the reservoir a single groove to carry the plate whilst it is
being exposed and a spring or springs to keep the plate against the side of the
groove or rebate nearest to the lens. Above the space occupied by the exposing
groove and the set of storage grooves is an opening provided with a sliding light-tight
shutter constructed as follows:
The forward part of the shutter is rigid and slides beneath the camera top and in
light-tight contact with it. The centre part consists of a valve and changing reservoir
to be described more fully hereunder, and the back part of the shutter consists of a
hinged or flexible portion.
The range of movement of the shutter is such that the valve and changing reservoir
can be brought successively over all or over any groove, including the exposing groove,
at will, and the hinged or flexible part of the shutter is guided vertically downwards
at the back of the storage reservoir by means of a curved groove, as the shutter is
moved in that direction.
The valve consists of a cylindrical part slotted through in a plane passing through
its axis to allow a passage for the plate, and capable of moving about its axis over an
angle of about 180° upon a curved seating covered with velvet or otherwise made
impervious to light.
This valve seat also is slotted for the passage of the plate, to correspond with the
valve slot when the latter stands vertically.
Forming a continuation of the valve slot is a light-tight reservoir of sufficient size
only to contain a single plate in grooves.
The action of the camera is thus: having placed in the storage reservoir its full..
complement or any less number of plates, the sliding shutter is moved along until
the valve comes above the first groove; the changing reservoir is then moved so that
it stands at right angles to the camera top, by which means the valve is opened, and
on turning the camera upside down the first-or any selected-plate falls into the
changing reservoir. The sliding shutter is then moved forward to its full limit,
when the valve will have come immediately above the exposing groove, and the
plate may be made to drop therein by turning the camera right side up.
operation is reversed to return the exposed plate to the reservoir and the next plate
can then be dealt with.
The
A ratchet, pointer or other registering device is used to indicate the position of
the grooves in the storage reservoir and to register the exposed plates:

page_text: The valve may be used as the means of filling the reservoir if so desired, and
when not in use the changing reservoir may be folded down flat upon the
camera.
Dated this 4th day of January 1890.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Photographic Cameras.
I, WILLIAM SNOW ROGERS, of 7, Addison Road, Bedford Park, Chiswick, in the
County of Middlesex, 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 photographic cameras, more especially to those of the type
known as 'hand' or 'detective cameras, and particularly to the means for effecting
the transfer within the camera of any plate, film, or other sensitised surface from its
place in the storage reservoir to its position for exposure in the camera proper, and
its removal therefrom and its replacement within the reservoir, the operations
providing for the exposure of any or all of the plates contained in the reservoir, as
desired, with entire exclusion of light.
To: carry my invention into effect I employ a light-tight reservoir with vertical
parallel grooves to contain the store of plates, forming a backward extension of the
camera. 1 also provide in the camera proper, and immediately in front of the
storage reservoir, a single groove to carry the plate whilst it is being exposed.
Above the space occupied by the exposure groove and the set of storage grooves is
an opening which I close with a sliding light-tight shutter, and in connection with
this shutter is an auxiliary reservoir or pocket, which for sake of clearness I will
refer to herein as the 'transfer pocket,' arranged to contain in grooves a single plate
only.
$
I will now describe more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings the
relation of these various parts to each other and the manner in which they are operated
to effect the purposes for which they are designed.
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a camera showing the general
arrangement of the various parts constituting my invention.
Figure 2 is a sectional view to a larger scale of the foot of the transfer pocket
showing how the cylindrical foot acts as a valve.
Figure 3 is a sectional view of the foot of the transfer pocket, showing how it is
made to, retain a sensitised plate whilst its transfer to or from the exposure groove is
being effected.
Figure 4 is a sectional view of the foot of the transfer pocket, showing how it may
be turned through an angle of about 90° so as to bring the pocket against the camera
top when it is not in use.
Figures 5, 5ª show an attachment to the transfer pocket by which in certain cases
the plate may be retained in the pocket by the pressure of the finger acting through
a disc of flexible light-tight material.
Figure shows a form of sheath I employ to contain the plates used in this camera,
in cases where I consider the use of a sheath desirable.
The camera is preferably made in four compartments A, B, C and D, Figure 1.
A is the compartment containing the lens and shutter, which may be of any suitable
kind.
B is the compartment constituting the camera proper, and containing at the back
end the exposure groove E. F is a spring or springs to ensure the plate shall
register' correctly, i.e. retain its position against the side of the groove or rebate
nearest the lens.
Cis. the compartment constituting the plate reservoir, and it is provided with
grooves G for holding the plates..

page_text: His a sliding door by which the reservoir may be filled and emptied.
D is a compartment forming a receptacle for the flexible part of the sliding
shutter J.
I. J. is the sliding shutter consisting of a flat rigid part I-which slides
immediately beneath the camera top K and in light-tight contact with it--and a
flexible part J.
At L the shutter is pierced transversely with an opening of the proper dimensions
to admit a plate passing through, and the part of the shutter immediately above L is
made in the form of part of a hollow cylinder, constituting a seating to the cylindrical
foot of the transfer pocket.
M is the transfer pocket, and N is its foot, consisting of a cylindrical part fitted
to and moving in the seating just referred to about the axis of the same over an angle
of about 90°.
A velvet
The range of movement of the shutter I. J. is such that the opening L can be
brought successively over all of the grooves, including the exposure groove E, at will,
and the flexible part J, which runs in grooves at the sides, passes to and fro over the
roller O and past the turning guide P into or out of the receptacle D.
facing or other suitable means is provided at Q to ensure exclusion of light.
The transfer pocket M is provided with grooves whereby the sensitised surface
of the plate is prevented coming in contact with the sides of the pocket.
To use a camera made in accordance with my invention, for the purpose of taking
a photograph or photographs, the operations are as follows:-Having filled the
reservoir by means of the door H, and having replaced the door, the camera may
be brought into the light.
The reservoir C may be filled or only partially filled, and the plates may be of
different makes and rapidities, and plates and films may both be carried, one
object of this invention being to provide means for enabling the operator to select
any given plate or film for the purpose for which it might be most suitable.
In connection with the sliding shutter I. J. I use a registering device or index, that
enables me to correctly place the opening L over any one of the grooves of the
reservoir, such grooves being represented on the scale or register by consecutive
numbers.
This registering device may consist of a ratchet, scale and pointer, or other
suitable appliance.
The operator having decided upon which plate he will expose, he moves the
shutter until the opening L is above the groove containing that particular plate, and
turning the transfer pocket to the position shown in Figure 2, (and by the dotted lines
in Figure 1), he inverts the camera, when the plate will drop by gravity into the.
transfer pocket.
He then turns the pocket into an intermediate position as shown in Figure 3,
thereby locking the plate within the transfer pocket, and he moves the shutter
forward until the opening L is over the exposure groove, into which the plate is
allowed to drop by erecting the camera and returning the transfer pocket to the
position shown in Figure 2.
By reversing these operations the plate may be returned to its groove or any
empty groove in the reservoir H, and the next plate can then be dealt with.
I do not confine myself to any particular material or materials for the construction
of the camera or its several parts, but I choose those materials which best serve my
purpose. I find it convenient sometimes to make it almost wholly of metal, and at
other times almost wholly of wood.
The flexible part of the shutter J I sometimes make of strips of wood or other
like material, articulated upon a flexible light-tight fabric, or I make it consist of a
simple sheet of metal vulcanite or other flexible substance.
It might happen, with a camera constructed according to my invention, that, by a
mistake of the operator, a plate might be dropped from the transfer pocket into a
groove already containing a plate. In such a case difficulty might arise in separating
the two plates, to allow of the plate in the transfer pocket being moved to another
1

page_text: groove. To guard against such difficulty I insert in the flat side of the transfer pocket
a disc or other shaped piece of flexible material impervious to light, in the manner
shown in Figure 5, A. This enables the plate to be retained in the transfer pocket
by pressure of the finger, whilst the camera is brought into the erect position, and
the plate already in the groove below then falls to its lowest point and the shutter
is freed and can be moved to bring the transfer pocket over another and empty
groove.
To facilitate the sliding of the plates in this camera, it might in some instances be
desirable to mount the plates in sheaths of metal, and I then prefer to employ a sheath
of the construction shown in Figure 6. This sheath consists of one piece of metal
having its ends bent over, as shown in the drawing, and provided with a spring (a)
by which plates of varying thickness have their sensitised sides always brought into
a position in register with the focus of the lens, when the sheath is in the exposure
groove.
•
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. A sliding shutter, part rigid and part flexible, for the purposes described
above.
Second. An auxiliary reservoir or transfer pocket for the purposes described
above.
Third. The combination of a sliding shutter with a transfer pocket for the purposes
described above.
Fourth. The combination of any or either of the devices mentioned in the above
three claims, with a hand or other camera for the purposes described above.
Fifth. A transfer pocket with grooves to preserve intact the sensitised plate as
above described.
า १
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Sixth. The means above described with reference to the drawings Figures
and 4 for effecting the transfer from a light-tight reservoir at the back of a
or other camera to its position for exposure in the camera proper, of a sen: čised
photographic plate or surface, and its replacement in the reservoir.
Seventh. The device described with reference to Figures 5 and 5ª.
Eighth. The sheath described with reference to Figure 6.
Ninth. A photographic camera embodying the devices, parts and appliances, or one
or any of the devices, parts and appliances, substantially as described above with
reference to the accompanying drawings, and for the purposes described, and operated
in the manner herein set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of May 1890.