IMPROVED INSTRUMENTS TO BE USED IN SENSITIZING AND DEVELOPING OF PHOTOGRAPHIC PLATES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stephen Bryer, of St. George's Terrace, Cheltenham,
in the County of Gloucester, Photographist, for the Invention of
"IMPROVED INSTRUMENTS TO BE USED IN SENSITIZING AND DEVELOPING OF
PHOTOGRAPHIC PLATES."
Sealed the 19th November 1858, and dated the 21st May 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stephen Bryer at
. the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st May 1858.
I, STEPHEN BRYER, of St. George's Terrace, Cheltenham, in the County of
Gloucester, Photographist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVED INSTRUMENTS TO BE USED IN THE SENSITIZING AND DEVELOPING OF
PHOTOGRAPHIC PLATES," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to insure cleanliness in the manipulation of
photographic plates, and also to prevent the collodion film from being injured
by the hands of the operator. For this purpose I provide a set of instruments
for gripping or holding the plates whereby they may be transferred from the
sensitizing bath to the plate frame of the camera, and again removed therefrom
and presented to the developing fluid without being touched by the operator's
fingers. Thus, not only will the risk of his receiving poison into his system
through contact with the cyanide of potassium employed to remove the stains

page_text: of the nitrate solution from his hands be prevented, but more perfect plates
will be ensured by reason of the film of collodion being undisturbed by the
fingers of the operator, and no fracture being made for the admission of the
developing fluid under the film.
The instruments which I employ are two pairs of forceps for lifting the
plate off the dipper (by which the plate is immersed in the bath) and trans-
ferring it to the plate frame, and a third pair of forceps of a somewhat different
construction for holding the plate while it is being submitted to the developing
and subsequently to the cleansing operations. These forceps I form some-
what after the manner of calipers, and to their ends I apply a cushion of
india-rubber or other like elastic material; by this means I get a good hold
of the glass plate by simply gripping its edges. This kind of forceps I use
for transferring the plate from the bath to the camera, but in order to take up
the plate after it has been removed from the camera, and hold it firmly while
the developing and washing operations are proceeding, I joint loosely to the
ends of the forceps clips made of L shaped metal, and coated inside with a
padding of gutta percha, and I fit also to the forceps a screw and nut for
closing the instrument. By jointing these clips they are enabled to accommodate
themselves (by changing their angle of inclination) to various sizes of plates
and firmly grip them, and the clips being furnished with a ledge a bearing is
provided for the back of the plate (when the plate is face upwards) and thus
all tendency which the plate might have to slip out of the forceps is removed.
When operating upon large plates I use the common elastic suction holder,
but to render it more convenient I attach it to the face of a blade of wood
which forms a handle and facilitates the manipulation of the plates.
It should be remarked that the sets of forceps I construct of various sizes,
to suit the various dimensions of the plates in use.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Stephen Bryer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th November 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, STEPHEN
BRYER, of St. George's Terrace, Cheltenham, in the County of Gloucester,
Photographist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her

page_text: reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Stephen Bryer, Her special license that I, the said Stephen Bryer,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Stephen Bryer, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED INSTRU-
MENTS TO BE USED IN THE SENSITIZING AND DEVELOPING OF PHOTOGRAPHIC PLATES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Stephen Bryer, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Stephen Bryer, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
In following the art of photography it has hitherto been impossible for the
operator to manipulate without getting the fingers more or less covered with
nitrate stains, to remove which it has been necessary to use the highly
poisonous substance "cyanide of potassium," which if received into the system
through scratches, cuts, &c., is liable to produce most disastrous effects. It is
also well known that the fingers coming in contact with any portions of the
photographic plate produces, particularly in warm weather, a more energetic
development at those parts, causing clouds and uneven backgrounds to portraits,
defects in skies, &c., &c., to say nothing of stains on the fingers, which are
never during work chemically clean. These messes are increased at every
repetition of the developing operation from the solutions partially dissolving
previous stains, and carrying them over portions of the film. To this must
be attributed in a great degree the difficulty of producing clean and even
pictures, often erroneously attributed to improperly cleaned glasses. In addition
5 to this, contact of the fingers with the corners and edges of the film invariably
causes it to be torn and loosened, and in many instances utterly destroyed by
the solutions, and water lifting it off in patches, or perhaps the entire picture
floated off into the sink. To remedy these difficulties I provide a set of
instruments for gripping or holding the plates whereby they may be transferred

page_text: from the sensitizing bath to the plate frame of the camera, and again removed
therefrom and presented to the developing fluid without being touched by the
operator's fingers.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn in several views the improved
instruments which I employ during the manipulating process. For lifting the
plate off the dipper (by which the plate is immersed in the bath) and trans-
ferring it to the plate frame I use two pairs of forceps of the construction
shewn at Fig. 1. These forceps it will be seen are formed somewhat after the
manner of callipers, that is they have two curved limbs a, a, jointed together
at the point b, and at their ends which are intended to span and grip tho plate
breadthways, they are provided with a cushion of india-rubber or other like
elastic material c, c. Towards their joint the limbs are bent inwards to form
a convenient handle for the operator to hold. By this construction of instru-
ment the operator is enabled to get a good hold of the glass plate by simply
gripping its edges. This kind of forceps I use for transferring the plates from
the bath to the camera, but in order to take up the plate after it has been
removed from the camera and hold it firmly while the developing and washing
operations are proceeding I use the instrument shewn at Fig. 2, which I
denominate the developing forceps. To the ends of the limbs a, a, I attach
by loose joints the clips c, c, made of L shaped metal, and coated inside with a
padding of gutta percha, and I fit also to the forceps a screw and nut d, after
the manner of compasses for retaining the instrument in a closed position.
By jointing these clips c, they are enabled to accommodate themselves (by
changing their angle of inclination) to various sizes of plates, and firmly grip
them, and the clips being furnished with a ledge a bearing is provided for the
back of the plate (when the plate is face upwards) and thus all tendency
which the plate might have to slip away from the grip of the forceps is
removed.
Fig. 3 shews a modified form of the forceps with jointed ends or clips, the
clips in this instance being simply discs of metal covered on their inner face
with india-rubber or other suitable material to ensure a firm grip of the glass
plate. This instrument it will be understood is like that shewn at Fig. 1
merely a transferring instrument, and not intended like that represented at
Fig. 2, for supporting the plate during one stage of the photographic process.
When operating upon plates of a size that could not be conveniently spanned
by forceps I make use of the common elastic suction holder, but to render it
more convenient for the wants of the operator, I attach it to the face of a
blade of wood, as shewn in plan view at Fig. 4, and in edge view at Fig. 5.
This blade, it will be seen, formis a handle e for the operator to grasp, and by

page_text: being continued as at the part f, otherwise facilitates the manipulation of the
plates; this blade is secured to the elastic gutta percha suction holder g, by a
screw or other fastening.
It should be remarked that the sets of forceps may be constructed of various
sizes to suit the various dimensions of the plates in use.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of improved instruments to
be used in the sensitizing and developing of photographic plates, and explained
the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I
Jay no general claim to clips or forceps or elastic suction holders when used in
operating upon photographic plates; but what I claim under the above in
part recited Letters Patent is the adaptation of such instruments to the use of
the photographist in the manner above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Stephen Bryer, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Eighteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
STEPHEN BRYER. (L.S.)