Improvements in and in connection with Cameras.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 20th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 11th Oct., 1890
TRUVISIONAL DEUTICATION.
Improvements in and in connection with Cameras.
CLIFFORD LAWRANCE 27 Martin's Lane Cannon Street London E.C. Manufacturer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
My invention consists in an improved method of arranging and changing plates or
films in a detective camera box and also in mechanism for working the shutter
thereof.
According to this invention I arrange the plates or films in book form each
plate or film being retained in zinc or other frame, being bound or hinged together
at one of their sides or ends, preferably at one side in such a manner as will allow
them to fold over freely and be exposed respectively. This book containing the
plates or films is provided with an outside cover as an ordinary book. The book
containing the plates or films in the camera is supported on a partition or other
support with their bound or hinged sides resting on the support. These zinc or
other frames are pressed against four or more clips or stops in the camera by means
of a spiral or other spring. In the opposite ends of these said zinc frames, 1 cut
alternate slots corresponding with the said four or more clips or stops. These clips
or stops are connected by means of liners or rods to a knob or thumb piece operated
from the outside of the camera when it is desired to change a plate or film the thumb
piece or knob is moved which operating the levers or rods brings the 4 or more clips
or stops opposite the corresponding slots in the zine frames and owing to the pressure
of the aforesaid spring on the said frames one plate folds over and exposes a fresh
surface plate or film. This is continued until all the plates have been exposed and the
book exhausted. I provide suitable springs which are fixed in the body of the camera
so as to break the fall of the plates as aforesaid and prevent same from folding back if
the camera should be inverted. The lens may be covered by a circular or suitable
flap which is attached to a rod which is pivotted at one end, the other end being
attached to a thumb screw or small milled head. This circular or other flap is for the
purpose of covering the lens and excluding light from the interior of the camera when
required; a suitable spring is provided in order to keep the flap closed or open as
may be required. The shutters are actuated according to my invention by means of
a cam actuating a rod attached to a sliding piece which in turn is connected to two
more rods the said rods actuating the shutter. I employ an ordinary clock spring or
its equivalent to actuate the same. These shutters or wings are operated from the
outside of the camera by means of a push connected by means of two rods to a catch
piece or short rod operating on a stop affixed to the said cam. may also provide a
similar stop for the purpose of keeping the shutters or wings open when required by
means of a lever and short rod operating on the said stop affixed to cam.
Dated this
day of November 1880

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in connection with Cameras.
1, CLIFFORD LawRANCE 141 Fulham Palace Road S.W. Photographer, 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 consists in an improved method of arranging and changing plates or
films in a detective or other camera box, and also in inechanism for working the
shutter thereof.
According to this invention I arrange the plates or films in book form each
plate or film being retained in zinc or other suitable frame, these frames being
bound or hinged together at one of their sides or ends, preferably at one side in
such a manner as will allow them to fold over freely and be exposed respectively.
This book containing the plates or films is provided with an outside cover, as in
an ordinary book. The book containing the plates or films is supported in the
camera on a partition or other support with their bound or hinged sides resting
on the support. These zinc frames or other frames are pressed against four or
more clips or stops in the camera by means of a spiral or other spring In the
opposite ends of these said zinc frames I cut alternate slots corresponding with the
said four or more clips or stops. These clips or stops are connected by means of
levers or rods to a knob or thumb piece operated from the outside of the camera.
When it is desired to change a plate or film the thumb piece or knob is moved
which operating the levers or rods brings the four or more clips or stops opposite
the corresponding slots on the zine frames and owing to the pressure of the aforesaid
spring on the said frames one frame containing a plate folds over and exposes a
fresh surface, plate or film. This is continued until all the plates have been exposed
and the book exhausted. I provide suitable springs which are fixed on the body of
the camera so as to break the fall of the frames & plates as aforesaid and prevent same
from folding back if the camera should be inverted.
Referring to the annexed drawings
Fig. 1. shows side elevation of camera showing internal arrangement. Book of
12 fraines b, each frame containing one plate or film a, with the sensitive surface next
to the lens. spring pressing the frames against the stops through the medium of a
piece of material of a less size than the frame b. When the thumb piece or knob / is
moved in the direction of the arrow 1. the lever m pivoted at o to the lever n working
on the rod p raises the plate q. working in a slot r in the side of the camera thus
bringing the stops or clips j. j. opposite the slots c, c, c, c, and allowing a frame b to
fold over in the direction of the arrow 2, the fall of which is broken by the spring I
and prevented from returning by the side spring t. the said book of frames 6 rests on
the strip or partition u. The lens z. is covered by a circular flap v attached to a rod y
which is pivoted at one end w¹, the other end being attached to a thumb screw or
small milled head A outside the camera at the end of the rod pivoted at w¹ is attached
a piece of metal of the shape shown at w actuated by a spring a secured to the
partition B, when the flattened part of the diameter keeps the flap closed or open as
desired. is a hinged lid for the purpose of removing or replacing the book of
frames b. D is also a hinged lid forming the compartment for the reception of the
shutter mechanism which is fixed in the space marked E.
Fig. 2 is an end elevation of a book of 8 frames b, c, c, c, c, alternate corresponding
slots in same, d clip, g cover to same. These frames 6 are all bound together by any
suitable means, such as a piece of wire passing through the holes e, e, e.
Figure 3. is a front view of a zinc frame showing plate or film a, b zinc frame,
c, c, c, c, slots, d clip for retaining plate in frame e, e, e, holes for binding material.
Figure 4. plan of same showing zinc frame b, plate or film, a, wood packing f, in
same for giving steadiness to frame d clip.

page_text: Figure 5. shows enlarged section of rod p (Figure 6) a¹ a¹ sliding pieces, a² spring,
a pegs. This arrangement is for the purpose of removing the rod
from the camera
if required, which is done by drawing pegs a³, a³, towards each other thus releasing
the points of same from the pivot holes in the sides of the camera.
Figure 6. is an internal perspective view of a camera showing the mechanism for
changing plates a, also the flap v, rod y, spring a, pivot w', controlling springs t¹, t¹,
& tt, and s, lever n, lever m pivoted at o, rod p, plate of metal q carrying stops j.
Figure 7. shows view in plan of my shutter mechanism forming part of my
invention the top plate and drum containing spring being removed and bottom
plate cut away to show the shutter mechanism.
Figure 8. is a side elevation of same. The dotted lines indicate the position of the
mechanism when the shutter is open. 3, 3, wings or shutters 4, 4, framing or plates
for containing clock work mechanism, 5 drum containing spring, 6 cogwheel attached
to drum, 7 small wheel actuated by cogwheel 6, through the medium of small cog-
wheel 8. 9 is a cam connecting rod 10 and the sliding piece 11 to the wheel 7, the
said sliding piece moving on a rod 12. To the sliding piece 11, are pivoted the two
rods 13, 13, at 14, 14, & at 15, 15, to levers 16, 16, which are attached to the shutter
wings 3, 3, and pivoted at 21. 17 knob for releasing the shutter and causing an
exposure. This knob actuates a small lever 18 pivoted in the centre at 19, and
carrying two rods 20, 20, the said rods being pivoted at the ends of lever 18,
22 spring for bringing knob back to its initial position 23 knob of mechanism for
keeping the wings or shutter open when required 24 spring for same. 25 rod attached
to knob 23 for catching stop piece 28, on wheel 7. If an instantaneous exposure is
desired knob 17 is pressed inwards which withdraws rod 20° and allows stop piece 28
to make one revolution when it will come into contact with lever 20, knob 17 is then
released when lever 20 is withdrawn, thus allowing stop piece 28 to come to rest on
rod 20. By this operation the wings have been opened and closed. If it is desired
to retain the shutter or wings. open for a certain length of exposure knob 23 is first
pressed inwards and the exposure made as before. The stop piece 28 will make one
half revolution and will then come into contact with the end of rod 25, thus keeping
the wings or shutter open; when sufficient exposure has been obtained knob 23 is
released, when the stop piece 28 completes its revolution thus closing the wings or
shutter. The above described mechanism for operating the wings or shutter is
actuated by means of an ordinary clock spring, pawl & ratchet.
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 what I
claim is :-
(1) In camera bodies, the construction and arrangement of the various parts
substantially as hereinbefore described and shown in the annexed drawings.
(2) In camera bodies, the construction and arrangement of the frames & plates
in book form and the mechanism for operating same substantially as herein before
described and shown in the annexed drawings.
(3) In camera bodies, the construction and arrangement of the mechanism for
operating the shutter, substantially as described and shown in Figures 7 and 8 of the
annexed drawings.
Dated this 20th day of August 1890.