Improvements in or appertaining to Hand or Magazine Cameras.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Dec., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 14th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 19th Sept., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or appertaining to Hand or Magazine Cameras.
I, FELIX WILLIAM HUDLASS of 13 Hartwood Road, Southport in the County
of Lancaster, Musician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
-
This invention has for its object a compact and portable hand or magazine
camera which shall be adapted to contain a number of sensitive plates or films each
held in a carrier or sheath, in such a manner that they may be very conveniently
and easily changed in position for or after exposure.
A camera constructed according to this invention will contain a large number of
plates or films relatively to its size.
I will describe an experimental camera constructed by me.
The outer casing is of wood, leather covered, having its top hinged at one end in
such a manner that it may be opened for renewing the plates &c. The interior is
divided transversely by a roller blind shutter which works between the lens and
plate.
The unexposed plates are stored one behind another and the bottom edge of the
front carrier of the pile rests against fixed stops, its top edge being retained by a
spring detent in such manner that the plate or film carried is in the proper exposing
position. The other sheaths rest against the front one and are kept up in position
by a follower and springs.
the
After exposure the plates are stored in a shallow chamber which occupies
space above the lens in the front part of the camera and which I will call the
receiving chamber; or if desired more than one chamber may be employed. The
means prefer for transposing the exposed plate are as follows. Each sheath has
a wire projecting laterally top and bottom at both ends and these wire projections
travel in guides formed in the side of the camera.
I provide a sliding knob on the top of the camera which travels from end to end
of a groove cut therein. The top is double and a saddle of flat metal branches out
each side of the knob and thense through two grooves in the inner top piece where
it is continued in the form of a transverse flat bar or strip. A stirrup piece on the
saddle serves to raise the spring detent and release the first plate when the knob is
slidden to the rear, and a catch siezes hold of the first sheath and when the knob
is returned draws it along its guides its lower edge rising therein until it drops
horizontally in the receiving chamber. A second spring detent is depressed behind
the first sheath while the first is raised for obvious reasons.
I also made use of view finders indicating machanism and focussing devices and
do not limit myself to the details above mentioned. If thought preferable the
changing mechanism may be placed at the sides or bottom of the camera as light
springs are employed to push the exposed plate into the receiving chamber.
Dated this 6th day of December 1895.
CHARLES COVENTRY,
Patent Expert,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in or appertaining to Hand or Magazine Cameras.
I, FELIX WILLIAM HUDLASS of 13 Hartwood Road Southport in the County
of Lancaster Musician 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 invention has for its object an improved compact and portable hand or
magazine camera which shall be adapted to contain a number of sensitive plates or
films, each held in a carrier or sheath in such a manner that they may be very
easily and conveniently changed in position after exposure. A camera constructed
according to my invention will contain a large number of plates or films relatively
to its size.
In the drawings
Fig. is a plan view of the outside of a hand camera made according to my
invention. I will hereinafter for convenience refer to this as the top of the camera
though my devices will work in
any position.
Fig. 2 is a reversed plan of the top, Fig. 1. and these two figs. are drawn half
the size of the remainder.
Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the camera top.
Fig. 4 is an elevation of a carrier or sheath.
Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the camera.
Figs. 6 to 10 are details referred to hereinafter.
The
The top A is adapted to be removed or opened so as to allow access to the
interior. Strips a, for instance of metal, are used to prevent light from leaking
through the joint. The top A may be hinged if desired and suitable catches
employed to keep it closed. Near the middle of the camera is placed the shutter B
which is preferably of the roller-blind type and works behind the lens B'.
latter may be moved to and fro for focussing, for instance by rack and pinion
device B. The shutter is "set" by means of cord b passing through a hole in the
camera side and any suitable releasing device may be employed. I find a pneumatic
release very convenient in practice and I therefore show a hole h' for attaching the
tube thereof. The construction or position of the shutter however forms no part
of my invention.
The sensitive plates or films are carried in sheaths (C, Fig. 4) of blackened tin
plate or other suitable material. Along each top & bottom edge is fixed a wire c
projecting laterally a short distance at each end & a space c¹ is left free near the
middle to enable the claw J hereinafter mentioned to engage the wire cat that
point.
The sheaths C containing the plates for exposure are stored one behind another
being kept up in place by a spring E. The ends of the bottom wire c of the front
sheath of the series rest against the angle of the groove containing them as herein-
after described. The top edge is retained in place by a catch L.
The sheaths holding the plates which have been exposed and changed lie in the
chamber B over the lens. In some cases I may so modify the plate changing
devices that some of the exposed plates may occupy a chamber below the lens.
The position of the plate is changed after exposure by merely sliding a knob F
to and fro in a groove g in the camera top. The means for effecting this is an
important feature of my invention.
Í provide a strip G in the camera top preferably of brass slotted with a groove g
for nearly the whole of its length. To prevent light entering the camera through
groove 9 I place a false or inner lid H just beneath it. This is supported at each
end (Fig. 5) and a small space his left between its sides and the inner edges of the
lid proper. A narrow piece of metal I which I will term the traveller completely

page_text: surrounds the inner lid H being attached at top to the kuob F and carrying on its
under surface devices hereinafter described for releasing and dragging the exposed
plates, one by one, to the chamber B³.
ር
At each side of the camera I arrange a strip M of watch spring, or equivalent.
support. These strips are fixed at each end and serve to sustain and guide the top
wires c of the carriers. The bottom wires rest & travel in grooves K in the side-
of the camera.
When the kneb F is slid to the back of the camera the claw J
carried thereby clicks onto the wire of the foremost of the sheaths C, and, when.
the return movement is made drags it along the guides M. When the forward
end M is reached there is no longer anything to support the sheath and it drops
into chamber B. I also prefer to provide springs N to press the sheaths into.
said chamber. The lower wire e during the above described movement rides up
the groove K and along the top part thereof to the chamber B³.
Referring more particularly to Figs. 6 to 10. I have already stated that the
top edges of the sheaths are held back by a catch L. It is of course necessary to
raise this before the front plate can be removed. This I effect by means of a
cam L' carried on traveller I. Fig. 7 shows the catch L in its active position and
Fig. 8 shows the action of cam L' tripping up the tail of said catch.
It is also necessary when the catch L is lifted (to release the front sheath) to.
hold back the remainder, and this I effect by a detent N which is normally kept
raised by a spring n. but is depressed just before catch L is raised by another
cam N' on traveller I as clearly shown in Figs. 9 & 10.
I prefer to arrange catch L and detent N on one metal support O as shown in
Fig. 6 & this is not permantly fixed to the camera back but is held in dovetailed
guides. The object of this arrangement is that two interchangeable sets of catches
& detents may be used to suit sheaths for plates or for films the latter being of
course not so broad, front to back, as the former.
I do not confine myself to the precise details specified.
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 a magazine camera a device for plate changing which is operated by a
simple to and fro movement of a knob or handle along a groove substantially as
described.
2. A magazine camera having a double top and a traveller arranged to reciprocate
therein by means of an outside projection said traveller carrying a claw for use in
removing the exposed plates or films from the exposing position to a chamber
adapted to receive them and having also cams to actuate detent and releasing
devices, substantially as described.
3. In a camera adapted for use with sheaths having lateral projections at top
and bottom, curved grooves K to receive said bottom projections and spring strips
or equivalent devices to support and guide the top projections substantially as
described and shown.
4. The improved hand or magazine camera taken as a whole, substantially as
described & for the purposes set forth.
CHARLES COVENTRY,
Applicant's Agent.