An Improved Photographic Camera, having an Improved Form of Plate-holder.
Year: 1885

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Photographic Camera, having an Improved Form
of Plate-holder.
EDWIN UNDERWOOD, and THOMAS ALBERT UNDERWOOD, Manufacturers, of
97, Camden St. Birmingham in the County of Warwick do hereby declare the
nature of our invention for AN IMPROVED PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA, to be as
follows:-
Our improvements consist, firstly, in obviating the necessity for removing the
lens when closing folding-up cameras, and, secondly, an improved construction of
plate holder for containing and exposing the sensitive plate in the camera.
To obviate the necessity for removing the lens from the camera front, we make
an aperture, circular or otherwise as necessary, through the baseboard of the
camera, and on the under side of the baseboard we attach an annular ring of
metal, through which the lens mount projects, and to which are attached in the
usual manner, three legs or supports for the camera. The ring of metal revolves
within suitable bearings fixed to the baseboard, and is held in any particular
position by a thumb screw or any other convenient means.
The plate holder consists of a rectangular frame of wood or other suitable
material, having on each inner edge a rebate. A strip or strips of metal being
fixed on the inner edge of the frame, converts the rebates into grooves. A rect-
angular piece of thin metal or other suitable substance has its edges turned up,
forming a shallow tray, the edges falling into & fitting the aforesaid grooves, and
forming, when properly blackened and finished, a light proof receptacle. One side
of the closing shutter or tray is formed as a hinge, with the axis carried through
the frame to the outside, and having a suitable handle to operate it by.

page_text: An Improved Photographic Camera, having an improved Form
of Plate Holder.
We, EDWIN UNDERWOOD, and THOMAS ALBERT UNDERWOOD, now of 130 &
132 Granville Street, and lately of 97, Camden Street, both of Birmingham
Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of our invention for AN IMPROVED
PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA, HAVING AN IMPROVED FORM OF PLATE HOLDER, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The first part of our invention relates to the class of bellows cameras having the
body hinged to the baseboard, the front, carrying the lens, being drawn out of,
and away from, the body of the camera and attached to the other end of the base-
board. When the camera is closed, the baseboard folds against the camera front,
necessitating the removal of the lens to close up. Our invention obviates the
.necessity of thus removing the lens to close the camera, and this we accomplish by
making a circular (or otherwise) aperture through the baseboard, so that when the
baseboard is folded against the front of the camera, the lens mount passes through
the aperture, and allows the baseboard to fold close to the camera front. On the
under side of the baseboard is a flat, circular ring of metal, held to the baseboard
by means of any suitable attachments, allowing it to revolve. To this ring of
-metal, the legs or supports of the camera are attached in any of the usual ways.
-
The second part of our invention is an improved form of holder for the sensitive
plate. This consists of a rectangular frame of wood or other suitable materiel,
having a rebate on each side of the inner edge of the frame, and extending all the
way round. A strip of metal or other suitable thin material, is then fixed to the
inner edge of the frame, thus forming the rebates into grooves. A rectangular
piece of thin metal is formed into a shallow tray by having its edges turned up at
right angles, and of a size to fit into the grooves aforesaid. One edge of this
shallow tray is formed as a hinge, and is jointed to the frame, so that when closed
the edges of the tray fall into and fit the grooves, forming a light tight receptacle.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1. shows the camera partly closed.
Fig. 2. as entirely closed.
The lettering represents the same parts in both figures.
A, A, is the body of the camera.
B, is the front of the camera, carrying the lens.
C, is the lens mount.
D, is the baseboard of the camera, having an aperture, E, which allows the lens
mount, C, to pass through, when the baseboard is closed against the body of the
camera, as shewn in Fig. 2.
.
F, in fig. 2, shews the ring of metal on the under side of baseboard, to which the
legs or supports of the camera are attached in any of the usual ways.
Fig. 3 shews the plate holder in perspective view.
Fig. 4 is a section view of frame of same.
A, A, is the rectangular frame of wood.
B, the shallow metal tray or cover.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
1. In a photographic camera, the perforation of the baseboard to allow the
passage of the lens mount when the baseboard is folded against the front of the
camera; the said baseboard having, on the under side a circular ring of metal to
attach the legs or supports of the camera to, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In a photographic camera, a plate holder, consisting of a rectangular frame of
wood, having grooves formed on its inner edges, into which a shallow tray or
cover fits to exclude light, substantially as hereinbefore described.