IMPROVEMENTS IN STEREOSCOPES."
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to François Mathieu, of Lawrence Lane, in the City of
London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEREOSCOPES."
ealed the 2nd August 1858, and dated the 8th February 1858
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said François Mathieu at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th
February 1858.
I, FRANÇOIS MATHIEU, of Lawrence Lane, in the City of. London, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEREOSCOPES," to be as follows:-
The lenses are fixed in a short box with an opening or openings at the
back. A piece of wood or other suitable material is hinged to the back, and
another piece of wood is hinged to the first piece and carries the picture holder..
These pieces fold up on the box, and are secured by a catch when the instru-
mént is not in use. The picture holder is either permanently fixed, or jointed,
or otherwise attached to its base, with or without means of adjustment in either-
direction, and it lies in a suitable space or recess when the instrument is shut
up. The picture holder may be a simple upright piece or pieces,: with a
spring or springs to secure the picture, or grooved upright pieces or other
similar means may be employed to support the picture at the proper distance
from the lenses, which may be of any of the known forms.. A large amount
of light can thus be allowed to fall on the picture, and the instrument is very
portable.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said François Mathieu in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th August 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANÇOIS
MATHIEU, of Lawrence Lane, in the City of London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said François Mathieu, Her special licence that I, the said François Mathieu,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said François
Mathieu, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEREOSCOPES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said François
Mathieu, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 François Mathieu, do hereby declare.
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing,
and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
The lenses are fixed in a short box with an opening or openings at the
back. A piece of wood or other suitable--material is-hinged to the back, and
another piece of wood is hinged to the first piece and carries the picture holder..
These pieces fold up on the box, and are secured by a catch when the instru-
ment is not in use. The picture holder is either permanently fixed, or jointed,
or otherwise attached to its base, with or without means of adjustment in
either direction, and it lies in a suitable space or recess when the instrument
is shut up. The picture holder may be a simple upright piece or pieces, with a
spring or springs to secure the picture, or grooved upright pieces or other
similar means may be employed. to support. the picture at the proper distance

page_text: from the lenses, which may be of any of the known forms. A large amount
of light can thus be allowed to fall on the picture, and the instrument is very
portable.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing is a side view, and Figure 2 is a
section of the instrument when closed; Figure 3 is a section of the instru-
ment when open; Figure 4 is a plan of the instrument when open; Figure 5
is a front view, and Figure 6 is a back view, of the instrument when open.
The same letters refer to similar parts in each figure.
A is the front of the box, with the two lenses B, B; C is the bottom, and
D is the top of the box; E, E, are the ends of the box; F is the back, which
has two square holes opposite the two lenses, and may be covered with tin
foil or painted in order to reflect light on the picture; G is a small board or
piece of wood hinged to the back bottom corner of the box, and having
another board H hinged to it; I is an upright piece of brass attached to a
horizontal piece or base i, which slides in a small recess in the board H and
carries a spring J. The horizontal piece is secured in the recess by a cross
piece of brass a, or it may be dovetailed into the board. The picture is held
between the upright I and spring J which form the picture holder, and its dis-
tance from the lenses can be adjusted a little by sliding the base of the picture
holder in the recess. When the instrument is closed, the picture holder
passes through a hole in the top D of of the box, as shewn in Figure 2, and the
board H is secured by a small spring catch b with a button c. By pressing
the button c, the catch is released and the instrument can be opened. Figure 7
shows a somewhat different arrangement of spring catch 6, which is attached
to the back of the upright I, and catches in the top of the box when closed.
The materials of which the apparatus is constructed may be varied.
Having now described the nature of the Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that what I claim is,
constructing stereoscopes in manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said François Mathieu, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Fourth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
DD
FRANÇOIS MATHIEU.
(L.S.)