Improvements in Photographic Cameras and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Jan., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 10th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 4th Jan., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Photographic Cameras and the like.
I, FREDERICK HERBERT SANDERSON of 48, Bridge Street, Cambridge in
the County of Cambridge Photographer, and Manufacturer of Photographic
Apparatus, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a new and improved method for supporting, adjusting,
and fixing, 1st what is known as the lens board or that portion which carries the
lens or objective. 2nd that portion known as the back which supports the sensitive
plate in a photographic camera.
When my invention is applied to a camera front the lens board is supported by
a pair of slotted arms or struts on either side of the camera, the lower end of said
arms being attached by pivots to a carriage which may be constructed to slide upon
the base of the camera, or in a modification the arms or struts may be pivoted to
any point desired on the camera base itself.
The lens board is provided on either side with a pivot, the arms or struts
aforementioned cross each other thus allowing the pivots on the lens board to pass
through the slots at their point of intersection and being secured in position by a
locking nut or similar device on each pivot. The lens board may also have affixed
to it at right angles to itself a guide rod (which may be telescopic, slotted or
otherwise constructed to open or close with the bellows of a camera) the opposite
end of the guide rod to be pivoted to the centre of the frame supporting the
sensetive plate, or in a modification of the same, the lens board may be provided
with a pointer which shall be attached to it in a direct line with the centre of
the lens, thus facilitating the directing of the lens to the centre of the aforesaid
sensetive plate.
In applying my invention to what is known as the back of a camera, the said
back would be pivoted, and the said pivots would pass through the crossed slotted
arms or struts and secured in a manner as hereinbefore described as applied to the
front of a camera.
By the adoption of my invention in the construction of a camera, the lens and
sensetive plate can be adjusted and fixed in any desired position in relation to one
another, a result unattainable by hitherto existing means.
By the universality of the movements attainable by my invention the
manipulation of a camera is also greatly simplified.
My invention furthermore permits of much simplification in the construction of
a camera inasmuch as necessity for a tilting arrangement and swing back is
entirely done away with.
Dated this 9th day of January 1895.

page_text: FREDERICK HERBERT SANDERSON of 48 Bridge Street Cambridge in the
County of Cambridge, Photographer Manufacturer of Photographic Apparatus 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 has for its object "Improvements in photographic cameras and
relates more particularly to a new and improved device for supporting and
adjusting, 1st what is known as the lens board, or that portion of a bellows body
camera which carries the lens or objective hereinafter referred to as the camera
front; 2nd what is known as the camera back, or that portion which supports the
focussing screen and sensitive plate holder, hereinafter to be called the camera
back.
The object of an adjustable camera front, is to enable the image thrown by the
lens onto the focussing screen to be brought to a sharp focus and of being placed
high or low upon the same as may be found necessary. An adjustable, or what is
commonly known as a swing-back is sometimes requisite when near & distant
planes have to be brought to a focus when useing a lens of large aperture which in
itself has no power of giving what is commonly known as depth of focus.
The ordinary method of focussing, is effected by a sliding frame in the base of a
bellows body camera upon which the lens carrying front is supported, and by means
of pinion and rack work is propelled to or from the focussing screen longitudinally,
A vertical rise & fall of the camera front is obtained by grooved supports attached
to the sliding frame above referred to, in which grooves, the camera front is
allowed to slide and is held in the desired position by clamping screws, by this
means the lens is held at right angles to the focussing-screen.
In using such a camera in photographing certain objects, as for instance,
architecture having upright parallel lines, it will often occur that with the camera
standing level upon its support the lens cannot be raised sufficiently high to include
an object such as the top of a church tower, and it would be necessary to incline
the camera backwards, which would in result, point the lens upwards. In thus
pointing the lens upwards, the back of the camera assumes an angle in relation to
the vertical object to be photographed, owing, to the front and back being fixed at
right angles to the base and parallel to one another. With a camera so inclined it
is impossible to obtain a photograph of any object such as a church tower or
anything having upright parallel lines, without such lines being distorted, and
would be seen upon the focussing screen as converging or running into one another.
To correct this distortion a device known as a swing back is resorted to which
allows of its being swung into its original vertical position, thus correcting the
verticality of the lines, while the camera body remains inclined.
The superiority of my invention consists in the fact, that while the camera
remains level upon its support, such adjustments of the camera front is rendered
possible by a single action, giving the lens free motion to and from the focussing
screen longitudinally, and a rise and fall of the same vertically, or a combination of
the two simultaneously whereby such motion allows the image to be rapidly focused
and placed in any position upon the focussing-screen, and whereby the lens may be
pointed upwards or downwards while the body of the camera remains unmoved,
rendering the necessity of a swing-back unnecessary in order to maintain verticality
of upright parallel lines in an architectural or similar object.
The invention consists in supporting and adjusting the camera front by means of
swinging arms, struts, or cantilivers, upon each side of the camera body, each

page_text: formed of two longitudinally slotted members, the lower ends of which are pivoted
at different points, and at a sufficient distance apart, to ensure rigidity upon the
base or back of the camera or upon a sliding frame or carriage which may be
constructed to slide upon the base, according to the general design of the camera
to which this invention is to be applied.
The members are pivoted in slightly different planes, determined by the thickness
of such members to allow them to cross & swing clear of one another.
The camera front is provided on either side with pivots having screwed ends and
locking nuts, (or some similar device for clamping purposes,) which pivots pass
through the slotted members at a point where they cross each other, whereby the
camera front is supported and adjusted and by means of the locking nuts (or similar
device) upon the pivots, the camera front is fixed, and each two members are bound
firmly together so that they mutually stay each other against any motion about
their pivotal centres.
The range of extension & adjustment obtained by the angular motion of the
members in conjunction with the sliding of the pivoted camera front along the slots
of the members, permits of the lens being raised or lowered vertically & parallel
to the camera-back, or inclined upwards or downwards as required to take in the
subject without tilting the camera, and rendering the use of an extending base or
sliding frame unnecessary, in order to extend a camera body of ordinary length to
its full extent.
An alternative method to obtain a like result would be to pivot one member on
each side to the base of the camera at a point near the front, and pivot the second
member to the back of the camera. The members should be slotted and allowed
to cross each other, and the pivoted camera front to pass through them and secured
in a manuer as hereinbefore described, when the members are both pivoted to the
base or the back of the camera.
A further modification whereby instead of using one long slotted arm to give
the necessary extension when pivoted from the camera back, the said arms may be
telescopic, collapsiable, (like trellis work) or otherwise constructed to open and
close with the bellows of the camera, such arms to work in conjunction with slotted
arms attached to base of camera, the front of which is adjusted and secured in
position as already described.
When my invention is applied to swing and adjust the camera back, the said
back would be provided with pivots, and the said pivots would pass through the
crossed slotted arms which would be pivoted to each side of the camera base, the
camera back would be adjusted and secured in position in a manner hereinbefore
described, as applied to the front of the camera.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
into practice, I have appended a sheet of drawings which will illustrate the
working of my invention, and from which other slight modifications may be made
without in any way departing from the principle thereof:-
Fig. 1. represents a camera with the arms attached to its base, and the front
raised with the lens pointed upwards the dotted lines showing the extension
obtainable by swinging the arms forward in which position they may be said to act
as cantilevers supporting the camera front over the front of the camera base.
Referring to Fig. 1, and 2 A is the camera front upon which the lens is mounted
in the usual manner, and B B are the two swinging arms, struts, or cantilevers each
formed of two members C, pivoted on studs d situated at a distance apart, the two
members being in slightly different planes so as to cross each other. The members
may be mounted either directly upon the camera base H as shown, or upon a
sliding frame or carriage adjustable along the base H.
The members B (which are shown straight may be any shape to suit general
design of camera) have longitudinal slots g g in which are received the side
pivots F fixed to the edges of the front A, each pivot passing through the slots g
of both members B at the point where they cross each other and being threaded to
receive a milled nut G by tightening which the locking of the members is effected

page_text: and the edges of the camera front A, which is thus firmly supported at the required
height, distance from the plate, and in a vertical or inclined position.
The adjustment is effected by slacking the two clamping nuts G and sliding the
pivots F up or down, or at the same time swinging the two pairs of members B
upon their pivots, whereby the image is roughly focussed and the lens raised or
lowered as required by one and the same action. By extending the arms over the
front of base H, full extension of the camera bellows is obtained without the
necessity of an extending base board for cameras of ordinary extension.
The base board H is provided with the usual guides & focussing rack motions
for adjusting the back part of the camera body. The bellows body J is of dis-
symmetrical form, being made tapering on the lower side to perinit of the lowering
of the front, whilst the upper side of the body is of uniform height or horizontal
throughout its length when the top & bottom pleats are equally expanded; so that
when the front is raised to its full extent (as shown in Fig. 1.) whilst the body J is
only partly extended, there will be no liability of the top of the body sagging & so
cutting off part of the image. The front of the camera may be provided with a
rotating panel in which the lens is mounted eccentrically, so that by rotating the
panel the lens may be moved into any required position with regard to the centre
of the sensitive plate.
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. The combination with a camera front, having side pivots, of a pair of swinging
arms or cantilevers, each formed of two longitudinally slotted inembers whose
lower ends are respectively pivoted at a distance apart to a fixed support, the two
slotted members crossing each other and the corresponding pivots passing through
the slots of both members at their crossing point, and being secured thereat by a
binding nut, whereby the camera front is supported with capability of adjustment,
both for focussing the image, and for raising or lowering the lens substantially, as
specified.
2. The combination with a camera front, having side pivots, of a pair of swinging
arms or cantilevers, each formed of two longitudinally slotted members whose
lower ends are respectively pivoted at a distance apart, to a carriage adjustable
along the base board, the two slotted members crossing each other and the corre-
sponding pivot passing through the slots of both members at their crossing point,
and being secured thereat by a binding nut, whereby the camera front is supported
with capability of adjustment, both for focussing the image, and for raising or
lowering the lens at one and the same time substantially, as specified..
3. The combination with a camera front, having side pivots, of a pair of swinging
arms or cantilivers, each formed of two longitudinally slotted members respectively
pivoted at a distance apart, to the back of the camera, the two slotted members
crossing each other and the corresponding pivots passing through the slots of both
members at their crossing point, and being secured thereat by a binding nut,
whereby the camera front is supported with capability of adjustment both for
focussing the image and for raising and lowering the lens at one and the same time
substantially as specified.
4. The combination with a camera front having side pivots of two members each
side of the camera, one of such members to be slotted longitudinally and pivoted
near the front of the camera base, the other two members being either slotted,
telescopic, collapsable like trellis work, or otherwise constructed to open and close
with the bellows of the camera, such being pivoted one end to a point near the
camera back, and the other end pivoting (in conjunction to the slotted arms
attached to the base) to the camera front and being secured thereat by a binding
nut, whereby the camera front is supported with capability of adjustment both for
focussing the image and for raising and lowering the lens at one and the same time
substantially as specified.

page_text: 5. The combination with a camera back having side pivots of a pair of swinging
arms or cantilevers, each formed of two longitudinally slotted members whose
lower ends are respectively pivoted at different points to the base of the camera,
the two slotted members crossing each other, and the corresponding pivots passing
through the slots of both members at their crossing point, and being secured thereat
by a binding nut, whereby the camera back is capable of swinging, and of
adjustment longitudinally along the camera base substantially, as specified.
6. The combination with the swinging arms or cantilevers and camera front,
supported thereon by pivots and binding screws, of a bellows body which when the
pleats are uniformly expanded at the upper and lower sides, is horizontal at the
upper side and inclined at the lower side as specified.
Dated this 9th day of October 1895.
FREDERICK HERBERT SANDERSON.