Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 13th May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 30th July, 1891-Accepted, 3rd Oct., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
I, BERTEL GEOrg Pagh Möller, of Kolding, in the Kingdom of Denmark,
Editor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
By the improvements in photographic cameras hereinafter described I am able
to construct a photographic hand camera by means of which a large number of
photographic plates may be stored up, so that they may be exposed one after the
other and may be kept as long as desired. The camera thus offers advantages not
only to tourists, military persons, journalists and persons in similar positions, but
also to photographers by profession. The changing of plates is effected by a
single manipulation and the mechanism is not liable to become disarranged, so that
it is for instance possible to take, in a few minutes, twenty or more plates of a
passing procession. A moving vehicle or a galloping horse can be readily photo-
graphed two to three times.
By means of a sliding portion or drawer which carries the objective lens and a
scale of distances used in conjunction therewith, it is possible with the improved
camera to photograph objects that are very near as well as those that are far distant.
A portrait of large size, and a landscape are taken with equal facility and
certainty. Even a very fine adjustment is possible, if the scale should not be
sufficient, as a loose indicator disc can be provided. The camera is also arranged
to be screwed upon a stand and is distinguished by its small dimensions.
apparatus for sixteen plates of the size of 9 x 12 centimetres together with
its objective and everything appertaining thereto, measures only 21 × 14 ×
13 centimetres.
An
The camera can however be constructed in all sizes without the satisfactory
operation of the mechanism being in the least affected thereby.
An apparatus of this kind is illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section on the line C D, Fig. 4; and
Fig. 2 is an underside view, of a camera embodying this invention.
Fig. 3 is a plan of the same in its closed position.
Fig. 4 is a front, elevation of the lower portion of the camera.
Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of a part of the apparatus on the line A. B of
Fig. 4.
Fig. 6 shews separately one of the plate-cases employed in the apparatus.
The apparatus comprises a rectangular box which is divided into three compart-
ments by means of a wooden or metallic plate cand of an intermediate bottom p.
The photographic plates are pushed into the cases a Fig. 6 and laid into the
magazine a', the cover b for this purpose being taken off. This cover closes light-
tight and is provided on the rear side with a spiral spring *, to which is fastened
a wooden plate 6' of the same size as the case.
When the plates have been inserted into the space a', they are pressed by the
spiral spring towards the slide c, and are, when they are to be used, conveyed by
the said slide one after the other into the space a in which are arranged the
photographic objective, and the sliding portion or drawer d which serves for
adjusting the objective, and the so-called "searcher"
e Fig. 5.
When a plate is conveyed by the slide through the opening down into the
space.a, it is in this space engaged at its edges by two springs, which press it
firmly against the slide and which are themselves fastened to the sides of the
apparatus at the rear end of the space a².
When the slide e is drawn upward, that plate which is situated on the same
behind the springs . is held back by a stop acting as a spring, until the slide has

page_text: risen sufficiently, at which moment the springs push the said plate into the
Space a
In this space there is room for half of the number of plates contained
in the above mentioned magazine a. The space is separated by a screw g
from the space a*.
When the screw is screwed back and the whole camera is
partly rotated, so that the objective is turned upward instead of downward, the
plates slide by their own weight out of the space a into the space a*. The
screw is thereupon screwed in again, thus leaving space for the other plates
.coming from a and a².
The sliding portion or drawer d is provided with a
"searcher" the objective and an instantaneous closer or shutter. The sliding
portion or drawer is held by a clamping device comprising a slotted metal piece (,
through the slot of which the fixing screw a passes. By withdrawing the said
screw the piece is released thereby liberating the drawer d the position of
which can be regulated by reference to the pointer having a projection o
engaging a corresponding projection t' on the piece t. This pointer moves over
a graduated scale of distances as shewn.
The instantaneous closer or shutter shewn in Fig. 4 comprises two circular
discs and which are fixed to a spring-casing arranged at the front side of the
sliding portion or drawer d. One of the discs is fixed to the spring casing in such
a manner that the said disc can be brought nearer to or moved further away from
the other disc according to the speed with which it is desired to effect the opening
and the closing.
A small pawl acted upon by a spring normally prevents the spring in the
spring-casing from rotating the same with the discs and, one arm of the
pawl being adapted to engage with projections on the discs. The second
arm of the pawl k bears against one arm of a bent or bell crank lever 1,
the other arm of which bears in turn against the stop . When the closer
or shutter is not in use, the plate covers the objective which is also covered
by the end of the movable plate m, which is held by coiled springs y Fig. 5,
pressed forwards in the corresponding position, as shewn in the drawing. When
the closer or shutter is to be used, the plate m is drawn back from the objective
by means of a bent or upturned edge on the said plate, in the direction
indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4. A pin on the front side of the plate will,
when the plate has moved back from the objective, strike against the arm 12
of the bent lever 1, and thereby move the arm of the pawl k away from the
projection of the disc i. The spring-casing will in consequence rotate
together with the discs and 2, and thereby expose the objective, until the
disc comes in front of it, in which position the disc will be arrested by its
projection engaging the arm of the pawl k. The slide plate m being released
as soon as the disc has been thrown out of engagement, it will by the action
of the coiled springs y again cover the objective. In order to set the closer or
shutter ready for use again, the discs and 2 are rotated by hand back into the
position shewn in Fig. 4.
The changing of the plates is effected by means of the slide c which consists,
as already stated, of a movable wooden or metallic plate which traverses the
entire camera and divides it longitudinally. The said plate has in the middle a
shoulder the height of which is about equal to the thickness of a photographic
plate. If now the slide be drawn up by means of the knol to about half its
length, so that a stop n² of a counting apparatus o provided at the top of the
caniera, engages in a recess n' formed in the slide e, the shoulder of the slide
moves past the topmost edge of the camera, and the photographic plates in the
space a are then moved rearward and pressed against the thinnest half of the
slide under the shoulder. When the slide e is moved down through the camera,
the rearmost photographic plate will be caught by the shoulder and will be
pushed down through the opening f located in the intermediate partition or
bottom P the said opening being somewhat wider than the thickness of a plate,
so that thus only one plate, that is to say the rearmost one, can slip through,
the said plate being held pressed in against the thinnest half of the slide. By
C

page_text: this means the photographic plate passes down into the space a² where it is
exposed to the light, and when the slide is again drawn out for the introduction
of a fresh plate, the springs press the plate that has been exposed to the
light, back into the space a where it is kept until it is desired to develop the same.
Thus the slide cannot be drawn upward and again pressed downward without
the exposed plate being discharged and a fresh plate being introduced in its
stead. Thus the camera can be always "charged" and ready for use so long
as there are any unused plates in the space a¹ or a² and it is only necessary to
cock the closer or shutter and to release as aforesaid.
The whole rear side of the camera is made removable so that the plates.
exposed to the light can be readily removed. For this purpose it is merely
necessary to press the pin 9 which serves to secure the said rear side in position
and to pull the screw head.
The objective is held in a ring which is secured in position by means of a
bayonet joint, so that it can be readily removed and cleaned.
is the rotary
objective guard ordinarily employed in cameras and which has light openings of
various sizes. The spaces a' a' may in some instances be arranged at the side
instead of at the upper part of the camera.
Dated this 12th day of May 1901
B. G. P. MÖLLER,
By L. W., per F. B.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
I, BERTEL GEORG PAGH MÖLLER, of Kolding, in the Kingdom of Denmark,
Editor, 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 :-
By the improvements in photographic cameras hereinafter described I am able
to construct a photographic hand camera by means of which a large number of
photographic plates may be stored up so that they may be exposed one after the
other and may be kept as long as desired. The camera thus offers advantages not
only to tourists, military persons, journalists and persons in similar positions, but
also to photographers by profession. The changing of plates is effected by a single
manipulation and the mechanism is not liable to become disarranged, so that it is
for instance possible to take, in a few minutes, twenty or more plates of a passing
procession. A moving vehicle or a galloping horse can be readily photographed
two or three times.
By means of a sliding portion or drawer which carries the objective lens, and
a scale of distances used in conjunction therewith, it is possible with the improved
camera to photograph objects that are very near as well as those that are far
distant.
A portrait of large size, and a landscape are taken with equal facility and
certainty. Even a very fine adjustment is possible, if the scale should not be
sufficient, as a loose indicator or pointer can be provided. The camera is or may be
also arranged to be screwed upon a stand and is distinguished by its small dimen-
sions. An apparatus for sixteen plates of the size of 9 x 12 centimetres together
with its objective and everything appertaining thereto, measures only 21 × 14 ×
13 centimetres. The camera can however be constructed in all sizes without the
satisfactory operation of the mechanism being in the least affected thereby.
In the drawings left with my Provisional Specification,
Fig. 1 is a vertical section on the line C. D. Fig. 4; and
Fig. 2 is an underside view, of a camera constructed according to this invention.
Fig. 3 is a plan of the same in its closed position.
Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the lower portion of the camera.

page_text: Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of a part of the apparatus on the line A. □ of
Fig. 4.
Fig. 6 shews separately, one of the plate-cases employed in the apparatus.
The apparatus comprises a rectangular box which is divided into three
compartments by means of a wooden or metallic plate e and of an intermediate
bottom p.
Fig. 6, and laid in the
This cover closes light-
*, to which is fastened
The photographic plates are pushed into the case a
magazine a', the cover for this purpose being taken off.
tight, and is provided on the rear side with a spiral spring
a wooden plate of the same size as the case.
When the plates have been inserted into the space a¹, they are pressed by the
spiral spring towards the slide c, and are, when they are to be used, conveyed by
the said slide one after the other into the space a². In this space are arranged
the photographic objective and the sliding portion or drawer d which serves for
adjusting the objective, and the so-called searcher"
e Fig. 5.
When a plate is conveyed by the slide through the opening down into the
space a², it is in this space engaged at its edges by two springs 7,
which press it
firmly against the slide and which are themselves fastened to the sides of the
apparatus at the rear end of the space a². When the slide is drawn upward,
that plate which is situated on the same behind the springs r, is held back by a stop
acting as a spring, until the slide has risen sufficiently, at which moment the
springs push the said plate into the space a³. In this space there is room for
half of the number of plates contained in the above mentioned magazine a. The
space is separated by a screw from the space a*. When this screw is
screwed back and the whole camera is partly rotated, so that the objective is
turned upward instead of downward, the plates slide by their own weight out of
the space a into the space a*. The screw is thereupon screwed in again, and
thus leaving space for the other plates coming from a' and a². The sliding portion
or drawer is provided with a "searcher" e the objective and an instantaneous
closer or shutter. The sliding portion or drawer is held by a clamping device
comprising a slotted metal piece through the slot of which the fixing screw u
passes. By withdrawing the said screw the piece is released thereby liberating
the drawer d the position of which can be regulated by reference to the pointer
having a projection ¹ engaging a corresponding projection on the piece t. This
pointer moves over a graduated scale of distances as shown.
The instantaneous closer or shutter shown in Fig. 4 comprises two circular
discs and which are fixed to a spring casing arranged at the front side of
the sliding portion or drawer d. One of the discs is fixed to the spring casing
in such a manner that the said disc can be brought nearer to or moved further
away from the other disc according to the speed with which it is desired to effect
the opening and the closing.
A small pawl acted upon by a spring normally prevents the spring in the
spring casing from rotating the same with the discs and, one arm of the
pawl being adapted to engage with projections on the discs. The second
arm of the pawl k bears against one arm of a bent or bell crank lever 1,
the other arm of which bears in turn against the stop
When the closer or
shutter is not in use, the plate covers the objective which is also covered by the
end of the movable plate m which is held by coiled springs y Fig. 5 pressed
forwards in the corresponding position, as shown in the drawing. When the closer
or shutter is to be used, the plate m is drawn back from the objective by means of
a bent or upturned edge on the said plate, in the direction indicated by the arrow
in Fig. 4. A pin on the front side of the plate will, when the plate has moved
back from the objective, strike against the arm 12 of the bent lever 1, and thereby
move the arm of the pawlk away from the projection of the disc The
spring casing will in consequence rotate together with the discs 1 and 2, and
thereby expose the objective, until the disc comes in front of it, in which position
the disc will be arrested by its projection engaging the arm of the-pawl k.

page_text: The slide plate 112 being released as soon as the disc has been thrown out of
engagement, it will by the action of the coiled spring y again cover the objective.
In order to set the closer or shutter ready for use again, the discs and arc
rotated by hand back into the position shewn in Fig. 4.
The changing of the plates is effected by means of the slide c which consists,
as already stated, of a movable wooden or metallic plate which traverses the entire
camera and divides it longitudinally. The said plate has in the middle a shoulder
the height of which is about equal to the thickness of a photographic plate. If
now the slide be drawn up by means of the knob to about half its length, so that
a stop n² of a counting apparatus o provided at the top of the camera, engages in
a recess formed in the slide e, the shoulder of the slide moves past the topmost
edge of the camera, and the photographic plates in the space a¹ are then moved
rearward and pressed against the thinnest half of the slide under the shoulder.
When the slide is moved down through the camera, the rearmost photographic
plate will be caught by the shoulder and will be pushed down through the opening/
located in the intermediate partition or bottom p, the said opening being somewhat
wider than the thickness of a plate, so that thus only one plate, that is to say the
rearmost one, can slip through, the said plate being held pressed in against the
thinnest half of the slide. By this means the photographic plate passes down into
the space a where it is exposed to the light, and when the slide is again drawn out
for the introduction of a fresh plate, the springspress the plate that has been
exposed to the light, back into the space a where it is kept until it is desired
to develop the same.
C
Thus the slide cannot be drawn upward and again pressed downward without the
exposed plate being discharged and a fresh plate being introduced in its stead.
Thus the camera can be always "charged and ready for use so long as there are
any unused plates in the space a¹ or a² and it is only necessary to cock the closer
or shutter and to release it as aforesaid.
The whole rear side of the camera is made removable, so that the plates exposed
to the light can be readily removed. For this purpose it is merely necessary to
press the pin which serves to secure the said rear side in position and to pull the
screw head '.
The objective is held in a ring which is secured in position by means of a bayonet
joint, so that it can be readily removed and cleaned. s is the rotary objective
guard ordinarily employed in cameras and which has light-openings of various
The spaces a a' may in some instances be arranged at the side instead of
at the upper part of the camera.
SIZES.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1: A photographic camera provided with a chamber or space a¹ above or at the
side of the same, a magazine or storage space located behind the camera proper and
said space a a slide plate e provided with a shoulder and a retaining device, the
arrangement being such that photographic plates will be held by the slide plate
in the space a, until required for use, and will by inward movement of such slide
plate be introduced one at a time into the camera proper for exposure, after which
the retaining device will act first to prevent a return movement of the exposed
plate when the slide plate is drawn outward, and then to press the exposed plate
into the magazine or storage space, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. Dividing the magazine or storage space referred to in the preceding claim
by means of a removable device, such as a screw, into two spaces a³ and a one of
which a³ serves to receive the plates that have been exposed and the other a to
receive the plates from a³ when the said removable device is drawn back and the
camera is partly rotated substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. In a photographic camera of the kind referred to in Claim 1, the arrangement
of the objective h in the front side of a sliding piece or drawer d provided with a

page_text: slotted piece t a pointer and a scale of distances substantially as and for the
purposes specified.
4. In a camera of the kind referred to in Claim 1, an instantaneous closer or
shutter comprising a spring casing two closing discs and, and a slide plate m,
the whole arranged and operating substantially as hercinbefore described.
5. The improved camera constructed and operating substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to and shown in the drawings.
Dated this 30th day of July 1891
B. G. P MÖLLER,
By L. W., per F. B.