IMPROVEMENTS IN STEREOSCOPIC APPARATUS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hirst, junior, of, Dobcross, Saddleworth, and
Joseph Wood, of Birkby, Huddersfield, both in the County of York, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEREOSCOPIC APPARATUS."
Sealed the 25th November 1862, and dated the 29th May 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hirst and Joseph
Wood at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 29th May 1862.
We, JOHN HIRST, junior, of Dobcross, Saddleworth, and JOSEPH WOOD, of
Birkby, Huddersfield, both in the County of York, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEREOSCOPIC APPARATUS,"
to be as follows:-
The object of the improvements is to neutralize the granular, fibrous, and
general coarseness of objects seen through stereoscopic glasses, especially when
bigh magnifying powers are employed, and also to produce various changes of
effect. For this purpose we apply tinted media in position, that the direct or
reflected rays of light falling on the front of the picture may pass through such
media without intercepting the vision. We also apply such media for the
passage of the rays of light on to the front of the picture, in combination

page_text: with other tinted media, at a short distance behind the picture, when the
picture viewed is transparent, depending upon the magnifying power
employed. The media may be tissue paper, gelatine, glass, or other suitable
transparent or semi-transparent material, and by varying the tints very
pleasing changes may be obtained, as morning or evening, or other times of
the day or night, summer or winter, or other changes of the season, or of the
atmosphere.
Also we apply tinted transparent or semi-transparent media at a short
distance behind the picture, so as to produce varied effects to the picture,
when the picture-viewed is transparent, by connecting such transparent media
by cords, strings, or chains, or otherwise, so that there may be intervals
between the respective media, when the natural colour of the transparency
may be seen.
We also apply in connection with stereoscopic apparatus a lamp, with
a shade or shades, lenses, and transparent or semi-transparent media of
various tints and shapes, adapted to obtain on the same picture the effects of
sunrise and sunset, moonlight, and other periodical or atmospherical appear-
ances. We sometimes add immediately behind the transparent picture
a separate slide, on which atmospherical or other appearances are depicted.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Hirst and Joseph Wood in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 29th November 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
HIRST, junior, of Dobcross, Saddleworth, and JOSEPH WOOD, of Birkby,
Huddersfield, both in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said John Hirst and Joseph Wood, Her special licence that we,
the said John Hirst and Joseph Wood, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said John Hirst and Joseph Wood, our
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,

page_text: within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEREOSCOPIC
APPARATUS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Hirst
and Joseph Wood, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our, or their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us
or them, 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 John Hirst, junior, 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 following
statement thereof, that is to say:
The object of the improvements is to neutralize the granular, fibrous, and
general coarseness of objects seen through stereoscopic glasses, especially when
high magnifying powers are employed, and also to produce various changes of
effect to such objects. For this purpose we apply tinted media in position,
that the direct or reflected rays of light falling on the front of the picture may
pass through such media without intercepting the vision. We also apply such
media for the passage of the rays of light on to the front of the picture, in
combination with other tinted media at a short distance behind the picture,
when the picture viewed is transparent, depending upon the magnifying power
employed. The media may be tissue paper, gelatine, glass, or other suitable
transparent or semi-transparent material, and by varying the tints very
pleasing changes may be obtained, as morning or evening, or other times of
the day or night, summer or winter, or other changes of the season, or of the
atmosphere.
Also we apply tinted transparent or semi-transparent media at a short
distance behind the picture, so as to produce varied effects to the picture,
when the picture viewed is transparent, by connecting such transparent media
by cords, strings, or chains, or otherwise, so that there may be intervals
between the respective media, when the natural color of the transparency
may be seen.
We also apply in connection with stereoscopic apparatus a lamp, with
a shade or shades, lenses, and transparent or semi-transparent média of
various tints and shapes, adapted to obtain on the same picture the effects
of sunrise and sunset, moonlight, and other periodical or atmospherical
We sometimes add to the transparent picture separate slides,
appearances.

page_text: answer in carrying the same into effect.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure: 1 shows a side view, Figure 2 a sectional view, and Figure 3 a plan
view of parts of stereoscopic apparatus, arranged according to our improve-
ments. a, a, is the main framing, which is supported upon a pedestal a¹, or
it may be otherwise supported as desired; b, b, are eye-glasses supported in
a frame b', capable of sliding in guides a², a², for adjustment to the eyes of the
observer, or to different pictures; c represents a picture in position to be seen
through the eye-glasses by being held in the frame d, which is capable
of sliding in the main frame a, in order to adjustment of focus, and such adjust-
ment is obtainable by means of the handle e, upon the spindle of which is
affixed the pinion e¹, which takes into the teeth of a rack d', carried by the
frame d. ff are a pair of rollers, to one of which is affixed one end, and to
the other the opposite end of suitable media, in order that such media may be
held in position as indicated by the red lines g, to intercept the direct rays of
light falling on the front of a picture placed at c, or to intercept the rays of
light reflected from a glass or other reflector placed at h. The rollers f and f¹
are at one of their ends acted upon by springs f, or it may be by other
suitable means adapted to put a slight friction on the rollers, and when desired
prevent their too freely revolving, whilst they are readily turned by means of
the milled edges of the handles f³ affixed on their axes. The media carried
by the rollers f, f', may be fine tissue paper, silk, gelatine, or other suitable
transparent or semi-transparent flexible material, capable of being readily
rolled first on to one, and then on to the other of the rollers f, f, in order to
bring the desired tint over the picture.
Figure 4 shows a strip of such media half the real size, tinted with various
tints such as we have used to produce various changes of effect, but other
tints may be used; g¹ represents bands or tapes of silk at the edges, to which
the media are affixed by gumming, or otherwise; 93, 92, show parts of the
media removed, in order that when desired, the rays of light may fall direct
without other interception, or by reflection on the picture. In place of
flexible tinted media, when using eye-glasses of a high magnifying power,
iglass, or other transparent, or semi-transparent but inflexible media may be
used.

page_text: Figure 5 shews a frame of tinted glass, which may be used in place of the
flexible media. When the picture is on glass, or otherwise transparent
or partially so, we also in connection with the use of media to intercept the
rays of light falling directly or réflection on the front of the picture, also
employ other media at the back to intercept the rays of light passing through
to the picture from behind. When these media are of a flexible character,
and separate from the media g, we support them by connecting the ends of the
series thereof to rollers i, j, and between these rollers we conduct such series
over guide bars k, k, as indicated by the red line at a short distance from the
picture, and in order that the distance of the media from the back of the
picture may be always the same with the same eye-glasses, we apply the guide
rollers i, j, to the sliding frame k, so as to move that portion of the media
behind the picture, with any movement to the picture carried by that frame d.
Figure 6 shews an arrangement of media separately; 12, 12, are spaces
which, when brought over the picture, no interception of the rays of light will
take place.
Figure 7 shows a modification of the apparatus, in which the same series of
media, but different parts thereof, are used to intercept both the top and back
rays of light; one end of this series of intercepting media g, is then connected
to the roller f, and the other end to the roller j. The use of intercepting
media, whether tinted or plain, except in the case of uncoloured or unground
glass, will be found of particular advantage when using eye-glasses of high
magnifying power, by neutralizing or rendering imperceptible the granular,
fibrous, or general coarseness of the texture of the material on which the
picture is taken, or of the pictures themselves, as well as of affording
the means when such media are tinted, of producing changes in the times of
the day or night, changes of the seasons and of the atmosphere, and flexible
media are also applicable, when looking at stereoscopic pictures without the
use of eye-glasses, or by the aid of eye-glasses of ordinary power, or when the
picture is seen by reflection.
Figure 2 also shows at m the frame of a lamp, with a reflector n in position,
to reflect the rays of light through lenses o, p, on to the back of transparent
or semi-transparent objects placed at c, and by the aid of a shade 7 repre-
senting clouds, and another at q' representing the moon, stars, or other
celestial objects before and behind the picture as held at c, agreeable changes
may be produced, whilst the effects of sunrise, sunset, moonlight, clouds, and
other periodical or atmospherical appearances may be obtained by slides,
colored or tinted to the purpose applied at r.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and means by
which the same may be carried into effect, we would have it understood
that we do not confine ourselves to 'the precise details shown and described as
the same may be varied. But what we do claim is, the adaptation or
which facility is given for neutralizing imper-
fections, observable when employing high magnifying powers. to view
stereoscopic pictures, as also generally of producing various atmospherical and
other appearances on such pictures, substantially as explained.
combination of means, by
In witness whereof, I, the said John Hirst, junior, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
JOHN HIRST, JUN. (L.S.)