Improvements in Hand or Detective Photographic Cameras.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 10th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 14th Feb., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hand or Detective Photographic Cameras.
We, HENRY ROBERT HUME, of 6 Allen Terrace, Kensington High Street,
London, W., Dentist, and EDWARD WILLIAM PARFITT, of 18 Gatcombe Road,
Tufnell Park, London, N., Musician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in hand or detective photographic cameras,
and has for its object affording increased facility for successively bringing into
position the sensitive films or plates employed.
According to our invention, we mount each of the sensitive plates or films within
the well known holders or carriers, preferably constructed of thin sheet metal or
other suitable material, and provide each of the said holders or carriers with a pin
or pins projecting laterally from each side of the upper part thereof, for the purpose
hereinafter described.
Within the outer case of the camera is a sliding frame or tray, the upper
edges of the sides of which are provided with corresponding equidistant notches
or slots.
The sensitive plates, contained within their respective holders or carriers, are
placed one above the other in a horizontal position, the projecting pin or pins of
the lowermost holder or carrier engaging with the rearmost notch or slot upon each
side of the sliding frame before referred to, whilst the front of such holder or
carrier is supported by a convenient stop or stops carried by the case.
The said sliding frame or tray is connected with a suitable arrangement of
mechanism operated from the exterior of the case, which we shall hereinafter
describe, in such manner that it may be shifted backwards, (or away from the lens,)
by successive operations, a sufficient distance at each time to free the lowermost
holder or carrier from the before mentioned stops supporting one end thereof, and
allow it to swing upon its projecting pin or pins and drop into a vertical position,
at the same time bringing the next pair of notches or slots in the upper edges of
the sliding frame beneath the projecting pins of the next holder or carrier, and so
on throughout the series.
To effect the shifting of the sliding frame or tray, we prefer to employ the
following arrangement:-
In the bottom of the sliding frame are formed a number of depressions or notches,
corresponding as to number and distance apart with the before-mentioned notches or
slots in the upper edges thereof.
Mounted between suitable guides on the exterior of the outer case, (preferably at
the bottom,) is a sliding plate, carrying a spring pin or plunger, which passes
through a slot in the case, and engages with the said depressions or notches in the
bottom of the sliding frame or tray.
This sliding plate may be moved in either direction by means of a pivotted lever
extending across the same and engaging with projections or stops formed thereon
upon either side of such lever, (the lever having a slight amount of play between
such projections).
Upon moving the lever forwards, the said pin or plunger is caused by its spring
to descend into a suitable chamfered or bevelled recess, formed in that side of the
lever nearest the sliding plate, the lever will then come into contact with one of the
stops on the sliding plate and move such plate forwards, bringing the spring pin or
plunger beneath the next depression or notch in the bottom of the sliding frame;
upon moving the lever back again, the pin or plunger is first raised and caused to
engage with such depression or notch, the lever then comes into contact with the

page_text: other projection upon the sliding plate and moves such plate together with the
sliding frame backwards, sufficient movement only being permitted to the sliding
plate at each backward inotion of the lever, to move the sliding frame the distance
of one depression or notch.
A. convenient spring is arranged to hold the sensitive plates and holders when in
their vertical position, and we also prefer to employ a spring pressing upon the top
of the pile of horizontally disposed plates.
It is obvious that if desired in lieu of the arrangement above described for
shifting the sliding frame or tray, a rack and spring pawl or detent, or other
convenient arrangement, might be employed, but we prefer the arrangement
described.
DL10
1
1 1000
E. P. ALEXANDER & SON, Fels. Inst. P.A.,
19, Southampton Buildings, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hand or Detective Photographic Cameras.
We, HENRY ROBERT HUME, of 6, Allen Terrace, Kensington High Street,
London, W., Dentist, and EDWARD WILLIAM PARFITT, of 18, Gatcombe Road,
Tufnell Park, London, N., Musician, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in hand or detective photographic
cameras, and has for its object affording increased facility for successively
bringing into position the sensitive films or plates employed.
According to our invention, we mount each of the sensitive plates or films within
the well known holders or carriers, (described in the Specification to Merritt's
Patent No. 1696 A.D. 1854) preferably constructed of thin sheet metal or other
suitable material, and provide each of the said holders or carriers with a pin or pins
projecting laterally from each side for the purpose hereinafter described.
Within the outer case of the camera we provide a sliding carriage or drawer, the
sides of which are provided at their upper parts with corresponding equidistant
notches or slots.
The sensitive plates contained within their respective holders or carriers are
placed one above the other in a horizontal position, the laterally projecting pin or
pins of the lowermost holder or carrier engaging with the rearmost pair of notches
or slots upon the sliding drawer before referred to, whilst the front of such holder
or carrier is supported by a convenient stop or stops carried by the case.
The sliding drawer is connected with a suitable arrangement of mechanism
operated from the exterior of the case, which we shall hereinafter describe, in such
manner that it may be shifted backwards, (or away from the lens) by successive
operations, a sufficient distance at each time to free the lowermost holder or carrier
from the before mentioned stop and to allow it to swing or pivot upon its projecting
pin or pins into a vertical position, when the next pair of notches or slots in the
upper edges of the sliding drawer will be brought beneath the projecting pins of the
next holder or carrier, and so on throughout the series.
Any suitable mechanism may be employed to effect the step by step backward
movement of the sliding drawer, but we prefer to use the following arrangement.
In the sliding drawer, (preferably at the underside) we form a number of
depressions or notches, corresponding as to their number and distance apart with
the before mentioned notches or slots in the upper edges of the said drawer.
Mounted between suitable guides on the exterior of the outer case, (preferably
at the bottom) is a sliding plate carrying a spring pin or plunger which passes
through a slot in the outer case and engages with the said depressions or notches in
the underside of the sliding drawer. This sliding plate may be moved in either

page_text: direction by means of a pivotted lever extending across the same and engaging with
projections or stops formed thereon upon either side of such lever, (the lever having
a slight amount of play between such projections, for the purpose hereinafter set
forth).
Upon moving the said lever forwards, or towards the lens, the pin or plunger is
caused by its spring to descend, its lower end entering into an inclined recess formed
in the pivotted lever, the lever will then come into contact with one of the stops or
projections on the sliding plate and move the same forwards until the spring pin or
plunger is brought beneath the next depression or notch in the sliding drawer;
upon moving the lever back to its original position, the pin or plunger is first raised
by means of the inclined recess in the lever and caused to engage with such
depression or notch, the lever then comes into contact with the other projection
upon the sliding plate, and moves it, together with the sliding drawer, backwards,
sufficient movement only being permitted to the sliding plate at each motion of the
lever in either direction to move the sliding frame a distance equivalent to the
space between the centre line of a depression or notch and that of its neighbour.
A convenient spring is arranged to hold the sensitive plates and holders when in
their vertical position, and we also prefer to employ a spring pressing upon the top
of the pile of horizontally disposed plates.
In the accompanying drawings in which similar letters refer to corresponding
parts in all the figures :-
Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a hand camera constructed according
to our invention.
Fig. 2 is a part sectional plan thereof.
Fig. 3 is a plan of the underside of the rear portion of the camera.
Figs. 4 and 5 are detached views upon a larger scale of certain portions of the
mechanism we prefer to employ for effecting the step by step backward movement
of the sliding drawer.
C
a a are the holders or carriers containing the sensitive plates or films, each holder
or carrier being provided at its upper part with laterally projecting pins or pivots b.
is the carriage or drawer, sliding within the outer case it of the camera, and pro-
vided upon each side with a rack e, the notches in which should correspond in number
and spacing. The holders or carriers a are stored in a horizontal position one
above the other within the chamber, the lowermost holder or carrier a being
supported at one end by the stop g and at the other end by the racks e which
receive its laterally projecting pivots or pins b. is a lid closing the top of the
chamber is a convenient fastening for securing the same. k is a spring, for
assisting the descent of the carriers, which bears upon the plate I disposed resting
upon the uppermost holder or carrier a. m are depressions or notches formed in
the bottom of the sliding drawer c, and corresponding in number and spacing with
the notches in the racks e. n is a plate sliding between the guides o and provided
with a boss p, containing a spring pin or plunger q, which, when elevated, engages
with the notches or depressions m. ris a lever pivotted at for imparting
reciprocating motion to the sliding plate m, its movement being limited by the
stops which should be so arranged that the lever in passing from one
stops or to the other will move the sliding plate n a distance equivalent to the
space between the centre line of a notch or depression m and that of its neighbour.
t is an inclined recess in the lever which receives the lower end of the spring
plunger 9, and, according as the lever is moved in one direction or the other, causes
such plunger to rise or permits it to descend. at are projections upon the sliding
plate n, between which the lever has a sufficient amount of play to enable it, by
means of its inclined recess, to raise or permit to descend the spring plunger y,
(according to the direction in which it is moved) before imparting motion to the
sliding plate n. One end of the sliding plate n may be provided with a pawl u,
which may engage with a convenient arrangement of indicator v, for registering
the number of plates exposed, as is well understood. w is a suitable spring which
"

page_text: engages with the lower portions of the carriers a when in their vertical positions,
and prevents them from swinging.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
Upon moving the lever r, from the position shewn in the drawings, towards the
stop s, the plunger q (which is in the position shewn in Fig. 4) will first be raised
by means of the inclined recess and caused to enter one of the notches or
depressions m on the sliding drawer c, the lever r will then come into contact with
the projection upon the sliding plate n, and move the same, together with the
drawer c, backwards or away from the lens, which will release the front of the
lowermost carrier a from the stop g, and permit it to swing upon its pivots 6 and
drop into a vertical position in which it will be retained by the spring w. The
backward motion of the drawer c brings the pair of notches in the racks e which are
next to those occupied by the pivots of the carrier just released, immediately below
the pivots of the next carrier of the series, which accordingly enter them. The
lever is then returned to its original position, which has the effect, first, of
bringing the deep portion of the inclined recess t below the end of the plunger g,
and thus permitting it to descend and withdraw from the notch or depression m,
and, secondly, as the lever comes into contact with the stop a¹, of moving back the
sliding plate n, bringing the plunger 9 beneath the notch or depression m next to
that which it has just quitted. These operations may then be repeated until all
the carriers have in turn been allowed to descend, when the drawer c and holders a
carried thereby, may be withdrawn by means of the handle y through the door at
the back of the camera.
The front of the camera is provided with the usual lens, shutter, and focussing
devices, but we have not considered it necessary to illustrate the same.
In conclusion we would observe that we neither claim broadly the employment
of pivots or pins upon the carriers a, nor do we claim broadly a photographic
camera wherein the sensitive surfaces are successively brought from a horizontal to
a vertical position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is -
1. In a photographic camera, successively shifting the sensitive plates or films
employed from a horizontal to a vertical position by means of a sliding carriage or
drawer provided with notches or slots which engage with laterally projecting pins
or pivots formed upon the carriers containing the said sensitive plates or films, as
specified.
2. The combination of the carriers a, having laterally projecting pins or pivots b,
and the sliding carriage or drawer e provided with racks e, substantially as
described.
3. The combination of the carriers a having laterally projecting pins or pivots b,
the carriage or drawer e provided with racks e and notches or depressions m, and
the peculiar arrangement of mechanism by which the drawer c may be moved
backwards or away from the lens step by step substantially as described and
illustrated.
4. In a photographic camera the combination of the lever r inclined recess t
formed therein, sliding plate n provided with projections, and spring pin or
plunger q substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated.
Data: 10 1 CT
1001
E. P. ALEXANDER & SON, Fels. Inst. P.A.,
19, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.