Improvements in Flash Light Mechanism for Photographic Apparatus.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 14th May, 1895-Accepted, 15th June, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Flash Light Mechanism for Photographic
Apparatus.
1, MARION WARNER NEWCOMB of Salt Lake City, County of Salt Lake,
Territory of Utah, United States of Amorica, Photographer, 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 relates to photographic apparatus, and more particularly to means
for producing flash lights, my object being to provide a device by the use of which
the powder or other Hasbing material may be ignited with little or no waste aud
the plate of the camera may be exposed at the proper moment, while a further
object is to provide a construction which may be readily taken apart to permit of
packing for transportation, etc To this end my invention consists in the various
matters hereinafter described and claimed.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying my'invention,
Figure 2 is a detail of one of the flashing members;
Figure 3 is a detail of the releasing mechanism;
Figure 4 is a sectional view of the cylinder forming a part of said relcasing
mechanism; and
Figure 5 shows a modification.
In these drawings, A represents a tripod or other supporting means to which is
secured, as by the bolts a, a supporting plate B, from which extend the arms C
bearing the flashing plates These arms may be fastened in any suitable manner,
but in order to provide for their ready reinoval, angle plates bare secured at
suitable intervals upon the plate B, in which angle plates the arms are inserted,
being secmely fastened by an adjustable catch which may be held by the nuts
upon the bolts by which the supporting plate is held against the tripod.
At Buitable intervals along each arm, are fastened flashing members D for
igniting the powder or other flashing material, and in the present instance these
consist of a plate d upon which the powder is to be deposited, and a lamp secured
upon the rear of said plate. Extending aloug each aim is a rod E pivoted in
Buitable brackets c, and upon said 1ods at points corresponding with the lamps upon
the arms C, are secured wires e so placed that normally they lie upon the flashing
plates d It will thus be seen that if the lamps are lit and powder placed upon the
flashing plates, should the rods be turned to bring the wires into the flames, these
wires will be heated to such an extent that when the rods are turned back, the
wnes will fall upon the powder and ignite it, thus producing the flash.
It is obvious that many means for operating the rods may be employed, but
I prefer to use that herein illustrated fu this, each rod at the point at which it
crosses the plate B, is beut to form the angular loop e', while extending in line
with these loops is a bar F having along its side adjacent to the supporting plate B
a series of spring clamps for engaging the loops e'. Below the bottom aim is
fasteued a plate G which projects from the supporting plate and has hinged upon
it so as to swing in a plane above it a support H provided with a lip for
Eupporting the end of the bar F, which end is provided with a shoulder fi to act
as a stop by engaging with the projection G, said projection being in the path of
movement of the bar. The bar being connected to the rods through the clamps /
and the loops e, it will be seen that when said bar is raised and supported upon

page_text: the lip h, the wires e will be held in the flames of the lamps, while as soon as the
support is swung out of position the bar will fall and bring the wires upon the
powder on the various flashing plates, the movement of the bar being guided by
suitable pins 3, and limited by the shoulder engaging with the plate G.
It 18, of course, advantageous, to so aange the flashing mechanism and the
shutter upon the rameia, that the latter may be operated at the proper moment
with respect to the operation of the former, and to this end is provided a cylinder K
having therein an opening & from which projects a thimble . In this cylinder
works a piston head L having connected therewith a rod bearing against the
hinged plate II. Connected with the cylinder is an air bulb M, while upon the
thimble is a tube leading to the usual means for releasing the shutter of the camera.
Thus, when the bulb is pressed, the nu, through the piston L, swings the plate L
out of position, and the piston head being suitably placed relative to the
opening in the cylinder, at the proper moment the further movement of the
piston head uncovers said opening and the air passes through the tube upon
the thimble A' and operates upon the shutter mechanism.
It is obvious that many changes may be made in the details of construction
without departing from the spirit of my invention, for example, the arms C may
be pipes conveying gas to the lamps, as shown in Figure 5, said aims may be
rigidly secured to the support, etc, and all such modifications I desire to protect.
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
clain 18-
1. A flash light mechanism comprising a support, flashing devices upon said
support, said flashing devices comprising a member for supporting the flashing
material and an igniting member, one of said members being movable to co-operate
with the other to produce a flash, a connection between said movable members,
a projection upon said support, and a plate hinged upon said projection and above
the saine, said plate being adapted to support the connection between the movable
members, substantially as described.
2. A flash light mechanism comprising a support, flashing devices upon said
support, said flashing devices comprising a member for supporting the flashing
material and an igniting member, one of said members being inovable to co-operate
with the other to produce a flash, a bar connected with sand movable members, &
shoulder upon the lower end of sail bar, a projection from the support below and
in the path of said shoulder, and a plate hinged to said projection to swing above
the same, said plate being adapted to support the end of the bar; substantially as
described
3. A flash light mechanism comprising a support, flashing devices upon said
support, means for operating said flashing devices, a cylinder, a piston head in said
cylinder, connection between said piston head and the operating means, a camera,
shutter operating mechanism upon said camera, a passage from said cylinder to said
shutter operating mechanism, and means for supplying a fluid under pressure
against said piston head; substantially as described.
4. A flash light mechamsm comprising a support, a supporting plate, bolts
passing through said support and the supporting plate, angle plates upon said
supporting plate, aims detachably fitting in said angle plates, angle plates fitting
over said bolts and bearing upon the arms thus serving to hold them in place, nuts
upon said bolts bearing upon said last mentioned angle plates, and flashing devices
upon said arins, substantially as descubed.
5. A flash light mechanism comprising a supporting plate, aims removably held
upon said plate, flashing devices upon said aims, said flashing devices comprising
a member for supporting the flashing material and an igniting member, 1ods
pivoted upon said arms and having attached thereto one of the members of the
Hashing devices, said rods having loops formed therein, a bar, and spring clamp3
upon said bai connecting the same with said loops, substantially as described.

page_text: 6. A flash light mechanism comprising a support, a central supporting plate
thereon, arms extending from said plate, receptacles for the flashing material upon
said arms, heating devices also upon said arms, rods pivoted upon said arms, said
ods having loops therein at the points at which they cross the central supporting
plate, wires upon said rods so placed that they may be swung from a position in
which they are subjected to the influence of the heating devices to a position upon
the receptacles for the flashing material, a bar connected with said loops, a shoulder
upon the bottom of said bar, a projection from the central support below said bar
in the path of said shoulder, a plate hinged upon and above said projection, said
plate being adapted to support said bar in a position to hold the wires out of
operative connection with the flashing material, a cylinder, a piston bend in said
cylinder, connection between said piston head and the hinged plate, and means
for forcing a fluid under pressure against the piston head; substantially as
described.
Dated this 13th day of May 1805
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Chartered Patent Agent,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicant.