IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE STANDS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERAS AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1885

page_text: other similar Purposes.
JAMES ASHFORD 179 Aston Road Birmingham Photographic apparatus Maker
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE
STANDS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERAS AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES to be as
follows:-
And that the object of my invention is to so arrange the parts of the stand
(which for convenience I will call the camera stand) that the legs or supports may
be easily attached to or detached from the part on which the camera rests and
which I will call the head, and that when so attached the stand will be firm and
steady. I propose effecting my purpose as follows. Each leg of the stand is com-
posed of two parts which for convenience I will call the upper and lower parts.
The one forming when extended the lower part slides into the upper part. I make
the lower part solid preferably but not necessarily. The upper part I form as
follows. I take two pieces of wood or other material of dimensions suitable to my
purpose and between these two pieces at one end I put another piece of material
the exact width or thereabouts of the piece which forms the lower part and then
by suitable means I fasten these rigidly together. The other end of the upper part
I fasten together by two metal plates so that the lower part can slide freely
between the said plates and the pieces which compose the upper part. The four
outer edges of the upper part I bevel off at suitable angles and in such a manner
that the smaller faces may be outside. Across the upper end of the lower part
I cut grooves and in these grooves I fit cheeks extending across the lower part
and to a suitable distance over the upper part, I cut corresponding bevelled grooves
or rabates in the cheeks to fit the bevelled sides of the upper part. Through these
cheeks and the upper end of lower part I pass a suitable screw with a nut on
the opposite cheek so that by tightening the screw the bevelled parts of the cheeks
press on the bevelled sides of the upper part of leg having a tendency thereby of
bringing the sides of the upper part together and binding the lower part, thus
firmly cramping the whole lot together and preventing the lower part from sliding
up or down until the screw is released again for that purpose. In the top end of
upper part I cut a slot and across this slot I put a metal pin so that it may engage
ru 0/1

page_text: with a corresponding ear or projection on head of stand. This said ear or
projection being situate in the middle of the side of head is additional to what is
usually used. On the outer faces of the upper part of leg I rigidly affix half way
up or thereabouts strips of wood or other material of similar or nearly similar
length of upper part of leg. The upper ends of these strips being loose may be
thereby extended outwards and fastened to corresponding ears on head of stand
acting thereby as struts to keep the stand firm and steady. These struts are
further supported and kept in position by small bars or stretchers being placed in
horizontal or other positions between the struts and the outer faces of what I have
hitherto called the upper part of leg though these struts when fastened as
described actually form part of the upper part of leg. These strips which act as
struts and the corresponding pieces to which they are fastened may be made solid
and slit down a suitable distance but preferably I make them as described.
There must be three and there may be more than three of the above described
legs to each complete stand.

page_text: Improvements in Portable Stands for Photographic and other
similar Purposes.
I JAMES ASHFORD of 179 Aston Road Birmingham Photographic Apparatus
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN PORTABLE STANDS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC & OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
'
The object of my invention is to so arrange the parts of the stand which for
convenience I will call the camera stand that the legs or supports may be easily
attached to or detached from the part on which the camera rests and which I will
call the head and that when so attached the stand will be firm and steady. pro-
pose effecting my purpose as follows. Each leg of the stand is composed of two
parts (or more) which for convenience I will call the upper and lower. The one
forming when extended the lower part slides into the upper part. I make the
lower part solid preferably but not necessarily. The upper part I forin as follows.
I take two pieces of wood or other material of dimensions suitable to my purpose
and between these two pieces at one end I put another piece of material the exact
width or thereabouts of the piece which forms the lower part and then by suitable
means I fasten these rigidly together. The other end of upper part I fasten
together by two metal plates so that the lower part can slide freely between the
said plates and the pieces which compose the upper part. The four outer edges of
the upper part I bevel off at a suitable angle and in such a manner that the smaller
faces may be outside. Across the upper end of the lower part I cut grooves and in
these grooves I fit cheeks extending across the lower part to a suitable distance
over the upper part. I cut corresponding bevelled grooves or rabates in these cheeks
to fit the bevelled sides of upper part. Through these cheeks and the upper end of
lower part I pass a suitable screw with a nut on the opposite cheek so that by
tightening the screw the bevelled parts of the cheeks press on the bevelled sides of
the upper part having a tendency thereby of bringing the sides of the upper part
together and binding the lower part, thus firmly cramping the whole lot together
and preventing the lower part from sliding up or down until the screw is released
again for that purpose. In the top end of upper part I cut a slot and across this slot
I put a metal bar so that it may engage with a corresponding ear or projection on
stand head. The said ear or projection being situate in the middle of side of head
is additional to what is usually used. On the outer faces of upper part I rigidly
affix half way up or thereabouts strips of wood or other material of similar length
to upper part of stand leg. The upper ends of these strips being loose may be
thereby extended outwards and fastened to corresponding ears on head of stand
acting thereby as struts to keep the stand firm and steady. These struts are
further supported and kept in position by small bars or stretchers being placed

page_text: endways in horizontal positions between the struts and the outer faces of what
I have hitherto called the upper part of leg though these struts when fastened as
described actually forin part of the upper part of leg. The strips which act as
struts and the corresponding pieces of the upper part to which they are fastened
inay be made solid and slit down a suitable distance but preferably I make them
as described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1st. The bevelling of the upper part as described and the corresponding bevelling
of the cheeks.
2nd. Making the upper end of upper part to which the struts are fastened solid
or rigid.
3rd. The additional place of attachment of each leg to stand head, there being
three places of attachment of each leg to stand head instead of two as is usual.
Dated this 16th day of August 1886.