Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Nov., 1899-Accepted, 30th Dec., 1899
Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
I, FRIEDRICH AUGUST FIGHTNER, of Wormserstrasse 13, Dresden-Strifen, in
the Kingdom of Saxony, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this inven
tion 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 photographic bellows-cameras of
that class in which the bellows part with the front, when folded, are accomo-
dated in a box-like back part, the base board being turned over on the whole
to form a kind of lid.
The improvements consist in an arrangement which when the lid is released,
causes the front to come into the proper position (or be focussed) automatically,
no assistance being required to that end as is needed with the automatic frouts
hitherto known. In the constructions as heretofore known the front has either
to be pulled out of the box by hand, before the apparatus or mechanism for
adjusting it can become operative, or the forward movement induced by the
latter ceases ere the front has reached its focal position and has to be sot to that
by hand. As compared with these the present invention is more perfect, as its
operation is more complete.
The invention is shown in the accompanying drawings as applied to a camera
which is represented in section in the figures. Fig. 1, showing the same folded,
and Fig. 2, showing it drawn out ready for use.
The construction is as follows: —
r
A lever a is provided and attached by its long arm to the camera front o by
means of a joint. It is also jointed to the rod or bar b hinged upon the cast-
ing of the camera. These parts thus form together a jointed lever or knuckle
joint a, b. A coiled spring is attached on the one hand to the short arm of
the lever a and on the other to the rod or bar b, so that the spring exerts a pull-
ing strain. This spring c is so fitted that when the camera is folded up its
coils surround the joint of the folded jointed lever, as shown in Fig. 1. This
permits the tension required to be put upon the spring to pull the same out
to a very small extent only the length of the lever arm effecting the same to
remain unchanged during the operation. This results in causing the energy
exerted by the spring in pulling the parts a and b of the jointed lever into their
nearly straight or parallel position, to remain practically undiminished from
beginning to end. It follows that not only does the spring become immediately
effective in pulling the levers a, b, to their straight position when the obstacle
is removed by opening of the lid d, but the spring will with undiminished effect
continues its operation until the front of the camera actuated by the levers has
been brought into proper focus, as in Fig. 2.
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:
In a folding photographic camera a means for causing the front quite auto-

page_text: mmatically to pass from its position of rest (Fig. 1), into the proper focussed
position (Fig. 2), this being characterized by an angle lever a, attached to the
front o being connected with a rod or bar b, (jointed to the casing of the
camera) so as to form a two armed or jointed lever, a spring being provided,
which coiled spring c, being attached by one end to the short arm of lever a,
and by the other to a rod or bar b, exerts a pulling effect, and lies closely against
the joint of the jointed lever said spring tending when the lever a, bis in its
bent positions (Fig. 1,) to straighten the same out and thus acting upon the
front o moves the latter into the focus position as seen in Fig. 2.
Dated the 8th day of November 1899
NEWNHAM BROWNE,
Agent for the Applicant.