Improvements in Photographic Cameras, and Plate-changing Mechanism for Use therewith.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Dec., 1895.
Complete Specification Left, 19th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 31st Oct., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Photographic Cameras, and Plate-changing
Mechanism for Use therewith.
I, CHARLES OLIVER, of 77, Wimpole Street, in the County of London, Electrical
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object to construct improved photographic cameras
which while capable of folding up into an extremely convenient and portable shape
can be very readily extended into a position suitable for taking photographs.
My invention also comprises improved plate-changing mechanism which is very
simple in construction and at the same time is readily operated with little trouble.
My improved camera has the form of a somewhat shallow box with a hinged lid
said lid being connected to the box proper by the usual folding bellows. The
aperture for the lens is at the lower angle diagonally opposite the hinge. When
the camera is to be used for taking a photograph the lid is raised to a suitable
angle and secured in position by means of a strut or stop so that the picture is
properly in focus upon the plate. The lid of the box which carries the plate may
be arranged to be adjustable after the manner of a "swing-back" if desired. The
lens and shutter or other exposing mechanism may be of any suitable type and
form no part of my invention.
My improved plate-changing mechanism comprises two boxes one of which is
secured in position inside the back of the camera, and forms the magazine being
adapted to hold the plates not yet exposed the outermost plate being in position
for exposure, the other of said boxes for receiving the plates after exposure is
arranged so that the opening thereof can be applied to the outermost plate of the
magazine. In such a camera as that above described the second box or receiver is
conveniently secured in the bottom of the camera in such a position that when the
camera is closed, it is applied in the proper manner to the magazine. The plates
or plate carriers are provided with lugs which engage with internal projections on
the sides of the boxes being pressed outward by any suitable means such as a
spring for example. In order to transfer after exposure the outermost plate of the
magazine to the receiver so as to leave a fresh plate in position for exposure, the
two boxes are as hereinbefore mentioned brought into proximity, and the exposed
plate is disengaged from the projections on the magazine and simultaneously
pushed into engagement with the projections of the receiver. For this purpose the
magazine and receiver are arranged so that they do not actually coincide but the
edge of one overhangs the edge of the other by a suitable amount. Under these
conditions the lugs on the plates on leaving the projections on the magazine will
be in position to slide into engagement with the projections on the receiver these
latter lugs being preferably slightly turned up so as to readily receive the lugs on
the plates.
The entire operation is effected by a simple device worked from
I sometimes interchange the position of the magazine and
outside the camera.
receiver.
In the improved camera hereinbefore described I sometimes arrange that the plates
shall be changed automatically when the camera is closed, in which case, I provide
means for preventing the operation when no exposure has taken place. This may
be done by means of a stop controlled by the shutter

page_text: Although my improved plate-changing mechanism is especially adapted for use
with the improved camera hereinbefore described, it may also be applied to other
"detective "
cameras, and in particular to those known as
"
or "hand
Dated this 19th day of December 1895.
cameras.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
31, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Photographic Cameras, and Plate-changing
Mechanism for Use therewith.
I, CHARLES OLIVER of 77, Wimpole Street, London, W., Electrical Engineer,
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 photographic cameras and especially to what are
generally known as magazine hand cameras or detective cameras and to mechanism
for changing the plates or sensitive surfaces used therein-my invention being
designed to produce a foldable or collapsible camera having many advantages
particularly in facility and rapidity of setting up same ready for use and folding
or collapsing same, and great compactness when folded also ease quickness and
certainty of mechanically changing the plates or sensitive surfaces and by the use
of the term 66
plates" I mean and intend to include either the ordinary prepared
glass plates or films or any other suitable sensitive surface.
My present invention will be hereinafter fully explained with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which :-
Fig. 1 is a side view (partly in section showing part of the interior mechanism)
of my camera-open-ready for use.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the inside of the camera lid b with its magazine or storage
chamber etc. thereon (i.e. looking in the direction of the arrow 2 Fig. 1) the
bellows c and frame d being shown released from the camera box a and compressed
against said open lid 6 to thus afford ready access to the plate-changing mechanism.
Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of Fig. 2 on line 3-3 Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a plan of the box a (i.e. looking in the direction of the arrow 4 Fig. 1)
showing the plate receiving chamber therein etc.
Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the camera closed-with the plate holding
and changing mechanism therein according to my present invention--taken along
the line 5-5 in Fig. 4 and looking in the direction of the arrow 1.
Fig. 6 is a perspective view (on a smaller scale) of the camera extended ready
for taking a photograph.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout.
a is the box and b the lid (hinged thereto at 6*) which when closed together
form a light tight-or sufficiently light tight-camera case.
al is spring catch on the box a which engages with the stud 6' on the lid b
or said lid may be mounted and secured on and to said box in any other suitable
manner.
c is folding bellows of any suitable light tight character arranged so as to expand
most at the part farthest from the hinge this bellows being secured in a light
tight manner to the lid and to the box respectively so that when said lid 6 is opened
out as shown in Figs. 1 and 6 such bellows will be drawn out thereby and
therewith.
The said bellows must however be so arranged as to readily afford access to the
interior thereof (for inserting or removing the plates in the dark room or
any
other
desired purpose) and this may be effected by attaching the bellows to either the

page_text: lid or to the box (or both) so as to be readily detached therefrom for instance the
bellows c may be attached to a light frame d which is held down in the box a by
suitable means such as resting against a fixed bead or support dx and one end of
said frame d being inserted between same and the fixed ledge d' inside the box
while the other end of said frame d is held by a catch or turn-button such as d
see Figs. 1 and 5 so that the bellows c (with frame d) can thus be readily released
from the box a and again secured thereto. The other end of the bellows is mounted
on the lid b.
ee are struts or stays (viz.: one on each side) pivotted at ex to the inside of the
box a the end e¹ of same having one end of a spring such as z secured thereto the
other end of said spring being fixed to the box a by which means the outer end e
of each said strute is normally kept pressed outwardly from the box-the said end
being held or guided or arranged to run in or upon any suitable guideway such
as e on the inside of the lid b and advantageously so secured in the guideway as
to limit the outward movement of the lid for instance as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.
Inside said bellows c the plate storing and receiving chambers and changing.
apparatus are arranged and act as follows:-
The plates or the sheaths or carriers for said plates f are provided with pro-
jections or lugs advantageously two such lugs f on each side thereof.
Inside the lid of the camera a plate-holder or receptacle 9 is arranged (which
receptacle I shall hereinafter refer to as the "magazine") of a shape corresponding
to but a little larger than the plates or plate carriers and lugs f¹ thereon such
magazine g being adapted to hold the pack or series of unexposed plates fa spring
such as (or equivalent) serving to force the whole series outwards so that the
lugs of the foremost or outermost plate fare forced against and held in position
by the stops g' projecting inwardly on the outermost edge of the magazine g in.
which position the foremost plate (the sensitive surface thereof being outermost);
is brought up to register i.e. in correct position for exposure when the camera is
extended.
In the box part a of said camera a second and separate plate-holder or receptacle.
(which I shall hereinafter refer to as the "receiver ") h is mounted such receiver h
being of corresponding shape and depth to the magazine g or thereabouts the said.
magazine and receiver being respectively arranged so that when the camera is
closed the opening of the receiver is applied in the proper manner to the magazine-
for instance the sides of the receiver and the magazine are arranged parallel and
advantageously in identical planes while the receiver is placed further from the lens,
than the magazine g as for instance in the manner and in about the relative positions
shown in Fig. 5.
is is a spring and w¹ a board or flat surface either attached or otherwise to said",
Spring operating in the receiver by which means the plates as they are passed.
into the receiver (after exposure) are there maintained in proper position and
prevented from shaking about loosely or otherwise injuring one another-such;
spring also acting in conjunction with the curved lugs or devices h¹ to retain the
exposed plates fx when transferred into said receiver h.
is a button or knob on the exterior of the camera for effecting the changing of
the outermost plate after exposure as follows:-
This button or knob i is mounted on a lever or crank arm; having its turning:
point at whereby the crank shaft or axle is rotated.
On this shaft is rigidly fixed a short crank which at its outermost end carries:
the plate operating device or pusher & which latter is thus moved from the position
shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5 to the position shown in full lines in said figure.
where said device or pusher k engages the edge of the outerinost plate only of the
series of plates f in the magazine 9 and as the movement of said device is
continued the said plate is thus forced endwise i.e. away from the lens-the further-
most end of the magazine g being cut away so as to allow said outermost plate
only to thus slide end wise.
y is a spring one end of which is connected to the inside of the box a and the

page_text: other end to the lever ; whereby said lever is normally kept pulled back and
thereby the device or pusher k is normally kept in the position shown in dotted
lines in Fig. 5-clear of the magazine g and plates therein.
It will thus be readily seen that upon the camera being closed (as shown in Fig. 5)
and the said outermost plate in the magazine g being pushed by the device k as
aforesaid thereby the lugs on said plate or its carrier will be pushed clear of and
pass from under the projections of the magazine g and thereafter will come
against the curved devices h³ of the receiver hand will be forced to ride up said curved
devices h¹ until they have passed the point thereof whereupon the spring w will
force them down behind the shoulder thus formed where said plate will be securely
held and the camera can now be extended again ready for another exposure the
next plate in the magazine 9 coming automatically into position ready for exposure
and thereafter same can be changed and the operation repeated as before described
until all the plates ƒ have been exposed and thereafter transferred one by one into
the receiver h.
If desired the changing of the outermost plate from the magazine g to the
receiver may be effected automatically by the closing of the camera by utilising
such closing operation to operate the pusher or device k (instead of operating the
latter by hand as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings) but in
such case it would be necessary or advantageous to provide means for preventing
the changing operation when no exposure has taken place and this might be done
by means of a stop or other suitable mechanism controlled by the shutter as will
be readily understood.
Any suitable lens and shutter may be used with my present improvements and as
same form no part separately of my present invention therefore it is not necessary to
fully describe same except to state that the lens m must be mounted in one corner of
the box diagonally or approximately so with respect to the camera case when closed
as clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6-an iris diaphragm or stops being provided or
not as desired while the shutter should advantageously be of the " self-capping
character i.e. of the kind which does not require the capping of the lens while the
shutter is being set ready for an exposure and such shutter may be released in any
suitable manner for instance by a button projecting through the side of the box a
as shown in Fig. 6.
"
Or the lens may be so arranged and mounted as to be automatically (or otherwise)
moved into the diagonal position when the lid is opened while when the latter is closed
the lens may be automatically (or otherwise) swung or moved into a horizontal or
other more convenient position.
Also a suitable counting mechanism may advantageously be arranged in the
camera case so that the number of plates that have been exposed and transferred
can be readily ascertained from the exterior of the camera as for instance by a
revolving dial p mounted to revolve on the axis p¹ in the side of the camera the
figures on which dial can be seen through aperture q in the side of the camera
a spring normally locking said dial in position by engaging with the pins p* on the
the back of said dial p while a rod s which is operated by the movement of the
operating lever j is arranged so that each time said lever j is moved so as to
transfer a plate from the magazine 9 to the receiver thereby the rod s rotates
the index dial the distance of one pin p* thereon whereby the next number on
the dial is brought into view through the aperture q.
Although I have described my plate changing mechanism in conjunction with my
improved construction of camera I wish it to be clearly understood that I may use
either one without necessarily using the other for instance the said plate changing
mechanism might be applied or adapted to other forms of cameras.
If desired the lid with its supporting struts e may be arranged to act as a swing
back for instance the end of each such strut may be arranged to readily disconnect
from the lid and be'attached to same again at any other desired point for instance in
the manner shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 or said struts may be mounted on
movable centres at ex which latter could be racked or otherwise moved to thus

page_text: alter the angle of the lid-the lens being arranged to be relatively racked or
otherwise moved as desired.
1
g* is an abutment fixed one on each side of the inside wall of the magazine g close
to the inwardly projecting pieces gl and extending to a point in said magazine so as
to engage with the lugs and prevent any endwise motion being imparted to any of
the plates in said magazine except the outermost one of the lugs of which it is
clear.
Instead of the lens being fixed to the box and the magazine g movable as herein-
before described-I may fix the side of the box carrying the magazine and make the
opposite side of the box the hinged lid to which the lens would be attached as
well as the receiver and such lid on being swung out or opened would thereby
swing out the lens and the bellows attached until the struts e fixed the lid and the box
in the same relative positions as before.
Also it will be obvious that in any arrangement the magazine and receiver
may be arranged to act vice versa so as to bring each fresh plate into position for
exposure.
Instead of the plate-holding receptacles a "roll-holder" could be arranged and
mounted on that part of the inside of the box or lid so as to lie at right angles or
thereabouts to the lens when the camera is opened.
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
claim is:
1. In photographic cameras having the body or box made in two parts hinged
together and bellows attached to said two parts respectively-the arrangement and
combination therewith of a receptacle for holding the next plate for exposure attached
to the inside of one such part, a lens mounted on the other said part in such wise that
when the camera is opened the said sensitive surface and the axis of said lens are
at right angles or thereabouts to one another, another plate-holding receptacle
attached to the same hinged part as the lens so that when the camera is folded
the opening in each said receptacle will be brought together and means to transfer
the plates consecutively from one such receptacle to the other substantially in the
manner and for the purposes herein before described.
2. In photographic cameras having the body or box made in two parts hinged
together the arrangement and combination therewith of a bellows attached to said
parts respectively means for holding a sensitive surface on the inside of one said part
a lens mounted in the angle of the box diagonally opposite the hinge and means to
hold said hinged parts (when open) in such position that the said sensitive surface
mounted on the inside of one said part is at right angles or thereabouts to the
axis of said diagonally arranged lens substantially in the manner and for the purposes
hereinbefore described.
3. In photographic cameras-
s-the arrangement and combination with a box such
as a of a hinged lid such as b thereon, a bellows such as c attached to said box and
said lid respectively and readily detachable from said box, a lens such as m mounted
in the angle of the box a diagonally opposite the hinge 6x of said lid b, and
struts such as e secured at one end to the box and at the other end adapted to
hold said lid (when opened) rigidly in such position that the sensitive surface
mounted on the inside of said lid is at right angles or thereabouts to the axis
of said lens substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the drawings annexed.
4. In photographic cameras-the arrangement and combination with a box and
hinged lid thereon of a bellows attached to said lid and to said box respectively, a
plate-holding receptacle attached to the inside of said lid another plate-holding
receptacle attached to the inside of said box and both within said bellows the
opening in each said receptacle being brought together by the closing of the
camera, means operated from the exterior of the camera to transfer the plates
consecutively from one receptacle to the other, a lens mounted in the angle

page_text: of the box diagonally opposite the hinge of said lid and means to hold said hinged lid
(when open) in such a position that the sensitive surface carried on the inside of said
lid is at right angles or thereabouts to the axis of said diagonally arranged lens,
substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein before described.
5. In photographie cameras the arrangement and combination with a box such as a
of a lid such as b hinged to said box, bellows such as c attached to said lid and
to said box respectively and readily detachable, a lens such as m diagonally mounted
in the angle of the box diagonally opposite the hinge b* of said lid, struts such as e
secured at one end to the box and at the other end adapted to hold said lid (when
open) rigidly in such position that the plate mounted on the inside of said lid is at
right angles or thereabouts to the axis of said lens, a magazine such as g attached to
the inside of said lid with stops such as 9' thereon, a receiver such as h attached to
the inside of the box with curved devices such as h¹ thereon, projections such
as on the plates or sheaths for said plates, a pusher such as k operated from the
exterior of the camera and adapted to engage only with the edge of the outermost
plate in the magazine when the camera is closed and thereby push same clear of
the stops gl and into engagement with the curved devices h¹ whereby said plates can
be consecutively transferred from the magazine g to the receiver h all substantially in
the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
drawings hereunto annexed.
6. A photographic camera constructed and operating substantially in the manner
and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings hereunto
annexed.
7. Plate changing mechanism for use with a photographic camera constructed
and operating substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the drawings hereunto annexed.
8. A photographic camera and plate changing mechanism for use therewith
arranged combined and acting substantially in the manner and for the purposes
hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings hereunto annexed.
Dated this 18th day of Santember 1896
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.