IMPROVEMENTS IN PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to François Auguste Chevallier, of Paris, (Empire of
France,) and of 45, Essex Street, Strand, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS "
Sealed the 25th September 1858, and dated the 25th March 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said François Auguste Chevallier
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 25th March 1858.
I, FRANÇOIS AUGSTE CHEVALLIER, of Paris, (Empire of France,) and
of 45, Essex Street, Strand, London, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS," to be as-
follows:
My Invention consists in an apparatus which, with its accessories,allows me
to reproduce entirely the panorama or general view surrounding the operator,
placed at any point of the horizon, considering the horizon as a circumference
containing the several planes of which it is composed. This panorama
will consequently 'represent the ensemble of everything surrounding the
operator.
With the means now in use it was only possible to obtain a surface hori..
zontally or vertically displayed; but with my system I bring every object to
[Price 81

page_text: sole point of view, which is the center of the circumference. This result is
obtained by taking successively the whole or part of the circumference.
For this object the apparatus is made so as to turn on a center, and it is
furnished with divisions by means of which the beginning of every image may
be placed at the end of the preceding one so as to obtain a total image repre-
senting the said panorama or entire horizon, except, however, what is above or
underneath, unless by inclining the apparatus. The cardinal points being
indicated on the proofs it will be easy by means of a compass to place the
said proofs according to their geographical position.
My apparatus may be employed also for making proofs for stereoscopes, and
I modify their aspect by the reflection of the light by means of a coloured
material, which gives the said proofs the various tones of colour.
A sight complete those dispositions by giving the distances and the
heights, it turns on a pivot, and it is furnished with a needle which indicates
on the divided circle the angle between two sites.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said François Auguste Chevallier in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 25th September 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I FRANÇOIS
AUGUSTE CHEVALLIER, of Paris (Empire of France), and of 45, Fssex Street,
Strand, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said François Auguste Chevallier, Her special licence that I, the said François
Auguste Chevallier, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others,
as I, the said François Auguste Chevallier,my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I,the said François Auguste Chevallier, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said

page_text: Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said François Auguste Chevallier, do hereby
declare the nature of my said 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 refers to an apparatus which, together with its appendages,
allows the exact reproduction of the whole panorama lying round a person
placed on any point in the horizon, which I consider as a circumference com-
prising all that a man's sight can embrace. The horizon being a circle or
circumference, can only be represented by a circle; the rough plates then, as
well as the sensitive ones, are to be circular, when intended to represent the
horizon. However, vertical shutters moving at will, will permit the taking of
any ordinary proof, and other shutters, which I name excentrics, will allow the
taking of one portion or sector only of the circumference. For instance,
supposing the circumference of the plate divided into 360 degrees, a sector of
10, 15, 20 degrees, more or less, can be taken, so that the operation can take
place in two different manners; first, by taking the whole horizon, sector by
sector; secondly, by taking the whole horizon in a single operation, and
causing the apparatus to turn slowly enough to allow sufficient time for the
image to be reproduced on the sensitive plate; divided dials facilitate the
taking of sectors of any determined degrees. The apparatus is provided with
a compass, and the four cardinal points are inscribed on the dial, divided into
degrees, so that the views represented on the proof may be laid in their true
geographical position by only placing the proof obtained on a magneticor com-
pass table. By means of my circular panoramic apparatus very useful proofs will
beobtained for strategical and other military purposes, for taking plans, and also
for an application to faus, which I particularly claim. From the pictures thus
obtained excellent stereoscopic views may also be had. In general, the
pictures seen in the stereoscope look somewhat nebulous or cloudy; in order
to animate such pictures, particularly in photographic landscapes and views,
I fix to the stereoscope by means of screws, a small frame, provided at each
end with a roller, each of which carries a pulley, over which passes an endless
rope. To one of the said rollers is fixed a crank, and round another is rolled a
transparent band of silk or other substance, tinted with graduated lines from
the rosy (aurore color) to the moonshine and stormy sky, passing through
all the successive hues of celestial light. These different colours are reflected
the proof by turning the crank. When the whole of the suid band has
upon

page_text: passed from a roller round another, it is brought back again round the first
roller by inverting the crank's motion. The roller is put in motion by the
endless rope pressing upon the pulleys.
By what has been said, and a reference to the annexed Drawings, it will be
easy to understand the working of the apparatus.
Fig. 1 is an external side view of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is a plan; Fig. 3
is a longitudinal section through the line 1, 2, of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an external
view, taken from the fore part of the apparatus; Fig. 5 is a front view of the
frame and shutters, both vertical and eccentric; Fig. 6 is a vertical section
through the line 3, 4, of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a front view of the frame contain-
ing the rough plate; Fig. 8 is a vertical section through the line 5, 6, of
Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is an external view of the frame containing the polished plate;
Fig. 10 is a vertical section through the line 7, 8, of Fig. 9; Fig. 11 is a ver-
tical projection of the magnetic or compass table for bringing the proofs to the
suitable point; Fig. 12 shows the application to a stereoscope of a frame pro-
vided with tinted band. The same letters represent the like parts in all the
different projections of the Drawing.
I will now proceed to describe the working of the apparatus. The appa-
ratus is placed upon a table or wheel a, which may be made of metal and
hollowed in with enlargements a' to which are fitted the feet a² resting on the
ground, and by means of which the apparatus can receive the suitable inclina-
tion. A dial a³ divided into 360 degrees is drawn on the table a, and more-
over the external circumference thereof is provided with inclined teeth or
projections so as to be operated by an endless screw b, which is set into motion
either by the hand, a barrel, or any other suitable means, provided it imparts a
perfect regular motion. The rotatory motion thus imparted to the table a is
transmitted through the toothed circumference of the latter to a pinionb', which
is jointed to a vertical axis 62, the upper part of which carries a conical pinion
63 gearing into another pinion c, the horizontal axis of which c¹ bears at its
other end an upright pinion c2 gearing into a wheel d, contained in the frame e
of the polished plate, Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10. By such a gearing arrange-
ment it will be understood that the rotating motion imparted to the polished
plate will perfectly correspond to that imparted to the apparatus ; and sup-
posing a sector of the circumference forming the horizon has been taken, the
whole apparatus shall have accomplished an equal rotation.
Let us suppose,
first, that I take a sector of 60 degrees as the eccentric shutters f, shown in
Figs. 5 & 6. When I have regulated the position, the adjusting at the proper
point, I apply the frame of the sensitive plate Figs. 9 & 10. If I open the
shutters y of the last frame the sensitive plate will receive the image of that

page_text: part of the horizon to be seen through the opening of the eccentric shutters,
and this opening being of 60 degrees, there is then a sixth portion of the
horizon which has been already taken. If leaving thus that opening of 60
degrees I cause the apparatus to turn 60 degrees by the said gearing arrange-
ment, the same angle will be run by the sensitive plate, which being exposed
to the light will reproduce a second image adjoining the first, and measuring a
sixth portion of the circumference or horizon. Thus six operations are suffi-
cient to take the whole horizon; but let it be understood that if only one por-
tion of it be wanted this may be obtained either by taking a sector of a greater
or less number of degrees according to the size of the portion that is wished
to be reproduced; or, one may also obtain a rectangular proof by using instead
of the eccentric shutters the vertical shutters h, Figs. 5 & 6. Though it has
been supposed that I was operating with sectors of 60 degrees,and by succes-
sive operations, I deem it preferable, when the whole horizon is to be taken, to
operate with sectors of2 or 3 degrees, imparting to the apparatus a continuous
rotatory motion slow enough for the image to be reproduced. By this will
be prevented the unavoidable lines that separate each operation. A hand i,
Fig. 4, points out externally the position of the sensitive plate, which being
fitted upon theaxis of the toothed frame that carries the said plate follows the
circular motion of the latter. The round frame or basin containing the sen-
sitive plate, instead of being fixed to the motion transmitting circle, may be
laid upon and withdrawn at will from the said circle by means of pins and
stops, the said frame then receiving the plate which it protects by means of
a lid that makes it assume the appearance of a box. The lid is only with-
drawn when the frame has got its proper position, and at the very moment of
the operation. A square frame may also be used with a common apparatus
when no panoramic proofs are wanted. The apparatus pivots upon a friction
centre J, which may be made of two disks or any other suitable contriv-
vance, and of the roller k turning upon the table a and assisting in the rotation
of the apparatus. In order to take the full horizon one single determination of
the point cannot suffice; in such case any number of guides provided with
holes may be used for lengthening or shortening the guides ; these must be
provided at their end with small piucers, which hold a flexible steel blade.
When the different positions or points are well regulated the steel blade is
adapted and screwed into the guides, and a butteries m (boutoir) placed at
the end of the fore part of the camera's slide will follow all the bendings pro-
duced by the steel baud. Spiral springs are fitted in the interior part of
the camera, whose action is to draw in the slide, which can besides be guided
in determining the position by a knob o,the shauk of which is prolonged so as

page_text: to receive two small pinions o², Figs. 2 & 3,gearing with two racks o³ fitted on
the slide of the camera. It is evident that I may, instead of the slide o, use
a collapsing or any other kind of head. A knob p, Figs. 5 & 6, carries on
its axis a pinion p' gearing with a rack 22, which operates the eccentric
shutters by means of two levers f¹. This rack is graduated so as to point
out on that part which extends beyond the upper part of the apparatus, the
number or figure corresponding to the angle described by the opening of the
shutters f. A vertical groove is contrived in the rack, corresponding with the
groove of a pinion q. When it is desired to study the geographical position of
the proofs obtained by means of this apparatus,it will suffice to place them on
the compass table Fig. 11, the table whereof being provided with a magnetic
needle which points out the four cardinal points, always corresponding with
those of the apparatus. The arrangement of the compass table may be
modified, according to the size of the proofs and the spots where it is to be
placed. It will be easily understood that the stereoscopes which are to receive
panoramic proofs can admit of some modification; in such case the proofs
shall be animated with a rotatory motion, so that the panorama can be pro-
ected far off. The enrolling of the tinted band is calculated so as to produce
tinted shades from the rosy (aurora color) to the moonlight; and the motion
which animates the band being independent of that which animates the
proofs there will be continual variations in the production of light, as before
stated. I intend to apply the tinted or transparent substance to actual
stereoscopes, and Fig. 12 gives an instance of such an application. I can,
.moreover, dispose inside the stereoscope mirrors intended to multiply at
will the objects represented on the proofs, and supposing, for instance,
that persons are represented by animating them with a rotating motion and
the mirrors reflecting them, a picture of persons walking or waltzing or in
similar positions may be obtained.
Having now fully described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be carried into effect, I wish it to be understood that
some slight modifications may be made in certain parts without the principle
being changed or altered; but what I claim is,―
First, the general arrangement of my panoramic apparatus with indepen-
dent and contemporaneous rotation of the apparatus itself and of the
sensitive plate. The double rotation allows me to obtain the complete
panorama lying far round a person placed on any point in the horizon, or
at will to take but one or several sectors, or the complete proof, by sectors
of different sizes; or by an intermittent. continuous motion, ordinary
-proofs, the apparatus being retained stationary.

page_text: Second, the use of a magnetic or compass table enabling me to fix
the geographical position of the spots or landscapes which the said proofs
represent.
Third, the use of special stereoscopes for those new kind of pictures, and
the application to those stereoscopes of a transparent baud of silk or other
similar substance tinted with all the gradations of colours of celestial light,
so as to reflect upon the pictures the hues existing upon the band, such
application of tinted substance being easily adapted to the existing stereo-
Scopes, and also the application besides of internal mirrors intended to
multiply the effects.
Fourth, the application to fans of the pictures obtained by means of my
apparatus, such pictures being circular and radiating towards the centre,
and consequently well suited to that use.
In witness whereof, I, the said François Auguste Chevallier,have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
CH. FRED. VASSEROT, Patent Agent,
A. CHEVALLIER. (L.S.)
45, Essex Street, Strand, London.