An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Changing Plates in Photographic Cameras.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Jan., 1895
Complete Specification Left. 15th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 16th Nov., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Changing Plates in
Photographic Cameras.
I, BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of 23 Southampton Buildings, in the
County of London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention,
a communication to me from Auguste Tournier of 22 Rue de l'Enfance, Lyons, in
the Republic of France, Book-keeper, to be as follows:-
The method of changing plates which forms the object of the invention is
applicable subject to small variations in details, to various kinds of photographic
apparatus, furnished with any given number of lenses.
It may be arranged either as a fixed box forming part of the body of the
photographic apparatus, or as a movable changing box adaptable to ordinary.
apparatuses in lieu of and in the position of the double dark slides.
In all cases the method of changing is characterised by the following
arrangements.
The magazine or box which is of parallelipipedic form is divided into equal
compartments separated by fixed vertical partitions. (It is supposed, in the
following description, that the lens or lenses has or have always it's or their optic
axis or axes vertical and directed towards the sky.)
Each compartment is occupied by a column of plates piled up horizontally, the
film side upwards and carried by light metallic frames sliding freely in the
compartments.
One or several of these compartments is or are called exposure compartments and
are surmounted by lenses so as to enable the uppermost plates of these compartments
to be impressed simultaneously or successively.
Each exposure compartment adjoins a compartment serving as a plate reservoir
and communicates with it by spaces made in the base and at the top of the partition
which separates them, which spaces are of size to permit of the passage of a plate.
The lateral antiparallel plate changing consists essentially in causing to pass to
the upper part of the exposing chamber, above the plate which has just been
exposed, a new plate taken from the upper part of the reservoir-compartment, and
to cause to pass to the lower part of the reservoir compartment the lowest plate of
the exposing compartment.
On the contrary the exposed plate might be made to pass into the reservoir
compartment, and at the lower part a plate caused to pass from the reservoir
compartment into the exposing compartment.
These plates are shifted by sliding horizontally from one compartment to the
other through the spaces formed in the partition and by means of appropriate
mechanism.
It is this double movement of plates between two adjoining compartments which
characterises the lateral antiparallel changing, this latter qualification having
reference to the parallel movement of the two plates in contrary directions.
It should be remarked that the number of plates in each column not being
altered after the changing, this latter does not require any other space than that
necessary to allow of the sliding of the plates, and that the size of the changing
box is strictly reduced to that necessary for the storage of the plates.
This is one of the great advantages of the system.

page_text: The mechanism serving to move the plates consists generally of two catches or
slides having an alternate movement arranged the one above, the other below the
columns of plates so as to move the top plate by moving in one direction, and the
bottom plate by moving in the contrary direction.
These two catches or slides are united outside the magazine by a cross-bar which
serves to operate them and their combination constitutes that which I call the
slide, which it is only necessary to pull and to push back in order to obtain a
change of the plates.
Dated January 22nd 1895
By HARRIS & MILLS,
23 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.
An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Changing Plates.in
Photographic Cameras.
I, BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of 23 Southampton Buildings in the
County of London, Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention,
a communication to me from Auguste Tournier of 22 Rue de l'Enfance, Lyons, in
the Republic of France, Book-keeper, and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The method of changing plates which forms the object of the invention is
applicable, subject to small variations in details, to various kinds of photographic
apparatus, furnished with any given number of lenses.
It may be arranged either as a fixed box forming part of the body of the
photographic apparatus, or as a movable changing box adaptable to ordinary
apparatuses in lieu of and in the position of the double dark slides.
In all cases the method of changing is characterised by the following
arrangements.
.
The magazine 'or box which is of parallelipipedic form is divided into equal
compartments separated by fixed vertical partitions. (It is supposed in the
following description, that the lens or lenses has or have always it's or their optic
axis or axes vertical and directed towards the sky.)
Each compartment is occupied by a column of plates piled up horizontally, the
film side upwards and carried by light metallic frames sliding freely in the
compartiments.
One or several of these compartments is or are called exposure compartments
and are surmounted by lenses so as to enable the uppermost plates of these
compartments to be exposed simultaneously or successively.
Each exposure compartment adjoins a compartment serving as a plate reservoir
and communicates with it by spaces made in the base and at the top of the
partition which separates them, which spaces are of size and shape to permit of the
passage of a plate.
The lateral-antiparallel plate changing consists essentially in causing a new
plate taken from the upper part of the reservoir compartment to pass to the upper
part of the exposing chamber, above the plate which has just been exposed, and in
causing the lowest plate of the exposing compartment to pass to the lower part of
the reservoir compartment.
On the contrary the exposed plate might be made to pass into the reservoir
compartment, and a plate caused to pass from the lower part of the reservoir
Compartment into the exposing compartment.
These plates are shifted by sliding horizontally from one compartment to the

page_text: 0
other through the spaces formed in the partition and by means of appropriate
mechanisın.
It is this double movement of plates between two adjoining compartments which
characterises the lateral-antiparallel changing, this latter qualification having
reference to the parallel movement of the two plates in contrary directions.
It should be remarked that the number of plates in each column not being
altered after the changing, this latter does not require any other space than that
necessary to allow of the sliding of the plates, and that the size of the changing box
is strictly reduced to that necessary for the storage of the plates.
An example of the method
This is one of the greatest advantages of the system.
of carrying the invention into effect is illustrated in the accompanying drawings as
applied to an apparatus having a fixed box or magazine of the form of an opera
glass provided with two lenses and capable of being used for taking stereoscopic
views.
Fig. 1 is partly a side elevation of the apparatus and partly a vertical longitudinal
section of the same through the magazine or box.
Figures 2 and 3 are cross sectional views drawn respectively on the lines 1, 2
and 3, 4 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a horizontal section showing the bottom of the box or magazine and
Fig. 5 is a similar view to Fig. 1 representing the parts in a position they would
assume during the changing operation.
The box or magazine is divided into three compartments. The two end
compartments P. P¹ serving as exposure chambers are surmounted by lenses O. 01
"The centre compartment R, serves as reservoir for the other two compartments
with which it communicates by means of upper and lower spaces or openings made
in the two inner partitions. In rest and during exposure, the plates are of equal
number in the three piles or columns. Those of the outer piles or columns are
pressed towards the bottom of the box or magazine by springs A A¹ arranged on
the sides and pressing on the edges of the metallic frames. Those of the centre
compartment on the contrary are pressed towards the top by springs B bearing
against the bottom of the frames.
At the upper part of the box or magazine slides a catch, slide or shifter formed
of a rod bent into U form, the two arms of which slide in fixed tubes C. C and
whose curved cross bar D which is slightly lower than the arms, can move either
to the left or to the right, the upper frame of the compartment R.
At the lower part, an analogous rod sliding in the tubes E E is fixed to the
middle of a spring furnished at its two ends with hooks F, Fl arranged so as
to hook the lower frames of the compartments P P. The tubes E E, the rod
and the spring embedded in the bottom of the box and covered with a metallic
plate G which allows only the hooks F. F' to pass through and upon which the frames
rest. The four arms of the two U shaped rods are connected together externally
by a tie plate H which connects them firmly together. The combination of the
rods, the spring hooks and plate H which is called the slide can therefore be
operated as one piece from the exterior of the apparatus.
I will now suppose that the slide is pushed inwards as shown at Fig. I the upper
plates of the piles or columns P and P¹ being arranged for exposure and having
been exposed simultaneously or not, the changing is effected by pulling out the
slide to the end of its notion and by again pushing it in to its original position.
In the first of these movements, represented at the half stroke in Fig. 5, the
upper plate r of the central pile or column drawn by the slide D passes on to the right
hand pile or column P compressing the springs A¹ and the lower plate of the left
hand pile or column passes to the central pile or column compressing the spring B.
The hook F slides during this time under the lower plate p₁ of the pile or
column P without producing any effect. When this movement is completed, the
5 new plater has arrived at the head of the pile or column P, the following plate r
of the pile or column R pushed by the spring B, has risen into position to be

page_text: taken by the pusher D which has passed to the right hand, and the hook F' has
seized the lower plate p' of the pile or column P¹.
By pushing the slide inwards the second new plate will then be placed on the
pile or column P and the plate p' will be placed beneath the pile or column R.
The number of plates of each pile or column has not changed, and each of the
side piles or columns has a new upper plate ready to be exposed.
It will be readily understood from the foregoing description how a more simple
form of apparatus can be constructed with a box or magazine having only two piles
or columns of plates.
It is only necessary to dispense with one of the exposure compartments, that on
the right hand, P₁, for example as also with the corresponding lower hook F' and
to modify the slide D, so that it shall not move the plater when sliding from left
to right. Under these conditions the pulling out of the slide will only have the
effect of moving the lower plate p from the exposure compartment to the reservoir,
the slide D not having acted upon the plate r. On the return motion the slide
acts upon the plate and pushes it into the compartment P above the plates
already exposed.
The two types of box or magazine with two and three piles or columns can be
combined in various manners to be rendered applicable to apparatus having a
larger number of lenses, and all these combinations can be applied either as
fixed boxes or magazines forming part of the apparatus or as movable boxes or
magazines.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A new system of lateral antiparallel photographic plate changing apparatus
consisting of a change of plates between two adjoining compartments whose
contents are not altered by the operation substantially as herein set forth.
2. The application of the system of lateral antiparallel photographic plate
changing by means of fixed or movable boxes divided into compartments to
receive the plates and a slide operated externally and serving to pass the plates
successively from the exposure compartments into the reservoir compartments and
from the latter into the former substantially as herein set forth.
3. The improved method of and apparatus for changing plates in photographic
cameras substantially as herein set forth.
Dated October 15th 1895.
HARRIS & MILLS,
23 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.
HARRIS & MILLS,
23 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.