IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERAS
Year: 1884

page_text: We CHARLES SANDS and JOHN JAMES HUNTER both of 20 Cranbourn Street
Leicester Square in the County of Middlesex, Photographic Apparatus Manu-
facturers do hereby declare the nature of our Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERAS to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to render cameras adjustable in a superior manner
and to afford increased facilities for working the same.
In carrying out our Invention, we so mount the cradle that it can be placed at
any part of the base board and at any angle thereto that may be required. The
camera can be fixed upon the cradle either horizontally or vertically.
We use either a rigid base board or one extending and folding either at the front
or back by means of screw, rack or clamp: upon this base board is placed the
cradle or double action swing.
The cradle can be made of either one or more pieces of wood working on a centre
or otherwise; the top piece of wood being slightly rounded underneath and
working on a pivot, ball, or ball and socket.
To facilitate the rocking and swinging of the cradle we use a double action rack
and pinion movement, one pinion working through the head of the other; this is
arranged in the following manner, viz. :-there is fixed on each side of the bottom
board of the cradle a piece of brass with a slot or elongated hole therein through
which is passed the double pinion; working in suitable racks attached to the cradle
which can thus be adjusted by simply moving either of the pinion heads; the racks
are fixed to the cradle, one on each side. This cradle can also be worked by means
of a screw pin or clamp and can also be fixed by clamp or other fastening.
The camera can be fixed on this cradle either horizontally or vertically by means
of a spring screw, nut, bolt or any other convenient means and can thus be made
to swing in any direction.
The front of the camera can also either be fixed or made removable to any part
of the base board and the bellows also is so arranged that it will revolve on the
front or can be taken out and turned in any direction. The swing cradle can be.
adapted to any ordinary camera.
Dated this 1st T7001

page_text: We CHARLES SANDS and JOHN JAMES HUNTER both of 20 Cranbourn Street
Leicester Square in the County of Middlesex Photographic Apparatus Manu-
facturers do hereby declare the nature of our Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERAS 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 this Invention is to render cameras adjustable in a superior manner
and to afford increased facilities for working the same, by means of a double swing
action or cradle.
In carrying out our Invention we so mount the cradle or swing action that it can
be placed at any part of the baseboard and at any angle thereto that may be
required. The camera can be placed upon the cradle either horizontally or
vertically. We use either a rigid baseboard or one extending either at the front
or back by means of screw, rack or clamp; upon this baseboard is placed the
cradle, or double action swing. To facilitate the rocking and swinging of the
cradle or camera, we introduce, a new double action rack and pinion movement,
one pinion working through the head of the other or by two or more separate rack
and pinion movements or by screw movements, this is arranged in the following
manner, viz.:
The cradle or double swing is constructed of two or more slips of wood or metal,
the top one being slightly rounded underneath. It is supported by means of two
pins one at each end, passing through a piece of metal fastened to one of the
underpieces, if the underpiece is of metal it is turned up at each end, to support
the upper piece or rocker and receive the pins. The under piece of wood or metal,
may be connected with the base board, or fixed to another slip of wood or metal
made adjustable to the baseboard.
These slips of wood or metal, are made to move in their separate directions, by a
double headed rack and pinion, one pinion working through the head of the other.
The rackwork being attached to the upper and lower pieces. By turning the head
of one pinion or screw the upper slip of wood or metal can be rocked backwards
or forwards, thus giving the double swing action.
The same action is obtained by means of clamps, one clamp being attached to
the top rocker, the other to the under moving piece which enables them to be
moved or fixed in any direction, the clamp passing through slots in the side
brasses.
This method of moving the cradle being in substitution for the pinion or screw
movements.
The camera can be fixed on this cradle either horizontally or vertically, by
means of a spring screw, nut, bolt, or any other convenient means and can thus
be made to swing in any direction. The front of the camera can also either be
fixed or made removable to any part of the baseboard, and the bellows is also so
arranged that it will revolve on the front, or can be taken out and turned in any
direction, for which purpose the front is held in position by means of a circular
flange, which permits the rotary movement to take place as on a fixed centre.
And in order that our Invention may be clearly understood, reference is hereby
made to the accompanying Drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate
corresponding parts in the several Figures.
Figs. 1 to 6 illustrate our method of actuating the cradle by hand and fixing
the position by means of clamping screws, and Figs. 7 to 10 illustrate our method
of performing the same operations by means of racks and pinions.

page_text: Fig. 1 is a plan of the metallic plate a forming the lower part of the cradle, to
which the upper portion c is attached as shewn in Figs. 2 to 6. The plate a is
attached to the board by the screws b and b¹, 6 being a central pivot, and b¹ 61
steadying the plate in the slots 6². These screws provide for the horizontal
movement, as shewn. The upper part of the cradle c is held in position by pins
or screws at c¹ which act as pivots for the vertical movement. a³ is a clamping
screw to fix the horizontal position and c² is a similar screw to fix the vertical
position and c is a similar screw to fix the vertical position. The words
"horizontal" and "vertical" apply to the line of sight. In Fig. 4 the upper.
portion of the cradle c is shewn in position, and at a considerable deviation from
the square to shew the method of moving the same. In Fig. 2 the vertical
movement is shewn that being a view of one end of the cradle and Fig. 3 a similar
view of the opposite end.
The curved slot d accommodates the clamp c² and the horizontal slot a³ in
Figs. 3 and 6 accommodates the clamp a². Figs. 5 and 6 are end views of Fig. 4
shewing the horizontal and vertical movements.
In Figs. 8 to 10 the operations are performed by racks and pinions. There are
two racks and two pinions. The pinion e is actuated by the button e¹ and the
pinion is actuated by the button f¹. The axle of the pinion f passes through the
pinion e and button e¹, to enable the two pinions to work concentrically. The rack g
is fixed to the board below and protrudes through a slot, as shewn, and thereby
the pinion is capable of controlling the horizontal movement of the cradle. The
rack h is attached to the plate a³, as clearly shewn in Fig. 10, which is a separate
view of the same. This rack is curved to a suitable radius, and the pinion e.
thereby controls the horizontal movement of the plate, which is pivoted at c¹.
A clamping screw is provided at for firmly fixing the vertical position and
preventing any accidental movement from taking place when the vertical position
has been fixed the horizontal position not requiring to be clamped in this
arrangement.
Our said Invention can be adapted to any suitable camera.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The method means and appliances of and for adjusting cameras by a double
swing action cradle, substantially as herein before described and shewn on the
Drawings.
2. The use of clamps and other arrangements for effecting such double swing
action as herein before described and shewn in Figs. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5 and 6 or any mere
modification thereof.
-
3. The use of the pinions, racks and other arrangements for effecting such double
swing action as hereinbefore described and shewn in Figs. 7. 8. 9 and 10 or any
mere modification thereof.
4. The several and respective arrangements and appliances to cameras together
forming our improvements in the construction of photographic cameras substantially
as hereinbefore described and shewn on the Drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of April 1884
GEO. DOWNING,
Agent for Applicants.