Improvements in Apparatus for Photographically Printing from Negatives.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Photographically Printing from
Negatives.
I, FRANK SUTER, of No. 66, Berners Street, in the County of London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for photographically printing from nega-
tives the chief object of the invention being to produce a large number of prints
in a comparatively short time.
For this purpose, I mount on a fixed axis a polygonal drum having glass faces,
and on these faces I fix a number of transparent photographic negatives. At
one side of the drum I provide a pressing plate which can be moved to or from
each face of the drum as it comes opposite to it. I provide also suitable rollers
by which a web of sensitised papers or other receptive material is fed, this web
passing between the pressing plate and the negative on the drum. Within the
drum is an electric lamp preferably provided with suitable reflectors to direct
most of the light to the side where the pressing plate is arranged, this part of
the drum being provided with a suitable shutter. The apparatus operates as
follows. The drum is caused to revolve step by step: when one of the negatives
comes opposite the pressing plate, the shutter then being closed and part of the
web having been interposed between the pressing plate and the negative, the
plate is advanced so as to press the web against the negative, and the shutter
is withdrawn. After the requisite exposure, the shutter is closed, the pressing
plate is withdrawn and the drum and web move on a step when the action is
repeated. In some cases I dispense with the shutter in which case I cause a
switch to be operated by the movement of the pressure plate so as to switch on
the light only when the presser plate is pressed against the negative and to
switch it off before the presser plate leaves the negative. When the negatives
are on glass the periphery of the drum may be an open frame work to receive
the negatives with suitable means of fixing them. The drum, the shutter, the
lamp switch and the pressing plate are moved by mechanism which correctly
times their movements. The drum may he of such length as to hold a number
of circumferential rows of negatives.
DLJ 11.
101
TY
1000

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Photographically Printing from
'Negatives.
I, FRANK SUTER, of No. 66, Berners Street, in the County of London,
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 apparatus for photographically printing from nega-
tives the chief object of the invention being to produce a large number of prints
in a comparatively short time.
I shall describe apparatus for this purpose referring to the accompanying
drawings. Fig. 1 is an end view Fig. 2 is a transverse section and Fig. 3 is a
part longitudinal section and part side elevation, Fig. 4 is a side view of a detail
hereinafter referred to.
A is a polygonal drum having glass faces a on which are photographic nega-
This
tives either on the glasses themselves or on films fixed on the glasses.
drum is mounted on a stationary tubular axis B round which it is made to
revolve step by step, bringing the glasses a successively under a pressing
plate C which is withdrawn while the drum is turning, but advances when the
drum is at rest, pressing on the glass the part of the web D of sensitised paper or
other suitable receptive material which is interposed between the plate Cand
the negative on a. The web is fed over a roller E and passes round a large
part of the periphery of the drum, the angles of which are preferably provided
with small projecting pins to prevent the web from moving.
Within the drum a franie F is fixed on the tubular axis B, and carries two
pairs of reflectors G, each pair forming between them an angle of about 90°. in
which is situated an electric glow lamp H, so that both direct and reflected
light is thrown on the glass a. "In order to prevent light from passing out later-
ally under the uppermost glass and so affecting the adjoining parts of the web,
pieces K of dark fabric or other flexible material are fixed at one edge along the
upper edges of the frame F, and at the other edge to a bar on spring levers L
having slopes along which the ribs of the drum can pass depressing the bars,
which on the passage of the ribs, spring up again as shewn in Fig 2. For turn-
ing and holding the drum in proper position and for switching on the lights
when that position is reached and switching them off before the drum moves
again, I employ the following mechanism.
A continuously rotating spindle M, driven by any suitable motor, passes along
the tubular axis B and has on each end of it a cam m on which bears a roller
carried by a rod N which extends up and is attached to the pressing plate C,
one at each end, both these rods being urged upward by springs n.
On the one
end of the spindle M are fixed three arms in different planes. A roller on one
of them P¹ as it revolves acts on a switch lever withdrawing the contact; another
P2 as shewn in Fig. 4 has a sloped segment which acting on a lever p-with-
draws a spring pin from one of a number of holes in the side of the drum
leaving the drum free to revolve; and a roller on the third arm P3 bearing
against one of a number of studs projecting from the drum, turns it partly
round the roller escaping the stud when the drum is turned through one division
whereupon the arm P2 also escaping the lever allows the spring pin to engage
in the hole of the drum holding it firmly."
As the studs and holes of the drum are in such positions on it that the
drum is turned and then fixed presenting one of its glass faces to the pressing

page_text: plate C, as soon as this is done the cams m act on the rods N so as to depress
the plate C and thereupon the arm P¹ again acts on the switch lever to close the
circuit of the lamp. This series of movements is repeated during every revolu-
tion of the spindle M.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim
is;-
Apparatus for photographically printing from negatives constructed and
operating substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.