Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Nov., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 10 h July, 1895-Accepted, 10th Aug., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
DAVID HENDERSON HOUSTON, of Hunter, Cass County, North Dakota U.S.A.
Grower of Seed, Grain, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of the invention is to provide a folding roll holder camera which shall
be simple of construction, easily and effectively operated, which can be cheaply
produced, and which, when not in use may be folded up to occupy but little space
thus enabling it to be easily carried by the traveller.
This invention comprises a box composed of side walls, a rear wall, and a front
wall. An opening is formed in the front wall, and this opening is closed by a
suitable door hinged to the lower part of the front wall. A jointed or folding
brace is provided to support the door in a horizontal position when open; this brace
folding out of the way when the door is closed.
A suitable front board is attached to the front of the belows which carries the
lens and shutter. This front board is detachably connected to the door by a slide,
and when disconnected therefrom folds inwards with the bellows when the camera
is out of use.
The lens and shutter may be of any desired and well known form.
The inner end of the bellows is carried in a frame, supported by the partitions
or light excluding divisions, secured by suitable braces, to the wall above and
below the opening.
As the box is of greater height than the diameter of the belows, compartments
are provided above and below the divisions, and in these compartments are
journalled the spools which carry the strip of sensitized film.
The film is wound upon a spool and as it is unwound it passes under a measuring
roller, and over a guide roller, down between the rear wall of the box, and the
frame of the belows, under a second guide roller, and around a receiving spool in
the lower compartment.
The rear wall has its inner face slightly concave, and this curved or convex face
of the wall, causes the film to assume a curved position as it passed down and
brings it more nearly in the curved focus field of the lens.
Upon the outside of the box is a measuring, or indicating, wheel, for indicating
the amount of film that is unwound as the film is successively exposed in taking the
pictures. This measuring wheel is driven by a pawl, carried on a shaft passing
through the outer wall of the box, and on the inner end of the shaft is a gear wheel,
which is engaged and driven by a pinion, on the end of the measuring roller. The
film is unwound from the supply spool and wound upon the receiving spool in any
well known manner, and as it passes over the measuring roller, it turns this and
causes it, through intermediate gearing, to revolve the pawl, which, at each
revolution engages one of the numbered teeth of the measuring wheel and turns it
one step.
For indicating the points of division between the exposed portions of the film,
I have provided a marker, which consists of a rod passing through the front wall
and carrying upon its inner end a pencil, or other marking point. The marker is
normally held out of contact with the film by a spring carried in the wall which
yields upon pressure and allows the marking point to be pressed against the film
to indicate the point of division between the pictures.

page_text: Fer focussing the camera I have provided a scale upon the insite of the door by
means of which the standard may be adjusted to any desired point, thus shifting
the lens to change the focus.
Dated this 24th day of December 1891
W. H. MUNNS,
Applicant's Agent.
Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
1 DAVID HENDERSON HOUSTON, of Hunter, Cass County, North Dakota,
U.S.A., Grower of Seed Grain, 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 :-
The object of the invention is to provide a folding roll holder camera which
shall be simple of construction, easily and effectively operated, which can be
cheaply produced, and which, when not in use may be folded up to occupy but
little space thus enabling it to be easily carried by the traveller.
The invention consists in the details of construction and the combination and
arrangement of parts as described hereinafter in this Specification, and pointed out
in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which―
Figure is a central vertical section taken lengthwise of my improved camera,
when unfolded.
Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the camera closed.
Fig. 3 is a section on line 1-2 of Fig. 4.
Fig. 4 is a section on line 3-4 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 is a side view of the camera when folded, showing the indicating
device.
In the drawings in which similar letters of reference denote corresponding parts
in all the figures, the box is shown as composed of the side walls A, rear wall A¹
and front wall C An opening is formed in the front wall C, and this opening is
closed by a suitable door H, hinged to the lower part of the wall C, at O. A
jointed or folding brace T is provided to support the door in a horizontal position
when open, this brace folding out of the way when the door is closed.
L, is a suitable front board attached to the front of the bellows which carries
the lens J and shutter J. This board is detachably connected to the door by the
slide K, and when disconnected therefrom folds inward with the bellows when the
camera is out of use.
The lens and shutter may be of any desired and well known form.
The inner end of the bellows is carried in a frame F, supported by the partitions
or light excluding divisions F, secured by suitable braces P, to the wall G, above
and below the opening. As the box is of greater height than the diameter of the
bellows, compartments are provided above and below the divisions E, and in these
compartments are journalled the spools which carry the strip of sensitized film.
The film B is wound upon the spool I, and as it is unwound it passes under the
measuring roller S, and over the guide roller N, down between the rear wall of
the box, and the frame F, of the bellows, under guide roller N', and arround
the receiving spool 1 in the lower compartment. The rear wall A¹, has its inner
face slightly concave, and this curved or convex face of the wall A', causes the
film to assume a curved position as it passes down and brings it more nearly in the
curved focus field of the lens.
Upon the outside of the box is a measuring or indicating wheel M, for indicating
the amount of film that is unwound as the film is successively exposed in taking
the pictures. This measuring wheel is driven by a pawl U, carried on a shaft

page_text: passing through the outer wall of the box, and on the inner end of the shaft is a
gear wheel R which is engaged and driven by a pinion R, on the end of the
rolter S. The film is unwound from the supply spool and wound
upon the
receiving spool in any well known manner, and as it passes over the measuring
roller it turns this and causes it, through the intermediate gearing M, to revolve
the pawl which. at each revolution, engages one of the numbered teeth of the
measuring wheel and turns it one etep.
For indicating the points of division between the exposed portions of the film B
I have provided the marker X, which consists of a rod passing through the wall C,
and carrying upon its inner end a pencil or other marking point. The marker is
normally held out of contact with the film by a spring Y, carried in the wall C
which yields upon pressure and allows the marking point to be pressed against
the film to indicate the point of division between the pictures.
For focusing the camera I have provided the scale W, upon the inside of the
door H, by means of which the standard L, may be adjusted to any desired point
thus shifting the lens to change the locus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inver-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is
1. In a roll holding camera, the combination with two outer compartments for
holding the film, of a central compartment formed by light excluding divisions, a
bellows attached at its rear end to the rear interior part of the central co.npart-
ment and adapted to fold therein, a lens provided with a shutter, and means for
adjusting and indicating and extent of projection of said lens, substantially as
described.
2. In a roll holding photographic camera, the combination with a case divided by
light excluding divisions into three compartments, of a bellows attached at its rear
end to the back interior sides of said light excluding divisions, a film supply spool
In one of the outer compartments and a take-up spool in the opposite compartment,
a front board carrying a lens and shutter, and means for indicating the extent of
projection of said lens, substantially as described.
3. In a roll holding photographic camera, the combination with a case divided
by light excluding divisions into one central and two outer compartments; a film
supply spool and a guide roller placed to the rear thereof in one of the said outer
compartiments; a take-up spool and a guide roller placed to the rear thereof in the
other of said outer compartments; a bellows attached at its rear end to the interior
sides of the central compartment; a front board, carrying a lens and shutter,
attached to the front end of said bellows, and with it adapted to fold into the
central compartment; means for adjusting and indicating the extent of projection
of the lens; and a door adapted to close the front end of said central compartment,
substantially as described.
4. In a roll holding photographic camera, the combination with a case divided
by light excluding divisions into one central and two outer compartments; of a
supply spool, a measuring roller, and a guide roller placed to the rear thereof in
one of said outer compartments; a take-up spool and a guide roller placed to the
rear thereof in the other of said outer compartments; a bellows attached at its
rear end to the inner sides of the central compartment; a front board, carrying a
lens and shutter, attached to the front end of the bellow, and with it adapted to
fold into the central compartment; and means for indicating the extent of projection
of the lens, substantially as described.
5. In a roll holding photographic camera the combination with the case; of a
frame carrying the operating mechanism and adapted to slide within the case, its
front forming the front thereof; light excluding divisions within the frame and
extending from the front close to the back thereof and forming a central compart-
ment: supply and take-up spools journalled in the front of the frame at the sides
thereof; guide rollers journalled in said frame to the rear of the supply and

page_text: take-up spools; a bellows attached at its rear end to the interior sides of the central
compartment; a front board, carrying a lens and shutter, attached to the front end
of the bellows and with it adapted to fold into said central compartment; means
for adjusting and indicating the extent of projection of the lens ; and an outwardly
folding door hinged to the front of the frame and adapted to close the front of
the central compartment, substantially as described.
Dated this 9th day of July 1895.