IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED BY PHOTOGRAPHERS FOR SUPPORTING THE HEAD AND BODY, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO MUSIC STANDS, READING DESKS, AND OTHER PURPOSES."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edmund Edwards, of the Firm of Edwards and Co.,
Patent Agents and Engineers, of 40, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED BY
PHOTOGRAPHERS FOR SUPPORTING THE HEAD AND BODY, PARTS OF WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO MUSIC STANDS, READING DESKS,
AND OTHER PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edmund Edwards at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th April 1881.
EDMUND EDWARDS, of the Firm of Edwards and Co., Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 40, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVE
MENTS IN APPARATUS USED BY PHOTOGRAPHERS FOR SUPPORTING THE HEAD AND
BODY, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO MUSIC STANDS,
READING DESKS, AND OTHER PURPOSES."
This Invention relates to apparatus, the position of the various parts of which
can be adjusted to support the head and body of any person while being
photographed, and it has for its object improved methods of constructing and
arranging the several parts of such apparatus so that they are easily adjusted and
fixed in any desired position, and when so fixed are very steady and firm.
I take a vertical frame of any suitable material, preferably cast iron, supported
upon three or more feet, and having in front a vertical hollow column into which
fits freely a corresponding vertical bar, preferably tubular, which can be raised or
lowered in the column. At the back of the column I make a vertical hollow frame,
preferably rectangular in horizontal section, and I make the front edge of the
opening down the frame communicate by means of a vertical slot with the interior
of the column.
I arrange at the upper part of the hollow frame one or more pulleys, round
which passes a flexible cord, chain, or wire, one end of which is attached to a
balance weight of metal or other material which fits freely in the vertical frame,
whilst its other end is connected by a hook or other convenient means to the lower
end of the tubular bar which is fitted in the column. By this means the tubular
bar, together with the apparatus which is attached to its upper part, as hereinafter
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page_text: described, is balanced so that it can be readily raised or lowered into any desired
position, and will remain in such position without any tendency to fall.
In order firmly to fix the tubular bar when adjusted in any desired position,
I fix or make inside the upper end of the hollow column studs or projections,
preferably three in number, arranged at convenient distances apart, and in such
positions that when the tubular bar is pressed firmly against them it occupies a
central position in the hollow column, and I arrange a transverse screw which is
screwed through the column opposite to and between the studs or projections, and
is provided with a handle, so that by screwing it up with moderate force it presses
the tubular bar tightly and firmly against the studs or projections.
Upon the upper end of the tubular bar a transverse arm or bar is fixed, the
length of which may be made adjustable, and at the outer end of this transverse
arm, which is preferably tubular, a vertical socket is fixed through which slides a
vertical bar, preferably tubular, which can be adjusted at any desired height or
position in the socket by means of a screw, either with or without three studs or pro-
jections in the socket, similar to those in the hollow column already described. The
last described vertical bar may also in some cases be provided witli a balance weight
rising and falling inside the first tubular bar and attached to a flexible cord passing
over pulleys in the transverse arm, and connected at its other end to the lower end
of the vertical bar.
At the upper end of the vertical bar last described is made a transverse hole,
through which fits a bolt having a head at one end and a screw and nut at the
other end, and through the head is made a transverse hole into which fits freely a
small cylindrical bar or rod, preferably tubular. The transverse hole in the bolt
head is made preferably triangular, or of such shape that the rod touches it at two
points of its circumference, about equidistant from the point nearest to the vertical
bar, and the hole is in such position that when the nut is tightened the bolt head
is drawn toward the vertical bar, against which or against an intermediate washer
it tightens and holds the rod. When the nut is loosened the rod can either be
drawn in or out through the hole, or can be turned round together with the bolt
to any desired angle. The part of the vertical bar through which the hole for the
bolt is made is preferably split or cut through, so that by its elasticity or by
means of a screw it retains the bolt in any desired position and prevents the rod
from falling when the nut is loosened. Instead of the arrangement described two
screws may be used, one of which fixes the small rod in its proper position, whilst
the other fixes it at the desired angle upon the vertical bar. Or a taper pin may
be used, screwed in between the small rod and the washer.
To the outer end of the small rod is rivetted or otherwise fixed a curved support
of the usual kind, against which the head of the person who is using the apparatus
is adjusted and supported, and upon the lower vertical tubular bar a vertical socket
may be fitted and adjusted by a screw in any desired position, whilst to this socket
is attached a horizontal socket through which slides, and is fixed by a screw when
adjusted, a horizontal rod, preferably tubular, carrying a curved support which can
be adjusted against the waist of the person being supported. All the different
sockets described may be provided with studs or projections for the same purpose
as those first described.
By my improved methods of construction and arrangement the apparatus is
light, but steady and very easily adjusted and fixed in any desired position.
By modifying the form of the parts attached to the balanced vertical bar to suit
different purposes it may be used as an adjustable stand for music, or as a reading
desk, or for other purposes where great facility of adjustment and steadiness when
adjusted are required.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edmund Edwards in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th October 1881.
EDMUND EDWARDS, of the Firm of Edwards and. Co., Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 40, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS USED BY PHOTOGRAPHERS FOR SUPPORTING THE HEAD AND
BODY, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO MUSIC STANDS,
READING DESKS, AND OTHER PURPOSES."
My Invention relates more especially to apparatus, the position of the various
parts of which can be adjusted to support and keep steady the head and body of
any person whilst being photographed. In such apparatus it is important that the
height of the support should be capable of being very readily varied and adjusted
whilst the hands of the operator are left as free as possible. In such supports as
ordinarily heretofore made, when the height requires to be so altered, it is necessary
that the operator should release a screw by which the moveable part of the
apparatus is fixed, whilst at the same time he holds such moveable part in order to
prevent it from descending by its own weight. The first part of my Invention
consists of improved methods of construction by which the moveable parts are
balanced, so that they can be very readily raised or lowered when the screw is
released whilst they remain in any position into which they may be adjusted
without any tendency to fall. My Invention consists, secondly, of improved
methods of construction of those parts of the apparatus which require to be firmly
fixed when adjusted in their position, so that they are easily and rigidly fixed by
the exertion of small force, and thus smaller fixing screws than are ordinarily
necessary can be used, which are more readily concealed when the apparatus is in
use. It is also important that the upper adjustable arm which supports the head
of the person being photographed should be capable of very easy adjustment, and
that when it is released for such adjustment its outer end should not be liable to
fall by its own weight, and to disarrange or injure the hair or head-dress of the
person being photographed; and any Invention consists, thirdly, of improved
methods of construction by which such upper arm is very readily released and left
free for adjustment, but is not liable to fall as described.
The accompanying Drawing is in illustration of my Invention. Figure 1 is a
side view of the apparatus; Figure 2 is a vertical section; Figure 3, a front view ;
Figure 4, a partial back view; and Figure 5, a plan. a is a vertical hollow frame
of cast iron, wood, or other suitable material supported upon three or more feet
b, b, b, and having in front the vertical hollow column c into which fits freely the
vertical bar d, preferably tubular, which can be raised or lowered in the column c.
The interior of the hollow frame a communicates with the interior of the column c
by a vertical slot c¹, shewn on a larger scale in Figures 6 and 7; and e, e', are
pullies in the upper part of the frame a, round which passes a flexible cord, chain,
or wire, or a piece of catgut f, one end of which is attached to a balance weight g
of metal or other sufficiently heavy material which fits freely in the frame a, whilst
its other end is connected by a hook or other convenient means to the lower end of
the tubular bar d. By this method of arrangement the bar. d, together with the
appliances which are attached to its upper part, as bereinafter described, are
balanced, so that they can be readily raised or lowered into any desired position,
and will remain in such position without falling. The balance weight g is shewn
rectangular in plan, but it may be made of any other convenient shape, the opening
in the hollow frame a being made of corresponding shape.
Instead of the two pullies, as shewn at. e, e¹, one only of sufficiently large
diameter may be used. In order to firmly fix the tubular bar d when it has been

page_text: adjusted to its desired height and position, I fix or make inside the upper end of
the hollow column e studs or projections, preferably three in number, arranged in
such positions that when the bar d is pressed against their ends it occupies a
central position in the hollow column c.
This method of arrangement is shewn in Figures 6 and 7, in which h, h, h, are
three studs, preferably of steel, screwed into the column c, a small thumbscrew i
being also arranged opposite and between them, so that by screwing it up with
very moderate force it presses the bar d tightly and firmly against the studs or
screws h, h, h. By this method of construction and arrangement the bar d can be
raised or lowered, or turned round to any angle, and fixed firmnly in any position
with little force and without difficulty.
Upon the upper end of the tubular bar da transverse arm or bar k, also
preferably tubular, is made or fixed. I prefer to make this bar adjustable laterally
round the upper end of the bar d, and capable of being fixed by a screw in any
position when so adjusted, as shewn in Figure 13. The bar k may also, if required,
be made adjustable in length by making one part of it slide telescopically within
the other part, or in other convenient way, and at its outer end a vertical socket l
is fixed through which slides a second bar m, also preferably tubular, which can be
adjusted and fixed at any desired height or position by a screw n, either with or
without studs or screws in the socket 7, of a kind similar to those already described
and shewn at h, h, h. At the upper end of the bar m is arranged and carried the
horizontal adjustable arm t, the outer end of which is provided with a curved or
other support w which is adjusted against and supports the head of the person
who is being photographed. In order to prevent this bar t from falling down
when it is released for the purpose of adjustment, I adopt the method of arrange-
ment shewn on a larger scale in Figures 8, 9, 10, and 11, in which at the upper
end of the bar m is made a transverse hole into which the bush o is fitted.
bar is split at v, and the bush o is driven tightly in so that considerable force is
required to turn it round in the hole.
The
A square hole is made through the bush o into which fits freely a square bolt p,
one end of which is screwed and fitted with a washer and nut at 8, whilst its other
end is provided with a head r through which a transverse hole is made in which
the bar t fits and slides freely. When the screw s is tightened the bar t is drawn
tightly up toward the bar m and is fixed against it, preferably with the intervention
of the washer u. When the screws is loosened the bart is perfectly free and can
be moved in or out as desired, and its outer end can also be raised or lowered as
desired; but the friction of the bush o in the hole is too great to allow the weight
of the bar to move it. Instead of the bush o the bolt p may itself be made to fit
sufficiently tightly into the hole which is split at v, so that its elasticity it sufficient,
as in the arrangement last described, to prevent them both from turning
round.
Instead of the arrangements described and shewn two screws may be used, one
of which fixes the bar t in its proper position, whilst the other fixes it at the
desired angle upon the bar m. Or a taper pin may be used screwed in between
the bart and the washer u.
In Figure 12 the end of the bar t is shewn fitted and rivetted into a rectangular
hole in the curved support w, so that the latter is firmly and securely fixed. The
bar m may if desired be provided with a balance weight rising and falling inside the
bar d and attached to a flexible cord passing over pulleys in the transverse arm k,
and attached at its other end to the lower end of the bar m.
In Figure 1 is shewn in dotted lines upon the bar d an adjustable support which
can be adjusted to the back or waist of the person who is being photographed.
All the different sockets described and shewn may be provided with studs and
projections for the same purpose as those already described and shewn.
The method of balancing the adjustable parts of the apparatus may be varied.
For instance, the hollow column c may stand alone and be provided with a balance
weight fitting freely outside it and rising and falling upon it, the weight being

page_text: provided with two or more cords, which after passing over pullies in the upper
part of the column descend into the latter, and are connected to the lower end of
the bar d. Or the column c may be made of sufficiently large diameter to receive
a cylindrical balance weight, through the centre of which the tube d passes, the
weight being suspended by two or more cords passing round small pullies in the
upper end of the column. One or more of the tubular bars described may be filled
with cork or other bad conductor of sound, to prevent noise in adjusting the
apparatus.
By my improved methods of construction and arrangement the apparatus is light
but steady, and is very easily adjusted and fixed in any desired position.
By modifying the form of the parts attached to the balanced vertical bar to suit
different purposes, it may be used as an adjustable stand for music or for a reading
desk, or for other purposes where great facility of adjustment and steadiness when
adjusted are required.
Having now described my Invention, and the manner in which it is to be
performed, I claim,—
First. The method of balancing the adjustable parts of apparatus used as
supports by photographers or for other purposes, substantially as described and
shewn in the Drawing.
Second. The combination of screws or projections, with a thumbscrew for the
purpose of fixing the adjustable parts of such supports in their desired position,
substantially as described and shewn in the Drawing.
Third. For the purpose of allowing the upper bar of such supports to be adjusted
in any desired position without risk of its falling, the split eye embracing and
holding the bolt, or the bush through which passes the bolt, by which such upper
bar is fixed, substantially as described and shewn in the Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edmund Edwards, have hereunto. set my
hand and seal, this 6th day of October, in the year of our Lord 1881.
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