Improvements in Photographic Hand Cameras.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 4th July, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 4th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 7th May, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Photographic Hand Cameras.
I, Fox SHEW, of 88 Newman Street, Oxford Street, in the County of
Middlesex, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows :-
The invention relates to improvements in photographic hand cameras of the
character referred to in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to George
Lowdon, No. 4102 of the year 1885, and has for its object, first, to enable lenses
of different foci to be used with such camera as well as the ordinary fixed focus
lens, and, secondly, to enable the back of the camera to be adjustably held within
certain limits at any angle with the front thereof.
For this purpose I make the hinged sides or wings of the camera, extensible, by
forming them in two parts fitted together with groove and tongue joints and, as the
substance of the wood is small, I form the tongue of metal, preferably rolled brass,
which latter is provided with two or more notches, into which a spring pin is
capable of entering.
Thus, when using a fixed focus lens, the sides or wings are used in their normal or
non-extended state, but when using a lens of different focus, the extensible portions
are slidden outwards from the fixed hinged portions and are locked in the required
position by the spring pins.
The outer ends of the sides of the hinged portions of the sides or wings are
connected together by a metal cross bar, which greatly strengthens such parts and,
in combination with a projection on the sliding parts, acts as a stop.
The back of the camera is divided into two parallel frames, the forward frame of
which has connected thereto, the hinged sides or wings, whilst the rear frame has
connected thereto, the rear end of the bellows. I also fix to each side of the rear
frame, a toothed rack, the front portions of which, just in front of the front frame,
are formed with a hinge joint made in the body of the rack and having the meeting
faces of the leaves formed at a slight angle with each other, so as to cause the outer
portions of the racks to be spring slightly inwards towards each other, thereby
causing them to have a grip on the front frame when the latter is extended, and by
this means assist in holding the parts firmly together. These hinge joints also
permit the racks to be folded down on to the sides or wings when the camera is
packed up for transport. The front frame is provided on each side with a pinion,
by which the rear frame can be extended as desired.
the
I also provide each of said frames with a slotted plate and a binding screw,
binding screw of each frame acting to bind the slotted plate of the other fraine, and
in order to enable such slotted plates to fold within the limits of the frames, I form
them of shape, the pin joint being near the extremity of the shorter arm and the
slot in the length of the longer arm.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Photographic Hand Cameras.
I, Fox SHEW, of 88 Newman Street, Oxford Street, in the County of
Middlesex, Manufacturer, 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 invention relates to improvements in photographic hand cameras of the
character referred to in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to George
Lowdon, No. 4102 of the year 1885, and has for its object, first, to enable lenses of
different foci to be used with such camera as well as the ordinary fixed focus lens,
and secondly, to enable the back of the camera to be adjustably held within certain
limits at any angle with the front thereof.
For this purpose I make the hinged sides or wings of the camera extensible by
forming them in two parts fitted together with groove and tongue joints, and as the
substance of the wood is small, I form the tongue of metal, preferably rolled brass,
which latter is provided with two or more notches, into which a spring pin is
capable of entering.
Thus, when using a fixed focus lens, the sides or wings are used in their normal
or non-extended state, but when using a lens of different focus, the extensible
portions are slidden outwards from the fixed hinged portions, and are locked in the
required position by the spring pins.
The outer ends of the sides of the hinged portions of the sides or wings, are
connected together by a metal cross bar, which greatly strengthens such parts and,
in combination with a projection on the sliding parts, acts as a stop.
The back of the camera is divided into two parallel frames, the forward frame
of which has connected thereto the hinged sides or wings, whilst the rear frame has
connected thereto the rear end of the bellows. I also fix to each side or end of the
rear frame, a toothed rack, the front portions of which, just in front of the front
frame, are formed with a hinge joint made in the body of the rack and having the
meeting faces of the leaves formed at such an angle with each other as to cause
the outer portions of the racks to be sprung slightly inwards towards each other,
thereby causing them to have a grip on the front frame when the latter is extended,
and by this means assist in holding the parts firmly together. These hinge joints
also permit the racks to be folded down on to the sides or wings when the camera is
packed up for transport.
The front frame is provided on each side with a pinion, by which the rear frame
can be extended as desired.
I also provide each of said frames with a slotted plate aud with a binding screw,
the binding screw of each frame acting to bind the slotted plate of the other frame,
and in order to enable such slotted plates to fold within the limits of the frames, I
form them of L shape, the pin joint being near the extremity of the shorter arm
and the slot in the length of the longer arm.
And in order that my said invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed aided by the accompanying drawings, more fully
to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is an end view and Figure 2 is partly a top view and a section of a
camera constructed according to my invention.
Figure 3 is a transverse section of parts and Figure 4 is an end view and
Figure 5 a plan of a camera showing parts in a different position to that shown
at Figures 1 and 2, as also a modification.
According to my invention I make the hinged sides or wings of the camera

page_text: extensible by forming them in two parts a, b, fitted together with groove and tongue
joints, as more clearly shown at Figure 3, and as the substance of the wood is but
little, I form the tongue of metal, preferably of rolled brass, which latter is
provided with two or more notches into which a spring pin c is capable
of entering.
Thus, when using a fixed focus lens, the sides or wings a bare used in their
normal or non-extended position, as shown at Figures 1 and 2, but when using a
lens of different focus, the extensible portions are slidden outwards from the
fixed hinged portions a a, as shown at Figures 4 and 5, and are locked in the
required position by the spring pins ce entering one or other of the notches &².
The outer ends of the sides of each hinged portion of the sides or wings are
connected together by a metal cross bar a', which greatly strengthens such parts
and, in combination with projections on the sliding parts bb, act as stops to
such sliding parts.
The back or body of the camera is divided into two parallel frames d d*; the
forward frame d* has connected thereto, the hinged sides or wings
a a bb, whilst
the rear frame d has connected thereto the rear end of the bellows e. I also
connect to each side or end of the rear frame d, a toothed rack, the front
portions of which, just in front of the front frame d*, are formed with a
hinge joint made in the body of the rack and having the meeting faces of the
leaves formed at such an angle with respect to each other as to cause the front or
outer portions to be sprung slightly inwards towards each other, thereby causing
them to have a grip on the front frame *, when the latter is extended and by this
means assist in holding the parts firmly together.
These hinged joints falso permit the racks f* to be folded down on to the sides
or wings ab when the camera is packed up for transport, as. shown by the dotted
lines in Figure 2.
pinion g, taking into a
The front frame d* is provided on each side with a
rack, by which the rear frame can be extended as desired.
The racks are guided in slots formed in the ends of frame d*, and such
slots are lined with metal and covered by a covering plate 6.
I also provide each of said frames d * with a slotted plate hinged thereto at
and with a binding screw the binding screw i of each frame acting to bind the
slotted plate of the other frame, and in order to enable such slotted plates h to
fold within the limits of the frames d d*, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2,
1 form them of shape, the pin-joint h' being near the extremity of the shorter
arm and the slot in the length of the longer arm.
If desired, instead of employing the plates and binding screws i for said
purpose,
the toothed racks may be mounted loosely on pins, the outer ends of which are
screw threaded to receive nuts provided with lever handles j', so that when the
frames d, dare tilted in relation with each other, the said nuts can be screwed
up on the pins and thereby firmly secure the racks and consequently the
frames d d in the desired relative position.
The front of the camera is fixed to the bellows and is formed with projec-
tions to fit into notches formed in the slides bb, which latter, by being
sprung inwards towards each other by their hinged edges abutting against the
inclined edge of the hinge block 1, securely hold the front k between them.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. The construction of a photographic camera with extensible sides or wings,
substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose stated.
2. The construction of photographic cameras with the back divided into two
parallel adjustable frames, the forward frame having the sides or wings binged
thereto and the rear frame having the rear end of the bellows connected thereto,
such frames being provided with toothed racks and pinions and with means for fixing

page_text: the same in their adjusted positions, substantially as herein shown and described,
and for the purpose stated.
3. In photographic cameras of the character herein referred to, the combination
and arrangement of parts for the purpose herein described.
Dated this 4th day of April 1892.
TUA DEW,
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.