Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 16th June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 16th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 21st Apr., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
I, GRIFFITH DAVID HUGHES Oak Bank Cheadle Hulme Cheshire
Congregational Minister do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
My invention relates to photographic cameras, more particularly to apparatus
whereby a number of sensitised plates or films may be changed in a simple &
effectual way without the admission of light for the purpose of consecutively
receiving photographic images.
It consists of the following parts. The outer camera case; a second case
which slides evenly & easily within the first case mentioned & which contains the
hereinafter mentioned sheaths so fixed in it as shall be described; a number of
sheaths of a certain pattern & fixed in a certain way; a spring or other motive
power which shall cause the inner case to slide easily within the outer case; a
cogged wheel with a rod fixed through its centre, which shall be so fixed in the
top of the outer case as to revolve & act as a detent, only releasing the plates one
by one as desired.
The outer case will be a box with a door hinged or otherwise fixed at the back,
& the necessary aperture at the front.
.
The inner case will be a box fitting closely into the other; but this case will be
without a top; also one of the sides will be partially cut away, & the front side
will have a suitable aperture through which the light bearing the image can pass.
This box will hold the sheaths which will contain the sensitised plates or films.
The sheaths will be of a particular pattern & fixed in the way now described.
The sheaths, to be made of tin or other material either by stamping or other
process, will hold the plate or film in the usual way by grooves or otherwise, but
the bottom of the sheath will be continued to some distance beyond the portion of
the sheath occupied by the plate or film. This margin has the following purpose;
so that out of it may be made or to it may be attached two ears which may be bent
back or fixed at right angles to the sheath. The points at which these two angles
will occur in each sheath will be different,-to that degree which will enable the
sheaths to lie close together whilst the pairs of ears lie consecutively within each
other.
Suppose the sheaths with their respective ears to be lying perfectly even
together; then through the whole of the ears holes are pierced through which a
rod is thrust which shall hold all the sheaths thus together, & on which each sheath
can separately revolve, & it will be found that the sheaths will fall consecutively,
on being released, from the perpendicular to the horizontal position. The rod thus
holding the sheaths together is fixed in the inner case at that point which will
enable the sheaths when standing perpendicularly to just clear the top of the outer
box when sliding within it. The sheaths so placed are kept in position by the
detent in front & the spring behind.
The detent will consist of a cogged wheel fixed to a rod passing through its
centre, the rod revolving on bearings at the sides of the camera. The cogs will
have to be such as to easily & regularly engage with the top-ends of the sheaths as
they are consecutively presented to them through the pressure of the spring behind
or through any other means of motion that may be used.
It might be an advantage to have two similar cogged wheels, one at each end of
the rod, in preference to one only at the centre.

page_text: Such cogged wheels with the attached rod will be placed in the top of the
camera through slits of a sufficient size for the wheels to work in. They will be so
placed that as much of the wheels will protrude underneath as to satisfactorily
engage with the sheaths as they present themselves. The rod actuating the wheels
will be slightly wider (i.e. the length of the rod slightly greater than width of the
camera) than the camera, so that to the one end may be attached some means of
revolving the wheel, as by a finger or preferably by a key.
Acting upon the cogged wheels will be catches to prevent more than one cog
passing at a time, the idea being that a plate is released for each cog.
The spring may be of any kind attached to the back of the camera so long as it
keeps the carrier that holds the plates well-up to the cogged wheel until the last
plate is released.
The following is an alternative method of propelling the inner case. On either
side of the cogged wheel & on the same rod that bears it fix two other plain wheels
of the same diameter. To each of these attach some flexible material such as tape,
& having wound each tape once round each wheel, attach their several ends to the
ends of the inner case.
It will be seen that when the cogged wheel is made to move, the inner case will
move also, and at the same speed, & that therefore the sheaths will be successively
held in register against the cogged wheel.
Should any difficulty arise in the matter of propelling the inner case owing to
the weight it bears, it might be provided with small wheels running on rails or in
grooves; or the inner case might rest on two lengths of rods (slightly less in length
than the width of the camera) running parallel to each other in suitable apertures in
a piece of wood whose thickness is less than the diameter of the rods.
In order to load the camera you draw the inner case clean out of the camera
case. You then insert sideways a plate in each sheath. It is for this purpose
that a portion of one side of the inner case has to be cut, in order that the plates
may be inserted into the sheaths as they are placed in their perpendicular
positions.
The inner case thus loaded is then inserted in the camera until the first sheath
lies in a perfectly perpendicular position against a tooth or teeth of the cogged
wheel or wheels. Having done so the door with the spring is closed.
To change a plate you turn the wheel the distance of a tooth. This action
releases the first plate, which of its own weight falls into a horizontal position,
whilst the next plate takes its place.
The number of plates that have been exposed will be indicated by numbers on
the cogged wheel or on a circular disc attached to the rod and revolving with it.
Dated this 15th day of June 1893.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
I, GRIFFITH DAVID HUGHES, of Oak Bank, Cheadle Hulme, in the County
of Cheshire Congregational Minister, 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 :-
My invention relates to photographic hand cameras, and the object of this
invention is to enable a series of sensitized plates or films to be placed successively
in position and removed therefrom without requiring to be handled by the
operator.
I effect this object by the means hereinafter described and as illustrated in the
accompanying sheet of drawings, in which

page_text: Fig. is a longitudinal section of a photographic hand camera with my invention
applied;
Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same drawn through line A. A;
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section and Fig. 4 a transverse section of the same camera
representing a modification of my invention;
Figs. 5 and 6 are front and edge views respectively of a sheath for holding a.
sensitized plate, and
Fig. 7 is an inverted plan view of a set of sheaths.
In these views similar letters refer to similar parts.
In this invention I construct a case such as a with an opening either at the back
as a', Fig. 1, or at the top as a³, Fig. 3: I place within said case a an inner case or
frame b for carrying the sheaths j coutaining the sensitized plates c; I fit said inner
case or frame so as to be moved backwards or forwards, either by means of a
spring or springs d as in Fig. 1, or by means of a screwed spindle g as in Fig. 3 or
an equivalent.
I construct the sheaths j'as represented in Figs. 5 and 6 with ears forming a loopit
that is continued below the bottom of the sheath and constitutes a part thereof, but
at right angles to that part of the sheath that retains the sensitized plate.
The width of the loop attached to the sheath is such, that each of said loops
will fit one within the other as shown in Fig. 7, in order that when placed on the
spindle k, the sensitized plates may have all their edges level as in Figs. 1 and 3 on
drawing: The upper edge of the front sheath presses against a detent or stop et
which may be in the form of a wheel or wheels as e with teeth thereon, said teeth
being arranged so as to engage successively the upper edge of each succeeding
sheath as the frame is pressed forward towards the front of the camera, either by
means of the spring d as in Fig. 1, or a screwed spindle 7 as in Fig. 3, or other
propelling force.
When a screwed spindle is employed as is represented in Figs. 3 and 4 the
aforesaid toothed wheel or wheels è may be dispensed with, and the upper edge of
the sheaths either left free or press against a spring detent as e³, Fig. 3, that will'
resist the pressure of the sheath when at rest, but will yield with the extra pressure
afforded by the forward movement of the frame b, caused by the action of the
screwed spindle g.
In order to load a camera that is constructed according to this invention and
opening at the back a', the frame bis withdrawn and the sheaths j containing the
sensitized plates are placed on the rod k which is passed into the slots j² formed in
the ends of the loops j; when the required number of sheaths have been placed on
said rod, the sheaths are set in a vertical position and the frame b replaced in the
camera with the upper edge of the first or front sheath resting against a tooth e¹ on
the lowest portion of the periphery of the wheel e, or duplicates thereof.
When the back a' is closed, the spring d will press against the frame 6 which
will move forward to the extent of one tooth of the wheel e when permitted by the
release of a sheath with plate after a picture has been taken, said wheel e being
revolved to the extent of one tooth for each exposure: The traverse of the wheel e
is regulated by a ratchet wheel h or its equivalent placed at the side of the camera
on the spindle carrying the aforesaid toothed wheels e, and operated by a milled
nut as /.
When a screwed spindle as g is employed to propel the frame b, the sheaths may
be placed on the rod k in the manner herein before described, by the camera being
constructed to open at the top as a³, and when the sheaths are in a vertical position,
passing the said screwed spindle g through the back portions of the loops by a
retrograde movement of the aforesaid screwed spindle. By a reverse or forward.
action of the screwed spindle 9, regulated by a ratchet or an equivalent, the
aforesaid loop of each sheath will be released by the withdrawal of the end g' of
the spindle therefrom, when the frame b is pressed forward by said screwed
spindle each time after a picture has been taken, and the sheath attached to said
loop will fall forward on to the bottom of the frame b; In like manner each

page_text: successive sheath with plate will be caused to come into position successively and
to fall forward out of the way until the whole of the plates have been used; said
sheaths may then be lifted off the rod k and replaced by a fresh stock.
If the wheel e is employed in combination with the screwed spindle g, I connect
a spring to said wheel, of sufficient strength to keep the detent or tooth e', pressed
against the top edge of the front sheath and thereby retain the sensitized plates in
position, until the forward movement of the frame b caused by the screwed spindle g,
presses back said detent and releases the upper edge of the front sheath which the
detent e will pass over and press against the next succeeding sheath.
The number of plates that have been exposed, may be indicated by a disc with
numbers marked thereou, r. volving with the operating mechanism.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
--
1st. In photographic hand cameras in which sheaths for holding the sensitized
plates are employed, the construction of said sheaths with loops or ears as j¹ for the
purpose and in the manner substantially as herein before described.
2nd. In photographic hand cameras in which a series of sensitized plates are
stored, the combination of sheaths as j, with ears or loops j', an inner sliding case or
frame as b, and the wheel or wheels e with indents e¹ for removing said sheaths with
plates successively out of the way, in the manner and for the purpose substantially
as herein before described.
3rd. In photographic hand cameras in which a series of sensitized plates or films
are stored, the combination of sheaths ; with loops or ears j¹, an inner sliding case or
frame as b, and a propelling screw as g for removing the aforesaid sensitized plates
successively out of the way, in the manner, and for the purpose substantially as
herein before described.
4th. A photographic hand camera constructed substantially as herein before
described.
11
11 1
CALL 1001
THOMAS PRESCOTT,
53, Arcade Chambers, St. Mary's Gate, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.