Improvements in or relating to Focal Plane and other Roller Blind Shutters for Photographic Purposes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Focal Plane and other Roller Blind
Shutters for Photographic Purposes.
I, ARTHUR LEWIS ADAMS, of 26, Charing Cross Road, London, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to focal-plane or other roller blind shutters for photographic
purposes and the primary object of this invention is to produce a focal plane or roller
blind shutter the size of the aperture in which can be adjusted (i.c. increased or
diminished) when desired in a very simple and ready mauner from the exterior of
the camera or shutter case i.e. without having to obtain access to the interior
of said shutter.
The present invention is as follows:-
Two parallel rollers are mounted one on each side of the aperture in the frame or
fixed part of the apparatus across which aperture a flexible blind is adapted to be
drawn from one roller on to the other alternately-one such roller being provided
with a spring in any well-known or suitable manner which spring roller I will for
convenience term the "driving roller" while the other roller on the opposite side
of the aforesaid aperture I will term the "driven roller "-means being provided on
the exterior of the frame or case carrying these rollers to vary the tension on the
spring in the driving roller so as to increase or diminish the speed of travel imparted
to the flexible blind as aforesaid (or I may provide any other suitable mechanism or
means to regulate the speed of the shutter) while the driven roller is provided
with or has connected thereto suitable means to wind same from the exterior of the
casing and also the ordinary or any suitable means of holding same in position
when wound and releasing same when desired for instance as the ordinary pneumatic
release.
Now according to the present invention I make the flexible light-tight blind in
two separate parts and I attach one end of one part to the driving roller and wind
same thereon and one end of the other part of the blind I attach to the driven
roller and wind same thereon while the other ends of these two blind parts
respectively are brought close together and may advantageously be provided with a
thin lath or other suitable means to keep each said edge stiff or straight.
Now in order to permit the distance apart of these ends of the two parts of the
blind to be varied and at same time in order to make the two parts of the blind
move together (so that after being set when released the aperture between said two
ends will be drawn across the lens opening and thus give an exposure) according to
this invention the end of one such blind part say the end of the blind part wound
01

page_text: 65
on the driving roller (i.e. the spring roller) is connected by means of a string, tape,
chain, or other flexible connection at each side thereof (i.e. so as to be clear of the
aperture) to the roller on which the other said blind part is wound the end of said
flexible connections being fixed to said last-named roller in such wise that as the
blind part on said roller is being wound thereon (to set the shutter) this roller will
at same time wind on to it said flexible connection and thereby the other said blind
part (previously wound on the other said roller is simultaneously wound off its roller
and the shutter is now ready to be released to give an exposure as immediately the
shutter is released the driving roller will wind its blind part (which I will term the
5 driving blind") thereon and this latter by means of the aforesaid flexible
connections will now rotate the driven roller and consequently will unroll from said
driven roller the blind part thereon which latter blind part I will term the "driven
blind" and in order to cause this latter blind to follow quickly and relatively the
driving blind and in the same plane therewith I may provide said driven blind with
stiffened edges for instance very thin and very flexible steel bands or other suitable
material (or the blind itself may he of such material) which on being unwound from
the driven roller will force said driven blind part in any path through which same
is guided and this guiding may be effected in any suitable way for instance the end
of said driven blind may be provided with a lath from side to side with which lath
the aforesaid thin steel band or other stiffened edgings are fixed and the end of the
said driven blind part or the lath thereon provided with eyes through which are
threaded (and through which run freely) the aforesaid flexible connections from the
driving blind to the driven roller. Thus said flexible connections serve the additional
purpose of guides for the end of the driven blind part.
Now in order to adjust the distance apart of the end of the driving blind from
the end of the driven blind I provide means to attach the ends of the flexible.
connections to the winding roller in suchwise that said flexible connections can be
drawn up or let out (.e. so as to increase or shorten the length of said flexible,
connections between the driven roller and the end of the driving blind part) and
this I effect in any suitable way and by any suitable mechanism which can be
operated from the exterior of the case or frame for instance I may form the driven
roller as a hollow drum or 'sleeve inside which I provide a winding shaft the end of
which projects to the exterior of the case through the milled head or winding knob
on the driven roller and concentric therewith and this winding shaft (to which the
end of each flexible connection is fixed) has a milled head or other suitable means
for revolving same exterior of the case together with any suitable catch or
mechanism by which said shaft can be firmly locked to said driven roller or disengaged
therefrom so as to allow said shaft to be revolved (without revolving the driven
roller) so as to wind up or unwind therefrom the flexible connections fixed thereon.
and when the size of the aperture has been thus adjusted then said shaft and driven
roller are again securely locked together so as to revolve together when the shutter
is being operated.
The above described arrangement may be modified in various ways for instance the
same effect may be obtained if instead of fixing the end of the flexible connection to
the end, of the driving blind such flexible connections are simply led around pulleys
or through eyes or equivalent on the end of the driving blind and thence doubled or
led back to the proximate end of the driven blind by which means the driving blind.
can be drawn clear of or drawn further away from the driven blind.
For instance the following modifications may be made :-
:
Any suitable friction device or means to clutch or bind the flexible connections to
the end of the driven blind may be used so that the latter will thereby be moved
equally with the driving blind and in order to enable the size of the aperture to be
adjusted or varied as aforesaid I provide suitable means to temporarily engage and
clamp the end of the driven blind so that same is held immovable while the flexible
connections are lengthened or shortened as aforesaid for instance for this purpose I
may employ a clamping screw fastened through the side of the case with a milled head.
on the exterior of the case and a saddle or plate or other suitable device swivelled on'

page_text: the end of said screw in the interior of the case in such a position as to engage and
lock the end on to the driven blind.
If desired instead of employing only a single flexible connection towards each side edge
of the driven blind as aforesaid I may employ two or more flexible connections to-
wards each side edge i.e. a flexible connection on each face of the driven blind in which
case the driven blind part would lie or be held between the said double flexible con-
nections at each side thereof.
Instead of the foregoing arrangement of the two blind parts same may be arranged
vice versa.
The aforesaid spring in the driving blind roller may be constant or variable and I
may mark the different speeds on the back of the blind and provide an aperture in.
the frame fitted with non-actinic glass or other suitable material to enable such
different speeds marked on the back of the blind to be seen and either with or with-
out employing a separate indicator.
Also at the opposite end of the frame I may provide another aperture fitted with
non-actinic glass or equivalent to show when the shutter is set that is to say the word
"set" is marked at such a point on the back of the blind that it comes into position
under this aperture when the shutter has been set.
Dated this 10th day of May 1899.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or relating to Focal Plane and other Roller Blind
Shutters for Photographic Purposes.
I, ARTHUR LEWIS ADAMS, of 26, Charing Cross Road, London, 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:-
This invention relates to focal-plane or other roller blind shutters for photographic
purposes of the character in which and-the-primary object-of-this-invention-is-to
produce-a-focal-plane-or-roller-blind-shutter the size of the aperture in-which can be
adjusted (i.e. increased or diminished) when desired in a very simple and ready
manner from the exterior of the camera or shutter case i.e. without having to obtain
access to the interior of said shutter or camera fitted therewith.
The present invention is as follows:-
Two parallel rollers are mounted one on each side of the aperture in the frame or
fixed part of the apparatus across which aperture a flexible blind is adapted to be
drawn from one roller on to the other alternately-one such roller. being provided
with a spring in any well-known or suitable manner which spring roller I will for
couvenience terin the "driving roller" while the other roller on the opposite side of
the aforesaid aperture I will term the "driven roller"-means being provided on the
exterior of the frame or case carrying these rollers to vary the tension on the spring
in the driving roller so as to increase or diminish the speed of travel imparted to the
flexible blind as aforesaid (or I may provide any other suitable mechanism or means
to regulate the speed of the shutter) while the driven roller is provided with or has
connected thereto suitable means to wind same from the exterior of the casing so as
to wind the blind thereon when setting the shutter and also the ordinary or any suit-
able means are provided for holding said driven roller when wound and for releasing
same when desired such for instance as the ordinary pneumatic release.

page_text: New-necording-to-the-present-invention-1-make-the The flexible light-tight blind
is made in two separate parts and I attach one end of one part to the driving roller
and wind saine thereon and one end of the other part of the blind I attach to the
driven roller while the other ends of these two blind parts respectively are brought
close together and may advantageously be provided with a thin lath or other suitable
means to keep each said edge stiff or straight.
66
Now in order to permit the distance apart of these ends of the two parts of the
blind to be varied and at same time in order to make the two parts of the blind
move together (so that-after being set-when released the aperture between said two
ends will be drawn across the lens opening and thus give an exposure) according to
this-invention the end of one such blind part say the end of the blind part wound on
the driving roller (i.e. the spring roller) is connected by means of a string, tape,
chain, or other flexible connection at each side thereof (i.e. so as to be clear of the
aperture) to the driven roller on which the other said blind part is wound, the end of
Baid flexible connections being fixed to said last-named roller in suchwise that as the
blind part on said roller is being wound thereon (to set the shutter) this roller will at
same time wind on to it said flexible connection and thereby the other said blind
part (previously wound on the other said roller) is simultaneously wound off its roller
and the shutter is now ready to be released to give an exposure as immediately the
shutter is released the driving roller will wind, its blind part (which I will term the
driving blind") thereon and this latter by means of the aforesaid flexible connec-
tions will now rotate the driven roller and consequently will unroll from said driven
roller the blind part thereon which latter blind part I will term the "driven blind"
and this latter blind is caused to follow the driving blind at the same speed and for
this purpose I may provide said driven blind with stiffened edges for instance very
thin and very flexible steel bands or other suitable material (or the blind itself may
be of such material) which on being unwound from the driven roller will force said
driven blind part in any path through which same is guided and this guiding may
be effected in any suitable way for instance the end of said driven blind may be
provided with a lath from side to side to which lath the aforesaid thin steel band or
other stiffened edges are fixed, and the end of the said driven blind part or the lath
thereof may be provided with eyelets through which are threaded (and through which
run freely) the aforesaid flexible connections from the driving blind to the driven
.roller. Thus said flexible connections serve the additional purpose of guides for the
end of the driven blind part. Or instead of the fore-going arrangement I may
employ a third roller namely another spring roller on the same side of the lens as the
driving roller and this second spring roller has one end, of a tape or flexible connec-
tion wound thereon towards each side edge of the blind the other end of these said
flexible connections being attached to the free-end of the driven blind so that when
the driven blind is wound on its roller to set the shutter thereby the said flexible
connections are unwound from this said second spring roller and thereby the free-end
of the driven blind will be caused to follow the driving blind when the shutter is
released; or other suitable means may be employed for this purpose.
Now in order to adjust the distance apart of the end of the driving blind from the
end of the driven blind I provide means to attach to the driven roller the ends of the
flexible connections from the driving blind in such wise that said flexible connections
can be drawn up or let out (i.e. so as to increase or shorten the length of said flexible
connections between the driven roller and the end of the driving blind part) and this
I effect in any suitable way and by any suitable mechanism which can be operated
from the exterior of the case or frame for instance I may form the driven roller as a
hollow druin or sleeve inside which I provide a winding shaft the end of which
projects to the exterior of the case through a inilled head or winding knob or
equivalent on the driven roller and concentric therewith and this winding shaft (to
which the end of each flexible connection is attached) has a milled head or other
suitable means for revolving same exterior of the case together with any suitable
catch or mechanism by which said shaft can be firmly locked to said driven roller or
disengaged therefrom so as to allow said shaft to be revolved (without revolving the

page_text: driven roller) so as to wind thereon or unwind therefrom the flexible connections
attached thereto and when the size of the aperture in the blind has been thus adjusted
then said shaft and said driven roller are again securely locked together so as to
revolve together when the shutter is being operated.
The above described arrangement may be modified in various ways for instance the
same effect may be obtained if instead of fixing the end of the flexible connections to
the end of the driving blind such flexible connections are simply led around pulleys
or through eyelets or equivalent on the end of the driving blind and thence doubled
or led back to the proximate end of the driven. blind by which means the driving
blind can be drawn towards or away from the driven blind. .
For instance the following modifications may be used:-
Any suitable friction device or means to clutch or bind the flexible connections to
the end of the driven blind may be used so that the latter will thereby be moved
equally with the driving blind and in order to enable the size of the aperture to be
adjusted or varied as aforesaid I provide suitable means to temporarily engage and
clamp the end of the driven blind so that same is held-immovable while the flexible
connections are. lengthened or shortened as aforesaid-for instance for this purpose I
may employ a clamping screw fastened through the side of the case with a milled head
on the exterior of the case and a saddle or plate or other suitable device swivelled on
the end of said screw in the interior of the case in such a position as to engage and
lock the end on to the driven blind.
If desired instead of employing only a single flexible connection towards each side
edge of the driven blind as aforesaid I may employ two or more. flexible connections
towards each side edge i.e. a flexible connection on each face of the driven. blind in
which case the driven blind part would lie or be held between the said double flexible
connections at each side thereof. :
Instead of the foregoing arrangement of the two blind parts same may be arranged
vice versa.
The aforesaid spring in the driving blind roller may be constant or variable. I may
mark the different speeds on the back of the blind or otherwise provide any suitable
scale or index on said blind (and I may provide an aperture in the frame or. camera
case said aperture being if desired fitted with non-actinic glass or other suitable
material) to enable such different speeds marked on the blind to be seen in such wise
as to thereby indicate the size to which the slit in the blind has been set- - Or
the
speed to which the shutter has been set.
Also at the opposite end of the frame I may provide another aperture fitted with
non-actinic glass or equivalent to show when the shutter is set that is to say the word
set" is marked at such a point on the back of the blind that it comes into position
under. this aperture when the shutter has been set. .
.
and
5°
And in order that my invention may be readily understood and easily carried into
practice I will proceed to describe same with reference to the drawings hereunto
annexed.
Sheet 1 illustrates my invention carried out in a detachable shutter.
Sheet 2 illustrates my invention built or fitted in a camera.
Referring to Sheet 1 :-
Fig. 1. is. a general front view in elevation-partly in section of a shutter con-
structed according to my present invention.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2-2 Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow 3.
Fig. 4 shows on an enlarged scale the driven roller removed from the shutter.
Fig. 5 is a vertical cross sectional view on a still larger scale of the driven roller
showing the driven blind and the adjustable connections of the driving blind partly
wound on said roller.
Fig. 6 is a similar view to Fig. 5 only showing the said blind and connections
entirely unwound that is Fig. 6 shows the driven roller in the position in which the

page_text: adjustment of the aperture is effected before commencing to wind, the driven blind
on said roller.
is the case. .
b is the driven roller having hollow ends or arbors bthereon journalled in said case a
and at one end said.roller b. is provided with means to rotate same such means as shown
in the drawings consisting of the crank dise 62 provided with a crank pin b³ thereon.
c is the winding shaft concentrically, arranged to revolve within said roller.b and
capable of endwise motion through said hollow roller on the end c¹ of this shaft c is
provided a milled edge winding nut c² this latter, being provided with a ring of
holes therein concentric with said shaft. c so that by moving the nut c? towards
the crank disc 62 thereby the crank pin 68 will engage in one of the apertures c³ and
consequently the shaft c and the roller b will be locked and can only revolve together
and a spring (not shown) may advantageously be provided to normally keep the
parts thus held together in the locked position.
By moving the milled head c² clear of the crank pin 3 the shaft c. can be inde-
pendently revolved without revolving the roller b
It will be obvious that instead of the shaft c being moved endwise through the
hollow roller b the same results can be obtained by splining the milled head c² on the
end cof the shaft c, or by other suitable, mechanism.
y is the driven blind one end of which is attached at y¹ to the roller
-
is the driving blind one end of which is attached to the driving roller d.
xx are the flexible connections (tapes) one end of each of which passes
through the slot 6x in the roller b and is attached to the shaft c inside said roller and
the other end of each said tape (passing freely through an eyelet on the free edge y¹
of the driving blind y) is attached to the free edge 21 of the driving blind z..
Any suitable means may be provided (such as the milled head d¹ on the exterior of
the case) for adjusting the tension of the spring roller & so as to increase or diminish
the speed of travel of the blind.
e is second spring roller journalled in the lower part of the case to which third
roller e is affixed one end of the flexible connections (tapes) f which latter connections f
are attached at to the edge y¹ of the driven blind y.
Thus it will readily be seen that when the shaft c.and roller bare locked together
and the milled head c² revolved thereby the blind y will be wound upon the roller b
together with the flexible connections x and ƒ (and also part of the driving blind z)
and the shutter is then set and upon being released the edge y¹ will follow steadily
and at a constant distance the edge as the aperture formed between the two
edges y and z¹ is moved across the path of the lens.
By disengaging the shaft c from the roller bit will readily be seen that the distance
apart of the edge y¹ from the edge can readily be increased or diminished and the
size of the aperture in the blind readily adjusted from the exterior of the shutter. .
Referring now to Sheet 2 :-
Fig. 7 is a side elevation partly in section of a camera with focal plane shutter
-according to my present invention-built into the camera.
Fig. 8 is a local sectional view showing another arrangement of the shutter built in
the camera.
In Fig. 7 g is the camera case.
bis the driven roller and c shaft arranged therein, and y the driven blind all
arranged and operating as before described.
The spring driving roller d in this modified arrangement however is not mounted
in the same vertical plane as the roller b but at some distance therefrom as shown in
Fig. 7 so that the end 21 (of the driving blind-which latter is made longer) will
never be wound on said roller -the blind z passing around an idle roller.h.
In this arrangement the flexible connections r (which are fixed to the shaft c and
can be independently wound thereon as before) pass freely through eyelets on the end z¹
of the driving blind z and are thence led back and fixed to the end y¹ of the
blind y.. :
1).
....
;
Thus it will be seen that by winding or unwinding the tapes x onto or off the

page_text: shaft c as herein before described thereby the blind end will be inoved towards or
away from the blind end y¹ and so vary the size of the aperture formed between
these two ends; while the pull of the spring in the spring roller d will draw down the
blind y at the same speed as the blind travels thus keeping the size of the aperture
constant during each exposure irrespective of the size to which said aperture may
have been adjusted from the exterior of the camera.
In Fig. 8 a similar arrangement is shown-only the idle roller h is dispensed with
and the spring roller d placed directly under the driven roller b; the adjustment of
the size of the aperture being effected in the same manner as described with reference
to Fig. 7, the arrangement shown in Fig. 8. having this difference viz. the size of
the aperture cannot be increased to the same degree as in the arrangement shown.
in Fig. 7 unless the distance of the driving roller d from the driven roller 6 is increased.
which would require greater depth of camera..
Instead of attaching the blind party to the hollow roller b, and the tapes or
flexible connections x to the shaft or spindle c therein, as aforesaid-it will be obvious
that same may be attached, vice versa that is to say the blind part y may be passed
through a suitable slot in the hollow roller band attached to the spindle c while, the:
tapes in such case would then be attached to the roller b so that in order to vary
the size of the slit in the blind the blind part y would he wound on or off the
spindle c.
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. In-photographie-roller blind-shutters the combination with one of the blind
rollers of-a-separate-shaft within-said-roller and adapted to-be-revolved-therewith
when operating the shutter or to-be-revolved-independently-of-said-roller-in-order to
very-the-width-of the-aperture-formed-between the ends of the-two-portions-of the
blind-and-means to-connect-and-disconnect-said shaft-and-said-roller.
2. In-photographie-roller-blind--shutters--the combination-with one of the blind
rollers-of-a-separate shaft within said-roller-and-adapted-to-be-revolved-therewith
when-operating the-shutter-or-to-be revolved-independently-of-said roller in order to
vary-the-width-of the-aperture-formed-between-the-ends-of-the two-portions- of the
blind-and-means-to-connect and disconnect said shaft-and-said-roller-substantially
as-und-for-the-purposes hereinbefore described-with-reference-to-the--drawings
hereunto-annexed:
3. A-roller blind shutter-for-photographie purposes-having a spindle-or-shaft
mounted-in-one-of-the-blind-rollers-in-suchwise-as-to-be-enpable of being-locked-to
and-revolved with-said-roller-or-to-be-revolved-independently-thereof, and-means-to
connect-or-disconnect-said-shaft and said-roller, in-combination--and neting-in-con-
junction with a-blind-divided-into-two portions one-attached to the aforesaid roller
und-the-other blind-portion-attached to a-spring roller, and tapes or other flexible
connections attached to--the blind portion on the aforesaid spring roller-and-also
attached to said-shaft-within-said-roller-in-suchwise us-to-be-capable of being
independently-wound thereon-to-thereby-adjust the width of the aperture-between
the-said-two-blind-portions:
4. A roller-blind-shutter-for-photographie-purposes- having a-spindle-or-shaft
mounted within one of the blind rollers in such wise as to be- capable of being
locked to and revolved-with-said-roller or-to-be-revolved-independently thereof, and
means to-connect-or-disconnect said-shaft-and-said-roller,-in-combination-and-neting.
in-conjunction-with-a-blind divided into two portions one attached to the aforesaid
roller-and-the-other-blind-portion-attached to a spring roller;-and-tapes or other
Hexible connections attached-to-the-blind-portion-on-the-nforesaid-spring-roller and
also-attached-to-said-shaft within cuid-roller-in-suchwise-as to be capable of being
independently wound-thereon-to thereby-adjust the width of the aperture between
the said two-blind portions, substantially as and for the purposes--hereinbefore
described-with reference-to-the-drawings-hereunto-annexed.

page_text: 1. In photographic roller blind shutters of the character herein before described
and claimed-in-the-foregoing claims-providing one of the said blind portions with a
suitable scale or index arranged thereon in suchwise as to act in conjunction with an
aperture in the camera or shutter case as an indicator to thereby show at a glance
or
the size to which the slit in the blind has been set the speed to which the shutter
and
has been set substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein before set
forth.
62. In a photographic roller blind shutter-adapted to have the slit or aperture
in said blind varied providing a suitable scale or index on said blind in combination
and acting in conjunction with an aperture in the camera or shutter case and
arranged in such wise as to thereby indicate the size to which the slit in the blind has
or
been set the speed to which the shutter has been set.
and
73. A roller blind shutter for photographic purposes constructed and arranged to
act substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and as illustrated in
the drawings hereunto annexed.
Dated this 10th day of February 1900.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Birkbeck Bank Chambers, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.