IMPROVEMENTS IN PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, GEORGE PERCIVAL SMITH Beechholm Tunbridge Wells, Gentleman do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS
to be as follows:-
My invention refers to improvements in dark slides for holding sensitive plates
(herein after called plate cases) and relates also to the manner of unveiling the
plates within the Camera for exposure when light is admitted through the lens and
relates also to the construction of the Camera.
The plate cases have, instead of the ordinary slides, shutters attached by hinges,
which are made to open for unveiling the plate.
A swing frame is fixed in the Camera attached to a handle outside by which it
can be moved and so that the communication is impervious to light.
This frame admits of being and is temporarily connected to a shutter of a plate
case placed in the Camera so at when the frame is swung (from the outside) by
means of the handle, it carries with it the shutter, which is thus opened to unveil
the plate, and then closed by a return movement..
The swing frame and shutter are then disconnected, and the other shutter (if
any) of the plate case, or shutters of other plate cases can be similarly connected
with the swing frame and opened and the sensitive plates unveiled as required.
This invention can be adapted to act as above described in Cameras of the usual
make which open with an expanding bellows; but to economise space I prefer the
following construction of Camera. I attach to the sides of the Camera framne four
folding Haps which opening out, form the four sides of a chamber in which the
shutter of the plate case can freely open-Round this chamber and fixed also to
the sides of the Camera frame & to the rising front which carries the lens are put
one or more thicknesses of flexible material so as to render the chamber impervious
to light. A further improvement consists in so fixing the focussing glass, by means
of a hinge or otherwise, so that it is used for focussing and afterwards for taking the
place of one of the aforesaid folding flaps, which may be thus dispensed with.
The advantages of my invention comprises lightness and compactness of con-
struction, ease and rapidity in use, and perfect security from the entrance of
light except through the lens.
SEAL
3001

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I GEORGE PERCIVAL SMITH of Beechholm Tunbridge Wells in the County of Kent
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS" 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 improvements in dark slides for holding sensitive plates
or surfaces (hereinafter called plate cases) also to the manner of unveiling the plates
or surfaces within the Camera for exposure, when light is admitted through the
lens, also to the construction of Cameras.
The plate cases have instead of the ordinary slides, shutters attached by hinges
which are made to open for unveiling the plate.
A swing frame is fixed in the Camera and attached to a handle outside by which
it can be moved and so that the communication is impervious to light.
This frame is adapted to be and is temporarily connected to a shutter of a plate
case so that when the frame is swung into a horizontal position in the Camera
(from the outside) by means of the handle it carries with it the shutter, which is
thus opened in order to unveil the plate, and closed by a return movement. The
swing frame and shutter are then disconnected and the other shutter (if two
shutters be provided) of the plate case or shutters of other plate cases, can be
similarly connected with the swing frame and opened in the manner hereinbefore
described and the sensitive plates unveiled as required. This invention can be
adapted to act as above described in Cameras of ordinary construction which open
by means of expanding bellows; but to economise space, I prefer the following
construction of Camera. I attach to the sides of the Camera frame four folding
flaps which upon being opened out, form the four sides of a chamber in which the
shutter of a plate case can freely open and close. Round this chamber and fixed
to the sides of the Camera frame and to the rising or adjustable front which carries
the lens I provide one or more thicknesses of flexible material so as to render the
chamber impervious to light. A further improvement consists in so fixing the
focussing glass by means of a hinge or otherwise that it can be used for the
purpose of focussing and afterwards for taking the place of one of the aforesaid
folding flaps which can in that case be dispensed with.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will proceed to describe
the same by reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure 1 represents
a side elevation of a Photographic Apparatus constructed according to my
Invention and in which the focussing glass is arranged to take the place of the top
flap of the Camera, the focussing glass being shewn in its raised position ;-figure 2
is a longitudinal section of the same showing the focussing glass and one of the
shutters of the plate case raised;-figure 3 is an end view shewing the plate case
removed and the focussing glass raised;-figure 4 is a part longitudinal section of
figure 3, but shewing the focussing glass in a lowered or vertical position ;-figure 5.
is a detached elevation of the plate case and figure 6 is an edge view of the same,
both the said views showing the case closed;-figure 7 is a similar view to figure 6.
but shewing the shutters of the case partly open. Similar letters in all the figures
represent similar parts.

page_text: a is the plate case and b. b the shutters of the same hinged thereto at c so that
they can be opened to unveil the plates & when the plate case is placed in position;
within the Camera c. c. figures 5. 6 and 7 are catches consisting of pieces of wire
or metal passing through the strip at the lower part of the frame of the plate
case a; the ends of the said wires are turned up at a right angle and at an angle
to each other as shown so as to close tightly both shutters of the plate case when
required and in other positions of the catches to allow of the shutter on the side of
the plate case containing the plate to be unveiled being released from the other
side by turning the catches at the back of the plate case through such an angle as
shall release the said shutter but keep the other shutter closed.
The centre part k¹ of the plate case is provided with suitable strips l¹ on each
side so as to form a tray on either side to contain the plate. The centre part ¹ is
extended at the bottom so as to allow of the strip 11 being fixed at a short distance
from the bottom and so that the bottom ledges of the abutter b when the shutters
are closed can enter the interval or groove formed by the strip and the bottom
strip . Or the strip j¹ may be fixed in any other suitable manner.
fis the swing frame pivotted at g¹g to the camera frame A and provided with
hooks g adapted to receive pins or projections hou the side edges of the shutters b
of the plate cases; i is the handle outside the camera fixed to the pivot g¹ of the swing
frame by operating which handle the swing frame can be moved into a nearly
horizontal position as shewn in figure 2 so as to carry with it one of the shutters b
of the plate case and thereby unveil the sensitive plate or surface d and be after-
wards closed by a contrary movement; ¹¹ are stops on the camera frame A
for retaining the plate case in position.
Although I have described the plate case as adapted to contain two sensitive
plates in which case I term it a double plate case it will be obvious that it may be
arranged to contain only one sensitive plate in which case I term it a single plate
case.
B is the usual rising front for carrying the lens which front is provided with
a tongue a sliding in a corresponding groove in the frame C so as to allow of
the lens being adjusted vertically as usual; jjj are the folding flaps attached to
the two sides and to the bottom of the camera frame A and k, represents the
flexible covering fixed to the said sides of the camera frame A and to the vertically
adjustable front B for carrying the lens and also covering in the top of the
apparatus as shewn; the flaps j. when opened out as shewn in figure 2 form three
of the sides that is to say the bottom and the two sides of the apparatus when in
use and the fourth or top side is formed by the flexible covering which also
renders the chamber thus formed impervious to light; is a diaphragm at the
end of the side flaps or folds when opened with an opening m for preventing
adventitious reflections from entering the inner part of the chamber and a
diaphragm with a smaller aperture is sometimes placed on the rising front B
close to the lens and sometimes on the lens itself for more effectually providing
against the admission of the said rays; n is the focussing glass hinged at o to a
bar P the ends of which are bevilled as shewn in dotted lines at q in figure 3,
so as to adapt them to slide in undercut grooves formed on the camera frame
for the purpose of moving the focussing glass out of the way of the plate case;
the focussing glass n when raised into the horizontal position as shewn in figure 2
may form the top folding flap of the chamber of the apparatus the top flap j
being then not required; 8, is a back flap for closing the cainera chamber and t
is a flap forming the base of the apparatus when in use, the said flaps s and t
forming two sides of the box when the apparatus is closed or packed up. Tho
apparatus is extended and fixed in position for use by usual means as shewn in
the Drawing and which requires no explanation.
To make use of a photographic apparatus of this construction the apparatus
being closed or packed up the flap t being the base of the apparatus is opened and
placed horizontally ou a stand or tripod the frame being fixed vertically by the

page_text: stay q' and the frame C placed in a vertical position; the lens (not shown in the
drawing) is screwed into the opening c', in the rising front B; the flaps is then
opened and the plate case a is removed; the flaps are then opened out so as to
form three of the sides of the chamber whereby the flexible material k, will be
in position part of the said flexible material k, forming the top of the chamber
and the apparatus will then be ready for focussing as shewn in figure 4; when
this has been done and the cap placed over the lens the focussing glass is raised
into a horizontal position as shewn in figures 1, 2 and 3 so as to stretch the flexible
material and form the fourth side or top of the chamber; a plate case a containing
the sensitive plates or surfaces is then placed in. position within the camera
frame A so that the pins or projections h, on one of the shutters 6 (the innermost)
shall engage with the hooks g, of the swing frame f; the catches e. c. are then
turned so as to release the front shutter b, while at the same time the back shutter
is kept closed as shown in figure 2. The flap a, is then closed, the handle i is then
raised and will carry with it the front shutter b, thus unveiling the plate the
stay d' is placed in position under the handle i so as to support it and the cap is
then removed from the lens as usual to expose the sensitive plate or surface d, to
the light,
8,
When the exposure is finished the shutter b, is closed by a reverse movement of
the handle, the catches e, are again turned to fasten the shutters and the plate
case can be safely removed.
Although I have shewn and described the arms of the swing frame arranged to
operate at the edges of the plate cases it will be obvious that it can be arranged
in a different form so as to operate on the front side of the plate case or in any
other suitable manner so as to effect the opening of the shutter.
I sometimes make the flexible material k, in the form of a bellows, the part
nearest the lens being of ordinary Kinnear pattern and the remaining part con-
sisting of one large fold which would be kept open by the focussing glass n, at
the top as hereinbefore described and by the folding bottom flap at the bottom,
in this case the two folding flaps at the sides of the chamber would not be
required their place being supplied by the two sides of the said large fold of the
camera.
Instead of permanently fixing the swing frame within the camera frame as
shewn and described I sometimes attach it to the plate case so that it can be
introduced with the plate case when the latter is placed in the camera frame; or
the swing frame may be arranged so as to be attached to the plate case after
the latter has been placed in position or it can be then introduced into the
camera.
Amongst the advantages resulting from my invention are lightness and com-
pactness of construction case and rapidity in use and perfect security from the
entrance of light except through the lens.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The construction of plate cases for photographic cameras for holding sensitive
plates or surfaces with hinged shutters which can be opened for the purpose of
unveiling the plate or surface substantially by the means and in the manner
herein before described and represented in the accompanying drawing.
2. In a photographic apparatus the use of a swing frame adapted for connection
with a shutter of the plate case (or fixed thereto and introduced into the Camera
therewith) and to be operated by a handle outside the camera substantially as and
for the purpose hereinbefore described and represented in the accompanying
drawing.
3. Constructing portable photographic cameras with folding flaps which can be
opened out or unfolded so as to form some or all of the sides of the dark chamber

page_text: of the camera the said flaps being surrounded with a light-proof flexible material
substantially as and for the purposes herein before described and represented in
figures 1. 2. 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawing.
4. In a portable photographic camera having one or more of its sides formed
by folding flaps such as is herein described the employment of a focussing glass
hinged or pivotted within the camera frame as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described and represented in figures 1. 2. 3. and 4 of the accompanying drawing.
5. The improved photographic apparatus hereinbefore described and represented
in the various figures of the accompanying drawing.