Improvements in Parts of Photographic Cameras.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 5th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 5th Dec. 1896
Improvements in Parts of Photographic Cameras.
I, JOHN BOULTBEE BROOKS of the Birmingham Photographic Company of
Criterion Works, Great Charles Street, in the City of Birmingham, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates principally to photographic cameras of the type known in
commerce as snap-shot cameras, and consists, in the one part, in improvements in
the construction and organization of the plate carrying slides; in another part,
in means for holding the said slides to the back of the camera and making, at the
same time, a light-tight joint; in a further part, in an improved place finder, and
in a still further part, in improvements in shutters.
In carrying out the slide part of my improvements, I take a rectangular frame
of wood or other suitable material, somewhat alike unto a window frame, and with
the top bar preferably broader than the other, and with the inside of the lower
bar, at its junction with its upright sides, formed with holes or sockets wherein
ears carried at the extremities of an open bottomed and trough sided inner frame,
as hereinafter described, take and engage.
The front and back edges of both the sides and bottom of the frame are cased
by metal of a trough section, broader than the frame to an extent equal to the
thickness of the metal, celluloid, xylonite or vulcanite of the shutter plates, that is,
the outer flanged edges of the surrounding casing come within a short distance of
the opposed edges of the framing, thus leaving open-topped grooved or guide
spaces for the said shutter plates to slide within. The slightly outstanding flanges
of the sides extend to within a short distance of the top of the frame so as to form,
as it were, rabates or shoulders, so that the parts below the rabate take or fall into
the back entrance to the camera box by spring pressure applied through the medium
of two flat springs situated at the two opposite sides of the back of the camera, and
with their free ends, which are curved, coming to about the top of the said camera
and with their lower ends made fast to wings or side plates directed backwardly
from the opposite sides of the box.
The inner frame of the slide, which is the plate or plates holder, has its top
cambered or slightly bowed so as to constitute a spring for retaining this lesser
frame or plate holder within the frame of the slide by frictional contact.
When
tno plates are within the frame, I propose to locate between them, a spring metal
diaphragm or plate, which is normally cambered and adapted to keep the sensitised
plates apart.
The place finder consists of a metallic box or casing, let flush into the camera
box, and fitted at its fore part with the usual lens, and separated about its middle
by a vertically disposed piece of ground glass through which the image passes and
falls upon an inclined mirror raking from the bottom of the ground glass upwards.
Thus the reflection, viewed as it were within a well or sinking is readily seen
without the necessity of having to screen the ground glass in order to discern the
image, as is common. Two such finders as described are arranged in the usual
positions in the camera.
The shutter is located at the front or back of the lens, which has a middle pierced
diaphragm, whose hole is alike in size with the hole in the shutter, and consisting
of a semi-circular plate, centrally mounted upon a pivot and having a small arm

page_text: directed from its middle to which the inner end of a push arm, projecting outwardly
through the sides of the box, is jointedly connected.
A spring whose one end is made fast to the fixed pivot and whose other end
presses upon a stud on the short arm, brings the shutter back to its normal position,
as hereinafter described, on being released.
Situated in an upright position upon the inside of the box, adjacent to the push
arm, is an oscillating and double hook ended lever or pawl catch, forced into its
holding position by a spring and with one of its ends adapted to engage with the
shoulder of the semi-circular plate and the other to engage with the end of pusher
stalk as hereinafter described. Mounted near the said inner hooked end is a
double armed rocking paw! for holding the shutter in position after being set.
Directed and working through the box, above the double armet spring pawl, is
the aforesaid pusher stalk with the lower end partly cut away so as to clear
itself of the upper hooked end of the oscillating lever when the said pusher is
made to impinge upon one end of the pawl for releasing the shutter held by the
other end.
Now assuming that only an instantaneous exposure is required, turn the pusher
so as to present the cut-away end forwards, and assuming that the shutter is now
being held in a set position in opposition to the force of the spring, press home
the pusher, when its end impinges upon the outer end of the double arined pawl,
which is rocked, and its other end taken out of the path of the shoulder on the
shutter when the said shutter is partly rotated by the force of the spring and
the aperture through its middle is made to momentarily come opposite the like
aperture in the diaphragm of the lens.
Now assuming that a timed exposure is required, partly rotate the stalk pusher
so as to bring the cut-away part at the back; now force in the pusher arm when
the shutter will be partly rotated and the shoulder made to wipe under the inner
end of the double pawl, force it upwards and then snap at the back of it. When
thus set, force home the pusher, when its end impinges both upon the inner side of
the double pawl, which is rocked and releases the shutter, and also upon the hooked
nose of the upper end of the oscillating lever, which is thus made to rock and
bring its lower hooked end within the path of the shoulder released from the pawl,
whereby the shutter is intercepted and its exposure aperture brought coincident
with the lens aperture and is kept there so long as the finger remains on the
pusher.
Instantly the pusher is released, then the same rises through the force of the spring
of the double pawl and the shutter and its cognate parts are caused to resume
their normal positions by spring action, hence a timed or regulated exposure.
In carrying out a modified form of the shutter part of my invention I employ a
rotating disc, turning upon a central pivot and having three or more apertures cut
from out of the material near the marginal edges of the same and adapted to be
consecutively brought opposite the hole in the lens diaphragm and also having upon
its periphery, three equi-distant teats or shoulders adapted to be alternately
caught by the hook ends of a slide operated by a jointed push bar and working
horizontally across the face of the disc. The slide, with its pusher bar, is returned
by one arm of a spring whose other arm comes against an angle pawl limited in
its movement by a stop and located below the disc, whilst hung above the disc is a
plate having a bell cranked upper end to the arm of which a push rod is jointedly
connected and is forced home by a coiled spring. The lower end of this plate,
which is hung from a centre lignable with the bell cranked arm has a stud adapted
to engage at the back of one or other of a series of three stops having inclined-
plane leads surrounding and being in close proximity to the centre pin or pivot.
Now coming above the disc, and below the pusher rod, is a pawl adapted to engage
with one or other of the shoulders or teats to prevent backlash.
For instantaneous exposures, force down the pusher rod, whose end extends
through the outer casing, when the bell cranked lever plate is turned upon its
joint, the coiled spring compressed and the stud at its free and spring end is made

page_text: to travel up one of the inclined plane and then be caught by the shoulder forming
the stop at the back of it. The disc is held by the right hand side hook or end of
the slide and backlash is prevented by the pawl. By now forcing inwards the
pressure bar, its hooked or right hand end is taken from out of the range of the
stop now on the right hand side of the disc, which is released, whilst the stop on
the left hand side is at the same time allowed to pass the hooked end on the left
hand and is then caught by the right hand hooked end of the slide, with one of
the holes coming coincident with the holes in the leus diaphragm; that is, the disc
is rotated by spring pressure through one third of a circle by means of the bell
cranked plate.
It is understood that the motion of the disc is continuous and that the shutter is
set without letting light into the camera.
For timed exposure, assuming the shutter has been set, first turn the push bar on its
joint, when its after end is lifted and its fore end depressed and made to come in front
of a part standing outwardly from the end of the angle lever. This push bar is
retained in its set position by a stud on the slide engaging with the lower one of two
holes in the lever. By now traversing the push bar through the lever slide, the
lower member of the angle lever is turned upwards and as the right hand hooked end
of the slide recedes from the path of the shoulder resting against it, the disc is
allowed to make a sixth of a rotation only consequent upon the shoulder intercepted
by the left handed hook end of the slide now being intercepted by the angle end
being turned into its path by the push arm.
By now releasing the push lever, the slide returus and so does the angle lever,
the disc is liberated and the parts resume their normal positions.
Dated this 10th day of March 1896.
JOHN BOULTBEE BROOKS,
By Henry Skerrett,
Agent for Applicant.
Improvements in Parts of Photographic Cameras.
I, JOHN BOULTBEE BROOKS, of the Birmingham Photographic Company, of
Criterion Works, Great Charles Street, in the City of Birmingham, 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 principally to photographic cameras of the snap-shot
hand type, and consists in the one part, in an improved shutter; secondly, in a
new construction of plate-carrying slide; thirdly, in means for holding the
said slides in position at the back of the camera; and fourthly; in an improved
view finder.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents a front elevation of a camera,
with a part in section, fitted with improvements in accordance with my invention,
and showing the shutter set to give instantaneous exposure.
Figure 2 is an elevation of the right hand top corner of the camera showing
the regulator in position for instantaneous exposure.
Figures 3 and 4 are like views as Figures 1 and 2, but with the shutter in the
second position for time exposure.
Figure 5 is a section of a part of the camera upon the dotted linex Figure 2,
showing the regulator in a midway position which prevents the shutter being
operated in any way.

page_text: Figure 6 represents a longitudinal vertical section of the camera, taken through
the view finders located at one side of the box, and showing the slide, the plates
and plate holder therein, the spring plate between the plates, and one of the
spring arms situated at the back of the camera for retaining the dark slide in
position.
Figure 7 is an elevation of the plate holder separately and
Figure 8 is an elevation of the rear part of the camera.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures
of the drawing.
The camera consists, of a box body part a, open at back at aº, and with the
shutter chamber a', at front divided off from the other part by a diaphragm or
wooden partition a', pierced with a lens aperture a, at the back of which the lens
(not shown) is placed, and also pierned with holes a, respectively in communication
with the view finders b, b, the former of which is located at the top and the other
at one side of the camera box. Each view finder consists of a supplementary
chamber, fitted with a vertical plate of ground glass &, and an inclined mirror,
upon which an image transmitted from the finder lens in a removable front of the
camera and being received by the ground glass &, falls and is seen by the operator.
In view finders as heretofore constructed, the image is received on a mirror
and is reflected upwardly onto a ground glass let into the side or top of a
camera.
The open back of the camera is provided with an attached metal extension e,
wherein the dark slide frame d, is placed and there retained by flat tongue
springs e, secured at their lower ends to the said extension. These springs also
serve the purpose of closing and rendering light-tight the aperture between the
velvet-covered top back edge a, of the camera and the adjacent upper edge d', of
the alide frame d, on one or other of the slides d", being drawn fully out during the
exposure of a plate. The slide frame is of wood and is encased on three of
its sides and bottom with metal of a trough section d, the side webs d', of which
are at a slight distance from the wooden frame in order to form grooves wherein
the slides d, work.
In order to prevent light entering the frame when the slides d, being laid hold
of prior to withdrawal, ears de made fast on the slide frame d, engage with
pocketted piercings d', formed in the said slides, which are thus held tight against
the velvet-covered back edge as, of the camera.
In order to further render light-tight the aperture between the back of the
camera and the top edge of the dark slide, the inside top ends d, of the metal
webs d', of the frame are made to snap under and fit against a rib or projection a',
extending along the underside of the back end of the camera top.
The sensitised plates e, which are separated from one another by a spring
plate e, are placed in pairs within a metallic carrier e, having a spring top bar e
which, when the carrier is placed within the frame d, is slightly flattened and
secures the same in position.
The shutter consists of a semi-circular disc, pierced at /1 and impelled to make
half revolutions in front of the lens aperture by the spring g. The shutter is
"set" by the push arm h, jointed excentrically thereto at ', and is held in its
set position by the projection or ear/', engaging behind a projection, of the
release lever i, jointed at, and normally pressed downwards by the spring .
The said lever has an arm 3, which, when the shutter is set for time exposure,
rests in contact with the edge of the push arm A, and is operated as hereinafter
described.
In conjunction with the shutter is a regulator j, consisting of a pivoted arm j',
having its outer end, pierced to take over one or other of the studs, un
the outside of the camera box, according as to whether the shutter is to be held at
rest, or used for instantaneous or time exposure, whilst at the pivot end of same
are two ears, adapted to come in front of slots k', k, in the plate k, through
which the push arm and release lever work.

page_text: OPERATION.
For instantaneous exposure. First turn the regulator to engage its pierced
end, with the stud. This holds the ears j, j, clear of both the slots k', k².
Then set the shutter by pressing the push arm downwards and rotating the shutter
until the ear f, engages behind the projection, of the release lever, and after
one of the slides d2, has been withdrawn to uncover the plate at the back of the
camera, press down the outwardly extending end of the release lever, when the
shutter is liberated and flys round until its edge comes against the stop m.
For time exposure, first set the shutter and then engage the regulator with
the stud and thereby cover up the slot k³, by the ear, so that when the
shutter is released, it is arrested immediately its piercing 1, comes opposite the
lens aperture a³, by the shoulder 2, on the edge of the push arm coming against
the back of the ear j. The shutter is held in this position for the time
required for the exposure and is then liberated by pressing upwards the outward
end of the release lever, which causes the end of its extension ³, to depress the
push arm sufficient to clear the shoulder from ear, when the shutter completes
its movement.
To lock the shutter, the regulator is engaged with the middle stud j³, when
both slots become covered by the ears, and the release lever is thereby
immovably fixed.
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 :
First. In haud cameras, setting the shutter by a push arm or bar constructed
and arranged substantially as herein described and set forth.
Secondly. In the shutter mechanism of band cameras, the combination with a
shutter setting arm as referred to in the preceding claim, of a shutter releasing
lever, constructed, arranged and operating substantially as described and set
forth.
Thirdly. In hand cameras, the general construction, arrangement and combination
of the parts of the shutter and its cognate fittings, with the setting arm and
releasing lever, substantially as herein described and set forth.
Fourthly. The improved construction of regulator for the shutter setting and
releasing mechanism, substantially as described and set forth.
Fifthly. The improved construction of view fiuders of photographic cameras,
whereby the image is transmitted from the lens through a ground glass plate and
onto an inclined mirror, substantially as described and set forth.
Sixthly. In hand cameras, providing the back of the camera body part with
flat tongue springs which bear upon the rear part of the dark slide frame and
both keep the same in position and also keep the interior of the camera
light-tight on the slides being withdrawn, substantially as herein described and
set forth.
Seventhly. In hand and other photographic cameras, the improved construction
of dark slide frame having the sides and bottom edges provided with turned-over
metallic parts constituting grooves wherein the slides work, substantially as
described and set forth.
Eighthly. In hand and other photographic cameras cutting away the top ends
of the webbed metal sides of the dark slide frame so as to make the same stepped
or shouldered to snap under and fit against a rib or projection a' formed along the
underside of the back end of the camera top, substantially as aud for the purpose
described and set forth.
Ninthly. In the plate carriers of photographic cameras, providing the same
with a spring bar or bow at its top edge for retaining the same in position within
the dark slide, substantially as described and set forth.

page_text: Tenthly. In hand and other photographic cameras, the combination with the
slides d² of the improved construction of dark slide frame, of locking or holding
ears do, carried by the said frame, substantially as and for the purpose described
and set forth.
Dated this 3rd day of October 1896.
JOHN BOULTBEE BROOKS,
By Henry Skerrett,
24 Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.