Improvements in Cameras.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Sept., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 20th June, 1895-Accepted, 20th July, 1895
Improvements in Cameras.
I, ARTHUR HOOD MITCHEL-JONES, Engineer of 29 Grove Road Stockwell
London S.W. do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My improvements refer to the hand or detective camera in combination with the
ordinary camera as used on a stand or tripod. The camera body may be formed in
the usual way with back, body, bellows front etc.
The body being sufficiently long to entirely contain the bellows & front when
partly closed & used as an hand camera, the front in this case also being made
large enough to fit to the interior of the camera body. A smaller front
provided when the camera is being used on the stand.
may
be
The
When used as an hand camera the front is preferably fitted with two lenses,
mounted stereoscopically & a suitable division is placed longitudinally midway
between such lenses. A suitable box is arranged to take the place of the ordinary
dry back such box forming a magazine containing the plates films etc.
magazine is also divided longitudinally to suit the division previously described
with reference to the camera etc. The upper portion contiguous to the camera
body is provided with a suitably angled mirror which receives the image from the
top lense & reflects it upon a ground glass screen placed immediately over the
mirror in the top of the magazine. The mirror is preferably made shorter than
the width of the magazine & the sides of the magazine between the mirror &
camera made double to allow the travel of the plate receptacle hereafter described.
The unexposed plates are preferably each placed in a separate carrier, the carriers
dropping into a movable three sided receptacle at the back of the mirror, the top
and bottom of the receptacle being open to admit of the passage of the carriers
& the front being omitted to clear the mirror, as the receptacle is moved forward.
The magazine immediately over this receptacle may be provided with suitable
sliding door & groves for the attachment & manipulation of a changing box. The
lower portion of the magazine is also fitted at the back with a similar receptacle
to that previously described for receiving the exposed plates. The adjacent edges
of the two receptacles are preferably formed as racks which gear into a common
pinion operated from outside the box. It will be readily understood that with the
charged top receptacle at the back of the magazine & the lower empty receptacle
at the front, the pinion can be rotated so as to cause a plate from the top
receptacle to come over a slot in the division between the receptacles & so drop into
the lower receptacle. This operation can be repeated till the whole of the plates
previously in the top receptacle are contained in the lower one.
The lower side of the magazine may also be fitted with a slide & groves for
receiving and working a changing box & the front of the magazine may be fitted
with a slide for use when detaching the magazine from the camera. The changing
box used in connection with the magazine as herein before described may consist
of a box provided with a slide at one side & fitted with a suitable number of
groves to receive the carriers. The side of the box fitted with the slide is
preferably arranged to slide into groves or their equivalents on the magazine.
The changing operations will then be carried out by sliding the box on to the
op of the magazine opening the slide on the box & then opening the slide on
he magazine, so that each carrier may he liberated singly, if desired & drop into
he groves of the receptacles.

page_text: When the whole of the carriers with there plates are out of the box the slides
are both closed & the changing box is slid on to the bottom of the magazine where
by opening the slide on the magazine & then the slide on the box, the carriers
with the exposed plates can be allowed to drop singly into the box if desired the
two slides may then be closed & the box detached.
The view finder screen may be fitted with the usual hinged hood and the
camera when used on the stand may have the division removed & be fitted with
one lense only, which may take pictures of about twice the size of those obtained
when the camera is used for taking stereoscopic. pictures, or as an hand camera.
When film rolls are employed the plate receptacles can be dispensed with.
Dated this Twentieth day of September'1894.
E. T. HARRAP,
Agent for Applicant.
I, ARTHUR HOOD MITCHEL-JONES, Engineer, of 29 Grove Road Stockwell
London S. W. 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 improvements refer to the hand or detective form of camera in combination
with the ordinary camera as used on a stand or tripod. And in order that my
invention may be more readily understood, I have caused to be attached. to this
Specification a sheet of drawings in which similiar letters refer to similiar parts.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation showing the. apparatus used as a twin lens, hand
or detective camera.
Fig. 2 is a sectional plan showing the apparatus used as a twin lens hand or
detective camera.
Fig. 3 show the apparatus used as an ordinary camera.
Fig. 4 is a section through the changing box.
The camera body A may be formed in the usual way with back, body A,
bellows B, front C, baseboard Z etc. The body. A. being sufficiently long to
entirely contain, the bellows B and front. C when partly closed, and used as an hand
camera as in Figs. 1 & 2; the front in this case may be made. large enough to fit
to the interior of the camera body A. A smaller front would be provided to
carry one lens when the camera is being used on the stand as Fig. 3.
"The baseboard Z is provided with two sets of hinges, the hinges at 2 forming
the attachment of the baseboard to the body A of camera and allows it to be
folded into the position shown in Fig. 1. when used as an hand camera, suitable
catches' being provided to retain the said baseboard. in such, position; the hinges
at 3 allow the front part of baseboard to be folded under so as to reduce its length,
& are for use when the camera is on a stand, as Fig. 3, .and a wide angle lens is
being used. Suitable catches are provided to keep the baseboard straight.
The baseboard Z is also provided in the usual way with grooved slides and
toothed racks for focussing purposes. Suitable toothed pinions 4, gearing with
the racks in the baseboard Z, can be provided together with the necessary spindle
and operating wheel 5, attached to the front C. A slot 6 is cut in the body A of
camera to allow of the clear passage of the before mentioned spindle. when racking
the bellows into the position as shown in Fig. 1.
When used as a hand camera the front C, is preferably fitted with two
lenses D, D, mounted stereoscopically and a suitable division E is placed longi-
tudinally midway between such lenses. A suitable box attachment F is provided

page_text: with a groove into which fits or slides the bent edge of a strip of metal 7 let into
the body A: such box F. being arranged to take the place of the ordinary dry back
and forming a magazine containing the plates, films G, G¹ etc.
Suitable catches.
are also provided to lock the magazine F in position with regard to the camera
body A. The magazine F is also divided longitudinally by a division Hito. suit.
the division E previously described with reference to the camera.
The upper portion of the magazine F contiguous to the camera body is provided
with a suitably angled mirror J. which receives the image from the top lens and
reflects it upon a ground glass screen K placed immediately over the mirror in
the top of the magazine. The mirror is preferably made shorter than the width.
of the magazine and .the sides of the magazine between the mirror & camera
made double as at L to allow the travel of the plate receptacle M: hereinafter.
described.
The unexposed plates G are preferably each placed in a separate carrier, the
carriers dropping into groves in a movable three sided receptacle M at the back
of the mirror J, the top and bottom of the receptacle being open to admit of the..
passage of the carriers, & the front. being omitted to clear the mirror as the
receptacle is moved forward.
The magazine F immediately. over this receptacle M may be. provided with
suitable sliding door and groves. N. for the attachment and manipulation of a
changing box P.
The lower portion of the magazine is also fitted at the back with a similiar
receptacle M to that previously described for receiving the exposed plates. The
adjacent edges of the two receptacles M, .M' are preferably formed as racks R
which gear into a .common. pinion S. operated from outside the box by the hand
wheel 8.
It will be readily; understood that with the charged top receptacle. M at the
back of the magazine and the. lower empty receptacle M at the front, the pinion
can be rotated so as to cause a plate from the top receptacle to come over a
slot T in the division H between the receptacles and. so drop into the lower
receptacle. This operation can be repeated till the whole of the plates G
previously in the top receptacle are contained in the lower one.
The lower side of the magazine may also be fitted with a slide and groves U
for receiving and working changing. box..P. The front of the magazine may
also be provided with a slide V for use when detaching, the magazine from.the.
camera.
a
The changing box P Fig. 4 used in connection with the magazine as herein-
before described may consist of a box P provided with a slide W at one side and
fitted with a suitable number of grooves to receive the carriers. The side of the
box fitted with the slide is preferably arranged to slide into grooves X or their
equivalents on the magazine...
The changing operation will then be carried out by sliding the box. P on to the
top of the magazine, opening the slide W on the box & the opening the slide U
on the magazine so that each carrier may be liberated singly, if desired and drop
into the grooves of the receptacle M. When the whole of the carriers with their
plates are out of the box the slides are both closed and the changing, box P is
slid on to the bottom of the magazine where by opening the slide on the magazine
and then the slide on the box, the carriers with the exposed plates, can be allowed
to drop singly into the box, if desired. The two slides may then.be closed and the
box detached.
The view finder screen K may be fitted with the usual hinged hood Y. and the
camera when used on the stand as Fig. 3 may have the division E removed &.be
fitted with one lens only, which may take pictures of about twice the size of those
obtained when the camera is used for taking stereoscopic pictures, or as an. hand.
camera. In this case the magazine F will be slid off and the ordinary dry back
used in place.
When film rolls are employed the plate receptacles can be dispensed with.

page_text: In place of the plate receptacles M & M in the magazine F suitable grooves
may be provided in the back part of the magarsine F and three more or less double
dry backs inserted which may be used consecutively.
To allow the shutter of dry backs to be pulled out when upside down as
hereinafter described an opening will be provided in the bottom board of the
magazine.
In the place of the plate receptacles M & M and the last described arrangement,
the length of the magazine may be so reduced as to only just contain the mirror J,
the space behind which will be blocked up, the lower half being left clear as
before.
Slides may then be formed on the ends of the magazine similiar to those at 7
Fig. to receive suitable dry backs.
The double dry backs used in connection with these cameras may be arranged so
as to take either two large plates one on each side, when used stereoscopically or
on the stand as Fig. 3, or four small plates two on each side when used with the
hand camera.
To permit of the four plates being exposed separately and con-
secutively the method adopted will be as follows.
The double dry back is inserted the right way up into the slides or grooves in
or on the magazine F and slid into place in the usual manner where it is held by
suitable catches. The shutter in the dry back may now be pulled out half way
uncovering the plate opposite to the lower part of the magazine F.
The other plate opposite to the upper part of the magazine may thus be doubly
protected if desired from the light, firstly by half of the shutter, secondly by the
before mentioned blocking behind the mirror J.
To bring this unexposed plate into position for exposure, the shutter is closed,
the dry back withdrawn from the magazine and turned over but with the same side
still facing towards the magazine, and inserted upside down into the groves or
slides of the magazine where the dry back is held in place by suitable catches.
The shutter in the dry back is now pulled out downwards to its fullest extent
uncovering both the plates. The plate which may be supposed to have been
exposed opposite the top part of magazine will be protected by the before
mentioned blocking behind the mirror J, while the plate opposite the lower part of
magazine will be ready for exposure. On closing the shutter, the dry back may
be removed from the magazine and the other side containing the other two plates
used in a similiar manner to that just described.
Any suitable form of shutter may be applied to the lenses.
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. In cameras the combination of a detachable magazine having a full size view
finder with a camera body of any suitable form, as described with reference to all
the figures.
II. In cameras the combination of a detachable magazine having a full size view
finder & containing, or for use with a number of ordinary dry backs together
with a camera body of any suitable form, as described with reference to all the
figures.
III. In cameras the combination of a detachable magazine having a full size
view finder and arranged for receiving or for use with an ordinary dry back
together with a camera body of any suitable form as described with reference to
all the figures.
IV. In detachable magazines as described the slide V for the purpose of making
the said magazine light tight when taken from the camera body, as described with
reference to Figs. 1 & 2.
V. A plate storage box P by means of which unexposed plates can be admitted
to the magazines, & the exposed plates withdrawn in the same box as described
with reference to Figs. 1 & 4.

page_text: VI. In cameras, a reversible double or single dry back containing two separate
plates side by side on the same side of the said back, as described.
VII. In magazines for cameras the arrangement of a light tight back board
behind the mirror J, and a light clear portion at the lower part of the magazine
the same side as
for use with dry backs containing two seperate plates on
described.
1 T 1905
E. T. HARRAP,
Agent for Applicant.