Improvements in or relating to Roll-holders for Photographic Films.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Jan., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 11th Oct., 1892-Accepted, 12th Nov., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Roll-holders for Photographic
Films.
A communication from FRANK A. BROWNELL, of Rochester, in the County of
Monroe, and State of New York, United States of America.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E., do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The present invention relates to the film carrying and feeding devices of roll-
holders for photographic film and has for its object to improve particularly the
construction and operation of the measuring and arresting devices for arresting
the operation of the feeding devices after a certain quantity constituting preferably
a single exposure has been wound forward or into a position to be exposed in the
camera.
The casing may be adapted to be applied to the back of a photographic camera
of any desired construction, and may be divided into two longitudinal compart-
ments by means of a partition to which is secured a film support or table having
at one edge an antifriction roller while the other edge is rounded so that the film
may be moved from one compartment over the table or support and back to the
other without undue friction and may be held while the exposure is being made,
perfectly flat upon the support.
The flexible photographic film may be wound upon spools supported in bearings
in boxes or receptacles adapted to be inserted into the compartments in the holder
casing, and the outer end of the casing is closed by a cover plate secured in position
by means of a screw adapted to be operated from the exterior of the casing and
engaging a nut secured to the partition piece or other suitable fastening devices
could be employed. The boxes containing the film spools are provided at one
corner with a slit or opening for the passage of the film into and out of the boxes.
The ends of the spools are provided with slots for the entrance of ribs or
projections on the winding and measuring devices as will be hereafter explained.
The film winding or feeding devices consist in the present instance of an arbor
journalled in the casing-end and having on its inner end a rib or projection
arranged to enter the corresponding groove in the end of the spool and provided
on its outer end with an operating handle and secured in place by a plate and
also provided with the usual ratchet mechanism for preventing the reverse move-
ment of arbor. Arranged at the corresponding end of the other longitudinal
compartment in the casing is an arbor journalled in a plate and provided on its
inner end with a rib or flange arranged to enter the slot in the end of the spool
located in the compartment. It will be understood that the receptacle containing
the spool of unexposed film is inserted in one compartment and the end of the
spool engaged with its appropriate arbor and the film extended over the support
and attached by any suitable means to the roller in the receptacle in the other
compartment which roller is engaged with the key or handle so that the revolution
of the arbor can be seen from the exterior of the holder.
In practice I make the breadth of the support approximately equal to the
circumference of the spool when containing half its normal quantity of film so
that each revolution of the supply spool will indicate that approximately the
quantity of film necessary for a single exposure has been moved forward over the
support, therefore if the supply spool is arrested and the film is marked at the edge
of the support at each revolution of the supply spool the operator will not be in
any danger of winding forward more than the amount of film necessary for a single
exposure and he will be enabled by means of the designating mark, to readily

page_text: sever the film into the separate exposures. Upon the outer side of the plate is
arranged a locking detent or lever secured to an arbor journalled in the plate
and extending around a collar secured to the arbor the latter having on its outer
end a milled head. The collar is provided with a recess and the locking detent
with a projection adapted to enter said recess and arrest the rotation of the arbor
and spool. At the forward or free end of the detent is a screw or pin extending
through a slot in the plate and operated upon by a spring which in turn is coiled
around a screw its outer end passing through a lug secured to the under side of
the plate. The tendency of this spring is to move the detent in a direction to
cause the engagement of the projection with the recess and if this projection rested
normally on the periphery of the collar the engagement would be effected and
the supply spool arrested at each revolution, but when the operator desired to
release the locking mechanism in order to wind forward another exposure of film,
the projection would immediately drop back into the recess and prevent the
winding operation unless some means were provided for holding it out of engage-
ment after being disengaged from the collar. In order to provide for this and to
hold the detent out of engagement until just before another revolution of the spool
is made, I provide a retaining dog pivotted to the under side of the plate and
provided with a slight notch adapted to engage the pin on the end of the detent.
A spring is passed around a screw, one end engaging a flange on a pawl and
pressing the latter toward the arbor in a direction to cause the engagement of
the notch with the pin. Arranged upon the arbor is another pin adapted when
the arbor is rotated to engage the retaining dog and move it in a direction to
disengage the former pin and permit the projection on the lever to rest upon the
collar. Journalled loosely upon the arbor is a ratchet counter disc having upon
its face next the plate a series of figures indicating the number of exposures and
visible one at a time through an aperture in the plate. This disc is prevented
from backward rotation by the end of the spring which engages with it constituting
a pawl and upon the pin attached to the detent is pivotted a pawl which is held
in engagement with the wheel by a spring which engages with its heel beyond its
pivot and also moves the detent into engagement with the collar so that when the
lever is moved by its operating handle in a direction to disengage the projection
'from the collar the counter disc or ratchet wheel will be moved one tooth showing
another number through the aperture and when the projection on the lever drops
into the notch the pawl will move over the ratchet and engage the next succeeding
tooth.
In order that the film may be properly marked after each exposure so that it
may be severed into separate negatives I locate at one end of the film support a
small pivotted lever having on its inner end a pin or projection adapted to perforate
the film from the back when the lever is moved on its pivot and extend the outer
end of said lever through a perforation in the end of a link pivotted to the end of
a lever rigidly secured to an arbor the connection being such that when the
locking detent is thrown into engagement by its spring to arrest the spool and
the arbor rotated, the lever is turned on its pivot and the pin passed through
the film marking the latter at the edge.
It will be understood that the lever may be pivotted at its middle causing the
marking to take place when the spool is arrested, or the location of the pivot
could be so changed that by the release of the detent the marker could be caused
to operate.
.
The operation of the device will now be readily understood. A receptacle
containing a full spool of film preferably having pieces of black paper secured to
the ends of the film, one of which is attached to the spool and the other extending
out through a slot in the receptacle, is placed in its chamber and the slot in the
end of the spool is engaged with the rib on the arbor and another receptacle
having an empty spool therein is placed in the other chamber in the holder, the
A piece of paper
slot in its spool engaging with the rib of the winding arbor.
being secured to this spool or roller is extended 'through a slot in the receptacle

page_text: led over the film support and connected with the piece on the supply spool, then
the cover plate is secured in position and the winding arbor is turned until an
exposure of film is drawn over the film support, the movement necessary for this.
being determined by the length of the paper on the outer end of the film on the
supply spool. The film is now exposed in the camera in the usual manner and it
is assumed that the film spool was arrested when the first exposure was wound
forward, by the movement of the locking detent. At the same time the notch of
the retaining dog engages the pin and holds the detent so that it will not.
immediately drop back into engagement with the notch in the collar. Then the
winding arbor is turned and a new exposure of film wound forward and just
before the rotation of the supply spool is completed, the pin on the arbor engages
the retaining dog and moves it in to position allowing the projection to rest on
the periphery of the collar so that on the continued movement of the film and the
rotation of the supply-spool the projection will drop into its notch and arrest the
movement of the spool, after which the film can be stretched or strained slightly
so as to cause it to lie flat on the support the backward movement being prevented
by the pawl.
When the detent is moved to release the spool, the pawl engaging the counter
disc turns the latter one tooth and displays the next succeeding number through
the aperture in the plate indicating the number of exposures and enabling the
operator to readily determine how many are left. The numbers on the counter
disc corresponding to the number of exposures contained in a full spool.
When the arbor is engaged by the detent, the film marking device will be
operated from the latter in the manner previously described.
While it is not necessary, I prefer to employ the milled head on the supply
spool so that if necessary the operator may move the spool slightly to put the film
under tension by rotating the spool backward in the event of its becoming loose
from any cause.
While it is desirable to provide a disc having a notch engaged
by the detent, this is not essential as a single tooth or projection would perform
the function of the side of the notch from which the arbor moves, that could be
engaged at the proper time by the projection or its equivalent.
This locking and counting device is cheap, readily applied and has been found
in practice admirably adapted for the purpose and the measuring of the film into
exposures by the rotation of the supply spool is found to answer all practical
purposes though of course where large rolls of film are employed it is preferable
to use a measuring roller operated by the film. It will be understood that this
invention could be as well applied to the measuring roll of roll-holders of the
ordinary or any preferred construction.
The details may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention.
Dated this 19th day of January 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Roll-holders for Photographic
Films.
A communication from FRANK A. BROWNELL, of Rochester, in the County of
Monroe, and State of New York, United States of America.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, 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:-
The present invention relates to the film carrying and feeding devices of roll-
holders for photographic film and has for its object to improve particularly the
construction and operation of the measuring and arresting devices for arresting the

page_text: Fig. 4 is a view of the exterior parts when in the position shown in Figure 3.
Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively interior and exterior views of the locking device
just before being arrested.
Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line y-y of Fig. 1.
Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 2-z of Fig. 1.
Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view of a roll-holder embodying these improvements,
and
Fig. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same taken on the line --x of
Fig. 1.
Similar reference numerals indicate similar parts in the several figures.
The casing 1 is, in the construction shown, adapted to be applied to the back of
a photographic camera of any desired construction, said casing being divided into
two longitudinal compartments by means of a partition 2 to which is secured a film
support or table 3 having at one edge an anti-friction roller 4, while the other
edge is rounded so that the film may be moved from one compartment over the
table or support and back to the other without undue friction and may be held,
while the exposure is being made, perfectly flat upon the support.
The flexible photographic film 5 is, in the present construction, wound upon
spools 6 supported in bearings in boxes or receptacles 7 adapted to be inserted
into the compartments in the holder casing, and the outer end of the casing is
closed by a cover plate 8 secured in position by means of a screw 9 adapted to be
operated from the exterior of the casing and engaging a nut 10 secured to the
partition pièce 2, or other suitable fastening devices could be employed. The
boxes 7 containing the film spools are provided at one corner with a slit or
opening 11 for the passage of the film into and out of the boxes. The ends of the
spools are provided with slots 12 for the entrance of ribs or projections on the
winding and measuring devices as will be hereafter explained.
The film winding or feeding devices consist, in the present instance, of an
arbor 13, Fig. 10, journalled in the casing-end and having on its inner end a rib or
projection 14 arranged to enter the corresponding groove 12 in the end of the spool
and provided on its outer end with an operating handle 15 and secured in place by
a plate 16, and also provided with the usual ratchet mechanism 17 for preventing
the reverse movement of arbor. Arranged at the corresponding end of the other
longitudinal compartment in the casing is an arbor 18 journalled in a plate 19 and
provided on its inner end with a rib or flange 20 arranged to enter the slot 12 in
the end of the spool located in the compartment. It will be understood that the
receptacle 7 containing the spool of unexposed film is inserted in the compartment
to the left of Fig. 9 and the end of the spcol engaged with the arbor 18 and the
film is extended over the support 3 and attached by any suitable means to the
roller 6 in the receptacle 7 in the other compartment, which roller is engaged with
the key or handle 15 so that the revolution of the arbor 18 can be seen from the
exterior of the holder.
In practice the breadth of the support is made approximately equal to the
'circumference of the spool when containing half its normal quantity of film, so
that each revolution of the supply spool will indicate that approximately the
quantity of film necessary for a single exposure has been moved forward over the
support, therefore if the supply spool is arrested and the film is marked at the edge
of the support 3 at each revolution of the supply spool, the operator will not be

page_text: in any danger of winding forward more than the amount of film necessary for a
single exposure and he will be enabled, by means of the designating mark, to
readily sever the film into the separate exposures. Upon the outer side of the
plate 19 is arranged a locking detent or lever 21 secured to an arbor 22 journalled
in the plate 19 and extending around a collar 23 secured to the arbor 18 the latter
having on its outer end a milled head 24. The collar 23 is provided with a recess 25
and the locking detent 21 with a projection 26 adapted to enter said recess and
arrest the rotation of the arbor and spocl. At the forward or free end of the
detent 21 is a screw or pin 27 extending through a slot in the plate 19 and operated
upon by one end of a spring 28, which in turn is coiled around a screw 29, its
other end passing through a lug 30 secured to the under or inner side of the
plate 19. The tendency of this spring is to move the detent 21 in a direction to
cause the engagement of the projection 26 with the recess 25 and if this projection
rested normally on the periphery of the collar 23 the engagement would be effected
and the supply spool arrested at each revolution, but when the operator desired to
release the locking mechanism in order to wind forward another exposure of film,
the projection would immediately drop back into the recess and prevent the winding
operation unless some means were provided for holding it out of engagement after
being disengaged from the collar. In order to provide for this and to hold the.
detent out of engagement until just before another revolution of the spool is made,
a retaining dog 31 is provided, pivotted at 32 to the under or inner side of the
plate 19 and provided with a slight notch 33 adapted to engage the pin 27 on the
end of the detent 21 as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5. A spring 34 is passed around
the screw 29 one end engaging a flange 35 on the pawl 31 and pressing the latter
toward the arbor in a direction to cause the engagement of the notch 33 with the
pin 27. Arranged upon the arbor 18 is a pin 36 adapted, when the arbor is rotated,
to engage the retaining dog and nove it in a direction to disengage the pin 27 and
permit the projection 26 on the detent 21 to rest upon the collar 23. Journalled
loosely upon the arbor 18 is a ratchet counter disc 37 having upon its face next
the plate 19 a series of figures indicating the number of exposures and visible one
at a time through an aperture 40 in the plate 19. This disc is prevented from
backward rotation by the end of the spring 34, which engages with it, constituting
a pawl and upon the pin 27 attached to the detent 21 is pivotted a pawl 41 which
is held in engagement with the disc 37 by the spring 28 which engages with its
heel beyond its pivot and also moves the detent 21 into engagement with the
collar 23 so that when the detent 21 is moved by its operating handle 42 in a
direction to disengage the projection 26 from the collar 23 the counter disc or
ratchet wheel will be moved one tooth showing another number through the
aperture 40 and when the projection 26 on the detent 21 drops into the notch 25
the pawl 41 will move over the ratchet and engage the next succeeding tooth.
In order that the film may be properly marked after each exposure so that it
may be severed into separate negatives there is located at one end of the film
support 3, a small lever 45, Fig. 8, pivotted at 46, and having on its inner end a
pin or projection 47 adapted to perforate the film from the back when the lever
is moved on its pivot and extend the outer end of said lever through a perforation
in the end of a link 48 pivotted to the end of a lever arm 49 rigidly secured to
the arbor 22 the connection being such that when the locking detent 21 is thrown
into engagement by its spring to arrest the spool and the arbor 22 rotated, the
lever 45 is turned on its pivot and the pin passed through the film marking the
latter at the edge.
It will be understood that the lever 45 may be pivotted at its middle causing
the marking to take place when the spool is arrested or the location of the pivot
could be so changed that by the release of the detent the marker could be caused
to operate.
The operation of the device will now be readily understood. A receptacle 7
containing a full spool of film preferably having pieces of black paper secured to
the ends of the film, one of which is attached to the spool and the other extending

page_text: out through the slot 11 in the receptacle is placed in the chamber shown at the
right of Figs. 9 and 10 and the slot 12 in the end of the spool is engaged with
the rib 20 on the arbor 18 and another receptacle 7 having an empty spool 6 therein
is placed in the other chamber in the holder, the slot 12 in its spool 6 engaging
with the rib 14 of the winding arbor 13. A piece of paper being secured to
this spool or roller is extended through the slot 11 in the receptacle led over the
film support 3 and connected with the piece on the supply spool, then the cover
plate 8 is secured in position by means of the screw 9 or otherwise and the winding
arbor is turned until an exposure of film is drawn over the film support 3, the move-
ment necessary for this being determined by the length of the paper on the outer
end of the film on the supply spool. The film is now exposed in the camera in
the usual manner and it is assumed that the film spool was released when the
first exposure was wound forward, by the movement of locking detent 21 outward
disengaging the projection 26 from the collar 23. At the same time the notch 33
of the retaining dog 31 engages the pin 27 and holds the detent 21 in the position
shown in Figs. 3 and 4 so that it will not immediately drop back into engagement
with the notch in the collar. Then the winding arbor is turned in the direction
of the arrow, Fig.1, and a new exposure of film wound forward and just before
the rotation of the supply spool is completed, the pin 36 on the arbor engages the
retaining dog and moves it into the position shown in Fig. 5 allowing the projection 26
to rest on the periphery of the collar 23, as in Fig. 6, so that on the continued
movement of the film and the rotation of the supply spool the projection 26 will
drop into its notch 25 and arrest the movement of the spool, after which the film can
be stretched or strained slightly so as to cause it to lie flat on the support 3,
the backward movement being prevented by the ratchet and pawl device 17.
When the detent 21 is moved to release the spool, the pawl 41 engaging the counter
disc 37 turns the latter one tooth and displays the next succeeding number through
the aperture 40 in the plate 19 indicating the number of exposures and enabling
the operator to readily determine how many are left, the numbers on the counter
disc 37 corresponding to the number of exposures contained in a full spool.
When the arbor 18 is engaged by the detent 21 the film marking device will be
operated from the latter in the manner previously described.
While it is not necessary, it is preferred to employ the milled head 24 on the
supply spool so that if necessary the operator may move the spool slightly to put
the film under tension by rotating the spool backward in the event of its becoming
loose from any cause. While it is desirable to provide a disc or ring 23 having
a notch 25 engaged by the detent 21, this is not essential as a single tooth or
projection would perform the function of the side of the notch from which the
arbor 18 moves, that could be engaged at the proper time by the projection 26 or
its equivalent.
This locking and counting device is cheap, readily applied and has been found in
practice admirably adapted for the purpose, and the measuring of the film into
exposures by the rotation of the supply spool is found to answer all practical
purposes, though of course, where large rolls of film are employed it is preferable
to use a measuring roll operated by the film. It will be understood that this inven-
tion could be as well applied to the measuring roll of roll-holders of the ordinary
or any preferred construction.
The details may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I claim is,-
1. In a roll holder the combination with the rotatable arbor movable with the
film of a movable detent engaging the arbor for arresting it the retaining dog for
automatically engaging the detent and holding it out of engagement when released
and connections between the arbor and dog for disengaging the latter by the move-
ment of the former substantially as described.

page_text: 2. In a roll holder the combination with the rotatable arbor movable with the
film having the notched collar of the locking detent engaging said notch the
retaining dog for automatically engaging the detent and holding it out of engage-
ment when released from the notch and the movable projection for actuating the
dog and releasing the detent substantially as described.
3. In a roll holder the combination with the rotatable arbor movable with the film
having the notched collar of the locking detent engaging said notch the retaining
dog for automatically engaging the detent and holding it out of engagement when
released from the notch and connections between the arbor and dog for releasing
the latter and permitting the detent to engage the collar after the notch has moved
away from the detent substantially as described.
4. In a roll holder the combination with the rotatable arbor movable with the
film having the notched collar of the locking detent the counter disc the pawl
engaging it connected to the detent the retaining dog for automatically engaging
the detent and holding it out of engagement when released from the notch and
the movable projection operating the dog and releasing the detent substantially as
described.
5. In a roll holder the combination with the arbor movable with the film having
the projection for engaging a spool and the notched collar of the locking detent
engaging the notch the retaining dog automatically engaging the detent and holding
it out of engagement when released from the notch and the projection on the arbor
releasing the dog and permitting the detent to engage the collar after the notch
has moved away from the detent substantially as described.
6. In a roll holder the combination with the arbor movable with the film the
notched collar thereon the detent having the projection engaging the notch of the
spring for operating it the film marker connected to and operated by the movement
of the detent substantially as described.
7. In a roll holder embodying a film support the combination with the arbor
movable with the film of the detent engaging the same the spring operating the
detent the pivotted film marker on the film support the arm connected to the
detent and the link connecting said arm with the film marker substantially as
described.
8. In a roll holder the combination with the arbor movable with the film and
the detent engaging the same of the counter-disc having the teeth the pawl on the
detent engaging the counter and the spring engaging the heel of the pawl and
holding its end in engagement with the counter and operating in a direction
to cause the engagement of the detent with the arbor substantially as described.
9. The combination with arbor having the notch the detent and the spring for
operating it of the retaining dog and its spring and the dog releasing projection on
the arbor substantially as described.
10. The combination with the arbor having the notch the detent and the spring
for operating it of the retaining dog the projection on the arbor for releasing it the
counter disc on the arbor and the pawl on the detent for actuating said disc
substantially as described.
11. The combination with the arbor having the notch the detent the spring 28
and the pawl 41 of the retaining dog the releasing projection on the arbor the
spring 34 the lug 30 and the counter disc substantially as described.
12. The combination with the casing of the plate secured thereto having the
aperture 40 the arbor the counter disc on the arbor the detent pivotted on the plate
having the operating handle and engaging the arbor to arrest it the pawl on the
detent the film marker in the casing and connections between the detent and film
marker substantially as described.
13. In a film holder the combination with the open ended casing having the
stationary film support secured therein and the open ended slots at the ends
thereof for the passage of film said support removed from the back or bottom
leaving a space behind it of the end piece for the casing secured removably in

page_text: position whereby removable film rolls or boxes may be inserted endwise in
the casing with the film extending over the film support substantially as described.
14. In a film holder the combination with the casing having the vertical partition
and the stationary film support secured thereto forming two open ended compart-
ments open ended slots being left at the ends of the support of the removable
slotted boxes containing film adapted to be inserted endwise in the casing with the
film extending over the support and the end piece of the casing secured removably
in position substantially as described.
Dated this 10th day of October 1800
ALFRED J. BOULT,
Chartered Patent Agent.