Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 24th May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 21st Feb., 1893-Accepted, 8th Apr., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
We, CONRAD BECк, of 68 Cornhill, London, E.C., Optician, and JOSEPH
THACHER CLARKE, of Boston, Massachusetts, a citizen of the United States, at
present residing at 3 College Road, Harrow, Middlesex, Architect, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to photographic cameras intended for the separation and
manipulation of a pack of sensitized films or cards, such as that described in
Clarke's Specification No. 11891 of 1890. In apparatus of this description a
frame or holder, turning upon an axis, contains a pack or series of films or cards
which are separated and deposited by simultaneously acting selecting devices
working upon the front of the holder. When released from the said holder and
deposited in another pack or series the films or cards have hitherto been held in
position by a retaining device or presser foot which was raised when a sheet or film
was to be deposited from the holder, and was afterwards returned to bear upon and
retain the deposited films or cards.
Our present improvement has for its purpose to replace the beforementioned
retaining device or presser foot by a flexible and movable dividing band or septum,
which, when the holder is in position for an exposure, intervenes between this and
the pack of deposited films, and which is capable of being turned out of the way
by the rotation of the holder when this is moved for the purpose of releasing and
depositing the exposed films or cards. Such a septum may be formed of a strip
of cloth or leather, a band of exceedingly flexible metal (as, for instance, sheet
steel or phosphor bronze about three or five thousandths of an inch thick), or of
any similar suitable material.
When it is introduced into a photographic camera having a chamber for the
reception of the deposited films or cards situated at the bottom of the case, at
right angles to the holder, it has been found advantageous to hinge or otherwise
attach the lower edge of the septum to a low transverse partition strip so con-
structed upon the bottom of the camera body as not to exclude the light of the
lens from the holder. The upper end of the septum may be similarly attached to
the cross-bar or flap which forms the back of the holder and provides the abutment
for the spring tending to press the pack of unexposed films forward against the
separating devices upon the front of the holder. The width of the septum may be
made nearly equal to the clear interior width of the camera itself; while the
length may be somewhat greater than the distance between the partition to which
its lower end is attached and the bar or flap upon the back of the holder to which
its upper end is attached.
If the chamber for the reception of the exposed and deposited films be situated
behind and parallel to the holder, the flexible septum may be attached by its lower
end to the bottom of the case at some point between the receiving chamber and the
holder, and by its upper end to the top of the holder itself.
In both cases it is requisite to reverse the direction in which the holder has
hitherto been rotated, in such wise that the top of the holder is moved away
from, instead of towards, the lens. By this motion, after a revolution of
two hundred and seventy degrees or thereabouts, the septum is lifted out of the
way of the falling films or cards. When the holder is in its normal position,
ready for an exposure, the septum intervenes (as before said) between the pack of
unexposed and the pack of exposed and deposited films, thus preventing the latter
from falling into the body of the camera when this is placed upon its side. A
D

page_text: the same time it shields the pack of exposed and deposited films from the light
admitted through the lens during the act of exposure.
The notable advantages of our invention, as compared with the presser foot
which it is designed to supplant, are economy in manufacture, and the assurance
that by no irregularity or other failure of reciprocal action on the part of the
presser foot can a sheet or film be dropped into the body of the camera, between
the lens and the holder.
Dated this 24th day of May 1899
CONRAD BECK.
JOSEPH THACHER CLARKE.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
We, CONRAD BECK, Optician, of 68 Cornhill, London, E.C., Middlesex, and
JOSEPH THACHER CLARKE, Architect, of Boston, Massachusetts, at present
residing at 3 College Road, Harrow, Middlesex, 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 :-
Our invention relates to photographic cameras intended for the separation and
storing of a pack of sensitized sheets or films, such as that described in Clarke's
Specification No. 11891 of 1890.
In apparatus of this description a frame or holder, turning upon an axis, con-
tains a pack or series of sheets or films which can be separated and discharged
seriatim by simultaneously acting selecting devices, working upon the front of the
holder. When released from the said holder and deposited in another pack or
series the sheets or films have hitherto been held in position by a retaining device,
or presser foot, which has been raised when a sheet or film was to be discharged'
from the holder, and has afterwards been returned to bear upon and retain them.
Our present improvement has for its purpose to replace the before-mentioned
presser foot by a flexible dividing band or septum, which, when the holder is in
position for an exposure, intervenes between this and the pack of discharged films,
and which is turned out of the way by the rotation of the holder when this is
revolved for the purpose of releasing and depositing the exposed films.
This
septum may be formed of a strip of cloth or leather, or of a band of exceedingly
flexible metal, such as, for instance, sheet steel or phosphor bronze, not more than
from 3 to 5 thousandths of an inch in thickness, or of any similar suitable material.
Preference is given, in present practice, to a black silk ribbon of heavy texture,
having a selvage upon both sides.
When this dividing band or septum is introduced into a photographic camera
having the chamber for the reception of the exposed and discharged films or cards
situated at the bottom of the case, at right angles to the holder, it has been found
advantageous to hinge or otherwise attach the lower edge of the septum to a low
transverse partition strip so constructed upon the bottom of the camera body as not
to exclude the light of the lens from any portion of the foremost film contained.
within the holder. The upper end of the septum may be similarly attached to the
cross-bar or flap which forms the back of the holder and provides the abutment
for the spring tending to press the pack of unexposed films forward against the
separating devices upon the front of the holder.
The width of the septum may be made nearly equal to the clear interior width
of the camera itself; its length may be somewhat greater than the distance
between the partition, to which its lower end is affixed, and the cross-bar or flap
upon the back of the holder, to which its upper end is attached.
If the chamber for the reception of the exposed and deposited films be situated.
at the back of the case, behind and parallel to the holder; the flexible septum may
be attached by its lower end to the bottom of the case, at some point between the

page_text: receiving chamber and the holder, and by its upper end to the top of the holder
itself.
In both cases it is necessary to reverse the direction in which the holder has
hitherto been rotated, in such wise that the top of the holder is at first moved away
from, instead of towards, the lens. By this rotation, after the holder has traversed
an are of 270°, or of 180°, respectively, the septum is lifted out of the way of the
falling films. When the holder is in its normal position, ready for an exposure, the
septum intervenes, (as before explained) between the pack of unexposed films in
the holder and the pack of exposed and deposited films, thus preventing the latter
from falling into the body of the camera when this is placed upon its side, or
turned upside down. At the same time it shields the pack of exposed and deposited
films from light admitted through the lens during the act of exposure.
In order that our invention may be fully and clearly understood, and readily
carried into practice by those skilled in the art, we will now particularly describe,
with reference to the appended drawings, our improved dividing band or septum as
practically applied to film changing cameras of the two types before specified.
Figure 1 is a side view of the rear portion of a photographic camera having the
chamber for the reception of the exposed and discharged films situated at the
bottom of the camera. In this view the side casing of the camera is removed for
the purpose of displaying the interior mechanism.
Figure 2 shows the same camera, in the same view, with the film holder
revolved, and the septum thereby passed aside, to that position in which the films
may be discharged from the holder and deposited upon the bottom of the case.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the same camera, with the holder in its normal
position, the casing being removed from one side.
In the arrangement shown in these three illustrations the film holder 1 is centered
upon the axis 2, by means of which it can be revolved from the outside of the case.
The edges of the holder 1 are provided with selecting devices 3, which may be of
either of the forms described in the before-mentioned Letters Patent 11891 of 1890,
or which may be of any other suitable design. We wish it to be clearly under-
stood that these selecting devices form no part of our present invention. The back
of the holder, into which the unexposed films, together with their pressure board,
are introduced, is provided with a cross-bar or flap 4, which may be conveniently
hinged to the bottom of the holder 1, and be locked with a suitable bolt or catch.
To this flap 4 is attached one end of the flexible septum 5, the other end being
preferably affixed to a partition 6. This partition 6, which extends entirely across
the camera, is high enough to raise the foremost end of the septum 5 above the
pack or series of exposed and discharged films 7, but is not so high as to
interfere with the revolution of the holder 1, or with the rays of light which are,
during a photographic exposure, admitted through the lens in the front of the
camera to the foremost sensitized surface in the holder. A convenient mode of
attaching the septum to its supports is provided by the strips or slats 8 and 9, of
wood or thin sheet metal, which are fastened by screws to the back of the flap 4 and
to the top of the partition 6, respectively, the ends of the septum being thus securely
clamped.
If the septum be somewhat lengthened, for the purpose of permitting the
holder to be revolved forwards beyond its normal perpendicular position (as it
must be when the holder is made to serve as a "swing back"), and if the material
of which the septum is made be so light in texture that it does not fall by its own
weight, and be so supple that it does not tend to spring downwards when the holder
is returned, hence becoming liable to curl up between the partition 6 and the
holder 1, so as to obscure some portion of the foremost film within the holder from
the light admitted through the lens, during a photographic exposure, the septum
may be advantageously weighed down by the attachment to it, at a suitable distance
from that end which is affixed to the partition 6, of light weights, such as 10, which
suffice to bend it downwards when the holder is in its normal position. These

page_text: weights 10 may be attached to the septum in any convenient manner, as for instance
by tightly bending over its edges small discs of sheet lead, or by sewing bits of any
heavy material upon it.
During the operation of film changing, cameras of this type are held in an
approximately horizontal position, with the axis of the holder at the sides of the
case, as shown in Fig. 2.
When the holder 1 is revolved through an arc of 270°, or thereabouts, in the
direction of the arrow A Fig. 1, for the purpose of depositing the foremost film
upon the bottom of the camera, the flexible septum 5,-which otherwise intervenes
between the holder 1 and the pack or series of exposed and discharged films 7,-
is removed to the position shown in Fig. 2, where it is out of the way of the film 11
which is représented as dropping from the holder.
On the holder 1 being returned to its normal position, ready for the next exposure,
the septum 5 again intervenes between the pack of exposed films 7 and the holder 1,
thus preventing the exposed films from falling into the body of the camera when this
is turned sideways or upside down, and furthermore shielding the sensitive surface
of the exposed films from the light which is admitted through the lens during the
act of photographic exposure.
Figure 4 is a side view of the rear portion of a photographic camera having the
chamber for the reception of the exposed and discharged films situated at the back
of the camera, behind the holder. In this view the side casing of the camera is
removed for the purpose of displaying the interior mechanism.
Figure 5 shows the same camera pointed upwards in the act of film changing,
with the holder revolved, and the septum thereby passed aside, to that position in
which the films may be discharged from the holder and deposited at the back of the
case. In this view the side casing is likewise removed.
In the arrangement shown by these two illustrations the film holder 12, provided
with suitable selecting devices 13, is centered upon the axis 14, by means of which
it may be revolved from the outside of the case. The back of the holder is closed
by a cross-bar or flap 15, similar to the corresponding feature of the holder 1, above
described. From this flap 15 projects a moulding 16, to which is attached one end
of the flexible septum 17. The purpose of this projecting moulding 16 is to hold
the end of the septum more nearly in the line of revolution of the holder 12 (shown
by the arrow B in Fig. 4) than it would be were it attached directly to the back of
the flap 15, and thus to prevent the pack of exposed films 18 from leaning farther
forwards than is necessary or desirable. The other end of the septum 17 is affixed
to the bottom of the case, at a suitable distance from the back of the camera to
allow for the thickness of the pack of exposed and discharged films 18. The ends
of the septum may be conveniently attached by the slats 19 and 20, fastened by
screws to the projecting moulding 16, and to the bottom of the case, respectively.
During the operation of film changing, cameras of this type are held back down-
wards, with the lens pointing to the zenith, as shown in Fig. 5.
When the holder 12 is revolved through an arc of 180°, or thereabouts, in the
direction of the arrow B, Fig. 4, for the purpose of depositing the foremost film
upon the back of the camera, the flexible septum 17,-which otherwise intervenes
between the holder 12 and the pack or series of exposed and discharged films 18,-
is removed to the position shown in Fig. 5, where it is out of the way of the film 21
which is represented as dropping from the holder.
On the holder 12 being returned to its normal position, ready for the next
exposure, the septum 17 again intervenes between the pack of exposed films 18 and 5
the holder 12, thus preventing the exposed films from falling into the body of the
camera when this is held horizontally or upside down.
The advantages of our improved dividing band or septum for film changing
cameras are, as compared with the presser foot mechanism which it is designed to
supplant in the first place a notable economy in manufacture; in the second place, 5
the all-important assurance that by no irregularity or other failure of reciprocal
:

page_text: action on the part of the presser foot mechanism can a discharged sheet or film be
dropped into the body of the camera, on top of the presser foot, so as to lodge
between the lens and the holder.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :
In a photographic camera for the separation and storing of a pack or series of
sensitized sheets or films, the combination with a revolving holder, such as 1 or 12,
of a flexible septum such as 5 or 17, substantially as and for the purposes herein-
before set forth.
Dated this 21st dor of February 1802
CONRAD BECK.
JOSEPH THACHER CLARKE.