IMPROVEMENTS IN CAMERAS
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Apr., 1886.
Complete Left, 19th Jan., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 22nd Feb., 1887.
1, WILLIAM MIDDLEMISS, of Alice St. Bradford, Yorkshire, Camera Maker, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN CAMERAS, to be as
follows:-
The first part of my invention has relation to the camera front and its object is to
enable the front to be readily fixed in position, and to be folded into the camera
bottom.
The camera front to which the bellows is attached is made to slide between the
sides of a forked frame as usual. To the sides of this forked frame are attached with
set screws, two brass strutts, and the ends of these two brass strutts are pivoted to
the frame which travels in the camera bottom. At the bottom ends of the sides of
this forked frame two pins are fixed, and these pins are made to go into two hollow
When the pins are placed
places at the front end of the frame in the camera bottom.
in these hollow places, two brass turnbuttons or catches, are made to turn over them
to prevent their lifting out, thus it will be seen the forked frame may be swung
backward and forward, and fixed in position by means of the two strutts.
When it is required to fold up the front, the bottom end of the forked frame, is
released, slided on the camera bottom to the back end, and the combination of forked
frame, strutts, and camera front, laid down in camera bottom with its face downwards.
The second part of my invention relates to the camera back and its object is, to
enable the camera back to be readily moved from one end of the camera bottom to
the other.
The camera back is pivoted between two brass plates to these two brass plates are
also pivoted, the bottom ends of the two strutts which keep the camera back in
position. These two brass plates are made to slide against the sides of the camera
bottom, from one end to the other. To the sides of the camera bottom are fixed two
brass plates, having slots made down the centre of them, and behind these plates are
made to slide two bolts or set screws.
By means of these two bolts the brass plates, to which camera body & strutis are
pivoted, may be fixed at any part of the camera bottom.

page_text: I, WILLIAM MIDDLEMISS of Alice Street, Bradford, in the County of York, Camera
Maker 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 first part of my invention relates to the camera front, and its object is to to
enable the camera front to be readily fixed in position for working, or easily folded
into the camera bottom, when it is required to close the camera.
The camera front A to which one end of the bellows is attached, is made to slide
between the two sides B. B. of a forked frame. To the sides of this forked frame the
top. ends of two strutts C. C. are attached by means of two bolts & nuts D. D. The
bottom ends of these strutts are pivoted to the franie which slides in the camera
'bottom.
At the bottom end of the sides of this forked frame B. B two pins E E project, and
these two pins are made to drop into two sockets in travelling frame in camera
bottom. When these pins are placed in their sockets two buttons F F. are made to
turn over them to prevent them being lifted out.
It will thus be seen that the forked frame in which the camera front works may be
swing backwards and forward and fixed in position by means of the two sets screws or
bolts D. D. and the two strutts C. C. When it is required to fold up the camera, the
bottom end of the forked frame is released by turning the buttons F. F. then slided on
the camera bottom and the whole combination of camera front, forked frame and
strutts, laid down in the camera bottom as shown in plan Fig. 2.
The second part of my invention relates to the camera back, and its object is to
enable the camera back to be readily moved from one end of the camera bottom to to
the other without detaching any part.
The camera back G. is pivoted between two side plates H. H. To these side plates
are also pivoted the bottom ends of the two strutts I. I which keep the camera back in
position. The top ends of these two strutts are fixed to the sides of the camera back
by means of the two set screws. J. J.
The two side plates H. H. are made to slide against 'the sides of the camera bottom
from one end to the other. To the sides of the camera bottom are fixed two brass
plates K. K. having slots down the centre of them, and behind the slots are made to
slide two bolts or set screws L. L. By means of these two bolts the two side
plates H. H. to which the camera back and strutts are,attached, may be fixed at any
part of the length of the camera bottom.
Fig. 1. is an elevation shewing camera front & back in position for work.
Fig. 2. is a plan shewing camera front & its supports folded into the camera bottom.
Fig. 3. is an elevation of the camera back.
Fig. 4. is an elevation of the camera-front-and-its-supports.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is-
1. The method of pivoting the forked frame as described.
2. The method of folding the camera front & its supports into the camera bottom,
without having to detach the camera front from its supports, as before described.
3. The two slide plates H. H.
4. The method of sliding these two plates, and the camera back and strutts which
are fastened to these plates, from one end of camera bottom to the other, as before
described.
5. The method of fixing the side plates H. H. where required by means of the two
slot plates K. K. & the two bolts L. L.
6. The combination of camera front, strutts forked frame, pins, sockets, and buttons,
as before described.
7. The combination of camera back, side plates slot. plates, strutts & set screws as
before described.
WILLIAM MIDDLEMISS.