Improvements in Photographic Printing Frames.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 26th July, 1894
'Complete Specification Left, 25th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 24th May, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Photographic Printing Frames.
I, CHARLES AMBROSE M°Evor, of 69 Victoria Street, in the City of
Westminster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
According to this invention a photographic printing frame is formed of two
frames hinged together at one side so that they may be closed together like the
leaves of a book. The central opening of one frame is to receive the glass plate
negative-the other the paper on which the print is to be made. Over the inner
face of each frame is fixed a thin metal plate with an opening through it of some-
what smaller dimensions than the opening through the frame itself so that the thin
metal plate projects slightly beyond the sides of the opening through the frame.
The glass plate is dropped into the opening of one frame from the back and is
pressed by springs up to the rim of thin sheet metal which is around the edge of
the opening. The paper is dropped into the opening of the other frame from the
back and its edges similarly rest on the thin sheet metal rim which is around the
opening of this frame. A wooden plate faced with soft elastic material is dropped
into the opening on to the paper and is pressed down on to it by spring catches―
so causing the edges of the paper to be held between the soft facing and the
projecting rim of thin sheet metal. The two frames are then closed together and
held closed by a suitable catch. In this way the paper is held by the soft elastic
material behind it against the face of the glass negative and is ready to be exposed
to light for printing. The advantage of constructing printing frames in this way
is that the frame can at any time be opened and the progress of the printing at once
seen the whole face of the paper being exposed to view when the printing frame is
opened instead of as in the ordinary frames half of the paper having to be turned
back and inspected and afterwards when this half has been replaced the other half
inspected. If when the printing frame has been opened the printing has not
progressed sufficiently the frame can be again closed and the paper be so again
brought accurately into position below the glass negative to be again exposed
to light.
The wooden plate may be held down onto the paper by a curved spring catch or
catches such as used in ordinary frames the spring turning on a pin at one side of
the back of the frame and sprung under an arm fixed to the other side the central
portion of the spring then bearing upon the back of the wooden plate. The glass
may be held by springs made to bear upon one edge of thin wooden strips which at
their opposite edge bear against the back of the glass along its side edges.
Dated this 26th day of July 1894.

page_text: Improvements in Photographic Printing Frames.
I, CHARLES AMBROSE MCEVOY, of 60 Victoria Street, in the City of
Westminster, Engineer, 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 :-
According to this invention a photographic printing frame is formed of two
frames hinged together at one side so that they may be closed together like the
leaves of a book. The central opening of one frame is to receive the glass plate
negative the other the paper on which the print is to be made. Over the inner
face of each frame is fixed a thin metal plate with an opening through it of
somewhat smaller dimensions than the opening through the frame itself so that the
thin metal plate projects slightly beyond the sides of the opening through the
frame. The glass plate is dropped into the opening of one frame from the back
and is pressed up to the rim of thin sheet metal which is around the edge of the
opening. The paper is dropped into the opening of the other frame from the back
and its edges similarly rest on the thin sheet metal rim which is around the opening
of this frame. A wooden plate faced with soft elastic material is dropped into the
opening on to the paper and is pressed down on to it by spring catches-so causing
the edges of the paper to be held between the plate carrying the soft facing and
the projecting rim of thin sheet metal. The two frames are then closed together
and held closed by a suitable catch or catches. In this way the paper is held by
the soft elastic material behind it against the face of the glass negative and is
ready to be exposed to light for printing. The advantage of constructing printing
frames in this way is that the frame can at any time be opened and the progress of
the printing at once seen the whole face of the paper being exposed to view when
the printing frame is opened instead of as in the ordinary frames half of the paper
having to be turned back and inspected and afterwards when this half has been
replaced the other half inspected. If when the printing frame has been opened the
printing has not progressed sufficiently the frame can be again closed and the paper
be so again brought accurately into position below the glass negative to be again
exposed to light.
The wooden plate may be held down onto the paper by a curved spring catch or
catches such as used in ordinary frames the spring turning on a pin at one side of
the back of the frame and sprung under an arm fixed to the other side the central
portion of the spring then bearing upon the back of the wooden plate. The
glass may be held by thin strips made to bear against opposite edges of the back
of the glass.
In the drawings annexed I have shown two examples of photographic printing
frames constructed according to my invention.
Figure 1 is a cross section of one form of the printing frame when open.
Figure 2 is a back view of the same and Figure 3 a front view.
Figure 4 is an edge view of one end of the frame and Figure 5 is an edge view of
the front side.
Figure 6 is a face view partly in section of a portion of the frame in which the
glass negative is held and shows one form of holder for holding the glass within the
frame,
Figure 7 is an edge view of this glass holder.
Figure 8 is a cross section of a glass holding frame showing a modified way of
holding the glass within it.
Figures 9 and 10 show a back view and section of a printing frame in which
another modified way of holding the glass is adopted.
A is a thin metal plate having through it a central opening A' at the back of

page_text: which is to be held the glass plate negative. B is a corresponding thin metal plate
having through it a central opening B' at the back of which is to be held the paper
to be printed on.
CC¹are wooden frames secured to the back of the thin plates A B respectively
and having openings through them of somewhat larger size than the openings A' B¹.
I I are hinges by which these frames are hinged together.
D is a plate faced with velvet or other soft elastic material D*-this plate fits
into the opening in the frame Ct. E is a spring catch on the back of this frame
for holding the plate D within the frame and pressing it towards the metal
plate B.
The paper to be printed on is cut to fit within the opening of the frame and is
dropped into the opening from the back-the plate D is then also dropped into the
opening with its facing Dx of soft elastic material towards the paper. The spring
catch E is then turned into the position shown in Figure 2 so as to hold the plate
in position and cause the edges of the paper to be held between it and the metal
plate B. The soft facing Dx bearing upon the back of the paper causes it to bulge
outwards slightly through the central opening of this metal plate.
The frame on the back of the thin plate A which is to hold the glass
negative has a recess C* formed in it all around the central opening in the frame.
The recess extends to one end of the frame as shown in Figure 4 and by dotted
lines in Figure 2. The glass negative is of a size to allow of its being slipped into
the recess from the end shown in Figure 4 and as the recess is made of a depth
somewhat greater than the thickness of the glass negative the negative can be
slipped into place without the film on its surface being rubbed against the thin
plate A. F F are two blocks of the material known as vulcanized fibre or other
comparatively soft and somewhat elastic substance-these blocks lie in recesses in
the face of the frame C on opposite sides of the central opening. On the face
of each block is secured an arched spring G-the ends of the spring bear against
the back of the metal plate A and tend to keep the blocks pressed away from this
plate. Each block is of such a size that one of its ends extends to the edge of the
opening A' in the plate A. H H are screws screwing into metal plates H¹ fixed to
the back of the frame C. By screwing inwards the screws H their ends can be
made to bear against the back of the blocks F.
When the glass negative has been slipped into place the ends of the blocks F
which extend to the edge of the opening A' are made to press against the back
of the glass and to nip the glass between themselves and the plate A.
When the glass negative and the paper have thus been secured in the frames A
and B the two frames may be brought together face to face and when locked in
this position are ready to be exposed to light for printing.
In place of the arrangement above described for holding the glass within the
frame other arrangements for keeping it pressed firmly against the back of the
metal plate A might be adopted.
In the modification shown by Figure 8 the arrangement is such that the glass
with the negative picture may be placed directly upon the thin plate A in lieu of
being slidden end wise to its position. The clips F are so arranged that they can
slide a short distance in and out.
The clips are drawn back to allow the edges of the glass to pass them, they
are then pushed in over the edges and screws H are tightened down upon them.
In the figure one of the clips is represented as drawn back whilst the other is
in the position it occupies when pushed in to overlap the edge of the glass.
The modification shown by Figure 8 is desirable more especially where the
negative film is not attached to the glass but is upon celluloid, gelatine or such
like flexible material.
In the modification shown at Figures 9 and 10 the glass with the negative picture
can also be placed directly upon the thin plate A in lieu of being slidden endwise
into position. In this modification the glass when in place is held down on to the
plate A by thin strips of wood K which extend along the whole length of the side

page_text: edges of the glass-the strips are pressed into place between the edges of the
glass and springs L fixed to the back of the wooden frame.
When so pressed into position the springs yield and keep them bearing down
firmly onto the glass.
In the printing frame shown in these figures the portions of thin metal plates A
and B against the back of which the glass and paper to be printed on are
respectively held, in place of forming parts of flat plates which cover the front
surface of the frames C C₁ are formed as flanges on metal plates which are fixed
to the sides of the central opening in the wooden frames.
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 :-
1. A photographic printing frame composed of two frames hinged together-
with a central opening through each, one to receive a glass, the other the paper
to be printed on, and with a flange of thin sheet metal extending inwards on the
inner face of each all around the opening and means for holding the edges of the
glass and paper respectively against the back face of these flanges and a soft pad
to bear against the central portion of the back of the paper to hold it against
the glass when the frame is closed.
2. A photographic printing frame constructed substantially as herein before
described and illustrated in the drawings annexed.
Dated this 24th day of April 1895.