Improvements in Automatic Apparatus for Successively Presenting to View Photographic Pictures or Slides in Stereoscopes, Optical Lanterns, and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 11th Apr., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 21st Dec., 1899-Accepted, 17th Mar., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Apparatus for Successively Presenting
to View Photographic Pictures or Slides in Stereoscopes, Optical
Lanterns, and the like.
I, LOUIS JOSEPH EMMANUEL COLARDEAU, Professor, of 29, Avenue Trudaine,
and JULES RICHARD, Manufacturer of Philosophical Instruments, of 8, Impasse
Fessart, both in Paris in the Republic of France, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
-
Our invention relates to improvements in automatic apparatus for consecutively
presenting to view photographic pictures or slides in stereoscopes, optical lanterns
and the like.
The object of our invention is to permit the examination, successively, of a
collection of photographic pictures or slides (for example, positives on glass)
methodically arranged in grooved boxes, by the withdrawal of each of these
slides in its proper order of arrangement and the placing of the same before
an optical system (steresocope, optical lantern or the like), so that each slide can
be examined and then automatically replaced in the box, without changing the
order of arrangement, this being effected without necessitating the performance
by the operator of any but the most simple movements, such, for instance, as the
rotation of a crank or of a button, the reciprocation of a lever or the like.
To enable our invention to be readily understood, we have shown, in the
accompanying drawings, but as an example only, one form or arrangement of
our improved apparatus for changing the pictures or slides.
In this drawing:
Figure 1 is a side view of an automatic changing apparatus, constructed
according to our said invention with the wall of the box removed.
Figure 2 shows a vertical longitudinal central section of the said apparatus.
Figure 3 shows, in vertical longitudinal section, the position of the operative
parts during the working of the apparatus.
Figure 4 shows a horizontal section on the line A, B, Figure 3.
Figure 5 shows a vertical transverse section on the line C, D, Figure 3.
Figure 6 is a face view of the apparatus, the front wall and eye-pieces being
removed.
Figure 7 is a front view of the optical arrangement which permits the title
inscribed between the views under examination to be read, and

page_text: Figure 8 shows a horizontal section of the same.
Figure 9 is a plan view of the grooved box.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
The apparatus is composed of a grooved box a without any lid, the bottom of
which is provided with two longitudinal openings b for the passage of the arms c.
The pictures or slides h to be examined are placed in the grooves of this box a.
The said box a is mounted on a carriage d capable of moving horizontally in
a direction perpendicular to the plane of the slides h.
The arms c, arranged parallel to the plane of the slides, are guided by vertical
guide-ways e and form, with the guide-blocks i, a movable frame to which a
vertical reciprocating motion is imparted. When the arms c are moved upward
they carry with them one of the slides h, taking it out of the groove in the box w
in which it rests and conducting it into a cut-out or open frame f fixed upon the
guide-ways e and facing the optical apparatus g so that this slide can be examined
by the observer.
The guide-blocks in descending replace the slide in the box a in the
position it originally occupied therein, and the screen carried by the said
guide-blocks obscures the light streaming through the ground glass z in such a
manner as to give a rest to the eye of the observer during the changing of the
slides. During all this time the box a and the carriage d remain in one
position. As soon as the said slide has been replaced the box a is moved by the
carriaged through a distance equal to that which separates two consecutive
slides.
The next slide having then taken the place, relatively to the vertical guide-
ways e, of the slide just examined, is raised in its turn by the arms, then
examined and replaced by another up and down movement of the guide-blocks,
and so on until the entire series of slides filling the box have been placed suc-
cessively before the eye-pieces g.
The two movements necessary to obtain this series of operations, that is to say,
the vertical reciprocating movement of the guide-blocks and the arms, and the
horizontal progressive movement of the carriage are obtained by the following
arrangement While the apparatus is at rest with one of the slides / raised in
front of the eye-pieces and supported in that position by the arms c, the hand-
lever is in its elevated position and the lever 7 occupies the position shown in
Figures 1 and 2.
follows this movement and the
During this time the arms e
groove of the box .
When
If the land-lever is now depressed, the lever
arm m actuates a rod carrying a spring catch o.
are lowered and restore the slide h to its particular
the catch o comes in contact with the lever p. the latter is displaced and carries
with it the pawl g carried thereby, and the said pawl is released from one of the
teeth of the rack on the carriage d, so that it engages the next succeeding
tooth. A stop-pawls prevents backward movement of the carriage during this
operation.
The continued oscillatory movement of the lever brings the said lever
into contact with the spring of the catch o in such a manner as to release the
said catch. The lever is thus freed and its spring t returns it to its original
position. At the same time the pawl g is returned and moves forward the
carriage and the box a so as to bring the next slide h above the arms c.
If the hand-lever is then permitted to rise, the lever 1, urged upwards by
the action of the spring u, carries with it the arms c, thereby raising this next
slide h into the fixed frame f so that it can be examined by the observer, and so
on successively for all the series of slides contained in the box.
If the observer wishes to know the title or subject of the slide while he is
examining the apparatus, the detailed description of this subject is written on
the slide in the free space h¹ in the middle between the pictures for the right
and left eyes respectively. For this purpose the exterior hand-lever is operated
so that the optical arrangement, carried by the lever and shown separately

page_text: (Figures 7 and 8), is placed in front of the eye-pieces between these latter and
the photographic slide.
This optical arrangement, when not in use, is held above the photographic slide
by the action of the spring y and consists of a fixed vertical mirror I inclined at
an angle of 45° to the plane of the slides, reflecting horizontally, on a parallel
mirror 2 carried by the lever, the luminous rays issuing from the inscription
written in the space h', in such a manner that the left eye can thus read, by
double reflexion, the said writing.
•
As long as this arrangement is not intercalated between the slide and the
eye-pieces, the left-hand picture, as well as the right-hand picture, will be
visible and the stereoscopic effect will be produced if the eye-pieces are set in
position on the slide. When the mirror is lowered by operating the hand-lever v,
the characters inscribed between the left and right-hand pictures will be plainly
seen if a concave lens 3 of suitable focal length is interposed between the niirror 2
and the eye-pieces g. In this manner the left-hand picture is hidden by the
mirror 2 and the right-hand picture by a screen 4, and the observer then sees
with the left eye, only the central inscription on the slide under examination.
To permit the removal of the box containing the series of views that has been
examined and the replacing thereof by another box containing a different series,
the side S of the apparatus to which the eye-pieces are attached is opened. This
side draws with it by means of the connecting rod 9, a lever 15 fast upon a
sleeve mounted loosely upon the spindle of the hand-lever k; this sleeve, more-
over, carries an arm 10 provided with a stop 11 which can be brought into
engagement, with the lever to press it down. While the picture or slide his
being carried down on the arms to be replaced within the box by the descent
of the guide-blocks i, the hole 12, provided in one of the guide-blocks i, arrives
opposite the rod of the push-button 5.
It is then sufficient to press the push-button 5 in order to move the cone 6 on
the rod 7 inward between the rack and the two pawls, and thus lift the latter out
of engagement and turn them away from the rack.
Under the action of the spring 13, attached to the carriage 7, the latter, together
with the box containing the slides are drawn back.
The push-button 5 is also so arranged as to effect the return of the box without
necessitating the opening of the apparatus. Thus, at any time, some of the
slides of a series can be again displayed to the observer without the necessity
for successively raising the remaining slides of the series.
The changing apparatus hereinbefore described is mounted on a pedestal 14
provided with a door that can be locked and in which are inclosed the drawers
containing reserve boxes filled with other series of slides.
It is to he understood that we can vary the form, dimensions, details and
materials employed in the construction of our improved apparatus without depart-
ing from the nature of our said invention.
Dated this 11th dove of
لتسجيل
1800
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Apparatus for Successively Presenting
to View Photographic Pictures or Slides in Stereoscopes, Optical
Lanterns, and the like.
We, LOUIS JOSEPH EMMANUEL COLARDEAU, Professor, of 29, Avenue Trudaine,
and JULES RICHARD, Manufacturer of Philosophical Instruments, of S. Impasse
Fessart, both in Paris in the Republic of France, do hereby declare the nature

page_text: 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 improvements in automatic apparatus for consecutively
presenting to view photographic pictures or slides in stereoscopes, optical lanterns
aud the like.
The object of our invention is to permit the examination, successively, of a
collection of photographic pictures or slides (for example, positives on glass)
methodically arranged in grooved boxes, by the withdrawal of each of these
slides in its proper order of arrangement and the placing of the same before
an optical system (steresocope, optical lantern or the like) so that each slide can
be examined and then automatically replaced in the box, without changing the
order of arrangement, this being effected without necessitating the performance
by the operator of any but the most simple movements, such, for instance, as the
rotation of a crank or of a button, the reciprocation of a lever or the like.
To enable our invention to be readily understood we have shown, in the
drawings left with our Provisional Specification, but as an example only, one form
or arrangement of our improved apparatus for changing the pictures or slides.
In this drawing:
Figure 1 is a side view of an automatic changing apparatus, constructed
according to our said invention with the wall of the box removed.
Figure 2 shows a vertical longitudinal central section of the said apparatus.
Figure 3 shows, in vertical longitudinal section, the position of the operative
parts during the working of the apparatus.
Figure 4 shows a horizontal section on the line A, B, Figure 3.
Figure 5 shows a vertical transverse section on the line C, D, Figure 3.
Figure 6 is a face view of the apparatus, the front wall and eye-pieces being
removed.
Figure 7 is a front view of the optical arrangement which permits the title
inscribed between the views under examination to be read, and
Figure 8 shows a horizontal section of the same.
Figure 9 is a plan view of the grooved box.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
The apparatus is composed of a grooved box a without any lid the bottom of
which is provided with two longitudinal openings b for the passage of the arms c.
The pictures or slides h to be examined are placed in the grooves of this box a.
The said box a is mounted on a carriage d capable of moving horizontally in
a direction perpendicular, to the plane of the slides h.
The arms e, arranged parallel to the plane of the slides, are guided by vertical
guide-ways e and form, with the guide-blocks i, a movable frame to which a
vertical reciprocating motion is imparted. When the arms c are moved upward
they carry with them one of the slides h, taking it out of the groove in the box a
in which it rests and conducting it into a cut-out or open frame f fixed upon the
guide-ways e and facing the optical apparatus g so that this slide can be examined
by the observer.
The guide-blocks i, in descending, replace the slide in the box in the
position it originally occupied therein and the screen ¹, carried by the said
guide-blocks i obscures the light streaming through the ground glass in such a
manner as to give a rest to the eye of the observer during the changing of the
slides. During all this time, the box a and the carriage d remain in one
position. As soon as the said slide has been replaced, the box a is moved by the
carriage d through a distance equal to that which separates two consecutive
slides.
The next slide having then taken the place, relatively to the vertical guide-
ways e, of the slide just examined, is raised in its turn by the arms, then
examined and replaced by another up and down movement of the guide-blocks
and so on until the entire series of slides filling the box have been placed suc-
cessively before the eye-pieces g.

page_text: The two movements necessary to obtain this series of operations, that is to say,
the vertical reciprocating movement of the guide-blocks and the arms, and the
horizontal progressive movement of the carriage are obtained by the following
arrangement. While the apparatus is at rest with one of the slides h in front
of the eye-pieces y and supported in that position by the arms c, the hand-lever k
is at the upper limit of its oscillation and the lever occupies the position shown
in Figures 1 and 2.
If the hand-lever k is depressed, the lever follows, this movement and the
arm m actuates a rod n carrying a spring catch o. During this time the arms c
are lowered and restore the slide h to its particular groove of the box a. When
the catch o comes in contact with the lever p, the latter is displaced and carries
with it the pawl q carried thereby, and the said pawl is released from one of the
teeth of the rack r on the carriage d, so that it engages the next succeeding
tooth. A stop-pawl s prevents the backward movement of the carriage d during
the disengagement of the pawl q.
The continued oscillatory movement of the lever brings the said lever
into contact with the spring of the catch o in such a manner as to release the
said catch. The lever is thus freed and its spring returns it to its original
position. At the same time the pawl q is returned and moves forward the
carriage d and the box a so as to bring the next slide h above the arms c.
If the hand-lever k is then permitted to rise, the lever, urged upwards by
the action of the spring u, carries with it the arms e, thereby raising this next
slide or view h into the fixed frame f so that it can be examined by the observer,
and so on successively for all the series of slides or views contained in the box ..
If the observer wishes to know the title or subject of the slide which he is
examining in the apparatus, the detailed description of this subject is written on
the slide in the free space h¹ in the middle between the pictures for the right
and left eyes respectively. For this purpose the exterior hand-lever is operated
so that the optical arrangement, carried by the lever and shown separately.
(Figures 7 and 8), is placed in front of the eye-pieces between the latter and
the photographic slide."
This optical arrangement, when not in use, is held above the photographic slide
by the action of the springy and consists of a fixed vertical mirror 1 inclined at
an angle of 45° to the plane of the slides reflecting horizontally, on a parallel
mirror 2 carried by the lever, the luminous rays issuing from the inscription
written in the space h¹, in such a manner that the left eye can thus read by
double reflexion, the said writing.
As long as this arrangement is not intercalated between the slide and the
eve-pieces, the left-hand picture, as well as the right-hand picture, will be
visible and the stereoscopic effect will be produced if the eye-pieces are set in
position on the slide. When the mirror is lowered by operating the hand-lever v.
the characters inscribed between the left- and right-hand pictures will be plainly
seen if a concave lens 3 of suitable focal length is interposed between the mirror 2
and the eye-pieces g. In this manner the left-hand picture is hidden by the
mirror 2 and the right-hand picture by a screen 4, and the observer then sees
with the left eye, only the central inscription on the slide under examination.
To permit the removal of the box containing the series of views that has been
examined and the replacing thereof by another box containing a different series.
the side 8 of the apparatus to which the eye-pieces g are attached is opened. This
side draws with it by means of the connecting rod 9, a lever 15 fast upon a
sleeve mounted loosely upon the spindle of the hand-lever ; this sleeve more-
over carries an arm 10 provided with a stop 11 which can be brought into
engagement with the lever to press it down. While the picture or slide h is
being carried down on the arms to be replaced within the box by the descent
of the guide-blocks ȧ, the hole 12, provided in one of the guide-blocks * arrives
opposite the rod of the push-button 5.
It is then sufficient to press the push-button 5 in order to move the cone 6 on

page_text: the rod 7 inward between the rack and the two pawls, and thus lift the latter out
of engagement and turn them away from the rack.
Under the action of the spring 13, attached to the carriage d, together with the
box a containing the slides are drawn back.
The push-button 5 is also so arranged as to effect the return of the box without
necessitating the opening of the apparatus. Thus, at any time, some of the
slides of a series can be again displayed to the observer without the necessity
for successively raising the remaining slides of the series.
The changing apparatus herein before described is mounted on a pedestal 14
provided with a door that can be locked and in which are inclosed the drawers
containing reserve boxes filled with other series of slides.
It is to be understood that we can vary the form, dimensions, details and
materials employed in the construction of our apparatus without departing from
the nature of our invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
(1) In an automatic distributing apparatus, the combination of a carriage
carrying a grooved box in which a series of slides, views or the like are arranged,
this box being provided with longitudinal openings into which movable arms
attached to vertical guide-blocks can enter in such a manner as to extract, lead
before the eye-pieces and restore in place, successively and in their same order
of arrangement, the slides, views or the like contained in the said box, sub-
stantially as described.
(2) In an automatic distributing apparatus, the optical arrangement for per-
mitting the subject or title of the views examined to be read, constructed and
operating substantially as herein before described.
(3) The automatic distributing apparatus constructed substantially as herein-
before described with reference to the drawings and operating as, and for the
purposes, specified.
Dotal 14 1
1000
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.