CONSTRUCTION OF FOLDING TRIPOD STANDS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, ALFRED WALTER DOLLOND, Clerk of 42 Bishop's Terrace, Bishop's Road
Fulham S.W. do hereby declare the nature of my invention for THE CONSTRUCTION
OF FOLDING TRIPOD STANDS to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is the construction of tripod stands for supporting
photographic cameras, telescopes, surveying or other instruments; which stands
shall be more portable when folded than those at present in use.
To construct each leg of my stand, I take a piece of wood or other suitable
material of the length the leg is required to be when in use, and of sufficient width
and thickness to support the required weight; the width however being by
preference several times greater than the thickness. I now cut the leg across into
a number of equal, or nearly equal pieces, the number of pieces being equal to the
number of folds required in the stand. I fix over each cut a pair of hinges, each
hinge being by preference near the edge of the leg, and the pairs of hinges being
placed alternately upon the front and back of the leg, so that the leg may fold up,
one portion upon another.
In order to make the leg rigid when in use, I extend the leg to its full length,
and divide it longitudinally down the centre into two portions. Over this longi-
tudinal cut I place a sufficient number of hinges, all being upon the same side of
the leg. The leg will now fold in the direction of its length, and when folded into
a V shape will be perfectly rigid.
Each of the three legs is constructed in the same manner, and when in use is'
folded into the V form, and attached by loops fixed upon its upper and outer
corners to pegs placed near the corners of a triangular top, of the form usually
employed for a similar purpose.
In order that the legs may fit tightly to the top, I attach to one edge of each leg
a little below the top a hook moving upon a hinge or pivot and passing over a peg
or into a loop fixed upon the opposite edge.
My invention consists in the arrangement of hinges by which the legs fold when
flat into a small space, but when extended and bent into a V shape are rigid. The
stand may be made of wood or metal or other suitable material and may, if
required, have more than one longitudinal fold. The legs may also be attached to.
the top in any convenient manner.

page_text: I, ALFRED WALTER DOLLOND Clerk of 42 Bishop's Terrace Bishop's Road
Fulham S.W. 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:-
My invention relates to portable folding stands suitable for supporting Cameras,
Telescopes, Surveying and other instruments, for easels and for other purposes for
which portable stands are required.
The legs composing stands constructed according to my invention are divided
along their length and also across their width, the portions thus separated being
attached to each other by hinges arranged in such a way that the legs when flat
may be folded at the cross hinges and each portion lying close upon the next will
be in a very convenient formn for carrying; when however the legs are extended
they may be folded lengthways so as to assume an angular form, and the cross
hinges becoming by this means fixed the legs are rigid.
Such legs may be conveniently constructed in the manner hereinafter set forth,
and in order that my invention may be more fully understood, reference will bo
made to the sheet of drawings accompanying this specification.
A piece of wood or other suitable material of the length the leg is required to be
when in use (a portion of a convenient form is shown in Fig. I) is cut across as
at A A, B B, dividing the leg into any convenient number of pieces, each piece
being of the length the leg is required to be when folded. The leg is then divided
longitudinally as from C to D throughout its entire length. Hinges are fixed
along the longitudinal division C D, as at E, E, E, E, all the hinges being upon the
same side of the leg so that all may fold in the same direction. Hinges are also
fixed at the cross cuts A A, B B &c. The portions upon each side of the longi-
tudinal cut CD having one or more hinges each at every cross cut. These cross
hinges are arranged in sets alternately upon the front and back of the leg. Thus
the set at AA being upon the front of the leg, that at B B will be upon the back,
and the following set upon the front, and so on. This arrangement of the cross
hinges will enable the legs when flat to be folded up as in Fig. 3, and the portions
will all lie close one upon another as those marked F. G. H. K. in Fig. 3. When
required for use the legs are extended to their full length and folded on the hinges
placed over the longitudinal cut, so as to assume an angular shape as shown in
cross section in Fig. 4. While the legs are in this form the cross hinges are fixed,
the axes of the hinges on one side of the longitudinal division being at an angle
with the axes of the hinges upon the other side, and the legs are very steady and
rigid.
C
To form a complete stand as shown in Fig. 2, three such legs are required and
are formed so as to engage with a triangular top. For this purpose loops may be
These loops may be
placed upon the upper corners of each leg as at L L Fig. 2.
bent inwards as sliown by the dotted lines M M, N N, in Fig. 4, so that the surfaces
of the two loops on each leg may be parallel when the sides of the leg are at an
angle. The loops will fit over pegs placed in a triangular top similar to that
sommonly used for camera stands.

page_text: In order that the legs may fit tightly to the top, a hook or bar may be hinged to
one edge of the leg near the top as at P in Fig. 2, engaging with a fastening placed
upon the opposite edge, thus drawing the two edges together.
To prevent the legs slipping on the ground when the stand is set up, pointed
pieces of metal are fixed at the lower corners of the legs as at QQ, a portion of the
outer edge of the leg being cut away so as to leave the points projecting as shown
at QQ.
Legs may be constructed on the same principle with more than one longitudinal
fold.
If the stand is used as an easel, holes may be bored in the legs to receive
projecting pegs, on which the picture or drawing may be placed.
To erect the stand the legs are extended, folded longitudinally into an angular
form and attached to the top.
I do not confine myself to the method of attaching the tripod top, nor to any
particular formation of the said top, as any suitable top may be used with the legs
of the formation described and indicated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
(1.) In folding legs the arrangement of hinges in sets placed longitudinally
and transversely, substantially as hereinbefore described and indicated in which
arrangement the hinges placed transversely are free to move while the legs are flat,
but become fixed by the legs being folded on the hinges placed longitudinally.
(2.) In folding legs the pointed pieces of metal at the lower corners of the legs
fitted and arranged substantially as, and for the purpose set forth and indicated.
Dated this 18th day of December 1885.