Improvement in Apparatus for Taking, Enlarging, and Projecting Successive Pictures of Moving Objects.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Nov., 1897-Accepted, 5th Mar., 1898
Improvement in Apparatus for Taking, Enlarging, and Projecting
Successive Pictures of Moving Objects.
I, NICOLAY NELSON, of the City of Waukegan, in the County of Lake, in the
State of Illinois, United States of America, Machinist, 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 object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of a simple, cheap, light
or easily portable construction for taking successive photographs of moving objects,
and by means of which also the pictures taken may be enlarged and projected so
that the same apparatus may be used for both purposes, and by means of which
also the pictures may be taken in continuous successive spiral rolls or lines upon
a flat or other surface, as contra-distinguished from the long, narrow, flexible
ribbon or film heretofore generally employed.
The
To accomplish this result, and herein my invention consists, I combine with
the lens and intermittently operated shutter a film or plate holder (as in my inven-
tion the pictures may be taken on an ordinary glass plate as well as upon a flexible
film), which is given both a rotary and a rectilinear movement, so that the pictures
are taken on the surface of the plate or film in a continuous spiral composed of a
number of successive turns or coils, which may cover substantially the whole area
of the film or plate whatever may be the shape or form of its surface.
surface of the film or plate may preferably be a flat or plane surface, although it
may be made of any other suitable form or shape, upon which the pictures may be
taken or arranged in a continuous spiral path or successive rows by imparting to
the film or plate holder both rectilinear and rotary movements. The rotary move-
ment imparted to the film holder, picture holder or plate holder, is preferably an
intermittent one, so that during each exposure the film, plate or picture may
remain stationary while it is being taken or while it is being enlarged and pro-
jected. My invention also consists in the novel construction of parts and devices
and in the novel combinations of parts and devices herein shown and described and
specified in the claims.
In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus
embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a front side view with the enclosing case
partially broken away; Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the condenser which is
used when the apparatus is used for projecting and enlarging pictures already
taken; Fig. 4 is a detail section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a rear side
view with the upper hinged portion of the case removed and with the base portion
of the case partially broken away; Fig. 6 is a plan looking from the line 66
of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a cross section, enlarged, on line 77 of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a
cross section on line 8-8 of Fig. 6; and Figs. 9 and 10 are detail sections on
lines 9-9 and 10-10 of Fig. 5.
In said drawing A' A2 represent the enclosing case or frame work in or upon
which the machine is mounted. This enclosing case is preferably composed of two
parts A' A hinged together at one end by the hinges aa and securely fastened at
the other by the latch or hook a' engaging the knob or pin a². The base portion Aª

page_text: of the case is provided with a felt or other packing A³ upon which the lower edge
of the hinged part A of the case fits, so as to make a light tight closure. B is
the lens, the same being mounted in a lens tube B' secured to the case, the case of
course being provided with an opening opposite the lens. U is a screen, prefer-
ably of blackened sheet metal and secured to the uprights CC attached to the
base portion A2 of the case. This screen C is provided with an opening or window c
of the form and size desired for the picture, the same being preferably rectangular.
Surrounding the window c in the screen C is a shutter guide el having a slot in
which the shutter works. The shutter D is intermittently operated as required
to make each successive exposure by a cam d on the shaft operating a lever d
which is connected by a link with the arm or lever to which the shutter D
is attached. Gis a slide adapted to reciprocate back and forth on suitable
guides within the case, the shaft F preferably serving as one of the guides
upon which this slide reciprocates. Mounted upon the slide G is the rotary plate,
film or picture holder 1. The plate, film or picture holder H which I have
illustrated in the drawing is one designed to receive a flat or plane shaped film or
plate. It consists preferably of a ring having a shoulder h to receive the rim or
edge of the plate or film, and in which the plate or film H' may be secured by
suitable clamps which are pressed against the rim or edge of the plate by clamp
screws, or other suitable means. The plate holder or ring H should also be pro-
vided with a notch, projection or flattened portion against which a correspond-
ingly shaped portion of the plate II' may fit to prevent the plate II turning in its
holder and to aid in adjusting the plate in proper position. The plate holder H
is preferably journaled or mounted to rotate in a stationary ring attached to or
preferably formed integrally with the slide G. The plate or film holder H is
also preferably provided on its periphery with a series of teeth or notches H which
are engaged by a worm cam K on the rotating shaft F which imparts an inter-
mittent rotary movement to the holder H. The worm cam K has a straight or
right angle portion, illustrated in Fig. 2, which keeps the holder stationary during
the interval of exposure, and an inclined portion, as illustrated in said figure by
the dotted line, which gives the necessary step by step rotary movement to the plate
holder while the shutter is closed.
The plate holder carrying slide is fed or moved in a rectilinear path by a
screw M on the driving shaft F2 which engages a nut N on the slide G. A second
screw M having a reversed rotation or thread serves when desired to feed the plate
or film holder slide in the opposite direction when it is desired, for example, to
employ the machine for enlarging and projecting the pictures in their reverse order
to that in which they are taken, the nut carrying arm N' being provided with
a second nut N for this purpose. The nut is held in engagement with the
screw M by a spring m connected to the nut carrying arm N directly opposite its
pivot, so that the spring will serve to hold either the nut N or the nut N2 in engage-
ment with one or the other of the screws. And to automatically shift the nuts
from one screw to the other I provide the base A2 with cam projections m' m²
which engage the nut carrying arm N' when the slide G reaches the limit of its
movement. This is a convenient feed screw shifting mechanism, but any other
suitable feed screw shifting device may be employed for this purpose.
To enable the plate holder carriage or slide G to be returned to position without
turning either of the feel screws, I provide it with a pull rod by which the
slide may be reciprocated on the guides FF when the nuts N N are both out of
engagement with the feed screws M M¹.
P is a condenser, mounted in a hinged plate P¹ secured to the back side of the
case A opposite the leus 1, and which is adapted to be moved into line therewith
over the opening pin the case when the apparatus is desired to be used for enlarg
ing and projecting successive pictures already taken. For thus enlarging and
projecting successive pictures the operation of the apparatus is the same as wher
employed for taking pictures, the only difference being that for the sensitive plate
or film in the holder H a similar plate or film having the successive photograph
pictures or prints in a similar spiral, is substituted.

page_text: The shaft F is driven from the driving shaft F by internesning gears
and the shaft 3 of the screw M is driven from the shaft F2 by a gear f meshing
with the gear f.
Fis a crank for turning the driving shaft.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1st. In an apparatus for taking or enlarging and projecting successive pictures
of moving objects, the combination with a lens and an intermittently operating
shutter, of an intermittently rotating and rectilinear moving plate, film or picture
holder, substantially as specified.
2nd. In a successive picture taking or projecting apparatus, a rectilinear moving
and intermittently rotating holder for the picture plate or film, whereby succes-
sive pictures on its surface are successively exposed in a continuous spiral,
substantially as specified.
Brd. A flat plate or film having successive pictures of a moving object on its
surface in a continuous spiral row or path, substantially as specified, including a
retary and rectilinear moving holder for said plate.
4th. The combination with a reciprocating slide or carriage, of an intermittently
rotating film, plate or picture holder mounted thereon, substantially as specified.
5th. The combination with a reciprocating slide or carriage of an intermittently
rotating film, plate or picture holder mounted thereon, a lens and an intermittently
operated shutter, substantially as specifical.
6th. The combination with a leus of a shutter, a rectilinear moving slide, and an
intermittently rotating holder for the plate or film mounted in said slide, substan-
tially as specified.
7th. The combination with a lens of a shutter, a rectilinear moving slide, and an
intermittently rotating holder for the plate or film mounted in said slide, and a
feed screw for operating the slide, substantially as specified.
8th. The combination with a lens of a shutter, a rectilinear moving slide, and an
intermittently rotating holder for the plate or film mounted in said slide, a feed
screw for operating the slide, and mechanism for intermittently rotating said
holder, substantially as specified.
9th. The combination with a lens of a shutter, a rectilinear moving slide, and an
intermittently rotating holder for the plate or film mounted in said slide, a feed
screw for operating the slide, mechanism for intermittently rotating said holder,
and means for intermittently operating said shutter, substantially as specified.
10th. The combination with a lens, of a shutter, a feed screw, a rotary ring
plate holder provided with teeth on its periphery, a feed slide, and a worin cam
engaging said teeth on said holder, substantially as specified.
11th. The combination with a feed slide of a worm cam and an intermittently
rotating plate holder having teeth engaging said worm cam, substantially as
specified.
12th. The combination with a feed slide having a ring to receive a rotating ring
plate holder, of a rotating ring plate holder, means for operating said feed slide,
and means for intermittently rotating said holder, substantially as specified.
13th. The combination with a feed slide having a ring to receive a ring shaped
holder, a rotating ring shaped holder provided with teeth on its periphery, a feed
screw, and a
worm cam for intermittently rotating the holder, substantially as
snecified.

page_text: 14th. The combination with a two-part opening and closing case, of a lens, a
screw, a shutter, a feed slide, guides for said slide, a screw for operating said slide,
a stationary ring on the slide, a rotary ring shaped holder, and a worm cami,
substantially as specified.
15th. The combination with a two part opening and closing case, of a lens, a
screw, a shutter, a feed slide, guides for said slide, a screw for operating said slide,
a stationary ring on the slide, a rotary ring shaped holder, a worm cam, and a
condenser in the back side of said case, substantially as specified.
16th. The combination with a case of a lens, a shutter, a condenser in the back
side of the case, and an intermittently rotating and rectilinear moving holder
whereby the same apparatus may be used both for taking and enlarging and pro-
jecting successive pictures of moving objects, substantially as specified.
17th. The combination with a case of a lens, a shutter, a slide or carriage, a
rotary holder mounted thereon, mechanism for intermittently rotating said holder,
and means for feeding said slide in both directions as the holder rotates to enable
the same apparatus to present the same pictures in their direct or reverse order,
substantially as specified.
October 22nd 1897.
In the presence of:
NICOLAY NELSON.
H. W. MUNDAY..
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.