IMPROVEMENTS IN PHOTO- GRAPHIC APPARATUS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Eastman Palmer, of Stonehouse, in the
County of Devon, Artist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PHOTO-
GRAPHIC APPARATUS."
Sealed the 12th May 1857, and dated the 26th November 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Eastman Palmer
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th November 1856.
I, HENRY EASTMAN PALMER, of Stonehouse, in the County of Devon, Artist,
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PHOTO-
GRAPHIC APPARATUS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in a method of arranging photographic cameras and
apparatus so that the plate may be rendered sensitive and the picture
developed and fixed within the chamber of the camera. For this purpose the
camera chamber is made to contain the necessary apparatus for the purpose.
At the bottom thereof is a bag or well for holding the vessel containing the
nitrate of silver solution, and a small tank of water heated by a lamp, which
also in cold weather heats the chamber to the necessary extent; or the camera
chamber may be heated by means of a metal plate and lamp. There is also
an arrangement for condensing the steam, and a pan into which the waste

page_text: water is allowed to run, and which discharges itself by a flexible pipe. On the
top of the camera is a reservoir of cold water, which by a flexible tube with a
stop-cock supplies water to the interior of the chamber, and this reservoir also
supplies the hot-water tank by means of a tube and ball cock. In the sides of
the chamber are sleeves, through which the operator introduces his arms while
manipulating, (excepting in large size cameras, when the sleeves are arranged
at the back of the chamber.) At the back of the chamber are two eye pieces
glazed with yellow glass, through which the operator can look into the interior,
and a shutter to cover the eye pieces to oxclude the light when necessary. The
interior of the camera is lighted by a small window in the side, and there are
two slides which can be brought in front of the window, one a frame glazed
with yellow glass, and the other a shutter to. exclude all light. There is also a
frame which can slide to and from the lense, and also be fixed in a position
inclined thereto when required; in this frame also the plate is held while the
picture is being taken. In order that the apparatus may pack into as small a
space as possible, the sides of the chamber are made of waterproof fabric, and
the water reservoir and the bag or well for holding the vessel containing the
nitrate of silver solution are made of the same material. Two rods support
the top of the camera, enabling it to sustain the weight of the cold-water
reservoir. From each of theso rods there is a tank suspended; these tanks
(furnished with cocks) are intended one for the developing and the other for
the fixing solution.
Sometimes, in place of taking the picture in the chamber used for preparing
the plate, I remove the plate (enclosed in a dark slide) from the preparing
chamber and use it in an ordinary camera.
In order to facilitate the removing and replacing the cap of the lense, it is
attached to the frame by a hinge joint, and on the end of the pin of the hinge,
which is made fast with the cap, a disc handle is fixed, by turning which the
cap is removed and replaced as required.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Henry Eastman Palmer, Her special licence that I, the said
Henry Eastman Palmer, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Henry Eastman Palmer, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Eastman Palmer, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Eastman Palmer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention consists in a method of arranging photographic cameras and
apparatus so that the plate may be rendered sensitive and the picture developed
and fixed within the chamber of the camera. For this purpose the camera
chamber is made to contain the necessary apparatus for the purpose. At the
bottom thereof is a bag or well for holding the vessel containing the nitrate of
silver solution, and a small tank of water beated by a lamp, which also in cold
weather heats the chamber to the necessary extent; or the camera chamber
may be heated by means of a metal plate and lamp. There is also an arrange
ment for condensing the steam, and a pan into which the waste water is
allowed to run, and which discharges itself by a flexible pipe. On the top of
the camera is a reservoir of cold water, which by a flexible tube with a stop-
cock supplies water to the interior of the chamber, and this reservoir also
supplies the hot-water tank by means of a tube and ball-cock. In the sides
of the chamber are sleeves, through which the operator introduces his arnis
while manipulating, (excepting in large sized cameras, when the sleeves are

page_text: arranged at the back of the chamber.) At the back of the chamber are two
eye pieces glazed with yellow glass, through which the operator can look into
the interior, and a shutter to cover the eye pieces to exclude the light when
necessary. The interior of the camera is lighted by a small window in the
side, and there are two slides which can be brought in front of the window,
one a frame glazed with yellow glass, and the other a shutter to exclude all
light. There is also a frame, which can slide to and from the lense, and also
be fixed in a position inclined thereto when required; in this frame also the
plate is held while the picture is being taken. In order that the apparatus
may pack into as small a space as possible, the sides of the chamber are made
of waterproof fabric, and the water reservoir and the bag or well for holding
the vessel containing the nitrate of silver solution are made of the same
material. Two rods support the top of the camera, enabling it to sustain the
weight of the cold-water reservoir. From each of these rods there is a tank
suspended; these tanks (furnished with cocks) are intended one for the
developing and the other for the fixing solution.
Sometimes in place of taking the picture in the chamber used for preparing
the plate, I remove the plate (enclosed in a dark slide) from the preparing
chamber and use it in an ordinary camera.
In order to facilitate the removing and replacing the cap of the lense, it is
attached to the frame by a hinge joint, and on the end the pin of the hinge,
which is made fast with the cap, a handle is fixed, by turning which the cap is
removed and replaced as required.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed more fully
to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a photographic camera and apparatus
arranged according to my Invention, and Figure 2 is a back. view of the
sanio. a is the bag or well, of flexible waterproof material, for holding a
vessel containing the solution of nitrate of silver; b is a tank containing
water heated by the lamp c, which also is used in cold weather for heating
the chamber to the necessary extent; or the chamber may be heated by a metal
plate and lamp. d is the pan, into which the waste water is allowed to run,
and is discharged through the flexible pipe e; f is the reservoir, of flexible
waterproof material, on the top of the camera, for containing cold water, which
by a flexible tube and stop-cock g, supplies water to the interior of the chamber,
and which supplies water to the hot water tank 6 by the tube and ball-cock-h.

page_text: The steam produced in the tank 6 is conveyed by the pipe 6' into the con-
denser &, through which a constant stream of water is allowed to flow from
the reservoir f, and is conveyed away by the pipe b'. k (Figure 2) is the
hole at the back of the chamber, to which the sleeves are attached, through
which the operator introduces his arms while manipulating; or for small
cameras the sleeves may be applied at the sides of the chamber. At the end
of each of the sleeves there is an elastic ring, so that the sleeve fits close to
the arm, and prevents the light from passing into the camera. 1, 1, are the
two eye pieces glazed with yellow glass, through which the operator can look
into the interior of the chamber. These eye pieces are fixed in a frame, which
turns on pivots in the back of the chamber, and thero is a sliding shutter which
covers the eye pieces when necessary. In the side of the camera there is a
small window for lighting the inside of the camera, and there are two slides
which can be brought in front of this window by sliding them in the groove n,
shewn at Figure 3, which is a section taken through the dotted line A, B,
Figure 1. One of these slides is a frame glazed with yellow glass, and the
other a shutter to exclude all light. o is the frame in which the plate is held
while the picture is being taken. This frame can bo slid to and from the lense
by means of the rack and pinion p, and can also be placed in an inclined
position, as shewn in the Drawing. The lense is also attached to a frame
which is attached to a flexible tube t, and which can thus be moved to and
from the frame in which the plate is held, and the frame to which the lense is
attached is held in position by means of a set screw, as shewn in the
Drawing. r is the vessel containing the developing solution, and the vessel
containing the fixing solution; these vessels are each furnished with cocks,
and are suspended from the rods which support the top of the camera and
reservoir of water; and in order that the apparatus may pack into as small a
space as possible, the sides of the chamber are made of waterproof fabric,
supported by rods which are set upon the ordinary table or tripod.
Sometimes, in place of taking the picture in the chamber used for preparing
the plate, I remove the plate (enclosed in dark slides) from the preparing
chamber and use it in an ordinary camera.
In order to facilitate the removing and replacing the cap of the lense, the
cap is formed of a disc, which is attached to the frame by a hinge joint, and
on the end of the pin of the hinge, which is made fast with the cap, a head or
handle is fixed, by turning which the cap is removed and replaced as required.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I would have it under-
stood that I do not confino myself to the precise details; but what I claim is,

page_text: the general arrangement or combination of parts herein described; and also
the heating the body of the dark chamber of the camera by hot water, or by
a metal plate, or other convenient means; and also the manner of removing
and replacing the cap of the lense; and I also claim the eye pieces for the
operator to look into the interior of the chamber of the camera.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Eastman Palmer, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
HENRY EASTMAN PALMER. (t.s.)
HENRY GLOVER, of Plymouth,
Perfumer, &c.