Improvements in Camoras for Taking Photographs in Large Numbers.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Camoras for Taking Photographs in Large
Numbers.
I, RICHARD ENGLAND STAPLETON, of Travis Street, Bridlington Quay, in the
County of York, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:--
This invention which relates to photographic cameras, consists in improvements
whereby the production of the photograph in large numbers is facilitated.
According to this invention a series of lenses are placed in line whether vertically
or horizontally in a series of cells arranged within a chamber or casing adapted to
hold them. This lens casing extends across the inside of the camera in such a
manner that by means of a succession of adjustments, the impression plate is
exposed to the lenses in sections or strips corresponding to the area defined by
the casing which encloses the lenses.
In conjunction with this arrangement I provide as a means for effecting the
requisite succession of adjustments of the impression plate a series of holes regularly.
pitched along the framework of the shutter, and corresponding thereto I provide
a spring catch placed and secured to the camera casing, so that the pin of the
spring catch readily clicks into the said series of holes in the framework of the
shutter in succession, each engagement effecting an exact adjustment of the
impression plate to expose a section thereof to the series of lenses. In this man-
ner a large number of photographic portraits or pictures can be rapidly produced
the number for any particular camera being the number of lenses multiplied by
the number of adjustments to which the impression plate is adapted.

page_text: of York, 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: -
This invention which relates to photographic cameras consists in improvements
whereby the production of the photograph in large numbers is facilitated.
According to this invention a series of lenses are placed in line whether vertically
or horizontally in a series of cells arranged within a chamber or casing adapted to
hold them. The lens casing extends across the inside of the camera in such a
manner that by means of a succession of adjustments the impression plate is
exposed to the lenses in sections or strips corresponding to the area defined by
the casing which encloses the lenses.
In conjunction with this arrangement I provide as a means for effecting the
requisite succession of adjustments of the impression plate a series of holes regularly
pitched along the frame work of the impression plate slide and correspond-
ing thereto I provide a spring catch placed and secured to the camera casing so
that the pin of the spring catch readily clicks into the said series of holes in the
framework of the impression plate slide in succession each engagement effecting
an exact adjustment of the impression plate to expose a section thereof to the
series of lenses.
In this manner a large number of photographic portraits or pictures can be
rapidly produced, the number for any particular camera being the number of
lenses multiplied by the number of adjustments to which the impression plate is
adapted.
Having thus described the nature of my invention and its utility, I will now
proceed to further explain the same by reference to the drawing hereto annexed
and the manner in which my improvements are to be carried into effect.
In its simplest form the construction provides for one row of lenses which may
be arranged in either a vertical or horizontal line. In the accompanying draw-
ing to which the following description corresponds, the lenses are shown as
arranged in a vertical line with a duplicate row of lenses shown in dotted lines
for the purpose hereinafter explained. In the drawing, Fig. 1 illustrates a back
view and Fig. 2 a corresponding front view of the camera; Fig. 3 a sectional view
taken on line aa of Figs. 1 and 2. In order to expose the position of the lenses
the repeating slide a is drawn back in Fig. 1, and the shutter b in Fig. 2, showing
in line the five lenses ccccc, which is to be taken as representing a convenient
number for the purposes of illustration only. d is a spring catch secured to the
camera casing and adapted to click into a series of holes e regularly pitched in
the framework of the repeating slide a in succession, these several holes being
arranged in number and pitch so that each successive engagement effects an exact
adjustment of the impression plate to expose a section thereof to the series of
lenses in the manner required for the purpose of my invention. In this way the
whole surface of the impression plate may be covered by portraits or pictures, the
full complement for each impression plate comprising of course the number of
lenses set in line multiplied by the number of repetitions of sectional exposures
for which the said impression plate is designed.
The before described apparatus may be varied in certain respects without depart-
ing from the essential features of the invention. For example, although I have
mentioned one row of lenses only this could be duplicated as shown in dotted lines
in Figs. 1 and 2, but although the number of exposures or adjustments of the
impression plate is halved thereby for the same number of portraits for a given
size of impression plate the same variety of portraits would be correspondingly
reduced; or the number of impression plates required would be doubled. I there-
fore find in practice that for the purpose of my invention one row of lenses is
generally more convenient than two rows.
And furthermore the spring catch arrangement for adjusting the impression
plate to a succession of positions by clicking into a series of holes as shown and

page_text: described is only to be considered essential in respect of the purpose effected, and
as indicating what is suitable therefor, for which other devices may be substituted.
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 photographic cameras the construction as herein before described and
illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing in which an impression
plate adapted to slide to a succession of positions by suitable means of adjustment
is exposed in sections to a series of lenses placed in line with or without a second
series of lenses similarly placed in line, substantially as for the purpose set forth.
2. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the photographic
camera substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawing.
D
1000
G. J. CLARKSON,
Chartered Patent Agent, Stockton-on-Tees and Hull,
Agent for the Applicant.