Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Aug., 1898-Accepted, 19th Nov., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
We, BENJAMIN MARX and HENRY GASSNER, Manufacturers, both of 101, East
95th Street, New York City, United States of America, 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 is a camera adapted particularly for use in connection with glass
photographic plates, and it is characterized by a reel or plate carrier which holds
the several plates and which is associated with means for adjusting the reel or
carrier at each time that a plate is placed thereon so that the plates are individually
focussed with reference to the lens, the plates being joined to each other by a
continuous flexible web.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts
in all the figures. Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the invention;
Figure 2 is a similar view, with the exception that the reel and plate box have
been removed; Figure 3 is a longitudinal horizontal section of the invention;
Figure 4 is a vertical cross section thereof; Figure 5 is a face view with parts
in section, shewing in detail the means by which the reel spindle is mounted at
one end; Figures 6, 7 and 8 are details of parts embodied in Figure 5; Figure 9
is a fragmentary elevation shewing the handle by which is operated the frame
for focussing the reel or carrier; Figure 10 is a sectional view on the line 10-10
of Figure 9, and of a scale enlarged over that of Figure 9; Figure 11 is an edge
view of the reel; Figure 12 is a sectional view of the box for carrying the plates,
as well as a diagrammatic view shewing the plates and the web on which they
are joined; Figure 13 is a face view of one of the plates and a portion of the
web; and Figure 14 is a sectional view on the line 14-14 of Figure 13.
The camera comprises a box or casing 15 with the usual lens 16 and with its
back wall 17 movable. The front of the camera has a door 18 commanding an
opening in the camera. The plate box 19 has an inclined false wall 20 therein,
leading up to a door 21 through which glass plates 22 are drawn. The plates 22
are each enclosed in opaque envelopes 23, to which is cemented or otherwise
attached a flexible opaque web 24. The web 24 is attached to approximately
one half of the area of each envelope 23, as best shewn in Figure 14, so that the
plates may be superimposed the one upon the other, as indicated in Figures 1
and 12. The inner end of the web is cemented in the box 19. The box is adapted
to be slid through the opening commanded by the door 18 and held beneath
the guides 25 attached to the interior of the camera. A spring-pressed plate 26
bears against the inner end of the box 19 to limit its inward movement and also
presses against the door 21 of the box to keep the door normally closed, but at
the same time to permit the door to yield as the plates pass out of the box 19.
The reel or carrier has a flat main portion 27 to the ends of which are removably
attached the flanges 28. The main portion 27 of the reel has a small catch 29
to which the outer end of the web 24 is connected, as indicated in Figure 1. By

page_text: winding the reel the plates and web are wound over the main portion 27 of the
reel, as shewn best in Figure 1, so that the plates are laid successively on opposite
sides of the main portion 27, thus permitting each plate to be exposed to the rays
of light shed through the lens 16. The reel is removably mounted in the camera
on a spindle 30 which slides through the body portion 27 of the reel and has
one end square so as to be locked for the purpose of causing the reel to turn with the
spindle. The other end of the spindle is provided with a hand device to permit turn-
ing the spindle. The squared end of the spindle 30 is removably projected into a
plate 31 that slides in the left hand side of the camera and that is drawn toward
the lens by a retractile spiral spring 32. The squared end of the spindle also
engages a ratchet wheel 33 co-acting with a pawl 34 to prevent backward move-
ment of reel and spindle. The other end of the spindle is held in a sliding plate 35
drawn toward the lens by a retractile spring 36. Let into the right hand outer
side of the camera, is a stationary casing 37 with a longitudinally elongated slot
through which the spindle 30 passes. Sliding in this casing is a closure plate 38
having an opening through which the spindle passes, so that the-plate 38 moves
with the spindle as the spindle moves transversely to itself.
spindle is provided with a flange 39 engaged by a sliding lock
plate 40 held in the casing 37 which plate, when engaged with the
Hange 39, holds the spindle from lengthwise axial movement. By
turning the spindle the reel or carrier may be turned, and by disengaging the
lock plate 40 with the flange 39 the spindle may be moved axially out of engage-
ment with the reel, thus depriving the reel of its support and permitting the
removal of the reel from the camera. A pawl and ratchet registering device 41
is mounted in the upper rear portion of the casing and co-acts with the reel to
register a unit at each half revolution of the reel. This device serves to keep
count of the number of plates exposed, the register having its dial visible from
the exterior of the camera.
•
"
The
It will thus be seen that the reel is mounted to turn and wind the plates and
web on it, and also that the reel is mounted to move back and forth in the camera
which. latter operation is to focus the plates as each is to be exposed. The reel
is caused to move forward by the springs 32 and 36 and to move backward by a
focussing. frame 42 that is mounted to swing on a shaft 43 journalled transversely
in the upper portion of the camera casing 15. The shaft 43 projects out through
the left hand side wall of the casing 15 and is provided with a crank arm 44
(Figures 9 and 10) swinging in a segmental depression 45 formed in the outer
• face of the camera.
The crank arm 44 is laid beneath the leather cover 46 of
the camera and has a finger knob 47 that projects through an arc-shaped slot 48
in such covering. 46. An arc-shaped plate 49 is laid beneath the slot 48 of the
covering 46 and provided with two holes 50, one at each end, with which holes
the spring-pressed dog 51 contained in the knob 47 engages so as to hold the
arm 44 at either one of its two extreme positions. When the arm 44 is thrown
down, as shewn in Figures 9 and 10, the focussing frame 42 will be in the
position shewn in Figures 1, 3, and 4 and when the arm 44 is thrown up to the
other position the focussing frame will be lifted, as shewn in Figure 2. When
the frame 42 is thrown down, as in Figure 1, it pushes rearward the reel against
the tension, of the springs 32 and 36 so as to focus, with respect to the lens, the
plate that is foremost on the reel; and when the frame 42 is thrown up, as in
Figure 2, the reel is free to turn a half revolution for the purpose of winding
another plate on the reel.
The operation of our invention is as follows; -The box 19 containing the
plates having been inserted in its proper position in the casing 15 and the web 24
connected with the catch 29, the reel is turned to wind the surplus end portion
of the web on the reel and when the first plate is wound on the reel the revolution
thereof is stopped and the frame 42 thrown down to focus such plate. Then the
exposure is made by the action of the shutter mechanism (not shewn). When
a second picture is to be taken the reel is turned one half a revolution to bring the

page_text: When the
second plate in position for exposure. The focussing is again effected by the action
of the frame 42 and the second exposure is made. So the operation goes on until
all of the plates in the box 19 have been exhausted, it being understood that as
the reel turns, the plates are successively drawn out of the box 19.
plates have all been exposed they will be wound on the reel and then, by with-
drawing the spindle 30 the reel itself with the exposed plates thereon may be taken.
from the camera and subjected at leisure to the developing process. The web 24
is opaque and has, as shewn in Figure 12, a surplus material beyond each end
plate so that when all of this material is wound over the plates, the plates will
be fully protected from exposure. The box 19 before being placed in the camera
is sealed to prevent the passage of light, but one end of the web 24 is permitted
to project so that this end may be grasped and attached to the catch 29 of the
reel and then when the reel is turned, the weak seal which we propose to apply
to the door 21 will be broken and the plates may be drawn out of said door.
When one of the reels has been withdrawn, a second reel should be mounted in
the box or casing 15 as previously described and a second box 19 of plates should
also be placed in situ. It is our purpose to provide with each camera a number
of reels so that when the plates are wound on one it will not be necessary to
unwind the plates but simply to apply a new reel. The reels are constructed
with the removable flanges 28 so that they may be stored in a compact form. It
will thus be seen that we have provided a camera using glass plates in magazine
form and in such a way that the camera may be charged and discharged in day-
light without exposing the plates.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is;
-
1. The reel or carrier for holding the plates and being adjustable in the camera
to focus the plates as they are individually presented for exposure.
2. The focussing frame mounted in the camera so as to move the plate carrier
into focussed position as the plates are placed thereon.
3. The removable plate-containing box having the door through which the
plates may be withdrawn.
4. The glass plates connected with each other by an opaque flexible web.
5. The spring-pressed plate 26 for engaging the door of the plate-containing
box to normally close the door.
6. The spring-actuated sliding plates 31 and 35 for mounting the reel or plate
carrier so that the same may be adjusted.
7. The reel or plate carrier movable to focus the plates as they are placed thereon
and the focussing frame pushing the reel or plate carrier to effect such focussing.
8. The box 19 with the plates and web therein.
9. The series of photographic plates each enclosed in an envelope 23 and the
envelopes being joined to the web 24.
Dated this 2nd day of August 1898.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.