MENTS IN OR CONNECTED WITH PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERAS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, JOHN RUDOLPHE GOTZ Optician of 19 Buckingham Street, Adelphi, in the
city of Westminster do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVE
MENTS IN OR CONNECTED WITH PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERAS to be as follows:-
My invention has for it's object to construct photographic cameras so that they
can be easily carried and adjusted to various distances and positions, by simpler and
more perfect means than those hitherto employed.
The improved camera avoids the inconvenience of having a great length of base-
board either in front of the lens or behind the body of the camera, when the two
parts are broguht closely together above the center of the base board, while
allowing their distance to be increased to a maximum when required. It also
allows the body or back of the camera to be rapidly shifted along the entire length
of the base-board, and to be placed at any desired angle.
In folding the camera, the rear part or body is turned face downwards so as to
protect the glass plate from injury.
"
To obtain these advantages I make use of a pair of links hinged to the base of
the camera body and pivoted at their opposite ends to a horizontal slide adapted to
move along the base board and to be fixed at any desired point by means of
clamping screws.
A pair of slotted stays pivoted at their lower ends to the said slide, serve to fix
the camera body at the required angle.
The two links are slightly shorter than the width of the camera body and have
their pivots near the lower corners of the body so that in the vertical position of
the camera the links are horizontal, while in the horizontal or folding position of
the camera the links are vertical.
In the normal working position the camera body rests with it's base at right
angles on the base board and may be swung from this position either forward or
backward.
In swinging forward, on it's lower front edge, the camera body pivots on the
outer or front ends of the links, which remain stationary; in swinging backward,
on it's lower rear edge, the camera body pivots on its inner or rear ends of the
links, and the links turn with the camera,

page_text: The camera front or lens board is secured to the front end of a pair of parallel
slides adapted to be drawn out telescopically from the base board by means of
racks and pinions so as to form an extension of the base board.
The connection between the camera front and the slides is made by a hinge-joint
at the lower edge of the camera front. The horizontal hinge plate fits under the
edge of a brass plate fixed accross the pair of parallel slides, and forming at its
extreme ends a wedge for the upright ends of the hinge plate, which (ends) are
fixed to the edge of the camera front by clamping screws-right and left of it-
running in slots curved concentrically with the hinge of the board.
In order to vary the position of the lens on the camera front the lens' holding
board is adapted to slide diametrically accross a circular disk which may be turned
all round in the plane of the camera front.

page_text: Improvements in or Connected with Photographio Cameras.
I JOHN RUDOLPHE GOTZ, of 19 Buckingham Street Adelphi, in the City of
Westminster, Optician, 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 has for its object to construct photographic cameras so that they
can be easily carried and adjusted to various distances and positions by simple and
more perfect means than those hitherto employed.
The improved camera avoids the inconvenience of having a great length of base-
board either in front of the lens or behind the body of the camera when the parts
are brought closely together above the centre of the baseboard, while allowing the
distance to be increased to a maximum when required. It also allows the body or
back of the camera to be rapidly shifted along the entire length of the baseboard
and to be placed at any desired angle.
In the following description reference will be made to the accompanying
drawings, of which; Fig. 1 is a side view of a camera drawn out nearly to its full
length; Fig. 2 is a partial front view showing the baseboard and the lower part of
the front board with their connections; Fig. 3 a side elevation of the camera, folded
up for transport.
The remaining figures represent details, and will be explained further on.
To obtain the advantages mentioned above, I employ a pair of links G, (see Fig. 1),
each of which is hinged at one end c to the base of the camera, body C, (one link on
the right and one on the left side thereof), and pivoted at its opposite end f to a
saddle or slide F adapted to move along the side of the baseboard A or along a
rail E, secured to the same, and to be fixed at any desired point of its length by
means of a clamping screw H.
A pair of slotted stays I pivoted at their lower ends to the said slides F,
(preferably by means of the same screw bolts or pins which fix the slides F), serve
to fix the camera body at any desired angle.
The two links G have their pivots c and f.near the lower corners of the camera
body C, so that in the vertical position of the camera the links are horizontal, while
in the horizontal or folding position of the camera, the links are vertical.
In the normal working position the camera body C rests with its whole base on
the base board A so as to form a right angle to the same, and may be swung from
this position either forward or backward. In swinging forward on its lower front
edge, (see Fig. 5), the camera body pivots on the outer or front ends c of the links G
which remain stationary; in swinging backward on its lower rear edge, the camera
body pivots on the inner or rear ends f of the links, and the links turn with the
camera.
The camera front or lens board D, is secured to the front end of a sliding
frame B, which consists chiefly of a pair of parallel slides adapted to be drawn out
telescopically from the base board A by means of racks b, b and a pinion P, so as to

page_text: form an extension of the stationary board A in the manner adopted in some well
known cameras.
The connection between the camera front D and the sliding frame is made by a
hinge joint d at the lower edge of the camera front. The horizontal hinge plate M
fits under the wedge shaped extremity of either of two brass plates L, L, fixed
across the sliding frame B. Each of the hinge plates M. has an upright arm M¹
slotted at its upper end for the reception of a clamping screw N which passes into
the side of the front board D and serves to fix the latter at any convenient angle
to the base board B. For this purpose the slot m is curved from the hinge d as a
centre.
In order to vary the position of the lens on the camera front, I adopt the
arrangement represented by Figs. 4 and 4a. The lens is mounted in a slide T,
moveable diametrically across a circular frame or disc S, which is secured to the
camera front and may be turned all round on its axis. S¹ is a ring or flange
attached to the disc S. The board D has an oblong opening parallel with the
slide T and about equal in width to the clear diameter of the lens.
Fig. 4 are two half elevations of the camera front, the right half being shown
with the slide T, and the left half without the same. Fig. 4a is a vertical section,
Fig. 5 shows the camera body tilted forward. Fig. 6 is a section through one of
the hinge plates M, angle plate L, and base board A.
Fig. 7 is a section showing the connection between the rail E, slide F, and stay I.
It will be seen that the slide F has in front a projection forming a fulcrum for the
stay I; and that H is a clamping screw for fixing the slide F to the rail E, at any
convenient point of the latter. The slide F is omitted on the left hand of Fig. 2,
for the sake of clearness.
•
Fig. 8 shows the camera front D tilted backward on the telescopic frame B.
Fig. 9 is a front view of the camera when folded down. The locking levers O,
hinged to the camera body and shown in Fig. 3, serve to secure the front of the
camera in its folded position. Fig. 10 is a bottom view, and Fig. 11 an elevation of
the top plate of a tripod showing the method of attachment to the camera.
V is a
ring screwed to the underside of the base plate A and serving as a guide for the
top plate U of the tripod which fits on to the said ring. u u, u¹ u¹, u³ u³ are the
pivots for the three legs of the tripod; u is the boss for the clamping screw in
the centre of the plate U.
The slot g at the upper end of each link G allows a certain amount of side swing
for the camera body, and for the same purpose the sides of the camera body and
the links G are curved as shown by Fig. 9. In placing the body C oblique, one of
the two pins c serves as a pivot, while the other pin c moves in the slot g of the
corresponding link G, and after the required side swing has been obtained, the
body C is fixed in its position by tightening the screw c.
As shown by Fig. 1, there is a second wedge plate L fixed at some distance from
the first. By introducing the hinge plates M under the one or the other of the two
plates L, the front board may be fixed by friction either at the end of the plate B,
or at some distance from its edge, according to the length of focus required. In
folding the camera, the rear part or body C is turned face downwards so as to
protect the glass plate from injury, pivoting on pin f, as shown in Fig. 3.
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 a photographic camera, a pair of links G, G, connecting the body of the
camera with the base board, and permitting at will either a forward or a backward
inclination of the said body.
2. In a photographic camera, a pair of slotted links G, G, connecting the body C
of the camera with the base board, and allowing a side swing in the manner
substantially as described.

page_text: 3. The combination of base board A, with camera body C, alotted links G, G,
having a pivot at each end, and one or two slotted stays I pivoted to the base
board.
4. The combination with the base board A with a pair of slides F adjustable
along the base board, and a camera body C secured to the said slides.
5. The combination of base board A, with rails E, slide F, camera body C secured
to the slides adapted to be tilted on the board A, one or two slotted stays I, and a
pin or bolt H, (or two pins) adapted to serve as a clamping screw for securing the
slide to the rail and passing axially through the pivot of the stay I.
6. The combination of a base board, or a telescopic frame B, with a lens board D,
one or more wedge plates L, L, and a hinge piece M, M', adapted to secure the base
board to the wedge plate at various angles of inclination.
.
7. A front plate or lens board having an oblong opening and a circular plate or
frame S, S¹, adapted to turn in the plane of the base board and a slide T moveable
diametrically across the frame S, S¹.
The whole substantially as described and illustrated.