Improvements in Tripod-heads.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Mar., 1899-Accepted, 13th May, 1899
Improvements in Tripod-heads.
I, GEORGE WILLIAM ATKINS, of 3, Albert Drive, Low Fell, Gateshead-on-Tyne,
in the County of Durham, Engineer, 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 present invention has reference to means for attaching photographic cameras
and similar apparatus to their supports, the object being to secure facility of
attachment and removal, without impairing rigidity of support.
According to the present invention, the bottom of the camera is furnished under-
neath with a metallic ring, or its equivalent, permanently secured in any con-
venient way. Into this ring is inserted a ring to which are secured the legs of
the tripod or other support. This ring is divided transversely, so as to be capable
of expansion or contraction within the other ring, to make a firm bind therein,
or to permit of easy removal therefrom.
In the accompanying drawing,
Fig. 1 shews, in inverted plan, a tripod head embodying the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line of Fig. 1.
Figs. 3 and 4 shew variations in the way of attaching the tripod legs to their
ring, and
Figs. 5 and 6 shew in section two varieties of attachment for permanently secur-
ing the ring to the camera base.
Fig. 7 shews an equivalent for the ring, viz., a circular recess formed in the base
of the apparatus.
A is a metal ring, or its equivalent, permanently secured to, or forming part of,
the camera base B. When a ring is used, it may be secured by means of screws,
as shewn in Fig. 2, or by letting the ring into the base, as shewn in Figs. 5 and 6.
In the cases of Figs. 5 and 6, where the camera base is cut away to receive the
ring, an internal flange a, at the upper edge of the ring, is provided, and in
Fig. 7, where there is no ring, but merely a recess, a flange a is formed out of the
material of the camera base.
C is also a metal ring divided transversely at c, and provided at that point with
an expanding device, for instance, a conically ended screw d, inserted between the
lugs &, c, and furnished with a thumb-nut D, for operating the cone or wedge to
and fro, to expand the ring to the extent of its capacity, or allow it to contract.
Its capacity for expansion is limited by a screw c³, passed through the lugs c¹c
(see Fig. 1). d is a small pin inserted in the screw d, to prevent its rotation when
the thumb-nut D is turned.
The ring C, being inserted into the ring or recess A, so that it bears up against
the camera base, or against the flange a, the thumb-nut is operated to expand the
said ring C, as above explained, to bind tightly with the ring or recess A attached
to the camera, and in this way a quick and rigid attachment is effected.
To remove the support, the thumb nut is unscrewed, thereby releasing the wedge
and allowing the ring C to contract, when the apparatus can be readily taken apart.
The legs of the tripod may be attached to the ring C in various ways; for

page_text: instance, the latter may have, pivotted within it, sockets, E, as indicated in Fig. 1,
into which legs may be fixed; or the ordinary camera legs, which are divided at
the top, may (being furnished with holes) be sprung onto pins e in the ring, as
seen in Fig. 3, or, being furnished with pins, may be sprung into holes e¹ made
in projections within the ring.
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:-
-
Means for attaching photographic cameras and similar apparatus to their stands,
comprising a divided ring and a device by which it may be expanded and made
to firmly grip the surface of another ring, or its equivalent, formed to receive it,
substantially as set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 24th day of March 1899