An improved Long and short Focus Camera.
Year: 1885

page_text: An improved Long and short Focus Camera.
I JOSEPH EDWARD BROWN of 26 Bowling Green Lane Clerkenwell in the
County of Middlesex Photographic Apparatus Maker, do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for AN IMPROVED LONG AND SHORT FOCUS CAMERA, to be as
follows:-
The objects of my invention are first, to expedite the operation of focussing;
secondly to give lateral play to the rising front of the camera; thirdly to enable
the rising front to be maintained in a plane parallel to that of the focussing screen;
fourthly to enable the camera to be closed flat without removing the gusset from
the rising front or taking any part of the camera to pieces, and fifthly to facilitate
the fixing of the rising front in any required position.
I carry out the first of the said objects by providing the rising front with two
holders capable of sliding backwards and forwards on the carrying frame which is
fitted on its under side with two racks and a long pinion engaging in both of such
racks so that the forward and backward movement may be uniform and parallel.
This combination enables me to secure a double range of movement for the rising
front and to effect such movement quickly or slowly as desired.
I carry out the second of the said objects by attaching the aforesaid sliding
holders to the rising front in such a manner that either holder may be pushed
forward or drawn back while the other remains at rest. By this device the rising
front may be moved through a considerable lateral angle in either direction.
I carry out the third of the said objects by providing the aforesaid sliding
holders with double attachments to the rising front. One of such attachments
consists of a pin passing through the holder into the lower portion of the side frame
of the front and thus forms the pivot on which the front rotates. The other of such
attachments consists of a link or strip fastened to the sliding holder by a pin
a little in rear of the former pin and fastened to the side frame of the front by a
pin passing through a slot cut in the link or strip. This latter pin is furnished with
a milled head and screw the tightening of which enables the rising front to be held
firmly in any desired plane.
I carry out the fourth of the said objects by attaching the gusset of the camera
to the rising front by means of an end frame capable of sliding upwards and down-
wards beneath two side plates fixed on the rising front. The amount of play thus
given to the gusset admits of the rising front being folded down flat on the bottom
of the camera and the frame of the focussing glass being folded down over the
gusset and rising front without disconnecting any part of the camera.
I carry out the fifth of the said objects by providing the aforesaid sliding holders
with tightening levers working on the aforesaid pins as fulcrums.
Dau
100

page_text: I, JOSEPH EDWARD BROWN, of 26 Bowling Green Lane, Clerkenwell, in the
County of Middlesex, Photographic Apparatus maker do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for AN IMPROVED LONG AND SHORT FOCUS CAMERA and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :—
The objects of my invention are first, to expedite the operation of focussing;
secondly, to give lateral play to the rising-front of the camera; thirdly, to enable
the rising-front to be maintained in a plane parallel to that of the focussing screen;
fourthly, to enable the camera to be closed flat without removing the gusset from
the rising-front or taking any part of the camera to pieces; and fifthly, to facilitate
the fixing of the rising front in any required position.
The accompanying drawings show the method of construction I employ in order
to attain the said objects. Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the camera frame and
attachment; and Fig. 2 is an end elevation showing the rising-front and attach-
ments similar letters indicating similar parts in the two figures. The rising-front A
consists of a rectangular frame enclosing a movable panel and supported by an
outer frame B B B which, in its turn, is pivoted on two pins CC. Each of these
pins passes through a holder consisting of two bent plates or jaws D D, between
the horizontal limbs of which is a plate E forming the upper portion of the
carrying-frame F; and eccentric-headed levers G G are placed on the pins in such
a manner that when they are raised into a vertical position they cause the jaws
to tightly clip the plates E E, and when they are horizontal they allow the
frame B B B to slide backward and forward without difficulty. A strut H is
pivoted on the front end of each inner jaw, and by means of a set-screw I, working
in a longitudinal slot in the strut, can be made to hold the rising front at any
desired angle of inclination from the perpendicular. A similar. strut K. serves to
hold the back L of the camera at any degree of inclination from the base-frame M.
The carrying-frame F, moreover, is arranged to slide backward and forward in
grooves cut in the base-frame M, and this motion is caused by a pinion N N
gearing into racks fixed on the under side of the carrying-frame. It will also be
observed that the side posts of the outer frame B B B are provided with slotted
plates through which set-screws pass into the framework of the rising-front A
and thus enable the front to be shifted up or down and held firmly at any desired
height.
The combination of the rack and pinion movement with the sliding holder D D
enables me to secure a double range of movement for the rising-front, and to effect
such movement quickly or slowly as desired.
The tightening levers G G enable me to fix the rising-front in any desired
position; and their combination with the sliding holders enables the rising-front to
be fixed in a plane making a considerable lateral angle with that of the camera-
back.
The bellows-body or gusset of the camera, which connects the back and front, is
fixed to both, and as the front can slide freely up and down in its outer frame I can

page_text: fold down both front and back parallel with the base-frame and can thus close the
camera without disconnecting any part.
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. The connection of the rising-front of a camera with its carrying-frame by
means of pivots supported by bent plates or jaws holding plates attached to the
carrying-frame, substantially as specified.
2. The device for tightening the said jaws by means of eccentric-headed levers,
substantially as specified.
3. The construction and combination of the working details of a camera,
substantially as specified and illustrated.