Improvements in Apparatus for Separating and Manipulating Plates, Cards, or Films, primarily applicable to Plates, Cards, or Films in Photographic Cameras.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Mar., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 20th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 3rd Feb., 1894
PROVISIONAL, SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Separating and Manipulating Plates,
Cards, or Films, primarily applicable to Plates, Cards, or Films
in Photographic Cameras.
I HENRY GRANT MADAN CONYBEARE of The Hut Ingatestone Essex,
Gentleman of Independent Means do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention is to enable plates cards or films to be separated one at a the
from a pack of such plates cards or films and placed in another pack.
My invention is especially adapted for manipulating plates cards or films in
photographic cameras so that they can be exposed one at a time in one position
and then after exposure transferred to another position in the box of the camera.
In my invention the plates, films, or cards are placed in a series one behind the
other with their sensitive surface towards the camera lens, being pushed forward
by a spring or springs against the devices used for separating the front one from
those behind it.
I do not limit myself to precise details by which my invention is carried out, but
a convenient arrangement is to have a pinion in each corner of the box containing
the plates or films.
Each of the pinions has one or more pins or fingers attached to the end of it
against which the plates or films are pressed and held in position in the focal plane
of the camera lens. The pins may be actuated by a rack cranks or toothed
wheel, so as to turn the pins or fingers to & fro or continuously in one direction.
The said racks, cranks or toothed wheel are moved by a milled head outside the
camern.
When the pinions with the pins or fingers fixel to them are turned from one
position to another they allow the front plate card or film to be pushed forward and
fall through between the pins or fingers, the pins at the same time engaging or
holding the next plate or card in position.
The plates cards or films are used of two sizes placed alternately, forming an
angle at each corner.
The aforesaid device may be used for separating any plates, cards, films or sheets
from a pack, for other than photographic purposes.
17th March 1803
II. G. M. CONYBEARE.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Separating and Manipulating Plates,
Cards, or Films, primarily applicable to Plates, Cards, or Films
in Photographic Cameras.
I, HENRY GRANT MADAN CONY BEARE of Ingatestone, Essex, Gentleman of
Independent Means, 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 present invention relates to photographic camera changing boxes or the like
and is designed to enable plates cards films or other sensitive surfaces and
separating sheets backs or blanks or any of them placed in a pack or series in a

page_text: chamber formed to receive same in a photographic camera for equivalent such as a
changing box) to be changed that is remove l'one by one from the position ready
for exposure into a second position where they are stored and protected from light
after exposure an especial object of my present invention being to drop or remove
same one at a time without notching or otherwise specially preparing the films or
sensitive surfaces, or notching the cards or blanks.
21
By this means the ordinary rectangular filins (as now found in commerce -and
in general use) can be used in my camera without requiring any bucking,"
mounting, adaptation, modification or alteration in any way whatsoever.
To carry out my invention-according to one arrangement I place in each corner
of the film holding chamber at the back of the camera (or in a chamber for
separate attachment to the back of the camera) axles or spindles which are
toothed at the back end and have an arm or finger at right angles at the front end
against which the films ete, re-t. These pinions are partly or entirely revolved
by racks having a reciprocating movement imparted thereto by suitable mechanism
operated by a lever on the outside.
To enable the films te, and the separating sheets backs or blanks to be separated
from each other and from the rest of the pack by the aforesaid four corner arms 1
make the said separating sheets cards or blank (which for the sake of brevity
I will hereinafter refer to as "blanks") of a different shape from the films plates or
other suitable sensitive surfaces (which for the sake of brevity I will hereinafter
term "films")-the films being advantageously always of the usual rectangular
shape while the blanks may be either of a different rectangular form or of other
than rectangular shape-ns hereinafter explained.
When the blanks are of other than rectangular form then the back of the
camera box or chamber holding the films and blanks is shaped to fit approximately
the contour of the whole pack when laid together as hereinafter explained. In
such cases the separating arms or fingers or equivalent are placed at the point at
which the edges of the films and the edges of the blanks eros. each other.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section showing a hand camera constructed
and operating to change the films in accordance with my present invention.
Fig. 2 is a back end view of the camera with the back removed i.e. looking in the
opposite direction to the arrows.
Fig. 3 is a view of the interior of the camera looking in the direction of the
arrow .
Fig. 4 shows the shape of the films and blanks adopted to operate in the camera
constructed as shown in Figs. 1 to 3.
Figs. 5 and 6 show alternative forms or shapes of the blank these shapes not
being suitable for use with the mechanism as shown in Figs. 1 to 3 such mechanism
requiring to be slightly modified but acting precisely in the same manner to
alternately drop or discharge the films and blanks as hereinafter explained (the
filnis being advantageously of the same rectangular form whatever the shape of the
blank).
Referring to Figs. 1 to 4 :-
a is the crank arm or lever on the exterior of the camera case fixed to the
Axis b.
Or in place of the crank arm a a milled head or any other suitable means may be
used to revolve the said axle 6. This axle & carries a bevel toothed wheel (not
shown) which gears into a bevel toothed wheel e' on the shaft e and thereby the
shaft c is revolved.
On the other end of this shaft en pinion is formed or mounted (or otherwise
suitably connected to be operated by said shaft c) which pinion 4' engages in the
teeth of a rack y'. This rack g' is formed on or fixed to a movable frame which
has fixed thereto or carries thereon the three other separate racks gyʻ these said
racks respectively gearing with the three pinions h² hª h*.

page_text: The axes of the pinions at their other ends have rigidly fixed or formed
thereon the arms the shaft e carrying fixed thereon also n corresponding
arm (or this arm i may be mounted or formed on a separate axle actuated by 1)
the shaft e and the said axes being monoted respectively in suitable bearings-
advantageously forming the corners or blocks k¹³ respectively in each corner
of the pack holding chamber.
It will thus be seen that by revolving the axle & thereby the shaft is revolved
and by means of the pinion and rack g' the frame f is moved up or down and
consequently the said racks g² g³ g' revolving the said pinions simultaneously
the four arms are respectively swume from the position shown in tull
Hines in Fig. 3 to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 or vice-versa
according as the axle is turned to the right or to the left or the arms P
may be caused to perform a complete revolution instead of this reciprocating
movement.
The pack is placed into the reservoir as follows:-
First the film is placed in the reservoir with its lower edge resting on corners &³ ³
and its upper edge extending under the corners thus leaving a clear space at
the top and bottom of the chamber while approximately closely fitting the chamber
along each shorter side of the film.
Next the blank m is placed behind said film. This blank m is of a different
rectangular form to being narrower in width but greater in height than said film.
Thus this blank m fits along its bottom edge between the corner blocks k¹ k² and
at its top edge fits between the blocks thus forming a right angle at each
corner with the film 7 see Figs. 3 and 4-and 30 on alternately.
Any suitable number of these films and blanks are thus placed in a pack in the
reservoir or store chamber o in the camera and the whole pack or series is pressed
forward by a suitable spring (or springs-not shown) so that the front film by the
pressure of said spring is forced against the four arms and thereby retained
in correct focal position ready for exposure.
The operation is as follows:-
When it is desired to change the film and bring a new one into position for
exposure the arms are swung in the manner already explained from the
position shown in full lines into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 an.l
thereby these arms simultaneously pass off and clear of the film and the latter is
thereby released and drops into a suitable chamber or receptacle to receive same in
the bottom part of the camera and where they are subsequently protected from
light in any suitable manner.
At the same moment these arms pass on to and retain the next
blank m.
Next the arms are swung back from the dotted position shown in Fig. 3
to the position shown in full lines in same figure and thus pass off the blank m
which is thereby released and drops to the bottom of the camera while the said
arms engage and hold the next succeeding film (behind said blank m) which is
pushed up against said arms by the aforesaid spring and is thus brought up to
register and into position ready for exposure.
This operation is repeated each time it is desired to change the film as by thus
oscillating the arms I am thereby enabled to drop one at a time each one of
the films and blanks alternately forming the whole pack.
It will be obvious that I can apply my invention for changing sensitive surfaces
alone without requiring the separate blanks) so long as same are sufficiently rigid
or made sufficiently rigid and light-tight by being mounted on or in suitable
"backs" carriers or sheaths or otherwise prepared in which latter event the afore-
said blanks in the pack may be dispensed with and these sensitive surfaces thus
individually protected on their backs may be made of the forms of both m and I and
placed into the chamber o in the manner already described in which case a change
of the front plate or sensitive surface would be effected by a single movement of

page_text: the axle in one direction only instead of the two movements necessary with the
arrangement of loose backs or blanks m previously described.
Further it will be obvious that the blank in may be of other shapes than
rectangular as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 for instance the ends of the blank n' as
shown in Fig. 5 may be formed at an angle to the film (the sides of land m³
being parallel) so that when these films and blanks are laid together alternately in
pack the blank will project beyond said film at one point and the film will project
beyond the blank at another point.
By causing an arm or catch or equivalent to oscillate or travel about the point
where the edge lines of such blank and such film cross one another thereby such
arm or catch will travel off said film on to said blank and thus drop the film and by
a reciprocating or further movement travel off said blank on to the next film and
thereby drop such blank,
Another arrangement is shown in Fig. 6 wherein a blank is formed with an
angular end m extending beyond the film and the corners of the latter extending
beyond the blank so that the movement of a suitable arm or arms or the like at
each end will first pass off the film on to the blank dropping the former and then
the reciprocating or further movement will cause said arms to pass off the blank
onto the next film thereby dropping said blank.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In photographic cameras of the character described the arrangement therein
of a pack of rectangular films and blanks of two different sizes arranged alternately
so as to form an angle at each corner in combination with corner blocks or equi-
valents in the corner of the reservoir chamber to keep said films and blanks in
their relative positions an arm or finger extending beyond each such corner across
the path of forward travel of either the next adjacent film or the next adjacent
blank and means to operate said arms so as to simultaneously swing or oscillate
all the said arms off the film on to the blank where same extends beyond the
film and then off said blank on to the next adjacent film where the latter extends
beyond the blank substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein before
described.
2. A photographic camera or the like adapted to carry a number of "filins"
rectangular in shape and "blanks" of any suitable shape or carrying specially
mounted "films" alone-alternately arranged in a pack in such a manner that
same alternatively do not coincide with each other but overlap one another in
combination and acting in conjunction with blocks or projections in-or other
equivalent formation of the interior of-the reservoir chamber to cause the latter
to correspond with the contour of the pack forined by the two sets of surfaces laid
alternately together in the manner described, arms or fingers or equivalent
appliances adapted to be simultaneously moved so as to pass clear off one such
surface on to the next adjacent one at the point where the edge line of one
surface forms an angle with the edge of the next adjacent surface and means to
operate said arms or fingers substantially in the manner and for the purposes
hereinbefore described.
فيدونه
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.