IMPROVEMENTS IN PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA OBSCURAS, AND IN APPARATUS USED OR CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Pumphrey, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PHOTOGRAPHIC
CAMERA OBSCURAS, AND IN APPARATUS USED OR CONNECTED THEREWITH."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Pumphrey at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th November 1881.
ALFRED PUMPHREY, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA OBSCURAS, AND IN APPARATUS USED
OR CONNECTED THEREWITH."
My Invention has for its object to facilitate the practice of dry plate photography,
and consists of the improvements hereinafter described in photographic camera
obscuras and apparatus used or connected there with, whereby dry photographic
plates or filins may be conveniently carried and stored, and in succession exposed
to the action of the luminous image of the camera.
A photographic camera obscura and apparatus used or connected therewith
containing my improvements are constructed essentially as follows:-The founda-
tion of the camera and apparatus is a rectangular box, which in use is mounted
upon a tripod or other stand, and constitutes the changing chamber. This chamber
is open at front and back. The back is provided with a hinged door, and the front
is provided with grooves in which a box constituting the camera proper slides, so
as to attach the camera to the box. The body of the camera is double, one part
sliding upon the other, and thus affording the means of focussing. Instead of a
rigid camera, a collapsing camera may be employed.
The changing chamber has an opaque sleeve at one or both sides through which
the band or hands can be passed into the chamber, and also has openings for
looking through, and for the admission of non-actinic light.
The storing box which contains the films or plates also constitutes what is
commonly called the dark slide, that is, the support or holder of the film while it is
being exposed to the action of light. The said storing box is constructed as follows:
A rectangular box frame of an area suitable for receiving the films, and of a depth
Prise

page_text: dependent on the number of films to be stored in it, has jointed to it at one side a
flap or door, and has jointed to it at the other side a front frame which presses
upon the margin of the film to be exposed. This door and front frame are binged
to the box frame at opposite edges, that is, when the storing box is in position for
exposing a filin, the hinge of the front frame is at top, while the hinge of the flap
or door is at bottom. The front frame and door are secured by hook like
fastenings.
The films are placed upon one another in the storing box, their sensitive sides
being turned towards the front frame. Upon the topmost film an opaque card or
plate is placed, and the packet of films is thus excluded from light.
The camera and apparatus are used as follows:-The image is focussed upon the
focussing screen in the usual way, the screen being held in position by a spring.
After focussing and withdrawing the screen the storing box is introduced into the
changing chamber, and laid upon the bottom of the said chamber face upwards.
The hand is introduced into the changing chamber; the front frame is unfastened
and raised, the opaque card is taken from the storing box and laid upon the bottom
of the camera; the topmost film is taken from the box and laid upon the opaque
card, the said card with the film upon it being returned to the storing box, and the
front frame shut down and fastened. The storing box with the exposed film is
now placed in the position previously occupied by the focussing screen, and by
uncapping the lens the luminous image is made to fall on the sensitive film.
After exposure of the film the storing box is laid flat on the bottom of the changing
chamber face uppermost; the front frame is unfastened and raised, and the film
removed and laid on the bottom of the camera. The storing box is inverted and
the back unfastened and raised, and the exposed film placed therein. The back is
closed and fastened, and the storing box is in the state it was before it was intro-
duced into the changing chamber, excepting that it contains the exposed film at the
bottom of the series.
The camera with its lens when separated from the changing chamber, may,
together with the storing box and focussing screen, be packed in the changing
chamber. The storing box may be used with an ordinary camera obscura by the
use of a sliding shutter and other slight modifications. In this case a dark room or
other facility for removing the front exposed film and placing it at the bottom of
the series is required.
Although for convenience of description I have described my Invention in
connection with photographic dry films, yet my Invention is equally applicable to
the use of glass plates, as dry gelatine plates may be stored by being placed upon
one another, with thin films of paper between them without risk of injury.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alfred Pumphrey in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th May 1882.
"
ALFRED PUMPHREY, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer.
IMPROVEMENTS IN PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA OBSCURAS, AND IN APPARATUS USED
OR CONNECTED THEREWITH."
My Invention has for its object to facilitate the practice of dry plate photography
and consists of the improvements hereinafter described in photographic camera
obscuras and apparatus used or connected therewith, whereby dry photographic
plates or films may be conveniently carried and stored, and in succession exposed
to the action of the luminous image of the camera.
A photographic camera obscura and apparatus used or connected therewith con-
taining my improvements are constructed essentially as follows:-The foundation
of the camera and apparatus is a rectangular box which in use is mounted upon a
tripod or other stand and constitutes the changing chamber. This chamber is open
at front and back. The back is provided with a hinged door, and the front is
provided with grooves, in which a box constituting the camera proper slides, so as
to attach the camera to the box. The body of the camera is double, one part
sliding upon the other and thus affording the means of focussing. Instead of a
rigid camera a collapsing camera may be employed.
The changing chamber has an opaque sleeve at one or both sides through which
the hand or hands can be passed into the chamber, and also has openings for
looking through and for the admission of non-actinic light.
The storing box which contains the films or plates also constitutes what is
commonly called the dark slide, that is, the support or holder of the film while it
is being exposed to the action of light. The said storing box is constructed as
follows: A rectangular box frame of an area suitable for receiving the films, and
of a depth dependent on the number of films to be stored in it, has jointed to it at
one side a flap or door, and has jointed to it at the other side a front frame which
presses upon the margin of the film to be exposed. This door and front frame
are hinged to the box frame at opposite edges, that is, when the storing box is in
position for exposing a film, the hinge of the front frame is at top, while the
hinge of the flap or door is at bottom. The front frame and door are secured by
hook like fastenings.
The films are placed upon one another in the storing box, their sensitive sides
being turned towards the front frame. Upon the topmost film an opaque card or
plate is placed, and the packet of films is thus excluded from light.
The camera and apparatus are used as follows:-
The image is focussed upon the focussing screen in the usual way, the screen
being held in position by a spring. After focussing and withdrawing the screen
the storing box is introduced into the changing chamber and laid upon the bottom
of the said chamber face upwards.
The back of the changing chamber being shut the hand is introduced into the
changing chamber, the front frame is unfastened and raised, the opaque card is
taken from the storing box and laid upon the bottom of the camera, the topmost
film is taken from the box and laid upon the opaque card, the said card with the
film upon it being returned to the storing box and the front frame shut down and
fastened. The storing box with the exposed film is now placed in the position
previously occupied by the focussing screen, and by uncapping the lens the luminous
image is made to fall on the sensitive film. After exposure of the film the storing

page_text: box is laid flat on the bottom of the changing chamber face uppermost, the front
frame is unfastened and raised, and the film removed and laid on the bottom of the
camera. The storing box is inverted and the back unfastened and raised and the
exposed film placed therein. The back is closed and fastened and the storing box
is in the state it was before it was introduced into the changing chamber excepting
that it contains the exposed film at the bottom of the series.
The camera with its lens when separated from the changing chamber may
together with the storing box and focussing screen be packed in the changing
chamber.
The storing box may be used with an ordinary camera obscura by the use of a
sliding shutter and other slight modifications. In this case a dark room or other
facility for removing the front exposed film and placing it at the bottom of the
series is required.
1 will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the
manner in which my Invention is to be performed.
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 represent in perspective with portions broken away
a photographic camera obscura and apparatus constructed according to my
Invention.
In Figure 1 the camera and apparatus are represented being used for focussing
the image upon the focussing glass.
In Figure 2 the focussing glass is removed and the storing box placed in the
changing chamber, a film being arranged in the said storing box prior to exposure.
In Figure 3 the storing box now constituting the dark slide is represented
occupying the position of the focussing glass and the film ready for exposure.
In Figure 4 the camera with the storing box and focussing glass are represented
|_ packed in the changing chamber_for_transit..
Figure 5 represents in perspective open the storing box or dark slide separately,
and Figure G is a cross section of the same closed.
Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10 are modifications of parts of my Invention as herein after
explained.
The same letters indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the Drawings.
a is the rectangular box open at both ends constituting the changing chamber, and
bis the camera carrying the lens. At the back of the chamber a is a hinged door a³
opening downwards, and at tho front of the said chamber are grooves c, c, in which
the back plate of the camera slides, the said camera being fixed in its place in
the chamber a by turning down the hinged bar a³. The camera is made double
or telescopic, so that the outer part may slide upon the inner part for focussing; or
in place of the telescopic arrangement of the camera represented, a collapsing camera
may be used. d, Figure 1, is the focussing glass, retained in its position at the
front of the changing chamber a by a spring at de is the opaque sleeve at one
side of the changing chamber a, through which sleeve the operator's hand and arm
can be passed into the changing chamber (see Figures 2 and 3) for manipulating the
storing box. ', a', and a² are openings in the top of the changing box or chamber
for looking through and for the admission of non-actinic light.
The construction of the storing box containing the films or plates will be best
understood by an examination of Figures 5 and 6; it consists of the rectangular
box e open at both sides, in which box the films are placed; at one side of the
said box e is a flap or door jointed at g, and at the opposite side or front of the
box c is a frame jointed at i; this front frame h presses upon the margin of
the films to be exposed. It will be seen that the hinging of the flap or door f
and the front frame is effected at opposite edges of the box e, so that the two
parts and h open in opposite directions (see Figure 5). When the flap f and
frame are shut down upon the box e they are fastened in their places by hook
fastenings. The films are placed upon one another in the storing box c, their
sensitive sides being turned towards the front frame h, an opaque card / covered
with black cloth (see Figure 6) being placed upon the topmost film to exclude
light from the said films."

page_text: The camera and apparatus are used in the following manner:-The image having
been focussed upon the focussing glass d, as represented in Figure 1, the lens is
capped and the focussing glass withdrawn through the open back of the changing
chamber a, and the storing box c is introduced into the said chamber and laid upon
the bottom with the front frame h upwards. The door a having been closed, the
hand is introduced through the sleeve e², and the front frame his unfastened and
raised, as illustrated in Figure 2, the operator looking through the slot a³ in the
top of the changing chamber. The opaque card being lifted from the storing
box e, the topmost film is taken from the box and laid upon the opaque card l, and
the said card with the film upon it is returned to the storing box. The front
frame being shut down and fastened, the topmost film is exposed, but light is
excluded from the other films by the opaque card l. The storing box e with the
exposed film is now placed in the position previously occupied by the focussing
glass, as represented in Figure 3, and fixed by the spring at d², the front frame h
containing the sensitive film being turned towards the lens. The fixing and
removing of the storing box e is facilitated by the flexible handle at the back of
the door f. By now uncapping the lens the luminous image is made to fall on the
sensitive film. After the exposure of the film the hand is again introduced into
the changing chamber a, and the storing box e restored to the position, Figure 2;
the front frame his unfastened and raised, and the exposed film removed and laid
on the bottom of the camera b. The frame being shut down and fastened, tho
storing box is now inverted and the flap f unfastened and raised, and the exposed
film placed in the said box at the bottom of the series. The flap f is next closed
and fastened, and the storing box containing the exposed film at the bottom of the
series is now removed from the changing chamber, when toperations described
may be repeated.
In packing the camera and appatus for transit the focussing glass & is placed
on the bottom of the changing chamber a, the camera b is placed in the chamber a
with its lens presented to the back of the said chamber, and upon the top of the
camera the storing box e is put as illustrated in Figure 4.
The storing box e may be used without the front chamber or camera b, the
chamber a now constituting the camera being made of sufficient size to permit of
the requisite manipulations being carried on in it. The lens is attached to the front
of the chamber or box. On the right hand side of the chamber is a sleeve similar
to the sleeve e for the introduction of the hand and arm, but in order the more
effectually to exclude light on the introduction and withdrawal of the hand I cover
the opening of the sleeve by a flap or shutter, which turns upon hinges and can bo
turned down fat upon the bottom of the chamber, and on withdrawing the hand
raised into a vertical position against the opening for the sleeve and fastened in
that position by a button or fastening outside the chamber or camera.
focussing glass and the sensitive film are fixed in their places by a spring, causing
them to rest against stops at the back of the chamber. The focussing is effected
by the sliding of the tube carrying the lens. The manipulation of the films in the
storing box is conducted in the manner herein before described with respect to the
camera and apparatus, Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4.
The
The storing box may be so modified as to be used in a way similar to that in
which the ordinary dark slide of a camera is used.
This modification is represented in perspective in Figure 7, the storing box and
dark slide being represented open; e is the storing box; is the back flap, and h
is the front frane jointed to opposite edges of the box e, as before described; mis
the sliding shutter working in the front frame h, the said shutter being raised for
exposing the film to the luminous image. The modification, Figure 7, is used in
conjunction with a dark bag, one hand being introduced into the bag for manipu-
lating the films and the other hand used outside the bag for holding the storing
box and assisting the manipulation of the other hand.
The films before and after exposure are manipulated as herein before described,
excepting that as the apparatus, Figure 7, has to be withdrawn from the dark bag

page_text: into daylight to be transferred to its place in the camera, the sliding shutter m is
closed like the ordinary shutter of the dark slide. The apparatus, Figure 7, being
placed in the camera with the face h, m, turned towards the luminous image the
shutter m is raised for the exposure of the film, the lens is uncapped, and after
recapping the lens the shutter m is depressed and the apparatus removed from the
camera into the dark bag and the exposed film placed at the bottom of the series,
and the operations described repeated.
The storing box can also be used in connection with the ordinary dark slide of a
photographic camera.
This modification of my Invention is represented in perspective, open in
Figure 8, and in cross section closed in Figure 9; Figure 10 represents a portion
of the same in end and front elevation; is the jointed front of the storing box e,
and the back flap; n is an ordinary dark slide of a photographic camera. 'T'he
frame his rebated, so as to receive the dark slide n with its sliding shutter q
downwards or turned towards the sensitive film. The dark slide n is fixed
temporarily in the frame h by buttons, one of which is shown at p. The changing
of the film, that is, the removal of the exposed film from the storing box e to the
bottom of the series and the introduction of another film from the top into the
dark slide n, is conducted in a dark bag, dark room, or dark box, the manipulation
being essentially the same as that herein before described.
Although I prefer to joint the flap and frame of the storing box at opposite
edges, yet they may be jointed at the same side of the storing box.
It will be noted that in Figure 5 notches are made in the edge of the hinged
frane h. By these notches the hand easily discovers the said edge, and thereby
prevents any confusion between it and the edge of-the-flap-f
Although for convenience of description I have described my Invention in
connection with photographic dry films, yet my Invention is equally applicable to
the use of glass plates, as dry gelatine plates may be stored by being placed
upon one another, with thin films of paper between them without risk of
injury.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself
to the precise details herein described and illustrated, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of my Invention.
But I clain as my Invention of Improvements in Photographic Camera
Obscuras, and in Apparatus used or connected therewith,"-
First. The construction and arrangement of the parts of a photographic camera
obscura and supplementary or changing chamber in which the manipulation of the
photographic films or plates to be operated upon is conducted substantially as
herein before described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the accompanying
Drawings; also the modification described in which the body of the camera is used
as the changing chamber.
Secondly. The construction and arrangement of the parts of a dark storing box
for holding or storing photographic films or plates, both before and after exposure
to the action of light, in a camera obscura, as herein before described and illustrated
in Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the accompanying Drawings, that is to say, a dark
storing box consisting essentially of a box open at top and bottom, and having
hinged to its top a frame and to its bottom a flap or lid, and provided with
fastenings for the said frame and flap or lid, the transfer of the exposed film or
plate to the bottom of the series in the box, and the arranging of an unexposed film
or plate with a dark or opaque card or plate underneath it at the top of the series,
being conducted substantially as described and illustrated.
Thirdly. The modification of the storing box, herein before described and
represented in Figure 7, in which the storing box is provided with a sliding shutter,
so that the manipulation of the film or plate can be conducted in a dark bag, box,
or room, and in combination with an ordinary photographic camera.
Lastly. The modification, herein before described and represented in Figures 8

page_text: 9, and 10, whereby the storing box is adapted for the temporary reception of an
ordinary photographic dark slide for the transfer in the dark from the storing box
of unexposed films or plates to the dark slide, and the removal of exposed films or
plates from the said dark slide to the storing box, substantially as described and
illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Pumphrey, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
ALFRED PUMPHREY. (L.S.)