Improvements in Heads for Camera Stands.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Dec., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 21st Sept., 1889-Accepted. 14th Dec. 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Heads for Camera Stands.
1. JAMES HEBER TAYLOR, of Little Trinity, Cambridge, M.A. Queen's College,
Oxford, M.A. Trinity College, Cambridge, B.Sc. London, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The objects of this invention are primarily to provide a ready means by movements of
rotation only of changing the position of a photographic camera constructed to take
pictures on oblong plates from the position in which the long side is horizontal to that
in which the long side is vertical, so that the camera in each position shall be in a
position of stable equilibrium over or nearly over the centre of the tripod stand.
Secondarily to enable the camera to be directed upwards or downwards at any
required angle.
The camera is attached to a block which is pivoted horizontally between the ends of
two parallel bars, so as to turn freely round from one side of the bars to the other.
The bars are pivoted towards their other extremities about a horizontal axis parallel
to the axis of the block, these pivots being carried on a stage which is attached to or
may form part of the tripod head. Short extensions of the bars beyond these last
named pivots are used for the purpose of securing the bars when at right angles to
the stage i.e. the stage being horizontal when the bars are vertical.
The bars may also be secured at any required angle or inclination by a strut jointed
to the bars and made to engage with the side of the stage opposite to the pivots which
connect the stage with the bars.
The stage forms a flat surface on which the camera may rest when the bars are
either horizontal or vertical.
The camera when vertical or inclined can be held in a position overhanging the
stage and admitting of back focussing.
The camera may be attached to the block by a base screw of the ordinary type.
By movement around the base screw the camera may be inclined upwards or down-
wards when the bars are vertical. A slot in the block at right angles to its axis
makes the same apparatus available for different cameras not differing greatly in
dimensions. Or with the same object the block may be pivoted not directly to the
parallel bars but to an inner frame which slides between the bars and is capable of
being clamped at any desired point. Or sometimes I provide a dove-tail projection
upon the base of the camera and parallel V guides are attached to the block at right
angles to its axis of rotation and suitable means of clamping the camera when in
position are provided. The lengthening of these guides beyond the length of the side
of the projection from the base of the camera makes the same piece of apparatus avail-
able for cameras differing somewhat in dimensions.
The block may have within it a turn-table to which V guides are fixed.
The stage may be rigidly attached to a triangle head for the tripod stand but by
preference I attach it by a central pin which forms a vertical axis about which the
whole stage rotates as a turn-table on the tripod head.
Dated this 21st day of December 1888.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Heads for Camera Stands.
I, JAMES HEBER TAYLOR of Little Trinity, Cambridge, M.A. Queen's College,
Oxford, M.A. Trinity College, Cambridge, B.Sc. London, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN HEADS FOR CAMERA STANDS, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:—
According to this invention a photographic camera, instead of being attached
directly to the triangle head of a tripod stand, is, by a base screw or other suitable
device which allows rotation and can be clamped in any position when desired, made
fast to a block or rotating piece A. Figure 1, which is pivoted horizontally between
the ends B, B', of two rigidly connected parallel bars, in such a manner that the
camera when attached to the block can be turned round from one side of the parallel
bars to the other. To ensure this, all that is necessary is that no part of the parallel
bars, at any point of the rotation, stand above the plane of that surface of the block,
to which the camera is attached.
In this specification the triangle-head of the tripod stand is regarded as always
horizontal: hence the parallel bars are said to be "pivoted horizontally."
The hars themselves, towards their other extremities, are pivoted about a horizontal
axis CC, parallel to the 'axis of the block; these pivots being carried on a stage
which may either be attached to or form part of the tripod head: the attach-
ment being by preference of a form which allows the rotation of the stage, as a
turntable, about a vertical axis through the centre of the triangle-head of the tripod
stand. The stage forms a flat surface on which, with the parallel bars & block, the
camera may rest when the bars are either horizontal or vertical, the pivots of the bars
being so placed that they, when horizontal, and the block fall within recesses in the
stage and when the bars are vertical there is nothing projecting outside the plane
which touches them on the side remote from the centre of the tripod head.
The part of my invention already described gives the power of changing a camera
carrying an oblong plate, at will, from the position in which the long side of the
plate is horizontal to that in which the long side is vertical, the camera being in
either case in a position of stable equilibrium, over or nearly over the centre of the
tripod stand.
For the camera being supposed attached to the block A Figure 1. with its side
parallel to CC, by raising the camera, till the bars, rotating on their pivots C, C₁,
become vertical and at the same time rotating the camera in the opposite direction on
the pivots B, B1, the change of position is effected. This change, the one most
frequently required by users of oblong plates, can by this invention be effected much
more quickly than by the use of either a rotating back or a reversing back in a square
camera.
The parallel bars may also be raised to any angle with the horizon & clamped
in that position by suitable means. This part of my invention gives the power of
elevating or depressing the axis of the lens to any required extent from the horizontal
to the vertical, the weight remaining well over the triangle unless the angle between
the axis and the vertical is very small, & even then the centre of gravity falls well
within the triangle formed by the feet of the legs of the stand.
To effect this movement the stage is first rotated till the line B D Figure 1. looks
towards the object to be taken. The block may in this case with advantage be
clamped in the plane of the parallel bars. This clamping can be conveniently effected
by a small bolt, parallel to the parallel bars, which inserted, midway between the
bars, in the rigid frame which connects them, takes into a close fitting hole cut in the
rotating block at the extremities of the diameter at right angles to its pivots. My
description assumes throughout that a right-handed person would have the
pivots C, Con his right hand as he looked towards the object to be taken. The
camera is now rotated on the block, till its side, which before was parallel

page_text: to B B or C C', becomes parallel to B D or B' D', the lens being directed
towards D, D or towards B, B' according as it is desired to depress or to elevato
the axis of the lens. Then the parallel bars are moved through the required angle
and clamped in that position. In the movements of depression & elevation just
described the long side of an oblong plate is horizontal. If however it is desired
depress or to elevate the axis of the lens through any angle from the horizontal to the
vertical while the short side of the plate is horizontal; this can be done by my
invention, thus; the parallel bars are raised to the vertical and clamped there; the
camera and block are now rotated, on the pivots B, B', till the camera overhangs the
tripod head on the outside of the parallel bars; the block is now clamped in the plano
of the bars : The movement of depression or elevation can now be effected by
rotating the camera about its attachment to the block and clamping it in the required
position.
For a camera taking pictures on a square plate the movement first described above
is unnecessary: but the movements of depression and elevation are needed.
With cameras built either for square or for oblong plates combinations of the
simple movements described above will give the operator large power of varying
simultaneously, at will, the inclination of the axis of the lens to the horizon and the
inclination of the diagonal of the plate to the vertical, the camera remaining in
a position of stable equilibrium.
Means by which the same piece of apparatus may be used with cameras not differing
greatly in dimensions will now be described; it being assumed that it is desirable to
attach the camera on the mid line of its base, as is the general practice.
The block may be solid, or it may, as represented in figures 1 & 3 have a turn-table
within it. The attachment of the camera to a solid block is by the ordinary base-
screw, through a hole at the centre of the block, and in this case a slot cut through
the block along the diameter at right angles to its pivots renders the piece of apparatus
available with cameras not greatly differing in size. If however, for the sake of
attaching the camera more securely than by the ordinary base screw, a turn-table is
inserted in the block; the apparatus may be rendered available for cameras not
greatly differing in dimensions, thus a dovetail rectangular projection screwed to
the base of the camera, slides within parallel V guides attached to the block at right
angles to its axis of rotation, and suitable means of clamping the camera when in
position are provided. The lengthening of the V guides beyond the length of the
side of the piece screwed to the base of the camera makes the same piece of apparatus
available for cameras differing somewhat in dimensions. With this system identical
pieces must be attached to each camera used with one & the same reversing head.
Or, with the same object, whether the rotating block be solid or contain a turntable,
the block may be pivoted, not directly to the parallel bars but to an inner frame,
which slides between the bars and is capable of being clamped at any desired point.
The method first described is the simplest; but, if the length of the slot be consider-
able, there is the disadvantage that the camera is not necessarily attached to the block
in such a position that its centre of gravity is over the line of the pivots. This
however though desirable is not essential. The method last described, though most
complicated, is readiest and simplest in use, whether the block be solid or contain a
turntable.
Figure 1, showing the block & parallel bars, gives the most essential part of my
invention, apart from the necessary clamping arrangements.
The other figures, intended to make the description more clear, are of the actual
size of the parts of a reversing head which I have had constructed partly of metal
partly of wood. The parts shown are all of metal.
The stage, not shown, is a disc of wood; of uniform thickness, on its underside
attached, by an annular turntable, to a triangular tripod head. The upper side of
the stage is recessed so that the block & parallel bars, Figure 1, when horizontal, and
also the piece Figures 5, 6, 7, which carries the pivots C, C of the bars are flush with
its surface.

page_text: Figures 2 shows that the ends of the bars beyond their pivots carry quadrantal
slots concentric with the pivots, through which clamping screws take into lateral
depressions, Figure 6, of the piece which carries the pivots.
Figure 3 shows a piece which is attached by three screws to the base board of
the caméra, in such a position that when the lens looks in the direction B B, and
then only, the unsymmetrical projections on its circumference drop into the corre-
sponding openings in the block A Figure 1, and in any other position the
camera cannot be taken off. The camera is clamped in any position by a binding
screw through a nut in a bar or bridge carried by the block, which screw takes
onto the surface of the piece Figure 3.
Figure 4 is a section of the piece Figure 3 along the line EF.
Figure represents a section of the block
line B B¹.
or rotating piece along the
To give additional stiffness to the bars, when they are at an angle with the
stage in the movements of depression or elevation above described, I sometimes
provide struts which engaging with the bars at or near B, BI, pass through suitable
clamping slots on the side of the stage remote from the pivots. These struts when
not in use, being detachable from the bars, lie in recesses in the stage alongside the
recesses for the bars.
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
1 claim is.
•
1. Constructing a reversing head for camera stands of block parallel bars and
stage substantially as described, so that an oblong plate may be quickly changed
from the horizontal to the vertical position of the long side, the camera in each.
position being above or nearly above the centre of the tripod head.
2. The combination of the parts mentioned in claim 1 with provision for depressing
or elevating the axis of the lens through any desired angle with the horizontal &
fixing it there by suitable clamps or other device.
3. The combination of either of the forms described in claims 1 & 2 with a turn-
table for attachment to the triangle of a tripod stand.
4. The combination of either of the forms described in claims 1 & 2 with a triangle
head for a tripod stand.
5. The combination of either of the forms described in claims 1 & 2 with turntable
and triangle head for a tripod stand.
Dated this 20th day of September 1889.
J. H. TAYLOR.