Improvements in and relating to Camera Tripods.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 8th June, 1892-Accepted, 9th July, 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Camera Tripods.
I, LEONARD E. BENNETT of the City of McHenry in the County of McHenry
in the State of Illinois of the United States of America, Gentleman, 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 invention has relation to photographic cameras, and more particularly to that
class thereof wherein a tripod is employed for supporting the camera, said tripod
being adapted to be connected with and disconnected from the camera, and the
primary object of my invention is to provide simple means whereby a tripod may
be readily connected with and disconnected from the camera, said securing means
being provided with locking devices whereby the parts may be locked in position
after having been connected together.
With the above object in view, my invention consists in the peculiar construction,
arrangement and combination of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in
the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claim.
In the drawings:-
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the threaded rod and locking nut.
Fig. 2 is a like view of socketed plate.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the bottom of a camera, the plate, nut, rod
and tripod-head.
Fig. 4 is a plan view of the socketed plate showing in full lines the T-head of
the rod in the locked position, and in dotted lines, the said T-head as turned to be
withdrawn through the slot in the plate.
Referring to the above drawings, A indicates an ordinary tripod and A¹ the
head thereof. B, indicates a rod which is threaded and is adapted to pass loosely
through an opening b in the tripod-head, as shown, said rod being provided with a
T-head B', the threads on the rod extending nearly to said head.
Upon the rod below the tripod-head is mounted a winged tightening or locking
nut C which, by screwing upon the rod may be adjusted thereon for a purpose
presently described.
'
D indicates a plate, socketed as shown at d, and provided with the screw-holes d'
to enable said plate to be secured to the bottom of the camera. The bottom of
the plate is also provided with a rectangular slot D¹ of a length and width sufficient
to admit of the passage therethrough of the T-head of rod B. The diameter of
the socket d, should be such as to enable the T-head after having been inserted
through the slot, to be turned at right-angles to the latter as shown in Fig. 4,
and the depth of the socket should be such as to allow of the upper edge of the
plate D.
The plate D is provided interiorly with angular abutments or projections D
the edges d' of which coincide or lie flush with the edges d' of the slot, while the
edges d* of said abutments are at right angles to said slot, against which latter
edges bear the edges of the T-head when the latter is in the position shown in full
lines in Fig. 4.
The said abutments D' therefore serve as stops to prevent the T-head from
turning completely around within the plate.
The screw-holes das will be seen pass through the abutments close to the
juncture of the edges of the latter so that the heads of the securing screws on the
underside of the plate will not project beyond the circumferential edge of the plate
when the latter is secured to the camera.

page_text: The operation of my invention may be described as follows:-
The plate and the rod having been secured in position on the camera and tripod-
head respectively, and it being desired to connect the latter with the camera, the
latter or the rod is turned so that the T-head of said rod will. coincide with or be
in position to be inserted through the slot D¹ of the plate. The T-head is then
pushed through the slot and the camera or the rod turned so as to cause the
T-head to assume a position at right-angles to the slot with the edges of said head
bearing against the edges d' of the abutments. The nut C is then adjusted upon
the rod B, until the underside of plate D and upper side of the tripod-head.
bear firmly against the bottom of the plate and preventing accidental disagreement
of the parts.
By running the nut down slightly upon the rod, the T-head will be loosened
and may be turned within the plate into the position shown in dotted lines in
Fig. 4, when it may be withdrawn through the slot D¹ thereby disconnecting the
tripod from the camera.
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. The herein described means for detachably securing a tripod to a camera,,
consisting essentially of a socketed plate adapted to be secured to the camera, and
having a slot in its bottom, and a rod adapted to be detachably secured to the tripod-
head and provided with a T-head adapted to be passed through the slot, in the plate
and to be turned at an angle thereto, as described.
2. In a photographic camera, the combination with the camera, and a socketed
plate secured to the underside of said camera, and provided with a rectangular
slot, of a tripod, a threaded rod passing through the tripod-head and having a
T-head lying within the socket of the plate and adapted to be turned, as and for
the purpose spécified.
3. In a photographic camera, the combination with the camera and a socketed
plate secured to the underside of said camera; and provided with a rectangular slot
passing through the tripod-head, and having a Ɗ-head lying within the socket of
the plate, and adapted to be turned therein and to be limited in its turning
movements by said abutments, as described, for the purpose specified.
4. In a photographic camera, the combination with the camera, and a socketed
plate secured to the underside thereof and provided with a rectangular slot, of a
tripod, a rod passing through the tripod-head and having a T-head lying within
the socket of the plate and adapted to be turned therein, and a tightening
nut adjustably mounted on said rod below the tripod-head, as and for the purpose
specified.
5. In a photographic camera, the combination with the camera, and the socketed
plate provided with a rectangular slot, and having angular abutments on each side
of the slot one edge of each abutment being flush with the sides of the slot, and the
other edge of each abutment at right angles to said slot, of a tripod, a rod passing.
through the tripod-head and having a T-head lying within the socket of the plate
with its edges abutting against the edges of the abutment, said T-head being
adapted to be turned within the plate and to be withdrawn through the slot thereof,
as and for the purpose specified.
Dated this oth
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.