and Adjustable upon the Camera of Photographic Apparatus.
Year: 1888

page_text: and Adjustable upon the Camera of Photographic Apparatus.
I, NEWNHAM BROWNE, of 73, Cheapside, in the City of London, Fellow of the
Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for
"AN IMPROVED BOX OR CASE, KNOWN AS A CHANGING-BOX, ATTACHABLE TO AND
ADJUSTABLE UPON THE CAMERA OF PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS, which invention has
been communicated to me from abroad by Friedrich August Fichtner of Gluck
Strasse 6 Dresden in the Empire of Germany Cabinet Maker and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention relates to a box or case for photographic dry-plates which serves for
changing the plates in the camera of a photographic apparatus-viz.: for passing such
plates into the camera, carrying the same back into the box, and attaching the latter
upon the camera directly and adjusting it in accordance with the plate to be used;
and the invention also relates to the means or devices in or upon the camera for
attaching and adjusting the box on the camera and for transferring the dry-plates
from the box to the camera, and vice versa.
In the accompanying drawings showing the box, Fig. 1, is a plan. Fig. 2, is a
vertical section. Fig. 3, is a horizontal section.
It consists of a casing A into which are inserted a small or large number of
frames a (12 are shown in the drawings) sliding in grooves serving each to receive a
dry plate a¹.
The aperture for filling the frames a with dry-plates a¹ which must be done in the
dark-room, is closed by a lid A'.
The opposite aperture A³ is closed by a shutter A'. In the latter a slot is left open
the length and width whereof correspond to one frame a so that the latter can pass
through the slot. On the outside of the shutter the slot is covered by a mouth-piece b
the foot whereof also encloses the slide c which keeps the light out of the interior of the
box. Fig. 4 shows the slide c in elevation, d, d are springs which keep the slide c
closed, that is to say in the position shown dotted in fig. 4, until the box is attached to
the camera.
From the upper end of the mouthpiece projects a wedge shaped stud b¹
whose object will presently appear,

page_text: On the lower front-edge of the box are provided two hooked or curved plates e, e.
On the upper surface of the box is a lock or fastening shown in fig. 1 with its button
removed, it consists in the hooks f, f, cach turning on a pivot f¹, f¹ and carrying on
their upper surface the pins f. On a stud g between the hooks fis fitted a disc h in-
which two excentric slots h¹ are cut. With each of these slots engages one of the
pins. A button is firmly connected with the disc h. Now when by the button /²
the disc is turned in one direction or the other, the hooks f approach to, or recede
from one another.
One of the sides of the casing A, over which the shutter runs is provided with a
scale showing as many degrees or numbers as the box can receive dry plates, in the
present case therefore twelve.
This scale is divided to correspond with the plates in the box. As will be seen in
fig. 3, the outer edge of the shutter points to figure 1, on the scale when the slot in
said shutter, serving for the passage of the frames a, faces the first of these frames, as
in fig. 3. The position of the edge of the shutter with reference to the scale indicates
which of the plates faces the slot ready to pass into the camera.
The camera B is shown in the drawings.
Fig. 5, is a plan thereof Fig. 6. vertical section and Fig. 7 a horizontal section.
It is fitted for attachment and adjustment of the changing-box A and for transferring
a dry plate therefrom to the camera and vice versa as follows:
On the upper and lower surfaces there are racks k moving in grooves i; these gear
with pinions
m. mounted on a spindle so that the racks move in the same direction
and simultaneously when the spindle is turned by the button n.
From the lower rack k two lugs o having apertures o¹. The latter correspond in
size and position to the plates e of the box. The upper rack k carries two hooks p
corresponding with the looks f on the lock of the box.
The lower edge of the upper rack is provided with notches as seen in elevation
in fig. 8 their number and arrangement corresponds with the frames a in the box.
With one of these notches the spring-pawl engages.
Within the camera a sleeve or tube s loosely fitted upon the spindle Z and upon it
are two levers s' turned outwards; these correspond with the slots provided in the
foot of the mouth-piece band in the slide c (fig. 4). On its upper end the 'tube s
carries a lever & turned inward. Upon this acts a levert having a common spindle
or pivot with the lever u on the surface of the camera. Spring maintains the
lever u and hence levers & and s also in their normal position as shewn in fig. 5.
The catch to serves to retain the lever u in the dotted position.
'
In that side of the camera against which the box bears there is an aperture a whose
shape and size exactly correspond to the mouthpiece b and it serves to receive the latter.
From this aperture grooves extend into the upper and lower walls or sides of the
camera. In these grooves a plate y is free to slide carrying on one side, outside the
camera a handle y¹, on the other a hook y³ that can be raised from the outside by a
wire y³ or by other means.
The box A is fitted to the camera by engaging the hooks e, e on the former with the
slots o' on the latter the box is then pressed against the camera and the button h² of
of the lock is so turned that, as shown in dotted lines in fig. 1, the hooks f travel
asunder and thus engage with the hooks p projecting from the rack k thus attaching
the box as will be seen in fig. 9 in vertical section and in fig. 10 in horizontal section,
these figures showing both the camera and the changing box.
When the box is pressed against the camera the wedge-shaped stud 61 passes
between the lower edge of the upper rack k and the spring catch r raising the latter
(see fig. 8) from the notch in the rack k.
The ends of the levers s¹ then engage with the slide c, by adjusting the lever u into
the position shown in dotted lines in fig. 5, the slide is brought into the position
shown in fig. 10 and the lever u secured in position by the catch w being placed as
shown in dotted lines in fig. 5.
In order to pass a dry-plate a¹ from the box A to the camera, the plate y, previously
slightly drawn back, is again pushed forward so far, that the hook y² engages with a

page_text: notch or the like provided for this purpose on each frame a.
When the plate y is
drawn back, the frame a connected with it by the hook, and with it the dry plate a,
passes into the camera as in fig. 9.
When the frame has completely passed into the camera the catch w is withdrawn
and lever u released and slide e advances again to close the slot through which the
frames pass.
After the exposure is completed the frame is replaced in the box by means of
the plate y, the hook y2 is lifted by the wire y' and the plate y thus uncoupled from
the frame a is slightly drawn back.
If another plate is then required for another exposure, the box is moved forward
(by turning spindle 7 through the button n) as much as corresponds to the thickness
of one frame a, that is to say one figure on the scale so that the plate next to the one
already exposed comes into use.
To remove the box A from the camera the disc h is turned back and connection
with the upper rack k released the box is inclined slightly backwards and raised,
thereby releasing the hooks of the plates e from the lugs o. Whilst the box is
released the stud also leaves the spring pawl allowing the latter to fall into the
notch on the rack k. The latter and with it spindle and lower rack, are thus secured
against motion and the box if replaced will again resume the former position.
To control the proper sequence of the plates the scale will serve.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by my
Foreign Correspondent I declare that what I claim is :
In a changing-box for dry plates on the one hand, and a photographic camera on
the other.
1. The devices for attaching the box A to the camera B viz.: the hook shaped
plates e, e, the slotted lugs o, o, the lock consisting of hooks f,f, disc h and button /³,
the hooks p, p and the mouth piece b.
2. The devices for adjusting the box on the camera viz.: the racks k, k pinions m
spindle and button n.
3. The locking-device consisting in the notches k¹ on 'the racks k spring catch or
pawl and wedge-shaped stud b².
4. The devices for opening the light-excluding shutter of the box viz.: the tube or
sleeve s surrounding the spindle with levers and s³, levers t and u catch w and
spring v.
5. The device for transferring the plates from the box to the camera and vice-versa
consisting of plate y with hooks y worked from outside.
Dated this Twentieth day of December 1888.