Improvements in and connected with Store Boxes or Change Boxes for Photographic Cameras.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Mar., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 12th Dec., 1892-Accepted, 14th Jan., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Store Boxes or Change Boxes
for Photographic Cameras.
I, JOHN RUDOLPH GOTZ, Optician, of 19, Buckingham Street, Strand, in the
County of London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for storing the sensitive films or plates used.
in photographic cameras, for exposing the said plates in the camera one after the
other, when required, and for storing them again after exposure.
The principal object of the improvements is, to construct a simple and light
change box suitable for holding a great number of films in a small space and for
exchanging the exposed films for new films without unnecessary manipulation or
loss of time.
The store box may either be permanently fixed to the camera slide (dark slide),
so that both must be attached to or removed from the camera simultaneously, or
the slide may be separate and constructed in such a manner, that it can be
attached alternately to the store box and to the camera.
If thin flexible films are used for exposure, each film is mounted on a light but
sufficiently strong and stiff backing preferably of aluminium or other suitable sheet
metal, so that the film need never be touched with the fingers or removed from the
backing during the different manipulations.
If the camera slide and the store box are made in one, the camera slide forms the
face of the box, and the external width of the latter is slightly less than the clean
opening in the camera.
The face of the box contains a sliding door similar to that used in ordinary
camera slides. Behind the sliding door and parallel with the same the box contains
a hinged frame, adapted to hold a film together with its backing or carrier
mentioned above. The said frame is preferably hinged at its lower edge, so that it
may be turned backward into the box, and is provided at its back with springs,
which press it into position. The top of the box is provided with a door hinged on
one of its edges, so that it can be opened outward into a flexible bag attached to the
top of the box. The said top door has on its inside a ledge or other suitable detent,
adapted to hold the edge of the film frame when the door is closed, and to release
the same when the door is opened. The back of the store box contains a door,
through which the box is charged with fresh films, the latter being placed upright
between the back door and the hinged frame. The face of the hinged frame for
carrying the films has a pair of ledges, one of which is slightly dovetailed, for
holding the edges of the film, when the latter is put into its place for exposure.
The box may contain a vertical partition or division plate for separating the
unexposed films from those which have been exposed.
After the box has been charged with sensitive films and attached to the camera,
the front door or slide is opened for exposure as usual. After exposure, the
operator introduces his hand through the flexible bag, opens the top door and
thereby allows the film-carrying frame to drop backward into the box. He then
removes the exposed film from the frame, places it at the back of the hinged
frame, draws a fresh film out from the box into the bag and places it on the face of
the frame. Finally he closes the frame forward into its normal position, and secures
it by shutting the top door, after which the apparatus is ready for another
exposure.
In the case of large store boxes, the camera slide is made separate as mentioned

page_text: above and consists of three principal parts, namely the rectangular frame or body
of the slide, adapted to be secured to the camera like an ordinary camera slide, a
sliding door which closes the front of the camera slide as usual, and a hinged back
door or frame which closes the slide at the back and serves to hold the film and
carrier. This door may be provided with a spring bolt or other suitable locking
device for locking it for the purpose of making an exposure.
The store box is a flat rectangular box provided with three doors, one in front,.
one at the back and one at the top. The front door or face of the box may be an
ordinary sliding door, or it may be flexible like a revolving shutter, so that it can
be drawn from the back of the box. The top door is hinged on its rear edge and
opens into a flexible bag attached to the top of the box as in the previous case..
The back door is drawn for charging the box with plates. The front of the box
has a pair of holders or ledges for holding the camera slide, when an exposed film
is to be changed.
After a film has been exposed in the camera, the slide is removed from the
camera and attached to the front of the store box, the operator then withdraws the
front door of the store box, introduces his hand through the flexible bag, opens.
the top door and unlocks the hinged carrier frame, so that the latter turns back.
into the box behind; he withdraws the exposed film, takes a fresh film from the
box, places it on the face of the hinged frame, after which he closes the latter and
shuts down the top door. The camera slide is now removed from the box and again
attached to the camera for another exposure.
Instead of placing the bag at the top, it may be on one side, and the position of
the various slides or doors may be varied to correspond.
Dated this 12th day of March 1892.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Store Boxes or Change Boxes
for Photographic Cameras.
1, JOHN RUDOLPH GOTZ, Optician, of 19, Buckingham Street, Strand, in the
County of London, 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 :-
This invention relates to apparatus for storing sensitive films or plates to be used
in photographic cameras, for exposing the said plates in the camera oue after the
other, when required, and for storing them again after exposure.
The principal object of the improvements is, the use of a simple and light box
suitable for holding a certain number of films in a small space, and for exchanging
the films, when exposed, for new films, within the box, in an easy and efficient
manner.
If thin flexible films are used for exposure, each film is mounted on a light, but
sufficiently strong and stiff backing or carrier, preferably of aluminium, steel, or
other suitable sheet metal, so that the film need never be touched with the fingers
or removed from the backing until development.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a combined slide and change box embodying my
invention.
Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same, and
Fig. 3 a horizontal section without the pile of film carriers.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view on a smaller scale, the front corner being broken
off, so as to show the interior of the box.
Fig. 5 is a partial transverse section and perspective view.
A indicates the bottom of the box, B the frame or camera slide, which forms

page_text: the face of the box, and is detachable from the same, C the back of the box, and¸,
D the lid for opening it at the top.
The sliding frame B contains a sliding door b, similar to that used in ordinary
camera slides.
Behind the said door and parallel with the same, a frame E is
hinged to the slide B, and adapted to hold a film in a kind of recess e, together:
with its backing or carrier, in the same way as a picture is held by the frame and.
its backboard. The said frame E is hinged at its lower edge, so that it may be
turned backward into the box, as far as is necessary to withdraw an exposed film,.
in which position it is retained by means of springs e', as shown by Fig. 1. The.
face of the frame E has a recess for the reception of a film and carrier, as.
mentioned above, so that the latter is flush with the edges of the said frame.
For bringing the film and carrier into proper register for exposure, the frame E
is provided with a pair of horizontally moveable bolts es, projecting over the right.
and left edge of the frame E, and fitting into corresponding sockets of the frame B
of the slide, as shown by Fig. 3. Before the frame E can be let down, the bolts es-
must be withdrawn by the fingers. Other means for locking the frame E to the..
frame B, may, however, be employed. is a spring adapted to engage with the.
head of a pin 2 for preventing the accidental movement of the sliding door b.
For keeping the change box securely closed, after the slide B has been removed,,
I employ a flexible door K, similar to a revolving shutter, as shown by Fig. 3,
which represents the said door in its closing position, while in Fig. 1 the door K
is withdrawn behind the back sliding door C. in Fig. 1 and 2 in Fig. 3
indicate the grooves for guiding the door K. Lis one of the side walls of the
box, to which the back slide C can be secured by means of a horizontally move--
able bolt controlled by a key inserted through the keyhole l¹.
To prevent the withdrawal of the slide from the box, before the flexible door
has been closed, I provide in the side wall La latch or bolt actuated by a.
helical spring 13, adapted to press the latch forward into a groove in the back of
the frame B, which back is faced with felt or other suitable packing. The
latch has a shoulder which rests against the flexible door K. When the
latter is opened, the bolt presses forward and holds the slide B locked in its
position in front of the box. The slide can only be withdrawn, after the flexible.
door has been closed and thereby the slide has been disengaged from the locking.
The top of the box is provided with a door D hinged on its rear edge, so that.
it can be opened outward into a flexible bag or muff F attached to the top of the
box, and through which the hands are inserted. The said top door may have on
its inside a ledge or other suitable detent, adapted to hold the edge of the film
frame E, when the door is closed, and to release the same, when the door is.
opened. As mentioned above, the back of the store box is formed by a sliding
door, through which the box is charged with fresh films, the latter being placed
between the back door and the hinged frame E. The face of the hinged frame.
for carrying the films has at the top and on the sides a rim e², and at the bottom
a stripe of bent sheet metal, for holding the edges of the film, when the latter is.
put into its place for exposure.
A vertical, preferably loose, partition or division plate H separates the unexposed.
films (1) from those which have been exposed (J). is a supporting plate for the
films I a spring serves to keep the same in a slanting position. The flexible
bag F has the shape of a muff, open at the sides and provided with sleeves for the
hands. in Fig. 1 represents one of the two sleeve openings. I do not, however,
claim this muff as part of the present invention.
To prevent the films in the box from slipping out of their position, after the
camera slide, together with the frame E has been removed, I employ a guard
plate M, which is hinged to the bottom A, immediately behind the groove, and
provided with springs m, m, as well as a pair of hocks m'. The latter are guided
in recesses m² of the side walls and limited in their forward motion by pins m³.
d is a strip of leather to facilitate the opening of door D, a similar strip for
pulling the flexible shutter K, Na spring adapted to engage with a pin n.

page_text: projecting from the rear end of the shutter and serving to secure the same in its
closing position.
After a film has been exposed in the camera, the slide B is removed from the
camera and attached to the front of the store box; the operator then withdraws
the front door K of the store box, introduces his hand through the muff F, opens
the top door D and unlocks the hinged carrier frame E, so that the latter turns
back into the box behind, until it rests upon a pair of slanting shoulders formed
on the sides of the box; he then withdraws the exposed films, (together with
its carrier), takes a fresh film from the box and places it on the face of the hinged
frame E, after which he turns the latter up into the frame B, bolts the same, shuts
down the top door D, and closes the shutter K. The camera slide B is now
removed from the box and again attached to the camera for another exposure.
The principal feature of my invention consists in the fact, that in this box each
film is mounted on a metal carrier or opaque backing capable of standing upright,
without the necessity of grooves or other means of keeping films or plates from
being damaged, and that the said carriers are piled one upon the other between
the side walls, without requiring any guide grooves in the latter, or springs or other
devices for keeping the films flat.
A further distinction consists in the fact, that the film, together with its backing,
is mounted for exposure in a recess formed in the face of a hinged frame E,
instead of being stretched between a pair of rollers or pressed against the frame
or support and held flat by means of springs or wedges.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A change box accessory to photographic cameras containing flexible
sensitized films each of which is mounted on a light backing or carriers sufficiently
stiff to stand upright, the said film carriers being simply piled one upon another
between the side walls of the box without any guide grooves, substantially as
described.
2. In a combined change box and camera. slide, a filin carrying frame (E)
hinged at the bottom and having in its face a recess adapted to hold a film carrier
and film, the said frame being adapted to turn back into the camera and then to
rest in a slanting position, for the purpose of withdrawing or inserting a film,
substantially as described.
3. A combined change box and camera slide having in front a sliding frame (B)
provided with a hinged film carrying frame (E) adapted to open into the box, in
its interior a pile of sensitized films mounted on separate carriers, and at the top
a door (D) opening into a flexible bag or muff (F), the whole being constructed
and adapted to operate substantially as described.
Dated this 12th day of December 1892.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London, Agents.