Improvements in and relating to Photographic Cameras.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Aug., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 16th May, 1893-Accepted, 29th July, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Photographic Cameras.
I WALTER GRIFFITHS of Highgate Square Birmingham in the County of
Warwick Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be
as follows:-
My invention has for its object improvements in and relating to photographic
cameras by which I obtain a much more durable article which is particularly
suitable for export by reason of its freedom from liability to be affected by the
intense heat or cold of other climates while it is much stronger in construction
without loosing the delicasy of movement and adjustment of the various parts
which is so essential to a first class camera. At the same time it is simple in
construction and my improvements are embodied without in any way increasing the
cost of the camera. By my improvements in relation to the dark slides for use in
cameras I also obtain a much more durable article which at the same time is more
compact and also does not increase the cost of manufacture such dark slides being
cheaper than the ordinary ones of equal quality.
In carrying my invention into effect I form the bottom or under frame of my
camera of metal tubes with say two longitudinal tubes and two cross tubes attached
as to form a square base and with the longitudinal tubes mounted upon the cross
tubes within each longitudinal tube a second tube is telescoped and upon the front
ends of these two inner tubes another cross tube is mounted to the centre of which
one end of another longitudinal tube is attached this latter longitudinal tube passes
through a socket formed upon the front lower cross tube and is tapped at the back
end to receive a screw which has its shoulder socketted upon the rear lower cross
tube being provided with a thumb screw end which enables the screw to be turned
and thus adjust the distance between the lens and the back frame.
The front for receiving the lens is mounted upon the front upper cross tube and
thus travels with it while the back frame is mounted at its bottom to two ouside
longitudinal tubes by means of two metal sockets which slide on the said tubes.
The ends of the metal of these two sockets may be bent up to form a flange and to
these flanges the back frame is pivotted so as to be pitched to an angle or shut
down on to the bottom and it is secured in the required position by a metal strut
having a slot working on a thumb screw on the back in the usual way. The front
frame for lens may be kept up in a vertical position by a snug formed upon its
bottom side having a screw which engages with the boss which forms a finish to the
end of the central longitudinal tube. The back and front frame are cased on their
outer edge with thin metal having an inner lining of wood upon which the grooves
for receiving the dark slides are fixed. The bosses forming the connection between
the longitudinal and cross tubes at the two front corners and the centre boss on the
back cross tube have their undersides shaped or are provided with studs to receive
the top of the triprod which is fixed in the usual way.
:
The ends of the bellows are clamped between the metal casing and wood lining
of the back and front frame which thus forms a very strong connection and
throughout there are no joints dependant upon wood.
In place of forming the bottom of tubes I may form them of metal. rods of other
section such as hollow shape or any equivalent of the tubes.
In the case of the dark slide I form the centre partition of two thin sheets of
metal which are bent over at the sides to form grooves to receive the plates and
these two sheets are bound together at the top by velvet which is padded out to the
thickness of the grooves.
A square metal frame of channel section on two sides
and the bottom is provided to receive this partition containing the plates and the

page_text: top ends of the two sides of the frame are connected together by a sheet metal
band which is turned out to form a flange at the top thus strengthening the band
and preventing it from being sprung open. The insides of these bands are lined
with velvet the top edge of which is secured by the flange being turned back with
the edge of the velvet between. The shutters are of sheet metal and slide in
between the velvet on the inside of the frame and the velvet on the outside of the
partition and as there is a spring within between the two sheets of the partition to
expand them at the top all possibility of any light entering is thus prevented. By
these means an exceedingly simple substantial and portable camera is obtained in
which all the latest requirements are embodied and which will stand the varying
climates of other countries while it is not liable to be destroyed by those insect or
worms which in the case of wood are so destructive in warmer climes and the dark
slide while being much more substantial is much more portable and compact
without any increase in the cost of production.
Dated this 15th day of August 1892.
WALTER GRIFFITHS.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Photographic Cameras.
J WALTER GRIFFITHS, of Highgate Square, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer 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 for its object improvements in & relating to photographic
cameras by which 1 obtain a much more durable article which is particularly
suitable for export by reason of its freedom from any liability to be affected by
damp or the intense heat or cold of other climates while it is much stronger in
construction without loosing the delicacy of movement & adjustment of the various
parts which is so essential to a first class camera. At the same time it is simple in
construction & my improvements are embodied without in any way increasing the
cost of the camera. By my improvements in relation to the dark slides for use
in cameras I also obtain a much more durable article which at the same time is
more compact and does not increase the cost of manufacture such dark slides being
cheaper than the ordinary ones of equal quality.
In carrying my invention into effect I form the bottom or under frame of my
camera of metal tubes with say two longitudinal tubes and two cross tubes so
attached as to form a square base and with the longitudinal tubes mounted upon
the cross tubes. Within each longitudinal tube a second tube is telescoped and
upon the front ends of these two inner tubes another cross tube is mounted to the
centre of which one end of another longitudinal tube is attached this latter
longitudinal tube passes through a socket formed upon the front lower cross tube
and is tapped at the back end to receive a screw which may have its shoulder
socketted upon
the rear lower. cross tube being provided with a thumb screw end
which enables the screw to be turned and thus adjust the distance between the leu
and the back frame. The front for receiving the lens is mounted upon the front
upper.cross tube and thus travels with it while the back frame is mounted at its
bottom to two outside longitudinal tubes by means of two metal sockets which slide
on the said tubes. The ends of, the metal of these two sockets may be bent up to
form a flange and to these flanges the back frame is pivotted so as to be pitched to
an angle or shut down on to the bottom and it is secured in the required position
by a metal strut having a slot working in a. thumb screw on the back in the usual
way. The front frame for lens may be kept up in a vertical position by a snug
formed upon its bottom side having a screw which engages with the boss which
forms a finish to the end of the central longitudinal tube. The back and front
frames are cased on their outer edge with thin metal having an-inner lining of wood

page_text: upon which the grooves for receiving the dark slides are fixed. The bosses forming
the connection between the longitudinal and cross tubes at the two front corners
and the centre boss on the back cross tube have their undersides shaped or are
provided with studs to receive the top of the tripod which is fixed in the usual
way. The ends of the bellows are clamped between the metal casing and wood
lining of the back and front frame which thus forms a very strong connection and
throughout there are no joints dependant upon wood.
In place of forming the bottom of tubes I may form them of metal rods of other
section such as hollow V shape or any equivalent of the tubes.
In the case of the dark slide I from the centre partition of two thin sheets of
metal which are bent over at the sides to form grooves to receive the plates and
these two sheets are bound together at the top by velvet which is padded out to the
thickness of the grooves.
A square metal frame of channel section on two sides and the bottom is provided
to receive the partition containing the plates and the top ends of the two sides of
the frame are connected by a sheet metal band which is turned out to form a flange
at the top thus strengthening the band and preventing it from being sprung open
the inside of these bands are lined with velvet the top edge of which is secured by
the flange being turned back with edge of the velvet between. The shutters are of
sheet metal and slide in between the velvet on the inside of the frame and the velvet
on the outside of the partition and as there is a spring within between the two sheets
of the partition to expand them at the top all possibility of any light entering is
thus prevented.
By these means an exceedingly simple substantial and portable camera is obtained
in which all the latest requirements are embodied and which will stand the varying
climates of other countries while it is not liable to be destroyed by damp or those
insects or worms which in the case of wood are so destructive in warmer climes and
the dark slide while being much more substantial is much more portable and
compact without any increase in the cost of production.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
into practise I have appended hereunto two sheets of drawings upon which I have
fully illustrated the nature of my said improvements.
Figure 1. is a plan of the under frame with the camera detached.
Figure 2. is a vertical section through Figure 1 on the line 1-2.
Figure 3 is a general side view of the under frame and camera complete.
Figure 4 is a section through the back frame on a plane at right angles to the
line 3-4.
Figure 5 shews a modification in the shape of the tubes of the under frame.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of the dark slide.
Figure 7. is a front view of the same.
Figure 8 is a sectional plan of same.
Figure 9 is a reduced view of the outer frame of the dark slide.
Figure 10 is a similar view of the centre partition.
In carrying my invention into effect I form the bottom or under frame of my
camera of metal tubes with the longitudinal tubes A and the cross tube B so
attached 'as to form a square base and with the longitudinal tubes mounted upon the
cross tubes.
Within each longitudinal tube A a second tube a' is telescoped and
upon the front ends of these two inner tubes a' another cross tube B' is mounted to
the centre of which one end of another longitudinal tube a² is attached this longi-
tudinal tube a' is tapped at the back a to receive the screw D which has its
shoulder socketted upon the rear lower cross tube B at 2 and is provided with the
thumb screw d' which enables the screw to be turned and thus adjust the distance
between the lens end B' and the back frame end B. The lens front E is mounted
upon the front upper cross tube B' by the legs e¹ entering the holes where they
are secured by the screws & thus travelling with the tube B¹ while the reversible
back frame is mounted at its bottom end upon the two outside longitudinal tubes A
by means of the metal sockets F which slide on the said tubes A and are secured

page_text: by the set screw ¹ which acts upon the loose part of the clip on the other side of
the tube. These sockets are hent up to form the flange f' to which the back
frame H is pivotted so as to be pitched to an angle or shut down on to the bottom
it being screwed in the required position by the metal strut having a slot working
on the thumb screw on the back in the usual way. The back and front frames
are cased on their outer edge with the thin metal K having an inner lining of
wood against which the frame carrying the clips and for receiving the
dark slides are fixed the two top clips being mounted upon the spring * Figure 4*
so as to enable the dark slide to be sprung into position instead of slided in. The
bosses are provided with the studs m¹ to receive the top of the tripod which is fixed
in the usual way. The end n of the bellows N are clamped between the metal
casing K and wood lining k of the back and front frame which thus forms a very
strong connection while throughout there are no joints dependent upon wood.
In place of forming the under frame of tubes may be formed of metal rods of
other section such as shewn by Figure 5 where O represents the equivalent of the
outer tube and P the inner tube and I may in the case of cheap cameras dispense
with the telescopic arrangement and depend for adjustment upon the sliding
sockets F alone.
The dark slide is formed of a centre partition of two thin sheets of metal R and S
which are bent over at the sides to form grooves and s¹ to receive the plates T
and U and these two sheets are bound together at the top by the velvet V which is
padded out to the thickness of the grooves s' and '. A square metal frame W of
channel section on two sides and the bottom is provided to receive the partition
containing the plates and the top ends of the two sides of this frame are connected
together by a sheet metal band to which is turned out to form a flange w³ on each
side at the top thus strengthening the band and preventing it from being sprung
open. The insides of these bands w¹ are lined with velvet the top edge of which is
secured by the flanges being turned back with edge of the velvet between.
The shutters X are of sheet metal and slide in between the velvet on the inside
of the frame w' and the velvet V on the outside of the partition and as there is a
spring within between the two sheets S and T of the partition to expand them at
the top all possibility of any light entering is thus prevented.
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
-
1st. In photographic cameras the metal under frame substantially such as and for
the purpose herein set forth & shewn by Figures 1. 2. 3 and 5.
2nd. In and relating to photographic cameras the metal dark slide substantially
such as and for the purpose herein set forth and shewn by Figures 6 7 8 9 and 10.
3rd. The improvements in and relating to photographic cameras substantially as
and for the purpose herein set forth and shewn upon the accompanying two sheets
of drawings.
Dated this 15th day of May 1893.
WALTER GRIFFITHS.