Improvement in Plate Lifting Apparatus for Working Metal Sheaths under a Bag in Connection with Detective and other Cameras.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Mar., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 17th Dec., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 22nd Jan., 1889
Improvement in Plate Lifting Apparatus for Working Metal Sheaths
under a Bag in Connection with Detective and other Cameras.
SAMUEL WHITE ROUGH Photographic Apparatus Maker 180 Strand do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
The following arrangment is not to supercede my present lever arrangement under
my patent No. 6603 5 May 187.
My invention is to move the plates or films hold in Metal Sheaths by means of a
lifter at the rear of the stack of Plates & then by depresing this lifter the plate can be
taken out & transfered from the rear to a position in front of the series of plates so
held.
This enables me if so disposed to dispense with the lever action in my last patent
when so needed as follows.
a. When it is desired to provide relays of Plates, separate Wells each containing
one dozen being attachable to the Camera in the field when the first is exhausted.
b. When it is desired to utilize the space occupied by the present lever action for
the purpose of a band shutter working immediately in front of the plate.
c. When it is desired to reduce the bulk of the Camera by converting the fixed
space now necessarily occupied by the lever arrangement into a Collapsible or Sliding
Chamber or when it is to use lenses of shorter focus than the existing projecting
lever will permit the body of the Camera being then reducible to the necessary
dimensions and I also claim the application of the back or well to any ordinary camera
as a combined back and changing box.

page_text: Improvement in Plate-lifting Apparatus for Working Metal Sheaths
under a Bag in Connection with Detective and other Cameras.
I, SAMUEL WHITE ROUCH Photographic Apparatus Manufacturer 180 Strand
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 has special reference to my patent No. 6613 dated 5th May 1887,
in which photographic plates were transferred from front to rear after being
impressed with a latent image.
But I now reverse this order and lift the plate from the rear to the front, the
appliance for doing so being affixed to the back cover of the reservoir instead of being
in the body of the camera as formerly. This secures among other advantages that
of being enabled to apply any of the rapid class of shutters which are formed for
working immediately in front of the sensitive plate.
The method by which I effect this is as follows: A metallic or other lever is placed
in the back of the reservoir, preferably sunk into it and covered up by an inner
lining of wood; one end projects outside of the reservoir, the other end is bent at a
sharp angle and is left sufficiently long for the last or rear plate of the series to rest
upon. On depressing the outer or exposed end of the lever, the other end, which rests at the
bottom in a recess and upon which the posterior plate stands, is raised and carries upwards
with it that plate to a certain determinate height, the plate being prevented from
falling downward again by means of a spring catch. On releasing the outer end of
the lever it immediately resumes its former position by the agency of a spring. The
plate, which is half raised up and is reposing upon the spring catch, is now taken
hold of by finger and thumb through the opaque Suede leather or other bag as
described in my former patent, and is transferred to the recess in front of the
reservoir, and upon being pushed down is in the focussing plane ready for being
exposed after which, by depressing the lever and repeating the process just
described, another plate is transferred from the rear to the front, and so on in
succession.
The reservoir with the various fittings may be made distinct and separate from the
body of the camera and fitted with the usual slide in front. This enables me to
provide any number of such reservoirs to any one camera, so that a photographer
may go on a tour provided with such a number of these, all stored with sensitive
plates, as to be practically illimitable.
The drawing; taken in conjunction with those in my former patent referred to
(No. 6613, 5th May 1887) shows my new mode of transferring plates. A represents
the back cover of the reservoir and is a view from the inside; B is the lifting lever,
the dotted portion of which is concealed in tlie back; C, the terminal angle piece
upon which the posterior plate rests; D, a curved Slot up which the bent projection
at end of lever travels when raising the plate; E, the spring catch by which the

page_text: plate is prevented from falling down when the lever is disengaged; and F. F, two
springs by which the plates in the reservoir are kept pressed forward so as to ensure
the foremost plate of the series being kept in the focussing plane. The spring by
which the lover is actuated is not shown in the drawing.
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
First: The mode of transferring the plate from back to front by the lever as herein
set forth.
Secondly The spring for ensuring the retention of the plate after being raised.
Thirdly: The return of the raising lever to its normal position by means of a
spring.
:
Fourthly The separate reservoirs fitted with the appliances described as distinct
from the camera and capable of being attached to or inserted in the camera the same
as an ordinary dark slide.