Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Aug., 1890.
Complete Specification Left, 16th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 21st Mar., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
1, TOM MILLER, of Broughton Road, Salford, in the County of Lancaster,
Watchmaker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the description of photographic cameras
which are usually termed "detective" but part of this invention is alike applicable
to the ordinary, or "Kinnear" form of photographic cameras.
At the back of a photographic camera which may be of a rectangular or other
preferred form I construct two chambers, an upper and a lower one; the upper
chamber is for the purpose of retaining any number of sensitized plates in position,
so that they may be used successively for taking pictures, and the lower chamber is
for the purpose of receiving said plates after the picture has been taken, without
requiring the plate or plates to be removed from camera.
In the floor of the upper chamber I form an opening through which the plate on
which an object or a view has been taken slides into the lower chamber, and allows
the next plate to be exposed; the front portion of floor of upper chamber is placed
at an angle, to facilitate the discharge of the plate into the lower chamber through
the aperture in floor. In order to place the plates in position for taking a picture
and to remove them out of the way when a picture has been taken, I employ a
double cam or worm, the rounded edge of the back part of which has been flattened
vertically, and the rounded edge of the front portion has also been flattened, but
horizontally. When the plates are put in this upper chamber, the bottom front
edge of the first plate comes in contact with a small ledge or register on the edge of
the opening in floor, and the upper part of said plate rests against the back of
aforesaid double cam or worm; this cam or worm is attached to a spindle passing
to the outside at end of camera. I attach a handle or a wheel to this spindle by
which to operate said cam. When a quarter of a turn is given to the cam or worm
by means of aforesaid handle, the flat vertical side at back of cam assumes a bori-
zontal position level with the top of the front plate thus allowing the upper edge of
the front plate to enter the groove of the cam or worm, and rest against the front
part of said cam, the flat side of which having by the before mentioned operation
been placed in a vertical position. When a quarter turn back is given to the worm
the flat sides are again placed in the positions they originally occupied thus
permitting the front plate to fall forward after exposure on to the inclined front
portion of floor, and slide through the aperture into the receiving chamber under-
neath, while at the same time the plate next in succession is pressed forward into
position for taking a picture by means of a spring inside the back of case, until it
in its turn is caused to fall forward and slide into the receiving chamber by the
action of aforesaid double cam or worm.
In like manner the entire number of plates may be utilized successively as quickly
as required.
1.
For the purpose of obtaining either instantaneous or prolonged exposure,
employ a flap shutter, which when closed effectually prevents admission of light
through aperture formed in camera front; to the upper part of this shutter attach
a coil spring which keeps said shutter closed in combination with this spring, I
place on the inside of camera front, a slide bar on which is spiral spring by
means of a cord, this slide bar may be drawn back until said spiral spring is com-
pressed in which position it is retained by means of a stud attached to aforesaid
slide bar.
When it is required to open shutter for admission of light, this stud is removed
by pressure on a horizontal bar, when the spiral spring on slide bar in combination

page_text: with coil spring attached to shutter causes said shutter to open and close
instantaneously.
Prolonged exposure may be obtained by checking the outer coil spring by the
hand as long as may be necessary.
The form of shutter mechanism hereinbefore described may also be applied or
attached to the front boards of ordinary photographic cameras.
If it is preferred to use any form of roller slide at back of camera in lieu of glass
plates I disconnect the back part of camera containing chambers hereinbefore
described and attach said slide to back of camera.
Dated this 12th day of August 1890.
THOMAS PRESCOTT,
Arcade Chambers, St. Mary's Gate, Manchester, Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Photographic Cameras.
I, TOM MILLER, of Broughton Road, Salford, in the County of Lancaster,
Watchmaker, 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 relates to improvements in the description of photographic cameras
that are usually termed "detective" but part of his invention is alike applicable
to the ordinary or "Kinnear" form of photographic cameras.
The objects of my invention are, first, to place a greater or less number of
scusitized plates in position in a photographic camera in rapid succession for the
purpose of exposure, and to remove said plates successively after exposure without
requiring to be touched or handled by the operator, or taken out of the camera
until necessary for the development of the picture, and second, for obtaining either
instantaneous or prolonged exposure.
I attain these objects by mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings in
which Fig. 1 is a side view, and Fig. 2, an end view of a complete camera; Fig. 3
is a longitudinal section on line A A. Fig. 4 is a transverse section on line B B,
showing interior view of the end of a camera in which the shutter is contained.
Figs. 5 and 6 are transverse views of end of camera containing the sensitive plates
and the mechanism for operating the same, and Figs. 7 and 8 are side and end views
drawn to an enlarged scale of a double cam or worm by which the sensitive
plates are operated. Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several
views.
At the back of a photographic camera which may be of a rectangular shape as
shown on drawings or other preferred form, I construct two chambers au upper
one, and a lower one c. The upper chamber is for the purpose of retaining any
prearranged number of sensitized plates d, in position so that they may be used
successively for taking pictures, and the lower chamber c is for the purpose of
receiving said plates after the picture has been taken without requiring the plate or
plates to be removed from the camera.
In the floor of the upper chamber b, I form an opening 2 through which the
plated on which an object or a view has been taken, slides into the lower chamber c,
and allows the next plate d to be exposed. I place the front portion of the floor i
of upper chamber at an angle, to facilitate the discharge of the plate into the
lower chamber, through the aperture in floor.
In order to place the plates in position for taking a picture, and to remove them
out of the way when a picture has been taken, without requiring to be handled by
the operator, I employ a double cam or worm e, the rounded edge e' of the back
part of which has been flattened at 2, and the rounded edge 3 of the front portion
has also been flattened at e, or at right angles to the flattened part e². When the
plates are put in the upper chamber 6, the bottom front edge of the first plate

page_text: comes in contact with a small ledge or register near the edge of the opening 2 in
floor, and the upper part of said plate rests against the back of the front portion e
of aforesaid double cam or worin e, this cam or worm is attached to a spindle e
passing to the outside at end of camera, or curved so as to pass to the outside at top
I attach a handle e, or a
of camera as shown in dotted lines in the Figs. 7 and 8.
wheel to this spindle by which to operate said cam. When a quarter of a turn is given
to the cam or worm e by means of the aforesaid handle e as regulated by the fixed
stud, the flat vertical side e at back of cam as shown in Fig. 6, assumes a hori-
zontal position as shown in Fig. 5 and is thus level with the top edge of the front
plate which allows the upper edge of said front plate to enter the groove e of
the cam or worin e and rest against the back of the front part e³ of said cam the flat
side e' of which having by the hereinbefore mentioned operation been placed in a
vertical position.
When a quarter of a turn back is given to the aforesaid double cam or worm e
by means of the handle e the flat sides e² and ef of said cam are again placed in the
positions they originally occupied thus permitting the front plate which is pressed
forward by the action of springs you the succeeding plates to fall forward after
exposure on to the inclined front portion of floor band slide through the aperture,²
into the receiving chamber c underneath, while at the same time the plate next in
succession is pressed forward into position for taking a picture by means of afore-
said spring or springs g which are contained inside the back part a² of the case er,
until it in its turn is caused to fall forward and slide into the receiving chamber c
by the action of the aforesaid double cam or worm e.
In like manner the entire number of sensitized plates d, may be utilised
successively as quickly as required without being touched or handled or taken out
of the camera.
For the purposes hereinbefore described 1 prefer to use sheathed
plates in order that such plates may not be affected by contact either with the
camera or with each other.
I obtain either instantaneous or prolonged exposure by means of a flap shutter
which when closed effectually prevents admission of light through aperture j formed
in camera front a to the upper part of this shutter attach a coil spring k
enclosed in a case k', said spring keeping the shutter securely closed. In com-
bination with the spring 1 place on the inside of camera front a slide bar m on
which is a spiral spring a; by means of a cord this slide bar may be drawn up
until said spiral spring is compressed, in which position it is retained by means of
the stud which is attached to slide bar s entering the recess in aforesaid slide
bar m, and the catch point m' formed on upper part of slide bar m enters the
When it is
V-shaped groove
required to open the shutter for admission of light the stud is removed by
pressure on the end of the horizontal slide bars when the spiral spring a on slide
bar in combination with coil spring & attached to the shutter causes such shutter
to open and close instantaneously, by the aforesaid catch point m', which in its
descent partly revolves said case containing the spring until said catch point
slides out of the groove m² when said groove attains a horizontal position, and thus
releases the spring k.
in the case containing the coil spring k
Prolonged exposure may be obtained by checking the coil spring k by the hand
as long as may be necessary.
The shutter mechanism hereinbefore described may also be applied or attached
to the front board of an ordinary photographic camera.
If it is preferred to use any form of roller slide at the back of camera in lieu of
glass plates I disconnect the back part a of camera containing chambers herein-
before described at the line of division a' and attach said roller slide to back of
camera.
I am aware that prior to my invention, photographic cameras have been made
with two chambers placed relatively in various positions, one of said chambers being
for the purpose of containing the sensitized plates previous to exposure and the

page_text: other for receiving said plates after exposure, I therefore do not claim such a
combination broadly, but
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 a photographic camera the use of a double cam or worm e, with a
flattened edge e, formed at right angles to the flattened edge et, between which is
the groove e, substantially as set forth and for the purposes described.
2. In combination with the chamber in a photographic camera, an aperture 62
in the floor, and the angular position of front part of floor 61, substantially as set
forth and for the purposes described.
3. In a photographic camera the combination of the mechanism for operating
shutter substantially as set forth and described.
4. The combinations and general arrangements of parts embodying my improve-
ments substantially as, and for the purposes herein described and shown.
Dated this 13th day of February 1891.
THOMAS PRESCOTT,
53, Arcade Chambers, St. Mary's Gate, Manchester,
Agent for Applicant.