US779956A - Panoramic camera. - Google Patents

Description

NTE?) JAN. 3.0, 1905.

No. www.

AlON FILE-T3 AFF.. 2,1904.

APPL-IL 4 SHEETS-SHEET No. 779,956, PATElRTTED JAN. l0, 1905. C. MLLS,

ANAMG CAMERA.

APPLXGATION FILED APR. z, 1904.

mums-SHEET a.

No. 779,956. PATENT@ JAN, 1o, 1905.

C, MLLS.

PANORAMIG GAMERA,

APPLIOATIT PILE-D APR.2I,19D4.

4SHEETS-SHEBT 4.

UNITED STATES Patented January lO, 1905 PATENT OEEICE.

CHARLES MILLS, OF BOS"ON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO ELMER CHICKERTNG, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSE""S.

PANORAIVHC CAMERA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 779,956, dated. January 10, 1905.

Application file April 2, 1904. Serial lio. 201.237.

T0 a/Z whom, 7175 Wwf/y concern:

Be itknown that I, CHARLES M ILLs, a British subject. and a resident of Boston, county of Suffolk, Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Panoramic Cameras, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cameras, and is in the nature of an improvement upon the invention in cameras patented to me by Letters Patent of the United States, No. TMQQQS dated November 24, `1903.

The present invention is intended to provide improved means for securing a convenient and rapid adjustment in order to vary the focal distance of various parts of the focusingscreen back or of the film.

The present improvements dispense with any necessity for the operator to insert his hands into the interior of the casing or chamber to adjust the focusing-screen or the film or to bring the film into position after the guides constituting the adjusting-frame have been properly adjusted by thel aid of the focusingscreen and after the focusing-screen has been removed.

These and other features constituting my invention will be particularly described in this specification and will be precisely defined in the claims forming part hereof.

In the accompanying' drawings l have shown one mode of embodying' the principles of the present invention; but it will be understood that the details of the mechanism may be varied without departing' from the spirit of the invention.

Figure l of the drawings is a horizontal section taken through the middle plane of the camera and showing the lower adjustable guide and the adjustable holders or carriers thereof. Fig'. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section showing the g'uide-frames in the interior of the camera, the casing being in section. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the casing, showing' the ends of the spring-rollers upon which the film and the focusing-screen, respectively, are wound. Fig. A is a vertical central section through one of the adjustable slides or holders which carry the flexible g'uide-pieces. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view thereof. Fig'. 6 is a detail side elevation of one of these holders. Fig. 7 is an elevation showing how the end of the film is secured to the focusing-screen so that the film may be brought into position for exposure through the lens. Fig'. 8 is a detail view of one of the spring-rollers upon which the film and the focusing-screen, respectively, are wound.

The casing (i is open at its rear side, said opening being closed by two sliding doors (if, so as to give free vision and access to the interior. At one end of the camera is mounted a vertical spring-actuated roller I), upon which the focusing-screen Zi is rolled up. In a co1'- responding position at the other end of the camera is placed a roll-holder c of any suitable construction, which embraces a lighttight casing c' and a spring-roller c2, on which is wound the film e3, the outer end of the film being' provided with a flap ci, having' a mctallic lip or straight edge cf. The flap projects through the vertical aperture or slot c, through which the film is drawn for exposure. In constructing the flexible frame for positioning or guiding the film in this case I may omit the intermediate horizontal strips shown in my earlier patent and use simply top and bottom flexible guidestrips al, which are preferably made of flexible bands or ribbons of spring metal. These flexible guides (l are held in place b v a series of' holders constructed to be operated :from the outside of the camera, said holders in this instance being' shown as having' a radial arrangement around the rear of the camera.

Enlarged detail views of the form of holders herein described will be found in Figs. 4, 5, and 6. As there shown, each holder comprises a sliding member e, working in a slotted guideway ef and having pivotally secured to its inside face, so as to project above the floor or below the top of' the camera, as the case may be, a clip c, formed with a vertical slot e3 and pivotally held to the slide e by means of a fastening-screw e* or the like. The slide e is also provided with a longitudinal bore or bearing portion e5, through which passes a spring-actuate :l plunger-rod e. The

tension of the spring tends to keep the plunis formed a simple bayonet-joint to provide a I detachable engagement between the two. '.lo the under side of the bracket e is secured a spring' clip or detent c, which has an upturned lip @10, adapted to engage a rack-bar e. It will be noticed that when the projecting pin @7 of the bayonet-joint is in locking engagement with the transverse slot of the bayonetjoint the longitudinal movement of the rod will bc c ri1nuinicated to the slide c. However, the slide itself will be locked against longitudinal movement so long as the springclip cw engages the rack-bar am. In order, then, to adjust the slide longitudinally, it is necessary to turn the plunger et until the projecting pin @7 depresses the spring-clip 0" so that its projecting clip @lo is released from engagement with the rack-bar @12. Obviously as soon as the spring-clip is released from the rack-bar the plunger-rod can then be slid backward and forward to give the proper longitudinal adjustment to the sliding bracket or holder c. The details of construction maybe greatly varied so long as provision is iliade for longitudinally adjusting the sliding holder without adinitting light to the interior of the camera, provision being also made for locking or securing the holder in its various positions of adjustment. Any desired number of these adjustable holders may be provided for giving independent adjustment to various parts of the guide-strips The two guidestrips are preferably connected at their ends by vertical rods (If, which form guiding support for securing the travel of the end of thi` film and the end of the focusing-screen, re-

spectively, back of the adjustable guide-t frames. In my aforesaid patent the adjustable frame was first focused and then the film was laid by the hands of the operator on the inside of the guides, the ends of the film being secured and the middle portions being pressed back against the conca-ve side of the frame. 1n this case, however, both the film and the focusing-screen are positioned behind. or outside of the adjustable guide-frame instead of inside or in front of it, and they are held snugly against the convex facesof the guide-frame by the tension of the rollers.

The operation of the device is substantially as follows: Then preparation is being made for making a panoramic picture, the lighttight roll-holder c is inserted in the recess formed to receive it. The focusing-screen is then drawn back of the adjustable fralnes l (l, its frontend being provided with spring'- clip 1, which is locked into the projecting straight edge c of the flap of the lilm. This manipulation can be accomplished through the opening' at the rear of the camera normally closed by the doors ft or through an opening normally closed by a small handdoor uf. By adjustment of the various sliding brackets or holders f; the various parts of the focusii'ig-screen may be brought into different focal distances relative to the lens. As soon as this is done the focusing-screen is then drawn back on its roller by winding the roller, which is accoinplished by an external handle, (shown at 65,) and as the [lap of the iilm is connected to the last end of the focusing-screen it will necessarily be drawn out from the roll-holder and pass behind the adjustable frames, so as to occupy precisely the position that the focusiiig-screen previously occupied. ll'hen this is done, everything is in readiness 'for the snapping of the shutter to make the exposure. After the cxposure the iilm is rolled up on its .roller inside of the roll-holder, the door z3 is opened, the end of the film is unhooked or disconnected from the screen,.ai'ul may be caught upon a hook rt", conveniently arranged to hold it. The roll-lwlder carrying the exposed lilm may then be removed to be replaced by another roll-holder carrying a similar film.

By the above-described construction and arrangement I can very quickly and easily bring the film into the position occupied by the focusing-screen while getting the focal adjustment, Furthermore, in case l should suddenly desire to change the focal distance after the lllm is brought into its position for exposure l can instantly make this adjustment without removing the l'ilzn or without exposing it to light, ',lhe individual sliding brackets or holders may be marked with Al'ocus-scales to serve as a guide for making such quick adjustment without the aid of the focusing-screen, The tension of the rollers at the two ends of the film tends to draw the film smoothly and snugly over the outside of the adjustable frames, so that no buckling or wrinkling possible. .l am therefore enabled to secure the undulatory arrangement of film which it is the object of my patented invention to secure; but in this case this result is obtained in a more rapid and convenient manner,

lVithout attempting to set forth all the changes in form, construction, and arrangement that may be made in the practice of my invention or all the uses to which it may be applied, what l claim is- 1. A camera embracing in its construction` the adjustable guide-strips for positioning the y film, a series of sliding brackets arranged to engage said guides at intervals, and. means for IOO adj ustably securing the respective brackets in various positions of'adjustment, substantially as described.

2. A camera embracing in its construction, the interior adjustable guide-pieces for positioning the film, devices for holding' different portions 'ot' said guide-strips in various positions of adjustment, and means operated from the outside of the camera for controlling the adjustment of said devices, substantially as described.

3. A camera embracing' in its construction, the internal adjustable guides for positioning the strip, aseries of radially-arranged sliding brackets provided with means for engaging the guide-strips, each bracket being provided with a sliding plunger accessible Jfrom the outside of' the casing to control the position of the bracket, substantially as described.

4. In a camera the combination of a series of sliding brackets provided With pivoted clips, a flexible guide-strip seated in the pivoted clips of said brackets, each bracket being provided with means for securing it in different positions of adjustment in order to give the guide-strip an undulatory form or position with respect to the lens, substantially as described.

5. In a camera the combination of the liexible guide-strip for positioning the film, a series of sliding brackets provided With means for engaging said guide-strip, a series of sliding plungers having detachable engagement with said sliding brackets respectively, said brackets being provided also with detents for locking them in different positions of adjustment, substantiallj7 as described.

6. A camera embracing in combination, an adjustable guide-frame for positioning' the film and the focusing-screen, and tension-rollers arranged to permit the iilm to be turned around the outside of said guide-frame and to hold the iilm snugly against the outside of said guide-frame in its various positions of adjustment, substantially as described.

7. A camera embracing in its construction, a receptacle for a light-tight roll-holder formed at one end of the camera, a tension-roller formed at the other end of' the camera, a flexible focusing-screen secured to and Wound upon said roller, an adjustable concave convex guide-frame constructed and arranged to permit the screen to be drawn around and held against the convex or outside face of said adjustable guide, substantially as described.

8. In a camera the combination of the adjustable guide-frame with an outside convex surface to hold the film in position for exposure, said camera being formed at one end to receive a roll-holder provided with a film, a tension-roller secured to the other end of' said camera, a iexible apron secured to said tension-roller and provided at its outer edge With means for engaging' the film whereby the Winding up of the tension-roller draws the film into position behind the adjustable guide, substantially as described.

9. A camera embracing in its construction, a casing formed with an interior recess for a roll-holder, a tension-roller arranged in the interior of said casing, a flexible screen secured to and wound upon said tension-roller and having its outer end provided with a clamping-clip to engage the outer end iiap ot' the iilm When in place, and an adjustable flexible guide arranged to oli'er a convex surface to the said screen and to the lilm respectively when either of them is drawn behind said guide, substantially as described.

10. In a camera the combination of the adjustable film-holder, a sliding bracket having engagement with said {ihn-holder to vary its position, a reciprocating plunger provided with means for forming a detachable engagement with saidsliding bracket to move the same, a spring-detent secured to the sliding bracket to lock it against movement and arranged to be released by a rotary movement of said plunger, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 26th day of March, 1904.

CHARLES MILLS.

In presence of-u FRANK MARCHAND, CLARENCE IV. RowLEY.

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