US1015292A - Photographic apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

J. G, CALHOUN.

PHOTOGRAPHIG APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUGJll, 1910.

Pater med Jan. 23, 1912.

COLUMBIA PLANDORAPH co., wAsmNu'roN, n. c

JOSEPH C. CALHOUN, OF HOLLAND, MICHIGAN.

PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 23,1912.

Application filed August 11, 1910. Serial No. 576,725.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, JOSEPH C. CALHOUN a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Holland, in the county of Ottawa and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Photographic Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improved photographic apparatus, and its object is to provide a device adapted to produce a white ground in photographs and showing no seam or dividing line between the floor and background.

In photographing articles of merchandise, particularly furniture, it is desirable to have the floor and background of the photograph appear white. This has heretofore been accomplished by manually stopping out or painting over the background on the negative with some opaque material. This manual operation is tedious and expensive, and sometimes diflicult, on account of the character of the article to be shown in the photograph.

My device is adapted to obviate this dithculty and consists essentially of a platform slightly raised from the floor of the atelier and covered with material that is white or of a highly actinic color, and at the rear of this platform and opposite the camera, a background spaced apart from the platform and having a like highly actinic color, together with a narrow adjustable portion between the plat-form and background; and means for inclining the background more or less from the vertical to secure the proper reflection of light therefrom, whereby I am enabled to produce a background and floor of suficient uniformity and strength of action to produce a sufficient density in the negative to secure a white background in the resultant photograph, and also to eliminate from the negative any appearance of a difference in density of the floor and background, or any seam or line of junction between the fioor and background.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which represent a device embodying my invent-ion: Figure 1 is a perspective of the device; Fig. 2 a portion of the same in side elevation; and, Fig. 3 a detail in plan view with the background in horizontal section.

below the plane of the upper surface thereof and can be spaced apart therefrom without exposing the lower edge of the background when viewed from the direction of the camera, which is shown at 9.

To secure equal reflection from the background and platform and to space the same apart whereby the light will reach the lower part of the background over the rear of the platform and thus eliminate any seam or line of union therebetween, I prefer to connect the platform and background by rods 3 pivoted to each at their respective ends. The background is thus pivotally supported at the bottom and can be adjusted either vertically or inclined as occasion requires to equalize the light reflected therefrom with the light reflected from the platform 1. The background is also preferably supported in adjusted position by means of an adjustable brace 4E pivoted to the rear thereof. I also provide an adjustable portion 5 at the rear of the platform, hinged to the platform at the front side and vertically adjustable at the rear, whereby this portion may be variously inclined or held horizontally by means of segments 6 attached thereto 'at one end, and adjustably attached to the platform by thumb screws 7. The hinging of the portion 5 to the platform is preferably by means of the cloth or other covering material used on the platform and port-ion 5. This adjustable portion can thus be adjust-ed to reflectthe light equally with the platform and background and prevent any appearance of shadow or seam at this part, and also operated as a reflector to properly light up the lower part of the background as oocaslon may arlse.

By the use of this device, I am able to get a floor and background of sutficient density in the negative and of uniform white without shadows in the print, which heretofore has been accomplished only by manually painting out or stopping out these parts of the negative.

What I claim is:

1. A photographic apparatus comprising a rigid plat-form having a hinged and vertically adjustable rear portion, a background at the rear of said adjustable portion and means for holding the background and the said portion in various relatively adjusted positions.

2. A photographic apparatus, comprising a raised platform, a background spaced apart therefrom, an adjustable rear portion hinged to the platform at the front and Vertically adjustable at' the rear, and means for holding said rear portion in adjusted position.

3. A photographic apparatus comprising a raised platform, a portion at the rear hinged to the platform at the front side and Vertically adjustable at the rear, segments attached at one end to said portion and adjustably attached to the platform at the other end,

4. A photographic apparatus, comprising a raised platform, a background spaced apart from the rear of the platform, a portion hinged at one side to the rear of the platform, rods connecting the platform and background, a brace to adjustably support the background, segments attached to the said portion at one end, and thumb screws to adjustably connect the segments to the platform.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOSEPH C. CALHOUN. Witnesses:

L. PETRIE, HAROLD O. VAN ANTWERP.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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