Photographic apparatus with lens focusing scale

A variable focusing photographic apparatus comprising:

• a body having a housing section attached thereto;
• lens means mounted within said housing section for variable focusing of a sharply defined image of a photographic object stationed a pedetermined distance therefrom at a focal plane within said body;
• means, mounted for rotation within said housing section, for varying the focus of said lens means coupled thereto for synchronous movement of said lens means between a distant and nearmost foci within said housing section;
• a viewing station formed within a surface of said housing section;
• means for indicating at said viewing station a distance at which said lens means is focused, said indicating means including an indicia-bearing member having a generally coiled configuration coupled with said lens means or said varying means within said housing section for synchronous movement with said lens means or said varying means to present an identifying character at said viewing station which correlates the sharply focused position of said lens means with the predetermined distance of the photographic object;
• and
• a viewfinder mounted upon said body having an optical path defining a field of view wherein an image of the photographic object and said indentifying characters presented at said viewing station are visibly contained therein.

A variable focusing photographic apparatus comprising:

• a body having a housing section attached thereto;
• lens means having means for positive drive contact disposed thereon mounted within said housing section for variable focusing of a sharply defined image of a photographic object stationed a predetermined distance therefrom at a focal plane within said body;
• means for varying the focus of said lens means between a distant and nearmost foci adapted for positive drive contact with said lens means whereby said lens means is synchronously moved between a distant and nearmost foci within said housing section;
• a viewing station formed within a surface of said housing section;
• means for indicating at said viewing station a distance at which said lens means is focused;
• said indicating means mounted within said housing section adjacent to said viewing station including an indicia bearing member having a graduated scale of identifying characters which serve to correlate the sharply focused position of the lens means with the predetermined distance of the photographic object and a cylinder attached to a first end of said indicia bearing member having means thereon for coupling said cylinder to one of said positive drive means and a fixed member around which a second end of said indicia-bearing member is unattachably coiled;
• said cylinder and said coupling means respectively mounted to be rotatably driven in a first direction and a second direction opposite to said first direction in response to said synchronous movement of said varying means and said lens means whereby said identifying characters are sequentially presented at said viewing station as said lens means is moved to focus a sharp image of the photographic object;
• and
• a viewfinder mounted upon said body having an optical path defining a field of view wherein an image of the photographic object and said identifying characters presented at said viewing station are visibly contained therein.

Photographic apparatus including a compact, folding, variable focusing camera having a plurality of housing sections including a first and second housing section and a viewfinder coupled for relative movement between folded and extended positions with the viewfinder being mounted upon said first housing section having a field of view wherein a surface of said second housing section is visibly contained within said viewfinder when said camera is in said extended position, comprising in combination:

• a lens mounted substantially within said second housing section for rectilinear movement therein between a distant and nearmost foci for presenting a sharply defined image of a photographic subject at a focal plane within said camera;
• means for varying the focus of said lens including a rotatable member mounted within said second housing and drivably coupled to said lens for moving said lens synchronously therewith between said distant and nearmost foci;
• a viewing station formed within said uppermost surface of said second housing;
• and
• means for indicating at said viewing station the distance at which said lens is focused, said indicating means including an indicia-bearing member drivably coupled to said lens or said varying means within said second housing section adapted to be synchronously moved across said viewing station by said lens or said varying means for presenting an identifying character at said viewing station which correlates the focused position of said lens with a predetermined distance of the photographic subject from the camera.

A device mounted within an exposure control housing adapted to be coupled with a focusing control system of a photographic camera whereby an operator is apprised of a distance at which an objective lens of the photographic camera is sharply focused, comprising:

• focusing means rotatably mounted about a first axis for movement to a position corresponding to a predetermined distance;
• lens means rotatably mounted for synchronous movement with said focusing means about a second axis spaced from and parallel with said first axis, said lens means being adjustable to define a sharply defined image of a photographic object located the predetermined distance therefrom at a focal plane of the photographic camera;
• means for connecting said focusing means and said lens means being rotatably mounted for rotation about a third axis spaced from and parallel with said first and second axes whereby said focusing and lens means are synchronously moved for focusing the sharply defined image of the photographic object at the focal plane of the camera;
• a viewing station included upon a surface of said housing;
• means for indicating at said viewing station a distance at which said lens means is focused, said indicating means being mounted for synchronous movement with said focusing and lens means and including an indicia bearing member adapted to provide a scale the measurements of which are graduated so as to present an identifying character at said viewing station which correlates the sharply focused position of said lens means with the predetermined distance of the photographic object;
• and
• means for coupling said indicating means to at least one of said focusing means and said lens means, said coupling means being rotatably mounted for rotation about a fourth axis spaced from and parallel with said first, second and third axes whereby said indicating means is moved synchronously with said focusing means for presenting the identifying characters at said viewing station.