Lever for folding a camera having a retractable light source

Claim 1

A folding camera comprising: a first housing having first and second ends, said first housing being adapted to support a film cassette in position for the exposure of a length of film contained therein; a second housing pivotally mounted adjacent said first end of said first housing; a third housing having one end thereof pivotally coupled to said first housing near said second end of said first housing, said third housing further includes a second end which is pivotally coupled to a second end of said second housing thereby enabling movement of said first, second and third housings between a folded, compact, inoperative position and an extended, operative position wherein light may be directed toward said first housing so as to photographically expose the length of film; a source of artificial illumination coupled to said third housing for movement between a retracted inoperative position, when said first, second and third housings are out of said extended operative position, and an erected operative position in which it cooperates with said second end of said second housing to releasably lock said first, second and third housings in said extended operative position; and a manually operable lever coupled to said third housing and to said source of artificial illumination for movement between first and second positions, movement of said lever from said first position to said second position being effective to move said source of artificial illumination from said erected operative position to said retracted position and continued application of force to said lever when in said second position being effective to rotate said second and third housings in opposite directions into said folded position.