Advice please. How does this work?

I have never had a tripod but a friend was cleaning out his Dads garage and found a Heiwa tripod, model number HS 142 and saved it from being thrown away and gave it to me.

Since I know nothing about tripods I dont know how the camera attaches to it. I've googled without success so thought maybe someone here will be kind enough to explain it to me. I've taken some photos of the mechanism. Really hoping someone will give me a hand please.

a couple more shots to show the attachment mechanism.

the underside

The screws should be attached like this: (than you can screw the camera on top of the plate)

thankyou very much! I didn't want to tamper with it so I left as it came to me, but I thought it had to be wrong. You've been a great help, much appreciated!

Lyn2011 is correct - it meeds reassembling properly.

Once it is in the right order, (using lyn2011s photos) you back the big star shaped nut right off,screw the thread into the base of the camera using the little bolt, back it off 1/4 to 1/2 a turn, then tighten the big nut against the base of the platform, pulling the camera down tight onto it.

The bolt is loosened 1/4 to 1/2 a turn to prevent it from punching through the base of the camera or getting stuck if it is overtightened

so in order starting from the underneath it goes, from Right to Left
long screw
little brass nut, I'm assuming the larger flat surface area goes against the base of the long screw, see photo of my assembly.
Flat aluminium plate
tripod base
camera (not attached as yet)

Is this correct?

You dont need the little brass nut

Just the long one (far right) and the star shaped one

The little brass nut may be useful to stop the rest of the pieces from falling out of the head when the camera is not attached

Aha! that makes sense. I see now how these bits get lost so often.