Patent ID: 8403591
Filing Date: 2013-03-26
Classification: F16H,G02B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. For an optical mount having a stage plate compressively coupled to a base plate, an interchangeable-core adjuster assembly comprising: a carrier bushing which is configured to be fixedly insertable into a hole in the stage plate of the optical mount; a core bushing which is removably and compressibly insertable into the carrier bushing and which has internal threading of a particular pitch; an adjuster screw which screws into the core bushing and which has threading that matches the pitch of the core bushing threading; wherein the core bushing comprises an annular wall defining outer contours and inner contours, and the carrier busing comprises an annular wall defining outer contours and inner contours; wherein the outer contours of the core bushing are congruent with the inner contours of the carrier bushing; wherein the carrier bushing has a first axial bore defined by the inner contours of the carrier bushing, which first axial bore is concentric with the outer contours of the carrier bushing, and the core bushing has a second axial bore defined by the inner contours of the core bushing, which second axial bore is concentric with the outer contours of the core bushing, and the second axial bore is concentric with the first axial bore; wherein the core bushing has one or more bushing slots, which enable radial constriction and expansion of the core bushing in response to radial forces on the core bushing as the core bushing is inserted into the carrier bushing, and which enable the core bushing to be compressibly insertable into the carrier bushing; wherein the core bushing is interchangeable with one or more alternate core bushings, each having a different threading pitch; wherein the adjuster screw is interchangeable with one or more alternate adjuster screws, each having a different pitch corresponding to the threading pitch of one of the alternate core bushings; and wherein the outer contours of the core bushing define a medial neck, and wherein the core bushing further comprises a tubular bushing sleeve which fits snuggly over the medial neck, and wherein the bushing sleeve covers the bushing slots of the core bushing so as to contain lubricant that extrudes from the adjuster screw through the bushing slots.