Universal revolving stage for microscopes

A universal revolving stage for microscopes having glass segments mounted in an upper and a lower segment mountings serves in particular to conduct crystal-optical investigations. Because of the differential thickness of the specimens to be examined, there is provided a height adjustment of the segment mountings by means of adjusting means actuated from above, in the form of a pinion. The adjusting means is rotated by a knurled knob which can be inserted into it, and it engages the internal teeth of an adjusting ring which has an adjusting thread. Upon rotation of the pinion and thus of the adjusting ring, the lower segment mounting is screwed upwardly or downwardly, and it carries with it the upper segment mounting which is centered by guides in the lower mounting.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention pertains to a universal revolving stage for 
microscopes, in particular for crystal-optical investigations, having 
glass segments adjustable in height and fastened in upper and lower 
segment mountings, wherein the lower segment mounting is arranged in an 
adjusting thread of an adjusting ring mounted in a rotating ring. 
A universal revolving stage for microscopes is known from German Pat. No. 
579,789. For the purpose of examining specimens of different thickness, it 
has a specimen support which is adjustable in height, whereby the 
azimuthal position of the specimen is not altered by upward and downward 
adjustments. For this purpose, the lower, annular segment mounting is 
equipped with a thread, which is engaged by the adjusting thread of an 
adjusting ring. The latter has handles protruding in the downward 
direction. The rotation of the adjusting ring effects a movement along the 
optical axis of the lower segment mounting and of the upper segment 
mounting which is joined by adhesion with said lower segment mounting. The 
upper segment mounting has a recess on either side for guidance by means 
of guide screws. 
Because of the difficult accessibility of the lower segment mounting in 
these universal revolving stages, the inclination of the individual 
rotational axes is often unintentionally altered during height 
adjustments, requiring time-consuming corrections. Furthermore, the 
centering of the glass segments by means of the guide screws is relatively 
inaccurate and requires a high degree of precision in fabrication. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved 
universal revolving stage for microscopes. 
It is also an object of the invention to provide a universal revolving 
stage for microscopes whereby the glass segments are necessarily centered 
and the adjustment in height of the segment mountings may be effected 
readily and without disturbing the position of the axes of rotation of the 
stage. 
In accomplishing the foregoing objects, there has been provided in 
accordance with the present invention a universal revolving stage for 
microscopes, comprising upper and lower glass segments positioned one 
above the other, a lower segment mounting in which the lower glass segment 
is mounted and which has a threaded portion, a rotatable adjusting ring 
surrounding the lower segment mounting and having a threaded portion which 
engages the threaded portion on the lower segment mounting to cause 
vertical movement of the lower segment mounting in response to rotation of 
the adjusting ring, an upper segment mounting in which the upper glass 
segment is mounted, means for releasably attaching the upper segment 
mounting in a centered position in the lower segment mounting, and 
adjusting means, actuatable from above the lower segment mounting, for 
rotating the adjusting ring, whereby both the upper and lower segment 
mountings are adjusted in height. 
Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will 
become apparent from the detailed description of preferred embodiments 
which follows, when considered with the attached drawing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
According to the invention, in a universal revolving stage of the 
above-mentioned type, the upper segment mounting is mounted in the lower 
segment mounting in a centered and releasable manner. For the common 
adjustment in height of both of the segment mountings, adjusting means are 
provided which cooperate with the adjusting ring and are actuated from 
above by an adjusting element. In an advantageous embodiment of the 
invention, the adjusting means engage the inner teeth of the adjusting 
ring and may be actuated by means of an insertable adjusting element. 
A knurled knob with a multi-sided shaft can serve as the adjusting element. 
It can be inserted into a corresponding recess in the adjusting means, for 
example, a pinion. During the rotation of the knurled knob located with 
its shaft in the recess, the pinion engages the internal teeth of the 
adjusting ring, the adjusting thread whereof is cooperating with the lower 
segment mounting. As a result of the fact that the upper segment mounting 
is centered in the lower one and is frictionally held in it, the common 
adjustment in height of both segment mountings is effected by the rotation 
of the knurled knob, whereby the lower segment mounting is screwed up and 
down during rotation of the adjusting ring by means of the pinion in the 
adjusting ring. 
The microscope illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises as essential components a 
right-angled stand 1 having a horizontal supporting member 2 and a 
vertical frame 3, on which the microscope stage 4 is attached in a 
vertically displaceable manner. It includes further a condenser lens 5 
arranged beneath the microscope stage 4, an eyepiece tube 6 attached on 
the upper side of the supporting member 2 and a revolving lens turret 7 
arranged on the underside near the forward edge of the supporting member 
2. On top of the microscope stage 4 is mounted a conventional universal 
revolving stage 8, for example, of the type used for optical crystal 
examinations. 
The universal revolving stage comprises, as a component of a cardan system 
(FIG. 2), a rotating and pivoting ring 10, which is provided with a 
support surface 11 to hold an adjusting ring 12. The latter has an 
internal toothed surface 13 and an adjusting thread 14, into which a lower 
segment mounting 15 can be screwed. 
A shoulder 16 in a circular opening 17 in the lower segment mounting 15 
forms the support surface for a carrier plate 18, which is fixedly bonded 
together with a lower glass segment 19. The lower segment mounting 15 is 
equippd on its circumference with two guides 20 located diagonally 
opposite each other; these are advantageously formed integrally on the 
lower segment mounting 15. An upper segment mounting 21 can be inserted 
into the guides 20, and an upper glass segment 22 is mounted on the upper 
segment mounting 21. The sides of the upper segment mounting 21 have a 
configuration corresponding to the guides 20 of the lower segment mounting 
15, i.e., they rest against said guides. In this manner, the glass 
segments 19, 22 are necessarily centered by means of the guides 20 in a 
very simple and precise manner. A glass cover plate 23 designed to receive 
the specimen which is to be studied is placed between the segments 19, 22. 
Adjusting means 24, here a pinion, is mounted in the lower segment mounting 
15; it engages the internal toothed surface 13 of the adjusting ring 12. 
To rotate the pinion 24, an adjusting element 25, for example, a knurled 
knob with a multi-sided shaft 26 is provided. It can be inserted through a 
bore 27 in the upper segment mounting into a recess 28 in the pinion 24, 
adapted to the configuration of the shaft 26. It should be understood that 
in place of the pinion, for example, a toothed wheel with a slit may be 
used and in place of the knurled knob, a precision screw driver may be 
used. 
Two fastening screws 29, 30 serve to frictionally connect the upper segment 
mounting 21 with the lower segment mounting 15, in a known manner. The 
fastening screws pass through the coaxial orifices 31, 32 and 31', 32', 
while passing through the segment mountings 15, 21, and are screwed with 
their threads into the ring 10. They are also provided wit a spring 
housing 33, 34 each, to protect the glass cover plate 23.