Personal binocular support

This device holds an optical aid such as a pair of binoculars at a user's eyes, without the support of the user's arms and hands. The user applies only small upward or downward pilot force to a point on the device well below the optical aid. To change or maintain the vertical position of the optical aid the user need not even raise the hands above the chest. The device is mechanically articulated so that, guided only by the pilot force which is simply upward or downward, the optical aid can track and follow the user's head and eyes in both position and angle as the user shifts his view up and down between the horizon and the zenith. The device is attached to or worn by the user, while springs or counterbalancing support the weight from the user's torso, to free the user's arms and hands.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Handheld optical aids such as binoculars are important tools which are 
commonly used by astronomers, hunters, bird watchers, military personnel, 
spectators at sporting events and dramatic or musical productions, and 
many other people--both amateurs and professionals. Such optical aids 
greatly enhance the user's optical perception by providing magnified and 
brighter images of the subject under study. 
A significant problem in the use of such aids is the difficulty of holding 
them still enough, aggravated by fatigue to the user's arms and hands in 
protracted usage. Inability to hold optical aids steady over a period of 
time causes a dancing, jiggling image which largely negates the advantages 
offered by the improved optical image. 
The problem of holding binoculars still enough for effective usage has long 
been recognized by astronomers. The most common method of overcoming this 
problem is to mount the binoculars to a common photographic tripod. While 
this approach solves the problem of unsteadiness, the tripod itself 
usually interferes with the position that the body of the user must assume 
when viewing objects at a angle of altitude from the horizon. Furthermore, 
few tripods are sufficiently tall to position binoculars high enough for a 
tall user, when the user is looking up from a standing position. 
Accordingly the literature reveals various efforts to construct tripod 
attachments that mitigate the drawbacks of standard tripods. One such 
design, due to Steve Kufeld of Huntington Beach, Calif., is noted in the 
August 1979 issue of Sky and Telescope magazine, at pages 110 and 112. 
Kufeld's device, a counterbalanced mounting atop a heavy-duty tripod, is 
illustrated in use by a photograph of a person sitting on a stool and 
looking through a pair of binoculars fixed to the mounting. Through this 
apparatus is apparently of considerable utility, the photograph itself 
shows a principal disadvantage of such devices, as the user leans forward 
awkwardly from the stool to bring his eyes to the appropriate distance 
from the fixed tripod. Presumably the stool could be moved to a better 
position for at least some viewing angles; however, the picture also 
suggests another drawback--namely, that movement of the stool (or of the 
user's position if standing) is required to change the vertical viewing 
angle. 
Another tripod design aimed at overcoming this latter drawback is described 
by Rudolf Mandler of Deubach, West Germany, in the July 1982 issue of Sky 
and Telescope at pages 89 and 90. Mandler's tripod mount has an "inverted 
yoke" that carries the binoculars in such a way that "the binoculars swing 
in a vertical plane around a pivot at [the] neck." By virtue of this 
action, it is "possible to view objects all the way to the zenith without 
twisting [the] body." This swinging action is a very important feature of 
Mandler's tripod and will be discussed further below. 
A less common but frequently publicized approach has been to build special 
chairs or chair attachments that support the binoculars through mechanical 
arms and brackets. Such arrangements provide more comfortable viewing 
positions for the user's body, particularly at higher viewing angles. 
Chris Baetens, of Boechout, Belgium, offers one of the simplest of such 
devices, shown in the February 1985 issue of Sky and Telescope at page 
171. His device is made from an old revolving desk chair fitted with an 
adjustable framework to support the user's back, as the user assumes a 
near-reclining position to view the stars. Casters under the entire 
assemblage permit the user to swivel the chair, and adjustable arms 
support the binoculars above the back portion. 
Once the binocular support arms and the back framework are properly 
adjusted for the particular user's comfort and for the desired altitude 
angle, such a device supports the binoculars steadily, relieving the 
user's hands of this task. It of course offers considerable viewing 
satisfaction for the amount of design and construction effort invested. To 
change viewing angles, however, the user apparently must get up, adjust 
the back framework and probably the support arms as well, and then get 
back into the apparatus under the support arms. 
John Talbot, of Camarillo, Calif., writing in the same publication at page 
172, has described a system that avoids this necessity. His chair rocks 
for altitude variation and rotates in azimuth, permitting a good view of 
the sky from about twenty-five degrees of altitude to the zenith--with one 
stop for chair adjustment along the way. 
Pearson Menoher, of Greenwich, Conn., in the January 1974 issue of Sky and 
Telescope at pages 51 through 55, discloses a more elaborate apparatus 
that eliminates the need for getting up and sitting back down to make 
adjustments. His apparatus is a motorized observing chair which tilts 
about a vertical axis for altitude-angle variation, and which rides a 
wheel-and-track suspension for azimuth variation. The azimuth system is 
driven by a third-horsepower electric motor. This system may represent the 
ultimate in investment for binocular-viewing comfort, though perhaps not 
the ultimate in design elegance. 
Emphasizing the latter, or at least aiming to make the most of a much more 
modest investment in time and materials, are observing-chair designs 
introduced by John Riggs, of Kenmore, N.Y., and by Burt Leifer of Fort 
Wayne, Ind. These appear in Sky and Telescope for, respectively, February 
1981 (pages 162 through 164) and May 1979 (pages 487 and 488). 
Each of these two approaches provides a chair with a simple azimuthal pivot 
about a vertical axis, and more importantly (as will be seen) a vertical 
swinging action for the binoculars themselves about a horizontal axis that 
is generally adjacent to the user's neck. 
Most of the tripods and chair brackets discussed above are difficult to 
adjust when changing viewing angles. These devices frequently require 
several separate adjustments to obtain the right position in both height 
and angle. The Mandler tripod and the Riggs and Leifer chairs minimize 
these problems by the swinging action of the binoculars about axes 
adjacent to the viewer's neck. 
To understand this advantage, it is necessary to refer to the physiology of 
a typical viewer in scanning vertically over large angles of altitude. 
Generally, viewing seems to be most comfortable when the eyes are directed 
roughly "straight ahead" in relation to the head. There is a slight range 
of eye travel within which a person can comfortably view objects above or 
below a normal straight line of sight, relative to the person's head, but 
the principal way of shifting the direction of one's gaze by large angles 
is to move the head itself. For comfortable protracted viewing, therefore, 
it is necessary to allow for shifting of the head: translational and 
rotational movements naturally accompany rotation of a person's direction 
of view. 
The multiple-adjustment problem mentioned above, as recognized by Mandler, 
Riggs, Leifer and others, arises from these translational and rotational 
movements. These natural movements of a person's head cause the eye 
position to traverse an arc when the head moves between a horizontal and 
an elevated viewing position. For present purposes this arc may be 
regarded as very roughly circular, with an apparent or effective center of 
motion that is near the person's neck. 
Thus both Mandler's tripod-attachment "yoke" and the binocular-supporting 
"fork" of Riggs' and Leifer's chairs pivot about axes adjacent the user's 
neck. The location of the pivot axis relative to the user's body is 
discussed explicitly by both Riggs and Leifer. In each case the binocular 
eyepiece, being fixed to the yoke or fork, revolves about the same 
respective axis. As shown in Mandler's illustrations, however, the line of 
sight itself--that is, the centerline of the ocular--preferably does not 
pass through that mechanical-rotation axis. 
There remain several problems, however, with the inverted "yoke" or "fork" 
designs of Mandler, Riggs and Leifer. 
First, the viewer must remain in a fixed position with respect to the 
mechanical-rotation axis of the yoke or fork. In other words, the viewer 
must stand in essentially the same spot continuously to use Mandler's 
tripod; or he must sit in essentially the same spot in Riggs' or Leifer's 
chair. He must be in the same position relative to the rotation axis, or 
his line of vision will not comfortably align with the centerlines of the 
oculars. After a time these requirements lead to a certain amount of 
discomfort. In effect the viewer becomes saddle-sore. 
Second, in the design of these three swinging-mount systems the 
translational and rotational movements of the user's head are not only 
accommodated (which is desirable), but are actually required to supply all 
of the vertical variation in angle of view. This requirement is not 
desirable, because it means that to view parts of the sky near the zenith 
either the entire chair must tilt (as in Menoher's elaborate device) or 
the user's head must be tilted far back relative to his torso. The 
uncomfortable neck angle that results is quite plainly depicted in the 
photograph at page 163 of the Riggs presentation in Sky and Telescope, and 
is piquantly confirmed by the author's comments about the importance of 
his headrest. 
Third, in each of the Riggs and Leifer chairs, the positioning of the 
binocular-mount rotation axis relative to the body of the chair must be 
tailored to the personal dimensions of the individual who will use the 
chair. Thus Riggs says: 
I eventually found the axis position ideal for my eye. Careful measurements 
were then transferred to the layout of the inverted fork that carries the 
telescope, and to the layout of the large triangular seat box. 
Leifer refers to earlier comment thus: 
Leslie Peltier has pointed out that the axis of movement of his head up and 
down is in line with his ears. Glenn found that his axis was 13/4" below 
the ear opening. Each observer will have to determine this point before 
beginning construction. 
Fourth, the swinging-arm mounts in the Mandler, Riggs and Leifer devices 
all require the positioning of the swinging structure at the sides of the 
user's head. As the user tilts his head up and down, he always 
hand-adjusts the swinging structure up and down too; thus it remains at 
the sides of his head. This swinging structure of course also has a 
crossbar, carrying the binoculars. The crossbar passes all the way across 
his field of peripheral vision--not only across the user's face as such, 
but across the entire distance between the swinging-structure elements at 
both sides. The user moves this crossbar too so that it tracks his head 
movements and is always across both sides of his peripheral field of view. 
Although of course the device is used generally in darkness, nonetheless 
there will remain for many users a continuing sensation of being enclosed 
or even confined. The crossbar and the swinging-structure side elements 
together form a moving cage, always occupying both sides of the user's 
peripheral vision. In other words, these tend toward the claustrophobic. 
This tendency is badly aggravated by the requirement that while viewing 
the user keep his body in practically the same position relative to the 
tripod or chair. 
Fifth and finally, all of the tripod and chair-bracket systems--even those 
of Mandler, Riggs and Leifer--are limiting in that their size and in some 
cases their weight inhibit the user's freedom of movement. 
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of this invention to provide improved support and 
positioning of optical aids such as binoculars at any viewing position 
arbitrarily desired by the user, preferably without the need for support 
by the user's arms and hands. 
Another object is to permit the user to shift his body position freely 
while viewing--whether sitting or standing--so that the viewer is not 
required to sit or stand in a particular position. 
Another object is to permit the user to use his natural eye movements to 
provide some of the variation of vertical viewing angle, rather than 
demanding that his neck do the whole job. This object, it must be said, 
very literally avoids a pain in the neck. 
Another object is to provide support with relatively compact, narrow 
apparatus disposed almost entirely in front of the user--with little or no 
obstruction of the peripheral vision at either side--so that there is 
minimal tendency toward a sensation of confinement. 
Another object is to free the user from reliance on stationary support 
apparatus. In other words, it is an object of the invention to allow the 
user to stand up, walk around, sit down in different places, and so 
forth--all during an essentially continuous viewing session. 
Yet another object of this invention is to allow the optical aid to be 
stored in a convenient location away from the user's eyes, while keeping 
it immediately available for use. 
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
My invention is a personal optical-aid holder for supporting an optical aid 
in relation to the body of a user, during use. It includes a base, and 
some means for securing the base to the user's body. For the purpose of 
generality in defining my invention, I will refer to these latter means as 
the "base-securing means." The invention also includes a platform that is 
adapted to receive and hold the optical aid. 
The invention also includes a mechanical linkage that interconnects the 
platform and the base, and that positions the platform in relation to the 
base. By virtue of this interconnection and positioning, the linkage 
substantially supports the optical aid in viewing positions that are 
substantially at the user's eyes. 
The linkage is adapted for easy control by the user, without the user's 
raising his or her hands to the viewing positions of the optical aid. 
The linkage is geometrically arranged to translate and rotate the optical 
aid vertically, under manipulation by the user, to substantially follow 
movement of the user's head and eyes in scanning upwardly from the 
horizon. The linkage performs this tracking function, as well as the 
support function, even though the user guides it only by small pilot 
forces which are directed simply upward or downward. 
In preferred forms of my invention, the linkage causes the eyepiece of the 
optical aid to move in an arc that is at least roughly circular, under 
manipulation by the user. The arc is at least roughly centered about an 
axis that is fixed in relation to the user's torso. Preferably the base is 
at least approximately aligned with this axis. 
I prefer to arrange the linkage geometrically to substantially follow 
movement of the user's eye position as the user's head is tilted backward 
at least sixty-five degrees from a normal horizon-viewing condition, and 
advantageously eighty degrees or more. 
It is also preferable to geometrically arrange the linkage to point the 
optical aid at an angle that increases from zero to very approximately six 
or seven degrees, as the user's head is tilted backward about fifty-five 
degrees--and advantageously to very approximately fifteen degrees as the 
user's head is tilted backward about seventy-five or eighty degrees. The 
"angle" that is mentioned in the immediately preceding sentence is defined 
in relation to the "straight ahead" direction from the user's head. 
By combination of the two preferable features just mentioned, my invention 
increases the viewing direction, relative to the horizon, from zero to 
about sixty-three degrees as the user's head tilts backward about 
fifty-five degrees from a normal horizon-viewing condition--and 
advantageously to about ninety or ninety-five degrees as the user's head 
tilts backward about seventy-five or eighty degrees. 
Preferably the linkage includes some means for generating an arc motion. I 
will refer to these means as "arc-motion generating means." They include 
at least one arm, one of whose ends is pivotally secured to the base. With 
this arrangement, the other end of the arm undergoes an arc motion. The 
linkage also includes some means for conveying to the platform, and to the 
eyepiece, at least some part of this arc motion; I will refer to these 
means as the "arc-motion conveying means." 
Preferably the arc-motion generating means also include a second arm 
pivotally secured to the base, and a driving arm pivotally secured to the 
two base-secured arms. The base, driving arm and base-secured arms are 
dimensioned and arranged to form a parallelogram. The arc-motion conveying 
means include an extension of the driving arm beyond the parallelogram. 
The extension is pivotally secured to the platform, at a pivot point on 
the platform. 
Advantageously the pivot point moves along a path that substantially 
duplicates the arc motion of the "other" end of the first-mentioned arm, 
but displaced by the length of the extension. In this way the arc motion 
of the other end of the first-mentioned arm is conveyed and imparted to 
the pivot point on the platform. 
In addition the arc-motion conveying means advantageously include an 
extension of either of the base-secured arms beyond the parallelogram, and 
a control arm that is pivotally secured to the extension and to a second 
pivot point on the platform. This control arm controls the angle of the 
platform relative to the driving-arm extension. I prefer to make the 
distance between the two pivot points on the platform shorter than the 
base-secured-arm extension, so that the platform rotates more rapidly than 
the base-secured arms: this extra rotation provides the previously 
mentioned additional "pointing" angle relative to the user's "straight 
ahead" viewing direction. 
The linkage preferably folds downwardly from a horiozon-viewing position 
carrying the optical aid into a storage position. 
The invention also preferably includes some means for substantially bearing 
the combined weight of the platform, the linkage, and the optical aid, 
when the aid is in the viewing positions. These "weight-bearing means" 
preferably include a biasing device such as a spring or a sealed gas 
cylinder, but may instead include a counterbalance mechanism. (As will be 
understood, a biasing device is more compact and light than a 
counterbalance mechanism, though a counterbalance may pose slightly less 
risk in event of breakage.) 
My invention's linkage-and-base configuration makes it possible to minimize 
the claustrophobic effect mentioned earlier. It is preferable to take 
maximum advantage of this potential by securing the base to the user's 
chest and making the entire holder substantially narrower than the user's 
shoulders. The base-securing means are preferably a cushion that rests 
against the user's chest, and a harness that passes over the user's 
shoulders. 
It is entirely feasible, in fact, to make the entire holder except for the 
harness about the width of user's head. Advantageously all of the holder 
except for the harness is disposed in front of the user; and no part of 
the holder is adjacent to the user's head near the height of the user's 
eyes. Hence the apparatus is not within either side of the user's 
peripheral vision at all. 
The foregoing operational principles and advantages of the present 
invention will be more fully appreciated upon consideration of the 
following detailed description, with reference to the appended drawings, 
of which:

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
As shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, a preferred form of my invention has a 
platform 1 for support of a pair of binoculars or the like 36. The 
platform 1 is connected by pivoting joints 32 and 31 respectively to 
control arms 3 and driving-arm extensions 4a--each of which is in pairs, 
there being one of each in left and right components. The driving-arm 
extensions 4a are extensions of the driving arms 4, which are in turn 
connected through pivoting joints 17 and and 34 respectively to arms 13 
and 14. The control arms 3 are similarly connected to base-secured arm 
extensions 13a, which are extensions of the upper base-secured arms 13. 
The pairs of base-secured arms 13 and 14 in turn are connected through 
pivoting joints 33 and 19 respectively to supporting members 15--of which 
there are a pair, there being one left and one right member. 
The spacing of these pairs of arms and members is maintained by the 
platform 1, and by lateral connecting rods. Specifically, two rods 6 and 7 
space apart the control arms 3, and two other rods 8 and 9 space apart the 
driving arms 4. Four other lateral rods 7, 8, 10 and 11 space apart the 
upper base-secured arms 13 and their extensions 13a, and two other rods 9 
and 12 space the lower base-secured arms 14. Two of these rods 11 and 12, 
already mentioned, likewise space the base members 15. 
At the four junctions between (1) the control arms 3 and the 
base-secured-arm extensions 13a, (2) the driving arms 4 and the upper 
base-secured arms 13, (3) the driving arms 4 and the lower base-secured 
arms 14, and (4) the base-secured arms 13 and the base members 15, four 
pairs of screws 35, 17, 34 and 33 respectively pass through the arms and 
members and are threaded into the lateral connecting rods. These screws 
thus secure the two sides of the linkage in the spaced-apart condition, 
and also act as axles to allow the pivoting motions of these respective 
pairs of linkage members. 
The base members 15, together with the lateral rods 11 and 12 between them, 
form a base 11-12-15 upon which all the other arms are supported; yet the 
arms are allowed to pivot in a prescribed motion. At the junction between 
the lower base-secured arms 14 and the base members 15, two additional 
screws 19 rotatably connect the lower base-secured arms 14 to the base 
11-12-15. 
The base-secured arms 13 and 14, the driving arms 4, and the base members 
15 form a parallelogram, which is allowed to open and close by pivoting of 
the base-secured arms 14 and 13 about their pivot points 33 and 19 with 
the base 11-12-15. The pivoting action of this parallelogram causes the 
pivot point 31 where the driving-arm extension 4a connects to the platform 
1 to move in an arc. This arc is identical to that described by the axle 
17 where the driving arm 4 intersects the upper base-secured arm 13--but 
is displaced parallel to the base members 15 by the length of the 
driving-arm extension 4a. 
The arc of motion which is thus traced by the rearward pivot point 31 of 
the platform 1 has a center that is in the plane of the base 11-12-15 but 
similarly displaced beyond the parallelogram by the length of the 
driving-arm extension 4a. 
As shown in FIG. 2, the linkage is arranged so that it can support the 
optical aid in a horizontal viewing position 36, with the ocular 37 
directly in front of the user's eyes. (Mounting of the device to the 
user's torso will be described in detail shortly.) Due to the arc of 
motion mentioned just above, as the parallelogram is folded upward into a 
relatively closed condition the platform rearward pivot point 31 of FIG. 3 
revolves upwardly and backwardly over the user's head to a new position 
31' of FIG. 3. Likewise the optical aid is swung upwardly and backwardly 
above the user's head to an elevated viewing position 36'. 
As also shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, if the user's head is moved from a 
horizon-viewing position 41 as in FIG. 2 to an elevated viewing position 
41' as in FIG. 3--so that the user's eyes move from the position 42 of 
FIG. 2 to the position 42' of FIG. 3--the elevated ocular at 37' is found 
to be in correct alignment with the upraised eyes at 42' for viewing at 
essentially any angle of altitude from zero to at least fifty-five or 
sixty degrees. 
This alignment is optimized by placing the center of rotation of the 
platform rearward pivot point 31, 31' at the center of the arc described 
by the position of a user's eyes 42, 42' (FIGS. 2 and 3) as the user moves 
his head from a position 41 of looking at the horizon to a position 41' of 
looking at an elevated angle. 
FIG. 5 illustrates the geometrical relationships involved. Dashed lines in 
FIG. 5 represent the horizon-viewing positions (that is to say, the FIG. 2 
position) of the user's head 41 and eyes 42, the linkage 49 generally, and 
the binoculars 36. Solid lines in FIG. 5 represent the elevated viewing 
positions (the FIG. 3 position) of the user's head 41' and eyes 42', the 
linkage 49' generally, and the binoculars 36'. 
The platform rearward pivot point 31, 31' moves in an arc 48 that is 
centered at point 44. This point 44 is aligned with the base 
11-12-15--which is to say, it is along the line 63 defined by the two base 
pivot points 33 and 19--but displaced beyond the parallelogram along that 
line 63 by a distance equal to the length of the driving-arm extension 4a. 
The user's eyes 42, 42' also move along an approximately circular arc 61 
that is roughly fixed with respect to the user's body. As mentioned in the 
prior-art discussion the location of the effective center of the 
eye-movement arc 61 varies with the individual, but as an example is 
typically found roughly two inches below the position 43 of the bottom of 
the user's ears when the head is in the horizon-viewing position 41. 
When my invention is properly adjusted the center 44 of the arc 48 
described by the platform rearward pivot point 31, 31' is placed at the 
effective center of the arc 61 described by the user's eyes 42, 
42'--wherever that may be for the particular individual user. In FIG. 5 it 
is shown as described for the typical example above. Thus the point 44 in 
the diagram represents the centers of both arcs 61 and 48. 
Now referring again to FIGS. 2 and 3, it will be noted that the 
base-secured arm extension 13a is longer than the distance between the two 
pivot points 31 and 32 on the platform 1. This difference in spacing 
causes the platform 1 to rotate through greater incremental angles than 
the corresponding incremental angles at the junctions 33 or 19 between the 
base-secured arms 13 or 14 and the base members 15. It is this higher rate 
of rotation that produces the added "pointing" angle mentioned earlier, 
taking advantage of the user's eye-movement ability. This geometrical 
relationship too is illustrated in FIG. 5. To see the shift, note that (1) 
the difference in elevation angle of the user's head 41, 41' for the two 
illustrated positions is the angle B between lines 45 and 45'--radii drawn 
from the center point 44 through the user's eyes at 42 and 42' 
respectively; while (2) the difference in elevation angle of the optical 
aid is the angle C between the optical-aid centerline positions 47 and 
47'. (It is assumed here that the linkage position is angled to match the 
tilt of the user's head.) As can be seen, the angle C through which the 
optical-aid centerline moves is larger than the angle B through which the 
user's head moves. 
More specifically, as seen in FIG. 5 the user's head (and with it the 
user's "straight ahead" viewing direction) is tilted upward and backward 
somewhat more than fifty-six degrees (angle B), while the binoculars are 
elevated more than sixty-three degrees (angle C) from the horizontal. 
It may be noted that these two numbers are equivalent to an average of 1.13 
degrees of incremental binocular elevation per degree of incremental head 
elevation. As the user's head is tilted further, however, for the most 
highly preferred embodiments of my invention the rate at which the 
binoculars are elevated actually accelerates. In particular, another 
twenty-four degrees of head movement produces an additional thirty-two to 
thirty-three degrees of binocular elevation--an average of 1.33 to 1.38 
degrees of binocular elevation per degree of head elevation. 
This shift of "pointing" angle relative to the user's head takes advantage 
of the user's ability to move her or his eyes by ten to fifteen degrees. 
Consequently the neck is not called upon to do the entire job of 
accommodating different viewing angles. In particular, from the foregoing 
discussion it can be seen that within the first fifty-six degrees of head 
movement the binoculars gain about seven degrees, and in the following 
twenty-four degrees of head movement the binoculars gain an additional 
eight or nine degrees for a total of about fifteen to sixteen degrees. 
Thus the system allows a user to look toward and even past the zenith, 
while tilting the head back only about seventy-five degrees. 
I prefer to provide this accelerating operation because in the range of 
most normal viewing angles--below about sixty degrees--the departure of 
the viewing direction from the "straight ahead" direction is so small as 
to be completely comfortable, and indeed virtually unnoticeable. Thus the 
user's enjoyment in protracted viewing is not impaired by even slightly 
fatiguing muscle tension within the eye, that could otherwise result from 
far-off-axis viewing. Yet the eye muscles can be brought into play to 
share with the neck muscles any tendency toward fatigue that may occur in 
viewing at extremely high angles of altitude. 
It will be understood that viewing angles are subject to reorientation of 
the user's torso--as by the user's bending backward while standing, or 
leaning backward against the back of a chair, to increase the angle by 
which the head is tilted relative to the horizon-viewing position. One of 
the objects of my invention, as earlier noted, is to free the user from 
the requirement of sitting in a particular position in a particular 
chair--or from standing in a particular position at a particular tripod 
apparatus. Nonetheless when using my invention the user has the option of 
sitting or even lying down while viewing. In exploiting this freedom the 
user may use any convenient chair, couch, bed, lawn, beach, etc., and may 
move from one to another during the course of a viewing session. 
The line 46 in FIG. 5 represents the radius from the center point 44 
through the platform rearward pivot point 31, in the horizon-viewing 
condition of the apparatus. This line defines with the analogous line 46' 
in the elevated condition of the apparatus an angle A, which represents 
the angle through which the platform rear pivot point 31 in FIG. 5 has 
revolved about the effective center point 44 of the user's eye-motion arc. 
From the earlier description of the linkage it will be understood that the 
angle A therefore is equal to the angle through which each of the 
base-secured arms 13, 14 rotates, in moving the binoculars through the 
angle B. As may be seen from FIG. 5, this angle B of parallelogram 
deformation--relative to the horizon-viewing condition--is about sixty 
degrees--intermediate to the previously mentioned fifty-six degrees of 
head tilt and sixty-three degrees of binocular motion. This value of about 
sixty degrees is merely mentioned for completeness of description. 
From the preceding discussion it may be noted that the ocular moves in an 
arc 62 that cannot be perfectly circular, though the platform rearward 
pivot point 31 moves in a circular arc 48. The tilting action of the 
mechanism deforms (flattens) the locus 62 of the ocular. Practically 
speaking, however, the arc 62 followed by the ocular matches the arc 61 
followed by the user's eyes sufficiently well, and the deformation just 
mentioned is inconsequential--generally within about one-eighth to 
three-sixteenths inch at the eyes. This tiny displacement is easily 
accommodated by the user, through natural flexibility in extension of the 
neck, or by hitching the entire mechanism up or down very slightly 
relative to the torso. 
As discussed earlier the base-secured arm extension 13a should be longer 
than the interpivot distance at the platform, to provide the relatively 
faster rotation of the platform. The ideal length of the extension 13a, 
relative to the interpivot distance of the platform 1, depends upon the 
amount of relative rotation desired, and also upon the distance of the 
platform pivot (or control point) 32 from the upper base-secured arm 13. 
The length of the control arm 3, however, is simply chosen to bring the 
optical centerline of the binoculars to the horizontal position 47 when 
the linkage is in the horizon-viewing condition. Thus the desired lengths 
of both the extension 13a and the control arm 3 can be found within a few 
iterations, to give whatever rotational gain is desired. As seen from the 
drawings, to level the binoculars in the horizon-viewing condition of this 
preferred embodiment of my invention, I make the control arm 3 
substantially shorter than the driving-arm extension 4a. 
From the two preceding paragraphs it should thus be noted that (1) the 
interpivot distance on the platform 1 is shorter than the base-secured arm 
extension 13a, and (2) the control arm 3 is shorter than the driving-arm 
extension 4a. The significance of these two facts will be shown later. 
It may also be noted that the control arm 3 alternatively can be driven 
from an extension (not illustrated) of the lower base-secured arm 14 
rather than an extension 13a of the upper base-secured arm 13 as shown. To 
effect such a modification it will be preferable to make the extension 
longer than the illustrated extension 13a, since the angular effect on the 
platform 1 will be smaller in proportion to the greater distance from the 
control point 32 to the lower base-secured arm 14. 
In the accompanying drawings the optical centerline 47 and the centerline 
of the platform 1 are represented as coincident. In the case of some 
monoculars or small telescopes this relationship may actually obtain. Most 
binoculars that are used by amateur astronomers, however, have a tapped 
hole for use in tripod mounting; this tripod mount is ideal for attachment 
of the platform 1 of my invention, by means of a threaded mounting rod 
(with a handle 2, FIG. 1) passing through the platform 1. Since the 
tripod-mount hole is above the optical centerline, however, in principle 
the threaded mounting rod (not shown) should be offset upwardly from the 
plane of the two pivot axes 31, 32 (FIG. 1)--so that the optical 
centerline of the mounted binoculars is at that plane 31, 32. 
To be more specific, the tripod-mount hole of most binoculars is typically 
aligned with the focusing knob, which--in the familiar configuration of 
virtually all commercial binoculars--is of course on the same shaft that 
is used as a pivot for varying the interocular distance to suit the 
distance between the user's eyes. Consequently the actual distance from 
the tripod-mount hole to the optical centerline varies with the 
interocular distance, which in turn varies from user to user. 
To compensate for this variable offset distance, therefore, in principle 
the platform 1 should actually be in two pieces, one piece generally in 
the position shown in the drawings for the platform 1 and the other piece 
(not illustrated) carrying the threaded rod and handle. The distance 
between the two pieces should in principle be adjustable, so that the user 
can bring the optical centerline of the binoculars into alignment with the 
plane of the two pivot axes 31 and 32 (FIG. 1). 
Although the offset distance, and its adjustment, mentioned in the 
immediately preceding paragraphs are necessary in principle, I have not 
provided them in the prototypes that I have made. The prototypes 
nevertheless have been found quite satisfactory, and it may be that most 
or all users are able to accommodate the offset by adjustment of the 
overall device relative to the torso--together with the natural 
flexibility of the neck. A "deluxe" embodiment of my invention, however, 
could well provide an offset between the threaded mounting rod and the 
plane of the pivots 31, 32; and if desired this offset distance could be 
made adjustable. For simplicity of the drawings, the variable distance 
from platform to optical centerline has been disregarded. 
The linkage of course has a tendency to move downwardly under the influence 
of gravity. The considerable weight of the optical aid 36 mounted upon the 
platform 1 is added to the weight of the linkage itself. To counteract 
this tendency, tension springs 16 are attached between two of the lateral 
connecting rods 9 and 10 to bias the arms upwardly. One of these 
connecting rods 10, which also functions as one connecting point for the 
springs 16, is mounted by screws in respective slots 20 in the arms 13. 
The slots allow for adjustment of the tension in the springs 16, thus 
permitting compensation for the various weights of optical aids that may 
be mounted to the platform 1. 
In any particular position of the linkage, either the upward force of the 
springs slightly exceeds the downward force of gravity, or vice versa; 
hence there is virtually always a small residual upward or downward force. 
Despite such residuals, however, static friction in the mechanism tends to 
keep the apparatus in any position where the user places it. Therefore as 
a practical matter it is not necessary to try to make the compensation 
exact. 
Although the biasing means in this preferred embodiment are tension springs 
between the two connecting rods 9 and 10, the biasing means instead may be 
wound-wire springs, elastic bands, or hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders. 
Also in lieu of tensioned biasing means, compressive biasing means--such as 
compression springs--may be used to counteract the weight of the attached 
optical aid. These could be attached between the connecting rods 8 and 12 
to effect the same upward biasing, and may be wound-wire, hydraulic or 
pneumatic devices. 
Likewise, torsional springs may be used about any axle of any two arms, 
arranged so that the torsion causes those two arms to rotate toward their 
relative position that corresponds to elevation of the platform. 
As previously mentioned, counterbalancing systems are also possible within 
the scope of my invention. For example, a pair of pulleys may be mounted 
to the base 15 near the upper base-secured arm 13, or to the base 
extension 15a, and a pair of cables run from the connecting rod 9 over the 
pulleys to suspend a weight hanging in front of the user's torso (FIG. 7). 
To minimize the variation in the position of the weight relative to the 
torso, over the operating range of the linkage, a block-and-tackle 
arrangement could be used--though this would require a larger weight. 
Handles 18 are provided for convenient purchase by the user when the user 
desires to move the arms and the optical aid to a different viewing angle. 
Thumb screws 17 are provided to allow the position of the arms to be locked 
in any arbitrarily selected position, should the user desire to hold a 
given viewing position for a protracted period. 
To allow a convenient storage position of the optical aid, slots 21 are 
provided in the tops of the control arms 3. The necessity for these slots 
21 will now be explained. The sum of (1) the distance between the pivot 
points 31 and 32 of platform 1 and (2) the length of each control arm 3 is 
shorter than the sum of (3) the length of a driving-arm extension 4a and 
(4) the length of a base-secured arm extension 13a. This inequality arises 
from the dimensioning that provides the "pointing" feature described 
earlier, but if not relieved would prevent the arms and the platform from 
folding substantially flat against the base. 
The slots 21, however, allow the effective lengths of the control arms 3 to 
elongate, thereby allowing the entire linkage with the attached optical 
aid to fold substantially flat against the base, as in FIG. 4. 
A spring 5 (FIG. 1) is connected between the platform 1 and the upper 
lateral rod 6 between the control arms 3. This spring 5 constrains the 
platform 1 to pivot at the bottom of the slot 21 when the linkage is 
raised into the operating range of movement. When the linkage is folded 
downwardly, however, this spring stretches to permit the necessary 
effective elongation of the control arms. 
To obtain and verify the details of performance mentioned earlier, I have 
done graphical analysis of the linkage, and I have also had done for me 
some mathematical modeling of its operation. Based on these analyses, 
optimum operation--particularly including the acceleration of the 
"pointing" angle with increasing head tilt--appears to be obtained by 
making the base-secured arms 13 and 14 each approximately 9.2 inches long, 
the driving arm extension 4a approximately 8.8 inches long, the control 
arm 3 approximately 8.3 inches long, the base-secured arm extension 13a 
approximately 2.5 inches long, and the distance between the two pivot 
points on the platform approximately 2.1 inches. 
The lengths of the driving arm 4 and the base 15--as measured between the 
pivots 33 and 19--may vary considerably, since their function is simply to 
maintain the linkage in the form of a parallelogram so that the 
driving-arm extension 4a is parallel to the base 15 and base extension 
15a. As will be recalled, this condition is required if the platform rear 
pivot 31 is to duplicate the circular arc motion of the pivot point 17. 
Hence I prefer to make the driving arm 4 the same length as the base 15. 
The platform 1 and the lateral connecting rods 6 through 12 preferably 
should be long enough to give adequate lateral stability while avoiding 
encroachment into the user's peripheral vision. As will be recalled this 
is significant in avoiding claustrophobic effects of use. It is extremely 
easy to meet these preferred conditions: in my prototypes I have made the 
platform 1 and shorter rod 6 approximately 1.75 inches long, and the 
longer rods 7 through 12 approximately five inches long. Thus the entire 
mechanism is narrower than the typical width of an adult's head, and the 
portion of the mechanism that is in the vicinity of the user's eyes is 
actually narrower than the distance between the eyes. The portion near the 
user's eyes is actually considerably narrower than the binoculars, so that 
there is absolutely no interference with the sides of the peripheral 
field--other than that by the binoculars themselves. 
While I prefer to make the mechanism as narrow as indicated just above, the 
intrusion into peripheral vision would yet be entirely minimal if the 
transverse dimension of the base 11-12-15 were eight or even twelve 
inches, the connecting rods 7 through 9 were seven to eight inches, and 
the platform 1 and short connecting rod 6 were perhaps five inches--taking 
into account the desirability of that part of the apparatus fitting 
between the two halves of the binoculars. 
It will be understood that the foregoing detailed specifications are only 
for the purpose of defining one embodiment of my invention that does in 
fact function, and that in fact performs very well. It is not, strictly 
speaking, necessary even to maintain the lower stage 4-13-14-15 of the 
linkage in the form of a parallelogram; it may very well be that other 
arrangements of arms could work equally well or even better, given 
appropriate compensation in the upper stage 1-3-4-13a of the linkage. 
It is also possible that a linkage having an entirely different 
configuration could be satisfactory, provided that it interconnects the 
platform and the base, and positions the platform in relation to the base, 
so as to substantially support the optical aid in viewing positions 
substantially at the user's eyes--and provided that under manipulation by 
the user it translates and rotates the optical aid to substantially follow 
movement of the user's head and eyes in scanning upwardly from the 
horizon. 
A small strap of webbing 29 (FIG. 1) with a hook-and-pile or other type of 
fastener may be attached between connecting rods 7 and 9 while the arms 
and platform are in the storage position, to prevent the linkage from 
opening to viewing position until the user so desires. 
The supporting base 11-12-15 is attached to a harness of webbing 22a, 22b 
(FIG. 6) and a cushion 58. The cushion, made of padding 23 covered with 
fabric 51, is attached to connecting rod 12 with a tunnel of fabric 52 
sewn along lines 53 to the cushion 58. The lowest spacer rod 12 passes 
through this fabric tunnel 52. The upper part of the harness 22a, 22b is 
sewn at 56 to the cushion-covering fabric 51. 
The upper part of the harness 22a, 22b also is attached to the base members 
15: the upward extensions 15a of the base members are inserted into 
tunnels of fabric 27 (FIG. 1) sewn to the harness 22a, 22b and secured 
with screws and nuts 28. 
The harness itself consists of two straps 22a and 22b and a release buckle 
26. One webbing strap 22a, attached to the right side (as viewed from the 
user's position) of the base 11-12-15, passes over the user's right 
shoulder, across the user's back as at 22a', under the arms to the front 
of the chest as at 22a", and through the release buckle 26. The other 
webbing strap 22b passes over the left shoulder, across the user's back as 
at 22b', to the front of the chest as at 22b"--where it is fixed to the 
buckle 26. 
The harness 22a, 22b including the buckle 26, permits adjustment of the 
webbing length to accommodate wearers of different girth. A flap of fabric 
24 (FIG. 6) is attached at the bottom of the cushion 58, and passes behind 
and over the top of the cushion 58 to the front of the cushion, and then 
downward where it is secured as by a hook-and-pile fastener 25, 55. This 
flap 24 allows for varying amounts of additional padding to be placed 
behind the cushion 58 to accommodate various chest dimensions. 
It is to be understood that all of the foregoing detailed descriptions are 
by way of example only, and not to be taken as limiting the scope of my 
invention--which is expressed only in the appended claims.