Improvements in Stands or Supports for Table or Lantern Microscopes or other analogous purposes to which same may be applicable.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Dec., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 16th Aug., 1894-Accepted, 27th Oct., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stands or Supports for Table or Lantern
Microscopes or other analogous purposes to which same may
be applicable.
I, JAMES POWELL SWIFT of 81 Tottenham Court Road, London, Manufacturer
of Philosophical and Scientific Instruments, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in connection with stands or supports for
microscopes and same may also be used for other analogous instruments or purposes
to which same may be applicable.
Heretofore table or lantern microscopes have usually been mounted on a three-
legged stand or support (such three-legged stand or support generally known as a
tripod") but although various means have been tried to give increased stability
to such tripods by giving a wider base to the lower end of each leg of the tripod
for instance by forking same or by a broad plate etc. yet such tripods have the
disadvantage that when placed on unlevel surfaces same are rocky or unsteady and
do not offer sufficient resistance to side strains in certain directions.
Now my present invention is designed to remedy these defects and for this
purpose I first of all arrange and monut two legs to the table or support carrying
the instrument either fixed or pivotted as desired but for the sake of example I will
describe a stand I have found very suitable for microscopes.
In this case these said two legs are independently and rigidly formed or fixed to
the table or support carrying the microscope.
Next I arrange and mount two other legs connected by a transverse bar or
otherwise rigidly joined at their upper ends.
These last-named two legs are pivotally mounted or connected to the opposite
side of the aforesaid table or to any other suitable part of the instrument or its
supports so that said two legs are free to swivel or turn upon said pin or axis
connecting same to the instrument. These swivelled double legs may extend in au
oblique direction so that I thus form a stand or support standing on four feet
forming a wide base and thereby give firmness and steadiness.
These two rigidly connected swivel legs may if desired be bevelled at their upper
ends so as to bear against a corresponding bevel edged surface on the part of the
instrument or support to same to which they are pivotally connected-this arrange-
ment being very advantageous as it permits these legs to be swung round (through
half a circle or otherwise) and thus the instrument is made very compact for
packing away while at the same time thus mounting these legs permits said legs
to readily adjust themselves to unlevel surfaces and gives great steadiness to the
stand thus formed.
Thus no matter what size or form the toes or feet of these four legs same will be
self-adjusting and very steady.
البعدى
1
1000

page_text: Improvements in Stands or Supports for Table or Lantern
Microscopes or other analogous purposes to which same may
be applicable.
I, JAMES POWELL SWIFT of 81 Tottenham Court Road, London, Manufacturer
of Philosophical and Scientific Instruments, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in connection with stands or supports
for miscroscopes and same may also be used for other analogous instruments or
purposes to which same may be applicable.
Heretofore table or lantern microscopes have usually been mounted on a three-
legged stand or support (such three-legged stand or supports being generally known
as a "tripod") but although various means have been tried to give increased
stability to such tripods by giving a wider base to the lower end of each leg of the
tripod for instance by forking same or by a broad plate etc. yet such tripods have
the disadvantage that when placed on unlevel surfaces same are rocky or unsteady
and do not offer sufficient resistance to side strain in certain directions.
Now my present invention is designed to remedy these defects and for this
purpose first of all arrange and mount two legs to the table or support carrying
the instrument either fixed or pivotted as desired but for the sake of example I will
describe a stand I have found very suitable for microscopes.
In this case these said two legs are respectively rigidly formed on or fixed to
the table or support carrying the microscope.
Next arrange and mount two other legs connected by a transverse bar or
otherwise rigidly joined at their upper ends-or this may be a single leg pivotted
to said table and with a forked lower end or a very broad toe or other wide base.
This last-named double leg is pivotally mounted or connected to the opposite
edge of the aforesaid table or to any other suitable part of the instrument or its
supports so that same is free to swivel or turn upon the axis (or joint) connecting
same to the instrument. This swivelled double leg advantageously extends in an
oblique direction so that I thus form a stand or support standing on four feet
forming a wide base and thereby give great firmness and steadiness.
If desired instead of being pivotted as above described this swivel leg may be
connected to the stand in any other equivalent or suitable manner to obtain the
object of my invention for instance by a ball and socket joint and by the term
"pivotted as hereinafter used I mean and intend to include any other suitable
joint or means to connect the said legs to the said stand as and for the purposes
herein set forth.
The upper end of these rigidly connected swivel legs or the cross bar connecting
same is advantageously bevelled so as to bear against a corresponding bevel edged
surface on the part of the instrument or support to same to which said legs are
pivotally connected-this arrangement (besides other advantages) permits these
legs to be swung round (through half a circle or otherwise) and thus the instrument
is made very compact for packing away while at the same time thus mounting
these legs permits said legs to readily adjust themselves to unlevel surfaces and
gives great steadiness to the stand this formed.
Thus no matter what size or form the toes or feet of these four legs same will be
self-adjusting and very steady.
And in order that my invention may be easily understood and readily carried
into practice I will proceed to describe same with reference to the drawings
hereunto annexed.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 shows a microscope on a stand or support according to my present
invention.
Figure 2 shows same with the pivotted double leg folded or swung round in
position ready for placing in its box or case.
A is the table or support carrying the instrument.
BC are two independent legs rigidly formed on or fixed to the table A as shown.
or same may be mounted to the table A in any other suitable manner as desired.
D' D³ are the two legs rigidly fixed to the cross bar D or D D1 D2 may be
formed all in one casting or otherwise suitably constructed as desired-to move
only as one piece.
The edge A' of the table A is bevelled off as shown and also the inner face D³
of the part D is correspondingly hevelled where it lies against said part A¹.
E is a screw (or a headed più or other suitable axis may be used) to suitably
secure the forked legs and crossbar D D D² to the table A.
Thus the legs D¹ D2 can be swung round on the pivot E from the position shown
in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2-the line of travel thereof (on account of
the bevelled meeting faces A' D³) being in a diagonal direction or otherwise than
at right angles to the horizontal plane of the table A.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. A stand or support for the purposes bereinbefore set forth consisting of a
horizontal part or table with two legs immovable thereon and two legs rigidly
connected together at their upper ends and pivotally mounted to the edge of
said table substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore
described.
2. A stand or support for the purposes hereinbefore set forth consisting of a
horizontal part or table bevelled at one edge thereof and two legs immovably
fixed towards the opposite edge thereof also two legs rigidly connected together
at their upper ends and there bevelled to correspond with the said bevel on the
table edge to which same is pivotted and arranged to act substantially in the manner
and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.
3. In a stand or support for the purposes herein before set forth-the combination
with a table such as A having legs thereon such as B and C of a forked leg such
as D D D pivotted to said table substantially in the manner and for the purposes
hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings hereunto annexed.
4. The improved stand or support for the purposes hereinbefore set forth
arranged constructed combined and acting substantially in the manner hereinbefore
described and illustrated by way of example in the drawings hereunto annexed.
Dated this 16th day of August 1894.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.