Improvements in the Construction of Monocular and Binocular Opera, Field, and Marine Glasses, Telescopes, Stereoscopes, and the like.
Year: 1891

page_text: The decision of the Chief Examiner, acting on behalf of the Comptroller, of the
9th day of January 1893, allowed, under Section 18 of the Patents, &c.
Act, 1883, an Amendment of this Specification.
Date of Application, 20th Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 20th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 12th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Monocular and Binocular
Opera, Field, and Marine Glasses, Telescopes, Stereoscopes, and
the like.
We, JAMES AITCHISON, of 47 Fleet Street, London, E.C., and 42 Bishopsgate
Street, Within, London E.C., Oculist Optician, and THOMAS BRADLEY, of
90 Gibbon Road, Nunhead, London, S.E., Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of our said invention to be as follows:-
--
Our invention relates to the construction of monocular and binocular opera, field
and marine glasses, telescopes, stereoscopes, and the like, and to handles for the
same, and its object is to render such articles lighter, more portable, and convenient
for conveyance, than hitherto.
In carrying out our invention we construct the barrels, and handles of opera
glasses, telescopes, and stereoscopes, of thin ribbon steel, or other metal the nature
of which approximates to that of steel in strength and clasticity; (such other
metals being included in the word "steel" in this Specification).
The ribbon of thin steel is coiled in a volute form, the number of coils, and the
width of the ribbon being dependent upon the length of the barrel, when extended,
and the required length when closed up.
The two largest ends of the volute barrels of an opera glass, are attached to a
plate or frame, upon or in which the object lenses are fitted. Another plate or
frame is fitted to the small ends, upon or in which the eye lenses are fitted.
The adjustment and focussing of the lenses may be effected by screws, in
conjunction with parallel motions, lazy tongs, links, chains, levers, or other suitable
devices; one method of adjusting binocular glasses being by means of a pair of
pinions and a worm screw: the pinions actuating levers and links attached to the
frame, in such a manner as to control the focus, as required.
The volute springs are made of sufficient strength to extend in length, auto-
matically, as far as they are permitted by the user.
Analogous arrangements, with obvious modifications, are made in constructing
binocular and monocular telescopes and stereoscopes.
We also construct extensible handles to the before mentioned instruments, when
required, in a similar manner to the barrels above mentioned; attaching the same
by clips, pivots, unions, or other suitable means.
These handles are light, strong,
adjustable and portable.
Dated 20 Jennery 1001
GEO. DOWNING,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C., Agent for Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Improvements in the Construction of Monocular and Binocular
Opera, Field, and Marine Glasses, Telescopes, Stereoscopes, and
the like.
We, JAMES AITCHISON, of 47 Fleet Street London E.C., and 42 Bishopsgate
Street Within London E.C., Oculist Optician, and THOMAS BRADLEY, of
90 Gibbon Road, Nunhead, London S.E., Engineer do hereby declare the nature
of our said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention relates to the construction of monocular and binocular opera, field,
and marine glasses, telescopes, stereoscopes, and the like, and to handles for the
same and the object of the invention is to render such articles lighter, more
portable and more convenient for conveyance, than hitherto.
In carrying out our invention we construct the barrels, and liandles, of opera
glasses, telescopes, and steroscopes, of thin ribbon steel, or other material the
nature of which approximates to that of steel in strength and elasticity; (such
other materials being all included in the word "steel" in this Specification).
The ribbon of thin steel is coiled in a volute form, the number of coils, and the
width of the ribbon being dependent upon the length of the barrel, when extended,
and the limit of length when closed up. The ribbon is in some cases tapered so as
to reduce the width of the coils at the smallest end.
The two largest ends of the volute barrels of an opera glass, are attached to a
plate or frame, upon or in which the object lenses are fitted. Another plate or
frame is fitted to the small ends, upon or in which the eye lenses are fitted.
And in order that our said invention may be particularly described and
ascertained, reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings, in which
similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts; and in which drawings the
application of our invention to the construction of opera glasses is illustrated, from
which the construction of telescopes, stereoscopes and the like, and handles for the
same will be readily understood.
Fig. 1. is an elevation of an opera glass extended.
Fig. 2. is an elevation shewing the same closed.
Fig. 3 is a plan of the same.
a a are the volute barrels. is one of the frames to which the object lenses are
attached. c is the frame to which the eye lenses are attached. dd d¹ d' are four
links or connecting rods, forming a set of parallel motion bars. Four similar links
are fitted to the other side of the opera glass. The ends of the links are formed
with teeth meshing into each other. These teeth render the motions of the links
simultaneous and thereby secure the parallelism of the frames b and c.
5161 are
two plates forming parts of the frame b, and c¹ c' are plates forming parts of the
frame c. One end of each of the links d d is pivoted to one of the plates b', the
ends being provided with mutilated toothed gearing to secure simultaneous action.
e e are plates enclosing the outer ends of the links d d, and also the outer ends of
the links dd', the other ends of the links d¹ d¹ being pivoted to the plates c¹ c¹;
all the ends being similarly geared together with mutilated toothed gear.
We sometimes dispense with the toothed gear at ee and c', and unite the links
with ordinary rule or other joints.
The cells are preferably formed of aluminium, with brass linings for the
screws, for the purpose of reducing weight.
We sometimes add a screw adjustment consisting of a screw-worm meshing into
worm wheels attached to the links d d in the plates 6' 61; the worm being fitted to
operate in a vertical direction, with a single thread, or in a horizontal direction
with right and left hand threads.
.

page_text: Other well known methods of securing parallel motion may be adopted.
We sometimes add a set screw and nut to the boss of one of the levers on the
plate 6' for fixing the glasses at any desired focus.
In the construction of monocular instruments it is obvious that the parallel
motion bars are not necessary, such instruments being rendered rigid, after suitable
extension, by slightly twisting the-coiled-tube.
We also construct extensible handles to the before mentioned instruments, when
required, in a similar manner to the barrels above mentioned; attaching the same
by clips, pivots, unions, or other suitable means. These handles are light, strong,
adjustable and portable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. In the construction of monocular and binocular opera, field, and marine
glasses, telescopes, stereoscopes, and the like, the combination therewith of barrels
formed of ribbon steel, or other suitable material, coiled in a volute form, sub-
stantially as herein before described and illustrated by the drawings.
2. In the construction of monocular and binocular opera, field and marine
glasses, telescopes, stereoscopes and the like, the combination therewith of handles,
formed of ribbon steel, or other suitable material for the purpose of securing
lightness, portability and compactness, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In combination with binocular opera field and marine glasses, stereoscopes and
the like, of parallel motion bars or links d d d¹ d¹ four or more of such links being
geared together by means of mutilated toothed gearing, substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated by the drawings.
4. In the construction of instruments for the purposes aforesaid, the application
and use of aluminium cells lined with bruss, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
3. The improvements in the construction of monocular and binocular opera, field
and marine glasses, telescopes, stereoscopes and the like, substantially as herein-
before described.
GEO.
DOWNING,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C., Agent for Applicants.