Surfaces of Great Precision.
Year: 1899

page_text: Surfaces of Great Precision.
I, PAUL GAUTIER, of 56, Boulevard Arago, Paris, N., in the Republic of France,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a machine for mechanically forming optical surfaces
of great precision.
This machine comprises a circular plate upon which the object or optical
part to be treated is placed. This plate is provided with a pivot adjusted in
a socket suitably fitted to the base of the machine and at the lower portion of
which is arranged a steel bead upon which bears a similar bead with which
the pivot is provided.
A toothed crown is fixed upon or formed in one with the plate; this toothed
crown gears with a pinion rigidly fixed upon a vertical shaft to which a rotary
movement is imparted by means of a driving pulley or in any other suitable
manner. This arrangement sorves to impart to the plate, and consequently to
the optical part mounted thereon, a continuous movement of rotation. It should
be noticed that perfect equilibrium of the rotating plate is obtained by means
of a circular path rigiday fixed to the base and upon which rests a corresponding
circular rib of the said plate.
•
Above this plate is arranged a cross-piece which is supported, in a special
manner, by longitudinal beams fixed upon uprights rigidly fixed to the base.
This cross-piece supports a polishing plate intended to act upon the optical
part which is to be worked, this plate being provided with a pivot engaging in
a socket rigidly attached to the cross-piece. The pivot is suspended in this
socket by means of a screw and maintained therein by means of set screws.
Connection between the polishing plate and its pivot is obtained by means
of wedging screws screwed into a flange of the said pivot and traversed by screws
which are screwed into the said polishing plate. This connection enables the
operative surface of the polishing plate to be caused to occupy a plane which
is strictly parallel with that of the plate supporting the optical part which is
being worked.
-
The cross-piece is supported by the longitudinal beams by means of slide-
blocks, some of which are fixed to the cross-piece and others to the longitudinal
beams. The first mentioned slide-blocks rest upon the fine or second mentioned
slide-blocks on which they are able to slide freely, the contact surfaces of these

page_text: slide-blocks being rectilinear, concave or convex according to the form which
it is desired to give to the optical part. In all cases the fine slides are made
parallel with the plate at their lower portions by means of wedges provided
with adjusting screws which are interposed between the said slides and the
uprights.
The cross-piece and the polishing plate which it carries are partially balanced
by means of counterweights which are respectively passed upon rods pivoted
to the extremity of supports which are bolted to the said cross-piece. These
rods are arranged in such a manner as to oscillate in pairs upon two spindles
the extremities of which are provided with rollers travelling upon rails which
are supported upon cach side of the machine by uprights.
Finally the cross-piece is connected with a cable to which an alternating
movement may be imparted which is integrally transmitted to the said cross-
piece. In this movement the cross-piece is controlled by the slides which aro
in reality gauges adapted to the surface which is to be worked or formed by
the polishing plate which participates in all the movements of this cross-piece.
Now if it is considered that the optical part which is being operated upon is
itself displaced with a continuous movement of rotation, it will at once be
apparent that the surface formed will be plane, concave or convex according
to the form of the slide-gauges. These slides are movable in such a manner
that they may be readily removed from the apparatus and replaced by others
adapted to the form of the optical part which it is desired to produce.
It will of course be understood that the machine which has been described
.may be made in any size, and that the forms and dimensions of its constituent
parts may likewise vary.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Apparatus for Mechanically Forming Optical
Surfaces of Great Precision.
I, PAUL GAUTIER, of 56, Boulevard Arago, Paris, in the Republic.of France,
Engineer, 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 a machine for mechanically forming optical surfaces
of great precision.
The machine is represented in the accompanying drawing, in which;
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine.
Figure 2 is a transverse section taken on the line A-B, of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a section taken through the axis of the driving pulley of the
carriage for the polishing plate.
C
"
The machine comprises a circular plate a upon which the object or optical
part 6 to be treated is placed. This plate is provided with a pivot c adjusted in
a socket d suitably fitted to the base e of the machine and at the lower portion
of which is arranged a steel bead f upon which bears a similar bead 7 with
which the pivote is provided.
A toothed crown his fixed upon or formed in one with the plate a; this
toothed crown gears with a pinion i rigidly fixed upon a vertical shaft to which
a rotary movement is imparted by means of a driving pulley or in any other

page_text: suitable manner. This arrangement serves to impart to the plate a, and con-
sequently to the optical part 6 mounted thereon, a continuous movement of
rotation. It should be noticed that perfect equilibrium of the rotary plate a is
obtained by means of a circular path rigidly fixed to the base e and upon
which rests a corresponding circular rib of the said plate..
Above this plate is arranged a cross-piece or carriage m which is supported,
in a special manner, by longitudinal beams no, fixed upon uprights p rigidly
fixed to the base e. This cross-piece or carriage 'm supports a polishing plate
intended to act upon the optical part 6 which is to be worked, this plate being
provided with a pivot r engaging in a sockets rigidly attached to the cross-
piece m. The pivot is suspended in this socket by means of a screw t and
maintained therein by means of set screws r.
Connection between the polishing plate 9 and its pivot is obtained by means
of wedging screws screwed into a flange of the said pivot and traversed by
screws which are screwed into the said polishing plate. This connection
enables the operative surface of the polishing plate or rather the circular edge
thereof to be caused to occupy a plane which is strictly parallel with that of
the plate a supporting the optical part which is being worked.
The cross-piece or carriage m is supported by the longitudinal beams n, o
which are fixed to the slide-blocks or rails 1 and 2, said cross-piece or carriage m
having fixed thereto the slide-blocks or rails y and z which rest upon and can
slide freely on the said slide-blocks or rails 1 and 2. The contact surfaces of
these rails being rectilinear, concave or convex according to the form which it
is desired to give to the optical part. In all cases the fixed slides or rails 1
and 2 are made parallel with the plate a at their lower portions by means of
wedges provided with adjusting screws 3 which are interposed between the said
rails and the uprights p.
The cross-piece or carriage m and the polishing plate which it carries are
partially balanced by means of counterweights 4 which are respectively passed
upon rods 5 pivoted to the extremity of supports 6 which are bolted to the said
cross-piece. These roda 5 are arranged in such a manner as to oscillate in pairs
upon two spindles 7 the extremities of which are provided with rollers 8
travelling upon rails 9, 10 which are supported upon each side of the machine
by uprights 11.
Finally the cross-piece or carriage m is connected with a cable 12 mounted
upon four pulleys (Figure 1) one of which, for example the one at the lower
right hand side, is keyed to a shaft to which an alternating rotary movement
may be imparted by any convenient means. The cable 12 is connected to this
pulley (Figure 3) and thus transmits an alternate movement to the cross piece
or carriage m. In this movement the cross-piece or carriage is controlled by
the slides or rails yz and 1,2, which are in reality gauge rails adapted to the
surface which is to be worked or formed by the polishing plate which partici-
pates in all the movements of this cross-piece. Now if it is considered that
the optical part which is being operated upon is itself displaced with a con-
tinuous movement of rotation, it will at once be apparent that the surface
formed will be plane, concave or convex according to the form of the slide-gauge.
These slides are movable in such a manner that they may be readily removed
from the apparatus and replaced by others adapted to the form of the optical
part which it is desired to produce.
It will of course, be understood that the machine which has been described
may be made in any size, and that the forms and dimensions of its constituent
parts may likewise vary.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1
Y
manhino tau machanically working or forming tha aufenes of antinal

page_text: parts of great precision constructed arranged and combined substantially as
described above as a whole and in its details with reference to the accompanying
drawing.
2. In the machine described in Claim 1, the arrangement of slide-gauges
which, owing to their concave, convex or rectilinear form, enable spherical or 5
plane surfaces of great precision to be formed, as hereinbefore described and
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 14th day of December 1809
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.