Improvements in Lantern Microscopes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 27th Sept., 1889-Accepted, 30th Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lantern Microscopes.
I WILLIAM LEACH of 15 Howard Street, Bury New Road Manchester, Photographer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
t
My Invention relates to an improved stage, to be used in connection with the
apparatus generally known as Leach's Oxy-hydrogen Lantern Microscope," and is
carried into effect in the following manner, that is to say ;- -The stage which is nsed
in my Lantern-microscope is known as the open stage. In the back part of it is
screwed the tube which holds the substage and into the front part the tube which.
holds the objectives. There is in the inside of the stage an object holder which has
four arms attached to it extending from the front to the back of the stage, and there
are four spiral springs coiled round these arms which press the object-holder against
the glass slip, wooden frame, or other material to which the object is attached, against
the inside of the front part of the stage, and thus secure the object in its proper
position. Now great complaints have been made to me in regard to these four arms
of the object holder, with the double wheel attached can be held firmly in its place
when it is desirable to use it; or be instantly detached and taken out of the stage
when it is not desirable to be incommoded with its presence. The plate with the
double wheel of diaphragms moves backwards and forwards with the arms of the
object-holder when in use, being placed between the arms and the object.
One of the wheels moves upon a pivot passing through its centre so that any of its
appertures can, in the usual way, be brought into the centre of the field; but the
other which has only one apperture in it moves upon an arm projecting from its edge
through which it is pivoted upon one corner of the movable plate and upon which
pivot it moves in such a way that it can be quickly turned out of the stage while the
plate to it is attached remains in the stage. Thus the whole field of the
micro the whole diameter of its tube_can be utilized so as to permit
the largest objects to be exhibited while the plate which carries the double-wheel-is
either in or out of the microscope.
This double wheel of diaphragms is as used in my lantern-microscope an old
invention of mine, and when used attached to the old form of object-holder has been
by me freely given to the public and I therefore make no claim to it when used in the
old way as described in this communication, but when it is used in the new way, in
this improved stage as herein described, I claim this double wheel of diaphragms so
used as my invention and a part of the objects to be exhibited are attached. The
tension necessary to press the curved arms tightly against anything to be held firmly
in the proper place at the inside of the front of the stage is obtained by coiling
spiral spring around the middle of the shaft to which the arms are attached. I do
not confine myself to this one form of spring, as one of any kind may be used which,
pressing against the shaft in the desired direction, will like the spiral spring give the
necessary tension for holding the material to which the objects are attached in the
proper place in the stage.
a
On one side of the stage a milled head or handle is fastened to the end of the shaft
by which, with the finger and thumb, the necessary rotation is given to it when
putting in or taking the objects out of the stage.
The open stage as used in my lantern-microscope as herein alluded to contained a
double wheel of diaphragms which was affixed to one of the arms of the object-holder
and was when no alum trough was used with the Oxyhydrogen light of great service
for cutting off the heat passing through the condensors from the lime ball to the
vicinity of the object. To retain this wheel of diaphragms I, secondly, in the
improved stage as herein described attach it to a loose plate of metal or other material

page_text: which has two small pieces of metal projecting out from it with notches or grooves in
them, and which fit between the two arms of the object-holder and slide upon them in
such a manner that the plate and the springs coiled round them, which are found to
offer great impediment to the free use of the hand and fingers when putting into the
substage or taking out of it, either through the top or side of the stage, the various
subcondensers which have to be frequently changed one for another during an
exhibition, so that the different objectives used may be suited with the subcondensors
which they may individually require.
The object of my invention is, 1st, to remove these impediments to the free use of
the hand and fingers when changing the subcondensors. This I accomplish by
abolishing the object-holder which has the four arms attached to it with the four
springs coiled round them and which form of object-holder has always, so far as my
knowledge goes, up to the present time been used in the class of stage herein
described.
The object holder adopted instead of the one abolished is of a totally different
character.
A shaft or spindle is fitted to the outside of the bottom of the stage on each end of
which is fastened a boss, to which two arms are attached, one on each of them,
which pass up through the bottom of the stage through slots made on each side of it
for the purpose. These arms are slightly curved backwards so that the middle of
them may rest against the inside surface of the front of the stage or against any
glass-slip, wooden-frame, or other material to which my claim in this specification.
I do not claim the old open stage with its object holder having attached to it four
arms projecting from the front to the back of the stage each arm having a spiral
spring coiled round it, but when this open stage has attached to it the new object-
holder or the other improvements herein specifically described 1 claim the combination
of the improvements and stage as a whole as my invention; and I claim either of
these improvements, or any part of them used together, or separately in this class of
stage as mine; and I claim also this stage so improved as herein described, whether
used in connection with my own or any other lantern-microscope, as my improved
lantern-microscope stage.
Dated this 4th day of March 1889.
WILLIAM LEACH.
Fredk. Walker & Hyde,
4, Little Moorfields, London, E.C., Agents for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in Lantern Microscopes.
1, WILLIAM LEACH, of 15 Howard Street, Bury New Road Manchester in the
County of Lancaster, Photographer 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 :-
The objects of my invention are, firstly to remove certain impediments to the free
use of the hands and fingers whilst interchanging the various subcondensers now used
in the lantern microscope. These subcondensers have, in order to be inserted in the
substage, to be passed through the stage, which I now proceed to describe as
consisting of a bottom with two pieces forming its back and front both standing up
sufficiently above the bottom for the back piece to hold the tubes of the substage and
for the front piece to hold the tubes which carry the objectives. Inside the stage
there was an object holder consisting of a metal plate with four arms attached to it.
Round the arms are coiled four spiral springs which press the plate of the object
holder against the inside surface of the front of the stage. It is this object holder
with the springs coiled round its arms which creates the impediments above alluded
to therefore aholish it and adopt instead of it a new arrangement of object holder.
And secondly, improve the existing arrangement of diaphragms used with the

page_text: lantern microscope by combining an old form of compound wheel of diaphragms with
a new detachable plate in such a manner as to hold both firmly in position when in
use and when not required admit of their being instantly removed from the stage.
These improvements I now particularly describe :-
1st. The object holder which consists of a shaft A fitted underneath the bottom of
the stage No. 1. the ends of the said shaft passing through two ribs C-which extend
across the underside of the stage from front O to back N-holes being made through
them for this purposes
Two bosses D are fastend on to the ends of the shaft one of which is formed into a
milled head F by means of which motion is given to the shaft. These-bosses-prevent.
the shaft from moving laterally, and have attached to them two arms E¹ one on each
boss. The said arms E' pass into the stage through two slots G made in the bottom
of it for the purpose. The arms are slightly curved so that the middle of them may
bear against the inside surface of the front O of the stage, or against objects placed
there, or against anything which it may be desirable to have held between the said
surface and arms. The tension upon the arms, necessary for this purpose is obtained
by means of a spiral spring B coiled round the middle of the shaft A in the space
between the ribs Cone of the spring ends being fastened to the shaft A and the other
end to the rib where it. terminates; so that when the shaft is turned the tension of
the spring will pull it back again-the shaft rotating inside the spiral.
The principal purpose of this arrangement of the parts of the object holder under-
neath the bottom of the stage, as described, is that when in use they are entirely out
of the way of all the mecanism and all the material used within the stage.
2nd. The detachable plate L No. 3 which has upon the middle of its right and left
hand edges two small projecting pieces of metal H standing out from it with notches
or grooves which fit and clip on the above described arms E¹ of the object holder.
Two small binding screws pass through the front of the projecting pieces into the
notches or grooves and against the arms E of the object holder, and which screws
being tightened bind the detachable plate L with its compound wheel of diaphragmns J
& K hereinafter described-firmly together, so that all partake of the same motion
when putting in or taking out of the stage any of the various things used therein.

page_text: When the detachable plate is in use the objects are held between its surface and the
inside surface of the front, O, of the stage. The detachable plate has attached to it at
one of its corners, by a suitable pivot I, a compound or double wheel of diaphragms J. K
in such a manner that when in its normal position the apertures of this compound
wheel of diaphragms are in the centre of the field of the microscope, or at will, it can
be so moved on the pivot I as to be quickly turned out of the field of the microscope,
thus the whole field of the microscope and the whole diameter of its tube can be
utilized thereby permitting the largest objects to be exhibited, whilst the detachable
plate L remains in the stage of the microscope.
When it is not desired to use the wheel of diaphragms J K the plate L to which it
is attached can be instantly taken out of the stage, and, when taken out, can be just
as quickly put in again. When using polariscope slides this is a great advantage
especially when two or more wooden frames have to be put into the stage at the same
time.
The compound wheel of diaphragms is formed of two discs of metal J K, one of
which J, has in it a single aperture and it is attached by an arm projecting from its
edge to the detachable plate at the pivot I above described. To this disc is attached,
by a suitable pivot; the second circular disc K which has a number of apertures
arranged round it concentrically with its edge the pivot I passing through its centre,
thus forming what is known as a wheel of diaphragms-which can be rotated round
its centre on the pivot, so that each aperture can be successively brought into the
centre of the field of the microscope as may be required. A spring catch M on the
detachable plate bears against the arm of the compound wheel of diaphragms in such
a manner that when the wheel of diaphragms has been lifted out of the field of the
microscope (Nos. 2 & 3) it cannot fall down again by its own weight. The special
purpose which this arrangement of compound wheel of diaphragms serves is that of
saving space, one of 24" diameter yielding as large a field as can be obtained by one
of the ordinary construction of twice the above diameter. This compound wheel of
diaphragms individually and separately from the detachable plate-is not claimed as a
part of this invention.
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
1st. The attachment of the shaft of the object holder and the various parts
immediately connected with it underneath the bottom of the stage, as described.
2nd. The slotting of the bottom of the stage so as to permit the arms of the object
holder passing through into the stage.
3rd. The detachable plate constructed substantially as described, carrying the
compound wheel of diaphragms.
4th. The combination of all these improvements with the old stage herein described
as forming a new kind of open stage for the Lantern Microscope.
Dated this 26th day of September 1889.
WILLIAM LEACHE
WILLIAM LEACH