Improvements in Theodolites or Range Finders.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd May, 1899-Accepted, 16th Sept., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Theodolites or Range Finders.
I, JOHANN HERMANN, Retired Lieutenant of the Army, of Nr. 9, Ligowskaja
Street, St. Petersburg, in the Russian Empire, 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 improvements in theodolites and rangefinders forming the subject of the
present invention have for their purpose an accelerated measuring of distances
even should the instrument as a whole not have been fixed carefully.
The individual improvements may be applied independently, but their com-
bination is absolutely required to attain the purpose above mentioned.
I will now proceed to more fully describe my invention, reference being had
to the accompanying drawings, in which an instrument having the present im-
provements applied thereto is represented.
In the drawings:-
Fig. 1 shows an elevation of the instrument the stand being broken away.
Fig. 2 illustrates the inter-connection of the various parts, partly in elevation
and partly in section.
Fig. 2 is a section on line x-x of Fig. 2.
Fig. 3 is.a plan view of the instrument, the telescope being removed.
Fig. 4 shows an inverted plan of the base plate of the instrument as seen from
below.
Fig. 5 is a plan view of the interior of the bearing cup, and
Fig. 6 illustrates the mechanism for varying the position of the telescope.
A tube c is fixed in the plate b carrying the tripod stand a of any suitable con-
struction. This tube c is longitudinally slotted, projections c¹ penetrated by a
winged screw being provided to close the gap of the tube e in the well known
manner. The guide tube c supports a hollow shaft for the measuring instru-
ment. On loosening the screw the instrument resting on the shaft d may by
simply rotating this shaft be fixed in any desired direction; likewise the height
of the instrument may be varied by raising or lowering the shaft d as required.
A disc like projection is provided at the top end of the shaft d, on which the
device for angularly moving the measuring instruments rests.
The plate is provided with a projection the latter being fitted with a bear-
ing for the ball-shaped nut on the adjusting screw. The conically shaped_top
end of the shaft & carries the guide tube e for the measuring instrument. This
guide tube e is provided with a top plate penetrated by a screw e¹, which enters
the top end of the shaft d, thereby ensuring the position of the guide tube e in
regard to the shaft d. The guide tube e is provided at its lower end with a lateral
projection,
e with
projection
connecting this
Screw
a
guide
cheek (see Fig. 1). The lower face of the projection and the
upper face of the guide cheek e³ are provided with bearings for
the ball integral with the adjusting screw e". The adjusting screw eis.
besides the ball e fitted with a second ball e6 which rests in the bearing formed
by the projection and the guide cheek screwed on to it. On rotating the
a

page_text: screw by means of the milled head e the two parts e³, d³, approach each other
or separate from one another respectively, whereby the guide tube e and with it
the measuring instrument is rotated angularly. The ball es loosely mounted on
the screw is prevented from partaking in this rotation by a stud secured to
its lower end entering a hole in the bearing.
tube c.
A tube secured to the base plate f of the instrument is mounted on the guide
A firm connection between the guide tube e and the tube f is attained
by means of a screw fentering a groove in the guide tube.
The base plate f, the bevelled edge of which is graduated in the usual manner,
carries the rotatable bearing cup g for the measuring instrument. To the outer
wall of the bearing cup g the connecting piece g¹ is screwed, which, extending be-
low the edge of the base plate f, engages with its tongue g a bifurcation in the
bolt h arranged at the lower face of the base plate, thereby preventing the bearing
cup g from angular movement in regard to the base plate f. The bolt his pro-
vided at its front end with the bifurcation h', the two cheeks composing same
being provided with set screws 3, h³, the points of which form adjustable clamps.
The bolt h, which can be moved forwards and backwards by means of the knob
slides in inclined guides in its support h³, the latter being firmly secured to the
lower side of the base plate f. One either side of the bolt h studs i i¹, are
provided on the lower side of the base plate f; these studs are fitted with regulat-
ing screws 23, 23. On pushing back the bolt h the bearing cup g and with it the
measuring instrument can be rotated in regard to the base plate f until the
tongue bears against one or the other of the screws .
t
In this manner the measuring instrument can be quickly and accurately fixed in
proper position for surveying.
A second set screw f³ is in connection with the tube f¹ for the purpose of con-
necting the base plate f with the bearing cup g; consequently a rotation of the
bearing cup or the measuring instrument respectively, in regard to the base
plate can only be effected after loosening this set screw f. The device for the
exact angular adjustment of the measuring instrument by means of which
simultaneously the angle up to 10" can be read without any further auxiliary
means, is arranged inside the bearing cup g.
The bearing cup g, movably mounted in the base plate by means of the hollow
projection go entering the tube fi of the base plate, is covered by a plate gl
which is provided with a scale g³ in accordance with the scale on the edge of the
base plate f. A spirit level is arranged opposite the zero line. The cover
plate g is secured to the cup by means of screws which extend to and enter the
bottom of the bearing cup g. A cone projects upwards through the centre of
the disc g, its lower end forming a step k, having a plate g, resting on the cover,
plate g, screwed thereto. The index g of the plate g" is capable of moving to
and fro on the graduated portion g³.
The cone k is made in one piece with the plate and is continued projecting
downwards into the tube g10 of the bearing cup g. The edge of the plate is
serrated to correspond with the threads of the endless screw 7, which forms a
part of the adjusting screw 7. This adjusting screw is supported with its inner
end in the guide piece 72, provided at the interior of the edge of the bearing cup.g,
it penetrates the edge of the bearing cup and terminates in the milled head ..
The adjusting rod 7 is fitted in front of the milled head with a disc with scale +,
against which an index 15 rests, provided with a zero line and rigidly secured to
the external edge of the cup g. The adjusting rod is firmly pressed against
the edge of the disc by means of a flat spring 16 which bears with its free
extremity against the front end of the rod the other extremity being secured to
the interior surface of the cup g, thus causing the screw threaded portion to engage
the serrations of the plate 2. The measuring instrument is mounted on the cone k
by means of the. tube m, which carries an index m¹, provided with a zero line,
corresponding to the index g. A screw m² engaging a groove in the cone ensures.
rigid connection between the tube m and the cone k.

page_text: The telescope m is movably supported in the piece m³. A disc m² having part
of its circumference provided with teeth m is in connection with a ring m³ sur-
rounding the telescope m', the disc m² being pivoted in the bifurcated piece m³.
A laterally projecting adjusting pinion m³ engages the serrated portion of the
disc m². By rotating the pinion m8 the telescope m' can be turned around its
horizontal axis. Springs m³ are secured to the bearing bracket m¹0 of the adjust-
ing pinion and prevent an automatic and unintentional variation in the position
of the telescope m⭑.
The instrument is employed in the following manner:-
Supposing it to be required to quickly measure a distance, the tripod stand is
placed horizontally by means of the spirit level, the wing screw is loosened,
and the telescope m fixed on the desired point, which can quickly be effected by
rotating the shaft d or raising or lowering this shaft respectively. Simultaneously
by rotating the pinion m³ the proper adjustment of the telescope m can be
accelerated. By rotating the screw e the telescope is accurately fixed on the
desired point in angular direction, whereupon the angle may be read from the
scale and the distance ascertained.
To employ the method of the right angle for ascertaining distances, the bolt h
is pushed back after having loosened the screw f², whereupon the instrument is
rotated to either right or left up to the right angle.
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) An improved theodolite having the telescope mt supported in a bearing cup g;
rotatably mounted in the base plate f, in such a manner that the telescope and
the bearing cup, or the telescope independent of the bearing cup can be fixed
laterally, so that the angle of the line of sight can be read up to 10" whilst
simultaneously by a special arrangement the base plate with the bearing cup and
telescope can be angularly fixed and the whole instrument by loosening the set
screw ², can be raised or lowered or turned to the right or left in the guide tube c,
substantially as set forth.
2) The arrangement with a theodolite of the class described, of a guide tube c
in connection with the tripod stand, in which the hollow shaft d carrying the
whole instrument, can be raised or lowered or turned to the right or left re-
spectively after loosening a set screw ², substantially as set forth.
3) The arrangement with a theodolite of the class described of a special adjust-
ing screw with balls and e6, for the purpose of turning the guide tube e inde-
pendently of the shaft d angularly, substantially as set forth."
4) The arrangement with a theodolite of the class described, of a base plate f.
graduated on its edge, forming a support for the rotatable bearing cup g of the
telescope m, a projection gl at the external edge of the bearing cup engaging with
its tongue a bifurcation in connection with a sliding bolt on the lower side
of the base plate and studs i i¹ with regulating screws provided at the lower face
of the base plate, for the purpose of enabling the bearing cup g and the tele-
scope m to be fixed in the base plate at a right angle to, the line of sight, sub-
stantially as set forth.
5) The arrangement with a theodolite of the class described of a rotatable cone k,
carrying the telescope mt, in the bearing cup g and independent of the latter; a
disc fast to the cone k having its edge serrated for the engagement of the screw
threads of an adjusting rod 1, for the purpose of enabling an accurate angular
fixing of the telescope, whilst simultaneously the disc with scale * mounted on
the rod 7 outside the bearing cup indicates angles up to 10", substantially as set
forth.
6) The arrangement with a theodolite of the class described of a device for
turning the telescope m' around its horizontal axis, consisting in a pivoted disc m
secured to the telescope, having part of its circumference serrated, an adjusting

page_text: pinion m³ mounted in supporting brackets m¹0 in connection with the bifurcated
piece m³ which by means of the sleeve m is mounted on the cone k, engaging with
said serrations, thereby moving the disc m² in either direction, substantially as
set forth.
7) In a theodolite the arrangement of parts constructed and adapted to operate,
substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
B. REICHHOLD,
International Patent Office,
24; Luisen Strasse, Berlin, N.W., Germany,
Agent for the Applicant.
B. REICHHOLD,
International Patent Office,
24, Luisen Strasse, Berlin, N.W., Germany,
Agent for the Applicant.