Mechanism for varying the focal length of photographic or cinematographic objectivesor the like

Claim 1

IN A CAMERA OBJECTIVE HAVING A HOUSING AND AT LEAST ONE OPTICAL COMPONENT AXIALLY DISPLACEABLE IN SAID HOUSING, IN COMBINATION, AUTOMATIC DRIVE MEANS FOR SAID COMPONENT, CONTROL MEANS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID COMPONENT, A MANUALLY ROTATABLE MEMBER ON SAID HOUSING SHIFTABLE BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION AND AN ALTERNATE SECOND POSITION PARALLEL TO SAID FIRST POSITION, SAID MEMBER ENGAGING SAID CONTROL MEANS IN SAID FIRST POSITION FOR DISPLACING SAID COMPONENT UPON ROTATION OF SAID MEMBER, COUPLING MEANS SPRING-URGED INTO ESTABLISHMENT OF AN OPERATIVE CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID DRIVE MEANS AND SAID CONTROL MEANS FOR AUTOMATIC DISPLACEMENT OF SAID COMPONENT UPON A SHIFTING OF SAID MEMBER INTO SAID SECOND POSITION IN WHICH SAID MEMBER IS DISENGAGED FROM SAID CONTROL MEANS, SAID MEMBER UPON RE-ENGAGING SAID CONTROL MEANS OVERCOMING THE SPRING FORCE OF SAID COUPLING MEANS FOR BREAKING SAID CONNECTION, AND SWITCH MEANS CONTROLLABLE BY SAID MEMBER IN SAID SECOND POSITION FOR ENERGIZING SAID DRIVE MEANS BY ROTATION OF SAID MEMBER.