Optical angular orientation measuring system

Claim 1

AN OPTICAL SYSTEM FOR ESTABLISHING THE ANGULAR ORIENTATIONS OF A PHYSICAL OBJECT WITH RESPECT TO THREE MUTUALLY PERPENDICULAR AXES COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: AN AUTO-COLLIMATING OPTICAL MEANS AND AN ANCILLARY OPTICAL MEANS, SAID AUTO-COLLIMATING OPTICAL MEANS COMPRISING A COLLIMATOR LENS SYSTEM, AN OPTICAL OBJECT POSITIONED IN A FOCAL PLANE OF SAID COLLIMATOR LENS SYSTEM, A SOURCE OF LIGHT ILLUMINATING SAID OPTICAL OBJECT, A BEAM SPLITTING PRISM POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID OPTICAL OBJECT AND SAID COLLIMATOR LENS SYSTEM AND ADAPTED TO INTERCEPT THE LIGHT FROM THE SOURCE, A RETICLE POSITIONED IN A FOCAL PLANE OF SAID COLLIMATOR LENS SYSTEM AND RECEIVING A PORTION OF THE LIGHT PASSING THROUGH SAID BEAM SPLITTING PRISM AFTER SAID LIGHT HAS PASSED THROUGH SAID COLLIMATOR LENS SYSTEM, SAID PHYSICAL OBJECT BEING POSITIONED IN SPACED RELATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID COLLIMATOR LENS SYSTEM, A FIRST REFLECTIVE SURFACE ON SAID PHYSICAL OBJECT FOR REFLECTING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE COLLIMATED BEAM OF LIGHT PASSING FROM SAID COLLIMATOR LENS SYSTEM TO PROVIDE A FIRST REFLECTED IMAGE OF SAID OPTICAL OBJECT ON SAID RETICLE, THE LOCATION OF SAID FIRST REFLECTED IMAGE RELATIVE TO SAID RETICLE PROVIDING INFOR-