Camera focusing mechanism with separated cam and pendulous member

Claim 2

A distance determining mechanism for an optical instrument having a housing and a focusable objective lens arranged on said housing for focusing adjustment, the mechanism comprising: a pendulous member mounted for swinging movement relative to said housing to an angular aspect corresponding to focal distance; an orientation pin carried and positioned by said pendulous member; cam means supported in said housing and rotatable relative to said pendulous member; orientation pin receiver means cooperating with said cam means for adjustably positioning said cam means responsive to the position of said orientation pin; and means adjusting said focusable objective lens to a focal distance responsive to the adjusted position of said cam means.

Claim 3

A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein: the objective lens defines an optical axis relative to which said pendulous member is swingable under the influence of gravity upon inclination of said axis below a horizontal condition; the mechanism comprising a brake member for selectively engaging said pendulous member in an adjusted position.

Claim 4

A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 comprising: a brake member supported in said housing for selective engagement with said pendulous member.

Claim 5

A mechanism as claimed in claim 3 comprising: a brake release member operable selectively to remove said brake member for engagement with said pendulous member.

Claim 6

A mechanism as claimed in claim 4 comprising: a control member displaceable manually to a first position and supporting said brake release member for disengagement of said brake lever and said pendulous member when said control member is in said first position.

Claim 7

A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 comprising: a control member displaceable manually to A first position; spring means for moving said control member from said first position to any of a plurality of second positions; and said orientation pin receiver means being associated with said control means for defining said second position.

Claim 8

A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 comprising: a control member displaceable manually to a first position; spring means for moving said control member to any of a plurality of second positions from said first position; a brake member to engage releasably said pendulous member; and brake release means on said control member operable when said control member is displaced to said first position to release said brake means, said release means being inactive when said control member is urged to a second position wherein said brake member engages said pendulous member.

Claim 9

A distance determining mechanism for an optical instrument having a housing and a focusable object lens arranged on said housing for focusing adjustment, comprising: a pendulous member mounted for swinging movement relative to said housing to an angular aspect corresponding to focal distance; an orientation pin carried and positioned by said pendulous member; control means supported by said housing for movement and couplable with said orientation pin for orientation in response to the adjusted position of said orientation pin; a lens adjusting surface on said control means for adjusting said objective lens to focal distance in response to orientation of said control means; and manually engageable means on said control means for enabling manual adjustment of said lens adjusting surface of said control means independently of said pendulous member.

Claim 10

A distance determining mechanism for an optical instrument having a housing and a focusable object lens arranged on said housing for focusing adjustment, comprising: a pendulous member mounted for swinging movement relative to said housing to an angular aspect corresponding to focal distance; an orientation pin carried and positioned by said pendulous member; control means supported by said housing for movement and couplable with said orientation pin for orientation in response to the adjusted position of said orientation pin; a lens adjusting surface on said control means for adjusting said objective lens to focal distance in response to orientation of said control means; and manually engageable means on said control means for enabling manual adjustment of said lens adjusting surface of said control means independently of said pendulous member.