Hologram manipulator

Claim 2

Apparatus for providing variable perspective views of the real image produced by a hologram recorded on a holographic plate illuminated on one side by a narrow monochromatic beam of light having a cross-sectional area significantly smaller than the area of said hologram comprising: means for supporting said plate such that a perpendicular through the center of said plate always passes through a first fixed point in space and such that the area on said hologram illuminated by said narrow beam is always at a fixed point in space a fixed distance from said first point, whereby whenever said plate is moved to provide variable perspective views of said real image said views are always formed at said first point in space.

Claim 3

Apparatus for providing variable perspective views of the real image produced by a hologram recorded on a holographic plate illuminated on one side by a narrow monochromatic beam of light having a cross-sectional area significantly smaller than the area of said hologram comprising: means for supporting said plate; and means for simultaneously translating and rotating said supporting means in the path of said beam such that a perpendicular through the cenTer of said hologram always passes through a first fixed point in space and such that said hologram at all times contains a second fixed point in space a predetermined distance from said first fixed point, said second fixed point being the center of the area on said hologram illuminated by said narrow beam, whereby continuously variable perspective views of said real image are always formed at said first fixed point when said plate is simultaneously translated and rotated.

Claim 4

Apparatus for providing variable perspective views of the real image produced by a hologram recorded on a holographic plate illuminated on one side by a narrow monochromatic beam of light having a cross-sectional area significantly smaller than the area of said hologram comprising: means for supporting said plate; and means for simultaneously translating and rotating said supporting means in the path of said beam such that a perpendicular through the cenTer of said hologram always passes through a first fixed point in space and such that said hologram at all times contains a second fixed point in space a predetermined distance from said first fixed point, said second fixed point being the center of the area on said hologram illuminated by said narrow beam, whereby continuously variable perspective views of said real image are always formed at said first fixed point when said plate is simultaneously translated and rotated.

Claim 5

Apparatus for providing continuously variable perspective views of the real image produced by a hologram recorded on a photographic plate illuminated on one side by a narrow monochromatic beam of light having a cross-sectional area significantly smaller than the area of said hologram comprising: means for supporting said plate in the path of said light beam and means for simultaneously translating and rotating said supporting means such that said photographic plate is simultaneously translated and rotated relative to said beam such that a perpendicular through the center of said plate passes through a first fixed point in space at which a real image is formed and such that said hologram always contains a second fixed point in space coincident with the center of the illuminated area on said hologram, the distance between said points being maintained constant when said plate is simultaneously translated and rotated, whereby continuously variable perspective views of said real image are always formed at the same point in space.

Claim 6

Apparatus for providing continuously variable perspective views of the real image produced by a hologram recorded on a photographic plate illuminated on one side by a narrow monochromatic beam of light having a cross-sectional area significantly smaller than the area of said hologram comprising: means for supporting said plate in the path of said light beam and means for simultaneously translating and rotating said supporting means such that said photographic plate is simultaneously translated and rotated relative to said beam such that a perpendicular through the center of said plate passes through a first fixed point in space at which a real image is formed and such that said hologram always contains a second fixed point in space coincident with the center of the illuminated area on said hologram, the distance between said points being maintained constant when said plate is simultaneously translated and rotated, whereby continuously variable perspective views of said real image are always formed at the same point in space.

Claim 7

The apparatus as recited in claim 3 wherein said plate is translated a distance equal to the distance of said real image from the center of said illuminated area multiplied by the sine of the angle through which said plate is rotated.

Claim 8

The apparatus as recited in claim 3 wherein said supporting means includes: a double-ring gimbal having rotational degrees of freedom about horizontal and vertical axes; a subassembly mounted on the inner ring of said gimbal, said subassembly including a first frame mounted for horizontal translation within said inner gimbal and a second frame carried within said first frame and mounted for vertical translation within said first frame, said second frame supporting said photographic plate; and means for coupling the translational motion of said first frame with the rotational motion of the outer ring of said gimbal and for coupling the translational motion of said second frame with the rotational motion of said inner ring such that translation of said plate in either the horizontal or vertical direction is accompanied by that corresponding rotation of said plate which maintains said perpendicular coincident with the point in space at which said real image is formed.

Claim 9

The apparatus as recited in claim 5 wherein said means for coupling includes: a support structure for said gimbal; a first pair of circular sectors attached to said support structure, said sectors having a center coincident with the vertical axis of the outer ring of said gimbal; pulley means having a pair of strands, one end of each of said strands being attached to a different sector beyond the point of tangency thereto and the other end of each strand being attached to said first frame such that said first frame is displaced in a horizontal direction by a push-pull action in response to a change in the angle between said support structure and said outer gimbal ring; a second pair of circular sectors attached to said outer gimbal on opposite sides thereof and having their centers coincident with the horizontal axis of said inner gimbal; and second pulley means having a second pair of strands, one end of each strand of said second pair being attached to a different one of said second pair of sectors and the other end of each of said last-mentioned strands being attached to said second frame such that said second frame is displaced in a vertical direction by a push-pull action in response to a change in the angle between said Inner and outer gimbal rings.