Micrometer stage advance device for scientific instruments or the like

Claim 2

Adjustment apparatus for scientific instruments comprising a base, a stage movable on said base, a control housing mounted on said base, a control rod in said housing movable relative thereto and operative on said stage, coarse adjustment means on said housing for moving said control rod reciprocably within a predetermined spatial range, fine adjustment means in said control housing, means on said coarse adjustment means for interlocking said fine adjustment means to said coarse adjustment means, said fine adjustment means being operative to move the assembly of said interlocked coarse adjustment means and said control rod within the entire spatial range of said coarse adjustment means, said coarse adjustment means comprising coarse screw thread interengagement between said control rod and said housing, said interlocking means comprising a worm gear normally freely rotatable around said control rod, and a lock element on said coarse adjustment means releaseably securing said worm gear to said control rod for simultaneous rotation of said gear and said rod, said fine adjustment means including a worm screw operative upon said worm gear for rotating the latter and said control rod in unison only when said worm gear is secured to said control rod.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising an axial aperture in the rear portion of said control rod, at least one radial slot in said control rod communicating with said axial aperture in the region of said worm gear, a key movable within said radial slot, and a lockpin movable reciProcably within said axial aperture, the forward movement of said lockpin causing said key to engage said worm gear to secure the latter fast upon said control rod to rotate in unison therewith, the retraction of said lockpin permitting said key to become retracted from said worm gear to permit free rotation of the latter around said control rod.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said fine adjustment means comprises a microfeed housing mounted around said control rod, said control rod being normally freely rotatable within said microfeed housing, and a slot in said microfeed housing within which said worm gear is normally freely rotatable, said microfeed housing moving reciprocably relative to said control housing in unison with said control rod.

Claim 5

Adjustment apparatus for scientific instruments such as microtomes, microscopes, or the like, comprising a base, a stage movable on said base, a control housing mounted on said base, an elongated control rod movable rotatably on its axis and reciprocably relative to said housing and operative upon said stage for positioning the latter relative to said base, coarse screw means between said control rod and said control housing, a microfeed housing mounted around said control rod within said control housing and movable reciprocably in unison with said control rod, fine screw means on said microfeed housing normally disengaged from said coarse screw means, and locking means on said coarse screw means releaseably securing said fine screw means with said control rod for rotating the assembly of said coarse screw means and said control rod reciprocably relative to said control housing throughout the complete traverse of operation controlled by said coarse screw means, said control rod being normally rotatable within said microfeed housing when said rod is under the operation of said coarse screw means, and a worm gear in said microfeed housing normally freely rotatable around said control rod, said worm gear being rotated by means of said fine screw means, and means releaseably locking said worm gear on said control rod whereby manipulation of said fine screw means causes the rotation of said rod.

Claim 6

Adjustment apparatus for scientific instruments such as microtomes, microscopes, or the like, comprising a base, a stage movable on said base, a control housing mounted on said base, an elongated control rod movable rotatably on its axis and reciprocably relative to said housing and operative upon said stage for positioning the latter relative to said base, coarse screw means between said control rod and said control housing, a microfeed housing mounted around said control rod within said control housing and movable reciprocably in unison with said control rod, fine screw means on said microfeed housing normally disengaged from said coarse screw means, and locking means on said coarse screw means releaseably securing said fine screw means with said control rod for rotating the assembly of said coarse screw means and said control rod reciprocably relative to said control housing throughout the complete traverse of operation controlled by said coarse screw means, said control rod being normally rotatable within said microfeed housing when said rod is under the operation of said coarse screw means, and a worm gear in said microfeed housing normally freely rotatable around said control rod, said worm gear being rotated by means of said fine screw means, and means releaseably locking said worm gear on said control rod whereby manipulation of said fine screw means causes the rotation of said rod.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said locking means comprises first means threadably mounted in said control rod for rectilinear motion therein, and second movable lock means in said control rod in the region of said worm gear, said second means being activated by the movement of said first means in one direction to lock said worm gear on said control rod and by the movement in the opposite direction of said first means to release said worm gear from said control rod.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said second means comprises at least one radial slot in said control rod, a key movable within said slot, the inner end of said key being releaseably engageable by said first means to be urged against said gear wheel to secure the latter fast upon said control rod.

Claim 9

Apparatus for producing coarse and fine adjustment for a movable stage on an instrument base comprising a housing mounted on said base, a control rod mounted with coarse threading for reciprocating movement relative to said housing, the free end of said control rod engaging said stage, an axial aperture in said control rod, a lockpin threadably mounted in said aperture for rectilinear motion therein, a worm gear normally freely rotatably mounted around said control rod, at least one radially extending slot in said control rod communicating with said aperture, a key movable in said slot, said key being releaseably engaged by said lockpin for bearing upon the interior of said worm gear for releaseably locking the latter fast upon said control rod, a microfeed housing mounted around said control rod, and a fine worm screw in said microfeed housing for rotating said worm gear when the latter is mounted fast upon said control rod whereby said fine screw causes the rotation of said control rod.

Claim 10

Apparatus for producing coarse and fine adjustment for a movable stage on an instrument base comprising a housing mounted on said base, a control rod mounted with coarse threading for reciprocating movement relative to said housing, the free end of said control rod engaging said stage, an axial aperture in said control rod, a lockpin threadably mounted in said aperture for rectilinear motion therein, a worm gear normally freely rotatably mounted around said control rod, at least one radially extending slot in said control rod communicating with said aperture, a key movable in said slot, said key being releaseably engaged by said lockpin for bearing upon the interior of said worm gear for releaseably locking the latter fast upon said control rod, a microfeed housing mounted around said control rod, and a fine worm screw in said microfeed housing for rotating said worm gear when the latter is mounted fast upon said control rod whereby said fine screw causes the rotation of said control rod.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 7 comprising three rAdially extending slots in said control rod communicating with said aperture, said slots being arrayed symmetrically relative to the axis of said control rod, the engagement of said lockpin with the inner portions of each of said keys causing the outer portions thereof firmly to engage corresponding interior portions of said worm gear to secure the latter fast on said control rod

Claim 12

Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the retraction of said lockpin permits the retraction of said keys inwardly within their respective slots thereby permitting the free rotation of said worm gear around said control rod.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 7 and further comprising an axial aperture in said worm gear which communicates with the axial aperture of said control rod through said slot, the forward motion of said lockpin urging said key to move outwardly in said slot and to engage an interior portion of said worm gear, to lock the latter fast upon said control rod.

Claim 14

Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said key has an inner curved surface, and wherein the inner portion of said slot terminates in correspondingly curved spaced apart surfaces, and wherein the inner end of said lockpin is wedge-shaped for engaging the inner curved surface of said key between said spaced-apart surfaces when said pin is moved forward in said control rod aperture to cause said key to move outwardly to engage said worm gear and secure the latter fast upon said control rod.

Claim 15

Micrometer apparatus for scientific instruments comprising a base, a stage movable on said base, a control housing mounted on said base, a control rod movable reciprocably within said housing and operative on said stage, coarse feed screw means on said control rod for moving the latter reciprocably relative to said housing, fine screw means on said control rod and normally inoperative thereon when said coarse screw means are operated, and means on said coarse screw means locking said fine screw means to said control rod, the operation of said fine screw means when locked moving the assembly of said coarse screw means and said control rod reciprocably relative to said housing throughout the complete traverse of operation controlled by said coarse screw means, said lock means being located in the interior of said control rod, and key means extending movably through said rod for releaseably engaging and securing said fine screw means to said control rod, said lock means being operative to releaseably urge said key means into a position for locking said fine screw means to said control rod, said fine screw means further comprising a worm gear normally freely rotatable around said control rod, and a worm screw for rotating said worm gear, said key means cooperating to releaseably lock said worm gear on said control rod.

Claim 16

Micrometer apparatus for scientific instruments comprising a base, a stage movable on said base, a control housing mounted on said base, a control rod movable reciprocably within said housing and operative on said stage, coarse feed screw means on said control rod for moving the latter reciprocably relative to said housing, fine screw means on said control rod and normally inoperative thereon when said coarse screw means are operated, and means on said coarse screw means locking said fine screw means to said control rod, the operation of said fine screw means when locked moving the assembly of said coarse screw means and said control rod reciprocably relative to said housing throughout the complete traverse of operation controlled by said coarse screw means, said lock means being located in the interior of said control rod, and key means extending movably through said rod for releaseably engaging and securing said fine screw means to said control rod, said lock means being operative to releaseably urge said key means into a position for locking said fine screw means to said control rod, said fine screw means further comprising a worm gear normally freely rotatable around said control rod, and a worm screw for rotating said worm gear, said key means cooperating to releaseably lock said worm gear on said control rod.

Claim 17

Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said fine screw means further comprises a rotatable knob, a plurality of spaced-apart detents in circular array on said knob, said detents providing a click stop tactile control for the operator in measuring the amount of rotation of said knob.

Claim 18

Apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said detents are equally spaced apart and further comprising a plurality of visible scale lines on said knob, each of said scale lines being aligned with a corresponding detent.