Patent US1777017A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US3816936A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3816936A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Mechanical compass bearing attachment for binoculars and the like with compass card clamping means
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1972-08-11
•
Granted: 1974-06-18
•
Expires: 1992-08-11
Abstract
Abstract Magnetic compass bearing attachment devices for use as a separate entity and either with or without binoculars or the like for selectively and temporarily holding the bearing of the compass rose or card, after an object or target sighting has been made therewith. The devices are purely mechanical and include a weight-activated, pivotally mounted bell-crank lever system of which the weight, responsive to respective front and back tilting of the device during use, moves the card clamping end of the bell-crank lever between card-release and peripheral cardclamping positions. The weight in one form is connected at one side of the lever and is a float member immersed within damping fluid, as is the clamping lever, whereby a center of lift of the float shifts from one side to the other of a clamping axis to help effect said respective clamping lever positions with the clamping being in a direction from beneath a damping-fluidimmersed compass card. In another form the weight and clamping lever are disposed above a freely rotatable compass card, and an arm of the lever applies clamping pressure under the same basic principle of operation, but from above the compass card of a compass assembly which need not be of the damping fluid immersed type. A further refinement includes the provision of a tubular peep sight affixed preferably diametrically beneath the compass casing and transversely to the aforementioned pivotal clamping axis, to facilitate use of the devices independently of binoculars.
Inventors
- 👤 D Parson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 18:38
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01C; G01C17/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
169 words
A magnetic compass bearing attachment for binoculars and the like, comprising in combination: a. a magnetic compass assembly having a casing, a freely rotatable compass rose card and a relatively stationary reference member disposed above said card; said compass card being rotatably mounted on vertical pivot means provided generally centrally of said compass assembly; b. mechanical clamping lever means connected with said casing for selectively clamping said compass card for temporarily maintaining the compass bearing after sighting upon an object or target; c. said clamping lever means comprising a weight and a weightactivated, pivotally mounted bell-crank clamping lever mounted upon pivot-forming means constituting a horizontal, generally diametrically disposed pivotal clamping axis, said weight attached to said lever and said lever having a clamping end movable between card-release and peripheral card-clamping positions responsive to respective front and back tilting of said attachment, and said weight being disposed to correspondingly shift transversely to and both in front and back of said pivotal clamping axis to effect said respective clamping lever positions.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
169 words
A magnetic compass bearing attachment for binoculars and the like, comprising in combination: a. a magnetic compass assembly having a casing, a freely rotatable compass rose card and a relatively stationary reference member disposed above said card; said compass card being rotatably mounted on vertical pivot means provided generally centrally of said compass assembly; b. mechanical clamping lever means connected with said casing for selectively clamping said compass card for temporarily maintaining the compass bearing after sighting upon an object or target; c. said clamping lever means comprising a weight and a weightactivated, pivotally mounted bell-crank clamping lever mounted upon pivot-forming means constituting a horizontal, generally diametrically disposed pivotal clamping axis, said weight attached to said lever and said lever having a clamping end movable between card-release and peripheral card-clamping positions responsive to respective front and back tilting of said attachment, and said weight being disposed to correspondingly shift transversely to and both in front and back of said pivotal clamping axis to effect said respective clamping lever positions.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
116 words
An attachment as defined in claim 1 wherein said compass assembly further comprises a supply of damping fluid housed within said casing and within which fluid the compass card and clamping lever means are immersed; said clamping lever attached weight being in the form of a fluid immersed float member connected in a depending manner by a lever arm to a side of said bell-crank lever remote from said clamping end, whereby a center of lift of said immersed float shifts in accordance with said front and back tilting of said attachment, thereby helping to effect said respective clamping lever positions of said lever clamping end, with clamping pressure being applied from beneath said compass card.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
51 words
An attachment as defined in claim 1, wherein lever stop means are provided in said magnetic compass assembly to effectively limit the lever travel responsive to said front and back tilting thereof, said stop means comprising at least one generally horizontally projecting pin member fixed at one side of said casing.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
An attAchment as defined in claim 1 wherein said clamping lever is disposed relative to said compass card so that in the card-clamping position said compass card is clamped from beneath and held against said stationary reference member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
70 words
An attachment as defined in claim 1, wherein said clamping end of said clamping lever is in the form of a yoke having equal length clamping fingers, and said clamping lever is disposed so that said yoke clamping fingers engage said compass card from beneath and hold it against said stationary reference member while straddling said reference member, responsive to a tilting in the back direction of the compass assembly.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
60 words
An attachment as defined in claim 1, wherein lever abuttment means are provided in said compass assembly to effectively limit the lever travel responsive to said front and back tilting, said lever abuttment means including fixed stop pin means disposed at one side of said casing to effectively limit lever travel in both the card clamping and card release positions.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
46 words
An attachment as defined in claim 1, wherein said pivot forming means for mounting said clamping lever include horizontal shaft means formed unitarily with said lever, and fixed bearing bracket means provided near diametrically opposite sides of said compass casing for rotatively supporting said shaft means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
95 words
An attachment as defined in claim 7, wherein said compass assembly further comprises a supply of damping fluid housed within said casing and within which fluid said compass card and weight-activated clamping lever means are immersed, said lever means further including a fluid-immersed weight in the form of a float member connected in a depending manner by a lever arm from said unitary formed shaft means, whereby a center of lift of said immersed float shifts in accordance with said front and back tilting of said attachment to help effect said respective clamping lever positions.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
222 words
In combination with a magnetic compass assembly embodying a stationary reference member, a freely rotatable and slightly tiltable composite compass needle and compass rose card mounted on vertical pivot means provided generally centrally of said assembly and disposed within a transparent covered compass housing, the improvement comprising mechanical means for selectively and temporarily clamping said compass card in a fixed position relative to said pointer, mechanical means comprising weight means connected to one end of a bell-crank lever and in spaced relation to means forming a generally horizontally disposed pivot shaft for said lever whose pivot shaft axis constitutes a clamping axis and generally bisects said compass housing, said bell-crank lever further including a clamping arm projecting transversely from said pivot shaft axis and generally co-planar therewith for at least part of its length; said arm terminating remote from said pivot axis of said weighted lever in a free end portion adapted to clamp against a surface of said rotatable compass card after a sighting with said compass has been established, said weight activated bell-crank lever moving between card-release and peripheral card-clamping positions responsive to respective front and back tilting of said compass assembly and associated weighted lever means toward a sighted object whereby asid weight shifts front and back of said pivotal clamping axis to effect said respective clamping lever positions.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
222 words
In combination with a magnetic compass assembly embodying a stationary reference member, a freely rotatable and slightly tiltable composite compass needle and compass rose card mounted on vertical pivot means provided generally centrally of said assembly and disposed within a transparent covered compass housing, the improvement comprising mechanical means for selectively and temporarily clamping said compass card in a fixed position relative to said pointer, mechanical means comprising weight means connected to one end of a bell-crank lever and in spaced relation to means forming a generally horizontally disposed pivot shaft for said lever whose pivot shaft axis constitutes a clamping axis and generally bisects said compass housing, said bell-crank lever further including a clamping arm projecting transversely from said pivot shaft axis and generally co-planar therewith for at least part of its length; said arm terminating remote from said pivot axis of said weighted lever in a free end portion adapted to clamp against a surface of said rotatable compass card after a sighting with said compass has been established, said weight activated bell-crank lever moving between card-release and peripheral card-clamping positions responsive to respective front and back tilting of said compass assembly and associated weighted lever means toward a sighted object whereby asid weight shifts front and back of said pivotal clamping axis to effect said respective clamping lever positions.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
41 words
The combination as defined in claim 9, wherein said bell-crank lever is disposed above said compass card and further such that said weight means is disposed above said pivot shaft, with a clamping pressure being applied to said card from above.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
111 words
The combination as defined in claim 9 further including lever travel stop means, and wherein said bell-crank lever includes a further arm extending generally co-extensively from and as a continuation of the lever arm not having said weight means attached thereto, said latter and further arms constituting first and second arm portions, respectively, and being unitarily interjoined substantially at the clamping axis and each projecting to opposite sides of said clamping axis, whereby one of latter-mentioned arms terminates in a card-clamping end portion and the other terminates in a lever travel limiting end portion for engagement with said lever travel stop means, responsive to corresponding tilting movements of said compass assembly.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
34 words
The combination as defined in claim 11 wherein said bell-crank lever is of bifurcated form throughout at least one arm thereof so as to straddle said vertical pivot means for the rotatable compass card.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
176 words
The combination as defined in claim 11, wherein said lever travel stop means includes a stop pin projecting above said compass card a predetermined distance and adjacent said stationary reference member; said bell-crank clamping lever, said stationary reference member and said compass card all relatively disposed so that responsive to tilting in the back direction said second arm portion of said lever applies downward pressure by its terminal end portion onto one peripheral side portion of said compass card thereby tilting said card on its vertical pivot means until a diametrical opposite peripheral side portion of said compass card is raised up into clamping engagement with said stop pin disposed thereabove to facilitate the bearing reading by the adjacent reference member, and said first arm portion of said lever has its terminal end portion raised away from said stop pin during the aforesaid condition, and whereby said latter end portion rests upon the top of said stop pin when said clamping lever and compass assembly are tilted in the front direction thereby releasing said compass card.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
43 words
The combination as defined in claim 9 further including casing-attached bracket means extending generally parallel to said clamping axis and of sufficient lateral extent to rest upon lens barrels of a pair of conventional binoculars with which said combination may be usefully associated.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
48 words
The combination as defined in claim 9 wherein said magnetic compass assembly is further provided with tubular peep sight means having a viewing axis disposed transversely to said pivotal clamping lever axis, thereby facilitating use of the combination independently apart from use with a binoculars or like instrument.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-06-17 | 1977-12-17 | 1978-06-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-06-17 | 1981-12-17 | 1982-06-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-06-17 | 1985-12-17 | 1986-06-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |