Binocular telescope

Claim 2

A binocular telescope, comprising two telescopes each of which has its own housing with an offset arm for hinge mounting, a bridge having spaced parallel hinge elements independently connected to the respective hinge mountings of said housings, each telescope comprising its optical system including an axially movably guided focusing lens element and mount, said mount including an offset arm with a flat shoulder surface that is normal to the axis of lens-mount guidance, drive means including a manual actuator carried by said bridge, a separate elongate transmission element carried and longitudinally guided by said bridge adjacent each hinge element connection, the guide axis for each transmission element being parallel to said hinge axes and to said optical systems, said drive means having an axially displacing actuating connection to each transmission element, and spring means carried by each housing and preloading each mount for shoulder-surface abutment with an end of the associated transmission element.

Claim 3

The binocular telescope of claim 1, in which each lens mount and its associated housing have interengaged elongate groove and key formations holding each mount and its housing against relative rotation.

Claim 4

The binocular telescope of claim 1, in which said drive element includes a gear, and means including a separate rack-and-pinion coupling of said gear to each said transmission element.

Claim 5

The binocular telescope of claim 1, in which said drive element is a knob on a drive shaft mounted for rotation on an axis extending in the span direction of said bridge, and means including a separate rack-and-pinion coupling said shaft to each said transmission element.

Claim 6

The binocular telescope of claim 1, in which the guide axis of each transmission element is offset from the adjacent hinge connection axis, and wherein the adjacent housing offset arm includes a rotary bushing journalled therein on the hinge-pivot axis, the radius of said bushing exceeding the offset of the transmission-element guide axis and having a locally offset opening which axially movably accommodates said transmission element.

Claim 7

The binocular telescope of claim 1, in which the said hinge elements are hollow shafts, and in which the transmission elements are rods axially guided by said shafts.

Claim 8

In a binocular telescope, two telescopes each of which has its own housing with an offset arm for hinge mounting, a bridge having spaced parallel hinge elements independently connected to the respective hinge mountings of said housings, each telescope comprising its optical system including an axially movably guided focusing lens element and mount, and a single manually operable control element carried by said bridge for concurrent focusing adjustment of said mounts, the improvement which comprises a shoulder on each said mount and having a flat shoulder surface that is normal to the axis of lens-mount guidance, and a movable transmission element carried and longitudinally guided by said bridge in the region of each hinge axis, each transmission element being in position-controlling end abutment with the adjacent shoulder surface and having an axially positioning drive connection to said control element, and spring means preloading each mount for said shoulder-surface abutment.

Claim 9

In a binocular telescope, two telescopes each of which has its own housing with an offset arm for hinge mounting, a bridge having spaced parallel hinge elements independently connected to the respective hinge mountings of said housings, each telescope comprising its optical system including an axially movably guided focusing lens element and mount, and a single manually operable control element carried by said bridge for concurrent focusing adjustment of said mounts, the improvement which comprises a shoulder on each said mount and having a flat shoulder surface that is normal to the axis of lens-mount guidance, and a movable transmission element carried and longitudinally guided by said bridge in the region of each hinge axis, each transmission element being in position-controlling end abutment with the adjacent shoulder surface and having an axially positioning drive connection to said control element, and spring means preloading each mount for said shoulder-surface abutment.

Claim 10

The binocular telescope of claim 7, in which said axially positioning drive connection to said control element includes an axially movable part which extends transversely over the effective span of said bridge.

Claim 11

The binocular telescope of claim 7, in which said axially positioning drive connection to said control element includes a rocker-arm connection from said control element to each transmission element.

Claim 12

A binocular telescope, comprising two telescopes each of which has its own housing with an offset arm for hinge mounting, a bridge having spaced parallel hinge elements independently connected to the respective hinge mountings of said housings, each telescope comprising its optical system including an axially movably guided focusing lens element and mount, said mount including an offset arm with a flat shoulder surface that is normal to the axis of lens-mount guidance, drive means including a manual actuator carried by said bridge, one of said hinge elements at each housing-to-bridge connection including a pin that is slidably guided on the hinge axis, said drive means having an axially displacing actuating connection to each of said pins, and spring means preloading each mount for shoulder-surface abutment with an end of the associated one of said pins.

Claim 13

A binocular telescope, comprising two telescopes each of which has its own housing with an offset arm for hinge mounting, a bridge having spaced parallel hinge elements independently connected to the respective hinge mountings of said housings, each telescope comprising its optical system including an axially movably guided focusing lens element and mount, said mount including an offset arm with a flat shoulder surface that is normal to the axis of lens-mount guidance, drive means including a manual actuator carried by said bridge, one of said hinge elements at each housing-to-bridge connection including a pin that is slidably guided on the hinge axis, said drive means having an axially displacing actuating connection to each of said pins, and spring means preloading each mount for shoulder-surface abutment with an end of the associated one of said pins.

Claim 14

A binocular telescope, comprising two telescopes each of which has its own elongate tubular housing with an offset arm for hinge mounting, a bridge having spaced parallel hinge elements independently connected to the respective hinge mountings of said housings, each telescope comprising its optical system including an axially movably guided focusing lens element and mount; each said mount and the adjacent wall of the tubular region having coacting elongate V-bearing formations at one angular locale of the tubular wall, and spring means reacting between said housing and mount at a locale generally diametrically opposite said V-bearing locale for resiliently loading the engagement of said V-bearing formations; each said mount further including an offset arm with a flat shoulder surface that is normal to the axis of lens-mount guidance, drive means including a manual actuator carried by said bridge, a separate elongate transmission element guided by said bridge adjacent each hinge element connection, the guide axis for each transmission element being parallel to said hinge axes and to said optical systems, said drive means having an axially displacing actuating connection to each transmission element, and spring means preloading each mount for shoulder-surface abutment with an end of the associated transmission element.

Claim 15

A binocular telescope, comprising two telescopes each of which has its own elongate tubular housing with an offset arm for hinge mounting, a bridge having spaced parallel hinge elements independently connected to the respective hinge mountings of said housings, each telescope comprising its optical system including an axially movably guided focusing lens element and mount; each said mount and the adjacent wall of the tubular region having coacting elongate V-bearing formations at one angular locale of the tubular wall, and spring means reacting between said housing and mount at a locale generally diametrically opposite said V-bearing locale for resiliently loading the engagement of said V-bearing formations; each said mount further including an offset arm with a flat shoulder surface that is normal to the axis of lens-mount guidance, drive means including a manual actuator carried by said bridge, a separate elongate transmission element guided by said bridge adjacent each hinge element connection, the guide axis for each transmission element being parallel to said hinge axes and to said optical systems, said drive means having an axially displacing actuating connection to each transmission element, and spring means preloading each mount for shoulder-surface abutment with an end of the associated transmission element.