Supports – Pipe or cable – Extending through plate
Patent
1988-12-27
1991-02-12
Arnold, Bruce Y.
Supports
Pipe or cable
Extending through plate
52 64, 248183, G02B 2316, E04B 1346, F16M 1116
Patent
active
049919482
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a reflector telescope including a tube disposed in a spherical casing wherein the spherical casing is mounted in an outer framework. Such a reflector telescope is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,791,713. Therein, the spherical casing is supported within the outer framework on an air cushion, and is rotatable by means of special drives about the polar and declination axis. The expenditure for the two different driving systems, by means of which the spherical casing is rotatable independently about its two axes, is disadvantageous. It is disadvantageous, further, that access to the sphere itself is variable according to the position of said casing, thus complicating access to the observation cabins assigned to the tube.
SUMMARY AND OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the invention, therefore, to provide a reflector telescope of the mentioned species such that the provision of driving systems for the necessary rotational movements of the spherical casing is more easily achieved, and that fixed and permanent access to the spherical casing in any rotational position is ensured through always the same entrance.
The solution for this object results from the mounting of the spherical casing within the outer framework to rotate about a horizontal axis and the mounting of the outer framework on a base to rotate about a vertical axis wherein the spherical casing supported in the outer framework by means of hydrostatic slide bearings. By mounting the spherical casing to rotate about a fixed horizontal axis and by mounting the outer framework to rotate about a fixed vertical axis, the bearings of the spherical casing can be simplified considerably, and fixed and permanent access to the spherical casing can be ensured. For this aim, the invention provides walk tubes in the horizontal axes of the spherical casing, said walk tubes being rigidly connected with the latter. Further, the invention provides walk platforms in said walk tubes, said walk platforms being rigidly connected with the outer framework. In this way, for each rotational position of the spherical casing, permanent access to the spherical casing is ensured.
Further advantageous embodiments of the invention result from the subclaims. Special attention should be directed to the particularly favourable hydrostatic slide bearing of the spherical casing being suspended on a very thin oil film and being rotatable easily about its horizontal axis. In the same way, the outer framework is supported. The spherical casing consists in a particularly advantageous manner of carbon fibers having low weight. The supporting sections of the tube may also be made of this material.
Finally, the invention provides in a particularly advantageous manner that the elevators arranged within the spherical housing are provided with spherical inner elevator walls being mounted within the outer elevator walls such that the elevator stand platforms are disposed for any rotational position in the horizontal plane of the walk platforms of the walk tubes. Thus, using the elevators within the spherical housing is possible in any rotational position.
By the provision of the reflector telescope according to the invention, the primary reflector itself remains unloaded by weight forces of the sphere construction. All weights around the primary reflector are supported such that no tension/compression forces will be exerted on the latter. Further, both supports of the spherical casing are loaded identically in any rotational position. Thus, there is an absence of load in the supports of the spherical casing for any rotational position, as the load is absorbed in the outer framework. The hydrostatic bearing of the spherical casing has approximately the aeral dimensions of the primary reflector and consists of hydrostatic support elements arranged in diagonal rows. The spherical casing can be turned by approx. 150.degree. from horizon to horizon. In contrast to the spherical casing being made preferably of carbon fibers, the cons
REFERENCES:
patent: 3503664 (1970-03-01), Hagley
patent: 3603664 (1971-09-01), James
patent: 3791713 (1974-02-01), Maukay
patent: 3842509 (1974-10-01), Wyman et al.
Journal of the Optical Society of America, vol. 72, No. 1, Jan. 1982, A. B. Meinel, "CostRelationships for Nonconventional Telescope Structural Configurations".
Journal of Scientific Instruments, vol. 3, No. 3, Mar. 1970, S.C.B. Gascoighe: "Optical Telescopes", pp. 165-172.
Arnold Bruce Y.
Kalkmara Ronald M.
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