Abstract: An electrochromic display cell is described which has a front electrode of an electrochromic material, especially tungsten trioxide or iridium oxide, layered on a support surface and a rear electrode of vitreous carbon layered on a support surface. The rest potential and large capacity of the rear electrode permit a fast image cycle time at the front electrode and obviate the need to reverse potential polarity during cycling.

Abstract: An air vacuum chuck for a microscope includes a body member having a planar slide-supporting surface. Stop members are adapted to align a slide in a predetermined orientation. Air ports and vacuum ports in the slide-supporting surface selectively couple a relatively high pressure air reservoir and a vacuum reservoir, respectively, to the region between the slide-supporting surface and the object-bearing surface of the slide. The air ports are adapted to provide airflow directed towards at least one of the stop members. In an alignment mode, airflow from the air ports and vacuum from the vacuum ports establish a vacuum-retained air-bearing with a substantially frictionless coupling between a slide and the slide supporting surface. The vacuum from the vacuum ports controls the separation between the slide and the slide-supporting surface. The directed airflow imparts a net force on the slide, positioning the slide against the stop members.

Abstract: An electrochromic display cell is described which has a front electrode of tungsten trioxide layered on a support surface and a rear electrode of titanium nitride layered on a support surface. The rest potential and large capacity of the rear electrode permit a fast image cycle time at the front electrode and obviate the need to reverse potential polarity during cycling.

Abstract: The invention disclosed is a slide holder which facilitates viewing of the entire slide on a microscope. The holder comprises slide positioning means for positioning a slide for viewing in a horizontal position on a microscope stage and integral mounting plate means for attachment of the holder to the stage, specifically the lateral bar of the stage, such that the slide in viewing position is disposed centrally on said stage and laterally off-set from the center of the stage, and is movable with the lateral bar. The holder is particularly suitable for the positioning and viewing of thin slides typically used in ferrography.

Abstract: A microscope slide has a plurality of specimen chambers formed by a plurality of upstanding transverse separators and a cover portion. The cover portion is separated from the base portion by an amount sufficient to result in capillary action drawing a fluid such as urine into the chamber when it is applied to the base portion.

Abstract: An electrochromic device comprising a solid layered structure. The structure includes a pair of electrodes and an electrochromic layer sandwiched between the pair of electrodes. The device is sandwiched between a pair of vitreous sheets of which at least one is transparent with a reservoir of ionizable material being held between the sheets. On application of an electrical potential between the electrodes, ions are permitted to migrate between the ionizable material and the electrochromic layer.

Abstract: A waterproof bodytube having a division in its intermediate portion to be used to insert a Porro prism into the binoculars. The construction of this invention is such that a male bodytube having a projection portion is fitted to a female bodytube by means of a packing, and a screw is tightened from its outer surface by means of a packing. For this arrangement, the head of the screw is positioned at the side surface of the bodytube, and this portion is normally covered with a film so that the exposure of the screw can be prevented.

Abstract: An actuator (1) for mechanically supporting a structure such as an optical or radio telescope reflector (3). The actuator (1) is free to precess about a pivot point (C) which is fixed with respect to the supporting cell structure (9). This can be accomplished by gimballing the actuator (1) using vertical (13) and horizontal (17) trunnions. This gimballing arrangement permits radial and axial excursions of each actuator ball (29) to compensate for gravity vector variations as the reflector (3) is moved to point towards its target, and to compensate for thermal expansion variations between the reflector (3) and cell (9). Fine axial position adjustments are accomplished by a rotating nut (43) or a rotating screw (63) configuration in conjunction with a stepper motor (47 or 67). Motor (47 or 67) can receive its commands from a real-time closed loop system sensitive to axial position or axial load.

Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for the refraction of an optical ray from a first focal point to at least one other focal point. The method includes the steps of passing the optical ray through an optical medium to establish a first focal point and then launching acoustic waves into the optical medium to induce at least one half standing acoustic wave within the optical medium. The induced refractive index gradient deviates the optical ray from the first focal point to at least one other focal point. This method of induced refraction can be utilized as a chopper in one embodiment and as a high energy dissipation means in an alternative embodiment.

Abstract: Disclosed is an illumination optical arrangement including light source means for supplying a substantially collimated light beam, and optical means for shifting the collimated light beam from the light source means toward the central axis of the light beam. The optical means includes an entrance surface axis-symmetrically disposed with a predetermined inclination with respect to the central axis to cause the collimated light beam to be refracted toward the central axis substantially at the same angle, and an exit surface axis-symmetrically disposed with said predetermined inclination with respect to the central axis to cause the light beam from the entrance surface to be refracted in a direction parallel to the central axis.

Abstract: A mounting assembly for optical elements, e.g. mirrors, which require to be adjusted into accurate location within an optical path includes arrangements for effecting bodily displacement of the optical element in both a fore-and-aft sense and in a lateral sense, and for effecting tilting movement in both an elevation and an azimuthal sense, so that such adjustment can be made whereupon the element can be clamped in position.

Abstract: A microscope having a variable degree of stereoscopy comprises an objective lens, two eyepiece lenses, and a beam-directing means, such as a prism block, which directs light received from the objective lens to each eyepiece lens and which is movable along the axis of the objective lens.

Abstract: A full width opto-mechanical modulator comprised of a silicon chip have dual rows or arrays of flexible finger-like reflectors disposed thereon in staggered facing relationship to one another. The reflectors, the surface of which is highly reflective, bend in response to the application of a predetermined potential. The modulator is placed in the path of a beam of high intensity light, and potentials applied to selected reflectors in accordance with an image signal input cause the modulator to reflect light striking the individual reflectors in either an exposure path or against a beam stop.

Abstract: A device for modifying and uniforming the distribution of the intensity of a power laser beam is provided wherein a rotatable support body includes three mirrors for reflecting an incident laser beam. The rotation of the mirrors with the support body effects a uniform distribution of the intensity of the incident laser beam resulting in a reflected laser beam having uniform distribution of intensity across its cross section. A modification section is included for modifying the amplitude of the reflected laser beam passing from the support body.

Abstract: Two embodiments of a holder for standard specimen slides are disclosed which permit the use of only one hand when changing specimens and are characterized by simplicity in construction.In the first embodiment, the holder has a spring band (7) which is bent convexly towards the specimen slide (5) and clamps the slide against front-edge stops (2, 3, 4).In the second embodiment, the holder has a resiliently supported turnable disc (20) against the outer circumference of which the narrow side of the specimen slide (15) strikes tangentially upon the insertion. The disc (20) clamps the specimen slide (15) against the front-edge stop (12, 13, 14) after passing by it.

Abstract: An improved lens cell is provided wherein a pair of identical housing elements cooperate with an aperture member that has a surface configuration to both space and center lens elements that are retained within the housing elements.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a multiple mirror reflector for land based telescopes. At least one series of identical segments are mounted on a rigid support to form a large primary reflector with each segment forming a part of the total profile. Each segment includes an accurately profiled reflective metal layer bonded to a concave surface of a substrate by an adhesive layer. The layer is formed on the appropriate substrate surface by transfer replication.

Abstract: An automobile safety mirror is disclosed which is fabricated of laminated safety glass construction. Front and rear glass panels sandwich a layer of colored plastic therebetween and a suitable mirror surface is applied to the rear of the rear glass panel. The plastic layer is divided into red and yellow colored zones by a line of demarcation to delineate safe and non-safe passing conditions. A guide consisting of intersecting horizontal and vertical guide lines is provided in the yellow colored zone in spaced relation from the line of demarcation to facilitate initial aligning or aiming of the safety mirror.

Abstract: A lateral transfer system for an optical beam comprises bipentaprisms (10) and (11) secured to opposite ends of an elongate transfer structure (12). The bipentaprism (10) comprises optical elements (20) and (21) positioned with respect to each other to form an empty pentaprism, and optical elements (22) and (23) positioned with respect to each other to form an empty roof-pentaprism. Similarly, the bipentaprism (11) comprises optical elements (30) and (31) positioned with respect to each other to form an empty pentaprism, and optical elements (32) and (33) positioned with respect to each other to form an empty roof-pentaprism. The optical elements (22) and (32) are beam splitters, while the other optical elements are reflectors. The bipentaprisms (10) and (11) are positioned with respect to each other so that an input beam impinging upon reflecting element (20) of the bipentaprism (10) is reflected to the beam splitter (22), where the input beam is split into a transmitted component and a reflected component.

Abstract: A monoaxial adjusting system is provided for accomplishing both coarse and fine focusing adjustments between the nosepiece and stage of a microscope. The coarse adjustment is made by rotation of either of two coarse adjusting knobs which in turn directly rotates a coarse adjusting shaft and cam. Suitable linkage is connected to the cam to affect linear movement between the nosepiece and stage. Fine adjustment is made through rotation of either of two fine adjusting knobs which actuate the coarse shaft and cam through a planetary gear reduction system and follower. A further adjusting mechanism is lever operated so that the operator may easily provide fine adjustment while manipulating the North-South stage and East-West slide control knobs. The entire adjusting system is spring and gravity loaded to eliminate backlash.