Abstract: A displacement unit for at least one element to be displaced is provided comprising a drive unit, a transfer element that is caused to move by the drive unit and that comprises a thread or a tooth set, and an engagement element, which engages into the thread or tooth set of the transfer element and is thus driven by the motion of the transfer element, and by whose motion the displaced element is moved. The engagement element is configured elastically, in such a way that it deforms elastically upon contact by the displaced element against a stop or obstacle.

Abstract: A displacement unit for at least one element to be displaced is provided comprising a drive unit, a transfer element that is caused to move by the drive unit and that comprises a thread or a tooth set, and an engagement element, which engages into the thread or tooth set of the transfer element and is thus driven by the motion of the transfer element, and by whose motion the displaced element is moved. The engagement element is configured elastically, in such a way that it deforms elastically upon contact by the displaced element against a stop or obstacle.

Abstract: A description is given of an illuminating device for a microscope (1), having a light source (2), an illuminating optical system (3) and an LCD (5) arranged in the illuminating beam path (4). The illuminating light is directed onto the object (6) from the light source (2) via the LCD (5), a transparent/opaque pattern being generated on the LCD (5) by means of a control and calculating device (7). The LCD (5) is arranged in a plane (AP′) which is conjugate with respect to the field diaphragm plane or aperture diaphragm plane (AP) and has a planar matrix composed of individual pixels arranged next to one another and of the same dimensions, the pixels each being constructed such that they can be driven individually to generate an arbitrary transparent/opaque pattern. The control and calculating device (7) is constructed as a computer with a graphics card.

Abstract: A gear unit (1) for focusing microscopes and having coarse adjustment, fine adjustment and extra-fine adjustment is described, in which, for the purpose of focusing, the object stage (5) is moved via a toothed gear (6). Coaxially arranged control knobs (7, 8) are provided on the microscope as manual control elements. The control knobs (7, 8) are connected via a drive shaft (9) and the gear unit (1) to a toothed rack (10) of the object stage. The control knob (7) for fine adjustment is provided on a rotation shaft (11) arranged so as to be capable of longitudinal displacement. Arranged on this rotation shaft (11) are at least two gear wheels (12, 13) of different diameter for fine adjustment and extra-fine adjustment. One of the gear wheels (12, 13) is connected to the gear unit (1) via the longitudinal displacement of the rotation axis (11).

Abstract: A change-over device has a plurality of centerable reception rings (10), inserted into a sliding bearing (9), for optical components. A spring element having a plurality of tongues (16) split in the longitudinal direction is provided in such a way that in each case successive halves of adjacent tongues (16) rest against the rim of a reception ring (10) under spring pressure.

Abstract: A microscope (1) is described which has an adjustment knob (2) arranged on the microscope (1) and an encoder (6) assigned to the adjustment knob (2). The encoder (6) is connected to a control device (3). The control device (3) is assigned positioning motors (4, 14, 18, 23, 24) for motorized setting of different microscope functions. The preselected function which can be controlled by motor is preselected via switches (7, 11, 15, 19, 21) arranged on the microscope (1) and triggered via the control device (3) as a function of the encoder pulses generated by the adjustment knob (2). The motor drives are assigned sensors (8) which detect the operating position of the activated microscope function. When the maximum operating position is reached, a braking motor (9) connected to the adjustment knob (2) is activated via the control device (3) and renders the rotation of the adjustment knob (2) more difficult up to complete blockage.

Abstract: A modular microscope system includes a plurality of stackable housing modules each having a plurality of inwardly pointing protuberances provided with one or more precision stop surfaces thereon for removably mounting and positioning a plurality of prealigned functional element carriers having corresponding precision stop surfaces thereon for engagement with the precision stop surfaces of the housing module protuberances.

Abstract: A microscope includes a mount 18 secured to an eyepiece tube 10 to superimpose image data upon the microscope image. The image data is projected and reflected into the intermediate image plane using a receiving unit 27 to hold the image data on a slide 29 and an optical part 12. The receiving unit 27 includes a magnetic wall surface 31 and is freely movable and arbitrarily positionable together with slide 29 on a slide surface 32. Permanent magnets 33 are provided behind the slide surface 32 within the mount 18 to keep receiving unit 27 in place.

Abstract: A universal folding condenser (1) with a support plate (4), which is fastened on the microscope and has an arm (4') angled off through 90.degree., is described. Arranged in the support plate (4) is a fixed lens (5). Above the support plate (4) there is provided a first, rectangularly shaped swivel arm (7) with a condenser head and a lens element (2) for optional introduction into the path of the illuminating beam (11). Arranged underneath the support (4) is a second, rectangularly shaped swivel arm (8) with a second lens element (3). The two swivel arms (7, 8) are forcibly coupled by means of a shifting linkage (6) in such a way that, for objectives with low magnification, the two lens elements (2, 3) are introduced into the path of the illuminating beam (11) and, for objectives with high magnification, only the condenser head is introduced into the path of the illuminating beam (11).

Abstract: A positioning control for linearly displacing an object (31) has a direct current motor (1) and a gear (2,21) for converting rotary into linear motion, a current supply (4) of current pulses having given frequency, amplitude and duration; a pole reverser; a rotatable operating element (51) coupled to an angular step generator (5) and a sensor of the sense of rotation. The pulse frequency of the current supply (4) is determined by the angular step generator (5) and the polarity of the pole changer is determined by the sensor of the sense of rotation. The characteristic curve of the speed of displacement of the object (31) as a function of the pulse frequency is kinked, in that for low pulse frequencies the speed increases proportionally slowly, and up from the level of a pulse frequency threshold, the speed increases markedly quicker. The invention is useful for microscope focussing drives.

Abstract: Stationary gantry for a precision coordinate measuring instrument comprising a base (1), a first (2) and a second (3) upright and a cross-member (4), in which three of the four connections between the base (1), first (2) and second (3) upright and cross-member (4) are embodied as rotatable connections (14, 21, 31). The design is thus no longer statically overdetermined. The joints (14, 21, 31) can be embodied as a strap connection in a sheet construction of the gantry parts (1, 2, 3, 4).

Abstract: A device and method for active vibration damping of an object which comprises a beam with two free ends comprises a vibration sensor, a control circuit, and an actuator. The sensor is located near the first end of the beam and the actuator is located near the second end of the beam. The control circuit converts input signals from said vibration sensor into control signals for controlling the actuator. The damping device is particularly useful where it forms part of a precision coordinate measuring machine which has a beam of varying length. In this instance, the sensor is located on a sliding spindle of the measuring machine.

Abstract: A modular microscope system includes a plurality of stackable housing modules each having a plurality of inwardly pointing protuberances provided with one or more precision stop surfaces thereon for removably mounting and positioning a plurality of prealigned functional element carriers having corresponding precision stop surfaces thereon for engagement with the precision stop surfaces of the housing module protuberances.