US2760405A - Micromanipulator - Google Patents

Description

mu-041 I I E7 145 V R 2 Q 7 60 9 4 05 28, 1956 K. FRISCHMANN 2,760,405

MICROMANIPULATOR Q Filed May 5 1953 Fig/5'1 65 null Arryk United States Patent O MICROMANIPULATOR Karl Frischmann, Wetzlar-Garbenheim, Germany, assignor to Ernest Leitz G. m. b. H., Wetzlar, Germany Application May 5, 1953, Serial No. 353,060

Claims priority, application Germany May 5, 1952 8 Claims. (Cl. 88-49) The present invention relates to micromanipulators, that is, to devices for the precise manipulation of tools or other instruments within a very small field.

One object of the present invention is to provide a micromanipulator capable of translating manual operations of an operating lever into very small movements which are accurate functions of the magnitude of the movement of the operating lever.

Another object of the invention is to provide a micromanipulator, the control parts of which are relatively large and which therefore can be easily manufactured and assembled.

A further object of the invention is to provide a micromanipulator in which the tool moves substantially in the same direction as the operating handle, although the tool movement occurs on a greatly reduced scale as compared to that of the handle.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a micromanipulator in which universal movements of the tool in one plane are obtained by the combination of a rectilinearly slidable tool support element with a rotatable tool support element. 7

A still further object of the invention is to provide a micromanipulator in which a handle for controlling universal movements of the tool in a horizontal plane is disposed in the neighborhood of a control knob permitting fine adjustment of the tool in a vertical direction so that both the operating handle controlling the universal movement in a horizontal plane and the control knob governing vertical movements can be operated with one hand.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a micromanipulator which can be operated smoothly and easily and with maximum precision.

These and other objects, which will appear more clearly as the specification proceeds, are accomplished by the arrangement and combination of elements set forth in the following detailed description, defined in the appended claims and illustratively exemplified in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a micromanipulator according to the present invention showing certain parts in vertical section; and

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the micromanipulator according to Fig. 1.

In the figures, 11 denotes a hollow base formed with two vertical tracks 12 and 13. Mounted on the track 12 by means of balls 14 is a vertical slide 15 supported by a roller 16 rotatably mounted on a projecting arm 17 of the slide 15. The roller 16, and with it the slide 15, are carried by an eccentric 18 forming part of a worm gear 19 rotatable on a shaft 20 extending transversely through and mounted in the walls of the base 11. A worm 21 operated by a fine adjustment knob 22 serves to rotate the worm gear 19 and eccentric 18 for fine adjustment of the slide 15 in vertical direction. A second slide 23 is mounted by means of balls 24 on the vertical track 13 and is provided with a rack 25 engaged Patented Aug. 28, 1956 by a pinion 26. The pinion 26 is keyed to a shaft 28 I which is rotatably supported in a forked arm 27 of the slide 15 and which can be operated by means of knurled knobs 29 provided on either side of the base 11 for coarse vertical adjustment of the slide 23 relative to the slide 15.

The slide 23 carries a bracket 30 which supports above the base 11 a table 31. A substantially plate-shaped tool holder element 32 is mounted on the table 31 and guided thereon for substantially rectilinear movement in a horizontal plane from left to right or vice versa, as seen in the figures. At its right hand end, as seen in Fig. l, the tool holder element 32 is provided with a projecting eyelet 33 for a purpose to be explained later. A plate-shaped bracket 34 extends vertically upward from the table 31 at substantially right angles to the direction of movement of the tool holder element 32. Two compression springs 35 are arranged between the bracket 34 and the right hand end of the tool holder' element 32 to urge the element 32 toward the left as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

A second tool holder element 36 is mounted for rotary movement in a horizontal plane on the upper surface of the tool holder element 32 by means of a pivot pin 37 supported in the tool holder element 32. The tool holder element 36 is urged in counterclockwise direction, as seen in Fig. 2, by means of a spring 38, one end of which is secured by means of pins 39 to the rotary tool holder element 36 while its other end is attached to pins 40 provided on'the tool holder element 32. The rotary tool holder element 36 has upwardly projecting lateral flanges 41 which extend substantially in the direction of movement of the first tool holder element 32 and serve as guide tracks for a third tool holder element 42 mounted slidably on the rotary tool holder element 36. A rack 43 on the lower side of the tool holder element 42 engages a pinion 44 mounted in a cavity of the rotary tool holder element 36 on a rotary shaft 45 projecting laterally from the element 36 and terminating in a knurled control knob 46 for coarse adjustment of the tool holder element 42 relative to the tool holder element 36 substantially in the direction of movement of the tool holder element 32. The tool holder element 42 carries a tool clamp 47 in which a tool 48 may be mounted. On its right hand end, as seen in the figures, the table 31 is provided with a boss 49, the upper hollow surface of which constitutes an upwardly open bearing 50 of spherical configuration. On its right hand side the bearing 50 is provided with a vertical slot 51.

A ball 52 lies the bearing 50 and carries an operating lever including a short portion 53 projecting axially from the ball through the slot 51 and a long, downwardly projecting, portion 54 terminating in an operating handle 55 located in the vicinity of the control knob 22 provided for the fine vertical adjustment of the table 31.

As will be seen, the operating handle 55 can be manipulated to rotate the ball 52 either about a first axis thereof coinciding with the axis of the short portion 53 of the operating lever, by swinging of the handle 55 as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2, or about its horizontal axis extending at right angles to this first axis, by up and down movements of the handle 55 as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1 accompanied by up and down movements of the short arm 53 of the operating lever in the slot 51. One can combine both movements.

A screw 56 is mounted in the top portion of the ball 52 and projects substantially vertical therefrom along an axis at right angles to both axes of rotation of the ball. A hollow member, generally designated by the reference numeral 57, comprises a nut portion 58, threaded on the screw 56 and vertically adjustable thereon, and a depending skirt portion 59 which surrounds the ball 52 and the short portion 53 of the operating handle at a distance and which has an outer surface corresponding to a zone of a sphere having a diameter considerably greater than that of ball 52, said zone extending equally on opposite sides of a center plane of the sphere of which it is a part.

By adjustment of the hollow member 57 along the screw 56, the spherical surface can be adjusted to any desired eccentricity relative to the ball 52 and it can be secured in any adjusted position by means of a lock nut 60.

A feeler or cam follower is provided to cooperate with the portion of the spherical surface of the hollow member 57 facing the bracket 34 and comprises a feeler disc 61 and a stem 62 supported in and slidably projecting through a bore in the bracket 34. On the side of the bracket 34 facing toward the tool holder elements, the bracket 34 is provided with two projecting ears 63 carry ing a pivot 64 supporting a two-armed lever 65. The upper end of lever 65 is in contact with the end of the feeler stem 62 projecting from the bracket 34, while the lower end of lever 65 engages the eyelet 33 of the tool holder element 32. Since the tool holder element 32 is pressed by the springs 35 away from the bracket 34, the upper end of lever 65 is urged into contact with feeler stem 62 and thus biases feeler disc 61 into tangential contact with spherical surface of hollow member 57.

A curved arm 66 is integral with the right hand end of the rotary tool holder element 36 and projects upwardly therefrom toward and about half way past they hollow member 57. Mounted in the free end of arm 66 is a second feeler comprising a feeler disc 67 and a threaded stem 68 screwed through a tapped bore in the arm 66 and terminating in a knurled knob 69. The feeler 67, 68 can be adjusted relative to the arm 66 by turning of the knob 69 and can be secured in any adjusted position by means of a lock nut 70. It will be seen that the spring 38, which urges the rotary tool holder element 36 in counterclockwise direction, tends to press the feeler disc 67 into tangential contact with a portion of the spherical surface of hollow member 57 which is displaced by about 90 relative to the spherical surface portion contacted by feeler disc 61.

The device operates as follows:

After coarse adjustment of the tool 48 in vertical direction by means of the control knob 29 and in horizontal direction by means of the control knob 46, the device is ready for micromanipulation of the tool under microscopic observation. Vertical fine adjustments are made by means of the fine adjustment knob 22. Horizontal micromovements substantially in the direction of the movement of the tool holder element 32 are etfected by swinging the handle 55 upwardly and downwardly in the plane of the paper as shown by the arrows in Fig. l. The resulting movements of ball 52 and hollow member 57 are transmitted to the feeler disc 61 at a greatly reduced rate in function of the adjusted eccentricity of the spherical surface of the skirt 59 relative to ball .52. This motion is transmitted through the feeler stem 62 and lever 65 to the tool holder element 32. When the center of sphere 57 lies above the center of sphere 52 the movement of the handle 55 to the right tends to move the tool 48 toward the right against the action of spring 35 while movement ofthe handle 55 toward the left permits corresponding movement of the tool holder element 32 and tool 48 toward the left under the action of springs 35.

Movements of the handle 55 at right angles to the plane of the paper as shown in Fig. 1, on the other hand, cause a displacement of the feeler disc 67 at a greatly reduced rate in function of the adjusted eccentricity of the spherical surface of skirt 59 relative to the ball 52. This reduced movement is transmitted through the feeler shaft 68 and arm 66 to the rotary tool holder element 36 and causes it to. swing about its pivot 37. Due to this movement of the tool holder element 36, the tip of the tool 48 passes through a relatively small arc of a circle of comparatively great diameter so that its actual movement can be considered as rectilinear and at right angles to the rectilinear movement resulting from displacements of tool holder element 32.

What I claim is:

1. A micromanipulator comprising a base, a first slide ember vertically displaceable on said base, fine adjusting means including a first control knob for micrometrically raising or lowering said first slide member relative to said base, a second slide member vertically displaceable on said base, coarse adjusting means for raising or lowering said second slide member relative to said first slide member, a horizontal table carried by said second slide member above said base, a first carriage rectilinearly slidable on said table in a horizontal plane, an intermediate member mounted on said first carriage for pivotal movements relative thereto about a vertical axis, a second carriage rectilinearly slidable on said intermediate member substantially in the direction of the movement of said first carriage, a tool clamp on said second carriage, coarse adjusting means for shifting said second carriage, back and forth relative to said intermediate member, an open concave spherical bearing rigid with said table and defining in cross-section a circular are, said bearing being provided on one side thereof with a vertical slot, a ball fitted into and retained in said bearing, a manipulating lever for said ball having a short portion extending axially from said ball through said vertical slot in the bearing and a downwardly extending portion terminating in a handle in the vicinity of said control knob, a screw projecting upwardly from said ball along an axis extending at substantially right angles to the short portion of the operating lever, a hollow member including a nut threaded on said screw and a depending skirt portion surrounding said ball and the upper part of the operating lever at a distance and having an outer surface corresponding to a central zone of a sphere of a diameter considerably greater than that of said ball, means for locking said hollow member in any adjusted position on said screw, a bracket on said table, a first follower having a stem passing through and axially slidable in said bracket and a flat follower disc adjacent a' part of said spherical outer surface of said skirt, a two-armed lever pivoted to said bracket for movement about an axis at right angles to the direction of movement of said first carriage, one arm of said lever engaging a portion of said first carriage and its other arm cooperating with the free end of the stem of said first follower, means biasing said first carriage away from said bracket and urging said follower disc of said first follower into tangential contact with the spherical surface of said skirt, an arm rigid with said intermediate member and extending therefrom toward said hollow member, a second follower having a stem adjustably supported by said arm with its axis extending at substantially right angles to the stem of said first follower and a follower disc adjacent a part of the spherical skirt surface displaced by about with respect to the part of the spherical skirt surface contacted by said first follower disc, and means biasing said intermediate member for pivotal movement about its axis in one direction so as to urge said second follower disc into tangential contact with the adjacent part of the spherical skirt surface.

2. A micromanipulator comprising a base, a first slide member vertically displaceable on said base, fine adjusting means including a first control knob for micrometrically raising or lowering said first slide member relative to said base, a second slide member vertically displaceable on said base, coarse adjusting means for raising or lowering said second slide member relative to said first slide member, a horizontal table carried by said second slide member above said base, a first carriage rectilinearly slidable on said table in a horizontal plane,

an intermediate member mounted on said first carriage for pivotal movements relative thereto about a vertical axis, a second carriage rectilinearly slidable on said intermediate member substantially in the direction of the movement of said first carriage, a tool clamp on said second carriage, coarse adjusting means for shifting said second carriage back and forth relative to said intermediate member, an open concave spherical bearing rigid with said table and defining in cross-section a circular arc, said bearing being provided with a vertical slot, a ball fitted into and retained in said bearing, a manipulating lever for said ball having a short portion extending axially from said ball through said vertical slot in the bearing and a downwardly extending portion terminating in a handle in vicinity of said control knob, a screw projecting upwardly from said ball, a hollow member including a nut threaded on said screw and a depending skirt portion surrounding said ball and having an outer surface corresponding to a central zone of a sphere ofa diameter considerably greater than that of said ball, means for locking said hollow member in any adjusted position on said screw, a bracket on said table, a first follower having a stem passing through and axially slidable in said bracket and a flat follower disc adjacent a part of said spherical outer surface of said skirt, a two-armed lever pivoted to said bracket for movement about an axis at right angles to the direction of movement of said first carriage, one arm of said lever engaging a portion of said first carriage and its other arm cooperating with the free end of the stern of said first follower, means biasing said first carriage away from said bracket and urging said follower disc of said first follower into tangential contact with the spherical surface of said skirt, and arm rigid with said intermediate member and extending therefrom toward said hollow member, a second follower having a stem adjustably supported by said arm with its axis extending at substantially right angles to the stem of said first follower and a follower disc adjacent a part of the spherical skirt surface displaced by about 90 with respect to the part of the spherical skirt surface contacted by said first follower disc, and means biasing said intermediate member for pivotal movement about its axis in one direction so as to urge said second follower disc into tangential contact with the adjacent part of the spherical skirt surface.

3. In a micromanipulator of the type having vertically and horizontally movable supports, the combination with the vertically movable support of L ggLhQldfl. carried by said support for substantially universal movement in a predetermined plane, said tool holder comprising a first slide mounted upon the support for longitudinal movement thereon; a plate mounted for lateral movement on said slide; a second slide mounted on said plate for longitudinal movement with respect thereto, said tool holder being supported on said second slide; a spherical bearing on said support; a spherical member carried by said bearing and an operating lever therefor to move said sphere in any direction; a second spherical member supported by said first sphere and movable therewith; said second spherical member being hollow and enclosing said first spherical member, said first spherical member having means for adjustably supporting said second spherical member with respect to the first spherical member to vary the degree of eccentricity between them; a plurality of cam followers urged into contact with spaced portions of said second spherical member, one of said cam followers being operatively connected to said first slide to transmit thereto movement to said tool holder in one direction, and a second cam follower being operatively connected to said plate to transmit movement to said holder in a different direction, upon operation of said operating lever in a corresponding direction.

4. A micromanipulator according to claim 3 in which the bearing for said first spherical member has a plurality of surfaces in contact with said member, said surfaces being formed in the arc of a circle generated substantially on the radius of said sphere.

5. A micromanipulator according to claim 3 in which said first slide has a socket extending from one end thereof, with a lever connecting the first of said followers with said socket.

6. A micromanipulator according to claim 3 in which said plate has an arm connecting it to the second of said followers. 7

7. A micromanipulator according to claim 3 in which said cam followers are resiliently urged into contact with said second spherical member.

8. A micromanipulator according to claim 3 in which said first slide is resiliently urged longitudinally of its support, a bracket is mounted between said slide and second sphere, the first of said followers is supported in said bracket and a lever is pivoted to said bracket to operatively connect said follower with said first slide.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,828,460 Emerson Oct. 20, 1931 1,987,733 Fonbrune Ian. 15, 1935 2,003,387 Ott June 4, 1935 2,585,120 Harrington Feb. 12, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 653,759 Great Britain May 23, 1951

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