Balanced equatorial mount technique for telescope
AssigneeNanjing iOptron Scientific, Inc. Ltd.
InventorsNing XU, Deshun CHEN, Yingyin Kevin ZOU
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Abstract
A technique for equatorially mounting a telescope includes a right ascension support having a first end coupled to a counterweight assembly and a second end coupled to a declination support. The right ascension support is coupled to a base and extends downwardly and backwardly from the first end to the second end. The resulting arrangement causes the act of balancing the telescope about its right ascension axis also substantially to balance the telescope about its base.
Claims20
A telescope mount for pointing an optical assembly, comprising:
- a base;
- a right ascension support coupled to the base and having a first end and a second end, the right ascension support extending downwardly and backwardly from the first end to the second end when the base is oriented upright;
- a counterweight assembly coupled to the right ascension support at the first end of the right ascension support;
- and
- a declination support coupled to the right ascension support at the second end of the right ascension support, wherein the right ascension support is constructed and arranged to effect rotation of the optical assembly about a right ascension axis of the telescope mount and the declination support is constructed and arranged to effect rotation of the optical assembly about a declination axis of the telescope mount.
A telescope, comprising:
- a tripod or pedestal;
- a telescope mount attached to the tripod or pedestal;
- and
- an optical assembly attached to the telescope mount,
- the telescope mount including
- a base;
- a right ascension support coupled to the base and having a first end and a second end, the right ascension support extending downwardly and backwardly from the first end to the second end;
- a counterweight assembly coupled to the right ascension support at the first end of the right ascension support;
- and
- a declination support coupled to the right ascension support at the second end of the right ascension support,
- wherein the right ascension support is constructed and arranged to effect rotation of the optical assembly about a right ascension axis of the telescope mount and the declination support is constructed and arranged to effect rotation of the optical assembly about a declination axis of the telescope mount.
A method of balancing a telescope having a telescope mount for carrying an optical assembly, the telescope mount including:
- a base attached to a tripod or pedestal;
- a right ascension support coupled to the base and having a first end and a second end, the right ascension support extending downwardly and backwardly from the first end to the second end;
- a counterweight assembly coupled to the right ascension support at the first end of the right ascension support, the counterweight assembly including a counterweight shaft and a counterweight mass attached to the shaft;
- wherein the right ascension support is constructed and arranged to effect rotation of the optical assembly about a right ascension axis of the telescope mount and the declination support is constructed and arranged to effect rotation of the optical assembly about a declination axis of the telescope mount,
- the method comprising:
- adjusting the position of the counterweight mass along the counterweight shaft to substantially balance the weight of the optical assembly both about the right ascension axis and about the base.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.