Equatorial mounting system and drive therefor

An equatorial mounting system for a telescope, or the like, comprising:

• a substantially stationary base member;
• a U-shaped element defining a trough and a pair of parallel mounting arms extending upwardly therefrom;
• an axle pivotably mounted in said base, said axle mounting said U-shaped member and forming an angle measured from a horizontal reference line that is substantially equal to a latitude of utilization of said telescope, said axle thereby lying along and defining a polar axis;
• said telescope comprising a polygonal tubular housing having a plurality of pairs of declination studs protruding from opposed polygonal sides;
• mounting means for slidably receiving an opposing pair of declination studs;
• whereby said telescope may be quickly assembled to said equatorial mount and in the event of an inconvenient positioning of an eyepiece lens, said declination studs of said telescope may be easily removed from said mounting means, axially rotated and another pair of said declination studs slidably inserted into said mounting means to more conveniently position said eyepiece lens.

A drive system for slewing an equatorial mount about its polar axis to track a celestial body, said equatorial mount including a substantially stationary base, a U-shaped member defining a trough and a pair of mounting arms extending outwardly therefrom for each receiving a mounting stud secured to an optical instrument, said mounting studs defining a declination axis, and an axle lying along said polar axis pivotably mounting said U-shaped member to said base, said drive system comprising:

• an arcuate sector fixedly connected to said axle which lies along said polar axis and to the trough of said U-shaped member;
• a threaded rod rotatably mounted on said substantially stationary base;
• friction means secured to an end of said arcuate member and engaged by said threaded rod to be driven thereby;
• a pair of curved guides mounted adjacent a curved periphery of said arcuate sector, said curved guides enclosing at least a portion of said threaded rod.