The swing leg is attached to the framework of the tripod by the screw (Fig. A), which is provided with a powerful steel spiral spring, compressed between two steel collets when the screw is driven home, as shown in Fig. B.
The expansion of this spring will obviously take up and compensate automatically any wear and tear that is likely to occur between the bearing surfaces, and it is therefore impossible for the fitting to get loose.
Swift’s Four-legged Microscope ([Fig. 80]) is one possessing great stability in whatever position it may be placed; the body being supported on a horse-shoe platform, from which its four legs spring, the two front legs being fixed, while the hind legs are pivoted to the platform. This arrangement of pivoting the hind legs enables the microscope to adapt itself to any uneven surface, thus keeping it always in a steady position, while it also reduces the danger of being upset by any lateral movement of an accidental nature. The feet are studded with corks, an additional aid to steadiness and fixity for microphotography. The length of the body from the ocular to the nose-piece is 6½ inches, and can be extended to 9 or 10 inches by means of the draw-tube, which has a millimetre graduation. The stage, which is of horse-shoe shape, is provided with spring clips, to which a movable mechanical stage can at any time be attached. The sub-stage partakes of two forms, one being an ordinary fitting, taking an ordinary condenser; the other, the regular rack and pinion achromatic condenser with centring adjustments. It has a diagonal rack and pinion coarse adjustment, the fine adjustment being made by micrometer screw of the finest character.
Fig. 82.—Swift’s Spiral Rack and Pinion Coarse Adjustment.
[Fig. 82] is intended to illustrate the advantage of the spiral rack and pinion which Messrs. Swift fit to their microscopes, in place of the ordinary conventional horizontal rack and pinion movement. The advantage will at once be seen, since there is more gearing contact between rack and pinion, thus ensuring durability and reducing loss of time or back lash to a minimum, with less wear and tear. The leaves of the pinion also roll into the teeth of the rack by degrees, ensuring a very much smoother action, which, if properly made and fitted, prevents the gearing of the two being felt by the hand whilst focussing.
Fig. 83.—Graduated Supplementary Draw-Tube.
[Fig. 83] is a supplementary draw-tube with rack and pinion movement, which can be adapted to any of Swift’s microscopes in place of the ordinary draw-tube, the size of the thread being of the same diameter, so as to render all draw-tubes, as well as other parts of these instruments, interchangeable. The draw-tube being divided into millimetres can be extended from 160 to 250 millimetres. One advantage of this arrangement is that the correct adjustment of any objective with each eye-piece is easily found and recorded for future observations with the same combination.
Messrs. Swift’s Three-legged Tripod Microscope ([Fig. 86]). In most respects the description already given of the four-legged instrument is applicable to this stand. Although of an apparently different form, it can be built up, as already explained, into one of a higher class. It is suitable in every way for histological investigations. The horse-shoe platform in this, as in the preceding stand, is extremely serviceable, as it allows the pillar of the instrument to rest firmly upon it, thus rendering the stand very rigid.