My new thing

[pmccarthy]

After looking at this in a secondhand shop for two years, I finally bought it. It is a 3-axis thingamejig by Carl Zeiss. I don't know what it is. But it had superb control of X-Y by the two wheels, and Z by the knurled ring on the shaft. I can think of mounting a camera on it for precise close-ups. Or mounting a bar with two points to transfer positions precisely from drawing to job. Or fit a thin arm for assembling a ship in a bottle, or putting the pilot into an Airfix model. Maybe I will just admire it.

[old man emu]

Since it is monocular, it can't have been used for mapping from aerial photographs. The ability to move the plate in the X and Y axes, as well as a means to adjust focus in the Z axis, makes me think that it is a device for closely examining single prints.

 

Are there any serial numbers or model numbers?

[pmccarthy]

No serial numbers that I can find. But I havent disassembled it.

[old man emu]

Well, it's definitely not a thing for taking things out of horses' hooves.

[Yenn]

When I was into photography I sometimes had a need to control the location of a lens to very precise measurements. This device would do the job, but unless it was securely held it looks flimsy. Does it screw down to the table?

[pmccarthy]

It is very heavy cast iron. One of the four feet has a screw adjuster so it is very stable.

 

[old man emu]

I've had a look at all sorts of Zeiss optical equipment but can't find anything the same.

 

Why don't you ask them?

info.au@zeiss.com

Phone: 1300 365 470

[onetrack]

Your best bet might be the Zeiss archivists. I have no idea what it might be, either - but remember that Zeiss have built every type of optical device possible, from surgical microscopes to builders levels to camera lenses and binoculars - and even depth guages.

 

Whatever device it was used for, it was to be bench mounted, and it was critical that the device was able to be perfectly levelled on every axis. I'd have to opine that it's WW1 vintage.

 

https://www.zeiss.com/corporate/int/about-zeiss/history/archives.html

Edited October 22, 2020 by onetrack

[old man emu]

I support the idea that it is WWI vintage simply due to the use of cast iron. It could even be from the late 19th Century.

 

Hit the link that Onetrack posted. I'm really interested in the result.

[Old Koreelah]

9 hours ago, onetrack said:

Your best bet might be the Zeiss archivists. I have no idea what it might be, either - but remember that Zeiss have built every type of optical device possible...

...including artilery gunsights. During WWI they sold mobs of them to the British, via Switzerland. 

[pmccarthy]

I got this message:

Hi Peter,
Thank you for your email.
We have forwarded it to our Museum of Optics in Germany and will let you know what it is once they have replied.
Kind regards,
Ines

 

[Yenn]

I am guessing that it s a means of moving a lens in a light ray, to direct where it is wanted.

[pmccarthy]

From Zeiss:

Such tables were used for ophthalmological instruments until about the 1930s, e.g. corneal microscopes, slit lamps or ophthalmoscopes.

You can find an example (only German) in our "Virtual Museum":

http://www.archive.zeiss.de/zeig_start.fau?prj=zeiss&dm=museum&listex=Ident-Nummern&zeig=760

I hope this information is useful. If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

With best regards,
Ms Marte Schwabe

 

[pmccarthy]

This is the museum pic. Definitely it.

[onetrack]

That's good news! I'd really like to see what the text was, that was cut off the bottom of the photo. But the description translated is probably more revealing.

 

Corneal microscope, 1924
Description:
The corneal microscope is an indispensable binocular microscope for many ophthalmological examinations, which allows magnifications of 8 to 103 times using interchangeable pairs of lenses and eyepieces.

To examine the anterior segment of the eyeball and for surgical interventions, it is used with a lighting device that can be moved on an arch. The microscope is particularly useful as an observation device for the focal illumination of the eye with the Gullstrand slit lamp.
Changes were made to the foot design.

[old man emu]

Now the search is on for the rest of it!

[Bruce Tuncks]

But I don't want you operating on my eyes pmc.  Even though you have the optics. Sorry if this hurts your feelings.