Collimators & Collimation No. 9072 Please Note! Many of the parts listed in this book may not be currently available because of stock changes over the years. Before you start your project, please check the current Edmund Scientific catalog for current pricing and availability of the various parts listed in the instructions. etre OPTICS LIBRARY CSTable of Contents Introduction 1 COLLIMATORS Basie Collimator Alignment Collimator 70 (Hen) Collimator Folded Collimetors Avto-Collimation .. Projection Colimator Basic Collimator. ‘Micrometer Eyepiece Microscope Eyepiace Off. Anis Pinhole Type Fixture Type Auto-Collimator . COLLIMATION Angle Compazison eld le Tel leladalad 18 Dect Angle 7 7 7 18 Indirect Angle 18 ‘The Sine-Bar 19 Coltimasing 4 Rifle Bore 19 Star Test 21 APPENDIX I: A Collimator Target : _ APPENDIX II: Targets, Homemade Systems, Tests of Photographic Lenses. APPENDIX III: Optical Bench and Collimator APPENDIX IV: Positioning Equipment APPENDIX V: Binocular Collimation AFIRST OF ITS KIND ‘Collimators and Collimation” has been published to fill «long-standing gap in the literature on this important subject, It was produced on short notice and makes no claims on being a comprehensive technical manual; however, you will find i very helpful in solving many collimating problems. Specific how-to-do.it information is included in the appendices. ‘We welcome your constructive suggestions on how to make this book more valuable, if you will direct them to our Engineering Department, they will be carefully considered for inclusion in the next edition. FREE EDMUND CATALOG ON REQUEST ‘The Edmond Catalog offers the largest selection of lenses, prisms, miors, ters, reflectors, reticles and miscellaneous optical tems in the world. Many are war and industrial surplus at truly ‘bargainpprices; nesy al are carried instock; delivery ispromptand postpaid. Over4,S00difTerent science-math-optics bargsins—write for your FREE copy todayINTRODUCTION Prior to World War Il precision optical instru- ments, including most military Fire Control In~ struments, were usually tested on out-door tar~ gets that were at known distances, Such military instruments were used for measuring or comput~ ing ranges. It was extremely important that the distance, or range, be computed accurately, This was accomplished by using an engineer's transit to measure the correct distance and angles, ‘The old procedure was as follows: A base-line wag laid out inside a building on a floor in front of windows looking out on the selected target area, Permanent inserts were then put in the Moor. If the target area was not visible from the building, the base line was then constructedona roof providing it was flat and the permanent locating points could be inserted, An engineer's transit (assembled on a tripod) was set up at one end of the base-line. A plumb bob, with its cord attached to the center line of the instrument, was lowered and centered over one of the inserts, (Gee Figure 1.) seve ra sac ieee eer FIGURE 1 The line of sight through the telescope of the transit was directed at the selected target and the focus adjusted to clearly define a straight edge on the target, The adjusting screws on the row rot Accurate determination of range by use of engineer's transit base of the transit were adjusted to level the two perpendicular spirit levels in the horizontal plane. With the magnetic needle of the compass indi- cating north, the deflection scale of the transit was set at zero, the spirit level onthe top of the sighting telescope leveled, and the reticle in the telescope adjusted to the operator's eye, Then the focus was oriented to define the target sharply. Fine vernier adjustments were made with the azimuth knob to place the vertical reticle line on target, A reading was taken and recorded, The transit was then setup inthe same manner at the other end of the base line and, following the same procedure, the angle wasdetermined, Having the two angles and the exact length of the base line, the distance to the target was accurately com- puted, A whole series of targets at various dis- tances were constructed for the different types of observation, Wall targets were limited to short distances due to the construction of the buildings, heavy pillars, and beams and girders which obstructed lines of sight, Required checks and tests such as resolution (definition), paral- lax removal, etc, were performed outdoors. Targets were select- ed for their size and sta- bility; usually water tanks, smoke stacks, electric towers, bridge standards or the cross on church steeples, However, the use of these targets was limit- ed due to foggy and rainy weather. It is understandable because of the above condition and other fac~ tors, why the target col- limator had to bedevel~ oped, Instrument pro- duction would shut down and often several days would pass before pro- duction could resume, ‘sta Conditions preventing use of collimators were not only confined to bad weather, but on good, clear days problems were also encountered. The bright, hot afternoon sun caused optical illusions; visible heat waves caused the target toappearas if it were moving, When this condition occurred itwas impossible to adjust the telescope, During the war years, manufacturers of prec- ision optical instruments were confronted with the same problems? and in the case of military suppliers, these problems caused delay of ur- gently needed Fire Control sighting equipment. The wall targets mentioned previously were not as accurate as the long distance range tar- get. When utilizing an inside target, a peep sight adapter had to be used as a parallax shield at the eyepiece or the objective lens. (The magni- fleation of the telescope plus the short distance to the wall target caused excessive parallax). ‘This error could only be eliminated by the re~ duction of light to make the image appear sharp and distin The wall target did a good job, but it was re- alized that a more accurate method wasneeded, ‘Targets that could be reduced to relatively short distances and still be as accurate as the long range targets were necessary. With the condit~ tions then existing, the supply was not meeting the demand, Thus, the target collimator was developed. ‘The potential of the first collimators was not realized until after World WarlIl. New devel- opments and applications were then found in the heavy machine and the aircraft industries, ae r | vest nance tancer WN / / L 7 t Sy ans TRANSIT = Position 3 Position 1 aaneeT PosiTiON 2 FIGURE 2 Optically aligning a missile guidance system showing use of transit and fixed target Later the collimator, the aligning telescope, and other telescopes were used to fabricate, aim, and track our space rockets and other military mis~ siles, (See Figure 2.) BASIC COLLIMATORS ‘The basic cotuumator 1s an optical mstrument similar to a telescope, Light from a distant ob- ject enters the telescope objective lens inparal- lel rays, The rays then converge atafocat point (See Fig. 3) usually where the reticle or field stop is placed, This is the principle focus of the objective lens. Another method (See Figure 4) shows an internal Light source used to illuminate ser vues conn 645 Sanu stat ron rom PTY tier sencic on FIGURE 3. Optics f the collimating *elescope and optical ugnt path the reticle placed at the nrmciple focal point, of the objective lens, The light rays pass through the reticle and are collimated (rendered parallel) by the objective lens. The image of the reticle appears at infinity, Different methods of FIGURE 4 Basic collimator system light diffusion have previously been used. One method was to put a frosted light bulb behind the reticle, This only proved fair; the element wire was visible and caused a bright spot which be- came hard on the eyes of the operator, A disc of fine ground glass was then used to replace the light bulb, This diffused the light evenly, but the light appeared silvery instead of white. A milk glass disc was finally used to get the proper reticle contrast, With most of the previously described prob- lems controlled, the target was moved inside and confined to the work bench,The basic collimator was used to inspect and test optics and optical instruments. (See Fig- ures 5 and 6.) leks. DIRECTION OF ROTATION erepicoe ~ ELBOW TELESCOPE au + paces I wIcROscOPE: [po bisa ja OPTICAL ELEMENT OBJECTIVE | woea TEST COLLIMATOR nericue | r- couuimaror . LENS UNDER TEST { (BEING ROTATED) | SHADOW OF { tas LuBer souger FIGURE 5 — Typical lens sets ALIGNMENT COLLIMATOR ‘The alignment collimator, similar to that used in optical tooling, is an instrument used to set up precise reference lines of sight, The colli- mator does not have an eyepiece, (See Fig. 7.) ‘This type of instrument is known as alabora- tory collimator. It has a tube made from tool steel machined from solid stock, It is hardened and chromium-plated, then ground to a stand- ard outside diameter of 2.2498 inches, oe FIGURE 7 A displacement oranalignment reticle pattern is centered near the front surface of the objective lens with the etched pattern on the rear surface, An infinity or tilt reticle is then placed at the principle focus of the objective lens, approxi- mately 10 inches from the objective lens. (See Figure 8) The tilt reticle is usually graduated every 30 seconds, in four directions from zero, as shown in Figure 9, The centers ofthe tilt and displacement reticles are positioned on the opti~ cal axis of the collimator, The reticle is illumin- ated by a 110-volt, removable light source, Laboratory alignment collinater 9 for measuring tens eccentricity FIBURE 6 Collimator for checking parallelism of filters, reticies, ant other flat pieces of glass In operation, the ult reticle is illuminated by vays which emerge through the objective lens as a parallel beam, If an alignment telescope is oy - =Car f FIGURE 8 Sectional view of typical collimator focused at infinity and the tilt reticle can be x made to appear in the telescope. Graduations on the tilt reticle allow 8 direct reading of the angle which the optical axes of the collimstor and the telescope make with each other, By superimposing the tilt reticle of the collimator jo th FIGURE 9 Reticle graduated 30"onto the telescope reticle, collimation will be accomplished; that is, the optical axes of the two instruments will be parallel, However, they may be displaced an unknown amount, (See Figure 10,) covewuveR THT enieue SUPERIMPOSED OF TELESCOPE RETICLE Cr INSTROMENTS COLLATED {PARALEL) = reuesSone 7 arent couaton j DUSPLACED BUT STILL COLLIMATED FIGURE 10 Collimation of the alignment telescope Focus the telescope on the collimator dis- placement reticle. The amount of displacement between the two instruments can be readdirect~ ly and collineated (both having common optical axes), This establishes a straight reference line of sight between the twoinstruments, from whieh other lines of sight or measurements may be taken, (See Figure 11.) {Sp acseart restore rues reueseore socusea TOW DISPEREMENT Tater tare fusrtacenent revesceer atric busrencenentaeicLe TOLUNATEDPTIEAL ARES OMOEA) FIGURE 11 Collineation (optical axes collimated} ‘The alignment collimator with the operations and uses to which it can be put, is a very expen- sive, custom-made, laboratory optical tool. If a needarises fora collimator with these require- ments, one can be machined from brass that will be inexpensive compared to a standard laboratory-type instrument, With it you can ob- tain the same accuracies as the more expensive instrument, Both types of reticles can be used, ifdesired, ‘The use of the displacement reticle is limited and therefore not recommended, unless it canbe used for a specific purpose or project. It is more practical to use the tilt or target reticle at the principle focus of the objective lens since it is a great deal less expensive, ‘The accuracy of this type of reticle is achieved through its mount and the mount's relationship to the outside diameter of the tube (determined by the size of the objective lens) and to the optical axis. Additional expense is eliminated since the tube will not require hardening, drawing, tem- pering, and finish grinding, To reduce the cost still further, aluminum may be substituted for steel, There is no restriction ty the kind or type material that can be used except that it must be some kind of metal. Cardboard or plastic mater- jals cannot be used because they are not stable, Af equipment is available by which to machine and assemble parts, a collimator canhe madeas follows: The outside tube canbe designed to your speci- fications; however, the tube's outside diameter must be concentric with respect to the inside Giameter. It need not be as large indiameter as the laboratory collimator previously described. Select round bar stock or the thickest walled tubing that might be available, Make sure you have enough material to make the outside tube, the lamp house, two (2) retaining rangs, and one reticle cell. If optical components to make a collimator are needed to meet specific requirements, such as one with a, smaller or larger outside diameter than already described on page 8, consult the Edmund Catalog for an excellent selection of objective Ienses and reticles. It is wise to make your se~ lection of optics first and then build the collima~ tor to their specifications (focal lengths, ete.). CONSTRUCTING A COLLIMATOR The first step of constructing a collimator is to sketch the inside diameters of the tube with respect to the diameters of the reticle and objective, The objective end of the tube should have a bore deep enough to accept the objective Jens and a retaining ring, The front surface of the objective lens should be recessed in the end of the tube, (See Figure 12.) Also, the objective's focal length will position the locating shoulder for the reticle, (See Figure 13,) Allowances should be made in this bore for reticle adjustment. The aperture of the bore should be at least 1/4 in, in diameter smaller than the reticle diameter, not including the pro~ tective ring, The ring should be a snug fit on the reticle, but if it is a little loose it can be ce~OBJECTIVE LENS RETAINING RINGS. DiFFusion ENT eriele COLLIMATOR TUBE ADJUSTMENT SCREWS(4) nice CUI M,l (AK MQAAL MEASURING RETICLE -——} RETICLE CELL NIE RG RAG XG A A.AAAA PRINCIPLE FOCUS RETAINING RINGS FIGURE 12 & WK SS KES \ PRINCIPLE FOCUS Gross section of alignment collimator OF OBJECTIVE LENS CW WG... X FIGURE 13 Focal length of objective pesitions locating shoulder for reticle mented with an epoxy glue. The ring prevents chipping the reticle while adjusting it for colli~ mation, The wall thickness of the ring shouldbe 1/16 in, thick, The bore into which the reticle assembly fits, should be at least 1/4 in, in dia~ meter larger than the diameter of the reticle {not including the ring), Threading the retain- —ys,.y, ing ring is not neces- smn) Fi sary;apushfit is all thay is needed since a set screw will hold both the ring and reticle pieces in place when the as- sembly is complete. (See Figure 14.) Drill four, equally spaced holes in the out- FIGURE 14 side tube, These holes Securing the reticle are often located to- retaining ring in position ward center on the edge of the reticle and should BY use of set screws LAMP HOUSE be drilled for tapping 2 10-32 thread. This screw size is used because it will move the reticle eas~ ily and slowly in the tube, Next, the set screws selected should have relatively snort length and be rounded at the points to prevent gouging the metal, And finally, try using the easier-adjust- gocket-head set screws as opposed to the slotzed type. The screws are used to orient the reticle assembly inside the larger diameter bore, The reticle should and must adjust freely in all directions and should need only @ slight ad~ justment to properly align it, (See Figure 15.) OUTSIDE DIAMETERS: OF TUBE TERR atten KS BECO WRENCH WN RO SOCKET HEAD SET SCREW t PROTECTIVE RIM ‘OF RETICLE FIGURE 1§ Mounting of reticle cell with set screws for elliptical adjustmentIf you decide to make a lamp house for your collimator, you can make it fit either the inside bore or the outside diameter of the collimator tube, The lamp house must havea slip fit so that it can be removed easily even with the light on, Usually, after prolonged use, the heat of the lamp expands the metal, making the fit tighter if se~ cured in the inside diameter or loose if fitted over the outside diameter. Music MILK GLASS wire 1 DIFFUSION DISC RETAINING wnte ad PAINT ON Tals SURFACE FIGURE 16 Method of mounting lamp house iffusing glass ‘The lamp house should be constructed with a shoulder for the ground glace to rest on and a piece of music wire to act as a retaining ring to hold the glass in. This wire canbe set in a groove to hold it, or it can be pushed in the end of the tube. (See Figure 16.) Pai he snide of he lamp ose with white floss cnamettoimproe possible will make the job of collimating your instrument easior, After the machining operations are completed you are ready toassemble the collimator, Finish the inside and the outside of the tube and all of the parts made of brass with a mild bronzing solution, Avoid paint finishesas they tend to build up in uneven layers and will cause "out-of- round” conditions, A word of caution when assembling. Optical elements will show strain (distortion) if their ad- justment screws are tightened toomuch. The best way to avoid this isto tighten the screw only until it is snug and then back it off just enough to re- lease the strain, Ifa strain hasbeen set up in the collimator and distortion is present, its presence will be evident in any optical system you check with it. Collimating the optical and mechanical axes of the collimator can be performed utilizing the following equipment: (1) A anrface plate or a means of supporting the collimator; (2) A pair of identical vee blocks or two sets of parallel bars, 1/2 x 1x 6 inches. Position the vee blocks or the parallels onthe surface plate as illustrated, (See Figure 17.) If parallel bars are used, two straight edges will be needed to keep the bars aligned until perman- PARALLEL CLAMPS, light reflection, It might be well to put a variable auto transformer or po- tentiometer inthe line to provide a means of re~ ducing or increasing the intensity of the light. "W"" BLOCK Several types of lamps are available that FIGURE 17 Collimating can be used to illumin- ate the reticle, You can use a standard 7-watt, 110-volt lamp, either the clear or frosted type. However, if a clear lamp is preferred, it will re- quire a piece of ground glass or milk glass to diffuse the light, After the sketch is finished you are ready to begin machining. Face off the tube or bar stock to make the ends parallel, Rough out and finish boring the entire inside diameter of the tube, This diameter will control the accuracy of the finished instrument, Working from the inside diameter and keeping tolerances as close as SURFACE PLATE optical and mechanical axes of the co ater ently clamped. To hold the vee block or the parallels from slipping, a small piece of putty will hold them until they can be clamped, The final important item, the one required to make the final adjustments for collimation, is an aligning telescope, Edmund Stock No. 70,674. Place the aligning telescope (adjusted to infinity) on one of the vee blocks, with the objective lens facing toward the center of the set up. Secure the putty. Now place the aligning collimator on the other vee block with its objective lens facing the objective lens of the telescope. (See Figure 18.)‘To begin collimation, switch on the collimator Jamp (if one has been provided) and adjust it for ALIGNMENT TELESCOPE (EDMUND). the collimator 180 degrees and stop; read the amount of error and establish the direction ALIGNMENT COLLIMATOR ADJUSTMENT SCREWS r SURFACE PLATE "¥"" BLOCKS FIGURE 18 Collimating the collimator by use of the alignment telescope brightness. Allow the lamp to heat up forawhile. This part of the procedure should be practiced each time you use the collimator, Adjust the eve- piece of the telescope and focus it to obtain a sharp reticle image, If the reticle in the colii~ mator is not visible, release the screw that holds the slip tube of the telescope, Adjust the slip tube (with objective lens) uml the target reticle ap- pears as sharp as the reticle in the telescope. Reset the holding screw, Observe both the colli- mator and the telescope reticle; they maynot be in coincidence, If the telescope and collimat are too far apart; then, if necessary mak adjustments by shimming up either instrument, To see just how much misalignment is pres- ent, slowly rotate the collimator in the vee block and observe the rotation of the target reticle with respect to the stationary lescope reticle. Ob- Serve the intersecting point of the rotating ret- icle, It should move in a circular patiern, (See Figure 19.) It will return to the starting point when one full revolution is completed, Kotate o~ MUGHMEAT TAESCOPE Bare eee eee NY om 7 aan Cbs FIGURE 19 Relative motion of reticle patterns with rotation of the collimator of adjustment, Adjust either the four screws a- round the reticle to eliminate half of the error, or release the clamps holding the vee block and manually shim it, Either method is correct, Move the collimator vee block sideways if youdesire to align the reticles, and re-clamp the block before rotating the collimator again, Reset the starting point; rotate 180 degrees and adjust for error, Continue to remove any errors in the same man- ner until all the visible error is eliminated, To improvise an aligning telescope, draw a crosshair target on a piece of bristol board and project ‘the image of the collimator reticle onto | FIGURE 20 A method of projecting the reticle pattern for collimation the target, (See Figure 20,) Then proceed to adjust as previously described, When collima- tion is completed the light rays projected through the objective lens will be parallel to the outside tube within the tolerance of the thickness of the reticle line.ZERO HAND COLLIMATOR When using the zero collimator the optical and mechanical axes are collimated within the accuracy of the width of the intersecting crass lines on a reticle. Originally this type collimator (See Figure 21) was used as an aid in the manu- RETICLE oBlEcTive LENS y Wy \ PARALLEL ENTRANCE / AND EXIT RAYS 3X FIXED ZERO TELESCOPE FIGURE 21 3X Zero (hand) collimator facturing and inspecting of optical and mechani cal instruments, It is used for testing individual optics, eyepiece adjusting, limited-resolution testing,fixture set up, and many more alignment applications similar to those discussed prev- It is believed the zero (hand) collimator was developed toassist the telescope maker, As more and more precision was demanded, it was found that definition and eyepiece settings could not be determined by the individual unaided eye, With this three power telescope held in their hand, ob- servers could see whether or not the target was sharp and clear, It eiiminated individual opinions and guess work; definitions could be considered either good or poor, In the case of a fixed eyepiece reticle, the reticle could be ad- justed from minus one (-1) diopter to a minus 3/4 diopter, This focus setting is for the aver~ age human eye. Prior to the hand collimater the only way possible with ZERO COLLIMATING TELESCOPE “'W" BLOCK band colliiaator, a preset reticle was always pre- gent, The reticle in the hand collimator was con fered the standard and the reticle in the piece was adjusted to it. Adjustable eyepieces canbe set using the colli Usually eyepieces that are adjustable ave the diopter graduations on the eyepiece Adjustment is just the reverse of the fix- ed evepiece whose reticle is adjusted tothe eve~ piece and secured when it appears to be col limated with the collimator reticle, in the case of the adjustable eyepiece, hold the collimator against the eye lens while the evenivce 1s rotat- ed. Focus the reticle of the instrument :o the approximate sharpness of the collimator reticle, check results on the index and diopter scale, and reset, It is always @ good idea to recheck the setting to be sure of accuracy. If the zero collimator is going to be used to check the definition of an individual optical ele ment (for a production set-up) make @ mock-up of the system, Use a lens bench or something similar to the wooden bench illustrated in the Edmund booklet, "Telescope Opties"’, No. 8074, Hold the collimator, and when the elernent under Z TARGET _aaanrcEEE 1 OBJECTIVE LENS FIELD LENS 450 wasten Y PRISM. EYE LENS | RETICLE \ ‘ \ 4 | j i to make this required reticle adjustment was touse diopter lenses; but orientation in this in- stance again needed guesswork, With the SEE FIGURE 22 l goer | Initial setting of test fixture by use of master prism (top view)test is inserted, view the target, With a Little experience a good definition can be distinguished from a poor one, It canbe used to tell if @ prism {s deviating light more than the drawing toler ance allows, A mock-up similar tothe above can be laid out on a flat surface with a target at one end and zero collimator fixed at the eyepiece end. (Check target construction sheet in the ap- pendix.) Position a master prism or one of known value in the system, and adjust the collimator and target (See Figure 22.) until target and reticle are in coincidence with each other. Then remove the master prism and insert the prism to be tested. If a target with graduated or known markings is used, read the error against the stationary reticle of the zero collimator. The target will be displaced by the error shown on the reflecting surface. (See Figure 23.) TARGET uid TILTED 2ERO COLLIMATOR TICLE FIGURE 23° Target displacement shows ersor of prism surface ‘The zero collimator can also be used to set up 8 variety of test and checking fixtures, (See Fig- ure 24.) Because it can be applied in single and multiple mountings its versatility is consider- able. ‘The zero (hand) collimator is manufactured to the same drawing specifications as the labora- tory alignment collimator, The inside and out- side diameters are concentric and the reticle is adjuatable on four adjusting screws (which are equally spaced around the outside tube for mech- anical and optical collimation), The unit is com pletely made of brass (very easy to machine}and produces an excellent, inexpensive, universal band tool. 2ER0 eT COLLIMATOR a= ALIGNMENT COLLIMATOR BEHIND BINOCULARS a yw FIGURE 24A Zero collimator mounted on a single swivel vol a CLAMP BINOCULARS —m TERO COLLIMATOR MULTIPLE MOUNT FIGURE 248 Zero collimator, multiple mourt All components made of brass should be treat~ edin bronaing acid or black oxidized. Again, the collimator never should be painted because it produces an uneven surface--not a good refer~ ence from which to work. The zero collimator should never be given use that will destroy the accuracy built into it, Therefore, when not in use, store it in a box with a felt lining, This is also recommended for the alignment collimator, if manufactured, because the outside diameter of the collimator is the known diameter from which mechanical layout measurements are taken, Let's assume a target collimator isnot avail able and there is sufficient distance for 2 wall target to be constructed. Try laying one out as illustrated. (See Figure 29.) Suspend a plumb line in front of, and as near as possible to, the center of the target. Using the plumb Jineas the vertical center, all horizontal collimation points can then be constructed from the plumbed zero collimator to the plumb Line. 8 horizontal lineA = Intersection for coincidence with the optical line of sight of the Zero collimator, B = To suit the horizontal center distance, on the fixture, between the Zero Collimator and the telescope under. test. C= To suit the vertical center distance between the Zero Collimator and the telescope. H = Horizontal line for checking the horizontal line of the telescope, V © Vertical line for checking the vertical line of the telescope. M= Mil blocks for gaging collimation error. Note; - The mil block dimension given is fora target dis~ tance of one (1) ft, When constructing the actual target, multiply the given value by the number of feet the target ig from the telescope objective. When the zero (hand) collimator is mounted on a test fixture (See Figure 28,), the vertical reticle line should be plumb to a plumb liner and the horizontal line should be in coincidence with a predetermined elevation line. To ac~ complish this, mount a FIGURE 25 Target fayout can be put on the wall tomatch the reticle in the collimator, By doing this a quick check point is obtainable without sighting through the collima~ tor, The plumb line isa constant deflection colli- mation check and the zero collimator reticle should always be in coincidence with it when an accuracy collimation check is made, (See Fig- ure 26.) zero collimator in an_ adapter and attach ittoa une FIGURE 28 Zero [band) Surface gage. (See Fig- ure 29.) Adjust it toa callinater— SFE_28.) Adsust met plumbed line and a hori~ as am mounted on ontal line, This gage Pere veicit test fitture can then be moved in Et (rune front of the fixed collimators, and they can be ee 0H adjusted to match the collimator on the movable FIGURE 26 Alignment ot rer caliat TOURE 27 Elinating plant using plumb e CrecKiNG fine and to air currents | no couumeit, |) rae oereenmen veal target AORLZONTAL UNE When you hang the plumb Line, use a len; \ good heavy cord, such as butcher's twine or —— something equally as sturdy, Weight one end with ruuws | about a half pourd weight (plumb bob), and make an "'s" shaped hook from a coat hanger for the other end, Suspend the line so the weight will be v off the floor about 6 inches, Allow the weight to hang in a paint can or bucket and fill with water {andl the weight is about hal! covered), inen, pour enough machine oil on top of the water to come to the top of the weight, (Gee Figure 27.) This eliminates swing because ofbuildingmove- FIGURE 29 Portable zero collimator mounted on surface Tent or distur pence/hy air jeurnens age for accuracy and stability tests 10=o ae | COLLIMATORS. BuMDCULAR couunaToRs zero collimacors, If binocut being repaired i would be lageous to krow the resolving power of the binoculars; the targe: collima- tor cats be used with external resoiu~ Hon chartis) (set ai nee and well lighted) of equipped with reso- lution reticle(si, (See Figure 3 oo The wid:h of each line onthe chart is equal 10 the wirtth of the space be~ | @ I FIGURE 30 Collimation with a double target collimator stand, The portable collimator makes it easy 10 make accuracy and stability tests, Binoculars are usually adjusted on a double target collimator. (See Figure 30.) Two target collimators are mounted side-by-side in front of the binoculars, Behind the binocular and holding device, two zero collimators are also. mounted side-by-side. Each set of collimators represents two parallel lines of sight. When the binocular is placed in its Lolding device, the zero collimator measures, the deviation from parallel. (See Figure 23.) In collimating binoculars that contain reticles for measuring distance, suchas military binoou- lars, the collimator target reticle can be arec- tangle or circles of various sizes representing 3, 6, and 12 minute tolerances. Military binocu- lars are adjusted for 6 minutes or less, (See Figure 31.) This setting will not cause eye strain, ey i \\ PM aun] WF 12 MIR] iz mine! FIGURE 31 Target reticles used for collimating ilitary binoculars When the individual eyepieces of the binoculars are adjusted, they should each read between min~ us une (1) and minus 3/4 diopter when the target reticle is observed in sharp focus through the tween: the 1 adjacert black 1 the centers of the fe subtend a Loncestosstance ) reso ‘ oi eee BINOCULARS RESOLUTION CHAR t FIGURE 32 Using a resolution chart to test binoculars of 7.9 seconds at 66 ft,and 5,0 seconds at 100 ft, These distances can be transferred to the tar- get collimator in the same manner as described in a previous paragraph, utilizing an Edmund Scientific Co, Alignment Telescope, The zero collimator can be hand held when observing the resol get and the outer field, In order to see tne outer field, the collimator must be shifted around, (Remember, the image is in reverse; look to the right to sve left, or down to see up.) FOLDED COLLIMATORS The word "folded" means that the Light path of the collimator, seen from the side, would look like an accordion, ora large "Z." Because colli~ "mators are manufactured to various designs de- pending on the individual requirement, they may vary in size (from 3/4 of an inch in diameter to 12 inches indiameter, and from 4 inches in length to 4 or 9 feet), When they reach this length, space is important, especially if two or more such collimators are required. The folded col- Limator is designed on the principle of the opti~ cal level, (See Figure33,) It replaced the lony straight tube type and proved to be an efficient instrument and a space saver. (Sec Figure 34.) This type of collimator is a litte more difficult OBJECTIVE y TARGET LENS uci PORTS FIGURE 39 Lamp house doubles as an auto: collimator unit ‘The reticle is graduated for numerous diversi- fied tests rather than for only one typeof opera tion; it is used for collimation checks, resolu- tion, plumb travel, elevation accuracy, image tilt, and backlash readings, These tests are largely associated with military instruments having extremely fine accuracies, but are slowly finding their way Into the industrisl world, ‘The collimator projector is more widely used as a target then most of the other collimator designs, It is often set up in multiple positions on fixtures requiring more than one accuracy tes? to be made, (See Figure 40.) 4 PeOVEGTOR CoLLAMATOR 2 CLevaTiON Teno UNE oF siekr SS Sse PROLECTIR GOLLIMATOR 18” OEPRESSION waster exo Ke ristuat FIGURE 40 Colfimator projector sot-up with multiple fixtures ‘Tke illustration, showing different elevatio: angles, is designed! to insure a stationary cheek point that can not move unless i: is bumped. Each elevation point is positioned by tie al collitmation method. A muster reflecting eur- face 1s positioned in the fixture, the same as ir the production instrument, Then it is set ata predetermined angle, an to-collimating lamp house unit is installed. The reticle is pro- jected to the reflecting surface, and the image is reflected back through the collimator where it is, picked up cn the reticle by tke eyepiece. If the collimator is aot in alignment, wo reticle pat- terns will be seen, The amount of error between them is of no importance. The target or the col- Mmator should be adjusted until the two images of the reticle are superimposed, thus making a straight line of sight. Repeat theeoperation at each angular position in elevation and/or depres- sion, By setting up these lines of collimation, ac~ curacy and precision ean be applied to almost any project. After the fixture is set, the lamp house is removed and a diffusion disk ‘s placed over the eye lens, If desired, the lamp house can be re~ placed and the lamp located in the rear port to illuminate the reticle. Now the tests ean be con- ducted from the objective end of the collimator. These tests are not auio-collimated; the idea to adjust the instrument to the auto-colli- mated line of igi.BASIC COLLIMATOR In this instrament, the reticle is usually made of optical glass contain- ing finely etched lines. Additional graduations may be added to indicate the amount of deviation, Illustration (See Figure 41,) shows these gradu- ations, The objective lens renders light into par- FIG allel rays, When aplane 41 reticles showing reflecting curface is displacement placed at any position perpendicular to these raye, they will be reflected back through the objective and re-focueed on the reticle. ‘The semi-reflector (beam splitter) is a part ially-coated, plate glase plane that reflects some of the light into the lens system and also allows some light transmission, Thus, the reticle and the reflected image can be observed at the same time, The illuminating source may vary from 3 6-volt light source built into the collimator, toa high-powered, separate, external light source concentrated on the reflector. When using the auto-collimator there is ade- cided advantage to parallel light rays, ‘The paral- lelism of the projected rays of light enables the collimator to be rotated about its optical «xisand to be any distance from a reflected ligh: source without having to re-focus the instrument, Ur some cases the distance might be 25 long a f.), fwo diverse effects of distance would be: (1) logs of clarity due to stray Light getting into the paraliel light path and (2) the falling off of light intensity. These conditions would tend -0 dim the reflected image, Nevertheless, she bo auto-collimator as discussed is the most ver We and the most easily adapted version of the collimator. Cther designs provide greater ac~ curacy, but at a sacrifice of mobility. MICROMETER EYEPIECE The micrometer eyepiece auto-collimator is, similar to the basic collimator instruments, ex- cept a micrometer has been added to the eye~ piece, and it is used to viewtwoimages. Instead of reading the angle error directly on the gracu= ations of the reticle, it is measured by the exe- piece, The eyepiece has fixed and movable cross Lines, the movable one actuated by a micrometer Optical glass serew. When setting up the collimator, the eye- piece's fixed horizontal cross hair is set to the horizontal line of the reticle; the micrometer dial is preset at zero (matching the verticle reticle line), When the reflected image is observed, the micrometer dial is rotated and the movable cross line is brought into coincidence with the reflected image, Instead of reading the angular error on the reticle, the amount ig read directly on a drum which can be graduated to read in small increments, Another characteristic, the range of displacement, will be quite less than the standard eyepieces, (See Figure 42.) This is lim- ited by the travel of the micrometer mechanism, REFLECTING SURFACE COLLIMA: OBJECTIVE 108 A ~ U fF RETICLE \ BEAM SPLITTER MICROMETER DRUM, Reading angles rom graduated micrometer drum MICROSCOPE EYEPIECE To gain still greateraccuraciesa microscope may be used as an eyepiece, The ficld of view is now solimited that nearly al! outside of it, ‘This makes it impossibie to view or read beyond the restricted field, so the micro- scope is mounted on a micrometer-threaded cross slide. The reticle cross lines inthe micro- scope are then lined up wita the collimator reticle Fig 42 placement is cross lines, The micrometer druma s previously explained is presetto zero, then rotated until the microscope cross lines are in coincidence w their reflected image, The difference in readings is equal to the angle of deviation, The micro- meter drum may be graduated in any increments of angle, depending on the requirements or spee- ifications with which the collimator is to be MICROSCOPE AND SLIDE OBJECTIVE LENS RETICLE BEAM SPLITTER FIGURE 43 Gain in accuracy achieved by use af microscope as an eyepiece 15used, This typeof auto-collimator (equipped with a microscope eyepiece) will allow more precise alignment of te cross lines due to the greater maymification and the vedueed fell, (See Fig- ure 43.) OFF-AXIS PINHOLE TYPE This type of auto-collima‘or projec‘ss beam of light ino the system through a beam splitter which orients the heam so that tis off the axis of the telescope. The Light is concentrated on anex= tremely smal? hote (about .019 inch dinmeter) or a fine slit located (from the objective lens) dis~ nce equal 1o the focal length of that lens, The reticle can still be graduated as in Figure 39 or to any specific puttern, Several reticle designs are available from the Bamund Scientific Co. For best optical performance, the clisplacement (D)of the pinhole (A) and reticle (B) should be as small as practical, Gee Figure 44,) Duc 10 the displacement (D) the light rays must travel through angle (X), innole ticle biective lens isplacement X=angle of displacement FIGURE 44 Off-axis pinbole type auto-collimator When the reflecting surface is perpendicular to the bisector of angie (X), the returning light rays from the hole or slit wil! forman image in the center of the graduated reticle (B), This sys- tem has the distinct advantag of givinga simple, sharply defined, spot or Line of lights the image. This eliminates reading the displacement of two complex patterns, since the spot can easily be viewed avainst the basic retiele pattern, (See Figures 498 & B.) ‘The design of the reticle pattern canbe either a Rquare or a cirele; however, most contractors prefer the square-type pattern (whose dimens 1ons representa specified angular measurement] because it allows a little mare room for accep!= ‘The spot, dot, or line type of projection has been successfully used to position certain types of roof angle prisms, before and after their bond- ing operations, by placing the prism and ite fix- ware ina pinhole auto-collimator, The prism is 16 IN COLLIMATION OUT OF COLLIMATION FIGURE 454 Figure 458 Reticle patterns for off-axis pinhole auto-collimater justed until the reflected dot on spot ap- in the center of the reticle pattern, the prism is adjusted and the bonding proc completed, the fixture is again placed inanauio- cottimator and re-checked for collimation. The wb the element can be adins 4 through the auto-colliraa~ imator removes guess~ . Ether the spot. dot, or line isin the squure or circle, or it isnot, There is ae measuring, calculating, or double error to consider. FIXTURE TYPE employing the previous pri sple together with « greatly inevessed focal length objective to-eollimatar was devel lens, ‘he # y oped. Here aguin, to keep the auto-collimator compact, the same principle of the folded col mator has been applied {additional mirrors have beer added to fold the tong light path), An adjust- ture. able table or stage can be provided to increase the versatility of the fixture, ‘This particular collimator is very useful when checking parallelism of the glass surface of opti- cal flats, Since che light is reflected from the top and bottom surfaces simultaneously, adigplace~ ment of the reflected image will indicate the mag- nitude of the error, (See Figure 46.) Depending on the slesign provisions of the hold- Ing device or stage for the table, various flat ness and anguiarity checks ean be made. If a front surface mirror is to he tested, a stage designed to slide from side to side and move to and fro cin be used, The stuge is adjusted to zero in both directions, « master element is in- serted, and the position of the reflected image is checked for position on the reticle, The micro- moter screw has a slip drum, if adjustment for the master setup is necessary, the drum is slipped to zero, Subsequent to the master lay~ out any number of pieces can be tested,OPTICAL Ant FIGURE 46 Finture type auto-collimator ‘The various types of collimators andauto-col- limators discussed here are only samples o! the instruments and methods of coltimation con- in use today, There have been gr: strides made since the very early days when the British designed and put to work whatis believed to be the first aligning telescope and target col- Limator. The application was aligning and locat- ing the centers of widely separated shaft bear- ings in ships. (See Figure 47.) How accurately ALIGNMENT COLLIMATOR qi iguyenT TILT RETICLE //(pisLaceMenT) RETICLE SHAFT BEARINGS — FIGURE 47 the instruments were manufactured in that day is unknown, but today it is possible to maintain a tolerance of 0,0002 inches (about 0,008 in, at 100 feet) between the optical and mechanical axes, As illustrated in Figure 47, you can see how ships! drive shaft bearings are adjusted to sueh close alignment, Without this precision a ship would shake apart, This then illustrates ALIGNMENT TELESCOPE i Migning ship's shaft bearings with telescope ané target collimator the present-day use of optical tooling inthe ship building industry, Certain operations that in the past cons problems have been simp- lified by the adaption of the alignment telescope, collimators, and auto-collimators, The aircraft industry uses such optical 209) ing in the assembly ofa wing fora jet liner, (See Figure 48.) This process wasa giant-sized nead- ache until the jig-and-fixture makers learn that easier visoal methods could be applied i stead of using layouts and long, straight edges, positive positioning no mater waai sight, (See Figures 49 A and B,) Optical instruments ins: the line of ocaToR pans TT Sa cocaine Devices FIGURE 48° Optically aligning a jet liner wing during its assembly CROSS LINE RETICLE FIGURE 494 TERO LINE OF SIGHT Hot cANeD | TINE of sige 1 FIGURE 498 (A) Inclined Line of Sight Intersects Horizontal Line of Sight, Only Three Reference Points Required. (B) Inclined Line of Sight Intersects Horizontal Line of Sight Beyond The Jig Frame. Four Reference Points Required. 7‘The following paragraphs will further illus te some typical and basic applications of the collimator and auio-collimator, for general ANGLE COMPARISON sle can be checked using anauto-colli- mator of the type in Figure 38,by comparing one angle to the corresponding angle of a master, The 90 degree angle is illustrated, but as has been previously stated any angle can be tested or checked, (See Figure 50,) In practice the axis Any a AUTO COLLIMATOR OPTICAL FLAT FIGURE 50 Angle comparison checked with avto-collimates MASTER PRISH of the auto-collimator is adjusted to be perpen= dicular to the surface of the master angle by superimposing the reflected imuge of the reticle on the reticle itself (as viewed through the eye- piece), (he master angle is then replaced by the angle being tested, Any evror in theangle of the test piece will displace the reflected image. Hf the stage is large enough both the master and the piece being tested arc placed in the field of view of the aulo-collimater, The master can then be used as a constant check, In Pipure 50 an optical flat Is shown with both the master and the test piece positioned, This test is used when extreme accuracy is required, But for avemge work a good surface plate will serve asa work- ing surface, All contacting surfaces must be kept as clean as possible, DIRECT ANGLE An angle may be tested by viewing its reflec- tion from one of the fuces of an optical lat with which the angle's face is in co! ure 51 shows the arrangement of right angles in which two images are formed in the auto-collimator One is formed by the light rays thatfirst strike the optical flat. (dotted) and the other by the rays that first strike the face of the test piece (solid), Uf the angle is precisely $0 degrees the uve sexs of rays are parallel, and the images coincident, 18 If an error is present the two sets of angles form an angle equal to 4 times the angle dis- placement (48, where 81s, small}, the Images showing separation, This is a very conven- ient method, since the auto-collimator may be adjusted to any desired angle and the working FIGURE — Direct angle 51 testing using reflected image surface adjusted until both images are in the field of view, This tech- nique can be used to measure any simple angle which is a sub-multiple of 180 degrees. For an even number of uniform divisions of 90 degrees (45 degrees and 22,5 degrees) the same freedom of elevation of the auto-collimator is present, However, Yor other angles such as 30, 60, and 75 degrees, the axis of the auto-collima~ tor must be parallel to the bisector of the test INDIRECT ANGLE wedge or priom con be oN al | accomplished with the 7 TW} comparison test,al- oe though it might seem quite impossible at first glance. Since the sur- face will not reflect FIGURE Indirect angle 52k testing of unpolished prism Light (a xto-coilimation surface depends on a reflecting surface) one is added, A plane mirror is laid on a side adjacent to the undetermined anyle and placed so that it over hangs the edge of the unknown's surface, (See Figure 52A)(A front surface mirror of desirable size is available from Edmund Scientific Co.) Then the object's base is sct on a polished flat. Enough mirror is allowed to protrude over the edge So that a full reflection in the collimator is obtained. Then the mirror is secured with putty and placed on the optical flat. Two images will be produced exactly as inthe divect angle testibut the ray which first strikes the flat (solid line) {s reflected from the mirror and back to the auto-collimator such that it is deflected two times by the undetermined surface. The same condition holds true for the ray which first strikes the mirror surface (dotted line).‘The two images in the aute-collimator will show @ separation of U times the @ error, Re~ member though that if @ is large two colli~ mators may be needed to view theangular spread, Figure §28 Rear view, mirror on incline SINE-BAR A sine-bar ang metal surface plite canbe used to extend the application of the auto-collimator, First the collimator is adjusted to be perpendicu- lar tothe plate, Then the upper surface of the sine-bar is set to the compliment of the angle to be checked, (See Figure 53.) Deviations from this <-—— COLLINATOR FIGURE 53° Use af auto-collimator with sine-bar fixture for checking a production run basic angle are reflected onto the auto-collima- tor reticle and can be read either on the reticle or on the micrometer drum scale, Once the set up is made any number of duplicate pieces can be checked rapidly. Another method employing the sine-bar is to ser the angle in question directly on the sine- bar. The prism is placed on the surface plate and the auto-collimator is adjusted normalto the surface of the sine-bar. The sine-bar and the pieces to be checked are then placed on the surface plate for angle comparison, li should be noted that all the pieces shown {nthe illustra- tions are blocks of metal, either with or without polished surfaces, All exterior and interior sur~ faces of optical prisms, wedges, windows, and mirrors can be conveniently checked by all the methods indicated here for metal pieces. The great advantage of using the auto-callima- sor isthe fact that internal optical reflecting sur- ces can be checked, To iilustrace this Figure shows the 90 degree angle of a right angle prism being examined, Tke axto-collimator is directed at the hypotense face (whien need not be placed on an optical fat a metal parts} and the returning reticle image scrutinized, An error of @ in 2 90 degree angle will return an angle of 4n@ to the aulo-collima- tor, where neindex of refraction of the glass. Care must be exercised relative to the type reticles used, Some are compensated to allow for the doubic error while others must be com- pensated for this by the operator. COLLIMATING A RIFLE BORE The gunsmith, hunter, and target shoo:er are always looking for means of sighting end check~ ing the accuracy of their guns. Guns are som times knocked to the ground accidentally or bar ed agamst trees hard enough to knock them out of "collimation" (i.e. the gun hore and the line of sight are not in alignment}, The gunsmith or the eporteman who likes t do kis own work can, with 2 Little ingenuity and minimum of expense, fashion something on which to zero his sights. All rifle bores vary in size, from .22 cal. rifles to the high powered, large-bore rifles. I you have several guns ther you will need to make a "collimator" rod (See Figure 94)for each bore, Obviously, the rod's length (4) will depend on is the case fo. THESE DIAMETERS TO FIT RIFLE BORE REAMED HOLE FIGURE 54 Rifle bore collimation “Red your rifle bore length. Also, the diameter of the rod should be made for a push fit inte the rifie bore. The rod can be made of uny materta! but 192 good grade of steel is vetomspenfed te cure sr reamer size. (The ith 1 INCH stration showsa reamed OR LESS: hole.) Next, a button with a stnd should be made to fit the reamed hole. (See Figure 58.) When the PUSH FIT 1K parts have been finish- REAMED HOLE ©, push the button into Figyge Mirror button for the hole in the rod end and check the square- ness of the bution face to the shaft diameter, It should run perpendicu- lar to the shaft within a few ten-thousandths of an inch, The outside diameter of the button can vary in size from 1/2in, tol in.; anything larger is not necessary. (Mirrors are available in a variety of sizes from Edmund Scientific Co.) Apply a small dab of good epoxy molecular cement and press the mirror and the button together to thin out the coment, Place assembly with cemented mirror face down on paper covered surfice, Put weight on top and allow it to set, Next a target collimator is needed with which the riflescope is aligned. A mount with up and down adjustment is used to level and position the riflescope. (See Fig. 56.) ‘The target collimator can \ a ae 55. avto-collimating rifle bore YOKE MOUNT ROUND, KNURLED LEVELING MUT bh won SUPPORT LATHE BED SS KNURLED NUT FIGURE 56 Method of mounting rifle for collimating sight with dere 20 be designed and made similar to the alignment, collimator, or it can be constructed of wood as, illustrated on page 22; this will do as good a job as any. The only thing needed now is an auto-collimating unit which also can be made out of wood or metal. (See Figure 57.) All of these components can be mounted on an old bench lathe bed or a piece of “I” beam 4 or 5 in. wide, about 5. ft. long. A suggested setup procedure is as follows: level the rifle in the mounts, select the bore rod that fits the rifle, push the mir- ror button into the rod, and insert the rod into the rifle bore. Next hold the auto-collimat- ing unit behind the target collimator, pro- Ject the reticle onto the surface of the mirror, and pick up the re wa flection on the target bal reticle. Make your ad- Justments to align the two images. With this operationcomplete,the bore axis and the target are auto-collimated, Fig Auto-cellimation 87 hand unit {mond construction) oy any adjustment of your riflescope can be made, If it has wind and elevation adjustments, se everything to zeroand adjust for the range desired. To obtain the de- sired range of che rifle and scope the scope's angle of depression can be adjusted toalter both the range and apex angle between the scope's line of sight and that of the rifle bore. (See Fig. 56}. The same will hold true for azimuth or windage angles, The knobs are usually gradu- d, and the thread accuracy can be checked against the target, Aligning the sights can also be accomplished by designing a stage to hold a small elbow telescope. (See Figure 58.) The telescope is mounted on and collimated with the stage as shown in the diagram, The stage is mounted the same as the mirror button, on the end of the bore rod, and is collimated to the target collimator while it is in the end of the gun barrel. By rotating the elbow telescope and adjusting it in at least 3 positions, the cross line of the elbow telescope should coincide with the center of the target reticle in all positions. Having established the line of sight, theiL gre AR FIGURE 58 Elbow telescope for aligning sights (alternate methad) riflescope can be adjusted as previously explain~ ed, The axis of the rifle bore should be true to the line of sight; after each adjustment of the riflescope a check for stability on the line of Sight should be made. There are several good trajectory reference tables available tohelp you adjust your scope for the best "recommended zero distance" position for riflescopes. This distance is set by the rifle manufacturer, If detailed instructions are not available, 100 yds. is a good range to parallax and set your scope, Helpful Hints for Collimation Tests ‘To determine the magnification (power) of a telescope that will be used to test another tele- scope or instrument, the following formula can be used to compute the minimum power Xs 120K where X = power of telescopes x power of tele e to be tested, Re n in sec arc) specified for instrument to be ested, 120 sec. = constant for oye accomodation, STAR TEST The stars were once used to test the image quality (resclution) of optical elements--thus the name "Star Test," The results of these tests formed much of the background for the design of types of equipment now in use, Because se mucit time was lost waiting for good clear nig! view the stars, the artificial svar was de: For practical use, a star te. take multiple and oped. system (which will ingle elements) can be set up quickly and economically. (See Figure $2.) For nterpretations of star test images see Figure 60,} Only a few star images are illustrated to give the reader si when sv ome ide of what to leok for testing. In retrospect the material contained in this “STH FIGURE 59 Set up for making a star test booklet is considered suffic reader to identify the instru and nt to enable the ments described, in most cases to judge the suitability of a particular device for a specific application, As an aid in making such a determination, the ac~ curacy of each type of instrument wasdiseussed wherever possible, [t must be remembered, ho ever, that the precision of any instrument de- pends not.oaly upon theory, but also upon the design, care, al its construction, workmanship that enter into ¥ FIGURE 60 Star test images as viewed through an astronomical telescope. & through G are the ones most commonly seen The following appended pages you may find helpful for your collimation work, aAPPENDIX | FIGURE 61 Direct-reacing angular scale collimator target THE COLLIMATOR TARGET isa handy gad- get for the telescope builder, providing asit does the equivalent of a distant target work bench, ‘This one is a Je can read the angular field of any telescope by simply counting the degree marke right at the £0 that you The target reticle can be made ax above and pasted to a piece of plate glass, It should be lo- cated at the p this point can he di iple focus of the objective lens; rmined by using Zero Col limator or Alignment Collimator. Either one is se: at infinity and transferred to the target eotli- mator. INFINITY TARGET, Set up your telescope, cam~ or other oj system facing collimator lens, as shown in diagrams, Focus on collimator target - it serves the same purpose asa distan FIGURE 62 Angular field af 2 tetescope ANGULAR FIELD (Figure 62.) Read the true angular field directly by counting number of lines which are visible, Each degree of Held is equal to about 17 yds. of linear field at 1,000 yas, ‘The apparent field (angle covered by telescope eyepiece) is the true field times the magnification of the telescope. 22 [| ek uision = 1 SeMesre9 gestae eee FIGURE 63 FLL. of an eyepiece F.L. OF LENS SYSTEMS (Figure 63.) In this setup the image of the target produced by therlens system being tested may be very small, If so, image must be viewed and measured with a direct-reading scale magnifier, Measure diameter of 4° circle, Refer totable on target to obtain corresponding . of the lens system, For focal lengths not given in table, calculate factors at bottom of target. EX: Test ing a 6" F.L, System: 4° Circle measures .42/ FOCAL LENGTH OF A LENS Set up lens as shown in Figure 64, Move trac ing paper screen alot cal benchto pick up a sharp image of collin nce from by usin, FIGURE 64 Focal length of 2 lensAPPENDIX Il For testing and measuring lenses and tele~ scopic inetruments it iehighly desirable to make uge of a test target upon which the instrument or lens in question may be focuser! at infinity. The appearance of such atarget isnot difficult to im- agine. kt might consist ofa large vertical wooden structure similar to a billboard with a test pat~ tern painted on its surface, While a large outdoor target might be very useful, there are many ser~ ious objections to it which are fairly obvious. In view of the great size and expense ofan outdoor target 2 suitable substitute must be used. A Collimator Target is just such a substitute upon which a telescope may be focused al infinity and yet not be more than a few inches away. FIGURE 5 Placing a small illumivated reticle in fecal plane of collimator lens has same effect as viewing 2 large target from an extreme distance line AB represents a small illumin- ated target, or reticle, placed in the left-hand focal plune of a lens LC, designated the Collima~ tor Lens, all rays originating from any point on the target will emerge from the Collimator Lens parallel to eachother, Toan observer at the right of lens LC, the emergent rays Sand 6 from point A appear to have their origin ina point that is at un infinite distance to the left of the lens,and above the principal axis O, Similarly, emergent rays 3 and 4appear to have their origin in a point that is on the principal axis at an infinite dis- tance to the leftof the Collimator Lens, Emergent rays 1 and 2 appear to have theirorigin at an in- finite point beyond the lens LC, ‘Therefore, the visual effect of placing a small iMluminated ret- icle in the focal plane of the Collimator Lens is exactly the same as that produced by viewing a large “arget from an extreme distance. Needless 10 say, the Collimator Lens must be a good achramat with excellent correction over a smail fieid, Thus one can contribute defects observed in the {inal image to the test lens and not to the collimator, «An excellent telescope ob= jective is usually suitable. ]f one chooses an achromat for a collimator, the problem of color correction is not completely solved because of secondary spectrum; it cannot he considered negligible unless one chooses an achromat having a focal length in inche: atleast 5 tes the square of the diameter of tie Lens in inches, The tate below should be helptul. Jesaved Diam. of Minimum required focal GCollimating Lens length of Col, Lens Linch 5 inches 2 inches 20 inches 3 inches 49 inches: 4 inche BO inches § inches 128 inches 6 inches 180 inches a home-made col- be made in an even- ing!s time, It consists of an appropriate reticle, an achromatic lens with a focal length chosen as above, and a light source located bebind a Figure 68 below illustrat Limator system whiea ma piece of ground glass (which acts as a diffusing seven). A mounting tube is cut approximately to the focal length of the lens being used and 18 painted black on the inside, The collimator lens is then mounted squarely into one end of the ube, The desired reticle and light source are mounted ag illustrated within @ smaller cube which slide-fits into the larger tube, FIGURE 66 Typical collimator system By the use of a small telescope ihe reticle ijusted to the correct distance from the eollimator lens and thon secured perman- ently in place, Tae adjusiment procedure is aullined below, 1, Foous the telescope at an infinite object such 4s a star ard secure the draw tube with piece of scotch tape, 2, Mount the columiutor system ané the pre- focused telescope on an optical bench with principal axis of each enineiding. 3. Whale looking through the telescope, adjust the collimator reticle by means of the small sliding tube until 1 comes into accurate focus. 234, Gradually move the telescope away from the collimator target. The image of the reticle should remain the same size and be infocus at all times, If step 4 is accomplished, fuston the small reticle tbe permanently 2 the collimator lens woe. Analternate method is available to those who have not the use of an auxiliury telescope, The method is auio-collimation, When the reticle ie in the proper position with respect to the colli- mating lens, all rays leaving the collimating lens are essentially parallel, Thus a flat mirror placed in fron: of the callamating lens and per- pendicular to the bearn will cause the rays to re- flect upon themselves and form an image of the reticle superimposed on the reticle itself. Wien this occurs the reticle ig in the proper position with respect to the collimating lens. The mizror is then removed, The collimator lens should be as large o} larger in diameter ‘han the largest objective likely to be tested with it; and a provision to change reticles may also he useful, Once the ret- tele position is established it need no: be ad- justed again for the same collimator lens, RETICLES: For testing Telescope Objectives. pinholes are recommended about as follows: Maximum diameter of punhote. Foral Learih of Collimator. Dia. of Telescope Od). te be testes! 45" 50" _azs"_ago! are ego OUT 002-903 ous 007 ‘el 007— doe eieetes Pinholes may be made in tinfoil erother thin metal, To puncture holes in tin foil, draw a fine fibre of a chemical stirring rod overa gas flame and use it to puncture the hale, Another method ie to sharpen a needle on a fine stone, twirling and drawing i out at the same time under the 24 finger tip until it appears perfectly sharp under a magnifier. For Photograplne Lenses: When one is testing phetographic lenses one ts interesterl in resolu- tion. ‘Therefore, a reticle for the collimator should co! a known number of lines in each unit distance, These lines should be both hori- zontal and vertical, The orp E-17 Reticie (Sock No, 30,075) Is an example (1 mms, cd into 100 par It must be remembered that a magnification or demagnification will result in the image ob- tained fram the photographic lens. ‘This magni- fication is equal to the focal length of the photo- graphic lens divided by the focal length of the collimator lens. As an example le: us test 2 photographic lens having a 2-Inch focal Jength with an B-17 reticle and a collimating lens having a 20-inch focal length, The size of the final image will be 1/10 the size of the original reticle. If each line of the reticle is resolved in the final image the resolution of the photographic lens is 100 nas 10 lines/mm, lines/mm, as the reticle JLlumination of the reticle i be determined experimentally, as the proper il~ Iumination wall depend upon the use to which the collimator is subjected, When using some of the smaller pinhole reticles, It may be necessary to replace the ground glass with a condensing lens, In general, a high illumination should be provid- ed. If a test requires a lower illumination this can then be easily obtained by using a neutral filters Provisions should be made for mounting the ccilimator system securely to an optical bench. By so doing a source of infinite focus will always be available and will be a great aid towards de~ signing, testing, aud measuring optical equip- ment, For maximum results when using a colli- mator syeiem, the principal axis of the system and the lens or instrument being tested must be in alignment, a matter that mustAPPENDIX III ReTicLe age ENOPIECE = “Bei use a5 THE HOLES 1, AN OPTICAL bench is the kind of equipment which may cost $5 or $5000, Youcan buy or build, Fig. 1 shows an inexpensive hobby optical bench, you car: buy, It is mounted ona wood meterstick, If you need a stronger or longer base, the con~ struction shown in Fig, 2 can be used. A collimator consists of some kind of {llumin- ated reticle or target in the focal plane of an ach- romatic lens, Such an arrangement provides the equivalent of adistant target. A collimator can be built right on the optical bench as needed, In the equipment shown, the end plate is perforated a vertical line of small holes. This is your get.” The collimator lens can be any good-quality achromat of 5 in, or more focal length, It is mounted at exactly one focal length from the reticle plate, a setting which is easily checked by auto-collimation as described on a following ——W-ae GUNSIGHT BENCH EOMUND NO. 83-003 Dpiical Bench and Collimator —- A rermouat, OPTICAL BENCH with COLLIMATOR MADE FROM GUNSIGNT SLIDING, ENDPIECE INbe i page. Mig. 1 setup shows a small finderscope be~ ing testea, the bench providing a means of hold- ing the lenses while the collimator supplies the equivalent of a aistant target "ig. 9 shows a simple homemade optical . The adjustable lens holders can handle lenses to 2-1/8 inch diameter, and sizes over this can be mounted in individual holders, The sliding vee blocks which clamp the lens in the grooved frame should be made of hardwood ply- wood, The collimator is a military gunsight which requires only a simple conversion to 110- voli lighting. ‘The obvious weakness of the optical bench and collimator is that the equipment should be some- where near the physical size of the largest tele~ scope you plan to test, Small equipment works TNOWIOUAL, CENS HOLDER,TF 34 f +] BENCH CoLLimaror )}:), | and. TARGET ANGULAR and, Yo RADIAN COLLIMATOR TARGET FOR ANY LENS gee went Find) FORMULA Vio? | ikkan Bias Po | DISTANCE EQUAL TO 1° TRUE FIELD of @ TELESCOPE FL. of a. LENS, Being TesTeD| ALTERNATES FOR LENSES. OVERS FL. Ex: Bul ens 20% 4 oO" Sabet? | (MAKING THE aces F 405) 20 w.0"18 = 235" =» care Ta (READING, THE. fine for riflescopes, finderscopes and small ter restrial and astro telescopes, Suitable equipment to test a 6-inch reflectoris somewhat of an over~ size luxury, However, you can do many tesisand operations with a small collimator. HOMEMADE COLLIMATOR, You can house a collimator in either a box ora tube, Fig, 4 shows a typical box job, The collimator lens should be a good quality achromat of fair size and focal length--3 inches diameter and 24 inches flisa good size, suitable for some tests with telescopes: as large as 6-inch aperture, Much smaller equip~ ment is perfectly satisfactory for some opera- tions, The collima‘or target is drawn with inkoa tracing paper, The target is taped or cemented to & piece of glass, as shown, Simple rules for scaling the target to suit any foral length colli- 26 DIMENSIONS: x sat i eels ALL LIGHT RAYS FROK A POINT AT EDGE QE TARGET EMERGE PRRALLE) deans, age ‘eee = = EPS Yio RADIAN, Yo RADIAN ANY ANGLE OF THE TARGET Witt. BE MAINTAINED THRU ANY LENS BENG TESTED, mator lens are given in the drawing, Fig. 4 Light from any distam object reaches your eye in parallel bundles, In the same manner, hight emerges from che collimator in paralich bundles, That is, a point at the center of the target will send ou beam like Ain Fig. 4 @ point at the edge of target will send out a beam at some specific angie, as at B, All of the light is in parallel bundles, but the whole Light cone is spreading, diverging. In other words, parallel Light does not mean quite the same thing as a parallel "beam" of light. Any angle that the target makes with the col= Limator lens will be reproduced exactly by any lens or telescope placed ia front of the collima- tor, Fig. 4C shows the situation as it applies to the 1/10 radian circle, This particular unit is used for the determination of focal length, The umnage of the 1)10 radian circle produced by any lens, eyepiece or telescope willbe 1/10 the focal length of said lens, eyepiece or telescope. In other words, if you measure the image diameter formed by any lens, you will know immediately its focal length, which is simply 10 times the image diameter. For short focal lengths under 5 ins, a pocket comparator (measuring magnifier) is ideal for measuring the image diameter.APPENDIX IV POSITIONING EQUIPMENT As technology progresses, the need for reliable testing equipmentincreases. In the field of optics the scientists need for accurate data require optical manufacturers to provide a wide range of positioning equipment. The first step in many optical setups is to establish an optical axis. This can be done using an optical bench and positioning equipment. In cases such as holography and interferometry, vibration has to be held to less than millionths of an inch. Then, the use of an isolation table becomes necessary. OBTAINING AN OPTICAL AXIS BY USING ALASER Mount a LASER to the optical bench and adjust the beam so that itis parallel to the bench as shown below. This is known as the reference optical axis. Laser Cpticat System The best way to collimate an optical system is to introduce one elementat atime and center it along the reference optical axis, To insure that the elements aro nottilted , be sure toalign all retrorefiections along the axis. The precision to which the elements need be aligned largely depends upon the application. Two element configurations such as demonstrations of simple telescope and microscope systems are easily aligned. As more elements are added to the system the need for precision positioning equipment increases, for example, demonstrat- ing the telescope with an image erector and a zoom lens. aPositioning equipment ranges fromthat which simply holds the opticto that which comes with x-y-zitlt/rotation and fine adjustments for more precise alignments. By selecting the best positioning equipment for your optical needs, desired results with minimal error contributions are obtained. OPTICAL CONFIGURATIONS: When an optical path length is longer than a single optical bench, several benches are usually lined in series. This can be done by straight or folded alignment using mirrors as shown: (a) straight alignment Optical Bench Connecting Plate Optical Axis ow Lens System (6) folded alignment optical Bench Optical Sench Sooo Optical Axis ' Mirror Miesor Cotical Axis BIt is generally preferred to keep a straight alignment, but often you are limited by the room available. Another configuration which is commonly usedis the perpendicular alignment of optical benches. In this case the optical axis must be bent 90 degrees, which is often accomplished using beam splitters. In this configuration the split optical axis can be recom- bined to form a Sagnac Interferometer. Sagnac Interferometer Detector Beam Splitter Laser Mirror OPTICAL EQUIPMENT There is a wide range of optical equipment available for use in research, education, and industry. The equipment selected depends on the goals of the user. Here is a list of the equipment and their uses. POSITIONERS/HOLDERS. Used to maintain positions of optical components. This includes equipment such as an optical bench, mounting pins, pin carriers, laser holders, component holders, leveling bases, micrometer adjustments, stage positioners, and optic mounts. COLLIMATORS. (see section on colimators) LASERS. Used for alignment, interferometry, and holography LENSES. Used for magnifying, dispersing, condensing, andimaging. The common lenses are double-convex, double concave, plano-convex, plano-coneave, meniscus, and achromatic. nMIRRORS. Used mostly for folding the optical axis at desired angles. Common mirrors include protected aluminum and enhanced aluminum for the visible range, protected gold for the infrared region. PRISMS. Used for folding optical axes and as image erectors. FILTERS. Used for taking away unwanted wavelengths. Different types of filters include neutral density, interference or bandpass, long bandpass, short bandpass, infrared, and polarizers. BEAMSPLITTERS. Usedto separate an optical beam into two axes. They can also be used to combine two beams. EYEPIECES. Used to see real images with the eye. Also called oculars. OPTICAL SCREENS. Used for projected realimages. Paper, ground glass, and opal glass are common optical screens. BEAM EXPANDERS. An afocal lens system used to increase beam diameter. IRIS DIAPHRAGMS. _ Used{to vary the fratio of lens systems. Can be used to decrease the beam diameter without changing the energy per unit area. RONCHI RULINGS. — Used to diffract laser beams and test measurements. OPTICAL APERTURES. — The two common apertures are slits and pinholes, Used for spectroscopy, Fourier transforms, and diffraction patterns. DIFFRACTION GRATINGS. Used to break up light into its component wavelengths for analysis. Standard diffraction gratings include mirror diffraction gratings, holo- graphic gratings and transmission gratings. EMITTERS. —Usedas light sources. DETECTORS. Used to measure electromagnetic wave energy. To insure accuracy and consistency of data acquisition of optical systems, Edmund Scientific offers these components in our Industrial Catalog.