Research Engineers Ltd - Mystery Fixture

A fun jig that feels like it must of been quite expensive.

Post is bare except for a dovetail. Figure it was for a lamp or magnifying glass.

Middle clamp slides in dovetails with a spring detent in the middle. The blade stiffly comes up and down into a groove. It has two sprung loaded little arms/clamps on the side of the triangle.

The side pointers are on leafsprings and a sprung pivot. The left can be adjusted X Y and rotationally. The right only X and rotationally. The pointer itself also rotates freely with friction given by a wavy washer. Quite a lot of effort has been made to make the V continue through 3 different components of the pointers but the dowel handle and on the left pointer another bit of metal block it so unsure of its purpose. The left pointer has a little flap of some type of copper/brass/etc held on by a slice of bread shaped bit of metal. The holes visible on the other pointer are neither tapped or through holes so how the bread slice and copper is held in place is a mystery.

The right pointer is on a plastic sheet and secured with plastic screws, electrically isolating it from the rest of the jig. The two plastic knobs for hooking something electric are also apparent.

Complete mystery what it is to me, would be nice if anyone recognises it

It looks like a ‘workshop version’ of what I would know as a ‘micromanipulator’

The leaf-springs provide for motion without any ‘slop’

MichaelG.

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This rig uses a different design of mechanism, but you should recognise the similarity:

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 30/10/2022 05:58:54

Here is the Martock patent for a 3-axis flexure stage:

**LINK**

https://worldwide.espacenet.com/patent/search?q=pn%3DGB2129955A

… very probably the inspiration for what you have

MichaelG.

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Ref. __ https://www.elliotscientific.com/Elliot-Products/All-Elliot-Martock-Products

Edit: __ Hall and Chambers both previously worked for Watson, a British microscope manufacturer

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 30/10/2022 06:19:38

PostScript

This may be the company in question: **LINK**

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/372556324866

MichaelG.

Pity there isn't an easy way to show the orientation of photos before posting.

Regards Ian.