Coupling for the drive of a mechanical stage

Claim 1

A mechanical stage comprising a fixed base, a carriage and guide means coacting between said base and carriage for establishing a first rectilineal component of displaceability, a stage table and guide means coating between said carriage and stage table on an alignment orthogonal to said first component for establishing a second component of displaceability, first drive means including (1) a manually operable drive-side friction wheel and (2) a driven-side friction wheel and first pinion, said friction wheels being in spaced relation to each other and mounted on fixed axes of rotation on said carriage, said first drive means further including a rack carried by said base in the direction of said first component and in mesh with said first pinion, second drive means including a manually operable drive-side friction wheel and a driven-side friction wheel and second pinion in spaced relation to each other and mounted on fixed axes of rotation on said carriage, said second drive means further including a rack carried by said table in the direction of said second component and in mesh with said second pinion, and engagement/disengagement means including a pressure roller associated with each of said drive means, both pressure rollers being independently rotatable at spaced locations on a common shaft, and manually operable means engaged to said shaft between said rollers and with at least some tilting freedom for said shaft for engaging/disengaging displacement of both rollers into and out of concurrent contact with the two friction wheels of the respective drive means.