(Sanitized) PROGRESS REPORT - DECEMBER 1965 PROJECT 635

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78B04747A002200020036-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 6, 2004
• Sequence Number: 36
• Publication Date: January 10, 1966
• Content Type: LETTER

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Post Office Box 8031
Southwest Station
Washington, D.C. 20024
Subject:
Gentlemen,
Project 635
10 January 1966
Progress Report - December 1965
In accordance with contract provisions on the above project,
we are enclosing three (3) copies of Progress Report
on Project 635 for the period December 1965. Also included are two
(2) copies of our Financial Report for the period from inception
through 30 November 1965.
Very truly yours,
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Executive Vice Presi ent
DECLASS REVIEW by NIMA/DOD
LHB/de
Enc: 1) 3 P.R. w/635-CD-001
2) 2 F.R.
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20 December 1965
635 - CD-001
REW:rf
Date:
25X1 Attendants:
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E.D. and T.G.M. (Customer)
At meeting Ireviewed status of 635 project. The
following notes are eeme pertinent.
Power Assist
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I requested that the type of power assist used be the
same as that to be used on other designs. E.D. indicated that he
thought this would be all right, but he would like to see a bread-
board set up where he could compare the performance of the two
drives. I said that a breadboard would be set up to demon-
strate the performance of at least the electrical type power assist.
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indicated that this would be ready early in January.
Film Loading and Transporting System
Film loading and transporting system was described and was
found to be acceptable by customer (E.D.). Minimum film separa-
tion will be 1 5/8 inches with 1 11/16 inches more likely. (Cur-
rent figure looks closer to 1 3/4 inches - R.E.W., 1/4/66.)
Glass Leveling
25X1 described the method by which the microscope will be
aligned to the film plane.
proposal, called for
E
leveling provisions on the giass. resen design uses a rigidly
mounted glass with provision for adjusting the microscope.
instrument Height and Viewing Posture
Layouts showing position of the microscope were shown and the
operator's viewing position discussed. E.D. urged that height of
instrument be kept as low as possible and distance between front
of unit and viewing, and edge of viewing area as short as possible.
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In respect to the elevating table, customer wants a distance
of 22 to 36 inches (adjustable) from underside of instrument to
floor (assuming a 22 inch distance from underside to eyepiece.
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635 PROGRESS REPORT
Period Covered: December 1965
Document No.: OD - 105
Dated: 5 January 1966
PRESENT STATUS
The Preliminary Design and Engineering phase of the
program is essentially complete and the final layout is under
way.
The purpose of this phase was to define all the essen-
tail areas of design and performance and obtain an overall view
of the instrument prior to detailed layouts. Brief descriptions
of the major design features are given below.
A) Main Construction
A single aluminum casting serves as the base of the
instrument. Mounted on this casting are the glass film viewing
platen, the light sources, the-rod supports for "Y" motion and
the spool support bars. All of the components of the drive as-
sembly are mounted on an aluminum base plate bolted to the bottom
of the casting. The microscope is supported on a four legged
spider formed from two side castings and a machined square cross
bar.
B) Film Spool Location and Loading
The film spools are located at the rear of the in-
strument permitting the viewer to get very close to the front
edge of the format. The driving spindles for the film spools are
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635 - OD-105
on the center supports rather than on the outer supports, as shown
in the proposal. This we feel, simplifies the design, and permits
an easier adjustment of the outer support spindles to accommodate
different sizes of film.
The film is loaded by first withdrawing the outer
support spindle (by depressing a button in the end) to a detent
position. The spindle remains locked in this withdrawn position
allowing the operator to use both hands to hold the film spool.
The film spool is slipped onto the end of the driving spindle and
then with one hand supporting the film the operator releases the
outer spring loaded spindle (by again depressing the button) per-
mitting it to enter and support the outer end of the spool.
Film is threaded through the nylon rollers and across
the top of the viewing glass to the front of the instrument. To
reduce the force required by the operator to pull the film from
the spool, a neutral, or free wheeling position is provided for
in the film spool reversing gear boxes. Having threaded the fi:Lm
to the front of the instrument, the operator attaches it, with a
clip, to a rod which runs across the short dimension of the for-
mat. The rod is carried on cables and pullies, and can be made
to travel down and under the instrument by manually turning a
crank on the side of the unit. When the rod, with film attached,
has been cranked to the rear of the instrument, the operator re-
moves the clip (which is permanently attached to the rod) and at-
taches the film to the lower spool. The crank is turned a little
further which moves the rod up and out of the way of the film
path. Film may be threaded from the lower to the upper spool by
reversing the above procedure. A separate threading mechanism is
provided for each film, of course.
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C) X and Y Motions of Microscope
The versatile microscope is mounted on a four legged
spider and is permitted to travel 6 inches in the Y direction
(away from the observer) on recirculating ball bushings and rods.
12 inches of motion in the X direction is achieved by using four
recirculating ball plates surrounding a precision ground square:
rod. This arrangement differs from that proposed, however, we
feel that it will result in a sizeable reduction in friction with-
out any sacrifice in rigidity or accuracy.
The separation between format edges is currently
1 3/4 inches.
D) and Y Motion Control
A two speed concentric knob position adjustment is
provided on both axes. The outer knob drives a worm which turns
a worm wheel; on the worm wheel shaft there is a friction wheel,
(pulley in case of X axis) which bears against the ball bushing
rod. This is the coarse adjustment. The scale factor is approxi-
mately 1 inch/revolution. The inner knob shaft moves the worm
axially and gives the fine adjustments. The range of fine adjust-
ment is 1/2 inch and the scale factor is approximately 1/16 inch
*
per revolution. A release lever is provided to remove the pressure
of the friction wheel (or relieve cable tension in the case of the
X drive) so that the microscope may be moved freely by hand.
E) Film Drive
Control of each film position will be accomplished
with a single handwheel as proposed.
The proposed gear drive using unidirectional and
slip clutches will be used.
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An electro-mechanical power assist will be incorpo-
rated. This is different from the purely mechanical assist pro-
posed, however, we feel that it will be more satisfactory from
both standpoint of cost and performance. It has the added ad-
vantage that both films may be driven independently at the same!
time, which is not practical with the mechanical type assist. The
selected approach uses a low cost, high torque, universal motor
as the power source. Each motor is geared to its film drive
through an electromechanical clutch which when deactivated, per-
mits the film to be transported purely mechanically. A photo-
electric error sensing device detects relative motion between the
handwheel and the film drive shaft and generates a signal which
when amplified is used to operate the motor to keep the load in
synchronism. A similar system on another instrument (603) will
be used to investigate the design further.
The design of the speed changing and spool reversing
gear boxes is somewhat different than shown in the proposal. Rather
than putting in - and taking out of mesh various gears, all speed
changing and reversing gears are kept in mesh and positive acting
mechanical clutches are used to select the desired gear train
path. These clutches are operated by mechanical push-pull linkages.
F) Film Holddown
Film hoiddown will be accomplished with glass pres-
sure plates, as proposed. Platens will be automatically raised
during film transport by a linear actuator (tradename "Polynoid").
Each format will have a platen and controls on front panel will.
permit operator to manually raise and lower platens if he so
desires. Platens will be removeable for ease of film threading
and for cleaning purposes. ?
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General Illumination
The general illumination will be obtained from two
cold cathode flourescent light sources. These sources have the
brightness, uniformity and dimming characteristics as stated in
the proposal. Consideration was given to the use of commercial
lamps which are readily available and relatively very economical.
Due to the short delivery schedule and the fact that the sizes of
the commercial lamps available were not optimum this approach
was abandoned.
H) Alignment of Microscope
Alignment of the microscope plane of travel and
optical axis to the film plane will be somewhat different than
that proposed. The glass viewing plane will be mounted rigidly
to the main casting. The same surface as is used to support the
glass will also be the mounting surface for the ball bushing rod
assemblies which guarantees that the Y carriage will move parllel
to the glass. The ball bushing holders will be shimmed as neces-
sary during assembly to insure that the square X guide is also
parallel to the viewing plane. Two separate adjustments will be
provided to adjust the microscope optical axis so that it is per-
pendicular to the film plane.
This approach was selected over that originally pro-
posed because it was felt that the ultimate assembly time would
be less and the alignment more accurate.
I) Human Factors Engineering
Various human factors parameters were investigated
and a design arrived at which we feel is a good compromise between
ease and comfort of operation, and desired performance and economy
of manufacture.
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One of the major problems is the large distance
from the eyepieces to the film plane. This, coupled with the
height of the main assembly (which has been kept at a minimum),
requires that the operator sit on the edge of a stool and lean
over the table slightly, as was shown in proposal. 25X1
This may be found to be an uncomfortable position for long micro-
scope viewing sessions, but we do not see what additional im-
provements can be made.
The distance from the forward edge of the format to
the front of the instrument has been kept as small as possible to
permit the operator to get close.
The film transporting handwheels have been located
on either side of the instrument with the shaft parallel to the
spool axis. This we feel is the best position because it gives
the operator the feel that there is a direct correspondence in
amount and direction of rotation and motion of the film spools.
It also allows the two small sloping front panels to carry the
electrical controls which must be visible from the front of the
instrument.
The two small front panels will contain the following
Ric t Control Panel
Main Power Switch
Pilot Light
Light Intensity (Right Format)
Manual Platen Control Switch
Hi-Intensity Light Switch (Right Side)
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Left Control Panel
Main Fuse
Power Assist - ON-OFF Switch
Light Intensity (Left Format)
Manual Platen Control Switch
Hi-Intensity Light Switch (Left Side)
The X and Y motion control knobs are located on the
forward legs of the microscope mount. The scale factors are
chosen to give one revolution for full traverse of the field of
view at lowest power on coarse and at highest power on fine.
J) IUah Intensity Traveling--Light Sources
Each format will contain a high intensity traveling
light source. The source will be magnetically coupled through
the film support glass and holddown platen to magnets held on arms
attached to the microscope mounting base. The size of the illumi-
nated area will be approximately 1/2 inch in diameter.
PROBLEM AREAS
The only engineering problem area of any significance
is in the design and operation of the magnetically coupled
traveling light sources. The problem arises because of two
factors; one the distance between the master and slave necessary
to accommodate the clearance for the holddown platen when in its
raised position is fairly large to obtain good magnetic coupling
and two, the Design Objectives require the source to travel to
the very edge of the format.
This problem is currently being approached from two di-
rections. One is an attempt to find an equally economical method
of articulating the traveling sources, and the other is an effort
to find a particular magnetic coupling configuration which will
work satisfactorily.
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Work on the final layout is proceeding in spite of this
problem on the assumption that a suitable solution requiring mini-
mum change will be found shortly.
PROJECTED WORK FOR MONTH OF JANUARY
it is planned to complete 80?% of the layout and to
finish detailing of the main casting. Detailing of the casting
will be accelerated because of the long lead time necessary for
subcontract manufacture of patterns, casting, and finishing.
A complete power assisted drive assembly will be avail-
able for demonstration. This will be the same type of system we
intend to use in the design.
SUMMARY OF CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN ND CUSTOMER
Letter #1176 to Contracting Officer in-
forming him of receipt of damaged I microscope.
to ED to inform him that Railway
representative had inspected damaged equipment
- Second from ED to to instruct
to hold 25X1
microscope until further notice and send copy of REA Report.
Agency Report.
Meeting between ED, TGM and
25X1 Notes enclosed.
FINANCIAL STATUS
Telecons (2), 12/22/65 between
Financial Report for November is enclosed.
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letter #1189, 12/27/65 to Contracting
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and ED - First 25X1
Express Agency
and made a report.
12/17/65, at
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