History

Credit Where Credit is Due

 

In my world-view, God is the benefactor Who created the entire universe for us to observe and enjoy, as well as the One Who gave me the creative skill and inspiration to develop this technology. For both of these gifts, I am eternally grateful.

 

However, there are some other "giants" on whose shoulders I stand, and whom I would like to acknowledge as sources of ideas, inspiration, and foundational technology without which I would have had nothing to develop.

 

Sir Isaac Newton

 

My friend Gene Cross presented a marvelous paper at RTMC some years ago, detailing a number of Newton's lesser known works. He has very graciously consented to my sharing it with you here. It is titled "Telescope Innovations of Isaac Newton."

 

My immediate appreciation of Sir Isaac is that my own telescope, "Glory," (so named in response to Psalm 19) is known optically as a "Newtonian," named for Newton who invented that basic configuration.

 

Prior Art in Equatorial Mounts

 

There are several varieties of equatorial mounts that have existed for many, in some cases, hundreds of years:

 

- German Equatorial Mount

- Fork Mount

- Horseshoe Mount

- English and Yoke Mounts

  - "cross axis" or "Modified English"

- Coude Mount - "elbowed equatorial"

- Poncet Mount

 

Here is an interesting article comparing various state of the art drive systems from DFM Engineering.

 

Direct Inspiration

 

There are one or two inventors and innovators whose work directly inspired or added to the development of the McCreary Mount. Perhaps the most notable and directly inspirational is Tom Fangrow, inventor of the "Hiss Drive."

 

Hiss Drive by Tom Fangrow

- Shown at the 1986 RTMC

- Sky and Telescope Sep. 1985 p 273

- Telescope Making #27 - Spring 1986 p 9

- Unusual Telescopes by Peter L. Manly

  pp. 124-126

 

Prior Art Discovered "After The Fact"

 

In my reading and search of the field while preparing to disclose the McCreary Mount publically, I have found other related efforts mentioned in the literature. This is certainly not an exhaustive list, and I welcome any additions that you would care to send to me for future inclusion.

 

Regiomontanus torquetum c 1470

- See "History of the Telescope" by King, 1955

 

Floating Telescopes

- The Common Telescope at Harvard

- Mt. Wilson (floated in mercury)

 

Curved Bolt Drive

- Still has periodic gear error

- "Unusual Telescopes" by Peter L. Manly

  pp. 115,118,119

 

Ball and Grove Drive by Jose Sasian

- This one has some eerie similarities to the preferred

  implementation of the McCreary Mount, but is not

  really directly related. See:

  "Unusual Telescopes" by Peter L. Manly

  pp. 122,123

 

Sand Drive

- Employs gravity

- Still mechanical

- "Sky and Telescope" Aug 1979 p 110

 

Clepsydra (water clock)

- Donald Menzel & Fernando de Romana

- 1972 Solar Eclipse, Canada

- Bicycle Pump w/ water, gravity driven

- Has tangent error

 

This comes closest to the hydraulic system that I have incorporated into the McCreary Mount, though I had no personal prior knowledge of this when I conceived of my invention.

 

The oldest examples of water clocks were used only for motive power.  They still drove chains and gear trains which  were replete with mechanical error.

 

The McCreary Mount conceptually separates the concepts of "power source" and "drive mechanism," which these historic devices do not.

"In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth" - Genesis 1:1