Norvin
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/10/03
Posts: 1540
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Quote:
Quote:
I think it is worth it for what this mount will do which is to allow Dobsonian telescopes to be polar-aligned and therefore track and should easily allow astrophotography and be *Word deleted by the CN gnaughties gnomes* near as stable as a rock.
Make sure you look up the prior art: there are a lot of designs for equatorial platforms around, and you don't want to spend time trying to patent them - and if your invention does prove to be unique, it will help to understand what makes your invention *different* and what to claim in a patent and what not to claim.
If everything you describe in a patent claim can be trivially obtained by taking a horseshoe equatorial mount and throwing extraneous bits away (i.e., uses two circle segments on a cone pointing to the celestial pole, or one circle segment and a pivot point), then it may be deemed obvious (by the patent office, or worse, later in court) unless you specifically claim something unique and *not* obvious.
But there are even other variants that don't look at all like that but still constitute prior art, as e.g. this one:
http://84.194.88.202:5002/viewtopic.php?t=829&sid=3a125f5d850674b9b82d16007b8968dd
Mine doesn't look like that at all. God that thing is UGLY!
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 Norvin
10" Black X Class (GSO) Dobsonian
Norvinian Dobsonian Telescope Mount
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Norvin
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/10/03
Posts: 1540
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I agree. I just hate get the dirty end of a stick, lol.
I am going to pour over the design details tonight and have the wood cut tomorrow morning and have the mount complete no later than this weekend.
I am going to place an order for an X-Class 10" Dobsonian to initially test the mount with.
After doing the above, I will then start pursuing the patent if I find my idea to be truly unique. I am pretty sure at this point it is and warrants a patent. I discovered 1 patent attorney close to my location whose service I might employ as long as the initial consultation is free.
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Norvin
10" Black X Class (GSO) Dobsonian
Norvinian Dobsonian Telescope Mount
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snorkler
Aperture Aficionado
Reged: 10/11/04
Posts: 10041
Loc: Bay Area, California
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Norvin,
The motor specs for the ServoCat installation are both Pittman 24VDC, 60.5:1 ratio. The AZ motor says 08-02-04 on it, and the Alt motor has a number GM8724J187 on it, and the numbers 06-02-04. They have enough torque to lift my 55 pound mirror box right out of the rocker box, so they'll have no problem moving your EQ platform with a 12" Dob on it.
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I'm not the lowest of the low, but I am the slowest of the slow. '06 Scion xB. 49.6 mpg avg over 38,000 miles. 177% of '08 EPA
Best flat drive 94.5 mpg for 10.1 mi
Longest tank 1033 km (642 mi) on 10.56 gal = 60.8 mpg
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Norvin
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/10/03
Posts: 1540
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Thanks snorkler.
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Norvin
10" Black X Class (GSO) Dobsonian
Norvinian Dobsonian Telescope Mount
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sixela
Postmaster
Reged: 12/23/04
Posts: 13991
Loc: Boechout, Belgium
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Quote:
Mine doesn't look like that at all. God that thing is UGLY!
But it's built like a tank, and functional.
MY scope's ugly too, if you compare it with a nice shine Celestron CPC800...
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400mm f/4.46 self made Dobsonian on Tom Osypowski equatorial platform
Skywatcher 130mm f/5 BlackLine (finder, widefield scope and solar continuum scope)
Sumerian 250mm f/4.8 Alkaid (as travelscope without platform and on Tom O. platform above).
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grimupnorth
professor emeritus
Reged: 01/27/05
Posts: 555
Loc: Cambridge, UK
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If you are serious about the patent thing, then it will be worth getting some advice, and considering a filing *before* you build a prototype. Obviously, if your prototype fails then your patent filing $$$ are gone, but you need a 'priority date' if you are going to get a useful patent monopoly.
Just relying on 'your own prior art' in this thread doesn't grant you a monopoly, it just means that the material posted here is fair game (and un-patentable) for anyone, including you. A posting in a discussion forum doesn't prove anything to your advantage!
Under what I recall of US patent law, you may need to be able to prove that, after filing, you were prompt and diligent in 'reducing the idea to practice' which means building & testing elements of one or more prototypes.
Good luck, sounds like a great idea.
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Ian
200mm f5 EQ Newtonian, 60mm Refractor, 7x50 binos
A degree of fortitude & curiosity
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Matthew E
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 01/24/04
Posts: 927
Loc: Whitby, Ontario, Canada
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this sounds great i am all giddy with anticipation! 
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NexStar 114GT
NewStar 10” Dob with Moonlite CR-1
Short Tube 80mm
6mm Radian
14mm Radian
Celestron Ultima Barlow
Durham Region Astronomical Association
Royal Astronomical Society of Canada - Toronto
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Matthew E
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 01/24/04
Posts: 927
Loc: Whitby, Ontario, Canada
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any updates yet?
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NexStar 114GT
NewStar 10” Dob with Moonlite CR-1
Short Tube 80mm
6mm Radian
14mm Radian
Celestron Ultima Barlow
Durham Region Astronomical Association
Royal Astronomical Society of Canada - Toronto
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Norvin
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/10/03
Posts: 1540
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None at the moment. I am waiting until next Monday to order a GSO X-Class 10" Dob to test the mount with.
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Norvin
10" Black X Class (GSO) Dobsonian
Norvinian Dobsonian Telescope Mount
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Relativist
Post Laureate
Reged: 10/11/03
Posts: 3301
Loc: OC, CA, USA
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I"m supprised your not getting one of the $475 10" DSH specials on astromart. Free shipping.
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.......Curtis
20mm T2 Nagler, 10mm SW 82degrees, 5-8 SW Zoom:
All of the above replaced with WO Binoviewers!!!
Siebert OCA 1.25x-3.5x
10" OPT Starhunter (flocked & upgraded focuser)
10x50 & 15x70 Celestron Bino's
2" 2x GSO Barlow
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Norvin
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/10/03
Posts: 1540
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I want a black one.
Also some news...
I just got off the telephone with the guy that is going to cut my wood for me. We decided to use oak.
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Norvin
10" Black X Class (GSO) Dobsonian
Norvinian Dobsonian Telescope Mount
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Norvin
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/10/03
Posts: 1540
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Does anyone have a measurement of the 10" Dob's circular base board handy? I need to know how wide it is. Thickness would also be helpful. Thanks in advance.
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Norvin
10" Black X Class (GSO) Dobsonian
Norvinian Dobsonian Telescope Mount
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netwolf
super member
Reged: 09/03/05
Posts: 127
Loc: NSW, Australia
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Hi Norvin,
This website has specs on GSO dob's.
http://www.telescope-service.com/dobsonians/dobsonians/dobsoniansstart.html
Regards
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Norvin
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/10/03
Posts: 1540
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netwolf: That was exactly what I was looking for. Thank you.
I figured it was around 20" - 22".
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Norvin
10" Black X Class (GSO) Dobsonian
Norvinian Dobsonian Telescope Mount
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Norvin
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/10/03
Posts: 1540
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I ordered a telescope to test the mount with...
http://tinyurl.com/bawbu
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Norvin
10" Black X Class (GSO) Dobsonian
Norvinian Dobsonian Telescope Mount
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Norvin
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/10/03
Posts: 1540
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The telescope is scheduled to arrive from Salt Lake City to my location on Friday. The wood should be ready by Wednesday or Thursday. That should mean I will have the 2 prototype designs built Saturday. I will probably wait about a week after that while I test both mounts to be sure at least 1 design works flawlessly, is sturdy, tracks perfectly (goal of 3 hours), and is easy to use. I will give an update then.
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Norvin
10" Black X Class (GSO) Dobsonian
Norvinian Dobsonian Telescope Mount
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Norvin
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/10/03
Posts: 1540
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Well I just completed the prototype. My original design was too complicated. The second design would have caused a balance issue with the Dobsonian. This one, the third design, appears to work.
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Norvin
10" Black X Class (GSO) Dobsonian
Norvinian Dobsonian Telescope Mount
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netwolf
super member
Reged: 09/03/05
Posts: 127
Loc: NSW, Australia
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Can you show us any pictures of your prototype?
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Norvin
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/10/03
Posts: 1540
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No. Sorry.
I am not showing anything until the lawyer says it is OK. As soon as that happens, I will.
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Norvin
10" Black X Class (GSO) Dobsonian
Norvinian Dobsonian Telescope Mount
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netwolf
super member
Reged: 09/03/05
Posts: 127
Loc: NSW, Australia
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Darn those lawyers .. cant wait till they give the all clear. Can you advise on cost of construction and labour times.
Thanks and Regards
Netwolf
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