Observatories that I have visited:
the Astrograph at
Stockholm's "new" Observatory, Sweden

Content:

1. Introduction
2. The excursion to Saltsjöbaden
3. Historical background
4. What is an astrograph?
5. Optical performance
6. Finder telescope
7. Tracking and motor operation
8. Object tracking, finder telescope
9. The elevator
10. The Dome
11. Glass plates (film)
12. What research was done with this astrograph?
13. Who has worked on this astrograph?
14. How it ended?

9: The elevator

Here is the floor from the bottom of the triangle frames are attached to the lifting devices. What we look at in the middle is the cast foundation to the astrograph. The sign informs that max 6 people may stay on this floor.

For a long time to follow the reference star you need to sit at a comfortable height. The astrograph's height where the photo plate and finder telescope are varies greatly with which elevation angle it point to. It has been solved so that the dome floor is built as a lift.

The instrument is attached to the a concrete foundation through this elevator floor so that vibrations from the floor is not passed over to the instrument when observer and other staff walk on this floor. Here are some pictures that describes this competitive construction. A similar construction also the great double refractor has.

The engine and the special transmission. On the engine output shaft can also be see an electro mechanical brake.

The construction is very strange, a motor driving a gearbox where there are three axis that exit. The axis go to respective legs that hold the platform above (floor), it drilled a hole straight through the concrete foundation for one axis. From each of these three axes based chain that operates a telescopic device in turn lifts the platform. To reduce the load there is also a counterweight connected to a wire system.

The counterweight with its wire and pulley.