EP0509403A1 - Clockwork movement - Google Patents

Abstract

It includes a tide indicator formed by a tide disc 16 visible through a hatch in the dial 5 and making one revolution in twenty-four hours and driven in rotation by the hand gear. A lunation hand 15 is also driven by the hand gear, at a rate of one revolution in 29.5 days and cooperates with both the tides disc 16 and with signs 20 to 23 representing the phases of the moon, arranged on the dial 5 around the tide disc 16. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a timepiece movement, in particular for a wristwatch, a chronograph watch or a pocket watch, which comprises a time display formed by a dial and a switch and possibly a chronograph display, as well than the conventional mechanisms associated with these displays. This timepiece movement also includes a tideoscope, that is to say a display indicating both the movement of the tides and the lunations.

We know from patent DE-A-24 54 761 a timepiece movement which includes an indicator of the movement of the tides constituted by a hand in the center, independent of the time indication switch, cooperating with marks carried on the dial indicating high and low tides. Such a movement does not simultaneously indicate the lunar months.

Document FR-A-2 500 181 also discloses a time-measuring device which comprises, in addition to a time display, a plurality of separate displays, such as a tide clock, a lunar clock, an astronomical clock with a sundial and a astronomical clock with moon dial and possibly a second time display. All these displays are separate and cannot be combined, which does not allow the use of such a time measurement device for a portable watch. In addition, for the user, in particular the sailor or the yachtsman, it is essential to be able to read at a glance the indication of the movement of the tides and the indication of the lunations, which cannot be achieved with the apparatus described in this document.

Finally, we know from document CH 672 223 a time measuring device with tide indicator which comprises, in addition to the time display, a window in the dial whose periphery has indices cooperating with signs, carried by a rotating disc under the dial, the position of which relative to the markers indicates the state of the tide. This is also a tide indicator only, this device does not include any indication relating to the lunations.

The purpose of the present invention is to make up for the shortcomings of existing clockwork movements and which in particular allows the use of sailors and boaters to integrate into a wristwatch or pocket watch an indicator simultaneously displaying the movement of the tides and the lunations .

The present invention relates to a timepiece movement comprising a time display and which is distinguished by the characteristics listed in claim 1.

The accompanying drawing illustrates schematically and by way of example a chronograph watch according to the invention.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the chronograph watch including a time display, chronograph displays and a combined display of tidal movements and lunar months.

Figure 2 is an enlarged and schematic plan view of the display of tidal movements and of the watches of the watch illustrated in Figure 1.

Figures 3 and 4 show the adjustment of the tide view.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the movement, on the dial side, of the watch illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a section along the line V-V in FIG. 4.

Figure 7 is a section along line VI-VI of Figure 4.

Figure 8 is a section along line VII-VII of Figure 4.

FIG. 9 is a section along line VIII-VIII of FIG. 4.

The chronograph watch illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a box 1 in which is housed the clockwork movement. This watch includes a time display comprising minutes 2 and hours 3 hands in the center, cooperating with a peripheral scale 4 of a dial 5. Hands 2 and 3 are driven by a conventional switch activated by a barrel and a gear train engine and regulated by a conventional governor train not shown.

This chronograph watch also has a chronograph hand for the seconds in the center 6, a chronograph hand for the minutes in the center 7, both cooperating with the peripheral graduation 4 of the dial 5. This chronograph watch also includes a chronograph hour counter having a hand 8 cooperating with a graduation 9 arranged at six o'clock from the dial 5. The chronograph hands 6, 7 and 8 are driven by a chronograph mechanism, actuated by pushers 10 and 11, of the conventional type.

The illustrated watch also includes a small second hand 12 cooperating with a scale 13 located at nine o'clock on the dial 5.

The movement also includes a winding stem 14 with three axial positions.

The illustrated chronograph watch also includes a tideoscope or combined indicator of the lunar months and the movement of the tides, the display of which, located at three o'clock on the dial 5, includes a moon phase hand 15 pivoted concentrically to a rotating tide disc 16. This moon phase hand completes one rotation per lunation and cooperates simultaneously with the tide disc, which performs a revolution in twenty-four hours, and with representations of the states of the moon, full, new, increasing and decreasing, arranged on dial 5 around the tide disc 16.

The display of the tideoscope is illustrated in detail in FIG. 2, it consists of the tide disc 16 visible through a circular aperture made in the dial 5. This tide disc 16 comprises zones of different colors 17, 18 indicating respectively the high and low tides. The portions of this disc 16 located between the areas 17, 18 may have color gradations. This display also includes the lunation hand 15 pivoted concentrically to the tide disc 16. This lunation hand 15 has at its end a graduated sector 19, extending over approximately a quarter of a circle. This sector therefore extends over an angular distance or arc corresponding to a quarter of the disc of the tides 16, that is to say over a distance corresponding to six hours, ie the time interval separating a low tide from a high tide. As mentioned above, the tide disc 16 makes a revolution in twenty-four hours and rotates clockwise, while the lunar hand 15 and its sector 19 representing half a tide cycle ( 6h 12 min) will carry out in the same direction a revolution in a lunation, that is to say 29.5 days. This lunation hand indicates the age of the moon by cooperating with the signs 20, 21, 22, 23 representing the phases of the moon affixed on the dial 5 around the disc 16. Simultaneously, this hand 15 indicates the position of the tides in differential value of the position of the zones 17, 18 of the disc 16 relative to the tip of the needle 15.

When the needle 15 is in the center of the zone 17, the high tide is at its peak and it will enter its descending phase. It is expressed by two tides or periods in twenty-four hours forty-eight minutes and forty-eight seconds.

• dans trois heures six minutes on sera en zone neutre.
• dans six heures douze minutes on sera au point culminant de la marée basse.

Sector 19 makes it possible to graphically represent the approximate time of a half cycle or period. Using this sector, we can see that:

• in three hours six minutes we will be in the neutral zone.
• in six hours twelve minutes we will be at the highest point of low tide.

• la pointe de l'aiguille 15 des lunaisons indique que l'on est dans une période de pleine lune puisqu'elle est en regard du signe 20.
• la pointe de l'aiguille 15 des lunaisons superposée au centre de la zone 17 indique qu'on se trouve au point culminant d'une marée haute.
• le secteur 19, solidaire de la pointe de l'aiguille des lunaisons 15, superposé au disque de marée 16, permet de lire approximativement le temps qu'il reste jusqu'à la prochaine marée basse.

Referring to Figure 2, we can see that:

• the tip of the needle 15 of the lunar months indicates that we are in a full moon period since it is next to the sign 20.
• the tip of the needle 15 of the lunations superimposed on the center of the zone 17 indicates that we are at the highest point of a high tide.
• sector 19, integral with the tip of the lunar needle 15, superimposed on the tide disc 16, makes it possible to read approximately the time remaining until the next low tide.

Figures 5 and 9 illustrate the mechanism of the movement of the chronograph watch which relates to the tideoscope, its operation and its adjustment.

The movement includes an hour wheel 25, the barrel 26 of which is pivoted in a bridge 27 located just below the dial 5. A pinion 28 is mounted on the barrel 26 and engaged with an intermediate return of the tides 29 pivoted in the bridge 27 and itself engaged with a tide wheel 30 frictionally mounted on the hub 31 of the star 32 for adjusting the tide disc 16. This star 32 carries the tide disc 16 and it is pivoted on the barrel 33 carrying the 'moon needle 15. The barrel 33 is integral with a wheel 34 and is pivoted on an axis 35 mounted in a seat 36. In operation, the tide disc 16 is driven at the rate of one revolution in twenty-four hours by the hour wheel 25 using a reference 29 and the wheel 30.

The driving of the lunation hand 15 is also carried out from the hour wheel 26 using a cog effecting the reduction required for this lunation hand 15 to turn in 29.5 days. This cog comprises a driving wheel 40 engaged with the pinion 28 secured to the hour wheel 25, driving wheel 40 pivoted on an axis 41 fixed in a support 42. This driving wheel 40 carries on its upper surface a leaf spring 43 which cooperates with a tooth disc 44 of 59 teeth secured to 'a wheel 45 also pivoted on the support 42. This toothed disc 44 is held in its successive angular positions by a jumper 46 and is driven by one step by the leaf spring 43 at each revolution of the driving wheel 40. The wheel 45 is engaged with a driving gear 47, 47 ′ pivoted on the support 42 and comprising two wheels 47, 47 ′ of identical toothing tending to move angularly under the effect of a spring 48, so that the toothing of the wheels 47, 47 'trap the teeth of the wheel 45 and eliminates any play. This driving reference 47, 47' is engaged with the wheel 34 secured to the barrel 33 carrying the moon needle 16. In this mechanism, the moon needle 16 is always trained from the hour wheel. The tide disc 16 is driven to it in normal operation, as also described above from the hour wheel 25 but can be adjusted manually using the winding rod when the latter is in position two, either in the intermediate position.

In fact, in this two or intermediate position of the winding stem 14, the pinion which it drives comes to mesh with the corrector return 50 of a mobile whose wheel 51 is engaged with the wheel 52 of a second mobile , both pivoted on the same rocker 53, whose pinion 54 meshes with an intermediate wheel of correction 55, itself in engagement with the star 32 for adjusting the tide disc 16.

Thanks to this mechanism, the movement can be wound in a conventional manner using the winding rod 14 when it is in its first position; perform a rapid correction of the tide disc 16, without touching the switch, when the winding stem 14 is in its intermediate position; and cause the time setting, simultaneously causing the drive of the tideoscope, that is to say of the disc 16 and of the hand 15, when the winding stem is in a third axial position. The operation of the winding stem in position one and three is conventional and is not described here for clarity.

• mettre la couronne de la montre en position trois (correction horaire et phase de lune);
• faire avancer les aiguilles heures et minutes 3, 2 jusqu'à minuit;
• l'aiguille de lune 15 avance d'une phase ou d'un jour lunaire;
• faire revenir les aiguilles heures et minutes 3, 2 en arrière jusqu'à vingt-deux heures, puis revenir à minuit. L'aiguille de lunaison 15 avance à nouveau d'un jour lunaire. On procède ainsi de suite jusqu'à ce que la position angulaire de l'aiguille des lunaisons 15 atteigne la position désirée correspondant au calendrier, dans cet exemple en regard du signe 21;
• ceci fait, la montre est mise à l'heure avec la tige de remontoir en troisième position, ce qui entraîne simultanément l'aiguille de lunaison 15;
• finalement, on replace la tige de remontoir 14 en position 1 de remontage du mouvement.

Before adjusting the tide, you must initialize the moon phase. This setting can be made on the basis of a calendar. Referring to Figure 2, this initialization is done as follows:
The moon needle 15 indicates the full moon 20. According to the calendar consulted, the moon is for example in the descending quarter 21. It is therefore necessary to advance the needle 15 until the sign 21. As the needle 15 jumps at midnight, to advance this needle:

• put the crown of the watch in position three (time correction and moon phase);
• advance the hour and minute hands 3, 2 until midnight;
• the moon hand 15 advances a phase or a lunar day;
• return the hours and minutes hands 3, 2 back to twenty-two hours, then return to midnight. The lunation hand 15 again advances one lunar day. This is done in succession until the angular position of the lunar needle 15 reaches the desired position corresponding to the calendar, in this example opposite the sign 21;
• this done, the watch is set to the time with the winding stem in third position, which simultaneously drives the lunation hand 15;
• finally, the winding stem 14 is replaced in position 1 for winding the movement.

Once this adjustment of the position of the lunar needle 15 is carried out, the tideoscope can be adjusted as a function of the location, therefore of the tides, where one is. This is done for example in the manner described below with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

• tirer la tige de remontoir 14 en position trois (correction horaire) et mettre la montre à honze heures (figure 4);
• mettre la tige du remontoir en position intermédiaire deux (correction rapide du disque des marées 16) et juxtaposer la zone 18 (marée basse) du disque 16 sur la pointe de l'aiguille des lunaisons 15;
• replacer la tige de remontoir 14 en position trois et remettre à l'heure réelle, ici dix heures dix augmenté du temps qu'il a fallu pour exécuter cette manipulation;
• remettre la tige de remontoir 24 en position une de remontage, l'indication des marées étant maintenant synchronisée.

Arriving at the port at ten o'clock and ten minutes (Figure 3), the official indicator of the place where we are indicates that the low tide will be at eleven. We then proceed as follows:

• pull the winding stem 14 to position three (time correction) and set the watch to eleven o'clock (Figure 4);
• put the winding stem in intermediate position two (rapid correction of the tide disc 16) and juxtapose the zone 18 (low tide) of the disc 16 on the tip of the lunar needle 15;
• replace the winding stem 14 in position three and reset to the real time, here ten ten increased the time it took to perform this manipulation;
• return the winding stem 24 to a winding position, the indication of the tides being now synchronized.

Thus, with this very simple manipulation, the tideoscope can be adjusted for a given port and a given instant. Once set, this tideoscope gives at a glance the indication of the moon phase, the current state of the tide and the possibility of estimating using sector 19 the time to elapse until a given tide state, high or low, depending on.

Claims (8)

Clock movement comprising a dial, a time display, an engine train, a regulator train and a winding mechanism comprising a winding rod allowing the winding of the engine in a first position and setting the time of the time display in a second position, characterized in that it also includes a tideoscope, combined display of the moon phases and tidal movements, comprising a tide disc visible through a dial window and making a turn in twenty- four hours rotated by the switch; a lunation hand also driven by the switch at the rate of one revolution in 29.5 days cooperating both with the tide disc and with signs representing the moon phases arranged on the dial around the tide disc. Movement according to claim 1, characterized in that the lunar hand is concentric with the tide disc and in that both this hand and this disc are driven, by different cogs, from the hour wheel of the 'switch. Movement according to either of Claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the end of the lunation needle carries a graduated sector, of about a quarter of a circle, concentric with the disc of the tides. Movement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tidal disc has indications, signs, decorations or other marks indicating the highest points of the high and low tides, thus dividing this disc into four quarters. Movement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it also comprises a mechanism for rapid correction of the tide disc enabling the disc to rotate independently of the turnout and the lunar hand and by the fact that this rapid correction mechanism is actuated by the winding stem when the latter is in a third axial position, generally in its intermediate position. Movement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tide is eccentric and that the dial carries around the tide disc four signs representing the phases of the moon, full, new, increasing or decreasing, cooperating with the hand lunations. Movement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it includes an eccentric small second display. Movement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a chronograph mechanism comprising chronograph hands minutes and seconds in the center, cooperating with the peripheral scale of the hour display on the dial and an eccentric hour counter.

Images