US3864859A

US3864859A - Perpetual calendar

Info

Publication number: US3864859A
Application number: US386198A
Authority: US
Inventors: Len Kaufman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-08-06
Filing date: 1973-08-06
Publication date: 1975-02-11
Anticipated expiration: 1992-02-11

Abstract

A perpetual calendar requiring no numbers, letters, or printed indicia of any kind is disclosed. Locations are provided on the face of the calendar corresponding in position to the hour or minute markings on a clock dial, to which indicating markers designating the decade, year, month, date, day of the week and days in the month are removably attached.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Kaufman l l PERPETUAL CALENDAR [76] Inventor: Len Kaufman, 500 Kappock St.,

Bronx, NY. 10463 [22] Filed: Aug. 6, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 386,198

[52] 11.8. CI. 40/107 [51] Int. Cl. 609d 3/00 [58] Field of Search 40/107, 109, 110, 115

[5 6] References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,216,665 11/1959 France 40/107 3269 0/1904 Great Britain 40/107 SATURDAY. JULY 28/73 1 Feb. 11, 1975 164,213 12/1933 Switzerland 411/107 Primary ExaminerJ. H. Wolff Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Nathaniel Altman [57] ABSTRACT A perpetual calendar requiring no numbers. letters or printed indicia of any kind is disclosed. Locations are provided on the face ofthe calendar corresponding in position to the hour or minute markings on a clock dial, to which indicating markers designating the decade, year, month, date, day of the week and days in the month are removably attached.

5 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEU 1 3.864859 FIG. 1. 50

SATURDAY. JULY 28;73

FIG. 6. V

PERPETUAL CALENDAR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Prior art calendars, whether temporal or perpetual, fall into two categories: the first type displays a series of dates over a given period, most commonly a month, and is read by locating the date desired much in the manner of following a map; the second exposes the single current date only.

Whichever the type, any previously known calendar employs letters, numbers, words, figures or symbols for its designations, and therefore requires a knowledge of the language in which the calendar is printed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The novel perpetual calendar of this invention overcomes the limitation of the prior art by avoiding the use of numbers, letters, or words of any kind; in their place, the configuration of a clock is employed, so that anyone who is capable of reading a clock may, no matter what his language, by simple analogy, readily recognize the date displayed.

More specifically, the new and unique calendar has on its face several series of locating points, each series being arranged in the configuration of a clock dial with its locating points corresponding in position to the hour or minute markings on a conventional clock. Indicating markers, adapted to be detachably mounted on the loeating points of each series are provided to designate the specific date characteristic (decade, year, month, date) denoted by each series. Means for identifying the day of the week and the number of days in each month are also supplied.

The details and features of this invention will be described more fully with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings, and its scope defined by the appended claims.

DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the perpetual calendar of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view, taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1, showing details of the monthindicating marker and its mounting on the calendar base;

FIGS. 3-6 are sectional views similar to FIG. 2, but each showing a modified form of the month-indicating marker and its mounting, and

FIGS. 7 and 8 are each perspective views of several date-, day-of-the-week-indicating markers differing from those of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. ll shows a calendar 10 with calendar base 12 in the form of a round flat disc. It is obvious that the shape and size of base 12 may vary as widely as any clockor watch-face; that the material from which it is made is completely optional, from paper to ivory; and that base 12 may be adapted by any suitable means (not shown) to be displayed horizontally, hung vertically, or both.

Arranged on the surface of base 12 are decademarking locations 14, annual-marking locations 16, month-marking locations 18, and day-of-the-monthmarking locations 20. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, all these locations are formed as hollow sockets, into which corresponding and complementary indicating markers or pegs may be placed. Clearly, the placement of each series of locations on the face of base 12 and their relative size is completely optional.

Decade-marking locations or sockets 14, as may be seen, are situated so as to correspond to hourly clock markings from 1 o'clock to 9 o'clock inclusively, with a tenth centrally placed socket 22 for indicating zero. Thus, since indicator marker or peg 24 is shown in the socket 14 at the 7 oclock position, the decade of the seventies is indicated.

Year-marking locations 16 as shown are identical with those of sockets 14, with central socket 26 representing zero and indicating peg 28 in the 3 oclock position. Clearly, sockets l4 and 16 may be varied in size and shape if desired, with pegs 24 and 28 modified accordingly.

Month-marking sockets l8 correspond precisely to the 12 oclock" positions, and the months number and identity is easily observed by the location of month-marking peg 30, which here identifies the seventh month, July, in English. Sockets 18 each have a notch 32 (February has two notches, one for leap year), designed to accept the pointing foot 34 and to indicate by its direction the number of days in each month, (i.e., notches for January and March point to minute 31, for April and June to the half-hour or 30 minute mark, and for February to the 28th and 29th minute mark).

For indicating the day of the month, sockets 20, positioned at each of the clock-minute locations 1-32 inclusively, are here shown in diamond configuration, but may be any convenient shape. 5-minute division lines may be included as at 52 to facilitate reading the minute locations.

A warning or blocking peg 36 is provided to indicate the end of the month, and is put into place at the first of each new month. Thus, in the example of FIG. 1, peg 36 was placed in the 32nd socket 20 on the first day of July to show that the last day of the month corresponds to the socket immediately preceding peg 36, which in this case is the 31st. Seven other marking pegs, 38, 40, 42, 4'4, 46, 48 and 50, all visibly distinct one from another, represent the days of the week, with the first one in the consecutive series of seven, reading clockwise, indicating the current day of the month. Thus, in the example shown, peg 38 marks the day of the month displayed on the calendar, (the 28th). The following day would be marked by moving peg 38 from its present location to the fourth clockwise socket 20, leaving peg 40 to mark the day; then in sequence, day by day, peg 40 to the fifth; peg 42 to the sixth; peg 44 to the seventh, and so on. In this way, the seven marking pegs 38-50 remain in order, like the days of the week which they represent. For purposes of illustration, color has been chosen as the distinguishing characteristic here, so that peg 40, white, indicates Sunday; peg 42, violet, Monday; peg 44, blue, Tuesday; peg 46, green, Wednesday; peg 48, yellow, Thursday; peg 50, orange, Friday; and peg 38, red, Saturday.

Now, the calendar notations of FIG. 1 may be fully read as: Saturday, July 28, 73. It should be clear that throughout any month, it is necessary to move only one of the day-date markers 38-50 daily to keep the calendar current; at the start of a new month, month-marker 30 and blocking marker 36, if necessary; and at the start of a new year, marker 28, and marker 24, if necessary.

All the indicating markers showing in FIGS. 1 and 2 have been described as pegs fitting into their respective socket locations. FIGS. 3-6 show modified construction of month-marker 30. It should be noted that the same modifications may be employed in the other indicating markers (24, 28, 36, 38-50) of this invention as alternate means for detachably mounting these markers at their appropriate locations.

FIG. 3 shows a modified month marker 30a with pointing foot 340 mounted on calendar base 12a. In this embodiment a pressure sensitive adhesive 54 is provided at each location 18a for detachably holding marker 30a. Similarly, in FIG. 4 marker 30a may be held in place 180 by Velcro 56. In FIG. 5, magnetic means is used to attach marker 30b to calendar base 12b. As shown, permanent magnet 60 is inset in marker 30b and holds to magnetically susceptible insert 62 in base 12b at location 18b.

The modification of FIG. 6 shows a hollow translucent month-marker 30c with pointer foot 340. Carried within 300 is a conventional incandescent bulb and socket 64, and extending downward therefrom are two contact prongs 66, which extend into electrical socket 68 inset in base 12c at location 18c. Current is provided through leads 70 from a source not shown, and marker 30c is thereby illuminated when in place.

It has been noted above that day-date markers 38-50 should be visually distinct one from another, so that each day of the week may be indicated clearly. Alternate distinguishing characteristics to that of color shown in FIG. 1 are illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 7 shows

markers

38a, 40a, and 42a varying in height in a descending sequence. Obviously, a complete set of seven markers formed in sequentially varying height will clearly meet the requirements for day-date markers 38-50.

In like manner, the day-

date markers

38b, 40b and 42b of FIG. 8 are representative of a series of seven day-date markers distinguishable by differing shapes.

A perpetual calendar has been described which requires no indicia of any kind in order to read, and is therefore internationally useful. The structures and arrangements herein outlined may be altered for reasons of utility or aesthetics without departing from the scope of this invention, which is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A perpetual calendar requiring neither numbers, letters, words nor printed matter to be read, which comprises:

a planar base;

a decade-indicating marker;

means for locating and detachably affixing said decade-indicating marker selectively, within a first circular pattern on the planar surface of said base to correspond in position to the hourly markings on a clock dial from 1 oclock to 9 oclock inclusively;

a year-indicating marker;

means for locating and detachably affixing said yearindicating marker selectively, within a second circular pattern on the planar surface of said base to correspond in position to the hourly markings on a clock dial from I oclock to 9 oclock inclusively;

a month-indicating marker;

means for locating and detachably affixing said month-indicating marker selectively, within a third circular pattern on the planar surface of said base to correspond in position to the hourly markings on a clock dial from I oclock to 12 o'clock inclusively;

seven day-indicating markers, visually distinguishable from each other; and

means for locating and detachably affixing said dayindicating markers selectively, within a fourth circular pattern on the planar surface of said base to correspond in position to the minute markings on a clock dial from 1 minute past the hour to 31 minutes past the hour inclusively,

whereby the relative location of each of said above markers, in combination, corresponds in position to the time display on a conventional clock dial with the composite display indicating a specific calendar date.

2. Perpetual calendar according to claim 1, wherein said means for locating and detachably affixing said decade-, year-, month and day-indicating markers are hollow sockets, and wherein said decade-indicating, year-indicating, month-indicating, and day-indicating markers are pegs complementary to and adapted to fit into said corresponding hollow sockets.

3. Perpetual calendar according to claim 1, wherein said month-indicating marker has appended thereto pointing means for denoting the number of days in each month when detachably affixed to each of said means for locating and detachably affixing said monthindicating marker.

4. Perpetual calendar according to claim 1, wherein said seven day-indicating markers are visually distinguishable from one another by being of different colors.

5. Perpetual calendar according to claim 1, wherein said means for locating and detachably affixing said day-indicating markers selectively arranged on the surface of said base to correspond in position to the minute markings on a clock dial from 1 minute past the hour to 32 minutes past the hour inclusively, and further comprising an eighth day-indicating marker, visually distinguishable from said seven day-indicating markers, for denoting the final day of each month.

Claims

1. A perpetual calendar requiring neither numbers, letters, words nor printed matter to be read, which comprises: a planar base; a decade-indicating marker; means for locating and detachably affixing said decadeindicating marker selectively, within a first circular pattern on the planar surface of said base to correspond in position to the hourly markings on a clock dial from 1 o''clock to 9 o''clock inclusively; a year-indicating marker; means for locating and detachably affixing said year-indicating marker selectively, within a second circular pattern on the planar surface of said base to correspond in position to the hourly markings on a clock dial from 1 o''clock to 9 o''clock inclusively; a month-indicating marker; means for locating and detachably affixing said month-indicating marker selectively, within a third circular pattern on the planar surface of said base to correspond in position to the hourly markings on a clock dial from 1 o''clock to 12 o''clock inclusively; seven day-indicating markers, visually distinguishable from each other; and means for locating and detachably affixing said day-indicating markers selectively, within a fourth circular pattern on the planar surface of said base to correspond in position to the minute markings on a clock dial from 1 minute past the hour to 31 minutes past the hour inclusively, whereby the relative location of each of said above markers, in combination, corresponds in position to the time display on a conventional clock dial with the composite display indicating a specific calendar date.

2. Perpetual calendar according to claim 1, wherein said means for locating and detachably affixing said decade-, year-, month-, and day-indicating markers are hollow sockets, and wherein said decade-indicating, year-indicating, month-indicating, and day-indicating markers are pegs complementary to and adapted to fit into said corresponding hollow sockets.

3. Perpetual calendar according to claim 1, wherein said month-indicating marker has appended thereto pointing means for denoting the number of days in each month when detachably affixed to each of said means for locating and detachably affixing said month-indicating mArker.