Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
  • G04B19/00—Indicating the time by visual means
  • G04B19/24—Clocks or watches with date or week-day indicators, i.e. calendar clocks or watches; Clockwork calendars
  • G04B19/243—Clocks or watches with date or week-day indicators, i.e. calendar clocks or watches; Clockwork calendars characterised by the shape of the date indicator
  • G04B19/247—Clocks or watches with date or week-day indicators, i.e. calendar clocks or watches; Clockwork calendars characterised by the shape of the date indicator disc-shaped
  • G04B19/25—Devices for setting the date indicators manually

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a mechanism for setting the time, date, month and year of a movement with a perpetual calendar comprising at least devices for displaying the time, date, month and year. More particularly, the invention relates to such a mechanism allowing rapid correction of the indications of the abovementioned displays.
• Mechanisms with a perpetual calendar of exclusively mechanical type are generally associated with mechanical movements, and in particular with automatic clock movements whose operation stops either when they are not wound manually (simple mechanical movement), or when '' they are not worn by a user (automatic mechanical movement).
• this correction operation is complicated and is difficult to understand for both the non-informed user and the seller. This type of difficulty often results in the sale failing. Indeed, this correction operation is done by means of the conventional time setting rod and by a combination of corrective pushers active only in a period of the day, each indication of the date having its corrective pushbutton (date, month, years).
• the present invention aims to remedy this drawback by providing a mechanism for setting the time, date, month and year of a movement with a perpetual calendar, the correction operations of which can be performed quickly and easily, mainly by manipulating the conventional time setting rod.
• the subject of the invention is a mechanism for setting the time of a clock movement with a perpetual calendar which comprises a device for driving a date indicator comprising drive means capable of advancing said indicator by jump once every 24 hours, this movement further comprising a device for catch-up allowing catch-up steps to be made to said indicator to automatically take account of the 28, 29 or 30 day months, said device comprising a rotary cam driven by at least one step every 24 hours, this cam having a profile suitable for piloting a probe causing: 5 - on the one hand, the oscillating movement of a mobile unit fitted with a ratchet system to advance the date indicator of the required additional catching step (s), and
• the advancement of said cam to make it perform a number of steps equal to the number of steps of catching up of said indicator in order to make it o complete one revolution per year, characterized in that it comprises means disengaging the probe to disengage it from the profile of said cam, and means for coupling the indicator with said cam, said coupling means being controlled by said disengaging means which are themselves controlled by a rod 5 command.
• FIGS. 1 to 6 are top views of the movement according to the invention, showing states of the front movement ( Figures 1 and 2), during
• FIG. 12 is also a top view of the movement according to the invention, shown equipped with a device for indicating leap years;
• FIGS. 16 to 19 are top views of the movement shown in Figures 1 to 15, equipped with the rapid time setting mechanism according to the invention and illustrating the different functions of said mechanism;
• FIG. 20 to 22 are views similar to Figures 16 to 19 and showing more particularly the correlation between the standard time setting mechanism and the fast time setting mechanism; and - Figures 23 and 24 are top views of the movement and the mechanism according to the invention, but in which only the means for correcting the days in connection with the time-setting rod have been shown.
• the movement 1 includes a calendar mechanism with a perpetual calendar comprising a calendar disc 2 which carries indications of the calendars 4. These indications appear in a window 6 of a dial, not shown.
• the disc 2 is associated with a drive device 8 comprising drive means consisting of an elastic arm 10 secured to a 24-hour wheel referenced 12.
• the wheel 12 is engaged with a mobile 14, meshing with a 16-hour cannon wheel, which rotates in twelve hours.
• the elastic arm 10 comprises, at its free end, a hook 18 provided for engaging in an internal toothing 22 of the date disc 2, in order to advance it once per 24 hours, when the hook 18 engages on a tooth of this toothing 22.
• a jumper spring 24 maintains the disc 2 in a fixed position until the hook 18, driven in rotation by the wheel 12, engages the tooth, for example D1, and arms the elastic arm 10 until it overcomes the force of the jumper spring 24 and moves, almost instantaneously, the date disc 2 by one jump for the passage from one calendar to the next calendar.
• the drive device 8 is a conventional device which will not be described in more detail.
• Movement 1 includes a take-up device provided with a rotary cam 26 driven at least one step every 24 hours and making one complete revolution per year.
• the probe 30 controls the oscillating movement of a mobile assembly 32 which is provided with a ratchet system 34 intended to advance the disc 2 by the required take-up step or steps.
• the probe 30 also controls the advancement of the cam 26 so as to cause it to take a number of steps equal to the number of steps for catching up on the disc 2.
• the cam 26 is driven by a gear train connected to the hour wheel 16. More specifically, the wheel of the hour gun 16 (hereinafter called the hour wheel) carries a pinion 36 in engagement with the wheel 38 of a first mobile.
• This first mobile comprises a finger 40 integral with the wheel 38.
• the reduction ratio between the pinion 36 and the wheel 38 is such that the wheel 38 makes one revolution in 24 hours.
• the finger 40 cooperates with the teeth of a wheel 42 with 31 teeth, belonging to a second mobile whose pinion 44 drives the cam 26.
• the finger 40 is positioned during assembly so that the latter comes into contact with the toothing of the wheel 42 after the drive device 8 has enabled the disc 2 to jump.
• the cam 26 has an annular shape surrounding the moving element 32 and the drive device 8.
• the cam 26 and the hour wheel 16 have the same axis of rotation R.
• the cam 26 has an internal toothing 46 which cooperates with the pinion 44 for the rotary drive of this cam.
• the lift 52 which is in permanent contact with the profile of the cam 26, has a semi-spherical shape and is arranged in the vicinity of the free end of the arm 48.
• This lift 52 is preferably made of synthetic ruby.
• the probe 30 comprises a second arm 54 which is connected to the first arm 48 by a joining part 56.
• This second arm 54 is coupled to the moving element 32 by its free end which has the shape of a fork 58 whose teeth are engaged, in the example shown, on a pin 60 secured to the moving assembly 32.
• the probe 30 comprises a third arm 62 extending, from the junction part 56, substantially in the extension of the first arm 48, and the end of which cooperates with the spring 50 in order to push the lift 52 in the direction of the profile of the cam 26.
• the probe 30 is pivotally mounted by its joining part.
• the axis 64 of the probe 30 is associated with an eccentric 66 which allows the final adjustment of the lift 52 relative to the profile 28 of the cam 26.
• the probe 30 and the spring 50 generally extend under the cam 26.
• the crew 32 comprises a base plate 80 rotatably mounted around the axis R, around the hour wheel 16.
• the base plate 80 extends from the center of the movement in the radial direction towards the disc 2.
• This plate 80 carries the pawl 34 which is rotatably mounted on it by means of a pivot 82.
• the pawl 34 consists, on the one hand, of a spout 84 intended to come to engage in the toothing 22 disc 2 and, on the other hand, an elastic arm
• the pawl 34 further comprises a spring 88 acting on the spout 84 to make it penetrate into the teeth 22 of the disc 2.
• the spring 88 has the general shape of an L which partially surrounds the pivot 82 and one branch of which bears against a side of the spout 84, while the other branch bears against an axis 90 integral with the plate 80.
• Axis 90 carries a 24-hour wheel, referenced 92, which meshes with a pinion 94 secured to the hour barrel.
• the axis 90 also carries an inertial cam 96 which is driven by the wheel 92, this inertial cam 96 cooperating periodically with the end of the arm 86 to block it against a pin 98 also carried by the base plate 80.
• this arrangement constitutes a blocking system making it possible, every two months, to block the movement of the arm 86 of the pawl 34 in order to condemn it at the time of the catch-up jump or jumps.
• this blocking system maintains, in a first position, the spout 84 almost permanently so that it ensures the drive of the disc 2.
• this blocking system releases the spout 84 so that it ensures its pawl function, vis-à-vis the disc 2, when the latter is actuated, in particular by the drive device 8.
• the profile 28 of the cam 26 is formed of five contiguous sectors, referenced I to V, connected between them by recesses forming notches E1 to E5. The depth of these notches determines the radial displacement of the probe 30, and in particular the radial displacement of the lift 52 to cause the disc 2 to perform the number of catch-up steps required at the end of the months having less than 31 days.
• the five sectors I to V form continuous ramps R1 to R5 which extend, counterclockwise, from the bottom of a notch En to the top of a next notch In + 1, from a first ray to a second ray greater than the first.
• One of the notches, referenced E3, has a greater depth than that of the other four notches E1, E2, E4 and E5, the latter having depths equal to each other.
• the shutter 102 has a rim which, when the shutter comes once to close the notch E3, lengthens the length of the ramp R3 by a distance corresponding to one day.
• This jumper 110 cooperates with a return spring 114 which acts on one of the branches of the L so that the other branch comes to penetrate between two teeth of the wheel 106, this second branch having an end provided for this purpose.
• the jumper 110 and its spring 114 rotate with the cam 26 at the rate of one complete revolution per year.
• FIG. 13 also shows a device for indicating leap years 120 which can advantageously equip movement 1.
• the device 120 comprises a star 122 carrying an annual indication needle (not shown), this needle being pivoted on the movement 1.
• the star 122 is held by a jumper spring 124 ensuring the positioning of the needle.
• the star 122 has eight branches and is driven by two drive teeth 126 integral with the cam 26.
• the star 122 is controlled, once a year, by these two teeth to perform a quarter turn at each complete rotation of the cam. This indication is valuable for highlighting the leap year.
• FIGS. 1 to 15 the operation of the movement will be described below.
• the hook 18 of the elastic arm 10 abuts against a tooth D1 of the toothing 22.
• the lift 52 is being mounted on the ramp R5.
• the inertial cam 96 has not reached the end of the arm 86 of the pawl 34.
• the beak 84 can thus rise slowly on the side of a tooth D2.
• the pawl 34 is therefore free and allows either the function of future passage of the date, or a rapid resetting to the date by means of a device not described.
• the end of the finger 40 has not, at this instant, yet reached one of the teeth of the wheel 42 with 31 teeth.
• the pinion 44 which is integral with the wheel 42 rotates the cam 26 via the internal toothing 70 of this cam. So the cam 26 which is integral with the disc 116 will have made an additional step of 1 / 372nd of a turn in the clockwise direction, thereby raising the lift 52 on the ramp R5 by slowly moving the probe 30 counter-clockwise, this probe 30 driving the moving assembly 32 in its travel. During this period, the tip of the spout 84 is mounted against the flank of a tooth D4 of the toothing 22 of the disc 2. The arm 86 has moved angularly around its axis 82, the end of this arm being pushed by the inertial cam 96 and leaving the spout 84 of the toothing 22.
• the disc 2 has the freedom to rotate, in particular under the effect of a rapid date setting.
• Figure 7 shows the movement under the same conditions as those described above in Figure 3, but this time before the catch-up step of the disc 2 for the passage from 30 to 31 of the month, for a month of 30 days.
• the inertial cam 96 will come to be positioned in front of the end of the arm 86 to block it against the pin 98 and in order to immobilize the pawl 34 relative to the base plate 80.
• the spout 84 of the pawl fully penetrates the toothing 22 of the disc 2.
• the articulated lever 68 moved slowly under the action of the feeler 30, via the pin 60, to mount on the toothing of the wheel 72.
• the spout 70 of this lever came to engage in the next hollow of the wheel 72, under the effect of the spring 74. It will be noted that the lift 52 always rests at the edge of the notch E1 of the cam 26 on the ramp R1.
• the hook 18 is completely disengaged from the toothing 22.
• the pawl 34 and more particularly its beak 84, is immobilized on the base plate 80 by the inertial cam 96 and the lift which is at the edge of the notch E1 is ready to fall into this notch.
• the finger 40 then drives the wheel 42 by one step to advance the cam 26 by a corresponding step.
• the advance of the cam 26 causes the fall of the lift 52 in the notch E1, under the effect of the spring 50.
• the feeler 30 moves the moving element 32 in rotation, which then advances the disc 2 with a catch-up step, thanks to the spout 84 which is immobilized by the inertial cam 96 (FIG. 9).
• the inertial cam 96 rotates continuously, the pawl 32 is free most of the time and in particular during the passage of the traditional calendar at midnight.
• the elastic arm 86 has the necessary flexibility to pass one or more teeth of the toothing 22 over the tip of the pawl 84.
• the lift 52 rises progressively along one of the ramps R1 to R5 of the cam 26.
• this path which represents, in the case of the ramp R1, the interval between two months, the spring 50 has been progressively bandaged by the arm 62 of the probe 30 and has armed the probe 30 so that it falls into the notch E1, when the finger 40 has commanded the displacement of the cam 26.
• the probe 30 pivots about its axis 64 and thereby causes an angular displacement of the moving element 32, via the pin 60.
• the probe 30 rises on the ramp R1, it pivots clockwise and moves the moving element 32 angularly in the counterclockwise direction.
• the articulated lever 68 by the driving of its beak 70 made the wheel mobile 42, 72 and 44 rotate. a step.
• the lift 52 did not fall directly to the bottom of the notch E1, but at a distance from the vertical wall of the notch E1, this distance corresponding to one day for an end of the month to 30 days.
• Figures 10 and 11 show the situation of the movement before and after the three adjusting for the passage of 29 to 1 at the end of a month of 28 days.
• the notch E3 can be partially obstructed so as to cause only a displacement of the disc 2 by two steps and one day later.
• the obstruction of this notch E3 is carried out in due time using the mechanism 100 described above, and in particular via the flap 102.
• This mechanism like the movement 1, is controlled by a conventional rod 150 which can occupy several axial positions designated in the figures by PO, P1 and P2.
• the rod 150 In the first position PO (neutral), the rod 150 is used to wind the barrel of the movement (not shown) if the latter is not equipped with an automatic winding system.
• This correction mechanism comprises a pull tab 152 pivoted on the movement and cooperating with the rod 150 in a conventional manner.
• One end of this pull tab 152 bears against an added plate 154, for example using rivets, on a declutching member 156 comprising three arms 156a,
• the declutching member 156 is pivotally mounted around an axis 158 fixed, for example, on a bridge, not shown in the drawing.
• One end or head 160 of the arm 156c penetrates into a notch 162 of a clutch lever 164.
• the latter is pivotally mounted, by its opposite end, around an axis 166 also mounted, for example, in a bridge not shown. .
• the lever 164 carries a wheel 168 which is rotatably mounted on a central lug 170 integral with the lever 164.
• the wheel 168 is in permanent engagement with the wheel 42 of the perpetual calendar device and, in this position, it rotates freely.
• the star 172 is integral with a control pinion 174 having the same number of teeth as said star which carries it and constitutes therewith a control mobile.
• This control mobile is associated with a jumper spring 176 which makes it possible to orient it so that one of the branches of the star 172 is at all times positioned between two teeth of the toothing 22.
• the mechanism further comprises a return spring 178 which comes into contact with a protuberance 180 formed on the rocker 164, this spring 178 being fixed to the plate of the movement.
• the spring 178 has the shape of a wire spring configured in U. In the position PO of the pull tab 150, the spring 178, by its restoring force, returns the rocker 164 to its initial rest position and the remote from the control mobile, so that the clutch wheel 168 is released from the control pinion 174.
• the probe 30, and more particularly its arm 48 comprises a pin 184 which projects out of the plane of the arm 48.
• the pin 184 is intended to cooperate with the arm 156a of the declutching member 156 in the position P1 of the rod as will be described below in connection with FIG. 17.
• the arm 156a can switch between a first position (FIG.
• the articulated lever 68 comprises, near its beak, a pin 186 which also projects outside the plane of the lever.
• the declutching member 156 In the PO position of the rod, the declutching member 156 does not interact with the pin 184, so that the beak of the lever 68 remains in engagement with the wheel 72 with wolf teeth.
• the declutching member 156 In the position P1 of the rod, the declutching member 156, which has been tilted counterclockwise, pushes the pin 186 to release the beak of the lever 68 from the toothing of the wheel 72.
• Figure 17 mounts the rod 150 in the position P1, which corresponds to the position generally used for setting the date of the date.
• the arm 156a of the declutching member leaves the pin 182 to push the pin 184, integral with the feeler 30, and sufficiently release the lift 52 from the profile of the cam 26 to allow its rotation in both directions, without the latter interfering with said lifting 52.
• the probe 30 In its tilting movement, the probe 30 causes, by means of its arm 54, the tilting of the movable assembly 32 in the counterclockwise direction, this tilting causing the ratchet 34 to pass over the teeth of the toothing 22 of disc 2, without driving disc 2, since the return force of spring 88 is weaker than that of jumper spring 24.
• the moving element 32 will take a non-functional but nevertheless well-determined intermediate position.
• the pawl 34 In this tilting position of the moving element 32, the pawl 34 must be located so that the inertial cam 96, during its 24-hour rotation, always passes near the end of the elastic arm 86, the spout 84 of the pawl 34 being engaged in the teeth 22 of the disc 2, as if the normal catch-up operation were to take place.
• This arrangement allows the time to be set forwards and backwards whatever the stop time of the movement, since the inertial cam 96 always passes behind the end of the arm 86 without moving it and, consequently, without moving ratchet 34.
• the tilting of the declutching member 156 anti-clockwise also allows the release of the lever 68, and more particularly of the spout 70 of the teeth of the wolf tooth wheel 72, in order to allow rotation in both directions. of the wheel 72, which is linked to the correction mechanism according to the invention, in the position P1 of the rod.
• the arm 156a of the declutching member 156 has a rounded flank 190 which pushes the pin 186 secured to the lever 68.
• the kinematics of this arrangement is provided so that the spout 70 is in this tilting position outside the field of the toothing of the wheel 72.
• the tilting of the declutching member 156 also causes the tilting of the rocker 164 clockwise by the action of the end 160 of the arm 156c engaged in the notch 162. This movement of the rocker allows the engagement of the clutch wheel 168 with the control pinion 174 which is integral with the control star 172 in engagement with the teeth 22 of the disc 2.
• FIG. 18 shows the synchronization of the correction functions, in particular of rapid date setting, by means of the rod 150 which is in the position P1.
• a wheel 192 conventionally linked in rotation to the rod 150.
• This wheel 192 meshes with a sliding pinion 194 secured to a rapid correction wheel 196, for example with three lugs.
• the number of pins determines the speed of correction of disk 2 and can be less than or more than three.
• This rapid correction wheel 196 is intended to drive the disc 2 of the dates in a clockwise direction, when the rod 150, in its position P1, is turned in a negative direction of rotation symbolized by the arrow SN ( Figure 18).
• the control pinion 174 integral with the control star 172, therefore also performs a sixth of a revolution for a step of the date disc. Note that, in this example, one step of the date disc 2 corresponds to one day.
• the date disc 2 controls the advancement of cam 26, this disc being leading.
• a corrector such as the one just described, it is common for the operator to unintentionally spend the day he wanted to display in the window and move the date disc d 'one or more days beyond the desired position.
• this handling error is not very annoying, because the operator just has to make the date disc make an additional turn so that it finds the desired position.
• This device comprises a ratchet correction module 200 provided with a plate 202 which is pivotally mounted on the plate, not referenced, around an axis 204.
• This plate 202 carries a ratchet 206 mounted pivoting around an axis 208 making projection of the plate 202.
• the plate 202 further comprises a lug 210 on which a spring 212 secured to the plate rests to return the plate to its initial rest position shown in FIG. 18, position in which the correction module comes into contact with the head of a pusher 214 partially shown in the drawing.
• the pawl 206 has, at a first end, a spout 216 and, at a second opposite end, a stud 218 driven into this pawl.
• the plate 202 also carries a cylindrical stop 220 on which the pusher 214 comes to bear.
• the correction module 200 further comprises a ratchet spring 222 which is wound, on the one hand, around the stop 220 while being fixed to the latter and, on the other hand, around the axis 204 to come to bear by its free end against the pin 218 which rests against a flange of the plate 202.
• the calendar displayed can therefore be corrected backwards while keeping the synchronization of the perpetual mechanism with the disc 2, as shown in FIG. 21, since the wheel 42, integral with the pinion 44 correspondingly drives the cam 26 also in the opposite direction from
• the return spring 212 returns the module 200 to its initial position.
• the spout 216 by virtue of the pivoting of the pawl, passes over a tooth of the wheel 42 which is held stationary in position by the jumper 78.
• the complete traction of the rod 150 has the effect of separating the wheel 192 from the rapid correction wheel 194 which returns to a non-functional position.
• the rotation of this rod 150 in the negative direction SN allows the rotation of the hour and minute hands clockwise. In this position, all the functions of the base movement, its date and its perpetual calendar with the rapid date setting, are preserved.
• the 24-hour wheel 12 carrying the elastic arm 10 in this case rotates clockwise by manual control of the barrel wheel 16 to drive the disc 2 clockwise.
• the barrel wheel 16 also controls the movement of the finger 40 counterclockwise so that it drives the wheel 42 clockwise to keep the synchronization of the perpetual calendar after the normal passage of the calendar.
• the wheel 42 causes the movement of a pitch of the wheel 168 which, in the position P2 of the rod, is in engagement with the control pinion 174. This movement causes the rotation of the date disc clockwise by one of the branches of the control star 172. During the normal passage of the date or the catch, the pawl
• FIG. 20 shows the correction mechanism according to the invention in the period between midnight and 4 am, the rod 150 being in the position P2 and being rotated in the negative direction.
• the ratchet stop position is such that the end of its arm 86 is driven by the inertial cam 96 during rotation, by so that the beak 84 of the pawl 34 leaves the field of the teeth 22 of the disc 2.
• Figure 22 shows the operation of the time setting by the rotation of the rod in the positive direction SP.
• the end of the finger 40 rotates clockwise and that the elastic mounting of this finger 40 allows it to move in rotation without driving the wheel 42 with 31 teeth which is held in position by the jumper 76.
• the inertial cam 96 which rotates anti-clockwise will come into contact with the end of the arm 86 of the pawl 34 and block its operation by abutting against the pin 98.
• a day indication device 250 comprising a seven-pointed star 252 carrying a day indication disc not shown in the drawing and rotatably mounted on the plate.
• this star 252 is driven once a day by a 24-hour wheel referenced 254, provided with an elastic arm 256 having a configuration analogous to the wheel 12 for driving the date disc (FIG. 20).
• the wheel 254 is in permanent engagement with the pinion 36 carried by the hour barrel.
• the pinion 36 drives the wheel 254 counterclockwise, which in turn drives, via a hook 258 formed at the end of the arm 256, the star 252 clockwise, this star being held in position by a jumper spring 260.
• the correction mechanism further comprises a rocking lever 270 articulated on a pivot 272 secured to the plate.
• This lever 270 comprises a first arm 274 with a swan neck, the free end of which is intended to cooperate with the star 252 in order to advance it in steps.
• the lever 270 comprises a second arm 276 the free end of which is intended to cooperate with a wheel 278 with two fingers, integral with the wheel 192.
• the lever 270 is returned to a rest position, disengaged from the teeth of the star 252, by means of a return spring, for example with a leaf, referenced 280, fixed in the plate by a tenon 282 and by a screw 284. When the rod is pulled into position P1, as shown in FIG.
• the wheels 192 and 278 are driven in rotation clockwise and move the walkman 196 in an inactive position, represented in the figure, in which it is outside the field of the teeth 22 of the disc 2.
• the walkman 196 in an inactive position, represented in the figure, in which it is outside the field of the teeth 22 of the disc 2.
• the end 258 of the elastic arm 256 comprises, on a face opposite to the attack face normally driving the star 252, a ramp 288 allowing the arm 256 to retract, during the setting at the hour of the hands in the negative direction, without driving the star 252, the flexibility of the arm 258 being greater than the holding torque of the jumper 260.

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• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Electromechanical Clocks (AREA)

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• 1997
  • 1997-03-27 CH CH00744/97A patent/CH691088A5/fr not_active IP Right Cessation
• 1998
  • 1998-03-20 EP EP98907797A patent/EP0970407A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1998-03-20 WO PCT/CH1998/000110 patent/WO1998044394A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1998-03-20 US US09/381,717 patent/US6295250B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1998-03-20 JP JP54102498A patent/JP2001516455A/ja not_active Ceased

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