EP1240559B1 - Annual, perpetual or centennial calendar mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a perpetual calendar mechanism actuated by a power wheel (23) of a clockwork movement and displaying at least the calendar date of the day. It exclusively consists of rotary mobile elements formed by gears and the power wheel (23) completes one revolution per day instantaneously at midnight. One of the gears is a date wheel (31) driving a mobile element displaying (18) the date. Said date wheel (31) comprises thirty one teeth and is driven at the rate of one pitch per day by a driving tooth (24) integral with the power wheel (23). At least another of said gears is a mobile element for the duration of the months (42, 43) capable of being driven in the four last days of the month by a control wheel (30) integral with the date wheel, said mobile element for the duration of months (42, 43) comprising a set of teeth consisting of a set of 0 to 3 tooth groups, each of the groups corresponding to a month of the year. The date wheel (31) is driven at the end of the months of thirty one days by a number of pitches corresponding to the difference between thirty one and the number of days of the month concerned by an adjusting clock train comprising at least a drive pinion (25) integral with the power wheel (23), the mobile element for the duration of the month (42, 43), the date driving pinion (36) and the control wheel (30).

Description

The present invention relates to annual or perpetual calendars for watch movement and more particularly to a mechanism of perpetual calendar simple and compact and likely to be integrated into the movement or to be in the form of an additional module that can be place between the watch movement and the dial of a timepiece such a pocket watch or a wristwatch, clock, clock, etc.

Numerous annual calendar mechanisms are known or perpetuals, however, almost all of them use cams, Flip-flops and levers of complex shape and performing movements oscillating. These mechanisms are complex to build and assemble as well as adjust. Such mechanisms of perpetual calendars are, for example, described in the documents CH 504.706 or CH 653.843.

We still know document CH 680.630 a date mechanism perpetual consisting solely of wheels excluding cams, rockers or levers. This achievement is however very complex and requires significant space both in surface and in height.

A major disadvantage of all perpetual calendar mechanisms or annual lies in the fact that the passage from one day to another is dragging on hours, usually from 23:00 to 1:00, and during this period of time It is not possible to set the time of the watch, by turning forward or back of the winding stem, without the risk of causing damage to the mechanism.

The purpose of the present invention is to enable the realization of a annual or perpetual calendar mechanism that is compact on the surface than height, simple to manufacture, assemble and adjust, including the passage of a day to the next is almost instantaneous and allows a manual time setting in all the time.

The perpetual calendar mechanism according to the invention makes it possible to achieve objectives and obviates the drawbacks of the existing mechanisms and distinguished by the features listed in claim 1.

La figure 1 est une vue en plan d'un mécanisme de quantième perpétuel selon l'invention, illustrant le principe général de fonctionnement du mécanisme propre à toutes les formes d'exécution du mécanisme.

La figure 2 est une vue en coupe de la figure 1 suivant la ligne A-A.

Les figures 3 à 9 sont des vues en plan du mécanisme lors du passage à minuit du 28 février au 1 mars illustrant ses positions successives.

La figure 10 est une vue en plan partielle d'un cadran illustrant l'affichage d'une première forme d'exécution du calendrier perpétuel.

La figure 11 est une vue en coupe de cette première forme d'exécution du mécanisme de calendrier perpétuel.

Les figures 12 à 15 illustrent les rouages du mécanisme de calendrier perpétuel illustré aux figures 10 et 11 situés dans chacun des quatre niveaux du mécanisme.

La figure 16 illustre en coupe une seconde forme d'exécution du mécanisme de calendrier perpétuel dont l'affichage est identique à la figure 10.

La figure 17 illustre en plan les rouages du niveau inférieur du mécanisme illustré à la figure 16.

Les figures 18 à 21 sont des vues partielles du niveau inférieur du mécanisme illustrant les positions successives des rouages de ce niveau lors du passage du 28 février au 1 mars.

Les figures 22 à 25 illustrent les rouages du mécanisme illustré à la figure 16 situés dans les quatre autres niveaux.

La figure 26 illustre en coupe une troisième forme d'exécution du mécanisme de calendrier perpétuel dont l'affichage est identique à celui illustré à la figure 10.

Les figures 27 à 31 illustrent les rouages du mécanisme illustré à la figure 26 situés dans chacun des cinq niveaux de ce mécanisme.

La figure 32 est une coupe du mécanisme suivant la ligne B-B des figures 34 à 37.

La figure 32A est une coupe du mécanisme suivant la ligne D-D de la figure 36.

La figure 33 est une coupe du mécanisme suivant la ligne C-C des figures 34 à 37.

Les figures 34 à 37 illustrent en plan les quatre niveaux du mécanisme selon cette quatrième forme d'exécution.

La figure 38 illustre les organes mobiles de l'affichage de cette quatrième forme d'exécution du mécanisme.

Les figures 39 et 40 illustrent, pour le passage du 28 février 1999 au 1 mars 1999 les positions successives des organes de l'affichage et des quatre niveaux du mécanisme de cette quatrième forme d'exécution.

La figure 41 illustre l'affichage d'une cinquième forme d'exécution du mécanisme de calendrier perpétuel.

La figure 42 est une coupe d'une cinquième forme d'exécution du mécanisme suivant la ligne D-D de la figure 45.

La figure 43 est une coupe de cette cinquième forme d'exécution du mécanisme suivant la ligne E-E de la figure 48.

La figure 44 est une coupe de cette cinquième forme d'exécution du mécanisme suivant la ligne F-F de la figure 48.

Les figures 45 à 49 sont des vues en plan des six niveaux du mécanisme de cette cinquième forme d'exécution du calendrier perpétuel.

La figure 50 est une vue en plan de l'affichage d'une sixième forme d'exécution du mécanisme de calendrier perpétuel.

Les figures 51 à 57 sont des vues en plan des six niveaux de cette sixième forme d'exécution du mécanisme de calendrier perpétuel.

La figure 58 est une vue en plan d'un rouage d'actionnement de la prise de force du mécanisme de calendrier perpétuel.

Les figures 59 à 62 sont des représentations en plan d'une autre forme d'exécution du rouage d'actionnement de la prise de force du mécanisme de calendrier perpétuel.

La figure 63 est une vue en plan de l'affichage d'une septième forme d'exécution du mécanisme de calendrier perpétuel dans trois positions différentes.

La figure 64 est une coupe axiale de cette septième forme d'exécution du mécanisme.

La figure 65 est une vue d'ensemble de dessus de cette septième forme d'exécution du mécanisme.

Les figures 66 à 68 sont des vues en plan des trois niveaux du mécanisme illustré aux figures 64 et 65.

La figure 69 est une vue en plan du disque d'affichage du quantième de la huitième forme d'exécution du mécanisme.

La figure 70 illustre une coupe de cette huitième forme d'exécution du mécanisme de calendrier perpétuel.

Les figures 71 à 76 illustrent en plan les éléments de cette huitième forme d'exécution du mécanisme situés dans les différents plans du mécanisme.

The accompanying drawing illustrates schematically and by way of example several embodiments of the perpetual calendar mechanism according to the invention.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a perpetual calendar mechanism according to the invention, illustrating the general principle of operation of the mechanism specific to all embodiments of the mechanism.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of Figure 1 along the line AA.

Figures 3 to 9 are plan views of the mechanism during the transition at midnight from February 28 to March 1 illustrating its successive positions.

Figure 10 is a partial plan view of a dial illustrating the display of a first embodiment of the perpetual calendar.

Figure 11 is a sectional view of this first embodiment of the perpetual calendar mechanism.

Figures 12 to 15 illustrate the workings of the perpetual calendar mechanism illustrated in Figures 10 and 11 located in each of the four levels of the mechanism.

FIG. 16 illustrates in section a second embodiment of the perpetual calendar mechanism whose display is identical to FIG. 10.

Figure 17 illustrates in plan the wheels of the lower level of the mechanism shown in Figure 16.

Figures 18 to 21 are partial views of the lower level of the mechanism illustrating the successive positions of the wheels of this level during the passage from February 28 to March 1.

Figures 22 to 25 illustrate the workings of the mechanism shown in Figure 16 located in the other four levels.

FIG. 26 illustrates in section a third embodiment of the perpetual calendar mechanism whose display is identical to that illustrated in FIG. 10.

Figures 27 to 31 illustrate the workings of the mechanism shown in Figure 26 located in each of the five levels of this mechanism.

Figure 32 is a section of the mechanism along the line BB of Figures 34 to 37.

Figure 32A is a sectional view of the mechanism along line DD of Figure 36.

Figure 33 is a section of the mechanism along the line CC of Figures 34 to 37.

Figures 34 to 37 illustrate in plan the four levels of the mechanism according to this fourth embodiment.

Figure 38 illustrates the movable members of the display of this fourth embodiment of the mechanism.

Figures 39 and 40 illustrate, for the passage from 28 February 1999 to 1 March 1999 the successive positions of the display organs and the four levels of the mechanism of this fourth embodiment.

Fig. 41 illustrates the display of a fifth embodiment of the perpetual calendar mechanism.

Figure 42 is a sectional view of a fifth embodiment of the mechanism along line DD of Figure 45.

FIG. 43 is a section of this fifth embodiment of the mechanism along the line EE of FIG. 48.

FIG. 44 is a section of this fifth embodiment of the mechanism along the line FF of FIG. 48.

Figures 45 to 49 are plan views of the six levels of the mechanism of this fifth embodiment of the perpetual calendar.

Fig. 50 is a plan view of the display of a sixth embodiment of the perpetual calendar mechanism.

Figures 51-57 are plan views of the six levels of this sixth embodiment of the perpetual calendar mechanism.

Fig. 58 is a plan view of an actuating train of the PTO of the perpetual calendar mechanism.

Figs. 59 to 62 are plan views of another embodiment of the power take-off gear train of the perpetual calendar mechanism.

Fig. 63 is a plan view of the display of a seventh embodiment of the perpetual calendar mechanism in three different positions.

Figure 64 is an axial section of this seventh embodiment of the mechanism.

Figure 65 is a top view of this seventh embodiment of the mechanism.

Figs. 66 to 68 are plan views of the three levels of the mechanism illustrated in Figs. 64 and 65.

Fig. 69 is a plan view of the date display disk of the eighth embodiment of the mechanism.

Figure 70 illustrates a section of this eighth embodiment of the perpetual calendar mechanism.

Figures 71 to 76 illustrate in plan the elements of this eighth embodiment of the mechanism located in the different planes of the mechanism.

The annual or perpetual calendar mechanism according to the invention is powered from a power take off of the watch movement he equips and he displays at least the day's date but usually also the day, the month and the year within a four-year cycle. This mechanism can, in a simplified version, form an annual calendar, in its complete form in perpetual calendar taking into account leap years and even secular changes to the calendar.

When the mechanism is mounted on a platen it can be presented under Module form coming to be fixed on a clockwork movement.

• il peut être avancé ou reculé à tout instant pour être réglé sur une date désirée.
• le changement de quantième, de jour et de mois se fait de façon instantanée à minuit.
• il peut être utilisé indifféremment avec des mouvements mécanique, électromécanique ou électrique.
• il présente une sécurité de fonctionnement élevée du fait de sa simplicité, du faible nombre de pièces le constituant et du fait que tous ses éléments sont des rouages ou mobiles rotatifs à l'exclusion de tous leviers, bascules ou cames.
• il peut être réglé manuellement à l'aide de la couronne de remontoir lorsqu'elle est en position de correction de la date. Point n'est besoin de poussoir de correction.

As will be seen in what follows, this mechanism has the following main characteristics:

• it can be moved forward or backward at any time to be set to a desired date.
• the change of date, day and month is instantaneous at midnight.
• it can be used indifferently with mechanical, electromechanical or electrical movements.
• it has a high operational safety because of its simplicity, the small number of parts constituting it and the fact that all its elements are gear wheels or mobile rotating excluding all levers, latches or cams.
• it can be adjusted manually using the winding crown when it is in the date correction position. There is no need for correction push.

1. La prise de force entraínant le mécanisme effectue une révolution complète, soit une rotation de 360°, à minuit chaque jour.

2. Une étoile de trente et un, soit une roue des dates, est entraínée d'une part, tous les jours à minuit d'un pas directement par la prise de force et, d'autre part, les mois comportant moins de trente et un jours, d'un nombre de pas correspondant à trente et un moins le nombre de jours du mois concerné, par l'intermédiaire d'un rouage de rattrapage comprenant au moins un pignon d'entraínement, un organe de commande et un mobile de la durée des mois.
En d'autres termes, l'étoile de trente et un ou roue des dates est entraínée par deux chaínes cinématiques différentes, toutes deux entraínées par la prise de force, l'une provoquant l'entraínement journalier pas à pas de cette roue des dates et l'autre provoquant l'avance en fin de mois de cette roue des dates du nombre de pas nécessaire pour compenser les jours manquants par rapport à un mois de trente et un jours.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 illustrating a simplified perpetual calendar mechanism according to the invention, the operating principle of the mechanism will be described and explained. This basic principle, which is found in all the forms of execution of the mechanism, is based on two fundamental characteristics which are as follows:

1. The PTO causing the mechanism performs a complete revolution, a rotation of 360 °, at midnight each day.

2. A star of thirty-one, a wheel of dates, is driven on the one hand, every day at midnight by a step directly by the power take-off and, on the other hand, the months with less than thirty and one day, a number of steps corresponding to thirty-one minus the number of days of the month concerned, by means of a catch-up train comprising at least one drive pinion, a control member and a mobile of the duration of the months.
In other words, the star of thirty-one or date wheel is driven by two different kinematic chains, both driven by the PTO, one causing the daily training step by step of this wheel dates and the other provoking the end of month advance of this date wheel by the number of steps required to make up for the missing days compared to a thirty-one day month.

As can be seen in Figures 1 and 2, the simplified calendar mechanism perpetual features a thirty-one star 1 or date wheel, featuring thirty-one teeth and performing step by step a complete revolution in one month. This wheel dates 1 is driven at a rate of one step per day by a tooth 2 of integral drive of the PTO 3 performing a complete revolution per day at midnight.

The axis of this date wheel carries a cooperating needle (not shown) with a graduation of thirty-one worn by the dial of the timepiece, this hand indicating the date.

The tooth 2 also cooperates with the teeth of seven teeth of a wheel of days 4 whose axis carries the movable member of a display of the name of the days of the week. This wheel of days 4 is driven at the rate of one step per day by said tooth 2 integral with the power take-off 3. In the rest position of the PTO 3, the drive tooth 2 is engaged with the toothing of the wheel of the days and maintains it in a given angular position corresponding to the indication of the day.

The illustrated mechanism also includes a mobile of the duration of the months 5 constituted here by a crown divided into forty eight sectors corresponding to four times twelve months, four years. This crown can wear in each sector the name of a month that is likely to appear in a window (not shown) that includes the dial of the timepiece. In addition, each month marked on this crown contains an indication I, II, III or IV indicating to what year of a four year cycle it belongs. This indication appears simultaneously to the month in the window of the dial so that the user knows if is a leap year or not.

This ring 5 has an internal toothing of forty eight notches 6 each corresponding to one month. Every twenty-eighth day of a month a pin 7 carried by the wheel of dates 1 meshes until the first day of the month next with a notch 6. The month of thirty-one days the crown 5 is so driven in four steps from a position corresponding to one month to the position corresponding to the following month by the date wheel 1 and its pin 7.

The ring 5 further comprises an external toothing formed of twenty seven teeth 8. These teeth are distributed around this crown 5 so as to correspond to months of less than thirty-one days. Thirty days have only one tooth, the twenty-eight month month of February comprises three teeth and the month of February of twenty nine days has two teeth.

The PTO 3 further comprises a drive pinion 9 whose teeth are intended to cooperate with the outer toothing 8 of the crown 5. It note that the axis of rotation of the crown 5, that of the wheel dates 1 and that of the PTO 3 are aligned so that when a tooth 8 of the crown 5 is placed on the right connecting the axis of the PTO 3 to that of the date wheel 1, this tooth 8 is superimposed on a tooth of this wheel of dates. This pinion 9 drive integral with the PTO, the crown 5 and the pin 7 constitute the catch-up wheel.

Figures 1 and 3 illustrate the position of the mechanism at twenty-eight February of a non-leap year.

At midnight on the twenty-eighth of February, the PTO rotates instantaneous 360 °. During this rotation the following successive movements are carried out:

The drive tooth 2 causes the rotation of about half a step of the wheel of the days 4 and then arrives (Figure 4) against a tooth of the wheel dates 1 which is thus advanced by one step (Figure 5). Continuing its course, the pinion 9 of the PTO meshes with the three teeth 8 of the outer toothing of the crown 5 placing it on the following month. In doing so the crown 5 causes its notch 6 and the pin 7 the wheel dates 1 of three additional steps (Figures 6 and 8). Thus the date indication spent from February 28 to March ^1. Finally, the PTO completes its 360 ° rotation (Fig. 9) and the tooth 2 causes the remaining value of a step not the wheel of days, so that it indicates the next day.

So we see that the wheel dates 1 is driven by a step every day directly by the PTO 3 and its tooth 2 and that for months of less than thirty-one days, this date wheel is driven by the catch-up wheel 8,9,5,6,7 a number of additional steps corresponding to the number of teeth 6 of the crown 5 is in meshing position with the pinion 9.

This mechanism further comprises a jumper 10 for holding the wheel of dates in stable angular position between his daily training and a jumper 11 to maintain the successive angular positions of the crown 5 between its workouts.

This perpetual calendar mechanism is very simple since it does not involve than four movable, the PTO 3 provided with its pinion 9 and tooth 2, the wheel of the dates 1, the crown 5 and the wheel of the days 4. In spite of this low number of components, all rotating, this perpetual calendar indicates the day, the date, the month and the year in a cycle of four years.

To turn this perpetual calendar mechanism into a calendar annual, it suffices that the external toothing of the crown 5 has twenty eight teeth 8, one for each month of thirty days and three for each month of February.

A first variant or embodiment of the calendar mechanism perpetual according to the invention is illustrated in FIGS. following description refers.

Figure 10 illustrates in plan the display of the calendar mechanism perpetual. This display includes a day indicator that includes a graduation 15 carried by a dial 21 indicating the name of the days. A needle 16 moves next to this graduation. The display also includes a graduation 17 of the dates cooperating with a needle 18. Finally, this display has a graduation of 19 months over a period of four years cooperating with a needle 20. This display is used to indicate simultaneously the month and the year in a four-year cycle.

In the illustrated example we chose to place the indicators of the day, the date and month aligned on a horizontal axis. Any other provision is however possible and only depends on construction and positioning choices elements of the mechanism. These indicators could be arranged in a triangle, concentrically or in any other way dictated by the aesthetic that we want give to the timepiece.

This first embodiment of the perpetual calendar mechanism comprises mounted on a plate 22 and under the dial 21 of the timepiece four groups of mobiles, each group having a pivot axis driven in the plate 22 and an axis 23 passing through the plate 22 and carrying a pinion 3 located below this plate and constituting the PTO of the mechanism driven by the watch movement on which is mounted the platinum 22.

This axis 23 carries a driver constituted by a tooth 24 and a pinion with seven teeth. This axis 23, driven by the taking of force 3, as well as the drive tooth 24 and the drive pinion 25 performs a complete revolution of 360 ° a day at midnight.

This mechanism comprises a wheel of days 27 pivoted on a first axis 26 integral with the plate 22, wheel of the days 27 having a toothing of forty nine teeth meshing with the drive pinion 25. This wheel of days carries the needle 16 of the 15.16 days indicator. This day 27 wheel is driven each day at midnight by the drive gear 25 of a value angular corresponding to seven teeth of this wheel, which moves the needle 16 step on the graduation of days 15. This wheel of days is the first mobile group of the mechanism.

The second group of mobiles includes two coaxial mobiles mounted pivoting on a second axis 28 driven into the plate 22. The first mobile of this second group is a drive wheel 29 rotated on the axis 28 and having a gear of thirty-one teeth engaged with the pinion drive 25 of the PTO. The second mobile of this second group comprises three wheels, a control wheel 30 pivoted on the axis 28 and whose toothing has a group of four teeth, a date wheel 31 having a teeth of thirty-one teeth and an indexing wheel of months 32 comprising a tooth. These three wheels 30,31 and 32 are angularly secured, a pin 33 crossing them. The teeth of thirty-one teeth of the date wheel 31 cooperates with the drive tooth 24 of the PTO, which causes this second mobile 30,31,32 of the second group of mobiles at a rate of one step per day at midnight. The date hand 18 which is fixed on the wheel of the months 32 thus performs a not per day compared to the graduation of dates 17. This second mobile 30,31,32 of the second group of mobiles performs a complete revolution per month, even the months of less than thirty-one days as will be seen later.

The third group of mobiles rotated around the third axis 34 driven in the plate 22 has three gears. A second drive pinion 35 having seven teeth meshing with the drive wheel 29, a pinion 36 with seven teeth interacting with the four teeth of the control wheel 30 and a drive pinion of the months 37 of seven teeth driven by the tooth of the indexing wheel months 32. These three gears 35,36,37 are rotated crazy, independently of each other on the third axis 34.

The fourth group of mobiles pivoting about an axis 38 driven into the platinum 22 has two mobiles. The first mobile of this fourth group has a wheel 39 months whose tooth of forty-eight teeth is in taken with the drive sprocket of the 37 months. This 39 month wheel is integral with an eccentric 40 extending to the plate 22. This eccentric has an outer surface of truncated cylindrical shape. The part cylindrical extends over 270 ° ¾ of its periphery. The wheel of the month 39 carries the needle 20 months cooperating with the graduation 19 carried by the dial 21. This first mobile 39,40 performs a complete revolution in four years, due one step per month. The second mobile of this fourth group includes a wheel transmission 41 having a toothing of forty-eight teeth and a wheel of duration of months 42 having a toothing of six teeth, four isolated teeth corresponding to the months of thirty days and a group of two corresponding teeth in the month of February. This wheel of the duration of months 42 still has a tooth retractable 43 sliding radially in a milling of the wheel of the duration months 42, in front of the group of two teeth corresponding to the month of February. This retractable tooth is subjected to an elastic action or spring 44 tending to move it into a retracted position for which it does not cooperate not with the drive pinion 35. This retractable tooth is maintained in active position, cooperating with said drive pinion 35 by the eccentric 40 for three years corresponding to the 270 ° of the cylindrical portion of that eccentric. During the fourth year of a cycle, leap year, this is the flat portion of the eccentric 40 which is opposite the retractable tooth 43 and it is then in retracted position under the effect of the spring 44. The wheel of transmission 41 and the wheel of the duration of the months 42 are angularly supportive by a pin and pivot around the cylindrical outer surface of the eccentric 40. This second mobile 41, 42 of the second group is driven during the last four days of the month by the command wheel 30 and by the second drive pinion 35. It performs a complete revolution in one year.

This mechanism has four more long jumpers, a jumper of days now the wheel of days 27 between two successive actuations in a determined angular position corresponding to the display of a day, a jumper of date now the date wheel 31 and therefore also the wheels 30 and 32 in a determined angular position corresponding to the display of a date between two successive operations of this date wheel 31, a jumper of months now the angular position of the wheel of 39 months between his successive actuations and a transmission jumper holding the position angle of the transmission wheel 41 and therefore the wheel of the duration of the months 42 between two successive operations.

The functioning of this first embodiment of the mechanism of Perpetual calendar is described in the following.

Every day at midnight the PTO takes a complete turn of Instant. Assuming that the mechanism is positioned on the twenty-eighth of February 1999, a non-leap year, the wheels are in the position illustrated in Figures 12 to 15. The retractable tooth 43 is in the active position under the action of the eccentric 40 and the group of three teeth including the retractable tooth 43 and the group of two teeth of the wheel of the duration of the months 42, is arranged in a position such that it is not just yet engaged with the drive pinion 35.

The rotation of a complete turn of the PTO 3 causes, on the one hand, the drive of the wheel 27 days of seven teeth by the drive pinion 25 days, which positions the needle of days 16 on the next day and, on the other hand, share, training a step of the wheel dates 31 by the training tooth 24.

On the twenty-eighth of February the group of four teeth of the control wheel 30 is ready to mesh with the 36 date drive gear. This wheel 30 therefore drives, through this date drive pinion 36, the wheel transmission 41 a step and therefore also the wheel of duration 42 months which he is in solidarity. In doing so the group of three teeth including the tooth retractable 43 and the group of two February teeth of the wheel of the duration of the month 42, comes into engagement with the second drive pinion 35. This pinion 35 is driven by the PTO 3 through the first pinion 25 and drive wheel 29 and then causes the training of three steps of the wheel of the duration of the months 42 and therefore of the wheel transmission 41 which in turn drives through the pinion date drive 36 the control wheel 30, of which three teeth are still engaged with this pinion, three steps also. This control wheel 30 being integral with the date wheel 31, it is therefore also advanced by three not, that is to say, it is found on 1 March. At the same time the tooth of the wheel indexing month 32 activates the drive gear of months 37 which The wheel of months 39 is driven one step and the needle 20 indicates the month of March.

Then every day of March at midnight the wheel of days 27 is driven with a pitch of seven teeth, the date wheel 31 is also driven by a not. Meanwhile, the drive wheel 29 and the second gear 35 drive are driven but the second pinion 35 is not in engagement with the teeth of the wheel of the duration of the months 42.

March 28, 29, 30 and 31, the toothing of the control wheel 30 meshes with the date drive gear 36 causing the rotation of four steps of the transmission wheel 41 and the wheel of the duration of the months 42 which advance so angular value corresponding to one month, since the transmission wheel has forty-eight teeth.

And so on until April 30 when a tooth isolated from the teeth of the wheel of the duration of the months 42 is ready to mesh with the second gear 35 drive, so that wheel of the duration of the 42 months and the wheel of transmission 41 are driven a step further by this second pinion 35. This additional rotation causes, through the pinion drive date 36, advance one extra step of the wheel of command 30 and so the date wheel 31 which is therefore advancing the thirty of April two steps to end up in a position for which the date hand 18 shows on the first of May.

Once every four years the eccentric 40 has its truncated face in look at the second drive pinion 35 and that year, in the month of February when the wheel of the duration of the months 42 comes into engagement with this second gear 35, which occurs on the twenty-ninth of February, two steps additional only are caused by the group of two teeth of the wheel of the duration of the months 42, the retractable tooth 43 being in the retracted position inactive. Thus, the date wheel 31 jumps from February 29 to March 1, which corresponds to a leap year.

As in the principle embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9, the date wheel 31 actuating the date display hand 18 is driven directly by the training tooth 24 at a rate of one step per day and the months of less than thirty-one days of additional steps corresponding to the difference between thirty-one and the number of days of the current month by a cog catching up. In this embodiment, this catch-up train comprises the first drive gear 25, the drive wheel 29, the second gear 35, the wheel of the duration of the months 42, the transmission wheel 41, the date drive pinion 36 and the control wheel 30 which is attached to the date wheel 31.

In this embodiment, the date wheel 31 is driven by two different ways. On one hand she is driven every day by the tooth 24 of a tooth, respectively of a value corresponding to a day. On the other hand, during the last four days of each month, a training additional can take place via the first pinion 25, the drive wheel 29, the second pinion 35 and the wheel of the duration of the months 42, its retractable tooth 43, the transmission wheel 41 and the date drive gear 36 meshing with the control wheel 30. This additional training of the date wheel 31 by this catch-up wheel only intervenes if the tooth retractable 43 or one of the teeth of the wheel of the duration of the months 42 are in taken with the second drive pinion 35.

The second embodiment of the perpetual calendar mechanism is illustrated in Figures 16 to 25. Here also the position of the various wheels is illustrated in their state on February 28 of a non-leap year, the third of four-year cycle.

This second embodiment of the mechanism consists of five groups of rotated around axes 26,28,34,38 and 45 driven in the plate 22 and an axle PTO 23.

The PTO is identical to that of the first embodiment, it comprises mounted on a rotary shaft 23 the PTO 3 formed of a pinion to seven teeth, the first drive gear 25 also to seven teeth and the tooth 24. At the end of each day, this power take-off takes place at complete revolution of 360 °.

The first group of mobiles is identical to that of the first form of execution and features the 27-day wheel of forty nine teeth rotated around the axis 26 and engaged with the first drive gear 25. This wheel of the days carries the needle of the days 16 cooperating with the graduation 15 of dial 21.

The second group of mobiles rotated around the axis 28 is also constituted like the second group of mobiles from the first form of execution and comprises a first mobile formed of the first drive wheel of thirty and a tooth 29 on the one hand, and on the other hand a second mobile formed of the wheel of control 30 whose teeth comprise a group of four teeth, the wheel dates 31 to thirty-one teeth and the indexing wheel months 32 to a tooth that carries the date hand 18 cooperating with the graduation 17 of the 21. These three wheels 30, 31 and 32 are secured angularly using a pin 33.

The third group of mobiles pivoted about the axis 34 comprises, as in the first embodiment, the second drive pinion 35 to seven teeth meshing with the first drive wheel 29, the pinion of training dates 36 to seven teeth cooperating with the group of four teeth of the control wheel 30, and the drive gear of the months 37 to seven teeth also cooperating with the single tooth of the indexing wheel of the months 32. These three pinions are idler pivoted on the axis 34 and are therefore angularly independent of each other.

The fourth group of mobiles rotated about the axis 38 has three angularly independent movers. A first mobile formed by a second wheel 46 having forty-eight teeth and meshing with the second drive gear 35.

A second mobile formed of three wheels. A wheel of the duration of the months 47 having a toothing of six teeth. Two successive teeth located in the sector of this wheel corresponding to the month of February and four isolated teeth located in the sectors of this wheel corresponding to the months of thirty days. This six teeth toothing cooperates with the second drive gear 35. transmission wheel 41 having forty eight teeth and meshing with the pinion drive dates 36 and an indexing wheel years 48 whose tooth has only one tooth. These three wheels 47, 41 and 48 are angularly integral with a pin 49. This second mobile 47,41,48 performs a complete revolution in one year driven that it is by the wheel of control 30 the last four days of the month, a second drive sprocket or the second leap gear 51.

The third mobile of this fourth group of mobiles rotated on the axis 38 is constituted by the wheel 39 months with a tooth of forty eight teeth driven at a rate of one step per month by the gear drive months 37 and carrying the needle of the months 20 cooperating with the graduation 19 of the dial 21. This third mobile 39 performs a complete revolution in four years.

The fifth group of mobiles rotated about the axis 45 has two mobile. A first mobile formed by a gun having a first pinion Lisse 50 of three teeth cooperating with the teeth of the second drive wheel 46 and a second drive pinion leap 51 also of three teeth cooperating with the teeth of the transmission wheel 41. The three teeth of the leap gear wheels 50 and 51 are not evenly distributed, they are each located in a sector of 2/7 of the circumference of these gears corresponding to normal years, the sector of 3/7 of the circumference of these gears 50 and 51 corresponding to the leap year does not have teeth. These gears perform a complete revolution in four years.

The second mobile of this fifth group of mobiles is constituted by a third leap gear 52 of seven teeth cooperating with the tooth to one tooth of the indexing wheel of years 48. This third pinion leap 52 is angularly secured to the first and second leap gear wheels 50 and 51.

The operation of this second embodiment is as follows:

Exactly at midnight on February 28, 1999 the PTO 3 performs a complete revolution of 360 ° The wheel of days 27 is driven by the first gear drive 25 of seven teeth is the value of one day. The tooth training 24 drives the wheel dates 31 a step and goes to the date next. This wheel dates 31 drives the control wheel 30 which is angularly fixed by the pin 33, the first of the four teeth is in position to mesh with the transmission wheel 41 and causes it to a not. As this transmission wheel 41 is secured to the indexing wheel of four years 48 and the wheel of the duration of the months 47, these two wheels are advancing also one step (Fig. 23). The tooth of the indexing wheel of years 48 leads to the third leap gear 52 of a step (Fig. 24) which, being solidary first and second leaking gear 50,51, drives these two gears 50,51 also a step. Doing this the first drive pinion leap 50 meshes with the second drive wheel 46. This second drive wheel 46 then drives the first gear lobe training leap 50 step (Fig. 19) added to the second pinion leap 51 on the wheel set 41,47,48. The wheel of transmission 41 transmits this additional step by the drive pinion of the dates 36 to the command wheel 30 and therefore to the wheel dates 31. This wheel dates go from February 28 to March 1. Indeed, she is driven by a step by the drive tooth 24, then an additional step by the pinions leap 50,51,52, then two steps by the group of two teeth of the wheel of the duration of the months 47 which come into engagement with the second gear training 35.

The wheel of dates 31 being integral with the indexing wheel months 32 to a tooth, this one drives the wheel of the month 39 at the rate of one step per month.

Thus, in this second embodiment also, the date wheel 31 is driven on the one hand each day by one step by the drive tooth 24 and, on the other hand, during the last four days of each month may occur a additional drive of this wheel dates 31 by a cog in catch-up comprising the first drive gear 25, the first wheel 29, the second drive pinion 35, the second wheel 46, the second mobile 41,47,48 of the fourth group of mobiles, as well as the gears 50,51 and 52 of the fifth group of mobiles. This additional drive of the wheel dates 31 at the end of each month corresponds to a number of steps equal to the difference between 31 and the number of days of the current month. This additional training takes place only if the teeth of the wheel of the duration of the months 47 are engaged with the second drive gear 35.

Leap years the first and second drive gears leap 50.51 are not engaged with the second drive wheel 46, respectively the transmission wheel 41, and the twenty-nine of February at midnight alone two additional steps are transmitted to the date wheel 31 by the wheel of the length of months 47.

Thus in the three embodiments described above the indexation of the wheel of the duration of the months is caused from the wheel of the dates 31 in the last four days of each month by a cog with at least one control member, the pin 7 or the four-toothed control wheel 30, so as to place in meshing position with a pinion 9.35 driven by the PTO a group of one or more teeth of the wheel of the duration of the month 42.47.

The gables 50,51 and 52 for their part are only one step further and the communicate to the wheel dates 31 the non-leap years in the month of February. This set of gears 50,51,52 has the same function as the tooth retractable 43 of the first embodiment.

Jumpers maintain the angular position of the wheel of dates 31, the wheel of the days 27, the transmission wheel 41, the third gear of Leap transmission 52 and wheel 39 months between their actuations successive.

The third embodiment of the perpetual calendar mechanism is illustrated in FIGS. 26 to 31. This embodiment comprises a display identical to the two previous embodiments shown in Figure 10.

This embodiment of the mechanism also has five groups of mobiles, like the second embodiment, pivoted on axes 26,28,34,38 and 45 hunted in a platinum, as well as a PTO 3 comprising integral with the axis 23 a first drive gear 25 of seven teeth and a drive tooth 24.

The first group of mobiles features the 27th day wheel of forty nine teeth carrying the needle of the days 16, wheel meshing with the first pinion of training 25.

The first mobile of the second group pivoted on the axis 28 is formed by the first drive wheel 29 of thirty-one teeth engaged with the first drive pinion 25. The second mobile of the second group includes the wheel dates 31 of thirty-one teeth, the control wheel 30 whose teeth has a group of four teeth and the indexing wheel months 32 does not having a tooth and wearing the date hand. previously, these three wheels 30,31,32 are connected by a pin 33 the making them angularly supportive of each other.

The third group of movables rotated about the axis 34 includes the second drive gear 35, the drive gear 36 dates and the drive pinion of the 37 months all independent of each other. The second drive pinion 35 is engaged with the first wheel 29, the drive pinion dates 36 cooperates with the group of four teeth of the control wheel 30 and the drive pinion of the months 37 cooperates with the tooth of the indexing wheel months 32. These three gears each have seven teeth.

The fourth group of mobiles rotated about the axis 38 has three mobile.

A first mobile with a first wheel of the duration of the months 53 having a toothing of twenty-seven teeth. This first wheel of the duration of month 53 performs a turn in four years. The first three quarters of this wheel have a group of three teeth corresponding to the month of February of three normal years and four isolated teeth corresponding to 30-day months a normal year; the fourth quarter of this wheel 53 corresponding to a leap year includes a group of two teeth corresponding to the month of February and four isolated teeth corresponding to the months of thirty days.

This first mobile of the fourth group of mobiles still has a first transmission wheel 54 secured angularly to the first wheel of the length of the months 53 using a pin 55. This first wheel of transmission has a toothing of forty-eight teeth.

The second mobile of this fourth group of mobiles has a second wheel of the duration of the months 56 of seven teeth, a group of three teeth and four isolated teeth, and a second transmission wheel 57 of forty eight teeth angularly secured to the wheel 56 by a pin 58 and engaged with the drive pinion dates 36.

This fourth group of mobiles still has a third mobile formed, as in the previous embodiments, by a wheel of the months 39 of forty-eight teeth engaged with the drive pinion months 37.

The fifth group of mobiles rotated on the axis 45 is constituted by a control gear 59 of seven teeth cooperating simultaneously with the teeth of the first transmission wheel 54 and the second wheel of the length of months 56.

Tous les jours à minuit, la prise de force 3 effectue instantanément une rotation complète de 360° .Ce faisant le premier pignon d'entraínement 25 entraíne de sept dents la roue des jours 27, ce qui correspond à l'avance d'un jour.

The operation of this third embodiment of the perpetual calendar mechanism is as follows:

Every day at midnight, the PTO 3 instantly makes a full rotation of 360 ° .This is the first drive gear 25 drives seven teeth the wheel of days 27, which corresponds to the advance of a day .

At the same time, the first drive pinion 25 actuates the first wheel 29 and the second drive pinion 35 which performs also a complete rotation.

Simultaneously the drive tooth 24 drives one step the wheel of the dates 31 and the needle 18 indicates the next date. The last day of the month single tooth of the month indexing wheel 32 activates the wheel of 39 months by the month drive pinion 37 and the needle 20 indicates the following month.

During the last four days of each month, the control wheel 30 drives the first wheel of duration 53 months through the second transmission wheel 57, the second wheel of duration 56 months, the control pinion 59 and the first transmission wheel 54, of a value angular corresponding to one month so that the tooth or teeth of the teeth of this first wheel of the duration of the months 53 is positioned relative to the second drive gear 35 according to the current month, so that this first wheel of the duration of the months 53 is driven by 0,1,2 or three steps in according to the months of thirty-one or thirty days and following that the month of February has 28 or 29 days.

Jumps keep the wheel of days 27, the first wheel of transmission 54, the date wheel 31, the second transmission wheel 57 and the month wheel 39 in a determined angular position between two actuations.

A minuit exactement la prise de force effectue une rotation de 360° de façon instantanée. Ceci provoque l'entraínement de la roue des jours 27 de sept dents correspondant à la valeur d'un jour. La dent d'entraínement 24 entraíne la roue des dates 31 d'un pas. La roue de commande 30 solidaire de la roue des dates 31 fait avancer le mobile 57,56 d'une dent par le pignon d'entraínement de date 36. La seconde roue de durée des mois 56 entraíne le pignon de commande 59 qui lui transmet cette rotation au mobile 54,53. La première roue de la durée des mois 53 sera mise en prise avec le second pignon d'entraínement 35 par l'un de ses groupes de dents. Cette première roue de la durée des mois 53 sera donc ensuite actionnée par le second pignon d'entraínement 35 et la rotation qui s'ensuit sera transmise à la roue des dates 31 par le pignon de commande 59, le mobile 56,57, le pignon d'entraínement de date 36 et la roue de commande 30.

For example, for the transition from February 28, 1999 to March 1, 1999, the following operations are performed:

At exactly midnight the PTO rotates 360 ° instantly. This causes the drive of the day 27 wheel of seven teeth corresponding to the value of one day. The drive tooth 24 causes the wheel dates 31 a step. The control wheel 30 integral with the date wheel 31 advances the mobile 57,56 of a tooth by the date drive pinion 36. The second wheel duration of the months 56 drives the control pinion 59 which transmits it this rotation to the mobile 54,53. The first wheel of the duration of the months 53 will be engaged with the second drive pinion 35 by one of its groups of teeth. This first wheel of the duration of the months 53 will then be actuated by the second drive pinion 35 and the rotation which follows will be transmitted to the wheel of the dates 31 by the drive gear 59, the mobile 56,57, the date drive pinion 36 and control wheel 30.

As can be seen in Figure 27, on February 28, 1999 it is a group of three teeth of the first wheel of the duration of the months 53 which is ready to mesh with the second drive gear and so these are three extra steps that are transmitted to the wheel of dates 31, so that it passes well from February 28 to March 1.

In this third embodiment again, the date wheel 31 is driven from two different sides. On the one hand, she is trained with a step each day by the training tooth 24.

On the other hand, she may undergo additional training during last four days of each month from the training wheel 29, the second drive pinion 35, the mobile 53,54, the pinion 59, the mobile 56,57, the date drive gear 36 and the control wheel 30. A such additional rotation is however only possible if the teeth of the first wheel of the duration of the months 53 are engaged with the second gear training 35.

It should be noted that in this embodiment the first wheel of the duration of months 53 only has a group of two teeth for the month of February leap years, followed by four equidistant teeth for months from April, June, September and November to 30 days, then a group of three teeth for February of the next normal year followed by four teeth for 30 days of this year, this last set being repeated three times continued for the normal three years of a four-year cycle.

As can be seen, there is no sector with zero teeth corresponding to month of thirty-one days in this run because this first wheel of the duration of months 53 is not indexed every month. Indeed, the second wheel of the length of months 56 with his group of three teeth corresponding to the month of February and his four teeth corresponding to the thirty-day month causes the indexation of the first wheel of the duration of the months 53 of three steps in February and one step in April, June, September and November, to put the next tooth in place for a meshing with the second drive pinion 35. This allows an easier realization of the teeth of the first wheel of the duration months 53.

In this third embodiment, the indexing of the first wheel of the duration of months 53 can not be done, from the wheel of order 30 solidaire of the wheel of the dates 31, that when the second wheel of the duration of the months 56 is in a situation of actuating the control pinion 59.

The fourth embodiment illustrated in FIGS. PTO comprising angularly mounted integral with an axis 60, a pinion 61 driven by the watch movement, a first pinion 62, a second drive gear 63 and a tooth Training 64.

This fourth embodiment further comprises seven groups of concentric mobiles pivoted about a barrel C and axes 60a, 66, 67, 68 and 69 hunted in or fixed on the platen 70.

The first group of concentric mobiles rotated around the barrel C includes a day wheel 71 having a toothing of fourteen teeth secured to a barrel 72 carrying the display member 73. A wheel of year 74 of twelve teeth provided with a barrel 75 carrying the movable member of the display years 76 and a wheel 77 months, twelve teeth also, solidarity with a gun 78 carrying the movable display member of the month 79. This group of mobiles still includes a crown of dates 80 angularly integral with a control ring 81.

The crown of dates 80 has a toothing of thirty-one teeth and carries the mobile display device of the date 82. The toothing of thirty-one teeth of this crown dates 80 cooperates with the drive tooth 64.

The control ring 81 has a toothing comprising a group of four teeth that cooperates with the drive pinion dates 65.

The second group of concentric mobiles has, rotated around the axis 66 and angularly integral with each other, a drive pinion of the month 83 of eight teeth engaged with the wheel of 77 months and cooperating with a inner tooth 85 that includes the crown of dates 80, and a pinion of the years 84 of two teeth arranged at 180 ° cooperating with the wheel of the 74 years.

The third group of concentric mobiles features rotated around the axis 67 a first drive gear of days 86 comprising a group of two teeth cooperating with the teeth of the wheel of days 71, this pinion 86 being attached to a second drive pinion of days 87 of seven teeth. Both teeth of the first drive gear of the days 86 cooperate with the toothing of the wheel of days 71.

The fourth group of concentric mobiles is formed of a wheel 88 having a toothing of fourteen teeth engaged with the gearing of the drive gear 87 days, the wheel 88 training being rotated about the axis 68.

The fifth group of concentric mobiles is made up of four superimposed crowns, also concentric with gun C.

The first crown is a driving ring 89 and has a internal tooth of forty-eight teeth engaged with the first pinion 62 of seven teeth.

The second crown is a crown of the duration of the 90 months provided an internal toothing having a group of two teeth and four teeth in February and in the thirties respectively days. This internal toothing cooperates with the second drive pinion 63.

The third ring is a transmission ring 91 comprising internal teeth of forty-eight teeth engaged with the drive pinion dates 65 of seven teeth.

The fourth crown is a four-year indexing crown 92 having an internal toothing of a single tooth.

The second, third and fourth crowns 90, 91 and 92 are angularly integral with each other and form a single mobile.

The sixth group of concentric mobiles is constituted by three gears, angularly integral with each other, pivoted about the axis 69. A first lug drive gear 93 of three teeth cooperating with the driving ring 89. A second leap gear pinion 94 also three teeth cooperating with the teeth of the crown of transmission 91 and a third lug drive gear 95 of seven teeth cooperating with the single internal tooth of the four-year indexing crown 92.

The seventh group of mobiles comprises a pinion 65 rotated crazy on the axis 60a meshing with the internal toothing of the third ring 91 and cooperating with the four teeth of the control crown 81.

The mobile calendar display is constituted by a crown 82 on its periphery, arranged radially, the numbers from 1 to 31.

The mobile display member of the months 79 is constituted by a disc located in the plane of the ring 82 bearing on its periphery, and arranged radially, the indication of the months.

The mobile display device of the cycle of the years 76 is formed by a disc whose diameter is smaller than the unregistered central part of the disc of month 79, bearing on its periphery the series of figures 1.1.1.2.2.2. 3.3.3.4.4.4. The 4 may be replaced by another symbol indicating the leap year.

The mobile indication element of the day 73 is constituted by a seven-star branches whose outside diameter corresponds to that of the disc of the months 79. Each branch is named after a day.

Two or three of these indications appear simultaneously through of a window 96 of the dial 21. During normal walking it appears in this box 96 the name of the day and the date. During the transition from one month to the month following, while the mechanism is moving, we see through the window 96 the date, the month and the year within a four-year cycle.

In this fourth form of execution of the mechanism which is very compact and fits in a circle, the operating principle is identical to that of the embodiments described above.

Indeed, the crown of dates 80 is driven by two different paths. On the one hand, this crown dates 80 is driven every day a step, either one day, by the training tooth 64. On the other hand, this crown of dates 80 can be driven during the last four days of the month of one or more not additional via a retrofit train formed of the second drive sprocket 63, the drive gear 65, and the group of mobiles comprising the transmission ring 91, the crown of the duration of the months 90 and the control crown 81. This training supplement of the crown of dates 80 is however only made when the crown teeth of the duration of the 90s is engaged with the second gear Training 63.

This mechanism still has a jumper months acting on the wheel months 77, a jumper of the years acting on the wheel of years 74, a jumper of days acting on the wheel of days 71 and a transmission jumper acting on the transmission ring 91, and a leap jumper acting on the third gear of leap training to maintain these mobiles in their angular position between two successive operations.

Figures 39 and 40 illustrate the mechanism in the position it occupies on February 28, 1999. In the window or juxtaposed windows of the dial can be seen in base position the date and the day of the week. A date change can be done via a quick correction by the crown of the clockwork or at midnight automatically. During this change of date, at first the branch of the star 73 carrying the name of the day is shifted angularly. We then see the underlying discs with the cycle of the years 76 and the name of the month 79. If the process of the date change continues until its end, the branch with the name of the new day covers the disks 76 and 79 and the new date becomes visible.

At midnight on February 28, 1999 the PTO 61 rotates instant 360 ° and thus drives the first drive gear 62. This pinion 62 in turn drives the wheel 71 days of two teeth, a value angular corresponding to a day. This is done through the crown 89, the drive wheel 88, the first gear day 86 and the second pinion days 87 whose teeth have two teeth.

The training tooth 64 causes the crown of dates 80 a step, either of a day. Under the crown of dates 80 is fixed the control ring 81 which drives the drive gear of dates 65 and with him the group of mobile 91,92 and 90 of a tooth. The four-year indexing crown 92 meshes with the third indexing pinion 95 and introduces a tooth of the first indexing pinion 93 in the teeth of the driving ring 89. This ring 89 being driven by the first drive gear 62, this driving ring 89 drives the set of mobile 91,92 and 90. This drive is transmitted by the drive gear from dates 65 to the command crown 81 and therefore to the crown of dates 80 which is him solidarity. Thus the crown of dates 80 passes instantly from February 28 to March.

Indeed, as in the second embodiment, an additional step is introduced by the leap gear and two additional steps are occasioned by the crown of the duration of the 90's.

The inner periphery of the crown of dates 80 has a tooth which drives the wheel of the months 77 by the drive pinion of the months 83 of a tooth, that is to say, one month. This pinion of the months 83 having eight teeth it carries out in one year, twelve actuations, one and a half turns as well as the pinion of training 84 years which is solidarity. Thus, the display disk of the cycle of years is advanced three steps per year. The wheel of years comprising twelve teeth each group of three teeth corresponds to a year inside a cycle and each year, as of December 31, the index of the years changes in the window of the dial.

As in the previous embodiments, the months of less than thirty-one days the crown of the dates 80 is driven by a step by the tooth of training and two or three additional steps by a wheel of catch-up to make up for the missing days of the current month. In this case the retrofit train comprises the first drive gear 62, the crown 89, the mobile formed three crowns 90, 91 and 92, the pinion of training dates 65 and the control crown 81, as well as the lobe drive sprockets 93, 94 and 95.

Figures 39 and 40 illustrate successive positions of the display and of the four levels of the mechanism of this fourth form of execution during the from 28 February 1999 to 1 March 2000. Column I illustrates in plan the first level, column II the second level, column III the third level, column IV the fourth level and column V the display for eight positions the lines a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, of the mechanism between February 28th just before midnight and the 1 March just after midnight.

When this passage is done automatically, it is very fast, a fraction second, and therefore only the time needed for a revolution complete of the PTO. On the other hand, if the user causes this passage manually during a time correction this process can also take long as the user wants it. The time setting can be done ahead or back, since all the components of the mechanism are gears reversible nothing prevents a passage from March 1 to February 28 in the sense reverse.

Line A illustrates the position of the Mechanism's organs as at 28 February 1999.

At midnight the PTO 61 and therefore the first and second gears 62,63 drive and 64 training tooth begin their revolution.

When the PTO 62,63,64 rotated about 1/7 of turn (line b) the first drive pinion 62 drives the crown 89 which drives the drive wheel 88 and the first gear wheel days 87. The second pinion of days 86 with two teeth moves the wheel of days 71 of a tooth, or half of the angular value corresponding to one day. The branch of the movable display member 73 of the days is shifted by half a step and let appear in the windows of the dial instead of the day the indication of the months and the position of the year in a four-year cycle.

During the rotation of 2/7 of the following turns of the PTO only the driving ring 89 continues to be driven by the first pinion 62 (lines c and d). Indeed, the second day gable 86 at two teeth no longer mesh with the wheel of the days 71. The training tooth 64 is placed in contact with the crown toothing of dates 80.

During a new rotation of 1/7 turn (line e) of the PTO, the drive tooth 64 step forward the crown of dates 80 which carries the mobile date display member 82 and the number 29 appears in the window of the dial. Simultaneously the single tooth of the indexing crown of 4 years 92 advance of a tooth the third gear of leap training 95. This pinion 95 being integral with the leap gear 94 and 93, these are also advanced one tooth and come into engagement with the crown of transmission 91 and the driving ring 89. From this moment the crown of training 89 drives the first lug drive gear 93 which causes the second leap drive gear 94 and it advances the transmission ring 91 of a step. This transmission ring 91 advance one step the crown of dates 80 through the drive pinion of date 65 and the control crown 81 (line f). At this moment the crown of the duration of the 90s, which advanced jointly with the crown of transmission 91 and the four-year indexing crown 92, presents his group two teeth meshing with the second drive gear 63 and the three crowns 90, 91 and 92 are advanced during an additional rotation of 90 ° of the PTO of two additional teeth (lines g and h). These two no more are transmitted to the crown of dates 80 by the pinion of training dates 65 and the control crown 81. At this time the date display shows March 1st.

During this last rotation of 45 ° the single inner tooth of the Crown dates 80 drives one step drive gear months 83 which takes the wheel of months 77 forward.

Leap years the first and second drive gears leap 93 and 94 are not in contact with the toothing of the crowns 89 and transmission 91, so that the latter is not accompanied by an additional step on February 29, so that the crown of dates 80 is driven only two additional steps by the group of two teeth of the internal toothing of the crown of the duration of the months 90 corresponding to the month of February. The display of the dates therefore passes the leap years from February 29 to March 1.

The fifth embodiment of the perpetual calendar mechanism is a real perpetual calendar that takes leap years into account years 2100, 2200, 2300 etc. The basis of this mechanism is the second embodiment described above to which is added a which eliminates every hundred years, except in 2000, 2400, 2800 etc., the year leap. An extra wheel drives a display of years. This fifth embodiment is described with reference to Figures 36 to 45.

Une prise de force comportant un pignon 3 à sept dents entraíné par le mouvement d'horlogerie, un premier pignon d'entraínement 25, en prise avec la roue des jours 27, également à sept dents et une dent d'entraínement 24 tous angulairement solidaires. Cette prise de force effectue une révolution complète à minuit chaque jour.

This fifth embodiment of the perpetual calendar mechanism illustrated in FIGS. 42 to 50 shows for the basis of the mechanism the second embodiment described above which comprises:

A PTO comprising a pinion 3 to seven teeth driven by the watch movement, a first drive gear 25, engaged with the wheel 27 days, also seven teeth and a drive tooth 24 all angularly secured . This PTO performs a complete revolution at midnight each day.

A first group of concentric mobiles formed by the wheel of days 27 of forty-eight teeth and that carries the needle of the days 16 cooperating with the graduation 15 of the dial.

A second group of concentric mobiles having two mobiles. A first mobile formed of the first training wheel 29 of thirty-one teeth. A second mobile formed of the control wheel 30 whose teeth has a group of four teeth, the wheel dates 31 of thirty-one teeth and indexing wheel months 32 to a single tooth that carries the needle of date 18 cooperating with the graduation 17 of the dial 21. The first wheel 29 is engaged with the first drive gear 25 and the wheel dates 31 is driven by the drive tooth 24.

A third group of mobiles formed by the second drive pinion 35 of seven teeth meshing with the first drive wheel 29, the pinion of training dates 36 of seven teeth cooperating with the group of four teeth of the control wheel 30, and the drive gear 37 months of seven teeth cooperating with the single tooth of the indexing wheel months 32. These three pinions are idlerly pivoted on an axis 34 and are angularly independent one another.

A fourth group of concentric mobiles rotated around the axis 38 having three mobiles angularly independent of one another. The first mobile formed by a second training wheel 46 of forty eight teeth meshing with the second drive pinion 35. The second mobile formed of three wheels, a wheel of the duration of the months 47 having a toothing six teeth. Two successive teeth located in the sector of this wheel corresponding to February and four isolated teeth in the sectors of this wheel corresponding to the months of thirty days. This six teeth toothing wheel of the duration of the months 47 cooperates with the second drive pinion 35. A transmission wheel 41 of forty-eight teeth meshing with the pinion drive dates 36, and an indexing wheel years 48 does having only one tooth. These three wheels 41,47 and 48 are angularly in solidarity with each other. A third mobile of this fourth group of movable on the axis 38 is formed by the wheel 39 months with a tooth of forty-eight teeth driven at a rate of one step per month by the pinion month training 37.

In this fifth embodiment, this fourth group of mobiles concentric rotated about the axis 38 further comprises an indexing wheel of four years old 100 having a tooth and carrying the needle of the cooperating months with the graduation 19 of the dial 21.

A fifth group of concentric mobiles has as in the second embodiment, rotated about the axis 45, two mobiles.

A first mobile formed of two angularly solid pinions, a first leap gear 50 formed of three teeth cooperating with the toothing of the second drive wheel 46 and a second pinion leap 51, also three teeth cooperating with the teeth of the transmission wheel 41. The three teeth of these gears 50, 51 are not evenly distributed, they are each located in a sector of 2/7 of the circumference of these gears corresponding to normal years, the sector of 3/7 of the circumference of these gears 50 and 51 corresponding to the years leap hairs do not have teeth. These gables, angularly solidary one on the other, perform a complete revolution in four years.

The second mobile of this fifth group of concentric mobiles is constituted by a third lug drive gear 52 of seven teeth cooperating with the indexing wheel years 48. This third indexing gear leap 52 is angularly secured to the first and second gears leap indexing 50 and 51.

As for the functioning of this portion of the mechanism of this fifth embodiment it is identical to the operation of the second form of execution and will not be described again.

This fifth embodiment of the perpetual calendar mechanism still has a secular cogwheel acting on the date wheel 31 for delete the leap years the first, second, third, fifth, sixth, seventh and ninth centuries of each millennium.

This wheel is driven by the four-year indexing wheel 100 solidarity of the wheel of the months 39 which actuates with a pitch a transfer pinion 101 pivoted on an axis 102 every four years. This pinion 101 transfers this pulse of a step every four years to a transfer wheel 103 of twenty five teeth that performs therefore a complete revolution in one hundred years. This transfer wheel 103 is rotated on an axis 104 and is angularly secured to a hundred-year indexing wheel 105 having a single tooth.

This tooth of the indexing wheel of one hundred years 105 cooperates with a sixth group of concentric mobiles rotated about an axis 106 having three pinions angularly integral with each other. A transfer pinion superior 107 three teeth spread over three quarters of its periphery, a lower transfer pinion 108 also of three teeth spread over the three quarter of its periphery and an intermediate transfer pinion 109 of seven teeth which is driven one or two steps every hundred years by the indexing wheel of a hundred years 105. The lower transfer pinion 105 cooperates with the first wheel of training 29.

This age-old cog allows acting by a third way on the wheel dates 31 to remove the twenty nine of February leap years 2100, 2200, 2300, 2500, 2600, 2700 and 2900.

In this fifth embodiment of the perpetual calendar, the wheel dates 31 is driven by three different paths. On the one hand, this wheel of dates 31 is driven by one step per day by the drive tooth 24. Other part, this wheel dates 31 can be driven during the last four days of each month by a catch-up wheel including the first pinion 25, the first drive wheel 29, the second gear 35, the second drive wheel 46, the second wheel 41,47,48 of the fourth group of mobiles as well as gables 50,51 and 52 of the fifth group of mobiles, the date gear 36 and the control wheel 30.

This additional training of the wheel dates 31 at the end of each month corresponds to a number of steps equal to the difference between 31 and the number of days in the current month. This additional training takes place only if the teeth of the wheel of duration 47 months are engaged with the second gear training 35.

This wheel dates 31 is finally driven by the age-old gear 100, 102,103,105,109,108,107 once every hundred years. This training does not intervene that if the teeth of the mobile 107,108,109 are engaged with the first wheel of training 29 and the wheel of the dates 31.

This fifth embodiment of the perpetual calendar mechanism still features a display gear of the vintage.

This display wheel of the vintage includes a transfer pinion of years 110 rotated about an axis 111 driven by the single tooth of the wheel indexing years 48. This pinion of seven teeth 110 meshes with a wheel intermediate 112 of thirty-one teeth pivoted about an axis 113 driven to due to one step per year by pinion 110.

This intermediate wheel 112 is engaged with a pinion of the units 114 of ten teeth pivoted on an axis 115. This pinion of the units 114 carries a disc display units of the vintage 116 bearing on its periphery the series of numbers from 0 to 9.

This pinion of the units 114 is secured to a first index 117 to a tooth driving a pinion of tens 118 of ten teeth pivoted about an axis 119 to because of a step every ten years.

This pinion of the tens 118 is integral with a second index 120 comprising a tooth and carrying a display disc tens of the vintage 121 having on its periphery a series of numbers from 0 to 9.

The finger of the second index 120 causes a step every hundred years a pinion of hundreds 122 of ten teeth pivoted about an axis 123. This pinion hundreds 122 carries a display disc 124 hundreds of the vintage having on its periphery a series of numbers from 0 to 9.

This pinion hundreds 122 is integral with a third index 125 having a tooth involving at a rate of one step per thousand years a pinion of thousands of the year 127 pivoted around an axis 126 and carrying a disc display thousands of the vintage 129.

One digit of each of the display disks 116,121,123 and 129 appears in windows 130,131,132 and 133 that includes the dial 21.

This mechanism still has jumpers to maintain the position angle between two successive actuations of the wheel of days 27, pinion thousands 127, the tensile gear 118, the transmission wheel 41, the wheel dates 31, the pinion hundreds 123 and the intermediate wheel 112.

As in the other forms of execution already described, the mechanism of perpetual calendar of this fifth form of execution is instantaneous, at midnight each day, and can be corrected forwards or backwards at any time of the day since it is composed only of gears.

The sixth embodiment of the perpetual calendar mechanism illustrated in Figures 50 to 57 is also a secular calendar like the fifth form of execution. This sixth embodiment differs from the fifth only in the realization of the age-old cogwheel and only this one will be described, for the rest of the mechanism we will refer to the description of the fifth form execution, (Figures 46 to 49).

The age-old cogwheel of this sixth embodiment of the mechanism of perpetual calendar is driven by the four-year indexing wheel 100 whose single tooth drives at a rate of one every four years a transfer pinion 101 meshing with a transfer wheel 103 of twenty five teeth pivoted around of the axis 104. This transfer wheel 104 is secured to an indexing wheel of hundred years to a finger 105 cooperating with a pinion with eight teeth 130 rotated on a axis 132. This pinion 130 therefore takes a step every hundred years.

The transfer wheel 103 and the indexing wheel of one hundred years to a finger 105 are angularly integral with an eccentric 131 having the shape of a truncated cylinder. The cylindrical portion of this eccentric 131 extends over the three quarters of its periphery corresponding to the normal years, the sector of this eccentric corresponding to leap years being cut. A tooth retractable member 133 subjected to an elastic action 134 is maintained during the three consecutive normal years in active position by the eccentric 131 and she is retracted the leap years secular under the effect of the spring 134. This retractable tooth causes a pinion 135 pivoted on the axis 106 engaged with the date wheel 31.

The retractable tooth 132 can also be driven by a pinion 136 rotated crazy on the axis 106 which is engaged with the first drive wheel 29.

The pinion 130 is secured to a pinion with two teeth 137 cooperating with a wheel of twenty five teeth 138 secured to the eccentric 131, the wheel indexing a hundred years to a finger 105 and the transfer wheel 103.

In this sixth embodiment also the date wheel 31 is driven by three different paths. On the one hand by the training tooth 24 of a not a day. On the other hand, the catch-up wheel comprising the first drive sprocket 25, the first drive wheel 29, the second sprocket 35, the second drive wheel 46, the movable 41,47,48 of the fourth group of mobiles, as well as gables 50,51,52 of the fifth group of mobiles, the drive gear 36 dates and the wheel of order 30. This additional training at the end of each month corresponds to a number of steps equal to the difference between 31 and the number of days of the current month. This additional training takes place only if the teeth of the wheel of the duration of the months 47 are engaged with the second drive gear 35. Finally, this wheel of dates 31 is also driven by the age-old cogwheel to delete certain leap years as in the fifth form of execution.

In this sixth embodiment also, the mechanism does not consists only of reversible gears and daily self-drive is instantaneous. In this way a manual correction can be done at any time, either forward or backward, without disrupting or damaging the mechanism.

It is obvious that in variants of the perpetual calendar mechanism the first, second and third embodiments described could also be equipped with an age-old cog and / or a display gear train of the vintage as described with reference to the fifth and sixth forms execution.

In this case the group of concentric mobiles including the mobile of the months is equipped with an extra wheel with a tooth of force for the drive of the age-old cog. This extra wheel to a tooth performs in the described embodiments a turn in four years.

On the other hand, the mechanism has been described in several embodiments and variants to show the diversity of execution of its operating principle schematically with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. It goes without saying that modifications of implementation can be made to the mechanism without leaving the framework of the claimed protection. So, there is no other way to reverse the order of certain cogs of the groups of mobiles as far as the functions are respected. It is the same with the number of teeth of certain mobiles which can be modified as long as the reduction ratio of the gear train which they participate remains unchanged. Moreover the multiple mobiles have been described as being formed of independent wheels made integral with each other others angularly using a pin. This pin could be replaced by spot welds or gluing them together composing the mobile. Alternatively the multiple mobiles could be made in a single piece machined and having several teeth at different levels.

The original principle of the present invention lies, as we have seen, in the fact of driving by different ways the wheel of dates 31.

This wheel dates 31 is driven by a first link kinematic, the direct connection, at a rate of one step per day at midnight.

This wheel dates 31 may also be driven by a second kinematic link, formed by the catch-up train, which can be automatically put into service during the last four days of each month. This second kinematic link drives this wheel dates 31 of one, two or three additional steps in months with a duration of 30, 29 or 28 days respectively.

Finally, this wheel dates 31 can also be driven with a step additional by a third kinematic chain formed by the gear train secular the first year of some centuries, 2000, 2100, 2200, 2300, 2500, 2600, 2700, 2900 etc. to remove the twenty nine of February from those years that would normally be leap, which corresponds to secular correction.

In all the described forms of execution, it is assumed that the taking of force 3 makes its instantaneous rotation of 360 ° at midnight in the opposite direction clockwise. Since the mechanism is reversible, it is well heard possible to turn this PTO 3 clockwise, it is necessary to simply in this case change on the display the order of the succession of days, dates, months, and years in a four-year cycle for that the display is correct.

In all the embodiments described, the PTO 3 is mounted on the axis carrying the first drive pinion 9.25 and the drive tooth 2.24. In variants this PTO 3 could be arranged differently, for example secured to a pinion which would be engaged either with the teeth of the wheel of the days 27 either with the teeth of the first 29 or the second 46 wheel drive only. This PTO 3 does not have function than to drive each day a given number of teeth one of the wheels or sprockets of the drive chain 25,29,35,46 or the wheel of the days 27.

In another variant this PTO could include the pinion 3 integral with an actuating finger acting on a star of seven integral teeth of the day wheel 27. In this case, each day the PTO 3 causes the rotation of 1/7 of the wheel of days.

As we have seen from the description of the different forms of execution, the different mobiles can take the form of wheels or crowns, in the general part of this description as well as claims the term mobile has been used, while to define particular forms of execution these same mobiles were defined as wheels or crowns according to the achievements special. Similarly, the control wheel whose teeth has four teeth is, as will be understood, the equivalent of the control pin or of the control crown according to the embodiments. In the game the claims, this body is referred to as the command and this is only in the specific part that this controller is defined precisely as a crown, a pin or a wheel of ordered.

Many other variants of the perpetual calendar mechanism are possible on the same principle. For example if we want to reduce the height of the mechanism, the different mobile groups of mobiles can be next to each other instead of being superimposed as long as the different cinematic channels are respected.

The display of the embodiments of the mechanism where the wheel of days, the date wheel and the wheel of the months are not concentric should not necessarily be online as illustrated. Indeed, the display of different indications, day, date, month and year in a four-year cycle can be concentric or arranged in any desired way if we add a cogwheel transmission to the wheel of days, the wheel of dates, and the wheel of the months.

We can also predict the display of the month and the cycle of the years under code form. This code may include a letter A, B, C or D indicating the year in a four-year cycle, this letter being followed by a number from 1 to 12 for indicate the month. Such a display can be achieved by a disk carried by the wheel months, including on its periphery the indications A1 ... A12. ... B1 B12. C1 ... C12. D1 ... D12; these indications being visible one by one through a window of the dial. This display disc of the months and the cycle of years makes a turn in four years.

PTO 3 can be driven by an electric motor driven by a time base or mechanical for example by a clockwork movement.

As we have seen throughout the description of this mechanism of perpetual calendar, this one requires for its actuation a PTO performing a complete 360 ° revolution at midnight each day. This training can be achieved very easily using an electric motor driven either electronically either electro-mechanically from a motion of electronic or electromechanical watchmaking, so that this engine drives the pinion 3 of the power take-off of the mechanism of a lathe at midnight.

However, when the watch movement to be equipped with the perpetual calendar mechanism is a pure mechanical movement a cog Actuation of this pinion 3 of the power take-off must be provided.

A first embodiment of such an actuating wheel of the grip of force is described with reference to Figure 58.

This actuating train causes the pinion 3 of the power take-off from of a classic 140 date crown of a watch movement by through a multiplier kinematic chain.

The internal toothing of the date crown 140 which serves for its daily actuation of a step, for example using the coach 141 driven in continuous rotation by the watch movement, meshes with a first pinion 142 secured to a first wheel 143 meshing with a second pinion 144 integral with a second wheel 145 meshing with the pinion 3 of the intake of strength. The reduction of this actuating wheel is such that, when the first gear 142 is driven by a step by the date crown 140, the pinion 3 of the PTO is driven seven steps or a full turn.

In this embodiment, the coach 141 may comprise a tooth connected to a drum by a spiral spring, drum driven continuously by the clockwork movement. During his training the drum turns and the tooth of the coach comes into abutment against a tooth of the date crown 140. From this moment the spiral spring is stretched until the moment when its strength surpasses that of a jumper which maintains the angular position of the crown 140 who then jumps one step instantly.

In variants of the mechanism, the power take-off may not be a complete instant revolution a day but only one step a day to midnight. This is the case if one of the axes 26, 28 or 38 of the mechanism is actuated by a not per day of an angular value corresponding to one day. This is done for the embodiments described if one of these axes 26,28,38 carries a pinion of seven teeth meshing with for example the pinion 142 (Fig. 58). In this case the actuating train comprises only this pinion 142 driven one step per day, instantaneously, by the date crown 140.

Of course, the PTO is in direct connection with the crown of winder R when it is placed in the time setting position so that the Perpetual calendar mechanism can also be driven manually. This link is done conventionally.

In this first embodiment of the actuating train of the PTO 3, it is driven almost instantaneously due to a times per day at midnight in a clockwise direction.

The second embodiment of this mechanism for actuating the socket 3 illustrated in Figures 59 to 62 in different positions allows a mechanical drive of the PTO 3 in the opposite direction of the needles of a watch.

This second embodiment of this actuating wheel of the grip of force comprises a floating ring 146 which can move in rotation and in translation around a hub 147. This ring has on its periphery outer abutment 148 cooperating with a locking pin 149 defining its position at the beginning of the cycle just after midnight. This floating crown 146 is subjected to the return action of a spiral spring 150 tending to maintain this crown in its beginning cycle position.

This floating ring 146 also has a second internal toothing partial 152 driving at midnight the pinion 3 of the PTO 3 under the action of spring 150 and a first gear 151 which serves to wind the crown floating 146 by a mobile arming whose wheel 153 is driven at a rate of turn per day from the hour wheel 154 of the watch movement by via a mobile 155. The mobile armage has solidarity with the wheel 153 a coach 156 having four teeth spread over approximately 180 ° and cooperating with the first internal toothing 151 of the floating ring 146 and a solid part on the rest of its periphery whose outer diameter is greater than the one on which his four teeth are.

En début de cycle (fig. 59) juste après minuit et après un changement de date, la couronne flottante 148 est en butée contre la goupille 149 et l'entraíneur du mobile d'armage a sa denture placée en début d'engrènement avec la première denture interne partielle 151 de la couronne flottante 146. Au fur et à mesure de la rotation d'un tour par jour du mobile d'armage, l'entraíneur 156 entraíne la couronne 146 (fig. 55 et 56). Au moment où la partie pleine de l'entraíneur se trouve en regard de la première denture 151 de la couronne, celle-ci est déplacée radialement poussée qu'elle est par cette partie de plus grand diamètre de l'entraíneur, ce qui provoque le positionnement de la seconde denture interne partielle 152 pour son engrènement avec le pignon 3 de la prise de force (fig. 62). Dès ce moment la couronne est libre de se déplacer en rotation sous l'effet du ressort spiral 150 et cette couronne 146 en revenant à sa position de début de cycle (fig. 59) entraíne le pignon 3 de la prise de force d'un tour dans le sens anti-horaire.

The operation of this actuating gear PTO 3 of the perpetual calendar mechanism is as follows:

At the beginning of the cycle (Fig. 59) just after midnight and after a change of date, the floating ring 148 abuts against the pin 149 and the armature armature has its teeth placed at the beginning of meshing with the first partial internal toothing 151 of the floating crown 146. As and when the rotation of one turn per day of the armor mobile, the coach 156 causes the ring 146 (55 and 55). At the moment when the solid part of the driver is facing the first gear 151 of the crown, it is moved radially pushed that it is by this part of greater diameter of the coach, which causes the positioning the second partial internal toothing 152 for meshing with the pinion 3 of the PTO (Fig. 62). From this moment the crown is free to move in rotation under the effect of the spiral spring 150 and this ring 146 returning to its starting position of the cycle (FIG 59) drives the pinion 3 of the PTO of a turn counter-clockwise.

The seventh embodiment of the perpetual calendar mechanism illustrated in Figures 63 to 69 has the particularity of presenting a provision concentric well suited to circular watch movements and display the day, month, and year in a four-year cycle in a single counter.

Figure 63 illustrates three positions of the mechanism when changing from 15 to 16 month, where in the middle position the month and the year are displayed by a code A, B, C, S indicating the years within a four-year cycle and the numbers 1 to 12 indicating the current month.

Figure 64 illustrates the mechanism of this seventh embodiment in section along the line A-A of Figure 65 which is a plan view.

Figures 66, 67 and 68 illustrate in plan the workings of the mechanism of this last form of execution located in the lower, middle and the upper part of the mechanism, while Figure 69 illustrates the display disk of the calendars.

The mechanism of this seventh embodiment comprises mounted on a plate 160 a central barrel 161 around which are rotated a wheel of dates 162 bearing a date disc 163, an additional mobile 164 to a tooth 165 and a control wheel 166 having four teeth. These three movable 162, 164 and 166 are angularly integral with each other and form a first group of concentric mobiles. The record of the dates 163 has the numbers 1 to 31 and inserted between 15 and 16 a notch 163a.

A PTO 167 driven at a rate of one turn per day at midnight by the watch movement is secured to a drive pinion 169 and a 170 drive tooth. A transfer pinion 168 is pivoted crazy on the axis 171 PTO 167.

The drive tooth 170 cooperates with the toothing of thirty two teeth of the date wheel 162, the drive gear 169 meshes with the tooth 165 of the mobile 164 and the transfer pinion 168 cooperates with the four teeth of the control wheel 166.

A second group of concentric mobiles has a crown of transmission 172 having an internal toothing of forty eight teeth in engagement with the transfer pinion 168. This transmission ring 172 is secured angularly of a crown of the duration of months 173 whose internal toothing has a group of two teeth occupying the corresponding angular position in February and four isolated teeth located in the angular zone corresponding to the months of 30 days. A retractable tooth 174 slides in this ring 173 and can be in the active position inserted after the group of two teeth.

A third group of mobiles is constituted by a crown of the months 175 of an internal dentition of forty-eight teeth and performing a revolution in four years. This ring of months 175 bears on its upper surface coded indications A, B, C and S corresponding to one year within a cycle four years and four sets of numbers from 1 to 12 corresponding to the months. This crown of the month 175 carries a pin 176 driving a ring 177. This ring 177 performing a turn in four years has on its inner surface a recess 178 corresponding to ¼ of its periphery. This inner surface of the ring 177 cooperates with the retractable tooth 174 to hold it in position active for three years then during the fourth year of a cycle, year leap, this retractable tooth 174 can retract into the recess 178 under the action of its return spring. Thus, the leap years, the crown of the duration of months 173 has a group of two teeth and not three teeth.

A fourth group of mobiles features crazy rotated on an axis 179 a eight-toothed gear 180 meshing with the transmission gear 172 as well a pinion of two teeth 181 meshing with the toothing of the crown of month 175.

This seventh embodiment of the mechanism works on the same principle than the other forms of execution already described. What is different is that the wheel dates 162 has thirty two teeth and the record of the dates has the numbers from 1 to 31 plus a sector having the notch 163a. When this notch 163a is next to the single window 182 of the dial, this notch 163a reveals a portion of the upper surface of the crown of the month 175 bearing the codes corresponding to the year in a cycle of four and the current month.

In this embodiment, the date wheel 162 is driven by three separate paths.

On the one hand this wheel dates 162 is driven at a rate of one step per day by the drive tooth 170 actuated by the PTO 167.

Secondly, this wheel dates 162 is driven in the night of 15 at the 16th of each month by the drive pinion 169 and the single tooth 165 of the additional mobile 164 a step further. This corrects the presence of the thirty second tooth of the wheel of the dates 162 which is therefore advancing a step extra per month between the 15th and the 16th of each month. If the change of date is obtained automatically by the PTO, this process is not visible because it is done in a fraction of a second.

If, on the other hand, the calendar is manually operated by the setting crown on time, it is possible by slowly turning this crown between 15 and 16 of the month to display the codes corresponding to the year and month through the notch 163a and the wicket. Figure 63 shows the display of the 15 of a month on the left, and the display of the 16th of the month on the right. In the middle is illustrated intermediate position between 15 and 16 where the notch 163a of the disc of 163 is next to the box 182 and where appears the code of the year in course and the current month carried by the crown of 175 months. This crown months 175 is driven by the transmission ring 172, the first pinion of eight teeth 180 and the second pinion of two teeth 181 which is angularly supportive. This 175-month crown performs a four-lap years.

Finally, during the last four days of each month, the date wheel 162 can be driven by the drive pinion 169, the crown of the duration months 173, the transfer pinion 168 and the control ring 166 from 1 to 3 additional steps depending on whether the current month has 1, 2 or 3 days less than the maximum number of thirty-one days. This training can not however, take place only if the retractable tooth 17 or one of the teeth of the crown of the duration of the month 173 is in position to mesh with the drive pinion. This kinematic connection is the driving force of catching.

In this embodiment the date wheel 162 could comprise more than an additional tooth, for example four or more. In this case, the mobile additional 164 has a number of teeth 165 equal to the number of teeth of the date wheel 162. The date disk 163 then has a number of notches 163a equal to the number of teeth of the dates wheel 162. The teeth 165 and the notches 163 a can be evenly distributed around the circumference of the mobile 164 and the date disc 163. Thus, the user when wants to know the year in a four-year cycle and the current month, can have access to this information quickly by rotating the disk of dates of an angular value of at most 1/4 or 1/8 of a turn using the crown of winding.

The mechanism of the eighth embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 70 to 76 comprises mounted on a plate 160 a central barrel 161 around which are rotated a wheel dates 162 carrying a date disk 163, a mobile 164 to a tooth 165 and a control wheel 166 comprising four teeth. These three mobiles 162, 164 and 166 are angularly integral with each other. each other and form a first group of concentric mobiles. The disc 163 contains the numbers 1 to 31 and inserted between the 31 and the 1 a notch 163a.

A PTO 167 driven at a rate of one turn per day at midnight by the watch movement is secured to a drive pinion 169 and a 170 drive tooth. A transfer pinion 168 is pivoted crazy on the axis 171 PTO 167.

The drive tooth 170 cooperates with the teeth of thirty-two teeth of the date wheel 162, the drive gear 169 meshes with the tooth 165 of the mobile 164 and the transfer pinion 168 cooperates with the four teeth of the control wheel 166.

A second group of concentric mobiles, cooperating with the mobiles of the first group of mobiles, includes a transmission ring 172 having an internal toothing of forty-eight teeth engaged with the pinion of transfer 168. This transmission ring 172 is angularly secured a crown of the duration of months 173 whose internal toothing has three groups of three teeth and a group of two teeth occupying the positions angular period corresponding to February and four isolated teeth located in the angular area corresponding to the 30-day months between each of these groups of two or three teeth.

The transmission ring 172 has an external toothing of seven teeth, a group of three corresponding to the months of February and four teeth isolated corresponding to the months of thirty days. This transfer crown 172 thus constitutes a second crown of the duration of the months. The crown of the duration of months 173 still has external teeth of forty-eight teeth.

A third group of mobiles, also coaxial with the first group of movable, is constituted by a crown of months 175 of an internal toothing of forty-eight teeth and performing a revolution in four years. This crown months 175 carries on its upper surface the coded indications A, B, C and S corresponding to one year within a four-year cycle and four series numbers from 1 to 12 corresponding to the months.

A fourth group of mobiles features crazy rotated on an axis 179 a pinion of eight teeth 180 meshing with the internal toothing of the crown of transmission 172 and a pinion of two teeth 181 meshing with the teeth of the crown of the months 175.

A fifth group of mobiles is formed by a pinion 190 pivoted on a axis 191 and in engagement with the external toothing of the crown of the duration of the months 173 and cooperating with the external toothing of the transmission ring 172.

This eighth embodiment of the mechanism operates on the same principle than the other forms of execution described in the foregoing. What differs is that the date wheel 162 has thirty-two teeth and that the disc dates contains the numbers from 1 to 31 plus a sector comprising notch 163a. When this notch 163a is next to a window 182 that has the periphery of the dial, this notch 163a reveals a portion of the upper surface of the crown of 175 months carrying the codes corresponding to the year in a cycle of four and the current month.

In this embodiment, the date wheel 162 is driven by three separate paths.

On the one hand this wheel dates 162 is driven at a rate of one step per day by the drive tooth 170 actuated by the PTO 167.

Secondly, this wheel dates 162 is driven in the night of 31 1 of each month by the drive pinion 169 and the single tooth 165 of the additional mobile 164 a step further. This corrects the presence of the thirty-second tooth of the wheel of the dates 162 which is therefore advancing a step additional per month between the 31st and the 1st of each month. If the change of date is obtained automatically by the PTO, this process is not visible because it is done in a fraction of a second.

If, on the other hand, the calendar is manually operated by the setting crown on time, it is possible by slowly turning this crown between 15 and 16 of the month to display the codes corresponding to the year and month through the notch 163a and the wicket. In Figure 71 we see the position intermediate between the 1 and the 31 where the notch 163a of the date disk 163 is next to box 182 and where appears the code of the current year and the month in progress carried by the crown of 175 months. This crown of 175 months is driven by the transmission ring 172, the first pinion of eight teeth 180 and the second pinion of two teeth 181 which is angularly secured to it. This crown of 175 months performs a turn in four years.

Finally, during the last four days of each month, the date wheel 162 can be driven by the drive pinion 169, the crown of the duration month 173, the pinion 190, the transfer pinion 168, the crown of transmission 172 and the control crown 166 from 1 to 3 additional steps depending on whether the current month is 1, 2 or 3 days shorter than the number maximum of thirty-one days. However, this training can only take place if one of the teeth of the crown of the duration of the months 173 is in position to mesh with the drive pinion 169. This kinematic connection is the catch-up wheel.

In this embodiment, the transmission crown 172 with the seven outer teeth serves as a selector. It gives the months of less than 31 days an impulse to the crown of the duration of months 173 which is then driven by the power take.

In this embodiment the date wheel 162 could comprise more than an additional tooth, for example four or more. In this case, the mobile additional 164 has a number of teeth 165 equal to the number of teeth of the date wheel 162. The date disk 163 then has a number of notches 163a equal to the number of teeth additional wheels of the dates 162. The teeth 165 and the notches 163a can be evenly distributed around the circumference of the mobile 164 and the date disc 163. Thus, the user when wants to know the year in a four-year cycle and the current month, can have access to this information quickly by rotating the disk of dates of an angular value of at most 1/4 or 1/8 of a turn using the crown of winding.

This eighth embodiment still has a sixth group of concentric and coaxial mobiles to the first group of mobiles comprising a wheel of the days 192 secured to a tube 193 rotated on the barrel 161 and carrying to its top end a display disc of days 194. This disc of days 194 contains, writes radially, the names of the days that appear in a second window of the dial more in the center than that 182 letting appear the date or the code of the year.

The wheel of days 193 has a toothing of seven teeth cooperating with the pinion of two teeth 194 driven in rotation by the PTO 167. This eighth mobile group can be deleted if the name of the days should not to be displayed.

Jumpers 195, 196, 197 and 198 maintain the angular position of the month crown 175, date wheel 162, transmission crown 172 and the crown of the duration of the months 173 between two actuations successive.

Many modifications can be made to this mechanism without departing from the scope of the claimed protection. In particular can complete this mechanism by age-old and / or millenial cogs such as previously described likewise the drive of the PTO can be performed as described in the foregoing.

• Le mécanisme est réversible, c'est-à-dire qu'il peut être entraíné lors d'une mise à l'heure manuelle dans un sens ou dans l'autre et ceci en tout temps.
• Le changement de jour, de quantième, de mois et d'année se fait instantanément à minuit en une fraction de seconde.
• Il peut être utilisé indifféremment avec des mouvements d'horlogerie mécaniques, électriques ou électromécaniques.
• Il présente une sécurité de fonctionnement très élevée du fait que tous ses constituants mobiles sont des rouages ou engrenages faciles à fabriquer, à assembler et à régler.
• Il est simple du fait de la simplicité de ses composants, du faible nombre de pièces, ce qui le rend peu onéreux à la fabrication.
• Il peut être indifféremment exécuté en calendrier annuel, perpétuel ou séculaire par la simple adjonction des rouages correspondants.
• Il peut se présenter sous forme de module pouvant s'adapter sur un mouvement d'horlogerie ou être intégré au mouvement d'horlogerie lui-même.
• Le réglage de l'indication du jour peut se faire par la couronne de remontage du mouvement d'horlogerie. Il n'y a pas de poussoir de correction.

All the embodiments and variants of the perpetual calendar mechanism described make it possible to solve the set goals and have in particular the following advantages and characteristics:

• The mechanism is reversible, that is to say that it can be driven during a manual time setting in one direction or the other and this at all times.
• The change of day, date, month, and year is done instantly at midnight in a fraction of a second.
• It can be used indifferently with mechanical watch movements, electrical or electromechanical.
• It has a very high operational safety because all its mobile components are cogs or gears easy to manufacture, assemble and adjust.
• It is simple because of the simplicity of its components, the small number of parts, which makes it inexpensive to manufacture.
• It can be indifferently executed in annual calendar, perpetual or secular by simply adding the corresponding wheels.
• It can be in the form of a module that can adapt to a watch movement or be integrated into the watch movement itself.
• The adjustment of the day indication can be done by the winding crown of the watch movement. There is no correction pusher.

Of course, many minor modifications can be mechanisms described without departing from the framework of the protection claimed.

Claims (53)

1. Perpetual calendar mechanism run from a power take-off and displaying at least the day of the month, characterised in that it consists of gear train wheels exclusively; in that one of these gear trains is a date wheel driving a mobile display member of the day of the month; in that this date wheel is driven instantaneously to the extent of one step per day corresponding to the angle of one day, by a drive member; in that at least another of these gear trains is a wheel of the length of the months, the last four days of the month driven by a control member integral with the date wheel, where this wheel of the length of the months comprises teeth constituted by at least one set of groups of teeth, each of these groups corresponding to a month of the year and the number of teeth of each group being a function of the number of days of the corresponding month; and in that the date wheel is driven instantaneously at the end of months having less than thirty-one days, by a number of steps corresponding to the difference between thirty-one and the number of days of the month being considered, by a catch-up train comprising at least a driving pinion, the wheel of the length of the months, and the control member.
2. Mechanism according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a first driving pinion (9, 25, 62) and a driving tooth (2, 24, 62) solidly mounted on an axle (23) and acting on the date wheel (1, 31).
3. Mechanism according to claim 1 and claim 2, characterised in that it comprises a first group of wheels consisting of a day wheel (4, 27, 71) driven by the first driving pinion (9, 25, 62) and driving the mobile member (16, 73) of a display of the days.
4. Mechanism according to claim 3, characterised in that it comprises a second group of wheels consisting of two wheels, one composed of a first driving wheel (29) engaged with the driving pinion (25) and the other composed of a control wheel (30) the teeth of which comprise a group of four teeth, the date wheel (31), and an indexing wheel of the months (32) comprising one tooth and driving the mobile day-of-the month display member (18).
5. Mechanism according to claim 4, characterised in that it comprises a third group of wheels consisting of a second driving pinion (35) engaged with the first driving wheel (29), a driving pinion of the dates (36) cooperating with the four teeth of the control wheel (30), and a driving pinion of the months (37) driven by the sole tooth of the indexing wheel of the months (32).
6. Mechanism according to claim 5, characterised in that it comprises a fourth group of concentric wheels consisting of two wheels, a first wheel comprising a month wheel (39) driving the mobile member for display of the months and years (20) and engaged in the month driving pinion (37), as well as an eccentric disc (40) comprising a truncated cylinder wall the cylindrical part of which extends over 270°, this first wheel accomplishing one revolution in four years, and a second wheel comprising a transmission wheel (41) engaged in a date driving pinion (36) and accomplishing one revolution per year, this transmission wheel being integral with a first wheel of the length of the months (42) the teeth of which comprise a group of two teeth corresponding to the month of February, and four isolated teeth positioned so as to correspond to the months of thirty days, these teeth cooperating with the second driving pinion (35).
7. Mechanism according to claim 6, characterised in that the wheel of the length of the months (42) has a retractable tooth (43) kept in its working position against an elastic force (44) by the cylindrical wall of the eccentric disc (40).
8. Mechanism according to claim 5, characterised in that it comprises a fourth group of wheels consisting of three wheels, the first formed by a month wheel (39) having teeth engaged in the month driving pinion (37) and accomplishing one revolution in four years; the second formed by three angularly integral wheels and accomplishing one revolution per year, an indexing wheel of the years (48) having just one tooth, a transmission wheel (41) comprising teeth engaged in the date driving pinion (36), and a wheel of the length of the months (47) comprising teeth consisting of a group of two teeth corresponding to the month of February and four isolated teeth corresponding to the month of thirty days, where these teeth of the wheel of the length of the months (47) cooperate with the second driving pinion (35); the third wheel being formed by a second driving wheel (46) having teeth engaged in the second driving pinion (35).
9. Mechanism according to claim 8, characterised in that it further comprises a fifth group of wheels consisting of three pinions angularly integral with each other, a first and a second leap-year driving pinion (50, 51) having three teeth each that are distributed over 4/7 of their circumference and engaged with the second driving wheel (46) and the transmission wheel (41), respectively, a third leap-year driving pinion (52) cooperating with the four-year indexing wheel.
10. Mechanism according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the first driving pinion (25), the second driving pinion (35), the date driving pinion (36), the month driving pinion (37), and the third leap-year driving pinion (52) comprise seven teeth each; in that the date wheel (31) comprises thirty-one teeth and the month wheel (39) as well as the transmission wheel (41) comprise forty-eight teeth.
11. Mechanism according to claim 5, characterised in that it comprises a fourth group of concentric wheels consisting of three wheels, the first formed by a month wheel (39) comprising teeth engaged in the month driving pinion (37) and accomplishing one revolution in four years; the second formed by a second transmission wheel (57) having teeth engaged in the date driving pinion (36), this second transmission wheel (57) being angularly integral with a second wheel of the length of the months (56) comprising teeth formed by a group of three teeth corresponding to the month of February and four isolated teeth corresponding to the months of thirty days; and the third formed by a first transmission wheel (54) integral with a first wheel of the length of the months (53) the teeth of which consist of four sets of teeth, three sets comprising a group of three teeth corresponding to the normal months of February and four isolated teeth coresponding to the months of thirty days, the fourth set consisting of a group of two teeth corresponding to the month of February in leap years and four isolated teeth corresponding to the months of thirty days, these teeth cooperating with the second driving pinion (35).
12. Mechanism according to claim 11, characterised in that it comprises a fifth group of wheels consisting of a control pinion (59) the teeth of which cooperate at once with those of the first transmission wheel (54) and the second wheel of the length of the months (56).
13. Mechanism according to claim 12, characterised in that the first driving pinion (25), the second driving pinion (35), the date driving pinion (36), the month driving pinion (37), and the control pinion (59) have seven teeth each and that the month wheel (39) and the transmission wheel (54) have forty-eight teeth.
14. Mechanism according to claims 1 and 3, characterised in that the power take-off comprises a first and a second driving pinion (62, 63) as well as the driving tooth (64).
15. Mechanism according to claim 14, characterised in that it comprises a first group of concentric wheels pivoted around a cannon (C) driven into the plate, the group comprising a day wheel (71) integral with a cannon (72) holding the mobile day-of-the-month display member (73); a year wheel (74) integral with a cannon (75) pivoted around the cannon (72) and holding a mobile display member for the year in a cycle of four years; and a month wheel (77) the cannon of which is pivoted around cannon (75) and holds a mobile month-of-the-year display member (79).
16. Mechanism according to claim 15, characterised in that this first group of wheels further comprises a date crown (80) comprising thirty-one teeth on the outside and a single tooth on the inside, the outer teeth of this crown (80) cooperating with the driving tooth (64), and this date crown (80) holding a mobile day-of-the-month display member; and a control crown (81) angularly integral with the date crown (80) comprising outer teeth consisting of a group of four teeth cooperating with the date driving pinion (65).
17. Mechanism according to claim 16, characterised in that it comprises a second group of wheels pivoted around an axle (66) driven into the plate, comprising; a month driving pinion (83) of eight teeth engaged in the month wheel (77) and cooperating with the inner teeth of the date crown (80); and a year driving pinion (84) having two diametrically opposed teeth cooperating with the year wheel (74); these two pinions (3, 84) being angularly integral.
18. Mechanism according to claim 17, characerised in that it comprises a third group of wheels pivoted around an axle (67) comprising a first day driving pinion (86) the teeth of which comprise a group of two teeth cooperating with the day wheel (74); this pinion (86) being angularly integral with a second day driving pinion (87) with seven teeth.
19. Mechanism according to claim 18, characterised in that it comprises a fourth group of wheels consisting of a driving wheel (88) with teeth engaged in the second day driving pinion (87).
20. Mechanism according to claim 19, characterised in that it comprises a fifth group of wheels consisting of a first wheel formed by a driving crown (89) with inner teeth engaged in the first driving pinion (62); and a second wheel comprising three angularly integral crowns, one crown of the length of the months (90) comprising inner teeth consisting of a group of two teeth and four isolated teeth corresponding to the months of February and to the months of thirty days, respectively, these inner teeth cooperating with the second driving pinion (63); a transmission crown (91) comprising inner teeth engaged in the date driving pinion (65); and a four-year indexing crown (92) comprising a single inner tooth.
21. Mechanism according to claim 20, characterised in that it comprises a sixth group of wheels consisting of three angularly integral pinions pivoted around an axle (69), viz., a first leap-year driving pinion (93) having three teeth arranged over 4/7 of their circumference, and cooperating with the driving crown (89); a second leap-year driving pinion (94) also having three teeth arranged over 4/7 of their circumference, and cooperating with the teeth of the transmission crown (91), and a third leap-year driving pinion (95) having seven teeth and cooperating with the single inner tooth of the four-year indexing crown (92); as well as a seventh group of wheels formed by a teeth driving pinion (65) freely pivoted about an axle (60a), engaged in the transmission crown (91), and cooperating with the control crown (81).
22. Mechanism according to claims 15 to 21, characterised in that the wheels of the first and fifth group are coaxial.
23. Mechanism according to claims 15 to 22, characterised in that its display comprises at least one fixed window in the dial, and four mobile display members bearing the indications appearing in succession in this window, a day-of-the-month display member (82), a month-of-the-year display member (79), a member for displaying the years in a cycle of four years (76), and a day-of-the-week display member (73).
24. Mechanism according to claim 23, characterised in that in normal operation, only the day of the month and name of the weekday can be seen in the window of the dial, while during the day and date change the day, month, and year in the cycle of four years appear in the window.
25. Mechanism according to one of claims 1, 2, 9, 12, or 21, characterised in that the group of wheels comprising the wheel or wheels of the length of the months (6; 16; 47; 53; 56; 90) in addition contain a four-year indexing wheel (100) driving a secular train imposing on the date wheel (31) to advance by an additional step on 28^th February of the years 2100, 2200, 2300, 2500, 2600, 2700, 2900 etc..
26. Mechanism according to claim 25, characterised in that this secular train comprises a transfer pinion (101) driven by the four-year indexing wheel that is integral with the month wheel (39) and engages in a transfer wheel (103) that is integral with a 100-year indexing wheel (105) with one tooth driving an intermediate transfer pinion (109) angularly integral with a superior transfer pinion (107) cooperating with the date wheel (31) and with an inferior transfer pinion (108) cooperating with the first driving wheel (29), and in that the superior (107) and inferior (108) transfer pinion have three teeth distributed over 4/7 of their circumference.
27. Mechanism according to claim 25, characterised in that this secular train comprises a transfer pinion (101) driven by the four-year indexing wheel (100) that is integral with the month wheel (39) and engages in a transfer wheel (103) integral with a 100-year indexing wheel (105) having one tooth driving a pinion (131) angularly integral with a pinion (137) engaged with a wheel (138) that is angularly integral with the transfer wheel (103) and with the 100-year indexing wheel (105).
28. Mechanism according to claim 27, characterised in that this secular train further comprises an eccentric disc (131) angularly integral with the transfer wheel (103), with the 100-year indexing wheel (105), and with the wheel (138), and having a cylindrical surface over 270° of its periphery, the remainder being truncated, this eccentric disc cooperating with a retractable tooth (133) subject to an elastic return action (134), and in that while this retractable tooth (133) is in its active position, it cooperates simultaneously with a pinion (135) engaged in the date wheel (31) and with a pinion (136) engaged in the first driving wheel (139).
29. Mechanism according to one of claims 1, 2, 9, 12, 21, 26, or 28, characterised in that it further comprises a year display mechanism comprising a year transfer pinion (110) driven by the year indexing wheel (48) and engaged in a transfer wheel (112) engaged in a units pinion (114) integral with a first index with one tooth (117) and holding a units disc (116) bearing numerals 0 to 9 on its periphery; in that the first index (117) drives a tens pinion (118) holding a tens display disc (121) provided with a series of numerals from 0 to 9 and being integral with a second index with one tooth (120); in that this second index (120) drives a hundreds pinion (122) holding a hundreds display disc (124) provided with a series of numerals from 0 to 9, and being integral with a third index (125) with one tooth driving a thousands pinion (127) holding a display disc (129) of the thousands of the year.
30. Mechanism according to claim 29, characterised in that the dial (21) contains at least one window through which simultaneously one numeral of each of the display discs (116, 121, 124, 129) can be seen to display the current year.
31. Mechanism according to claim 2, characterised in that it comprises a crown of the length of the months (5) having 48 inner teeth (6) cooperating with a control pin (7) of the date wheel (1) during the last four days of each month; in that this crown of the length of the months (5) has twenty-seven outer teeth (8) consisting of three sets formed by one group of three teeth corresponding to the months of February and by four isolated teeth corresponding to the months of thirty days, and of a fourth set formed by two teeth corresponding to the months of February and by four isolated teeth corresponding to the months of thirty days; and in that these outer teeth of the crown of the length of the months (5) cooperates with the first pinion (9).
32. Mechanism according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it comprises an electrical motor that drives the power take-off and is electronically or electromechanically controlled.
33. Mechanism according to one of claims 1 to 31, characterised in that it comprises a drive train of the power take-off that depends on the works of a watch or clock.
34. Mechanism according to claim 33, characterised in that the drive train of the power take-off contains a multiplicative cinematic chain (142, 143, 144, 145) driven by the inner teeth of a date crown of the of the clock or watch works (140) that causes at each step of this crown (140) an instantaneous complete revolution of the pinion (3) of the power take-off.
35. Mechanism according to claim 33, characterised in that the drive train of the power take-off contains a crown (146) floating around a hub (147) that has a stop (148) cooperating with a stop pin (149) so as to determine the cycle start position of this floating crown (146); in that this floating crown (146) comprises a first partial set of inner teeth (151) cooperating with a winding wheel (153, 156) and a second partial set of inner teeth (152) cooperating with the pinion (3) of the power take-off; in that the floating crown (146) is subject to the return action of a spiral spring (150); in that the winding wheel comprises a wheel (153) driven one revolution per day by the hour wheel (154) via a wheel (155); and in that this winding wheel further comprises a catch (156) having teeth distributed over part of its circumference, and engaging in the first set of inner teeth (151) of the floating crown (146), as well as a plain section over the remainder of its circumference that has a diameter larger than that where the tips of the four teeth of that catch (156) are found, which causes the radial displacement of the floating crown (146) and the engagement of its second set of inner teeth (152) with the pinion (3) of the power take-off prior to liberating the floating crown (146) that returns to its cycle start position under the effect of the spiral spring (150) while driving the pinion (3) by one revolution.
36. Mechanism according to one of claims 1 to 13 or 14, characterised in that the power take-off accomplishes an instantaneous complete revolution at midnight of each day.
37. Mechanism according to claim 36, characterised in that this power take-off is formed by a pinion (3) angularly integral with the first driving pinion (25).
38. Mechanism according to claim 36, characterised in that this power take-off is formed by a cinematic chain driving each day at midnight the day wheel (27), the first driving wheel (29), or the second driving wheel (46) instantaneously by an angle corresponding to a step of one day.
39. Mechanism according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that it comprises a first group of wheels consisting of a date disc (163), a date wheel (162), an additional wheel (164), and a control wheel with four teeth (166).
40. Mechanism according to claim 39, characterised in that the date wheel (162) comprises at least one additional tooth, and that the date disc (163) has at least 32 sectors, 31 of which bear the numbers from 1 to 31 while the additional sectors consist of a notch (163a).
41. Mechanism according to one of claims 39 or 40, characterised in that it comprises a power take-off (167) axially integral with a driving pinion (169) and with a driving tooth (170), the driving tooth cooperating with the teeth of the date wheel (162) and the driving pinion cooperating with the tooth or teeth (165) of the wheel having one additional tooth (164); a transfer pinion freely pivots around the axle of this power take-off.
42. Mechanism according to one of claims 39 to 41, characterised in that it comprises a second group of wheels consisting of a transmission crown: (172) angularly integral with a crown of the length of the months (173) that has teeth consisting of a group of two teeth corresponding to the month of February, and four isolated teeth corresponding to the months of thirty days, this crown of the length of the months (177) cooperating with the driving pinion (169) and the transmission crown (172) engaging with the transfer pinion (168); and in that these wheels (172 and 173) are coaxial with the wheels of the first group of wheels (162, 163, 164, 166).
43. Mechanism according to claim 42, characterised in that it comprises a third group of wheels consisting of a month crown (175) driving a ring (177), this month crown (175) and this ring (177) being coaxial with the wheels of the first (162, 163, 164, 166) and second (172, 173) group of wheels.
44. Mechanism according to claim 43, characterised in that it comprises a fourth group of wheels consisting of a first pinion (180) engaged in the transmission crown (172) that is angularly integral with a second pinion (181) engaging in the month crown (175).
45. Mechanism according to claim 42, 43, or 44, characterised in that it comprises a retractable tooth (174) sliding in the crown of the length of the months (173) between an active position where it is situated behind a group of two teeth of this crown (173), and a retracted position.
46. Mechanism according to claim 45, characterised in that the retractable tooth (174) cooperates with the inner surface of the ring (177), this inner surface having a recess (178) over ¼ of its circumference.
47. Mechanism according to claim 46, characterised in that it comprises a single window (182) in the dial through which can be seen in succession the numbers 1 to 31 of the day-of-the-month disc (163) and, when a notch (163a) of this disc is facing the window (181), the code of the years and months written on the upper side of the month wheel (175) located directly beneath the day-of-the-month disc (163).
48. Mechanism according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a driving pinion (169) and a driving tooth (170) mounted on an axle (171); a transfer pinion (168) being freely mounted on this axle (171); in that it comprises a first group of four concentric and angularly integral wheels consisting of a day-of-the-month disc (163) having at least 32 sectors, 31 of which bearing the numbers from 1 to 31 and the additional sectors each consisting of a notch (163a), a date wheel (162) having at least 32 teeth cooperating with the driving tooth (170), an additional wheel (164) having at least one tooth cooperating with the driving pinion (169) and a control wheel with four teeth (166) cooperating with the transfer pinion (168); in that it comprises a second group of wheels concentric among each other and coaxial to the wheels of the first group of wheels, consisting of three wheels, a month crown (175), a crown of the length of the months (173) having inner teeth consisting of several sets of teeth each having one group of teeth and four isolated teeth, this crown of the length of the months cooperating with the driving pinion (169), and a transmission crown (172) integral with the crown of the length of the months (173) and with its inner teeth engaged in the transfer pinion (168); and in that it comprises a third group of wheels consisting of a first pinion (180) engaged in the transmission crown (172) which is angularly integral with a second pinion (181) engaged in the month crown.
49. Mechanism according to claim 48, characterised in that it further comprises a fourth group of wheels consisting, freely pivoted around an axle (179), of a pinion with eight teeth (180) engaged in the inner teeth of the transmission crown (172), and a pinion with two teeth (181) engaging with the month crown (175).
50. Mechanism according to claim 48 or claim 49, characterised in that it further comprises a fifth group of wheels consisting of a pinion (190) engaging in a set of forty-eight outer teeth on the crown of the length of the months (173) and cooperating with outer teeth of the transfer crown (172) which consist of a group of three teeth corresponding to the months of February as well as four isolated teeth corresponding to the months of thirty days; and in that the inner teeth of the crown of the length of the months (173) has four sets of groups of teeth, three sets consisting of a group of three teeth and of four isolated teeth corresponding to the normal years, and one set consisting of a group of two teeth and of four isolated teeth corresponding to the leap years.
51. Mechanism according to one of claims 48 to 50, characterised in that it further comprises a sixth group of wheels concentric and coaxial with the first group of wheels, consisting of a day wheel (192) cooperating with a day pinion (194) integral with axle (171), and a days-disc (194) located above the central section of the day-of-the-month disc (163).
52. Mechanism according to one of claims 48 to 51, characterised in that it comprises a window in the dial through which are visible in succession the numbers 1 to 31 of the day-of-the-month disc (163) and, when a notch (163a) of this disc is facing the window (182), the code of the years and months written on the upper side of the month wheel (175) located directly beneath the day-of-the-month disc (163).
53. Mechanism according to claim 51 and claim 52, characterised in that through the window of the dial or through a second window of this dial one can see in succession the names of the weekday written on the days-disc (194).

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