GB2163879A - Clock foot - Google Patents

Abstract

A clock in which a miniature encased movement 15 is secured to the back of a clock face 16 has means spacing the clock movement casing from the back of the clock face, and is held upright in use by a foot 11 which comprises two portions each generally elongate and flat and both integrally connected so as to define between them an angle of up to 90 DEG . One portion ends in a two-pronged fork 13, 14 whose prongs, in use, embrace the clock movement casing and abut the back of the clock face. The other portion 12 stands flat on a shelf or other substantially horizontal surface. The foot can readily be inserted into and removed from the back of the clock face. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Clock foot Field of the invention The invention relates to a foot adapted to support a wall clock so as to convert the clock, in use, into a freestanding clock.

The term "wall clock" is used in this specification in its conventional sense i.e. to denote a clock of relatively small size intended primarily for internal domestic display.

Review of the prior art Freestanding clocks intended primarily for internal domestic display are well known. Conventionally they are supported on a foot or feet which either form a specially designed integral part of the clock casing which supports or houses the face, or alternatively are so designed as to accept the bottom edge of the clock face casing in a groove or other holding means.

Wall clocks, by contrast, conventionally incorporate a hanging eye on the back of the clock face casing. In more modern clocks, in which a miniature encased movement is secured direct to the back of the clock face without the need for any encasement of the face and the movement, the hanging eye may be incorporated into the clock movement casing. Whatever the precise design details, it has not been conventional to try to make a wall clock readily convertible into a freestanding clock.

The invention is specifically concerned with clocks of the more modern design reviewed above, in which a miniature encased movement is secured direct to the back of a sufficiently self-rigid clock face. The clock face in such designs may comprise a ceramic tile or plate and such clocks are often hung in domestic kitchens.

Summary of the invention According to the invention, a foot adapted to support such a clock comprises two portions each generally elongate and flat and both integrally connected so as to define between them an angle of up to 90"; and one portion ends in a two-pronged fork whose prongs, in use, embrace the clock movement casing and abut the back of the clock face.

In use, the non-casing-embracing portion of the foot stands flat on a shelf or other suitable and substantially horizontal surface; whilst the other portion holds the clock generally upright. The foot can readily be inserted into and removed from the back of the clock face to allow the clock to be re hung as a wall clock if so desired.

Advantageously the prongs of the forked portion of the foot may fit into a gap between the clock movement casing and the back of the clock face as they abut the back of the face.

Advantageously also, in the case just outlined, the prongs may embrace a portion of the clock movement casing (or a member associated with that casing) which spaces the casing from the back of the clock face and which is itself of lesser area than the rest of the casing.

The said portion or member may comprise one or more spacing washers and these may advantageously be made of a vibration-absorbing material.

The two portions of the foot may be so joined that, when the foot stands on a substantially horizontal shelf or other surface and holds a clock in its forked portion, the clock face will be held parallel to a wall behind the shelf or other surface if the non-clock-holding portion of the foot is placed at right angles to that wall.

Alternatively the foot may be so configured that, in the situation just outlined i.e. with the non-clockholding portion of the foot at right angles to the wall, the clock face is angled to the wall.

Each portion of the foot may end in a twopronged fork with either one of the forks capable of embracing the clock movement casing and abutting the back of the clock face.

The invention includes within its scope a wall clock in which a miniature encased movement is secured to the back of a sufficiently self-rigid clock face without the need for further encasement of the clock face, and with means spacing the clock movement casing from the back of the clock face; in combination with a foot which embodies the invention and which in use fits into the gap between the clock movement casing and the back of the clock face to embrace the spacing means.

Brief description of the drawings Figure 1 shows in perspective a foot embodying the invention; Figure 2 shows in exploded perspective the essential integers of a wall clock for use with the foot; Figure 3 shows in side view the foot supporting the clock; Figure 4 shows an alternative foot, again embodying the invention, viewed in plan; Figure 5 shows another foot embodying the invention.

Description of the preferred embodiments In Figure 1 a foot adapted to support a wall clock comprises two portions 11, 12 each generally elongate and flat and both integrally connected so as to define between them an angle of approximately 75". The portion 11 is approximately 1.5 times the length of the portion 12, and the foot as a whole is formed simply by folding up a precut length of rectangular steel strip approximately 0.7mm uniform thickness throughout its length.

The portion 11 ends in a two-pronged fork. This fork occupies approximately the final one third of the length of the portion 11. The respective inner edge of each prong 13, 14 runs parallel to the adjacent outer edge before blending into the half round base of the fork.

The foot is of constant width throughout the length of both portions 11, 12. In the particular em bodiment illustrated, that width is approximately half the length of portion 11.

In Figure 2 a wall clock comprises a known bat tery-powered encased quartz clock movement 15 secured to the back face of a square ceramic tile 16. The front face of the tile 16 carries clock face markings. The output shafts 17 of the movement 15 pass through a hole in the centre of the ceramic tile 16, and clock hands indicated generally by numeral 19 are secured to the output shafts 17 in conventional manner.

A rubber washer 18 spaces the clock movement casing 15 from the back of the tile 16 when the clock is assembled. The shafts 17 pass through the centre of the washer 18. When the hands 19 are installed, and the whole assembly tightened, the casing 15 cannot rotate relative to the tile 16; but there is a gap into which the prongs 13, 14 of the foot can enter so as to embrace the washer 18 and abut the back face of the tile 16.

The use of rubber for the washer 18 will damp the transmission of any vibration from the tile 16 to the movement 15. In addition, because rubber is resilient, it enables the prongs 13, 14 to be forced into the gap between the encased movement 15 and the back of the tile 16.

Figure 3 shows the foot in use. A hanging eye 21 is incorporated into the casing 15 so that, when the foot is removed, the clock can be rehung.

In Figure 4 the forked portion 11 of the foot has been twisted at an angle. If this particular foot were to hold a clock, with the foot portion 12 projecting as illustrated at right angles from a wall 22, the clock face would be angled to the wall rather than being held parallel to the wall as it would be with the foot illustrated in Figures 1 and 3.

Finally in Figure 5 both portions of the illustrated foot end in a two-pronged fork. This makes the foot more versatile as it gives a choice of heights at which the clock can be held. The shorter portion 12 will hold the clock with the bottom edge of its face adjacent the surface on which the foot stands.

The longer portion 11 will hold the clock as illustrated in Figure 3 with the bottom edge 23 of the clock face raised from the surface on which the foot stands.

The clock tile 16 could of course be circular or any other suitable shape other than the rectangular one illustrated, if so desired.

Claims (9)

1. A foot, adapted to support a clock in which a miniature encased movement is secured direct to the back of the clock face, the foot comprising two portions each generally elongate and flat and both integrally connected so as to define between them an angle of up to 90"; and one portion ends in a two-pronged fork whose prongs, in use, embrace the clock movement casing and abut the back of the clock face.

2. A clock foot according to Claim 1 and in which the two portions of the foot are so joined that, when the foot stands on a substantially horizontal shelf or other surface and holds a clock in its forked portion, the clock face will be held parallel to a wall behind the shelf or other surface if the non-clock-holding portion of the foot is placed at right angles to that wall.

3. A clock foot according to Claim 2 and in which, with the non-clock-holding portion of the foot at right angles to the wall, the clock face will be angled to the wall.

4. A clock foot according to any of the preceding Claims and in which each portioh of the foot ends in a two-pronged fork.

5. A clock foot according to any of the preceding Claims, in combination with a clock in which a miniature encased movement is secured to the back of a sufficiently self-rigid clock face with means spacing the clock movement casing from the back of the clock face; and in which the foot fits into the gap between the clock movement casing and the back of the clock face to embrace the spacing means.

6. A clock foot substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

7. A clock foot according to Claim 6 when modified substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.

8. A clock foot according to Claim 6 when modified substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.

9. A clock foot according to any one of Claims 6, 7 and 8, in combination with a clock, the combination being substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3; or Figure 4; or Figure 5, of the accompanying drawings.