GB2383143A

GB2383143A - Large date display mechanism

Info

Publication number: GB2383143A
Application number: GB0129681A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Souza Paul Gerard D
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-12-12
Filing date: 2001-12-12
Publication date: 2003-06-18
Anticipated expiration: 2021-12-12
Also published as: GB2383143B; GB0129681D0

Abstract

A clock or watch large date display mechanism has tens and units display discs (6,7, Fig 2) driven by a tens 10 and units 1 index wheels rigidly connected togther and moved by a pawl 5 and moving counter wheels 2,11 which are coaxially mounted but independently movable and coupled to the respective display discs. Both index wheels have 31 divisions but the units index wheel has one tooth missing at date position 31 and the units index wheel only has five teeth. The tens display disc is marked 0, 1, 2, 3, 3, 0, 1, 2, 3, 3 and the units display disc 0-9.

Description

Large Date Display Mechanism.

This invention relates to a LARGE DATE DISPLAY MECHANISM particularly suited for indicating or displaying date using a larger display format in mechanical clocks and watches.

Hitherto known date display mechanisms found in mechanical clocks and watches including quartz controlled mechanical clocks and watches are simple in design but have very small display windows because 31 days are to be indicated on a small ring or disk that is limited by the size of the watch dial. The known Large Date Mechanisms are rare because of very high mechanical complexity. Special problems arise when the counting mechanism has to reset to 1 after the 31st day, instead of continuing to count 32, 33 etc. In addition the known mechanisms have little flexibility as to where the date display is located on the visible dial of the watch or clock.

According to the present invention there is provided a Large Date Display Mechanism comprising concentric units and tens index wheels rigidly fixed together driving concentric independent units and tens counter wheels, the said tens index wheel comprising thirty one divisions with teeth on five of the said thirty one divisions, driving a ten division tens counter wheel, the said tens counter wheel having a tens counting sequence 0,1, 2,3, 3,0, 1,2, 3,3 and mounted concentric with a units counter L driven by a separate units index of thirty one divisions, with thirty of the said thirty one divisions having teeth, the missing teeth of one index wheel compensated for by the teeth of the other index wheel, toggled by an activating pawl of sufficient height to drive both index wheels, the index wheels together driving the units and tens counter wheels selectively or together to provide a double digit up/down counter that counts between 1 and 31 A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described with the help of the following diagrams wherein: Figure 1 is a plan view of the various essential components of the invented 'Large Date Display Mechanism'. The components in actual possible layout showing the co-operation of the two layered index wheel comprising tens indexed drive wheel 10, and units indexed drive wheel 1, and the units wheel 2 and tens wheel 11.

Figure 2 Shows a typical display using separate concentric transparent overlapping'Units'6 and'Tens'7 disks suitably printed with the numerals as depicted, the tens following a counting sequence 0,1, 2,3, 3,0, 1,2, 3,3 that facilitates a composite double digit counter.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the indexed tens and units wheels and allied components separated at their different levels of assembly and functioning Figure 4 is a plan view of a suggested drive mechanism for pawl 5 by using a four notched Geneva cross 13 driven by pin 14 mounted with a guide 15 on a wheel that makes one revolution in six hours driven off the hour wheel of the clock or watch.

With reference to Figures 1 & 2, the'Large Date Display Mechanism' comprises two concentric wheels, 2 & 11 often teeth each, indexed by two index springs 3 & 12 mounted together one above the other. To these wheels are attached the units display disk 6 and tens display disk 7 via concentric pipes attached to each wheel. The units wheel 2 is in turn driven by a 31 division units indexed wheel 1 The units index wheel has one tooth missing at the thirty one position, the counting sequence being from 1 to 31. The missing tooth provided to skip one division. Concentric with the units indexed wheel is mounted another 31 division wheel with teeth only at the 9,19, 29,30, & 31 positions. These teeth serve to rotate the tens wheel 11 at the appropriate positions of cooperation. The activating pawl 5 is designed to make one revolution in 24 hours, the height of the said pawl sufficient to mesh with the teeth of both index wheels. The tens counting sequence must be 0,1, 2,3, 3,0, 1,2, 3,3. Intermediate co-axial free jockey wheels between the indexed bank and units and units/tens wheels could be used to provide greater clearances. The display counting sequence must be reversed in the event of using intermediate wheels. The display disks as depicted in Fig 2 are fitted on coaxial pipes (not shown) attached to the'units'and'tens'counter disks 2 and 11 respectively. The'tens'disk 7 makes one revolution for every two revolutions of the index bank comprising 1 & 10.

The Large Date Mechanism is operated as follows: The Date is initially set by using the Time setting mechanism of the clock or watch. Setting must be done by advancing the time for the required number of days and hours. This mechanism serves as an up/down counter and therefore the date can be set in the forward or reverse counting sequences. The Large Date Mechanism needs to be advanced manually at the end of short months i. e. months with less than 31 days

Claims

Claims: Claim 1 A Large Date Display Mechanism comprising concentric'units'and'tens'index wheels rigidly fixed together driving concentric independent'units'and'tens' counter wheels, the said'tens'index wheel comprising thirty one divisions with teeth on five of the said thirty one divisions, driving a ten division'tens'counter wheel, the said'tens'counter wheel having a'tens'counting sequence 0,1, 2,3, 3,0, 1,2, 3,3 and mounted concentric with a'units'counter driven by a separate units index of thirty one divisions with thirty of the said thirty one divisions having teeth, the missing teeth of the'units'index wheel compensated for by the teeth of the'tens'index wheel and vice versa, toggled by an activating pawl of sufficient height to toggle or drive both index wheels, the index wheels together driving the'units'and'tens'counter wheels selectively or together to provide a double digit up/down counter that counts between 1 and 31.

Claim 2 A Large Date Display Mechanism as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the'tens' wheel is driven by a thirty one division wheel having teeth at only five of the said thirty one divisions, the said'tens'index wheel driving a ten division'tens' counter wheel coupled to a ten division display disk, the said tens counting sequence being 0,1, 2,3, 3,0, 1,2, 3,3.

Claim 3 A Large Date Display Mechanism substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1, 2,3 & 4 of the accompanying diagrams.

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Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows Claims : Claim 1 A Large Date Display Mechanism comprising a thirty tooth'units'wheel and a five tooth'tens'index wheel rigidly fixed concentrically together driving concentric independent'units'and'tens'counter wheels, the said'tens'index wheel comprising thirty one divisions with teeth on five of the said thirty one divisions only driving a ten division'tens'counter wheel, the said'tens' counter wheel being mounted concentric with a ten division'units'counter wheel driven by a separate units index wheel of thirty one divisions with thirty of the said thirty one divisions having teeth, the missing tooth of the'units' index wheel compensated for by the five teeth of the'tens'index wheel and vice versa, the two index wheels being toggled by an activating pawl of sufficient height to toggle or drive both index wheels, the index wheels together driving the'units'and'tens'counter wheels selectively or together to

rovi I I provide a double digit up/down counter that counts between 1 and 31. p Claim 2 A Large Date Display Mechanism as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the'tens' counter wheel is driven by the thirty one division wheel having teeth at only five of the said thirty one divisions, the said'tens'index wheel driving a ten division'tens'counter wheel coupled to a ten division display disk, the said tens counting sequence being 0,1, 2, 3, 3, 0, 1, 2, 3, 3, etc.

Claim 3 A Large Date Display Mechanism substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1,2, 3 & 4 of the accompanying diagrams.