US1040111A

US1040111A - Alarm-resetting means for clocks.

Info

Publication number: US1040111A
Application number: US48973509A
Authority: US
Inventors: William A Armour
Original assignee: SETH THOMAS CLOCK Co
Current assignee: SETH THOMAS CLOCK Co
Priority date: 1909-04-13
Filing date: 1909-04-13
Publication date: 1912-10-01
Anticipated expiration: 1929-10-01

Description

W. A. ARMOUR. ALARM RESETTING MEANS FOR CLOCKS. APPLICATION FILED APR.13, 1909,

1,040,1 1 1. Pafented 001;. 1, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

fiyenfar Wf/Fam 4 [/rkmar W. A. ARMOUR. ALARM RESETTING MEANS FOR CLOCKS. APPLICATION FILED APR.13, 1909.

1,040, 1 1 1 Patented Oct. 1, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

7%Z/16 wa f UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'WILLIAM A. ARMOUR, OF THOMASTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO SETH THOMAS CLOCK CQMPANY, OF THOMASTON, CONNECTICUT.

ALARM-RESETTING MEANS FOR CLOCKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 1, 1912.

Application filed April 13, 1909. Serial No. 489,735.

My invention relates to an improvement in alarm resetting mechanism for clocks of the general character described in an allowed application of Lapham and Valker, Serial Number 180,047, filed February 25, 1909, and a patent dated August 25, 1908,

My invention is particularly adapted for, use with an alarm of a continuous type, that is, one which will ring continuously until shut off, and a clock movement which nor mally runs for a single day and requires rewinding every 2 1 hours, but my invention may be equally adaptable to any ordinary alarm clock.

My invention will be defined in the claims hereunto annexed.

In the drawings which show a preferred embodiment of my invention; Figure 1 is a view of the entire clock; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the operating mechanism of the clock and the alarm; Fig. 3 is a section taken from line A-A of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow with parts re moved for the sake of clearness; Fig. 4: 1s a section along line B-B of Fig. 2 with parts removed for the sake of clearness; Fig. 5 is a detail of the tripping means shown partly in section; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the trippin means; Fig. 7 is a detached side view the winding arbor and restoring member partly in section. Figs. 8 and 9 are views beneath of the restoring member in differentpositions.

The clock casing is indicated by 1 having the usual dial face 1. l/Vithin the casing are mounted the different operating parts for the time movement and the alarm movement shown in front elevation in Fig. 2. The front and rear face plates composing the clock frame upon which the different parts of the movement are mounted are designated by 4 and 49, respectively. The main spring of the time movement is indicated at 2, which through the usual train of gearing common to all clocks gives movement to the hands 8 and 9. Since this train of gearing is member is located at the end of a leaf similar to that found in all clocks, I have not thought it necessary to more particularly describe it other than mentioning the fact that the hands receive their movement from the main spring 2. The alarm mechanism comprises a main spring 3 of the alarm movement, which through a suitable train of gearing transmits movement to an operating ratchet 11. A double nose pawl 6 fixed to the shaft 6 pivotally mounted on the clock frame is adapted to engage the opcrating ratchet 11- to be rocked thereby, and the hammer 7 of the alarm is mounted on the same shaft 6 of this operating pawl 6. This is also a usual construction in alarm clocks and it is plain that the hammer 7 of the alarm mechanism is adapted to be.vibrated by means of the main spring 3. Extending outwardly from the shaft 6" is an arm shown more clearly in Figs. 3 and 4, which is adapted to be engaged by stopping member to normally prevent the shaft 6 and hammer 7 from vibrating. In my preferred construction shown herein the stopping spring 10 firmly secured at the other end to the face plate of the clock movement. The outer end of spring 10 is bent at right angles as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 to provide the mem ber 10 to engage the arm 5. This stoppin member 10 normally tends to spring out 0% engagement with the arm 5, but is adapted to be held in engagement therewith and periodically released by the tripping means which will now be described.

Extending through from front to rear of the two

plates

4 and 4 of the clock frame is frictionally mounted an arbor 14 but free to turn and having fixed to its front end a setting cam and to its rear end afinger turned button 17. Freely mounted to rotate on this arbor 14 adjacent the operating cam 15 is a pinion 12 having a circular boss portion 12 which rests against the leaf spring. 10. .The leaf spring 10 extending across the arbor 14: is suitably perforated to permit the same to extend therethrough.

Projecting from the outer face of the pinion" 12 is a pin 18 which normally engages and travels around the adjacent face of the cam 15. A notch 19- is formed in this face-of the cam 15, into which the pin 18 drops when it reaches the same, which result is eflectuated by the spring 10, so as to permit the stopping means 10 to spring away from engagement with the arm 5. The pinion 12 has a sliding movement on the arbor 14 to allow this movement. The pinion 12 is continually in engagement with a wide toothed pinion 13 of the hour hand and is preferably of the same size whereby the tripping means normally releases the alarm once every twelve Y hours. Fixed to the outer end of the arbor 14 is a hand 16 which runs over the face of the dial 1, and a 12 hour dial 16 is arranged to coiiperate with this hand 16, whereby the same may indicate the adjustment of the cam 15. The hand 16 should properly befixed opposite the notch 19 so as to. indicate its position.

.' The above described mechanism is nearly all old and well known in the art of alarm clocks,'and my invention more particularly resides in the combination with this mechanism of devices hereafter described.

Shutting of and restoring mechanism.- Pivoted at 22, on the clock frame is a man- I ually controlled lever 20 having a nose 20 not engage the stopping member 10,1and in full lines of said fi ure the lever 20 is shown as rocked to the right and as'engaging the stopping member 10 to hold it in its normal or stopping position. This is the position of the parts after the alarm has been shutoff by hand, and it is plain that the parts would normally. remain in this position and pre-' vent the tripping means from releasing the alarm at its next periodic movement, and

therefore I have designed a restoring mechanism for restoring the

parts

20, 21 to their normal position whereby the alarm is left under control of the tripping means.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 7, a cup-shaped restoring member'24: is shown as loosely mounted upon the outer end of the main spring arbor 26, and fixed to this arbor 26 and within the cup-shaped member 24:

v is a ratchet 27 The cup-shaped member 24:

as shown more clearly in Figs. 8 and 9 is provided with a pivoted pawl 28 on its underside normally held in engagement with the ratchet 27 by means of a spring 29. It is thus seen that the cup-shaped restoring member 24 is normally turned by the winding arbor 26 of the main spring, as long as the pawl 28' and ratchet 27 are in engagement. A in 30 mounted on the clock frame in the position shown more clearly in Figs. 2 and 9 acts to release the pawl 28 from the ratchet 27 when the operating member 24- has reached this position of its travel.

Thereafter the winding arbor 26 may be freely-turned without carrying the restoring member 24:- therewith. The restoring member 2a is provided also with a cam face 25, which, when the same is turned by its connection with the arbor 26, engages with the endof the lever 20 and moves-the same away from engagement with the stopping member 10. This operation takes place whenever the clock is wound by turning the winding arbor 26. The means for returning the member 24 back to its originalfullline position shown in Fig. 2 consism preferably of a spring washer 31 mounted on the outer end of the arbor 26, and adapted to press against the outward side of the cup-shaped member 24, and by its frictional engagement therewith to turn the same back when the arbor 26 is slowly turned by the main spring 2 in the running down of the clock. A portion of the side walls of the cup-shaped member 2a is cut away and stop pins 30, 31 hxedzto the clock frame as shown in Fig. 2 are normally located within this cutaway are normally located within this cut-away walls therefore act as abutments, and engaging these pins 30 and 31 limit its movement oi travel in either direction, as shown more clearly in Figs. 8 and 9.

From the above description the operation of ray-improvement will be clear.

The alarm may be set in the usual way by adjusting the hand 16 of the tripping means opposite any desired hour of the 12 shown in the dial 16*. When the alarm goes 0E it may be stopped by throwing the lever 21 to the right and the parts would ordinarily remain in this posltion and prevent further operation of the alarm, unless some means are provided to restore them. As above described, we have shown this restoring means as connected to the winding arbor of the clock, so that when the person retiring for the night winds his clock the parts will be automatically reset to their initial position ready for the alarm to be again operated by the tripping means.

What I claim is: 1 In an alarm clock, the combination of a time movement, an alarm mechanism, stopiis ing means comprising an impelled member or normally preventing said alarm from operating, tripping means actuated by said tlme movement to thereby efiectuate the re leasing of said stopping means and its iinpelled member to permit the alarm to sound,

a member additional to the said stopping a means and operated by hand to shut ofi' said alarm mechanism when sounded, and means I additional to the said tripping means and operated by the winding of the time movement for restoring said alarm to the control of said stopping means.

2. In an alarm clock in combination, a time movement, an alarm mechanism, a

stopping member for engaging said alarm mechanism to prevent the same from operating, tripping means actuated by said time movement forreleasing said stopping memher, a device operated by hand to move said stopping member into engagement with said alarm mechanism for stopping the same when the alarm is sounded, and means actuated by the winding of the time movementfor restoring said hand-operated member into position ready for a new operation.

In an alarm clock in combination, a time movement, an alarm mechanism comprising a vibrating portion, a stopping memr for engaging said vibrating portion of said alarm mechanism to prevent said alarm from operating, tripping means actuated by said time movement for releasing said stopping member, a device operated by hand for engaging and moving said stopping member into engagement with said vibratory portion of the alarm mechanism for step ping said alarm when the same is sounded, and means actuated by the winding of the time movement for disengaging said handoperated member from said stopping member, whereby the sameisrestored in position ready for a new operation.

4:. In an alarm clock in combination, a time movement having a winding arbor, an alarm mechanism, a manually operated device for stopping said alarm mechanism, a restoring member freely mounted on said winding arbor provided with means for be ing connected to said arbor -tor movement therewith when said arbor is turned in wind mg the clock, whereby said restoring mem-- ber acts to throw out said manually operated device from its stopping position.

- 5. In an alarm 'clock in combination, a time movement having a winding arbor, an alarm mechanism, a manually operated de-, vice forstopping said alarm mechanism, a restoring member freely mounted on said winding arbor, positive means for connecting the same to said arbor for a partial rotation therewith when said arbor is turned in winding the clock, whereby said member acts" to throw outsaid manually operated device from its stopping position, and friction means for connecting said member to said arbor to move therewith in the opposite direction as the arbor is turned in the running down of said time movement, and means to limit the movement of said cam in eitherv direction.

6. In an alarm clock in combination, a

time movement having a winding arbor, an alarm mechanism, a manually operated device for stopping said alarm mechanism, an oscillating restoring member arranged to be moved by said arbor when winding the clock to throw out said manually operated device- I from a stopping position and to be returned in the opposite direction as the arbor is thus turned in the running down of the time movement to permit said manually operated member to be again operated. Signed at Thomaston, Conn, this 8th day of April 1909.

WILLIAM A; ARMOUR. Witnesses:

LEVI S. Parsons, LENA A. WATROUS.