US1043531A - Time-movement. - Google Patents

Description

U. A. MILLER.

TIME MOVEMENT.

APPLIGATION FILED MAILZB, 1909.

1,043,531. Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

ITNESSES l/VN TOR WW c1 WLJM r I Afmrmfy UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. MILLER, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE YALE 85 ItZW'NE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT.

TIME-MOVEMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5,1912.

Application filed March 26, 1909. Serial No. 486,004.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, of Stamford, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Time-Movements; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as'will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to time movements, and is designed for use in watches, clocks, time locks, and other similar time move ments.

The object of the invention is to prevent the rapid running down of the movement which results when any one of the wheels of a train becomes disengaged from its intermeshing wheel, due to the breaking of one of the staff pivots of the train, and my in vention'consists-in a support for one or more of the stalls intermediate the two pivot bearings of each stafl.

For the purpose of illustration I have' shown, and will describe my improvement in connection with the time movement of a clock, but I would have it understood that it is equally adapted to watch movements and also to time lock movements, hence I would have it understood that all reference to, time movements is intended to comprehend not only clocks but watches, time movement .for locks and all other similar time movements.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a view in front elevation ofa time movement embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a view in side" elevation of same, and Fig. 3

is a view in section taken on the line a, a of Fig. .1.

1 and 2 represent respectively the, front and rear plates ofta time movement, 3 the spring arbor and 4 the escapement wheel, the latter being geared up to the drive pinion on-the sprmg arbor through a train of,

gears, carried by the staffs 5, 6, 7 and 8, the staff 5' taking its power directly from the pinion on the spring arbor, and the staff 8 carrying the escapement'wheel 4.

9 is the-intermediate plate or bridge provided at its ends with posts by means of which it is secured to one of the plates, in the present instance to plate 1, and provided with op enings slightly larger than the stalls. The posts are of sufficient length to bring the bridge well up, and in close proximity to, the gears so that the latter will be supported in the event of injury to the stafl's or pivots thereof at either side ofthe gears, concentric therewith, through which one or more of the stalls, preferably the faster moving ones of the train pass. I have shown the staffs 6, 7 andSpassing through openings in the bridge or intermediate plate. The staffs or spindles are provided with pivots or reduced ends of the usual construction, some of which are supported in jewels and others in metal, either steel or brass.

\Vith the time movements now in use, if

a pivot breaks, the force of the spring tending to turn the pinion on the damaged staff, moves the latter to one side, thus breaking the train and permitting the spring to unwind rapidly. -With my improvement, if a pivot breaks the damaged staff will be supported byqthe other pivot, and by the bridge or intermediate plate 9, and the force of the spring tending to drive the staff around in the slightly larger hole in the bridge, forces the stall or spindle diagonally against the side of the hole, or into an eccentric position, thus stopping the movement at once. In addition to this function the bridge adds strength to the parts of the movement passing through the bridge, due to the fact that the holes in the-latter are so near the size of thestafi's or spindles, that the-latter may be jarred considerably sidewise, but prevented from actual displacement by con tacting with the side walls of the holes through which they pass. The main object however, is to prevent the rapid running down of the movement in the event a pivot should be broken. In a watch, or a high 9.

class time piece,'if a pivot be broken from orig ii bf the spiri'dles, or stalls, the rapid uninding of the. spring injures the pinion to lch an. extent that theyifare practically Worthless for future use, and in large time ieces, where heavier springs are used, the nions are/frequently destroyed. Again in a e lock movement, the pivots are .soinetllmes broken by the methods employed. by.

burglars in attempting to open safes and vaults, and thus cause the movement to run down quickly, in which event the safe or vault would be quickly unlocked. Bymy improvement, the staffs are supported be tween the pivots, so thatv if either or both be broken, the staff will simply be thrown from its concentric to an eccentric position and act as a brake.

It is evident that many slight changes might be resorted to in the relative arrangement of parts shown and described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention hence I would have it understood that I do not wish to confine myself to the exact construction and arrangement of parts shown and described, but,

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is V 1. In a time movement the combination of supporting plates, and a gear staflf or spindle mounted at its ends in said plates, of a bridge intermediate the plates and embracing the staff or spindle adjacent to the gear on the lattergrthe hole in the bridge being slightlv larger than the diameter of the staff or spindle whereby llPOIl the displace- .ment of the spindle from its bearing the same is supported in an eccentric position and stops the movement.

2. In a time movement, the combination with front and rear supporting plates and a gear tr'ain carried by said plates, of a bridge intermediate the plates and having holes for-the passage of two or more of the stafis of the gear train, the said holes being slightlylarger than the stafis whereby upon the displacement of a staff from its bearing, the same is su )ported in an eccentric position and stops he movement.

i In testimony whereof, I have signed this f mg witnesses.

J. A. GAYLOR, IV. E. nssoN.

i specification in the presence of two subscrib

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