US1096536A - Automatic synchronizer-indicator for clocks. - Google Patents

Description

E. A. HUMMEL.

AUTOMATIC SYNCHRONIZEB. INDICATOR FOR CLOCKS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 10, 1911.

1,096,536, Patented May 12, 191 1 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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E. A. HUMMBL.

AUTOMATIC SYNGHRONIZER INDICATOR FOR CLOCKS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1O 1911.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST A. HUMMEL, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR T0 ALBERT L. HAMAN, OF

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

AUTOMATIC SYNCHRONIZEEINDICATdR FOR CLOCKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 12, 1914.

To all whom. it may concern:

lie it known that I, ERNEST HUMMEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Synchronizer-Indicators for Clocks, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to improvements in a utoniatic synchronizer indicators for clocks its object being to provide means actuate by the synchronizin mechanism for indi- ('nting whether the c ock was synchronized at the proper time.

- It is customary to synchronize clocks at certain regular intervals of time,.usually every twenty four hours, but sometimes every hour; and without an indicator there is no way of knowing whether the clock was in factsynchronized at the proper time.

in the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings I have provided a visual indicator which is arranged to be thrown by the synchronizing lever into indicating position, and then to be held in that posit1on until thenext regular time for synchronizing, so that it can be determined at a glance whether the clock was synchronized, as it should have been, at the last regular period.

To these ends the invention consists in the construction,combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the'accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a front view of the" indicator and synchronizing mechanism of a clock with some parts broken away, showing the indicator in indicating-position; Fig. 2 is a sectional detail of the minute hand arbor and parts carried thereby; Fig. 3 is a side view of so much of a clock as is necessary to show the indicator and synchronizing mechanism, partly broken away;'and"Fig; 4 is a front view oi the synchronizing mechanism and indicator, partly broken away, showing the indicator in released or non-indicating posi tion.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawin A represents the framework of the clock' and B the dial. Journaled in the u'per part of the framework 'is the seconds andarbor 2, upon which is of which are of a construction well known in the art. Also journaled in the framework is the minute hand arbor (3, upon which is a sleeve 7. Integral with this sleeve. or fast upon it, is a large disk 8 for a purpose to be hereinafter described, and also a smaller disk or annular shoulder 9 which has two diametrically opposite peripheral lugslO. At its outer end the sleeve carries the minute hand 11. The sleeve is held frictionally to the minute hand arbor by means of a spring 19. carried by the arbor between a shoulder 13 thereon and the large disk 8, so that the sleeve and the parts carried thereby will turn with the arbor in the normal operation of the clock, but can be turned independently of the arbor whenv engaged by the synchronizing lever, which will be hereinafter described. The seconds and minute hand arbors are driven by means of the usual clock work mechanism,

pivotally supported upon the framework and having two divergent arms, an arm 14 for engaging the heart-cam 5, and thereby synchronizing the seconds hand, and an arm 15 for s nohronizing the minute hand. The

lever is connected by means of a link 16 with the armature of an electromagnet D, which is in circuit with, and operated by, a standardor masterclock (not shown). its outer end the arm15 is arched upward so as to form two separated hammer ends 17 in position to engage'the lugs 10 on the disk 9 when the synchronizing lever is thrust down. Thus if the clock is not keeping exact time, one of the hammer ends 17, when the lever is thrust down under the actuation of the synchronizing magnet, will strike one of the lugs 10 upon the diskor shoulder 9 a blow sufficiently hard to overcome the hammer ends 17 of the synchronizing lever. In this operation the minute hand, which is carried by the sleeve 7, will be turnedto aline with the numeral on the dial which ndicates' the c'orlect'minutetime. -It w1ll be understood that #while the erm 15 is synthe seconds hand through the medium of the ing with the synchronizing mechanism certain means actuated thereby to indicate whether the clock has been synchronized. In the embodiment of this device which is shown in the drawings an indicator arm E is pivotally supported in the framework at one side of the disk 8 below the synchronizing lever C. The arm E has at,the top a laterally projecting arm 18- and a downwardly projecting arm 19. Upon the arm 18 is a stud 20 in position to be engaged by a spring 21 upon the synchronizing lever C. This spring is secured at one end to the lever C near its point of pivotal support, while the other ,end 22 is loo'ped or hooked over the-arm 15. Thus the spring, which extends down below the arm: 15, forms' a resilientcushion'which, .when the lever C is thrust down, engages-the stud 20 on the lateral armof the indicating arm E. This arm terminates at the bottomin a display plate 23, upon whichmay be placed any desired symbol, such as-a,- distinguishing color or the letters O K -shown in the drawings. hen the stud 20 is struck by the synchronizing lever, as above described, .the indicating arm E, which works at the back of the dial, will be moyed across the inner side thereof into registration with'a. hole 24 in the dial, through" which the dis lay plate 23 will thus become visible from tlie outside,

as shown in Fig. 1. If-desired, the arm E can be provided with an extension plate '25 bcarin any desired symbol such as a distinguis ing color or the words Not set shown in the drawings. This plate is so p0 sitioned that it will be visible through the hole the dial when the indicating arm E falls back after being engaged .by the synchronizing mechanism.

With the -mechanism just described the arm E will be thrown up by'each impact of the synchronizing-lever so as to bring the plate 23 into registration with the dial opening 24, but will fall back by gravity mto normal non-indicating position, as shown in Fig. 4, the moment the synchroniz ing lever isreleased from the actuating magnet D. Inorder automatically to hold'it from thus falling back until just before the next. succeeding synchronizing period, .I have provided the following mechanism.

Pivotally supported upon the framework at a point between its ends is a lever 26 which-stands in alinement with the disk 8. At one endrof the-lever is a notched latch 27 adapted to receive and interlock with a pin 28 upon the arm 19 of the arm E, .while at the other end is a lug .29 in position to be engaged and wiped by a wiper tooth or trip 30 upon the periphery of the disk 8. 'lmu the pin 28 is released from the latch the latch end ofthe lever, that being the heavier end, will drop by gravity againstthe stop 36 which will hold the lug 29 just out of contact with the periphery of the disk. The latch is eformcd with a terminal cam face 3l in the path of the pin 28, so that the pin will liftthe latch-end of the lever and can he caught inthe notch. When the parts are thus locked, the lug 29 .will clear the periphery of the disk 8 but stand in the path of the trip 30. One or both of the engaging faces oft-he lug 29 and trip 30 are beveled so that the trip 30 will wipe and pass the lug. In doing so it will turn the lever 26 just-enough to release the pin 28 from the latch, as shown in Fig. 4. I

In order to prevent the synchronizing lever from being actuated at any other times than the regular synchronizing periods a thing that might happen by reason 0.

false contacts in the electric circuit of the magnet D, or otherwise, it is customary to provide means for holding the lever locked except during the two or three minutes be fore and after the hour at which the hands are to be set. For this purpose the arched end of the arm 15 is provided with a nbtched lug 32 which is normally engaged by a pin 33 upon .adepending pivoted arm 34, the end of which overlaps the inner face of the.disk 8 and stands in the path of a pin 35 upon the disk. This pin is so positioned on the disk as to engage the arm 34, and thereby move the pin 33 out of engagement with the lug 32 at theibeginning' of the synchronizing period, which is usually about two minutes before the hour is reached, and to pass the arm 34 at the end of the synchronizing period, or about two minutes after the hour. When the pin passes the arm the arm will fall backby gravity and the pin 33 will again interlock with the notched lug 32.

In the structure here-shown the clock is intended to be synchronized every hour, that i In operation when the synchronizing arm is actuated and thrown down, the spring 21 will strike the stud .20 and turn the arm E, thereby bringing the indicator 23 into view through the opening 24 in the dial. The

is once in each revolution of'the minute .hand.-

in 28 will at the same time be throwninto ocking engagement with the latch 27 8 shown in Fig, 1, whereby the indicator will be held in this indicating position after the synchronizing lever returns to its normal position, shown in Fig. 4, out of engagement with the stud 20. ""Now just beforethe next synchronizing period arrives, the trip 30 upon the disk 8 will wipe and assthe lug 29 uponthe lever 26, and'there y turn the lever sufliciently to release the latch '27 from the pin 28, when the indicating arm E will drop and turn by gravity into the position shown in Fig. 4, carrying the plate out of registration with the opening in the dial, and the Not set plate 25 into registration therewith. If the clock is now synchronized at the regular period, the parts will remain only momentarily in the position shown in for the moment. the synchronizing lever is turned, the arm E will be again thrust up intov the position shown in Fig. 1 with the disk 23 visible through the dial, and will be locked in that position by the mechanism described. But if the operator should fail to actuate the synchronizin' mechanism, the parts will remain in the non-indicating position shown in Fig. 4, showing that the clock was not synchronized at the last regular period as it should have been. Thus with the use of this automatic indicator the clock will always tell its own story, whether it was synchronized or not at the last regular period.

\Vhile I have shown my invention adapted for use with a clock which is to be synchronized every hour it will be understood that in its broadest scope the invention is not limited to any partlcular synchronizing interval.

I claim as my invention:

1. A clock including the usual time indicator, means for periodically synchronizing said indicator, and means for indicating at all times whether or not the synchronizing means has properly operated.

2. A clock including the usual time indicator, means for periodicallysynchronizing said indicator, means for indicating at all times whether or not the synchronizing means has properly operated, and latching means for sustaining said indicating means in position to denote the synchronized condition of the clock.

3. A clock including the usual time indicator, means for periodically synchronizing said indicator, means for indicatingwhether or not the synchronizing means has properly operated, means automatically interlocking with said indicating means to hold the latter in position'to-denote the synchronized condition of the clock, and means driven by the clock-work mechanism for releasing said interlocking means after a predetermined length of time.

4. In a clock, the combination with synchronizing mechanism, of a visual indicator adapted to be moved into display position V by the clock by said mechanism during the synchronizing process, means for automatically looking it in such position, and means operable independently of the synchronizing mechanism for releasing it from said locking means after the lapse of a predetermined length of time.

5. In a clock, the combination with synchronizing mechanism, of an indicator adapted to be moved into display position by said mechanism in its synchronizing activity, means for automatically locking the indicator in such position. and clock-workdriven means operable independently of the synchronizing mechanism for releasing it from said locking means just before the arrival ofthe next synchronizing period.

6. In a clock, the combination with the synchronizing mechanism and minute hand sleeve, of a' latch, an indicator adapted to be moved by said mechanism intolocking engagement with said latch, and a trip carried by said sleeve in position to trip the latch, and thereby release the indicator. just before the arrival of the next synchronizing period.

7. In a clock, the combination with synchronizing mechanism, of an indicator in position to be turned by the synchronizing mechanism into indicating position, a latch arranged in the path of'the indicator and f automatically locking therewith to hold the same in indicating position, and a trip under the control of the clockwork mechanism and operable by the latter independently of the synchronizing mechanism to trip "thelatch just before the arrival of a synchronizing period and thereby release the indicator.

8. In a clock, the combination with the synchronizingmechanism and minute hand sleeve, of an indicator in position to be moved into display position by the synchronizing mechanism, a. latch in the path of the indicator and automatically locking therewith to hold the same from reverse I movement, and a disk carried by the minute hand sleeve, said disk having a trip in position to engage and trip the latch just before the time for the next actuation of the synchronizing mechanism.

9. In a clock, the combination with the synchronizing mechanism thereof, of a pivotally-mounted indicator arranged adjacent thereto, said indicator being provided with means for denoting the synchronized condition of the clock, means by which the indicator is moved by said synchronizing mechanism into position for denoting the synchronized condition of the clock, locking means for holding the indicator in said position, and means controlled by the movement of the clock for releasing said locking .means just before the time for the next actuation of the synchronizing mechanism,

whereby the indicator restores itself to a position for temporarily denoting the nonsynchronized condition of the clock.

10. In a clock, the combination with synchronizing mechanism and minute hand sleeve, of an indicator adapted to be moved into display position by the synchronizing mechan1sm, means automatically interlocking with said indicator to hold it in such position, and means driven from the sleeve for releasing it from said interlocking means-after a predetermined length of time.

11. Ina clock, the combination with synchronizing mechanism therefor, of a self restoring indicator arranged adjacent thereto and adapted to be moved thereby into posit-ion for denoting the synchronized condition of the clock, interlocking means for holding the indicator insuch position, and means controlled by the movement of the clock and independent of the synchronizing mechanism for releasing said locking means after a predetermined length of time,

whereby the indicator restores itself to a position denoting the non-synchronized condition of the clock.

12. Ina clock, the combination with synchronizing mechanism, of a self-restoring indicator standing normally in position to denote the non-synchronized condition of the clock but adapted to be moved by said synchronizing mechanism into position for denoting the synchronizedcondition of the clock, means for holding the indicator in said last named position, and means controlled by the movement of the clock and independent of the synchronizing mechanism for releasing said holding means just before the next succeeding actuation of the synchronizing mechanism, whereby the indicator restores itself to its normal position denoting the non-synchronized condition of the clock. 7

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST A. HUMMEL.

Witnesses ARTHUR P. Lo'rmeor, H. SWANSON.

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