US1138775A

US1138775A - Escapement.

Info

Publication number: US1138775A
Application number: US85536114A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hubert A Myers
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1914-08-06
Filing date: 1914-08-06
Publication date: 1915-05-11
Anticipated expiration: 1932-05-11

Description

H. A. MYERS.

ESCAPEMENT.

APPLICATION 111:0 Aue.e, 1914.

1,138,775. Patented May 11, 1915.

1 I l I I WiTNESSESZ- \NVENTOR.

THE NORRIS PETERS C0,. FHOTO-LITHO" WASHINGTON. D. c,

HUBERT A. MYERS, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

ESCAPEMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1915.

Application filed August 6, 1914, Serial No. 855,361.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUBERT A. MYERS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Escapement; 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, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates particularly to escapement devices for clock mechanisms, but is not restricted to such use as it is intended for use in any connection for which it may be adapted or appropriate.

The object of my invention the provision of an improved device of this character, which is simple and inexpensive in its construction, silent in its operation and ad justable to vary the speed of running of the mechanism with which associated.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description thereof.

The invention is fully described in the following specification, and while, in its broader aspect, it is capable of embodiment in numerous forms, a preferred embodiment thereof is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is an elevation ofthe device in connection with a'spring driven gear train, such as is commonly used in clock mechanisms. Fig. 2 is atop view thereof with the gear train removed, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the line x-m in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates one of a train of gears, which,in the present instance, employ a spring 2 as the prime moving agent, as is common in clock mechanisms. Meshing with the gear 1, in the present instance, is a pin-tooth gear 3, which is carried by a disk 4; that is mounted on a shaft 5. Mounted on a shaft 6 in spaced re lation to the disk 4, with its axis in parallelism therewith, is a driven gear or member 7 of the escapement device, which gear meshes with a pinion 8, in the present instance, of the pin-tooth type, which is carried by a fly-wheel 9 that is mounted on a shaft 10.

A pair of spring-fingers 11, 12 have their free ends projecting intermediate the drive and driven members 4% and 7 of the escapement device and are fixed at their inner ends to respective outwardly projecting arms or lever members 13, 14:, that are mounted for rocking movements on contiguously dis posed parallel shafts or pins 15, 16. An I adjusting-screw 17 is threaded through a fixed bracket 18 for each spring lever and bears against the arm of such lever which projects outwardly from the inner end of the associated spring 11, 12. It is evident Y that the screws 17 may be adjusted to impart a desired converging flexing of the inner end portions of the respective springs 11, 12, whereby the free ends of the springs will be caused to exert a desired inward pressure or leverage one toward the other, such pressure being increased or diminished by an adjusting of the respective screws. The free end portions of the spring-fingers 11, 12 are respectively provided on their inner or adjacent sides, in the present instance, with plates 19, each of which plates is provided in spaced relation longitudinally of its finger with

notches

20, 21, with the outer and inner notches of the plates in respective register, as shown.

An arm or pitman 22 pivotally projects from a crank-pin 23 on the drive-disk 4: of theescapement device, and extends from such disk transversely of the spring-fingers 11,

12 and is provided at its free end with a between and has alternate bearing contact with the free end portions of the spring fingers 11, 12 within the respective bearing notches 20 thereof during an operation of the device. The'bearing

studs

24, 27 are preferably diamondshape in cross-section to provide opposing knife edges for contact with the bottoms of the

respective notches

21, 20, and such notches are of suitable shape and form to permit a free pivotal rocking of the bearing studs therein. The

crankpins

23 and 26 are set at reverse sides of their respective axes of revolution so that the

pitmen

22 and 25 will have simultaneous movements in the same direction during rotation of the members 4, 7. The

crankpins

23 and 26 are also set the same distance from their respective axes to cause a uniform revolving thereof.

Inasmuch as the driving force of the gear train and the prime mover thereof is acting at all times on the drive member or disk t of the escapement device, such drive member when released for movement, as hereinafter described, will, during one-half of its rotation, act on the pitman 22 to force the spring finger 12 outward to increase the flexing thereof and to store up energy therein, and will, during the next half of its rotation, act on the pitman 22 to retract the other spring finger 11 to store energy within. During an outward or energy storing stroke or movement of each finger it will be understood that the other finger is having its follow-up or power-stroke and isacting against the pitman 25 to communicate rotation to the driven member 7 therethrough, and that when such power-stroke is completed the pitman 22 will then have its return stroke to release the finger previously moved thereby and to move the other finger to store energy therein, the finger in which energy was last stored then acting to impart movement to the pitman 25.

The rotation of the driven member 7 is practically continuous and uniform due to the action of the balance-wheel 9 thereon in conjunction with the driving means, and such rotation is slower than the inter-mit tent rotary driving movement of the drivemember 1, as such member is temporarily locked against movement at each half rotation thereof, as hereinafter described, and upon a release of such locking means the driving force which acts on the member 1 causes a rapid movement thereof. Bearing in mind this relative movement of the drive and driven members 1, 7 it will be understood that the driving stroke of each finger 11, 12 will be only partially completed when the energy restoring stroke of the other spring finger has been completed, as is lllHEr trated in full lines in Fig. 1, in which the pitman 22 is shown as having completed its energy restoring stroke, while the spring 11 is acting as the power spring and has moved the pitman 25 for only a portion of its stroke.

The intermittent locking and releasing of the drive member -1 is accomplished, in the present instance, by the provision on one face of the disk 1, at each side of its axis, of a tooth 30 with which a catch finger or dog 31 normally engages when the tooth is at one point in a revolution thereof. The catch finger 31 is pivoted to a bracket or stationary part 32 and is normally held in tooth-engaging position by a cam finger 33, which fixedly projects from a rock-shaft 3 1:, said shaft being normally rocked in one direction by a spring 35, which connects a part on the bracket 32 with a finger projecting from the shaft. The shaft 31 is journaled at one end in a bracket 32 and at its other end in a bracket 36 in which the shaft (5 is mounted and carries a finger 37 adjacent to one side of the driven member 7 with its free end disposed in the path of revolution of a pair of lugs 38 on the adjacent side of the member 7, one at each of opposite sides of its axis. The lugs 38, in the present instance, stand in a line with the crank-pin 26 and shaft 7 and one is adapted to strike and rock the finger 37 at the completion of each spring actuated or driving stroke of the pitman 25. The rocking of the finger 37 effects a consequent rocking of the shaft 3-1 and cam finger 83 to permit an outward movement of the catch-finger 37 from stop engagement with the coacting teeth 30 on the drive member 1, thus releasing the drive member to permit it to have one-half of a rotation imparted thereto from the prime mover of the associated mechanism. hen such half rotation is completed the movement of the member 1 is again arrested by the stopping engagement of the catch-finger 31 with the next tooth 30, the arresting of the member 1 being continued until the driven member 7 has completed its corresponding half rotation under the influence of one or the other of the spring fingers 11, 12, when the shaft 31 will be again rocked by the engagement of a lug 38 with the finger 37, thus permitting a releasing movement of the catch-finger 31. It is thus evident that the drive member 1 of the escapement mechanism is not free to rotate until the spring 11, 12, which is then having its power stroke, has completed such stroke and impaii'ted a half rotation to the driven member 7, the control mechanism being then automatically operated to release the drive member to permit another partial revolution thereof to release the spring-finger in which energy was stored on the preceding half revolution and to move the other spring-finger to restore energy therein. It is also evident that the alternate action of the spring-fingers 11, 12 with the bearing lugs 2 1, 27 of the respective pitmen will render the escapement mechanism silent in its action, thus obviating a feature which is sometimes objectionable in the use of escapement mechanism heretofore used.

It will be understood that my escapement device is not limited to use in any particular connection or to any particular form of prime actuating means, and also that the escapement device is not limited to any specific construction or arrangements of the parts thereof as numerous modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

1. In combination, a rotatable drive member, a driven member, and means connecting said members for communicating movement from one to the other thereof, said means having a plurality of spring elements which have energy alternately stored therein by a rotation of the drive member and alternately communicating driving movements to the driven member.

2. A device of the character described having a plurality of resilient members having power movements in opposite directions, means alternately acting on said members to store energy therein, and movable means alternately actuated by said members during the respective power strokes thereof.

3. A device of the character described having a plurality of resilient members having power strokes in opposite directions, means operable to alternately impart energy storing movements to said members, a rotatable element, and means having connection with said element and alternately acted on by said members during the respective power strokes thereof to impart rotation to said element.

4. In a device of the character described, a plurality of oscillatory spring fingers having their power strokes or spring movements in opposite directions, a driven member and a drive member, means for imparting rotation to said drive member, and separate means, one for imparting energy storing movements to said fingers in alternate order from a rotation. of the drive member and one for communicating movements to said driven member in alternate order from said fingers during the respective power strokes thereof.

5. In combination, a pair of spring fingers, means for successively acting on said fingers to impart opposed flexing move ments thereto to store energy therein, and means having a movable part which is successively operated by said springs during reflexing movements thereof.

6. In combination, a plurality of spring fingers projecting in thesame general direction and having relative outward energy storing movements and relative outward reflex movements, means operable to impart alternate energy storing movements to said fingers, a rotatable element, and means having connection with said element and alternately acted on by said fingers during the reflex movements thereof to impart rotation to said element.

7 In combination, a plurality of resilient members projecting in the same general directions, said members having normal movements in opposite directions relative to each other, means operable to alternately act on said members to store increased energy therein, a rotatable element, and means having connection with said element and alternately moved first in one direction and then in the other direction by said members in alternate order to impart rotation to said elements.

8. In combination, a plurality of spring fingers having their spring movements in opposite directions, means for varying the spring tension of said members, means operable to act first on one and then on the other of said members to flex the same in energy storing direction, a rotatable element, and means having connection with said element and acted on first by one and then by another of said members during reflex movements thereof to impart rotation to said element.

9. In combination, a pair of spring fingers projecting in the same direction and having their normal movements toward one another, adjustable means for varying the spring tension of said fingers, means operable to successively impart energy storing strokes in opposite directions to said fingers, a rotatable element, and means having connection with said element and successively acted on by said fingers during the power or reflex strokes thereof to impart rotation to said element.

10. In combination, a pair of spring fingers having normal movements toward each other, a rotatable drive member, a pitman projecting from said member and having a bearing part projected between the free end portions of said fingers whereby a rotation of said member will move the pitman to impart an outward energy storing stroke to first one and then the other of said fingers, a driven member and a pitman projecting from said member and having a bearing part projected between the free end portions of said fingers and alternately acted on first by one and then the other of said fingers during the respective inward power strokes thereof to impart rotation to said driven member.

11. In combination, rotatable drive and driven members, pitmen projecting from said members eccentrically thereof, and means interposed between said members and having energy stored therein by one pitman during a rotation of its member and exert ing such stored energy on the other pitman to impart rotation to its member.

12. In combination, rotatable drive and driven elements, a pitman projecting from each element, spring means acted on by one of said pitmen during a rotation of its element to effect a storing of energy in said means and acting on the other pitman to communicate such stored energy to the influenced Cir driven element to impart rotation thereto, and means for adjusting the tension of said spring 11163113.

13. In combination, rotatable drive and driven elements, a fly wheel having connection with said driven element, a pitman projecting from each of said elements eccentrically thereof, and means operable to have energy stored therein by movements of one pitman upon a rotating of said drive member or element and acting on the other pitman to communicate such stored energy to the driven member to impart rotation thereto.

14. In combination, rotatable drive and driven members, parts projecting from said members eccentrically thereof, means having energy stored therein by a movement of one of said parts during a rotation of the drive member and acting on the other of said parts to communicate the stored energy to the driven member to impart rotation thereto, and means for stopping the rotation of the drive member and operable at predetermined points in a rotation of the driven member to release the drive member.

1?. In combination, rotatable drive and driven members, means having connection with each of said members and having energy stored therein upon a rotation of the drive member and having such energy communicated to the driven member to impart rotation thereto, means for stopping the rotation of the drive member at the end of each half revolution thereof, and means automatically operable at predetermined points in a rotation of the driven member to release said stop means.

16. In combination, a pair of spring fingers, means for successively acting on said fingers to impart opposed flexing movements thereto to store energy therein, means having a. movable i art which is successively operated by said springs during refieXing movements thereof, and means controlled by the movements of said movable part to control the movements of said first means.

17. In combination, a pair of spring fingers, a rotatable drive element, means connecting said drive element and fingers and operable to alternately impart energy storing movements to said fingers upon a rotation of said member, a driven member, connection between said driven member and fingers and alternately acted on by said fingers during their respective power strokes to impart successive rotation to said driven member, stop means for said drive member,

and means automatically operable by said driven member to intermittently release said stop means from stop engagement with said drive member.

18. In combination, a pair of oscillatory members having spring influenced movements toward each other, a drive element, a pitman projecting from said drive element and having a part interposed between said lingers and acting to impart an outward energy storing movement to one member during one-half of a rotation of said element and to the other member during the other half of a rotation of said element, a rotatable driven element, a pitman project ing therefrom and having a part interposed between said members and successively acted on by said members din-ing their respective inward or power strokes to impart rotation to said driven element, means for stopping the rotation of said drive element at the end of each half rotation thereof, and means automatically operated by said driven ele ment at predetermined points in a rotation thereof to release said stop means from stop engagement with the drive element.

19. In combination, a pair of oscillatory members having spring influenced movements toward each other, a revoluble drive part at one side and a revoluble driven part at the other side of said members, a. pitman projecting from each of said parts and having respective portions interposed between said members, one pitman being operable by a revolution of he drive part to successively lie): said members outwardly to store energy therein and the other pitman being successively acted on by said members during the respective power strokes thereof to communicate revolution to said driven part, means for stopping said drive pa rt at the end of each half revolution thereof at which point one member stands at the limit of its outward energy storing movement, and means operated by said driven element at each half revolution thereof to release said stop means from engagement with the drive element, such release taking place when the other member of the pair has completed its power stroke.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HUBERT A. dYERS. Witnesses F. F. Ann, R. G. ALLEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.