US1222757A - Pendulum-escapement. - Google Patents

Description

F. GUNDORPH.

PENDULUM ESCAPEMENT.

APPLICATION FILED N0v.8. l9l5.

1,222,757. Patented Apr. 17,1917.

VV/thesses: I 1 2 M lnJentor FERDINAND GUNDORPH, 0F PORTLAND, OREGON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 17, 1917.

Application filed November 8, 1915. Serial No. 60,346.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND GUN- DORPH, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Portland, county of Multnomah, and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pendulum-Escapements, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to pendulum escapements, and has for its main object to provide a pendulum escapement in which the pendulum has a continuous uniform movement, as distinguished from an oscillating movement in which the pendulum swings to a limit, stops and returns.

In order to do this, the pendulum must necessarily have a circular movement. The problem in connection with a pendulum having a continuous uniform circular motion is to provide a constant operating connection between the upper end of the pendulum rod and the driving power, or a train of gears, which connection operates to maintain the circular swinging movement of the pendulum, and at the same time provides that escapement movement, which is required in time pieces.

In my invention, I have accomplished these objects, and in order that others may understand the invention I have illustrated one practical embodiment thereof in the accompanying sheet of drawings which I will now describe.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pendulum escapement embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the mechanism, showing the pendulum in a swinging position, the lower part of the pendulum being omitted;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view taken on line 33, of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view taken on line 44, of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a top plan view taken on line 5-5, of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a view on an enlarged scale looking toward the line 66 of Fig. 4.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, 1 designates a pendulum rod provided at its lower end with a weight 2, adjustable thereon by means of the thumb screw 3, said pendulum rod being provided at its upper end with a frame comprising a head 4, and a disk 5, connected to said head by means of two side rods 6 and 7 The disk, or top member, 5, of said frame is pr0- vided .at one side with an open slot 5, adapted to fit loosely over a pin 8, set in the top of a supporting bracket 9. This pin operates to steady the pendulum. Mounted upon the end of said supporting bracket 9, is a hardened steel point 10,upon which said disk, or top member, 5, is supported, and to this end, said member 5, is provided in its center with a cup-shaped hard stone, or bearing jewel, as at 11, Fig. 4. Mounted through said disk, or member 5, as close to said bearing jewel as possible, is a spindle 12, supported at its lower end in the top of the head 4, as at 13. This spindle 12, can revolve freely in its bearings in the member 5, and the head 4, and is provided with a laterally projecting arm 14, upon the outer end of which is mounted a little weight 15.

A main. supporting bracket 16, is provided, to which the bracket 9 is attached, as indicated. Mounted in the top of the main supporting bracket 16, is a pinion 17, upon a shaft, or arbor, 18, upon the lower end of which is mounted a crank-like member 19, adapted to engage the arm 14.

Mounted upon the under side of the main bracket 16, is a plurality of downwardly projecting pins 2020, there being three of these shown in the present construction equally spaced apart, as indicated in Fig. 3. These pins project downwardly so as to be engaged at their ends by the outer end of the arm 14, when said arm is in a horizontal position, as indicated in Fig. 1, thus acting as predetermined stops for said arm 14. When the pendulum is in a swinging position, as in Fig. 2, the arm 14, is slightly raised momentarily, which is .at the instant it first engages one of the pins 20. As the pendulum continues its swinging movement, however, the arm 14, being free to turn with its spindle 12, moves downwardly, the tilting position of the spindle 12, being changed, until the end of the arm 14, escapes from the end of the pin 20, and is thrown forwardly to .the next pin 20, by the crank-like member 19, on the arbor 18, of the pinion 17, which is driven from a train of gears, as from a gear 21.

It will be noted from the foregoing de scription that l have eliminated the erratic suspension spring which always changes with the temperature, and have provided a constant unalterable suspending bearing for the pendulum. lhe propelling force for the pendulum is the same under all conditions. -f the main spring exerts more force at one time than at another, it will simply cause the impelling member, or arm, 14:, to strike the sto ins 20-20, a little harder, without altering the impulse transmitted to the pendulum rod at its head 4:, through the spindle 12, and the swinging weighted arm 1 1. The pendulum absolutely determines the movement of escape of the weighted arm 14, from each of the pins 2020, and thus accurately controls and regulates the intervals of momentary stops in the forward motion of the arm 14. The pendulum is kept in regular motion entirely by the operation of gravity, for each time the weighted arm let, escapes from the end of a pin 20, it is thrown forwardly by the crank member 19, and strikes the next pin at a higher point because of the position of the pendulum rod and the spindle 12, as indicated in Fig. 2, whereupon gravity acting upon the little weight 15, conveys through said arm 14, and the spindle 12, to the pendulum an impulse which continues its swinging movement until the angle of the spindle 12, and the arm 14, is changed, and the arm 1%, escapes from one pin 20, and is thrown forwardly to the next pin.

Thus I have provided a practical pendulum escapement in which the pendulum has a continuous uniform circular motion, with out any points of rest, and in which there is the least possible mechanical connection from the pendulum to the power mechanism from the train of gears of the time piece.

I am aware that slight changes can be made in the invention as here embodied for purposes of illustration without departing from the spirit thereof, and I do not, therefore, limit my invention to the particular mechanism here shown, except as I may be limited by the hereto appended claims.

I claim:

1. A pendulum escapement comprising in combination a pendulum suspended to swing in a uniform continuous circular course, a spindle rotatably mounted upon said pendulum and having a laterally projecting weighted arm, stop members spaced apart and adapted to be engaged by said arm when in one position, the said arm being adapted to be successively moved out of engagement with said stop members, and means for moving the weighted arm having a positive driving connection therewith from one stop member to another.

2. A pendulum escapement comprising in combination a pendulum suspended to swing in a uniform continuous circular course, a spindle rotatably connected to said pendulum at a point to one side of its longitudinal axis and having a weighted arm projecting laterally therefrom, stop members equally spaced and adapted to be successively engaged by said weighted arm as. it is revolved, and means for moving said weighted arm from one stop member to the other and having a positive driving connection therewith, substantially as described.

3. In a pendulum escapement of the character referred to, a pendulum adapted to be suspended to swing in a continuous circular course, a spindle rotatably connected with said pendulum in substantially parallel relationship therewith and to one side of its longitudinal axis, said spindle having a laterally projecting weighted arm, and means for intermittently revolving said weighted arm and spindle to different positions, whereby to intermittently impart a propelling impulse to said pendulum, and to maintain its continuous circular movement.

4. A pendulum escapement of the character referred to, comprising a pendulum provided at its upper end with means for suspending it to rotate in a continuous circular course, means comprising a pin engaging the upper end of the pendulum for preventing its turning about its own longitudinal axis during its circular rotation, positive driving means mounted upon said pendulum and adapted to be intermittently moved to different positions relative thereto, whereby to impart a propelling impulse to said pendulum, and means for intermittently moving the same to different positions, substantially as described.

5. A pendulum escapement of the character referred to, comprising a pendulum provided at its upper end with a suspending frame, means for supporting said pendulum by said frame to rotate about a circular course, means for preventing said pendulum from turning about its own axis as it rotates about its circular course, a spindle rotatably mounted in said pendulum frame to one side of the longitudinal axis of said pendulum, said spindle having a laterally projecting weighted arm, a series of stops equally spaced and adapted to be engaged by said weighted arm as it is revolved about said spindle, and means for successively moving said weighted arm from one stop to another, whereby it operates with each movement to impart a propelling impulse to said pendulum in the direction of its circular movement, substantially as described.

6. A pendulum escapement of the character described comprising a pendulum profor intermittently moving said operating 10 vided With a suspending means to permit the means.

same to rotate in a continuous circular Signed at Portland, Multnomah county, course, a member carried by the pendulum Oregon, this 1st day of November, 1915. and spaced from the suspending means, op-

erating means rotatably mounted upon said FERDINAND GUNDORPH' suspending means and engaging the member In presence of carried by the pendulum for imparting im- I. M. GRIFFIN,

pulses to the pendulum, and a mechanism J. C. STRENG.

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

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