US1520415A - Clock - Google Patents

Description

A. P. HODGE GL'OCK Filed May 15, 1924 IN VEN TOR ATTQRN .r

Patented Dec. 23, 192

ALBERT I. I-EODGTL, CLOCK COMPANY, OF

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VIIHSTED, C0151 ECTT Application filed 1-day 15, 1 .924.

1' 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1. Ancient P. Honor. a citizen of the United States resiting at Ninsted, county of Litchlield, of Connecticut, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Clocks, of which. the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to striking clocks, and has for its object to provide a novel and improved clock of this type. it further has for its object to provide a clock of this type in which the striking mechanism is capable of operating to strike on the quater hours as well as to strike the hours. Arr other object of the invention is to provide a striking mechanism of the character indicated in which the striking on the three successive quarter hours are clearly distinguishable in sound from each other a from the striking of the hour. A still further object of the invention is to provide a striking mechanism of the character indicated which is simple in construction and reliable in operation.

The following is a description of an r bodiment of my invention, reference ben had to the accompanying drawings, which,-

Figure 1 is a rear view of a portion of a clock with its casing removed, embodying the features of my invention in their preferred form;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1, with certain well known parts of the clock mechanism re moved; and

Fig. 1 is a view similar to a portion of Fig. 1 and showing certain parts of the striking mechanism in the position they a sume in striking on the quarter hour.

The clock illustrated in the drawings is provided with a frame comprising front and back plates 2 and 1- in which the ends an arbor 6 are journal-ed in suitable bearings, the arbor carrying the minute-hand o.

The clock is further provided with striking mechanism comprising two hammers each of which is secured on the outer end of a wire 12. The wires 12 are bent about and secured to separate collars 1' pivotally mounted on a stud 16 secured to the lower end of an inwardly bent hanger or bracket 18 which is secured by bolts 20 to the rear Serial No. 713,403.

side of the back plate t. The other ends each wire 12 are connected by wires 22 with the outer ends of wire arms 24 which are secured on collars 26, the two collars being pivotally mounted side by side on a stud shaft 28 secured to the back frame plate 4t. The downward movement of the two wire arms 524i is limited by a stop-pad 80 mounted on the outer end of an outwardly projecting bracket arm 82 secured to the plate The arms 2 1 extend inwardly a dis nce beyond the collars 26 to provide tail-pieces 34: that are arranged at opposite sides of a circular disk 36 secured on the rear end of shaft 38 suitably ournaled in hearings in the front and back frame plates :2 and 1. Each side of the disk 36 has secured thereto two diametrically opposed pins 3t}. the pins on the inner side of the dis; being spaced a distance in advance of those on the side thereof. The pins 39 and the tail-pieces 3 1 are so arranged that upon rotation of the disk in a clockwise direction viewing Fig. 1, one of the pins on the forward side the disk will engage the inn r tail-piece S land swing the outer end of the arm 2 1 upwardly so as to act through the wires 22 and 12 associated therewith, to raise the inner hammer 10, and as the pin passes the end of the tail-piece to release the arm permitting the hammer to drop down y gravity upon its sounding bar or bell. Just before said pin on the inner side of the disk 36 releases the arm 24, the adjacent pin on the rear side of the disk engages the tail-piece of the other arm it so as to raise the hammer associated therewith, and as the pin passes the end of this tail-piece the hammer is permitted to drop down upon its striking bar or bell. Dun mg the continued rotation of the disk 86 the other two pins carried by the disk act on the tail-pieces 3 t to first raise and then drop the hammers 10 successively in a similar manner to the operation of the first set of pins. The disk 86 is thus rotated at each hour and is rotated a proper number of times to cause the hammers to strike the hour. h both hammers act in rapid succession so as to etl'ect a double strike at each one-half revolution of the disk 36., the disk is rotated at each hour onc-half the number of the hour. The disk 86 is rotated through a pinion 12 carried by the disk shaft 38 which is connected through suitable gearing with the usual spring that drives the strikmg mechanism, and the striking mechanism is thrown into and out of operation at the proper times to strike the hour through devices or hammers 10 to strike on the quarter and half hours, the construction being such that the striking of the three successive quarter hours is clearly distinguishable in sound from each other and from the striking of the hour. This means comprises a disk 44 which is riveted or otherwise secured on the extreme rear end of the minute-hand arbor 6, the end of the arbor protruding a distance beyond the back frame plate 4. The disk is provided with two diametrically opposed arms 46 and with an arm 48 arranged at right angles to the arms 46. The end of one of the arms 46 is bent inwardly to provide a lug 52, and the end of the other arm 48 is bent outwardly in the'opposite direction to provide a lug 54. The end of the arm 48 is provided with lugs 56 projecting from opposite sides of the disk. The disk 44 is arranged between the free ends of two wire arms 58 having their other ends secured to the undersides of the collars upon which the wire arms 24 are mounted. The free end of the forward or inner arm 58 is provided with a- U- shaped rearward bend forming an end portion 59 which is in the path of the lug 52 and the forward or inner one of the lugs 56. The free end of the other arm 58 is pro vided with a U-shaped inward or forward bend forming an end portion 60 which is in the path of the lug 54 and the outer lug 56. Both end portions 59 and 60 are in the path of the lugs 56 on the arm 48.

The arms of the disk 44 are so positioned with relation to the minute-hand 8, that as the minute-hand approaches the first quarter past the hour, the lug 52 engages the upper side of the end portion 59 of the inner wire arm 58, and swings this arm clownwardly which, through the connection therewith, raises the inner hammer 10, and when the minute hand reaches the quarter hour, the lug 52 rides off of the end said wire arm 58 to permit the han'uner to drop down upon its sounding bar or gong. In a similar manner, as the minute-hand approaches the third quarter of the hour, the lug 54 engages the end portion 60 of the outer wire arm 58, and swings this arm downwardly which through the connection therewith raises the outer hammer 10, and when the minute hand reaches the last quarter of the hour, the lug 54 rides ofli of the end of said outer wire arm 58 to permit the hammer to drop down upon its sounding bar or gon As the minute-hand approaches the haIf hour, both lugs 56 engage the end portions oi? the wire arms 58 and swing both arms dowmvardly which, through the connections therewith, raise both hammers 10, and as the minute hand reaches its half hour position the lugs 56 ride oil of the ends of the wire arms 58 to permit both hammers to drop down upon their respective soundin bars or gongs. As shown, the extreme end of the inner wire arm 58 is spaced a slight distance back of the end of the outer wire arm, so that the inner wire arm will be released a slight interval before the other, and hence the hammers will strike one after the other in rapid sequence in striking on the half hour.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the striking of the quarter and half hours are clearly distinguishable in sound, a single strike occurring on the quarter hour and a double strike on the half hour. The striking on the two quarter hours are distinguishable, as they are struck by different hammers, diii'erent toned sounding gon or bars being usually employed. The stri ing of the quarter hour is clearly distinguishable in sound from the striking of the hour, as double strikes are made in striking the latter. The striking of the half hour is clearly distinguisl'iable from the striking of the hour as the double strikes of the former are in quicker sequence than those of the latter. Also the striking on the quarter and half hours are still further distinguishable in sound from the striking of the hour, in that lighter blows are struck in striking the former than in striking the latter, the hammers being raised a considerably less distance by the three arm disk 4-4 than by the pin carrying disk 36.

As will be evident to those skilled in the art, my invention. perm ts of various modifications without departing t'rom the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

hat I claim is:

1. In a clock, the combination with striking devices and means for operating said devices to strike the hours, of means for causing said devices to strike on the first and third quarter hours and the half hour.

2. In a clock, the combination with two striking devices, and means for operating said devices to strike the hours, of means for causing said devices to strike on the first and third quarter hours and the half hour, said devices striking on one of said first mentioned fractional parts of the hour respectively, one at a time, and both of said devices striking one after the other on said other fractional part oi the hour.

3. In a clock, the combination with two striking devices and means for operating said devices to strike the hours, of means for causing said devices to strike on two different fractional parts of the hour, respectively.

4. In a clock, the combination with a minute-hand carrying arbor, striking devices, and means for operating said devices to strike the hours, of means comprising an actuating member carried by said arbor and suitable connections for causing said devices to strike respectively the first and third quarter hours and to both strike the half hour.

5. In a clock, the combination with a minute-hand carrying arbor, striking devices, connections for actuating said striking devices comprising a plurality of pivotally mounted members each acting When rocked in one direction to operate one of said devices, and means for thus actuating said members to strike the hours, and means for actuating said members to strike on the first and third quarter hours and the half hour comprising an arm secured to each of said members, and devices carried by said arbor for selectively actuating said arms at said quarter hours.

ALBERT P. HODGE.

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