US1544652A

US1544652A - Clock

Info

Publication number: US1544652A
Application number: US736781A
Authority: US
Inventors: Knutson Theodore
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1924-09-09
Filing date: 1924-09-09
Publication date: 1925-07-07
Anticipated expiration: 1942-07-07

Description

July 7, 1925.

T. KN UTSON CLOCK Fil p 9. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l meow/r5 Ayn/i501 Qtkoamg Patented July 7, 1925.

UNITED STATES THEODORE KNUTSON, OF NORMA, NOIRTI-I DAKOTA.

CLOCK.

Application filed September 9, 1924. Serial No. 736,781.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE KNUTsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norma, in the county of Renville and State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clocks,

of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a clock and has for its prime object to provide means for operatingthe clock by the gravity or pressure. of water continuously and automatically dripping.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a cheap and reliable power which can be easily applied to produce the necessary motion in a clock mechanism.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a device of this nature which is simple, efiicient, strong, and well adapted to the purpose for which it is designed.

lVith the above and numerous other objects in view as will appear as the description progresses, the invention resides incertain novel features of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and Ql imed." s

In-the drawing: Y 'gure 1 is an elevation of a clock enibodying the featu res of my invention,

1 Figure 2 "is a longitudinal -\*'er.tical sec-. tion therethrough, v 7

Figure 3 is a top plan view thereoffone' end being broken away to show the supply ta'nk partially in horizontal section,

F'gure 4 is a longitudinal horizontal sec? tion through the clock, and Y Fig ue 5'is an enlarged detail view of the drippin g mechanism. 5

Referring to'the drawing in detail it will be seen that l represents the casing which may be of anv desired formation'andl'is provided in one mu with an opening 2 adapted to receive a closure 3. held in place by any suitable means *asat 1. -Cleats' 5 are provided on the inside of the end walls adjacentthe top thereof for supporting a tank 6 adapted to hold water or any other suitable liquid. A filling neck 7 extends upwardly from the supply tank 6' through the top wall of the casing and is provided with any suitable -cap S. Adripping'mech anismD is mounted atone endof thetank and' 'co nsists of a reservoir 9 the lower end of which is taper-ed and provided ii'ithfan opening 11 including a valve seat- 12. An extension 13 is provided to one side of the reservoir 9 and a pipe or tube 1% leads therefrom and is connected so as to communicate with the tank 6 so that the water or fluid therein may flow through this pipe and keep the reservoir still. A needle valve 15 is associated with the valve seat 12 and'extends through the tank and through the top of the casing terminating in a suitable operating knob or the like 16. A portion of the shank of the needle valve is threaded as at 17 into the bottom portion of the tank in order that the amount of liquid dripping from the reservoir 15 may be controlled by moving the needle valve toward or away from its seat 12.

An inverted U-shaped frame 20 is mounted on the bottom of the casing and has journaled therein shafts 21 and-22 which are spaced from each other. These

shafts

21 and 22 are also journaled through the front wall of the casing that is the wall opposite tothat which has provided therein the opening 2. A clock face of circular construction is mounted on the outside of this wall as is indicated at 23 and the shaft 22 extends centrally therethrough while the shaft 21 is disposed adjacent the edge thereof. These shafts are preferably in the'same horizontal plane. A minute hand 24 is p'ro-' vided on the end of th'eshaft"22'and is adapted to be'associate'd with suitable in'-' dicia indicating minutes arranged around the edge of the circular face 23. Additional indicia indicating the hours is arranged on the face and an hour hand25 is associatedthere'with being fixed on the outer endof the shaft 21. A housing 26. is provided for the face 23'and a transparent panel is pro vided' therein.

A ratchet wheel-28 is fixed tothe shaft 22 as is also a pinion 29. A gear 30 is mounted on the shaft 21 and meshes with the pinion 29. Thus the shaft 21 having mounted thereon a minute hand ro-' fates much faster than the shaft 21 having thereon the hour hand.

. a A standard 32- rises from the bottom of the casing and supports a lever 33'; This lever is-pivoted intermediate its end on the top of the standard-'asat 34. A shovel shaped pan 35 is provided on oneend of the lever immediately below the opening in" the bottom of "the reservoir 9 of the dripping mechanism D. A stop standard'or less height than'standard' 32 and indicated at 36 is provided below this end of the lever 33 having provided thereon the pan 35 so as to limit the swinging of the lever as the drops of water or like fluid engage the pan. A hook shaped dog 37 is pivoted at 38 to the other end of the lever 33 and a spring 39 holds the free end 40 thereof in engagement with the ratchet wheel 28. A weight 41 is adjustably mounted on the lever 33 be tween the standards 32 and the hooked shaped dog 37. lVhen a drop of water or like fluid hits the pan 35 it will swing the lever so as to move the hooked shaped dog upwardly and when the water flows off of thepan the weight tl will tend to return the lever to its original position thus partially turning the ratchet wheel 28. It will thus be seen that this ratchet wheel will be intermittently rotated by the drops of fluid from the reservoir 9 and that thefeed or frequency of this intermittent motion 'of the wheel may be controlled by the needle valve 16, This wheel, of course, causes the rotation of the shaft 22 and thereby causes the rotation of the other shaft 21 through the intermediacy of the pinion 29 and the gear 30. A dog 45 is pivoted on one leg vof the frame 20 and is adapted to .engage the ratchet wheel on an opposite side'of the dog 37 so as to prevent rotation of this ratchet wheel in one direction and allowing its rotation in the other direction. In other words the hand 24 is only allowed to rotate in a clockwise direction as long as the pivot ed dog 45 is still engaged with the ratchet wheel. 7 p

A drain cock 46 is provided in the bottom of the casing in order that the samefiuid may be usedover and over again if desirable. It is thought that the construction and; op eration of the invention will now be clearly understood without any more detail description 7 thereof.

WVhile the preferred embodiment of my invention'has been described in detail, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the particular construction set forth, since various changes in the form, material, proportions, and arrangement glof parts, and in the details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention,

' what I claim as new is:f

1. In combination, a casing, a supply tank mounted at the top of the casing, a dripping mechanism assoc ated with the supply tank, a lever fulcrumed in'the casing below the supply tank having at one end a pan, a weight adjustably mounted adjacent the other end,"liquid from the dripping mechanism adapted to fall on said pan for swingingthe lever, a motor mechanism including a ratchet wheel, a hooked shaped dog on the end of the lever adjacent the adjustable weight, means for holding the dogs in engagement with the ratchet wheel, and a clock 7 hand operable by the motor.

2. In combination, a casing, a liquid supply tank mounted in the upper portion of the casing, 21. dripping mechanism depending from the supply tank including a reservoir having an opening in its bottom forming a valve seat, a needle valve associated with the seat and extending through the tank being threaded therein and also extending through the top of the casing whereby the valve may be moved toward or away from the valve seat for regulating the supply of liquid to drip therefrom, a pipe connecting the reservoir with the tank, a standard rising from the bottom of the casing to a lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends to the top of the standard, adrip pan on one end of the lever and below the reservoir in order that liquid therefrom may drip onto the pan, a stop standard below the end of the lever provided with the pan,-a weight adj ustably mounted on the other end of the lever, a dog pivotally mounted on the last mentioned end of the lever'and' provided with a hooked terminal, a frame rising from the bottom of the casing, a shaft journaled in.

the frame and in one'side of the casing, a ratchet wheel on the shaft, a pinion on the shaft, said dog engageable with said ratchet wheel for actuation thereof intermittently, another dog on the frame engageable with the ratchet wheel to allow rotation thereof in one direction only, a second'sh'aft journaled in the frame and in one side of the casing, a gear .on said second shaft meshing with the pinion, a minute hand on the exterior end of the first shaft, an hourhand on the exterior end of the other shaft, a clock face onthe outside of the casing,.indicia on the fa'cefor association with the minute and hour hand.

3. In combination, a water supply, a substantially horizontal lever pivotally mounted, yieldable means constantly acting to tilt the lever to a normal position in one direction, a pan on one end .of the lever, a water dripping mechanism associated with the water reservoir for supplying drops of water on the pan to intermittently tilt the lever in the other direction against the action of said yieldable means, and a clock hand operating mechanism actuated by said lever, said pan being arranged to discharge the drops of water therefrom upon being tilted by the latter so that the lever will be intermittently returned to its normal position by said yieldable means.

4t. In combination, fa "water dripping mechanism for supplying intermittent drops of water, a movable member, means including a pan movable by each drop of water from said dripping mechanism to intermittently move said movable member, and a clock hand operating mechanism actuated by said movable member, said pan being arranged to discharge each drop of Water therefrom after being moved by the latter.

5. In combination, a movable member, a yieldable means constantly acting to move the movable member to a normal position in one direction, a pan on the movable member, a Water dripping mechanism for supplying drops of water on the pan to intermittently move the movable member in the other direction against the action of said yieldable means, and a clock hand operating mechanism actuated by said movable member, said pan being adapted to discharge the drops of Water therefrom upon being moved by the latter so that the movable member will be intermittently returned to its normal position by said yieldable means.

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

THEODORE KNUTSON.

Witnesses:

B. E. JOHNSON, R. C. DAHLY.