US1600913A - Clock calendar - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 21 1926. 1,600,913

G. M. VAN DY KE CLOCK CALENDAR 1 Filed August 4, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 In V8.17 t0 Gimp/f ham mym a&rna y,

Sept. 21,1926. 1 1,600,913

G. M. VAN DYKE 1 CLOCK CALENDAR Filed Augfist 4, 1924 2 SheetsSheet 2 Even tor. GMALD. /'7. VA/v W5.

Warm 1 Patented Sept. 21, 1926 UNITED STATES PATENT orrics.

GERALD MASON VAN DYKE or rmn'rsrn; CHINA, Assmnon or ONE-THIRD TO THOMAS J. MCNALLY AND ONE-THIRD TO HUGH. K. MACDOUGALL, BOTH OF TIENTSIN. CHINA.

CLOCK CALENDAR.

This invention relates to clock calendars and has particular reference to a calendar secured to the hour hand of the clock or an extension thereof, which calendar is equipped with means for registering the date and day of the week simultaneously with the rotation of the hour hand about the face of the clock. I

The primary object of this invention is to equip a calendar with an indicatingmeans and gravity actuated mechanism whereby the date, day of the week and time will be accurately and positively presentedfor observation as the hour hand or its extension is actuated by the clock mechanism.

A further object of this invention is to provide a plurality of date discs, which may be suitably fastened to the permanent face of the calendar whereby a complete calendar will be displayed, with the discsso positioned and arranged that the first day of any succeeding month will accurately follow the last day of the preceding month thus eliminating the necessity of adjusting the calendar.

Other objects are to provide a novel clock calendar arrangement that is economical to manufacture, positive in operation and a calendar arrangement which is readily applicable to standard types of clocks without materially altering the construction of the same.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fi ure 1 is an elevation of a clock face showing my improved calendar secured thereto,

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view disclosing twelve discs that may be substituted for the permanent face of the calendar,

Figure 3 is an enlarged rear View of the back of the calendar showing the mechanism for operating thesame, v v

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse vertical section through the calendar, the view being taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, and

Figure?) is aside elevation of which is secured to the hour hand.

the strip Serial No. 730,051.

In my co-pending application filed March 25th, 1924, Serial Number 701,764, I have also devised means for registering the day and date of the week simultaneously with the rotation of the hour hand about the face of the clock, but in this device it was necessary to employ a cog wheelat one side of the calendar which appreciably limited the size of the calendar.

In the present clock calendar, I am able to employ an exceedingly large size calendar without interfering, in any respect, with any part of the clock mechanism or the reading of the clock as long as the diameter of the calendar is not greater than the dis tance from the shaft carrying the hour hand to approximately the periphery of the clock face. In my former invention it was also necessary to adjust the calendar at the end of the period of one month, but in the present device the step of adjustment can be eliminated by the provision of a circular block of dates detachably fastened to the permanent face of the calendar. It will be observed that I have provided a complete calendar with all the days indicated thereon with the dates in each block or dial so arranged that the first of each month will occupy the angle or column on the circle of datesof each succeeding month corresponding to the angle or column following the last day of the month in the preceding month. With this arrangement the only at tention that the calendar requires is the necessity on the first day of each month to remove the date disc covering the preceding month and the indicator designating the date will then be on the first of the present month, the mechanism of the calendar requiring no adjustment.

In the present invention I have also devised mechanism so that the calendar will remain in an upright position, at all times, regardless of the angle of the hour hand or its strip, thus making it possible to have all the indieia printed thereon in an upright position, at all times. Thus it will be evident that the calendar can more easily and more readily be read.

Referring now to the drawings, the nu meral 13 designates the face of a clock which is equipped withthe usual minute hand 14 and hour hand 15, the hour hand having socured thereto an attachable strip designated as a whole by the numeral a detailed description of the strip and its function will be given hereinafter.

Carried in the strip 15 is a pintle 16, which, in turn, supports the calendar mech anism. The calendar embodies in its construction a disc 17 which is carried by the pintle and is free to rotate thereon and is herein referred to as the day disc. This disc is preferably made of thin metal and has arranged on its face and adjacent its periphery and from left to right the days of the week. Likewise mounted on the reduced portion 18 of the pintle is a date disc 19 of a larger diameter than the' diameter of the disc 17 positioned in frictional contact with the disc 17, and disposed rearwardly thereof. This date disc 19 has displayed thereon, an arrangement of a plurality of numerals ranging from one to tl lrty-one, to indicate the various dates of the month and likewise has displayed thereon abbreviations for the various months, which abbreviations are grouped in the columns bearing the dates twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty and thirtyone, according to the number of days each month contains.

These abbreviations of the month are so placed for the information of the observer who does not happen to know the days in each particular month.

Mounted rearwardly of the date disc 19 and spaced therefrom and rotatable with the pintle 16 and loosely mounted on the reduced portion 18 thereof, I have provided a wheel 20 equipped with a peripheral ledge 21 and forming in reality an internal gear provided with ninety-eight teeth, the peripheral ledge extending rearwardly so as to cover the external teeth of a second gear wheel 22. It will be observed that this wheel 22 revolves on the enlarged portion of the pintle 16, is spaced from the wheel 20 and rotates with the pintle. This second Wheel 22 is equipped with ninety-one teeth which mesh with the teeth of the internal gear. By enlarging the pintle adjacent one end and mounting the wheel 22 thereon I have shifted the center of the wheel a sutlicient distance to assure a regular and constant meshing of its teeth with the teeth of the wheel 20.

The numeral 23 designates a small weight element preferably not exceeding one-half ounce in weight, which I propose to make an integral part of the wheel This weight elementfunctions to gravitate cons'tantlv downward, and. accordingly, as the hour hand 15 moves to the right (clockwise) the action of the weight moving downwardly causes the wheel 22 to set up a force counter to the way the hour hand is turn ing. From this action it will be evident that the wheel 20 which carries an indicator will be retarded by the counter action and movement of the wheel gear 22, which retards the speed of the wheel 20 to approximately one-fourteenth of the speed of the hour hand. Thus when the hour hand makes two complete revolutions the wheel 20 makes only one-seventh of a revolution and the indicator 2% on the wheel 20 will be carried only one-seventh of the distance around the calendar in twenty-four hours or the distance between the space indicated bythe reference characters A and B, which space indicates one day of twenty-four hours. It is to be. noted that this indicator revolves in absolute co-ordination with the movement of the hour hand of the clock, at one-fourteenth the speed thereof, thus indicating to the observer at all times, the day of the week and date of the month.

The upright position of the calendar, at all times, regardless of the position of the hour hand is realized by applying a small weight as indicated at 25 on the bottom of the calendar disc 19. This weight is preterably of one-eighth ounce and as the hour hand moves to the right the lower side of the calendar will always gravitate downwardly and cause the calendar face consisting of the discs 17 and 19 to remain in an upright position. The frictional contact between the discs 17 and 19, causes them to assume the same position as before referred to.

Referring now to Figure 5, the rectangular metal strip 15 has integrally formed therewith end clips 26 and 27. These clips are adapted to embrace the hour hand of the clock so as to form a positive connection therewith, and while the strip is here shown attached to the front of the hour hand it is to be understood that it may be readily applied to the back of the hour hand. This strip is provided with a can trally positioned slot 32 adapted to encircle the clock shaft 33, which supports the hour and minute hands. The said strip is likewise provided adjacent its lower extremity with an aperture 34 which strip has fixed thereto the pintle 16.

As shown to advantage in Figure 2, the numeral 35 designates a plurality of dials preferably made of very thin stiff paper and perforated as at These dates are preferably placed one in back of the other with their openings 36 registering and with the disc bearing January as the first of the group and the disc bearing December as the last of the group. They can then be secured to any of the fastening elements indicated as at 37 on the face of the calendar and suspended therefrom. These dials are positioned within the glass covering of the clock face and are so arranged that the first of each succeeding month will be in a similar column to the one which follows the last date in the preceding month and, accordsaid means including a substantially rectangular strip, a pintle positioned in one end of said strip and securing elements formed adjacent the opposite end of said strip for cmln'acing the clock hour hand an internal and external gear positioned on the pintle and disposed rearu'ardly ot the calendar, a weight element carried by the internal gear, an indicator carried by the external {rear and rotatable therewith for registering on the face or? the calendar fixed periods of time correspmnling to the movement 01 the hour hand about the face oi the clock.

In combination with the hour hand of a clock, a calendar embodying in its construc tion a day disc a date disc in frictional contact and having indicia thereon, means for securing the calendar to the clock hour hand, an external and internal gear having their teeth in mesh and positioned rearwardly of said calendar and carried by the calendar securing means, an indicator connected to said externa gear, a weight element carried by said in t ,tal gear. and cooperating with the external gear for caus re; the indicator to register with the indicia of the calendar. whereby fixed periods of time will be indicated as the hour hand travels about the face of the clock.

.1-. In combination with the hour hand of a clock a calendar, means for securing the calendar to the hour hand of the clock, a plurality of indicia bearing discs detachably secured to the face of the calendar, gear n1echanism positioned rearwardly oi the calendar and supported by the calendar securing means, an indicator carried by the gear mechanism, and gravity controlled means carried by the gear meehanisn'i tor actuating the. indicator wherel'iy fixed periods o't time will be registered on the indicia of the detmhable discs as the hour hand travels about the tat-e ol the clock.

In combination with the hour hand of a clock, a calendar, weight means carried by the calendar for retaining the same in an upright position, means for securing the calendar to the clock hour hand, a plurality of indicia bearing discs detach-ably secured to the taco of the calendar, gear mechanism positioned rearwardly at the calendar and supported by the calendar securing means, an indicator carried by the gear mechanism, and gravity controlled means carried by the gear mechanism for actuating the indicator whereby fixed periocs of time will be registered on the indicia of the detachable discs as the hour hand travels about the tace oi the clock.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature.

GERALD MASON VAN DYKE.

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