US1793984A - Electric clock - Google Patents

Description

Feb- 24, 1931. K. G, i 793,954

ELECTRIC CLOCK Filed May 25, 1927 V p /f Patented Feb. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES ELECTRC CLE Application le May 25, 1927.

My invention relates to an improved electric clock particularly adapted to be driven by an A. C. motor. The object of the invention is to provide an improved and eiiicient electrically operated clock.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the works of a .cloclr embodying my improvements.

Fig. 2 is a right hand edge view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 41 is a fragmentary view, in actual size, of the upper part of a clock dial and my re set signal.

Referring to the drawing by reference numerals 10 designates a iront frame plate, 11 a similar rear plate, both connected rigidly by suitable braces 12, all forming a slreletonized prismatic mechanism :traine in which is mounted all the cloclr mechanism more generally 'called the works 13 is the hour handarbor and le the minute hand arbor projecting outwardly and through a dial 15 (see Fig. 1). 16 is the main driven gear of the cloclr mechanism iixed on arbor 14 and rotates one revolution per hour, suitable gear reduction means connected with gear 16 being all well known in the art and used to rotate arbor '13 one revolution er each 12 hours. Said gear 16 is driven y a pinion 17 on shaft 18, the latter having a large gear 19 rotated by a pinion 2() to revolve one revolution per minute, said pinion 20 fixed on a shaft 21 projecting out from a transmission housing 22 mounted within the lower part of the frame.

23 is an A. C. motor preferably of 3600 R. P. M., and its armature shaft 24 (see Fig. l) connected to the gear reduction means Within housing 22 to rotate pinion 20 at a speed of 1 R. P. M.

I will now describe my releasing means for starting and stopping the clock ringing mechanism, usually at the hour and half hour.

24 is a disc cam on shaft 14, with two di- Seral No( 194,669.

amotrically opposite radial shoulders, 2" is an oscillatable cam engaging pivotably fixed in a shaft 2@ in the iront and rear plates 10-11 and above said disc cam.

The free end of said arm 25 normally enu gages one shoulder oi the cam being oscillated in a vertical plane hy the movement of said cam and said movenent oscillating the sha-ft 26 to raise another arm 2i lined in said shaft and extending toward. the right hand side and in front of plate 28 is a retrieving coil spring pressing downwardly arm 2'? the latter being movable downwardly to a certain position only as sli. in Figs. l. and 2. .fat the extremity arm provide a depending pivoted plate 29 pressed with its lower edge a inst the outer face oil plato 'l0 ley coil spring 3G er like means. 31 and 32 tiro parallel vvertical slots in plate lO all but the lower parts of said slots being normally covered loy plate 22. 42 is a pin in the central part oi' plate 10 to limit downward rn arm 2?.

25 and 27 and thus plat ly to about the dotted li io. .nove

slot 31, the lower odge aid plate 22% nassing over the iront protruding end of rever 33 movable vertically in slot 31 and pivoted a recessed collar 3S on. a su.. 1n plate 11 and a 'or-ace Bil fse The downward inovenie strike control gear lined on shaft 37 close to f and rearward of pinion 39. This control gear has the usual perimetral shallow teeth 40A and deep notches 10B (Figs. 3 and 5) which control the striking means to sound the hour or half hour. all is a Hat spring fixed to the upper and inner part of rear plate l1, its lower end normally pressing shaft 37 and its gears rearwardly in free position and lever 33 normally in upper position as shown in Fig. 2. l

The above described operation throwing pinion 39 into mesh with the constantly running drive vfar 19 sets up the striking mechanism of my clock. It is obvious that pinion 89 immediately starts to rotate when engaged with gear 19 and then gear 40 rotates as indicated by arrow 43, in Fig. 3, said ear having the regulation shallow and eep notches arranged successivel for striking the hours and half hours, van is hereinafter referred to as the striking ear. 44 is a downwardly directed angular dat tooth (see Fig. 3) on the lower side of an angular vertically movable lever 45 the up* er end of which is pivoted on a horizontal s aft 46 in the upper part of the frame, 47 is a tlshaped yoke fixed on and depending from haft 46, the lower terminus of said yoke being pivotally con*- nected at 48 to a reach rod 49 extending toward the right side of the frame (see Fig. l) the latter end of said rod connected at 5d to horizontal arm 5l of a vertically disposed, horinontally oscillatable spring housing 52 mounted on the inner side of plat/e ll. aid housing has another arm 53 of L-shaped eX- ten ding downwardly and thence horizontally toward the right side of the frame and with its extremity pivotally engaging a kick-oil" bar 54 arranged below and approximately in parallel relation to lever 33. The forward end ot said bar 54 is continuously in the slot and normally pressed upwardly in said slot and outwardly by mean" of spring ari As of a coil spring 55 (see llig it will now be understood that when schilder or tooth causes levers 2li- 2T to raise plate 2Q the subsequent downward movement of plate 29 causes it to enga ge thc end of lever 33 as described thro wing gear into mesh and the striking gear immediately moves and the linger rides the shallow notches thereof, one by one, making small vibrations or oscillations of arm i5, yoke 47, moving,T bar 49, which oscillates spring housing 52. The latter oscillates lever 53 which 'makes short oscillating movements of kick-ofi bar 54. The free end of said latter bar at this timefis close to the plate 29 and inwardly thereof. liow ever when linger 44 of arm drops into a deep notch 40B of the striking gear it is obvious that bar 54 is Given a comparatively long stroke and its yfree end will lriclrout against plate 29 and release it from engage ment with lever 33. The latter of course is instantly sprung n'r wardly by s ring fil pressing gear shaft 3irearwardlyy 'se-ngaging gear 39 and striking ceases.

8 in Fig. l is an upright lever with its lower end normally held against the magnetic field of motor 23, the upper end of said lever pivoted at 7 9 in the upper part of the frame, and having a lever arm 7 8Av(l7ig. el) forward of and above the main frame extending toward the dial l5 of the clock. 0n the free end of said lever 7 8A is fixed an arched sign with the word Reset on it, said sign normallyabove the dial but will swing downwardly in front of the dial when the current is accidentally or otherwise shut oli and arm 78 automatically drops to a vertical osition; It will then be clearly visible that t e clock has stopped when the sign has dropped down over the dial. Any person observing the signal can start the clock by simply pressing up` Wardly on a trigger arm 78B fixed on the rear end of the pivoted part of lever 78. This lat ter action restores the lever 7 8 to contact with the magnetic field of the motor. Itis obvious of course that the person who thus starts the clock again must first reset the hour and minute hands to indicate the correct time.

l claim:

ln an electric clocit with a minute hand arbor an hour hand arbor concentric thereof and suitable gears including a striking gear mounted on a shaft and driven by a motor to rotate said arbors at a predetermined speed relative to the motor speed., said striking gear having a predetermined number of shallow and deep notches, an oscillatable lever normally engaging said notches; time signal means and releasing means therefor comprising a disc fixed on the minute hand arbor and having cani teethi a two armed releasing member and a spring pressing same downwardly, said member pivoted above said cam and one arm thereof arranged in the path of said cam teeth to be raised thereby and to raise the other and longer arm of said rek leasing membera said latter arm movable in a vertical plane and upwardly and carry a hinged plate at its free end and spring pressed against the front frame of the cloclr,

said frame provided with a pair of vertical f' parallel slots and over which said plate movable, a primary release lever pivotally mounted transversely` to the face of the cloclr and normally spring pressed upwardly and its free end normally protruding forwardlj,r1 of one of said slots9 a pinion fixed on the shaft of said striking gear, operative connec ion between said primary release lever and aid striking gear shaft to move the latter forwardly and mesh said pinion with a of the clock mechanism to cause rotation of the striking gear, .said hinged plate of the two armed release device ada ated to be pressed downwardly immediately after a cani of the disc has passed its short arm and engage the protruding end of said primary release lever and push the latter down to cause said striking gear to rotate, and a kick-E device oomprismg a secondary release lever arranged 5 parallel to the first described release lever,

the free end of said kick-off lever normally in the other ofsaid two parallel slots and arranged to be pushed against said spring v pressed plate to swing the latter out and to m disengage it from the primary release lever v when the Aoselllatable ever engages one ol saiId deep notcheeh f I mx n testimon w ereo a m signature.

KNNETH G. WHZLIAMS.

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