US1898660A - Clock - Google Patents

Description

Fab. 21, 1933. 1 1 GATESY 1,898,660

CLOCK Filed July 7, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MUN "n" [Wm Jahn J. Gaesy. @2x3 hia SHQ/:Mug

Patented Feb. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOGK Application llled July 7, 1930. Serial No. 465,985.

' This invention relates to clocks, and more particularly to a clock in which the hoursv and minutes of the day are indicated by a pair of bands which are adapted to rotate 5 behind openings in the clock casing.

One object of the invention is to provide a clock of the above nature which will be particuluarly ada ted for use in an automobile or on a de A further object of the invention is to provide a clock of the above nature which will be simple' in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, `easy to assemble, compact, ornamental in appearance, and very elicient 5 and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawings one form in which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of a desk clock embodying the invention, with the cover of the clock shown in partially open position.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of the minute-indicator band.

Fig. 3 is a similar perspective view of the hour-indicating band.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan View of the bandoperating mechanism.

Fig. 5 is an inverted end view of the clock movement with the casing removed and showing the time-indicating bands and their respective supports in cross section.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are fragmentary views showing three successive positions of the hour band operating mechanism.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 indicates the casing of a desk clock having an enlarged base 11. The casing 10 is preferably rectangular in shape and is provided with a top cover 12, hinged at 13, to the rear of the casing. The front face 14 of the casing 1() has a pair of rectangular hour and minute openings 15 and 16 through which the figures on the minute band 17 and hour band 18 will be visible.

The clockl is driven in the usual way by a main spring 18a which is adapted to actuate a train of gears 19 connected with a driving shaft 20, said clock movement being mounted within atop plate 21 and a bottom plate 22, as most clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5. 55

The clock movement is secured to an upper shelf 23 of the casing 10 by means of three inverted threaded bolts 24, 25, and 26, the heads ofwhich are located under the top plate 21. Nuts 27 and 28 are provided on 0 said bolts, above and below said shelf 23, and a slot 29 is provided in said shelf 23 to accommodate a winding handle 30 and a setting knob 31 which extend upwardly through said shelf 23 into a position to be 65 conveniently manipulated when the cover 12 has been raised (see Fig. 1). The setting knob 31 is located on the upper end of the continuously rotating minute band driving shaft 20 which is secured rigidly at its other 70 end to a cross-strip 32 having feet sections 33 on its extremities for rigid attachment to the minute band 17.

The hour-indicating band 18 is also provided with a cross-Strip, indicated by the numeral 34, said strip 34 being secured to said band 18 by a pair of upst-anding feet 35. The strip 34 of the hour band 18 is loosely journaled at its center upon the shaft 20 and is provided with a collar mem- 90 ber 36 having a twelve-tooth ratchet wheel 37 rigidly attached thereto. The ratchet wheel 37 is adapted to be pressed at all times by a spring finger 38 having a base section 39 permanently secured to the bot- 8s tom plate 22 as by a screw 40, the free end of said linger 38 having a V-shaped extremity 41 adapted to it between two of the teeth of the ratchet wheel 37.

In order to cause the hour-indicating band 9 The escapement mechanism comprises a cam 42 rigidly mounted on the shaft 20 and: adapted to engage once each revolution with a pin 43 projecting downwardly from a slide member 44 which has an elongated central slot 45 for fitting about a pair of upstanding 100 -member 48 is adapte iding screws 46 and 47. The slide 44 also as an end slot 47a for receiving the upturned end of a spring member 48 rojecting through the bottom late 22. e s ring to press the sli e 44 at all times' toward a bumper member 49 secured to the opposite end of the bottom plate by a screw 50.

In order to release one tooth of the ratchet wheel 37 at the conclusion of each hour, provision is made of an L-shaped latch arm 51 pivoted at 52 to the slide 44 and having an upstandin extremity 53 apertured to receive the ree end of a wire s ring 54 fixed at its other end upon a brac et 55 rigidly attached to the end of the slide 44 as by a rivet 56. The upstanding extremity 53 of the latch arm 51 is provided on its inner end with an angular catch shoulder 57 and a detent 58 so constructed that the teeth of the ratchet wheel 37 will successively force the latch arm 51 outwardly about its pivot 52 to permit the teethof said ratchet wheel to intermittently pass by the detent 58.

Operation In operation, just as the figure 0 of the minute-indicating band 17 comes into registry with the opening 15in the casing 10, the hour-indicating band 18 will jump onetwelfth of a revolution bringing the figure for the next hour into alinement with the opening 15. The operation ofthe mechanism for accomplishing this result is as follows:

As the driving shaft 20 rotates, the cam 42vwill force the pin 43 to the right as viewed in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, moving'the slide 44 away from the bum er 49. At the same time the detent 58 of t e latch arm 51 will ride outwardly over the next adjacent tooth of the ratchet wheel 37, forcing said latch arm 51 to swing about its pivot against the tension of the s ring 54 until the detent 58 moves behind lt e next tooth of the ratchet wheel 37. When the cam 42 passes beyond the pin 43, the end spring 48 will force the slide back to its initial position in engagement with the bumper 49.

It will be understood that the V-extremity 41 on the spring 38 will yield outwardly as the ratchet wheel 37 rotates but will permit said wheel to move only one notch at a time.

It will alsobe understood that hour and minute indicating discs may be substituted for the band members 17 and 18 within the spirit and scope of the invention.

It will further be understood that the mechanism may be arran ed to cause the hour band to jump on the alf hour instead of at the beginning of each hour, in which case, the minute hand figures would be as follows: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 in black, and 25, 20, 15, 10 and 5 in red. The black figures will thus denote minutes after the 1,ses,eoo

hour, whereas the red figures on the other l half of the minute band will denote minutes before the next succeeding hour.

While there has been disclosed in this s eciication oneform in which the invention may'be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the s ecific disclosure but may be modified and em odied in various other forms without departin from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments comingy said shaft, a detent arm pivoted on sai slide for engagin said ratchet, and means rotatable with saigl shaft for intermittently engaging said pin to move said slide longitudinally, and cause the next tooth on said ratchet to be engaged by said detent arm.

2. In a clock, a frame, a continuously driven shaft, a minute-indicating band rotatable with said shaft, an hour-indicating band loosely mounted on Vsaid shaft and car- .rying a ratchet, a spring-pressed slide on said frame carrying a pin, said slide having an elongated closed central lslot enclosing said shaft, a detent arm ivoted on said slide for engaging said ratc et, and a cam rotatable with said shaft for intermittently en aging said pin to move said slide longituinally and cause the next tooth on said ratchet to be enga d by said detent arm.

3. In a clock, a rame, time-keeping mechanism, an hour-indicating band rotatable on said frame, a ratchet wheel on said band, an upwardly projecting stop on said frame, a s ring-pressed slide carrying a in, said sli e having an elongated central e osed slot embracing the shaft of said ratchet wheel a s ring-pressed detent arm pivoted on sli e and adapted to engage between two adjacent teeth of said ratchet wheel, and a time-operated minute-indicating band having means for intermittentl en said pin and reciprocating sai slide where said detent will successivel advance sai ratchet wheel one tooth, an thereby move said hour-indicating band one step. l

4. In a clock, a frame, a driven shaft, a circular continuous minute-indicating band on said shaft, an hour-indicating band loosely mounted on said shaft, a ratchet wheel ozu said hour band and surrounding said shaft, a spring finger for engaging one side of said ratchet wheel a slide on said frame carrying a detent for engaging the other side of said ratchet wheel, a pm on said slide, said slide having a closed slot embracin said shaft, a cam rotatable with said sha for intermittently forcing said pin and slide longitudinally along said frame to permit said detent to pass to the next tooth of said ratchet, and a spring for returning said slide to cause said detent to rotate said ratchet one twelfth of a revolution at the end of each hour.

In testimony whereof, I have aixed my signature to this specification.

JOHN J. GATESY.

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