US1913498A

US1913498A - Alarm clock

Info

Publication number: US1913498A
Application number: US451880A
Authority: US
Inventors: James F M Mcparlan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1930-05-13
Filing date: 1930-05-13
Publication date: 1933-06-13
Anticipated expiration: 1950-06-13

Description

June 13, 1933.

J. F. M. M' PARLAN ALARM CLOCK Filed May 13, 1930 INVENTOR ATTORNEY S Patented June 13, 1933 UNITED STATES JAMES F. M. MCPARLAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. V

ALARM CLOCK Application filed May 13, 1930. Serial No. 451,880.

Specifically my invention relates to the alarm mechanism of alarm clocks and provides for a repeating of the alarm. in a manner more effective to get the sleeper out of bed than is provided by the present day clocks.

The ordinary alarm clock rings at whatever time the mechanism is set for and rings continuously until shut off or the alarm spring runs down. If, as is often the case, the sleeper dozes while the alarm is ringing he is more than likelyto go to sleep again as soon as the alarm stops. To make the alarm more effective the repeating or intermittent alarm clock has been developed in which the alarm rings for a few seconds, stops for a few seconds, rings again and so on until shut off or run down. Here, too, the sleeper although annoyed by the alarm is prone to ignore it and go to sleep again when it has stopped.

My idea is to compel the sleeper to get out of bed twice in order to stop the alarm at intervals of several minutes. That is to say, my alarm is not intermittent in the ordinary sense but rings once and then, even if it is shut off, rings again, say ten minutes later, and keeps on ringing until it is again shut off or runs down. I preferably so ad- 30 just the alarm setting mechanism that the first alarm rings in advance of the rising time by say ten minutes as a warning. The sleeper can then arise, shut off the alarm and return to bed for that last much appreciated as doze with the knowledge that in ten minutes or at rising time the alarm will ring again and keep on ringing. For example, if the alarm is set for 7 A. M. the advance alarm will ring at 6 50 and the second alarm at 7 oclock.

40 In the preferred form of my invention the sleeper while he can shut off the advance alarm cannot prevent the ringing of the second alarm. Thus the sleeper is roused by two separate and distinct alarms with the chances in favor of his staying up after he has been compelled to get out of bed the second time to stop the second alarm.

The alarm mechanism includes the single alarm mechanism of an ordinary alarm clock and additional devices for operating the sec- 0nd alarm. These are few in number, inex pensive, and may be added to an ordinary alarm clock without alternation of the time and regular alarm. mechanism and with only imple and inexpensive additions to provide the second alarm mechanism.

One form of my invention is illustrated in the following drawing: 1

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an alarm clock with the dial partly cut away and the hands removed;

Fig. 2. is a front elevation showing the alarm mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section of my clock along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view of a part of the alarm mechamsm;

Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the line 55 of Fig. 2; and

Figs. 6 and 7 are views of certain details of the alarm mechanism.

As I have already said I provide for two separate and distinct alarms, the second ringing preferably several minutes after the other. The first alarm is caused to ring by the mechanism employed in ordinary alarm clocks Without change. The form which I have selected for purposes of illustration is as follows: i

I provide the usual bell 1 and hammer operated in the usual way by an alarm train of common form and which, consequently, is not shown in detail. Time wheel 3 of the alarm train is freely and slidably mounted as shown upon its arbor 4, said wheel being limited in its forward movement by the pin 5- fixed in a collar 6 in the hub 7 of the wheel 3. Hub 7 is normally forced into contact with pin 5 by the flat spring 8 one end of i which is fastened to the alarm clock frame 90 as at 9 and the other end bent so as to engage with the hammer arm 10 to prevent the alarm from ringing except when desired.

In the face of hub 7 is a cam notch 11 into which pin 5 passes when the wheel 3 reaches that point in its revolution set for sounding the alarm. This point is controlled in the usual way by a knob 12 at the rear end of arbor l, the position in which it is set being indicated as usual by a small indicating hand in front of the usual dial.

IVhen the alarm is set for a predetermined time the pin 5 will drop into notch 11 at that time, wheel 3 will be forced forward by spring 8 and the hammer mechanism will be released by the disengagement of the free end of spring 8 therefrom. The alarm will then sound continuously until the spring runs down or it is shut off.

By my invention the alarm may be manually shut off but, nevertheless, will ring again at some definite later time, say ten or fifteen minutes, and will continue to ring until the spring runs down or the alarm is shut off by some other manually controlled means which may be provided if desired as, for example, the usual cutofi 21. I wish it clearly understood that my invention is not an intermittent alarm as the term is commonly understood. Such alarms once they are manually shut off cannot ring again. My alarm can ring again after it is manually shut off but only after the lapse of a considerable number of minutes.

I accomplish this novel action by applying the following mechanism to the usual alarm mechanism already described. I mount loosely on arbor 4, directly in front of pin 5, a cup shaped cam disk 14;, the edge of which projects rearwardly as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. This disk is engaged with pin 5 by some such means as a slot 15 in its edge so that it will turn when and only when pin 5 is turned by the rotation of arbor &. The edge of disk 14 is also provided with projecting teeth 16 so spaced that they will pass into slots 17 in wheel 3 at certain times as will be described and will at all other times ride upon or above the web or solid portion of wheel 3. In front of disk 14 is mounted a plate 18 in any suitable manner to permit of movement in a rearward direction. For example, as shown in Fig. 3 plate 18 may be pivoted upon the clock frame as at 19 and the other end suitably bent or formed to engage with the rear side of lever 20. Lever 20 may be slid-ably mounted as shown in Fig. 3 its upper end passing through the clock case so that it may be manually operated.

The operation of my device is as follows. The alarm is set in the usual way by turning knob 12 until hand 13 indicates the desired rising time. Lever 20 is placed in its upmost position as shown in Fig. 3. Wheel 3 is depressed against the action of spring 8 by the engagement of hub 7 and pin 5. When the time set for sounding the alarm arrives pin 5 falls into cam notch 11 permitting wheel 3 and spring 8 to move forward thus releasing the alarm mechanism. The alarm may then be shut off by pushing lever 20 downwardly to cause plate 18 to move backwardly carrying with it cam disk 14. Since the teeth 18 of disk 1 1 are riding upon the web or solid portion of wheel 3 this wheel and also the spring 8 will be forced back whereupon the alarm will be stopped by the re-engagement of the free end of spring 8 with the alarm mechanism.

Cam disk 1% is so positioned that the teeth 16 are riding upon the solid portion of wheel 3 as stated above. However, teeth 16 are so positioned that after the desired number of minutes from the first alarm have elapsed they will register with slots 17 in wheel 3 permitting wheel 3 to move forward again under the tension of spring 8 again disengaging the free end of the spring from the alarm mechanism whereby the alarm will ring again and will continue to ring until the spring runs down or the alarm is manually shut ofi' again. This cannot be done by lever 18. To again and permanently shut oh the alarm other means must be provided which may be of any well known form. I prefer, however, if another cutoff means is provided to interlock the two shut-off devices so that when the first alarm mechanism is set the second alarm cutoff cannot be operated. This may be done in numerous ways which will readily occur to those skilled in the art, one of which is shown in the drawing.

As I have already shown the second alarm is set by pushing down lever 20 whereas the entire alarm mechanism is locked by a separate cutoff device such as 21. A person only half awake'may unintentionally operate cutoff 21 instead of alarm setting lever 20 and go to sleep again with the belief that the second alarm will ring. To prevent this sort of error I provide a guard plate 9.2 as part of lever 20 said plate being so positioned that when lever :20 is in its up position the plate lies between cutoff 21 and hammer arm 10. Then cutoff 21 cannot be operated to stop the alarm. However, when lever 20 is pushed down plate 22 moves out of the path of cutoff 21 which can then be operated to lock the alarm mechanism if desired.

The form of my device which I have selected for purposes of illustration is only one of many. Numerous alterations in detail are possible without departing from the object and scope of my invention. For example, the cam disk 14; may be modified in many respects to meet the particular manufacturing problems but its general purpose and mode of operation will remain the same.

Similarly other parts may be altered in form Without departing from the spirit of my invention. Since I believe that I am the first to invent an alarm of the type described I consider myself entitled to a broad range of equivalents insofar as detailed design is concerned. The gist of my invention as clearly appears from the above description is an alarm Which will ring at a stated time, which may be positively shut ofl, but which will ring again after the lapse of a stated number of minutes without other manual adj ustment and will then continue to ring until again shut off by other means or until the spring runs down.

I claim:

1. In an alarm mechanism of the class described, means for setting the alarm to ring at any desired time, manually controlled means for stopping the alarm and setting it to ring again at a later time, and manual means for stopping the second alarm, means on said first stopping and setting means projecting into the path of movement of said second stopping means to prohibit the operation of the second stopping means until after the first means has been operated.

2. In an alarm clock, an alarm setting means, means associated therewith for operating the alarm detent whereby the alarm is automatically released at the time determined by the setting means, manually controlled means for again operating said detent operating means to stop the alarm and set it to ring again automatically at the expiration of a predetermined period, means for permanently cutting off the alarm, and means on said manually controlled means for preventing the operation of the permanent cut-off means until after the manually controlled means has been operated.

3. In an alarm clock, a revolvable spindle having a pin therein, a hub slidably mounted on said spindle behind said pin and having a recess for the reception of said pin, a gear for driving said hub in synchronism with the clock movement, a spring behind said hub for maintaining it in engagement with said pin, whereby it is enabled to move forward upon the spindle to release the alarm detent when said pin enters said recess, manually operated means on said spindle for restoring said hub to its original position, and means on said hub which cooperates with said restoring means to release the hub so that it can again move forward to again release the alarm.

4. In an alarm clock, a revolvable spindle having a pin therein, a hub slidably mounted on said spindle behind said pin and having a recess for the reception of said pin, a gear for driving said hub in synchronism with the clock movement, a spring behind said hub for maintaining it in engagement with said pin, whereby it is enabled to move forward upon the spindle to release the alarm detent when said pin enters said recess, manually operated means on said spindle for restoring said hub to its original position, means on said hub which cooperates with said restoring means to release the hub so that it can again move forward to again release the alarm, means for permanently cutting off the alarm and means on said restoring means for preventing the operation of said permanent cut-off means until after said restoring means has been operated.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 6th day of May, A. D. 1930. JAMES F. M. MOPARLAN.