US2034613A - Apparatus for starting, stopping, and resetting an electrically driven clock - Google Patents

Description

March 17, 1936. c 5 FQRSYTHE 2,034,613 APPARATUS FOR STARTING, STOPPING, AND RESETTING AN ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN CLOCK Filed June 1,1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M 4 0 rid \n':

61 60 INVENTOR r526 (Zifton JJ Zrjfie ATTORN EIY March 17, 1936. Q S, YTH 2,034,613

APPARATUS FOR STARTING, STOPPING, AND RESETTING AN ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN CLOCK Filed June 1, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 \\\x\\\ J; w 6-1 L INVENTOR ATTO R N EY Patented Mar. 17, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AND RESETTING DRIVEN CLOCK AN ELECTRICALLY Clifton S. Forsythe, Brighton, N. Y. Application June 1, 1933, Serial No. 673,876

Claims.

. the clock with a second hand and a minute hand,

both of which can be manually reset to zero.

Another object of the invention is to provide two clocks exactly alike, each of which operates independently of the other, and to provide an electrical system for starting and stopping the two clocks.

Another object of the invention is to provide a switch which can be operated by the foot or hand for closing the circuit, setting both clocks in operation, and stopping first one and then the other.

Another object of the invention is to arrange a switch so that it will operate by a series of similar impulses, said switch having different contacts so that on the first operation the switch will start both clocks, on the second operation the switch will stop one clock, and on the third operation the switch will stop the second clock, leaving the first clock stopped, it being understood that the clocks can then be manually reset and can be started again by the switch which will repeat the foregoing cycle of operation.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the front of the two clocks and the switch and the electrical connections therefor, the casing being partly broken away to expose the inside of one of the clocks.

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of a portion of the clock partly broken away to show the resetting mechanism of the minute hand.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view of the connections on the bottom of the switch board.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the switch, as viewed from the right of Figure 6,'the parts being shown in zero, or the first, position with the circuit open.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the switch viewed from the left of Figure 6, with the circuit open.

Figure 6 is a front elevation of the switch.

Figure 7 is a section on the line lac-la: of Figure 6, looking to the right.

Figure 8 is a vertical section through the switch, the section being taken on the line 8m8a: of Figure 6, looking to the left.

In the drawings like reference numerals indicate like parts.

In the drawings reference numeral I indicates a clock case having therein a central arbor 2, carrying a second hand 3. A heart-shaped cam 4 is provided on the arbor of the second hand.

The dial 5 is provided for the travel of the second hand and is calibrated from 1 to 60 seconds.

Inside of the large dial 5 is provided a small dial 6, which is calibrated from 1 to 60 minutes, through which passes an arbor I, on which is 5 carried a minute hand 8. The second hand and the minute hand are driven in correct ratio to each other.

It will be understood that these hands are driven electrically as in the well known type of 10 electrically driven clock, and the illustration of the driving mechanism of the clock is omitted because that part is old and well known and constitutes no part of my invention.

Inside of each clock is provided a bridge plate ID, on which is pivotally mounted a pawl l I. This pawl engages the heart-shaped cam 4 for the purpose of resetting the second hand. This pawl is operated by a rod [2 which contacts with the pawl II and makes sliding engagement therewith as the pawl is swung thereby. The pawl is pressed down against a C-shaped spring I3, which raises the pawl as soon as the bar [2 is released from its downward thrust.

Both clocks are equipped and are reset in the same way. The rods I 2 in each clock are connected by a yoke M, which in turn is moved by a stem [5, and handle IS. The operator presses down on the handle IS with his finger and resets the second hands of both clocks at the same time. The upward movement of the stem I5 is limited by the shoulder l5a. This keeps the springs l3 from moving the stem [5 too far.

The minute hand is reset by the train of mechanism shown in Figure 2, in which the shaft 20 is provided having a bevel gear 2| on the rear end thereof, which shaft can be pulled down to bring the bevel gear 2| into mesh with the bevel gear 22. On the same arbor with the bevel gear 22 is the spur gear 23, which meshes with the spur gear 24. When the shaft 20 is pulled down and turned, it turns the bevel gear 22, the spur gear 23, and the spur gear 24. The spur gear 24 is carried on an arbor 1, shown in Figure 1, which arbor carries the minute hand 8. By pulling this shaft down and turning it, the minute hand is turned to any position desired.

The bevel gear 21 is provided with an enlarged shouldered hub 25 that turns in a hole in the plate 26. This shoulder engages the arm 21, piv- 5O oted at 28, which arm is normally held up against the plate 26 by the spring 29. When the shaft 20 is pulled down, it pulls the arm 21 and spring 29 down with it. When the shaft 20 is released, the spring 29 pushes the arm 21 up and raises the shaft 23, taking the bevel gear 2! out of mesh with the bevel gear 22.

For the purpose of starting and stopping this clock, I provide an automatic switch shown in Figures 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, which switch is mounted on the horizontal plate 59, and has two upright plates or members ii and 62 connected by a yoke member 43. The bottom of each of the upright plates i! and 5-2 are turned inwardly as shown at M. and 45. These parts are all formed in one piece of sheet metal.

In the top member 433 is a large opening in which slides the push button d6. This push button is mounted on a blade il, which is slotted as shown at 48, and engages the horizontal shaft d9 of the switch and has a sliding bearing thereon. Extending sideways from the blade ll is the arm 58 that is adapted to engage with each of the six teeth on the ratchet wheel 55. This arm 50 is pivoted on the blade at EZ, and is normally held against the edge of the blade bythe spring 53, and in this position it is adapted to engage one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel ti on its downward movement. Its downward movement carries the ratchet wheel and shaft around 60 degrees, or onesixth of a circle. V

The'push button operates with a full stroke, and the ratchet Wheel is turned 60 degrees by reason of the full stroke device, which will now be described.

On the shaft 49 is provided the star wheel 5 having six points thereon equally spaced apart, between which points engages the detent 55 of the spring as fastened to the base at til. During the first half of its movement the point of the star wheel is forced under and beyond the detent 55, bending the spring up. The spring then snaps down and carries the star wheel a l, shaft 39, and ratchet wheel 5!, through the rest of its movement of 60 degrees.

On each of the outer ends of the shaft Q9 is provided a pair of contact arms 69 and 6!. The arm is on the right of Figure 6 and makes engagement with the stationary contacts 62a, 62b. The arm Si is on the left of the shaft it in Figure 6 and makes contact with the stationary contacts 630,631) of Figure 5. The contacts Bil and 6! comprise two blades that are adapted to engage on the outside of the stationary contacts with which they engage as they move around the circle by successive steps.

With the clock idle, and with the parts in zero position, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, it will be seen in Figure 5 that the arm 6| is set a little in advance of the arm 68. It will also be seen that the stationary contacts @211 and 52b in Figure 4 are about 75 degrees long, and the stationary contacts 63d and 53b are only 10 or 15 degrees long. On the first downward movement of the push button 66, the contacts 66 and 65 both engage with the contacts 92a and 82b, and 63a and 63b, respectively. On the next downward movement of the button 25, the rotating contact {iii maintains contact with the stationary contacts 62a and 62b, and

the rotating contact 6i passes out of engagement from the stationary contacts 63a and 63b. The next downward movement of the push button brings both of the rotary contacts into the zero position, where neither of them is in contact with the stationary contacts.

It will alsobe understood that the rotary contacts are insulated from the shaft 69, (this is not necessary) and that when either of the rotary contacts make engagement with-the stationary contacts the current can flow through the rotating contacts from one side of the stationary contacts to the other side of the stationary contacts. The current is conducted by the conductors shown in Figure 3 and Figure 1.

With the switch in the zero position, the second hand is idle. The operator in measuring the time for an observation or an experiment pushes the button down with his foot or hand and starts both clocks, and at the time indicated by the next obseivaiion he pushes down on the button again and stops one clock, and on the next observation he pushes the button down again and stops the second clock, and the positions of the second hands on the two clocks will then give him two readings of time measurement. He can reset the clocks then by pushing down on the button 16, and turning the shaft 28, after which the cycle of operation can be repeated.

This instrument is devised for the purpose of measuring the reaction of patients to successive impulses, or measuring the reactions of patients to the same impulse, or it can be used for mea's uring the time of race horses, and can be used for other purposes.

I claim:

1. A switch having a central shaft, a ratchet wheel thereon having six teeth, a push-button and a pawl by which said ratchet wheel and shaft are advanced by a step-by-step movement, a pair of arms on each end of said shaft, stationary double pole contacts at each end'of the switch with which said arms make contact, one pair of saidstationary contacts having a width of but ten or fifteen degrees each, the other pair of stationary contacts having a width of about seventy-five degrees each, said arms being adapted to be moved together by successive impulses of said button, first from neutral or open circuit position to making contact with both sets of stationary contacts, and then being adapted on the next step to move one pair of arms out of contact with its stationary contacts, and on the next step to move the other pair of arms out of contact with its stationary-contacts.

2. The combination of two clocks, an arbor in each clock, a second hand on each-arbor,-a motor in each clock for driving said arbors, a cam on each clock for resetting the arbor and thesecond hand thereof, a pawl in each clock for engaging said cam to reset the second hand, means for operating the two pawls together manually, a three position switch, connecting means connecting the switch to the motors, means for operating said switch to each of its three positions, said switch being adapted to energize said motors when in one position, said switch being adapted to deenergize one motor in another position, and being adapted to de energize both motors in a third position. r

3. The combination of two clocks, an arbor in each clock, a hand on each arbor, driving means for each of the two arbors, a switch having a series of sets of contacts, means connecting said contacts with each of said driving means, means for moving said switch by a series of impulses to operate said contacts successively, said switch operating with the first set of contacts to energize the driving means on both clocks on the first im pulse, said switch operating to d e-energize the driving means on the first clock on the second impulse, said switch operating to de-energize the driving means on the second clock by the third impulse. j

4. The combination of two clocks, an arbor in each clock, a hand oneach arbor, driving means for each of the two arbors, a switch having a series of contacts, means connecting said contacts with each of said driving means, means for moving said switch by a series of impulses to operate said contacts successively, said switch operating to energize the driving means on both clocks on the first impulse, said switch operating to de-energize the driving means on the first clock on the second impulse, said switch operating to de-energize the driving means on the second clock by the third impulse, means for manually resetting both arbors and hands to starting position.

5. The combination of two clocks, an arbor in each clock, a hand on each arbor, driving means for each of the two arbors, a switch having a series of sets of contacts, means connecting said contacts with each of said driving means, means for moving said switch by a series of impulses to operate said contacts successively, said switch operating with the first set of contacts to energize the driving means on both clocks on the first impulse, said switch operating to de-energize the driving means on the first clock with the next set of contacts on the second impulse, said switch operating to de-energize the driving means on the second clock with the third set of contacts by the third impulse.

CLIFTON S. FORSYT'HE.

Images