US2039672A

US2039672A - Watch construction

Info

Publication number: US2039672A
Application number: US50619A
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard H Whitehead
Original assignee: NEW HAVEN CLOCK CO
Current assignee: NEW HAVEN CLOCK Co
Priority date: 1935-11-20
Filing date: 1935-11-20
Publication date: 1936-05-05
Anticipated expiration: 1953-05-05

Description

MW 5, 1936. R. H. WHITEHEAD I WATCH CONSTRUCTION Filed NOV.' 20, 1935 Patented May 5, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WATCH CONSTRUCTION Application November 20, 1935, Serial No. 50,619

8 Claims. (Cl. 587-127)v This invention relates to an improvement in watch constructions', and has for one of its objects the provision of a superior watch construction whereby the thickness of a watch from front to rear may be of a minimum dimension without necessitating the employment of a movement-unit of less than ample dimensions.

Anotherobject of the present invention is to provide a watch construction in which the movement-unit is organized with the case-unit in a superior and stable manner.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear to those skilled in the art from the following, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing and appended claims, the present invention includes all features disclosed therein which are novel over the prior art.

In the accompanying drawing: Fig. 1 is a face vieW of a watch embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof; Fig. 3 is a View through the case-unit thereof, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, but with the dial and movement-unit in edge elevation;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional View similar to Fig. 3, but with the dial also in section;

Fig. 5 is a view in edge elevation of the movement-unit and dial, with a portion of the said dial in central section; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the dial, detached.

The particular watch herein chosen for the illustration of the present invention includes a case-unit composed of a front-member 2D and a back-member 2|, each of which is provided on its abutting edge with an annular tongue 22 fitting into an annular groove 23 in the other member of the case-member. The front case- 4-0 member is provided at its forward edge with an inturned bezel-ange 24 having formed in its inner forward corner an annular crystal-receiving groove 25 of acute-angled form in cross-section and the walls of which groove provide a seat 45 for the edge of a concaVo-convex crystal 26, as

clearly shown in Fig. 3.

The formation of the crystal-receiving groove 25 in the inner forward edge of the bezel-flange 24 of the front case-member results in the crea- 5 tion of a relatively-thin inwardly-extending stop-pin 21, which, in addition to serving to prevent the inward displacement of the crystal 26, also acts to prevent the outward displacement of a vmovement-unit, as will be later described.

Located within the case-unit, which includes the front and rear case-members and 2|, before described, is a watch-movement which includes a front movement-plate 28 and a complementary rear movement-plate 29, secured to- 60 gether in parallel spaced relationship by means of a plurality of pillars 30. Within the space between the two movement-

plates

28 and 29 is mounted the usual time-train of a watch, which train requires no detail description or illustration herein, but which is represented by a centerwheel 3|, a center-pinion l32 and a centeror minute-arbor 33 which is journaled in the respective movement-'

plates

28 and 29, and to which the center-wheel 3| and center-pinion 32 are rigidly attached in a manner usual in watches.

Just forwardly of the point of its bearing in its front movement-plate 28, the centeror minute-arbor 33 has rigidly attached to it a cannonpinion 34, which meshes into and drives a dialwheel 35, rotatably mounted upon a stud 36 forwardly offsetting from the front movement-plate 28. Rigidily secured to the forward face of the dial-wheel 35, just referred to, is a dial-pinion 31 which meshes into and drives an hour-wheel 38 mounted upon the centeror minute-arbor 33 with freedom for rotation with respect thereto. The hour-wheel 38 is provided with an hour-sleeve 39 extending forwardly from it through an aperture 40 in a dial 4| and carrying at its forward end an hour-hand or pointer 42 sweeping over the face of the dial 4|, which is suitably marked in the usual manner of timepieces.

The extreme forward end of the centeror minute-arbor 33 has staked to it a minute-hand or pointer 43, also sweeping over the face of the dial 4| in the space intermediate the same and the inner face of the concavo-convex crysstal 26. Encirclin'g the hour-sleeve 39 and bearing against the forward face of the hour-wheel 38 and the rear face of the dial 4|, is a springwasher 44, which serves to prevent the forward displacement of the said hour-wheel and the parts carried thereby.

The dial 4|, which 'is preferably formed of sheet-metal or other suitable material, is struck up to provide in effect a cup-shaped neck-portion 45, which is adapted to extend forwardly into the circular sight-passage 46 formed in the bezel-Bange 24 and through which the face of the dial 4| and the hands 42 and 43 may be observed. The 'said sight-opening 46 is bounded as shown by the stop-lip 21 of the bezel-flange 24.

'I'he neck-portion 45 of the dial 4| joins at its rear a forwardly-facing annular stop-shoulder 41 which is adapted to abut against the inner face of the stop-lip 21 of the bezel-flange 24 and which, in turn, joins at its rear the outwardlyturned portion 48 of a resilient retaining-skirt, generally designated by the numeral 49 and including, in 4addition to 'the portion 48, a rearwardly-and-outwardly-inclined portion 50 and a rearwardly-extending portion 5|.

As thus formed. the dial 4| provides a space forwardly of the front movement-plate 28, in which is located a dial-work comprising the parts 34 to 38 inclusive.

'I'he retaining-skirt 49 of the dial is substantially annular, save for occasional notches 52 cut therein, and is adapted to frictionally 'engage the inner surface of the front case-member 20, as particularly well shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and will serve to yieldingly hold the movement-unit within the said front case-member 20 when the back case-member 2| is removed therefrom. For the purpose of anchoring the dial 4| to the movement-unit, the said dial is formed in its notches 52 with a plurality of clamping-fingers 53, which are rearwardly and inwardly bent, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, to clamp the edge and under-side of the front movement-plate 2B.

By extending the neck-portion 45 of the dial 4| forwardly into the sight-opening 46 of the bezel-ange 24, the movement-unit is stabilized, and, furthermore, the front-to-rear thickness of the movement-unit may be by the same amount reduced, to thus enable the case-unit to be of minimum thickness for a given size movementunit.

The invention may be carried out in other specic ways than that herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be em braced therein.

I claim:

1. In a watch structure, the combination with a case-unit provided with a bezel having a sightpassage therethrough; of a crystal closing the sight-passage in the bezel of the said case-unit; a dial having a portion fitting within the sightpassage in the bezel of the said case-unit and extending in a plane forwardly of the plane of the rear face of the portion of the said bezel surrounding the sight-passage therein; and a movement-unit located in the said case-unit in a position to the rear of the said dial.

2. In a watch structure, the combination with a case-unit provided with an integral inwardlyextending bezel-flange having a sight-passage therethrough; of a crystal closing the sight-passage in the bezel-flange of the said case-unit; a dial having a portion fitting within the sightpassage in the bezel-flange of the said case-unit and extending in a plane forwardly of the plane of the rear face of the portion of the said bezelflange surrounding the sight-passage therein; and a movement-unit located in the said case-unit in a position to the rear of the said dial.

3. In a watch structure, the combination with a case-unit provided with a bezel having a sightpassage therethrough; of a crystal closing the sight-passage in the bezel of the said case-unit; a dial having a cup-shaped portion tting within the sight-passage in the bezel of the said caseunit and extending in a plane forwardly of the plane of the rear face of the portion of the said bezel surrounding the sight-passage therein; and a movement-unit located in the said case-unit in a position to the rear of the said dial.

4. In a watch structure, the combination with a case-unit provided with an integral inwardlyextending bezel-flange having a sight-passage therethrough; of a crystal closing the sight-passage in the bezel-flange of the said case-unit; a dial having a cup-shaped portion tting within the sight-passage in the bezel-flange of the said case-unit and extending in a plane forwardly of the plane of the rear face of the portion of the said bezel-flange surrounding the sight-passage therein; and a movement-unit located in the said case-unit in a position to the rear of the said dial.

5. In a watch structure, the combination with a case-unit provided with a bezel having a sightpassage therethrough; of a crystal closing the sight-passage in the bezel of the said case-unit; a dial having a rearwardly-extending retainingskirt engaged with the interior of the said caseunit and serving to retain the dial in place therein, the said dial also having a portion fitting within the sight-passage in the bezel of the said caseunit and extending in a plane forwardly of the plane of the rear face of the portion of the said bezel surrounding the sight-passage therein; and a movement-unit located in the said case-unit in a position to the rear of the said dial.

6. In a watch structure, the combination with a case-unit provided with an integral inwardlyextending bezel-flange having a sight-passage therethrough; of a crystal closing the sight-passage in the bezel-flange of the said case-unit; a dial having a rearwardly-extending retainingskirt engaged with the interior of the said caseunit and serving to retain the dial in place therein, the said dial also having a portion fitting within the sight-passage in the bezel-flange of the said case-unit and extending in a plane forwardly of the plane of the rear face of the portion of the said bezel-flange surrounding the sight-passage therein; and a movement-unit located in the said case-unit in a position to the rear of the said dial.

7. In a watch structure, the combination with a case-unit provided with a bezel having a sightpassage therethrough; of a crystal closing the sight-passage in the bezel of the said case-unit; a dial having a rearwardly-extending retainingskirt engaged with the interior of the said caseunit and serving to retain the dial in place therein, the said dial also having a cup-shaped portion fitting within the sight-passage in the bezel of the said case-unit and extending in a plane forwardly of the plane of the rear face of the portion of the said bezel surrounding the sightpassage therein; and a movement-unit located in the said case-unit in a position to the rear of the said dial.

8. In a watch structure, the combination with a case-unit provided with an integral inwardlyextending bezel-flange having a sight-passage therethrough; of a crystal closing the sight-passage in the bezel-ange of the said case-unit; a dial having a rearwardly-extending retainingskirt engaged with the interior of the said caseunit and serving to retain the dial in place therein, the said dial also having a cup-shaped portion tting within the sight-passage in the bezelflange of the said case-unit and extending in a plane forwardly of the plane of the rear face of the portion of the said bezel-flange surrounding the sight-passage therein; and a movement-unit located in the said oase-unit in a position to the rear of the said dial.

RICHARD H. WHITEHEAD.