US2054677A - Clock - Google Patents

Description

ATTORN EY P. LUX

Sept. 15, 1936.

CLOCK Filed June 14, 1935 Patented Sept. l5, 1936 UNITED STATES onocx Paul Lux, Waterbury, Conn., assignor to The Lux Clock Manufacturing Company, Waterbury,

Conn., a corporation Application June 14, 1935, Serial No. 26,581

7 Claims. (Cl. 58-2) This invention relates to time indicating devices, and more particularly to a clock having an intermittently movable figure representing a cuckoo bird projecting through the front face thereof. l

One object of this invention is to provide a cuckoo clock of. the above nature in which the cuckoo bird is located above the clock dial and is given an intermittent rocking movement about a horizontal axis. K

A further' object is to provide a clock of .the above nature in which a weighted member is attached to the shaft upon which the cuckoo figure is mounted, and said figure is caused to slowly swing downwardlyV against the action of said weight by a rotating cam wheel mounted on a side shaft of the time keeping mechanism.

Av further object is to provide an imitation cuckoo clock Ioi. theabove nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to manipulate, compact, ornamental in appearance, and very eiiicient and durable in use.

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

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 represents alfropt view of a clock embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the .same on an enlarged scale..

Fig. 3 is a front view of a. portion of the clock, showing the cuckoo figure and the operating mechanism therefor.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the/cam wheel and shaft employed in imparting a rocking animated motion to the cuckoo figure.

Fig. 5 is a detail view, partly in section, showing the relative positions of the escapement an pallet wheels.

Referring now to the drawing in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral I indicates the front face of the clock which is preferably fabricated in the form of a plaque from molded composition and is artistically configurated to lrepresent a typical cuckoo clock, said plaque having a central time indicating dial II integral therewith. A clock movement, generally indicated by -the numeral I 2, is mounted between a pair of front and rear frame plates I3 and I 4 respectively, the plates I3 and Il being secured together in spaced relationship by the usual corner posts l5. The front frame plate I3 is attached to and slightly spaced from-the rear surface of the plaque I0 by means of a plurality of relatively short supporting pillars I6.

'I'he clock movement I2 is adapted to be inclosed in a cup-shaped casing II1 heldagainst the rear surface of the plaque I0 by means of a central post member I8 connecting the rear wall 4I9 of the casing I1 with the rear frame plate I4. 'I'he upper rear corner lof the clock casing I1 is provided with a key-hole shaped slot I1a, by means of which the clock may be suspended from a hook or other projection upon a wall.

The timing of the clock movement is controlled by the usual governing mechanism comprising a toothed escapement wheel 20 secured on an escapement shaft 2| journaled in the frame plates I3 and I4. The teeth of the escapement wheel 20 are adapted to engage in a detent slot 2Ia provided in the lower part of a drum-like pallet wheel 22 mounted on an oscillating pendulum shaft 23 journaled in the frame plates I3 and I4. The escapement just described is shown in Fig. but specifically forms no part of applicants invention. A pendulum 24 is made secure upon the pendulum shaft 23 adjacent the pallet wheel 22, as shown in Fig. 2, and extends downwardly below the casing through a clearance opening 25, provided in the lower portion of said casing I1.

Located directly above the clock Vdial Il in the plaque I0 is an open doorway 26 through which projects an animated i'lgure 21 designed to characterize a cuckoo bird. The cuckoo bird 21 is mounted with its head forward on a horizontal suspension shaft 28 which passes transversely through the body of said bird and is journaled in a pair of parallel depending legs 29 forming an integral part of an inverted U-shaped yoke 30. The yoke is adapted to fit an upper angular section 3| of the cup-shaped casing I1, and is preferably securedin such position by a rivetI 32, as

clearly shown in Fig. 3.

In order to provide a rocking motion for the cuckoo bird figure 21, provision is made of an angular arm 33 having a horizontal short leg 34 tightly and non-rotatively fitted upon a collar 35 frictionally mounted upon the suspension shaft 28 at one side of the bird figure 21. By means of this frictional mounting, the arm 33 may be readily adjusted relative to the shaft 28 independently of the bird figure 21. This construction facilitates the proper location of the figure 21 with respect to the doorway opening 26 and the face plaque I0.

The longer depending leg 36 of the arm 33 extends downwardly for cooperative engagement with the periphery of a sheet metal cam disc wheel 31 provided with a plurality of arcuate shaped wings 38, three in this instance, cut out of the body thereof. Three inclined sections 40 are thus provided on the cam disc 31 which will cause the long-leg 36 of the arm 33 to successively rise and then abruptly fall, thus producing an intermittent life-like motion of the cuckoo bird. The cam disc 31 is provided at its center with a hub 42 which is rigidly mounted upon the escapement shaft 2l and is adapted to rotate continuously therewith. It will be understood that the weight of th angle arm 33 will urge the bird figure to swing in a counter-clockwise direction about its pivoting axis, and consequently tends to hold the head of the bird 21 in the uppermost position in the doorway 26, as shown in Fig. 2..

Operation In operation, as the cam wheel 31 is rotated by its connection with the time-keeping mechanism, the bird figure 21 will be caused to rock slowly in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2, until the longer arm 36 of the lever 33 rides off the high end of one of the inclined wings 40. The visible portion of the bird, which projects forwardly through the doorway, will then move suddenly upward to the position of Fig. 2 by the action of gravity on the weighted angle arm 33. It will thus be seen that the bird figure 21 will continually rock up and down as long as the clock continues to run, producing an animated life-like appearance and simulating the appearance of the bird on a regular cuckoo clock.

While there has been disclosed in this specification one form 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 specific disclosure but may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimedas new and for which i. s desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. In a clock, a casing, a clock movement in said casing, said casing having an opening in its front wall, an animated i'lgure mounted on a horizontal axis and projecting through said opening, cam means driven by said movement for imparting rocking motion to said figure, and means on said gure directly engaging said cam means.

2. In a clock, a front dial plate having a door'-' way opening outside the dial, a time-keeping movement attached to the rear of said dial plate, an animated gure mounted on a horizontal axis and projecting forwardly through said opening, cam means operated by said movement fol` imparting a rocking motion to said figure when the clock is running, and means on said figure directly engaging said cam means.

3. In a clock, a front plate having an opening, a clock movement attached to the rear of said plate, a casing for said movement, a yoke attached to the upper part of said casing adjacent said opening, an animated figure supported by said yoke and partly projecting through said opening, and means operated by said movement ior imparting a continual rocking life-like motion to said gure.

4. In a clock, a front plate having an opening, a clock movement attached to the rear of said plate, a casing for said movement, a yoke attached to the upper part of said casing adjacent said opening, an animated figure supported by said yoke and partly projecting through said opening, and cam means operated by said movement for imparting a continual rocking lifelike motion to said ligure.

5. In a clock, a casing, an animated figure pivotally suspended in said casing on a horizontal axis, a clock movement in said casing, a cam wheel driven by said clock movement and having a plurality of inclined wings projecting from one face thereof, and means connected to said gure and engaging said cam wheel for imparting a continual rocking movement to said figure while the clock is running.

6. In a clock, a casing, an animated figure piv- I otally suspended on a horizontal axis in said casing, a clock movement in said casing, a cam Wheel driven by said movement, and means on said figure directly vengaging said cam wheel for causing said figure to rock up and down while the clock is running.

7. In a clock, a casing, `an animated figure pivotally suspended in said casing on a horizontal axis, a clock movement in said casing, a cam Wheel driven by said clock movement and having a plurality of inclined wings projecting from one face thereof, and an angular arm connected to said figure and engaging said cam wheel for imparting a continual rocking movement to said figure while the clock is running.

PAUL LUX.

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