US2056532A - Automatic perpetual calendar - Google Patents

Description

@cm 6, 1936. AP. NEYHART AUTOMATIC PERPETUAL CALENDAR Filed April 1, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. ARTHUR P. NE YHART @ch 6, 193. A NEYHART AUTOMATIC PERPETUAL CALENDAR Filed April 1, 1933 4 sheets sheet 2 ORNEYS. a

y 1935: A. P. NEYHART v 956,532

AUTOMATIC PERPETUAL CALENDAR Filed April 1, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I Le a /I:

' B ARTH R RNEYHART m,a;.a aw ,mvm

A ORNEYS.

INVENTOR.

Get. 6, 19360 A. P. NEYHART 2,@56532 AUTOMATIC PERPETUAL CALENDAR Filed April 1, 1933' 4.Sheets--Sheet 4 CTIVE POSITION SI DAY P05. 30 a u INVENTOR.

ARTHUR P; NEYHART TIORNE YS.

Patented Oct. 6, 1936 UNETED STATES ATENT Arthur P. Neyhart, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Western Clock Company, Peru, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application April 1, 1933, Serial No. 664,001

12 Claims.

This invention relates to and has for a purpose the provision of a perpetual calendar, particularly adapted, although not necessarily, for operation by a time mechanism electrically or otherwise driven, the calendar embodying indicators for the days of the week, months of the year, and days of the month, which indicators are correlated with mechanism for actuating them to provide an accurate calendar throughout the years, irrespective of the different lengths of the months in days, and all while compensating for the added day of February in a leap year.

It is another purpose of the invention to provide an automatic perpetual calendar which is compact to enable it to be conveniently applied to'a clock, and which is inexpensive to manufacture so as not to materially increase the cost of the clock.

Only one form of the invention will be described, following which its novel features will be pointed out in claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a view of the calendar in plan;

Figure 2 is a view of the calendar in front elevation;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1, and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a view of the calendar in end elevation, and illustrating the calendar operatively associated with a time mechanism;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a view of the calendar in end elevation, and illustrating a different position of certain parts of its mechanism from that shown in Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a view of the calendar in rear elevation;

Figures 8, 9 and 10 are vertical sectional views taken, respectively, on the lines 88, 99 and llll0 of Figure 1;

Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 10, and illustrating a different position of the mecha- 45 nism;

Figure 12 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line iZ-IZ of Figure 1;

Figures 13 and 14 are views similar to Figure 12, and illustrating different positions of the mechanism;

Figure 15 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line i5-l5 of Figure 1;

Figures 16 and 17 are enlarged diagrammatic views illustrating, respectively, a control member and an actuating member embodied in the mechanism of the calendar.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts in each of the several views.

Referring specifically to the drawings, this invention comprises a frame including brackets 20 and 2t rigidly connected by a rod 22 and having right angularly disposed flanges 23, through which suitable fastening members (not shown) are adapted to be extended to secure the frame to the dial plate 24 of a clock, the time mechanism 25 of which is only diagrammatically shown in Figure 4, and can be electrically driven by a synchronous motor or by other forms of power.

Journaled in the brackets 20 and 2| parallel with the dial plate is a main shaft 26 which projects exteriorly of the bracket 20 and has fixed thereto a ratchet wheel 21 which is adapted to be advanced one-tenth of one revolution in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 4, every twenty-four hours, by means of an operative connection with the time mechanism as follows:

A feeding pawl 28 is pivotally mounted at 29 on an arm 30 fixed to a sleeve 3| freely mounted on the main shaft 26 and projecting through the bracket 20. The free end of the pawl 28 is provided with a laterally projecting pin 32' which is adapted to engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel 27 to advance the latter in response to rocking movement of the 'arm'30. Pivotally connected at 33 to a release arm 34 projecting from the pawl 28 is one end of a link 35, the other end of which is pivotally connected at 36 to a rock lever 31 fulcrumed intermediate its ends at 38 between the frame plates 39 and 4!] of the time mechanism 25, as shown in Figures 4 and 5.

The opposite end of the rock lever 31 is bent to provide a lateral extension 4| which, under the action of a spring 42 connected to the lever 31 and to the dial plate 24, is maintained in'contact with the active peripheral surface of a cam 43 fixed to a shaft 44 journaled between the frame plate 39 and 40. Also fixed to the shaft 44 is a gear 45 with which constantly meshes the hour gear 46 of the time mechanism, the hour gear being driven one revolution every twelve hours in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Figure5. As the gear 45 is twice the diameter of the hour gear, the cam 43 will be rotated one revolution every twenty-four hours so that during this period of time, the lever 31 will be rocked between the two extreme positions shown in Figure 5.

The position of the cam 43 shown in Figure 5 is that which it occupies just past midnight, so that further rotation of the cam will render the spring 42 free to move the lever 31 from the full line position to the broken line position, thereby imparting the feeding stroke to the pawl 28 to advance the main shaft 26 one-tenth of one revolution as aforestated. As the pawl approaches the end of its feeding stroke, its release arm 34 strikes a detent 41 projecting from the bracket 20, and rocks the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 21, as shown in broken lines in Figure 6, the pawl being maintained clear of the ratchet wheel during the idle stroke of the pawl by the cam 43, all for a purpose to be later described.

The advancing movement of the main shaft 25 by tenths of a revolution is for the purpose of actuating an indicator for the days of a month, this indicator being in the form of a conventional counter mechanism including units and tens wheels or dials 48 and 49, respectively, the unit wheel 48 being fixed to the main shaft through the medium of a sleeve 50 receiving the shaft, and a pin 5| passing through the sleeve and shaft as shown in Figure 3. The tens wheel 49 is freely mounted on the main shaft 26 alongside the unit wheel, and is adapted to be advanced one-tenth of one revolution for each complete revolution of the unit wheel, by means of conventional gearing mechanism which is well known in the art of counter mechanism, this gearing including pinion gears 52 and 53 fixed to the ends of a sleeve 54 freely rotatable on a shaft 55 journaled in the brackets 2|! and 2| above and in advance of the main shaft. The pinion gear 52 has alternate teeth of different face widths which respectively coact with single notched disks 56 and 51 fixed to the unit wheel, to drive the tens wheel through the medium of the pinion gear 53 and gear 58 fixed to the tens wheel, and to lock the latter in the positions to which it is adjusted.

The rocking movement imparted to the arm 30 each twenty-four hours is for the purpose of actuating a second indicator for the days of the week, this indicator being in the form of a dial or drum 59 freely mounted on the main shaft 26 and having a circular series of pins 60 projecting laterally from the dial and engaged by a Springpressed pawl 6| pivoted at 62 on a lug 63 projecting from the previously mentioned sleeve 3| to which the arm 30 is fixed. The rocking movement of the arm 30 is sufficient to advance the dial 59 one-seventh of one revolution so as to successively display through an opening 64 in the dial plate 24 the indicia on the dial designating the several days of the week. Although this step by step movement of the dial 59 is in excess of that required for the operation of the units wheel 48, the difference is compensated for by the relation of the pin 32 of the feeding pawl 28 to the teeth of the ratchet wheel 21 allowing lost motion between the pawl and ratchet wheel during the initial portion of the feeding stroke of the pawl. A spring-pressed retaining pawl 65 is pivotally mounted on the rod 22 and is provided adjacent its free end with a notch 66 disposed to coact with any one of the pins 68 on four times its diameter, fixed to a countershaft 69 journaled in the brackets 20 and 2| parallel with the main shaft. A torsional spring 18 (Figure 1) is mounted on the countershaft 69 with one end of the spring connected to a collar ll fixed to the shaft, and the other end of the spring secured to the bracket 20 so that as the units wheel is advanced each twenty-four hours to rotate the countershaft 69 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figures 8 to 14, inclusive, winding of the spring will be effected. Unwinding of the spring is normally prevented .by a pawl 12 fixed to the shaft 55 exteriorly of the bracket 26, and urged into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 21 by means of a coil spring 13 (Figures land 8) mounted on a rod 14, one end of which is pivotally connected to an arm 15 fixed to a rock shaft 16 journaled in the brackets 29 and 2| parallel with the main shaft 26. The other end of the rod 14, which is provided with a head 11, passes freely through an opening in an arm 18 also fixed to the shaft 55, and it will be noted that as one end of the spring 13 abuts the arm 18, while its other end abuts an enlargement 19 on the rod I4, that the pawl 12 will be yieldingly maintained in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 21.

In conjunction with the days of the week indicator formed by the dial 59, and the days of the month indicator, formed by the units and tens wheels 48 and 49, an indicator for the months of the year is provided intermediate the aforestated indicators and comprises a dial in the form of a drum having indicia thereon designat ing the months of the year, this dial being freely mounted on the main shaft 26 between the dial 59 and the tens wheel 49, and having a circular series of twelve pins 8| with any one of which is adapted to coact a spring-pressed pawl 82 pivoted on the rod 22 and having a notch 83 for receiving the pins to releasably retain the dial 8!) in the positions to which it is adapted to be adjusted in a manner to be later described.

Fixed to the rock shaft 16 previously referred to in connection with the coil spring 13 for yieldingly maintaining the pawl 12 in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 21, are spaced arms 84 and 85 which are spanned by and having rigidly connected thereto a pivot pin 86. Freely mounted on the pivot pin 86 is a sleeve 8'! having rigidly secured thereto a feeding pawl 88 provided with a hook 89 (Figure 9) at its free end for coaction with the pins 8| of the months of the year dial 80 in advancing the latter one-twelfth of a revolution at the end of each month upon rocking of the shaft 16 during a resetting operation, as will be later fully described. Also freely mounted on the pivot pin 86 is a sleeve 90 to which is rigidly secured levers 9| and 92. The levers 9| and 92 extend forwardly to points above the main shaft 26 and are respectively provided at their free ends with laterally projecting pins 93 and 94 adapted for operative engagement respectively with a control member 95 and an actuating member 96 for rocking the shaft 76 through the medium of the lever 92, all in such manner that when the last day of that particular month displayed by the dial 88 in an opening 9'! of the dial plate 24 is displayed by the wheels 48 and 49 in an opening 98 of the dial plate, a release of the pawl 12 fromthe ratchet wheel 21 will be effected. This release of the pawl l2 enables the power stored in the spring 10 by the winding thereof during the month to be free to act in rotating the countershaft 69 in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Figures 8 to 14, to restore the counter wheels 48 and 49 to a position wherein the first day of the month will be displayed thereby, concurrently with which actuation of the dial 89 will be effected-by the feeding pawl 88 to display the next succeeding month in :the opening 91. It will be noted that 'a coil spring 99 is secured at one end to the rod 22 and. at its other end to a crossbar I99, the ends of which are laterally offset and pass freely through openings in the feeding pawl 88 and the lever 9| for the purpose of yieldingly urging the pawl as well as the levers 9| and 92 towards the main shaft 29.

The control member 95 is in the form of a generally circular plate fixed to the dial89 through the medium of a sleeve I8| (Figure 3) freely mounted on the main shaft 29 and to which sleeve the dial 89 is rigidly secured. The periphery of the control member is adapted to be directly engaged by the pin 93 of the lever 9|, and it will be noted from a consideration of Figure 16 that the periphery isformed by active concentric portions I92, I93 and I95 of different'radii with respect to the axis of the main shaft 26. The concentric portions I92 are of the same and the largest radius, and are sorelated to each other circumferentially of the member that one of such portions will be disposed for engagement by the pin 93 of the lever 9| when a month having thirtyone days is being displayed by the dial 89 in the opening 91. The concentric portions I93 are of smaller radius than the portions I92 and are so related circumferentially of the member that one of the portions I82 will be disposed for engagement by the pin 93 when a month having thirty days is being displayed by the dial 89. There is but a single concentric portion I95 which is of considerably smaller radius than that of the portions I93 and is related to the other portions so as to be disposed for engagement by the pin 93 when the twenty-eight day month of February is being displayed by the dial 89. It is to be noted that the dimension between the portion 7 I95 and the portions I93, measured radially of the control member, is twice that of a similarly measured dimension between the portions I93 and I82, this increased spacing. being for the purpose of permittingan intermediate positioning of the pin 93 for a leap year month of February having twenty-nine days. The pin 93 is adapted to be thus intermediately positioned, as shown in broken lines in Figure 11, by the supporting of the lever 9| from an arcuate lug I96 projecting laterally from a gear I91 freely mounted on the countershaft 69 and intermittently driven at a rate of one revolution every four years by a gear I98 of onefourth the diameter of the gear I91, fixed to the sleeve I9| of the dial 89, the lever 9| having a pin I99 intermediate its ends which is adapted to rest upon the lug I89 when the month of February of a leap year is displayed by the dial 89.

The actuating member 96 is in the form of a plate fixed to the unit wheel 48 through the medium of its sleeve 59. As clearly shown in Figure 1'1, the periphery of this plate is shaped to provide four shoulders I92, I83, I9 and I95 which are circumferentially spaced in successive order and are located at successively decreasing distances radially from the axis of the main shaft 26, the shoulders being respectively active relative to the pin 94 of the lever 92 according as the month being displayed by the dial 89 has thirty-one, thirty, twenty-nine or twenty-eight days.

Fixed to the countershaft 89 alongside the gear 68 is a cam II9 which coacts with a pin III on the lever 92 to support the latter and hence the lever 9|, as shown in Figure 12, with their pins 93 and 94 clearof the control and actuating members 95 and 96 respectively during the period between the first day and. approximately twentyfifth day of anymonth, following which a recess H2 in the periphery of the cam frees the levers so that their pins 93- and 94 can become actively related to the control and actuating members, as shown respectively in broken lines in Figure 10 and in full lines in Figure 13. This cam is provided in order to prevent the resetting operation from taking place until the unit wheel 48 has made two revolutions from a position wherein the first day of a month is being displayed, as otherwise a premature resetting of the counter mechanism would occur.

Fixed to the rock shaft 18 so as to project between the'gear 68 and the cam H9 .is an arm II3, :the free end of which is disposed in the path of movement of a pin I I4 which is adapted to coact with the arm, following rocking of the shaft 16 from the normal position shown in Figures 12 and 13 to the releasing position shown in Figure 14, to restore the rock shaft to normal position and to arrest the rotation of the countershaft 89 by the spring 19, at a position wherein the unit wheel 48 will display the first day of a month.

Pivoted at II5 on the bracket 2| is a holding member II6 (Figure 15) having a longitudinal slot 1 therein through which one end of the pivot pin 86 projects. The holding member is normally urged by a spring H8 in one direction to maintain one longitudinal wall of the slot H1 in engagement with the pin 96, and this wall of the slot is provided with notches I I9 and I29, one or the other of which is adapted to coact with the pin 86 to accordingly retain the rock shaft 16 in either the normal position shown in Figures 8 to 13 or the releasing position shown in Figure 14. A fixed pointer |2I (Figures 10 and 11) projecting from the rod 22 is adapted to coact with indicia I22 on the gear I91 to enable the dial 89 for the months of the year to be properly set with respect to a leap year.

The operation of the invention is as follows: Assuming that the invention is associated with a time mechanism as described, the dials 59 and 89 and the unit wheel 48 are manually set by advancing them to the existing date, care being exercised that the lug I96 of the gear wheel I91 is properly located with respect to a leap year by advancing the dial 89 to adjust the indicia I22 with the pointer I 2|, it being understood that in practice the base of the clockcase (not shown) containing the invention is provided with an opening through which the fingers of the operator can 'be inserted for the setting of the dials and unit wheel. I

With the time mechanism in operation, let it be assumed that the dials have been adjusted to display the date of Sunday, January 1, as is correct for the year 1933, a year other than a leap spring I0 through the medium of the gears 61 and 68. i

It will be understood that the adjustment of the dial 80 to display the month of January has correspondingly adjusted the control member 95 for the particular concentric portion I02 correlated with this month of the year to be disposed for engagement by the pin 93 of the lever 9| when, during the latter part of the month, the recess 2 of the cam ||0 frees the pin I from the periphery of the cam, at which time the levers 9| and 92 are free to move towards the axis of the main shaft 26 until the pin 93 of the lever 9| rests upon the aforementioned portion I02 of the control member 95. 1

The levers will now be supported with the pin 94 of the lever 92 disposed in the path of the shoulder |02 of the actuating member 96, which shoulder, it will be remembered, is correlated with .a month having thirty-one days. The shoulder I02 is related in a circumferential direction to the numerals on the unit wheel 48, that after midnight of the thirty-first day of the month, the

shoulder will engage the pin 94 as the main shaft is advanced during the feeding stroke of the pawl 28, and will coact with the pin 94 and the lever 92 to rock the shaft I6 from the normal position shown in Figures 9 to 13, inclusive, to the releasing position shown in Figure 14. This rocking movement of the shaft I6 causes the hook 89 of the feeding pawl 88 to coact with one of the pins 8| of the dial 80, in advancing the latter one-twelfth of a revolution to display February in the opening 91; and concurrently with this operation, the arm -I5 exerts a pull upon the rod 13 for coaction of the head I! of the rod with the arm I8 in rocking the shaft 55 sufficiently to release the retaining pawl I2 from the ratchet wheel 21 so that the power stored in the springIO by the day by day intermittent winding of the spring during the month of January will be free to reversely rotate the countershaft 69, thus driving the unit wheel 40 reversely until the pin 4 engages the arm 3 "and reversely rocks the shaft "to its normal position, at which point the numeral l indicating the first clay of the month will be displayed in the opening 98. As the mechanism returns to its normal position following the resetting operation, the pawl I2 is again engaged with the ratchet 21 to retain the spring I0 against unwinding as the winding of the spring is effected duringlthe month of February. The notch N9 of the slot III in the holding member 6 co acts with the projecting end of the pivot pin 86 to releasably retain the rock shaft IS in its releasing position until the pin 4 strikes the arm 3 and restores the rock shaft to normal position, thus insuring that the spring I0 will be free to unwind and thereby reset the units and tens wheels 48 and 49 to display the first day of the month.

This operation is repeated following midnight of the last day of each month, the pin 93 of the lever 9| coacting with the proper one of the portions I02, I03 or I05 of the control member to the proper level for the pin 94 of the lever 92 to be disposed in the path of the shoulder I04 of the actuating member so that the resetting operation will be effected following midnight of the twenty-ninth day of the month. In other years than leap years, the resetting'operation at the end of the month of February will be effected following midnight of the twenty-eighth day as the pin 93 of the lever 9| will .be supported by the portion I05 of the control member so as to dispose the pin 94 of the lever 92 in the path of the shoulder I05 of the actuating member, it being understood that the four shoulders I02 I03, I04 and I05 of the actuating member are respectively'so related circumferentially to the numerals of the unit wheel 48 that the resetting operation will be performed at the end of each month irrespective of the number of days in the month, all by the coaction of the portions I02, I03 and I05 of the control member and the lug I06 of the gear I01 with the pins 93 and I09, respectively, of the lever 9|.

a It will be manifest that the mechanism is entirely automatic in its operation to correctly reset the indicator for the days of a month as well as to adjust the indicator for the months of the year, and the indicator for the days of the week, all irrespective of the variations in lengths of the months in days, and while compensating for the added day in February of leap year.

I claim:

1. In a perpetual calendar, a rotatably mounted shaft adapted to be advanced intermittently; a counter mechanism including operatively connected units and tens wheels mounted on the shaft with the units wheel fixed to the shaft for co-action of the wheels in indicating the days of the month in successive order; a dial for indicating the months of the year and being freely mounted on said shaft; a control member mounted for rotation with the diaL'and having portions one for each month of the year and respectively correlated with months of different lengths in days; an actuating member mounted for rotation with the units wheel and having portions one for each of the months of respectively different lengths in a year; means for normally urging the shaft to rotate in a retrograde direction; means for releasably retaining the shaft against retrograde movement; and means correlated with said portions of the control and actuating members and operable by the latter member to actuate said retaining means and release the shaft following an indication, by the said wheels, of the last day of that month indicated by the dial, whereby to render the'urging means free to effect retrograde rotation of the shaft to a position wherein the first day of the month will be indicated by said wheels.

2. In a perpetual calendar, a rotatably mounted shaft adapted to be advanced intermittently; a counter mechanism including operatively connected units and tens wheels mounted on the shaft with the units wheel fixed to the shaft for co-action of the wheels in indicating the days of the months in successive order; a dial for indicating the months of the year and being freely mounted on said shaft; a control member mounted for rotation with the dial, and having portions one for each month of the year and respectively correlated with months of different lengths in days; an actuating member mounted for rotation with the units wheel and having portions one for each of the months of respectively different lengths in a year; a spring operatively connected to the shaft for winding during advancing movement of the shaft; means for normally retaining the shaft against retrograde movement to prevent unwinding of the spring; and means correlated with said portions of the control and actuating members and operable by the latter to release the retaining means following an indication by said wheels, of the last day of that month indicated by the dial, so as to render the spring free to unwind and restore the shaft to a position wherein the first day of the month will be indicated by said wheels.

3. In a perpetual calendar, a rotatably mounted shaft adapted to be advanced intermittently; a counter mechanism including operatively connected units and tens wheels mounted on the shaft with the units wheel fixed to the shaft for co-action of the wheels in indicating the days of the months'in successive order; a dial for indicating the months .of the year and being freely mounted on said shaft; a control member mounted for rotation with the dial, and having portions one for each month-of the year and respectively correlated with months of different lengths in days; an actuating member mounted for rotation with the units wheel and having portions one for each of the months of respectively different lengths in a year; means for normally urging the shaft to rotate in a retrograde direction; pawl and ratchet means co-acting to normally prevent retrograde rotation of said shaft; a rock shaft; an operative connection between the rock shaft and said pawl by which a release of the latter from the ratchet will be effccted when the rock shaft is actuated, so as to render said urging means free to rotate the shaft in a retrograde direction to a position wherein said wheels will indicate the first day of a month; and meansoperatively associated with the rock shaft and correlated with said portions of thecontrol and actuating members for actuation by the latter member to actuate the rock shaft as aforestated following indication by said wheels of the last day of that month indicated by the dials 4. In a'perpetual calendar, a rotatably mounted shaft adapted to be'advanced intermittently; a counter mechanism including operatively connected units and tens wheels mounted on the shaft with the units wheel fixed to the shaft for co-action of the wheels in indicating the days of the months in successive order; a dial for indicatingthe months of the year and being freely mounted on said shaft; a control member mounted for rotation with the dial; and having portions one for each month'of the year and respectively correlated with months of different lengths in days; an actuating member mounted for rotation with the units wheel and having portions one for each of the months of respectively different lengths in a year; means-for normally urging the shaft to rotate in a retrograde direction; pawl andratchet means co-acting to normally prevent retrograde rotation of said shaft; a rock shaft; an operative connection between the rock shaft and said pawl by which'a release of the latter from the ratchet will be effected when the rock shaft is actuated, so as to render said urging means free to rotate the shaft in a retrograde direction to aposition wherein said wheels will indicate the first day' of a month; means operatively associated with the rock shaft and correlated with said portions of the control and actuating members for actuation by the latter members to actuate the rock shaft as a-forestated following indication by said wheels of the last day of that month indicated by the dial; and means actuated by said rock shaft for advancing the dial to indicate the next succeeding month.

5. In a perpetual calendar, a rotatably mounte shaft adapted to be advanced intermittently; a counter mechanism including operatively connected units and tens wheels mounted on the shaft with the units wheel fixed to the shaft for co-action of the wheels in indicating the days of the months in successive order; a dial for indicating the months of the year and being freely mountedon said shaft; a control member mounted for rotation withthe dial, and having portions one for each monthrof the year and respectively correlated with months of different lengths in days; an actuating member mounted for rotation with the units wheel and having portions one for each of the months of respectively different lengths in a year; means for normally urging the shaft to rotate in a retrograde direction; pawl and ratchet means co-acting to normally prevent retrograde rotation of said shaft; a rock shaft; an operative connection between the rock shaft and said pawl by which a release of the latter from the ratchet will be eifected when the rock shaft is actuated, so as to render said urging means free to rotate the shaft in a retrograde direction to a position wherein said wheels will indicate the first day of a month; arms fixed to the rock shaft; and levers pivoted on the arms and having means correlated; respectively with said portions of the control and actuating members in such manner that following an indica- ;tion by said wheels, of the last day of that month indicated by the dial, one of said portions of the actuating member will co-act with said means of the member to actuate the rock shaft and release the pawl from the ratchet .so that said urging means will be free to act and restore the first shaft to a position wherein the first day of the month will beindicated by said wheels.

6. In a perpetual calendar, a rotatably mounted shaft adapted to be advanced intermittently; a counter mechanism including operatively connected units and tens wheels mounted on the shaft with the units wheel fixed to the shaft for co-action of the wheels in indicating the days of the months in successive order; a dial for indicating the months of the year and being freely mounted on said shaft; a control member mounted for rotation with the dial, and having portions one for each month of the year and respectively correlated with months of different lengths in days; an actuating member mounted for rotation with the units wheel and having portions one for each of the months of respectively different lengths in a year; means for normally urging the shaft to rotate in a retrograde direction; pawl and ratchet means co-acting to normally prevent retrograde rotation of said shaft; a rock shaft; an operative connection between the rock shaft and said pawl by which a release of the latter from the ratchet will be effected when the rock shaft is actuated, so as to render said urging means free to rotate the shaft in a retrograde direction to a position wherein said wheels will indicate the first'day of a month; arms fixed to the rock shaft; levers pivoted on the arms and having .means correlated respectively with said portions of'the control and actuating members in such'manner that following an indication by said wheels, of the last day of that month indicated by the dial, one of said portions of the actuating member will co-act with said means of the member to actuate the rock shaft and release the pawl from the ratchet so that said urging means will be free to'act and restore the first shaft to a position wherein the first day of the month will be indicated by said wheels; and a feeding pawl operatively connected to the rock shaft for actuation thereby to advance the dial so as to indicate the next succeeding month thereon.

7. In a perpetual calendar, a rotatably mounted shaft adapted to be advanced intermittently; a counter mechanism including operatively connected units and tens wheels mounted on the shaft with the units wheel fixed to the shaft for co-action of the wheels in indicating the days of the months in successive order; a dial for indicating the months of the year and being freely mounted on said shaft; a control member mounted for rotation with the dial, and having portions one for each month of the year and respectively correlated with months of different lengths in days; an actuating member mounted for rotation with the units wheel and having portions one for each of the months of respectively different lengths in a year; a countershaft; gearing connecting the countershaft and the first shaft; a torsional spring mounted on the countershaft for winding during advancing movement of the first shaft; releasable means for maintaining said first shaft against retrograde movement under the action of said spring in tending to unwind; and meanscorrelated with said portions of the control and actuating members and operable by the latter member to actuate the last means and release the first shaft following an indication by said wheels, of the last day of that month indicated by the dial, whereby to render said spring free to effect retrograde rotation of the first shaft to a position wherein the first day of the month will be indicated by said wheels. i

8. In a perpetual calendar, a rotatably mounted shaft adapted to be advanced intermittently; a counter mechanism including operatively connected units and tens wheels mounted on the shaft with the units wheel fixed to the shaft for co-action of the wheels in indicating the clays of the months in successive order; a dial for indicating the months of the year and being freely mounted on said shaft; a control member mounted for rotation with the dial, and having portions one for each month of the year and respectively correlated with months of different lengths in days; an actuating member mounted for rotation with the units wheel and having portions one for each of the months of respectively different lengths in a year; a countershaft; gearing connecting the countershaft and the first shaft; a torsional spring mounted on the countershaft for winding during advancing movement of the first shaft; releasable means for maintaining said first shaft against retrograde movement under the action of said spring in tending to unwind; means correlated with said portions of the control and actuating members and operable by the latter member to actuate the last means and release the first shaft following an indication by said wheels of the last day of that month indicated by the dial, whereby to render said spring free to effect retrograde rotation of the first shaft to a position wherein the first day of the month will be indicated by said wheels; and means for maintaining the last means in an inactive position with respect to the actuating member during at least two revolutions of the unit wheel from the position wherein the first day ofa month is indicated.

9. In a perpetual calendar, an indicator for the months of the year; an indicator for the days of the month; a ratchet operatively connected to the second indicator; a pawl adapted for operative engagement with the teeth of the ratchet; actuating means for the pawl by which the latter is adapted to be reciprocated to advance the second indicator step by step so as to cause the second indicator to indicate the days of a month in successive order; means for resetting the second indicator to indicate the first day of a month, by reversely actuating the second indicator following an indication thereby of the last day of that month indicated by the first indicator; means for actuating the first indicator to indicate the next succeeding month, concurrently with said actuation of the second indicator by the last means; and means for maintaining the pawl out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet except during the feeding stroke of the pawl so as to render the second indicator free for resetting as aforestated.

10. In a perpetual calendar, an indicator for the months of the year; an indicator for the days of the month; a ratchet operatively connected to the second indicator; a pawl adapted for operative engagement with the teeth of the ratchet; actuating means for the pawl by which the latter is adapted to be reciprocated to :advance the second indicator step by step so as to cause the second indicator to indicate the days of a month in successive order; means for maintaining the pawl out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet except during the feeding stroke of the pawl so as to render the second indicator free for retrograde movement; means for urging the second indicator in a direction to effect retrograde movement thereof; means for releasably retaining the second indicator against retrograde movement; means for actuating the last means to release the second indicator following an indication thereby of the last day of that month indicated by the first indicator, whereby to render the second indicator free for retrograde-movement by the urging means to a position wherein the second indicator will indicate the first day of the month; and means for actuating the first indicator to indicate the next succeeding month, concurrently with resetting of the second indicator.

11. In a perpetual calendar, a counter mechanism including rotatably mounted and operatively connected units and tens wheels coacting to indicate the days of the month in successive order; a months indicating dial; a control member mounted for rotation with said dial, and having portions one for each month of theyear and respectively correlated with months of different lengths; an actuating member mounted for rotation with the units wheel of said counter mechanism and having portions one for each of the months of respectively different lengths in a year; means for normally urging the units wheel to rotate in a retrograde direction; means for releasably retaining the units wheel against retrograde movement; and means correlated with said portions of the control and actuating members and operable by the latter member to actuate said retaining means and release the units wheel following an indication by said Wheels, of the last day of that month indicated by the dial whereby to render the urging means vfree to effect retrograde rotation of the units wheel to 15 a position wherein the first day of the month will be indicated by said wheels.

12. In a perpetual calendar, a months indicator; a days indicator; feeding mechanism operatively connected to the days indicator; actuating means for the feeding mechanism by which the latter is caused to intermittently advance the days indicator for indication thereby of the days of the month in successive order; means for resetting the days indicator to indicate the first day of a month by a reverse actuation thereof following an indication of the last day of that month indicated by the months indicator; means for actuating the months indicator to indicate the next succeeding month, concurrently with said actuation of the days indicator by the last means; and means for disrupting the operative connection between said feeding mechanism and the days indicator except during the feeding interval of said mechanism so as to render the days indicator free for resetting as aiorestated.

ARTHUR P. NEYHART.

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