US2101235A - Clock - Google Patents

Description

Patented Dec. 7, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE CLOCK Application September 24, 1935, Serial No. 41,888

Claims.

The present invention relates generally to clocks. More particularly the invention relates to that type of clock which is designed to be mounted on the dashboard of a vehicle such as 5 an automobile and is adapted to have the dial thereof illuminated by an electric light on the dashboard.

@ne object of the invention is to provide a clock of this type which may be read more readily than previously designed clocks of like character, by reason of the fact that the hour scale is separate from, and is disposed inwardly of, the minute scale.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clock of the type under consideration in which the hour and minute hands are disposed behind the hour and minute scales and the latter are illuminated in a novel and eicient manner so as to permit of ready reading of the clock at night.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clock which is generally of new and improved construction and may be manufactured at a low and reasonable cost.

Other objects of the invention and the various advantages and characteristics of the present clock construction will be apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description.

The invention consists in the several novel 30 features which are hereinafter set forth and are more particularly dened by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of this specification or disclosure and in which like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a front or face view of a clock elnbodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a face view of one of the glass discs which form or comprise the dial of the clock;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary face View of the clock, the bezel, crystal and outer glass disc of the dial being omitted for purposes of illustration;

Figure 4 is a View of the clock partly in section and partly in side elevation; and

Figures 5 and 5a are enlarged sectional views taken respectively on the lines 5 5 and Sa-Ee of Figure 1.

The clock which forms the subject matter of the invention is designed to be mounted on the dashboard of a vehicle such, for example, as an automobile. It is adapted, as hereinafter described, to be illuminated by one of the electric lights on the dashboard and comprises, as the main or essential parts thereof, a casing 5, a ring 6, a dial l, a crystal 3 and a bezel 9.

The casing 5 is formed of sheet metal and consists of an inner section Il! and an outer section I I. The inner section I0 is cylindrical and serves as a housing for the operating parts of the clock. These parts form no part of the invention and, therefore, do not appear in the drawing. If desired, they may be electrically operated and supplied With current by way of a conductor I2 leading from the battery of the automobile to a binding post I3 at the rear end of the casing section I0. The outer section II of the clock casing is afiixed to the inner section I D and consists of a sleeve-like part I4, a ilat ring-shaped wall I5, and a cylindrical side wall I 6. The sleeve-like part I4, as shown in Figure 4 of the drawing, surrounds the front end of the casing section IG. It is riveted, pinned, soldered, or otherwise xedly secured to the inner casing section I0, and serves as a medium whereby the two sections of the casing are xedly secured together. The ring-shaped wall I5 is formed integrally with, and extends radially from, the outer end of the sleeve-like part i4, and is joined to the inner end of the cylindrical side wall I6. The latter has an integrally outturned ange I'I at its outer end and forms, with a disc I3 and the ring 6, a compartment I9 for an hour-hand 20 and a minute-hand ZI. The disc I8 is slightly smaller in diameter than the internal diameter of the side wall I6 and is secured against the outer face of the ring-shaped wall I5 of the outer casing section II. It serves as a closure for the outer or front end of the inner casing section Ill and is imperforate, except for a small hole 22 in the central portion thereof. The hour-hand 2D is xedly secured to and extends radially from the outer end of a horizontally eX- tending sleeve 23. This sleeve extends through the hole 22 in the disc I8 and, as well understood in the art, is driven or rotated by the operating parts of the clock so that it swings the hand 2G 360 during each twelve-hour period. The minute-hand 2| is disposed directly in front of the hour-hand and is secured to and extends radially from a shaft which extends through the sleeve 23 and is connected to, and driven by, the operating parts of the clock, so that it swings the minute-hand ZI 360 every hour. The hourand minute-hands are disposed in close proxirnity to the outer face of the disc I 8 and are adapted to be adjusted or set by means of a shaft 24 which extends through the back of the slots.

i-ner casing section i and has a knurled knob whereby it may be turned manually.

The ring is substantially the same in internal and external diameter as the ring-shaped wall I 5 of the outer casing section It is formed of sheet metal and embodies at the outer margin thereof an outwardly extending cylindrical ange 26 and an outturned ring-shaped ilange 27. The cylindrical flange is formed integrally with the ring and serves, as hereinafter described, as a seat for the dial l?. The outturned flange 2'! fits against the outturned flange of the outer casing section l i and is clamped against said last y mentioned flange by means of the bezel 9. The

ring 5 is spaced from the disc i8 and permits the cally opposite the other, and have strips 29 ofV translucent Celluloid thereover, in order that the light passingY therethrough is diifused and is equally distributed in the compartment I9. The Celluloid strips 29 extend around the side wall I6 of the outer casing section andare xedly secured in place by means of studs or rivets 30 which pass through theends thereof and are anchored or secured tol the portions of the side wall i6 wluch define the ends of the Window-forming As shown in the drawing, the minute-hand 2! is,'as far as length is concerned, equal to the radius of the inner edge of the ring 6 and the hour-hand 2? is approximately one-half as loingV and is concealed, as shown in Figure 5, by theY bezel 9.

The hour scale 33 coacts With the hour-hand 20 to indicate the hour and consists of an annular series of hour indicating numerals 36. This series is concentrically positioned with respect to the sleeve 23 for swinging the hour-hand, and the numerals 3.26 thereof are painted'or otherwise marked on the inner face of the glass discl32. As shown in Figure l, the numerals 35 are-disposed on the disc 32 at a point midway between the center of the disc and the inner edge of vthe ring In order to form a background for the numerals, a circular, opaque stripe 3l is formed by painting, or in any other suitable manner, on the front face of the glass disc 3|. This stripe is preferably of'a different color from the numerals so that the latter stand out clearly. The por- The disc 3i fits against the outer face of the Y The minute scale 34 coacts with the minute-Y hand 2| to show the minutes past the hour and consists of an annular series of lines or gradua-V tions 39 and anannular series of numerals 46. The graduations SS are painted or marked in any suitable manner on the inner or rear face of the glass disc 3| and are positioned so that they radiate outwardly from a circle which coincides with the inner edge of the ring 8. l and 3, the graduations 3S are sixty in number and each VfifthE graduation is longer than the others so as to indicate ve-minute intervals. The numerals biliare painted or otherwise formed on the innerY face of the glass disc 32. They are associated respectively with, and are located outwardly of, the long graduations 3Q to indicate or designate five-minute intervals. By reason of the fact that thegraduations 39 are formed onv the inner face of the glass disc 3|, and the'numerals 4@ are formed on the inner face of the glass disc 32, the numerals are spaced forwardly of the graduations and, as a result of the illumination resulting from the passage of light through the cutouts 3S, appear to be raised with respect to the graduations. By having the hour scale separate from and disposed within the minute scale, the clock may be read more readily than clocks wherein the hour and minute scales coincide. To prevent relative rotation of the discs 32 andjl, an inwardly extending lug 4| is formed on rthe flange 26 of the ring 6. This lug, as shownpin Figure 3, ts within notches 42 on the outer margins of the glass discs.

The bezel 9 is ring-shaped and isdisposed in margin of the crystal 8 against a ring-shaped ,1.

`The inner portion of this gasket ntsY gasket 46. between the outer margins ofthe crystal and the glass disc 32 andthe outer portion of the gasket ts, and is clamped between the bezel 9 and the outturned flange 21 of the ring 6. The outer margin of the bezel is bent inwardly to As shown in Figures Y form an annular flange 41 which encircles the outturned flanges 21 and and serves to hold, in clamped relation, the bezel 9, ring 6 and outer casing section as well as the crystal 8 and the glass discs 3| and 32. In order to secure the clock in place on the dashboard of the automobile with which it is associated, the bezel is provided with diametrically opposite ears 48. These ears have apertures 49 extending therethrough for bolts or other attaching devices and are'arranged in Vregistry with a pair of diametrically opposite ears 50 on the out-turned flange of the side wall I6 of the outer section II. f

The clock may be readily read in day time be cause of the fact that the hour scale is positioned within the minute scale. In addition, the clock may be read readily at night because of the specific manner in which the hourand minutehands and the hour and minute scales are illuminated. Because of the comparatively small number of parts and the manner in which the hour and minute scales are formed on the dial l, the clock, as lar as the casing and the parts hereinbefore described are concerned, may be manufactured at a low and reasonable cost.

Whereas the clock has been described as being electrically operated, it is to be understood that it may be spring-driven or actuated. It is also to be understood that the invention is not restricted to the details set forth, since these may be modied within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A clock comprising in combination, a casing for clock-operating mechanism, a dial in the front portion of the casing comprising a pair of transparent plates arranged one in front of the other, said dial having around the outer portion thereof, a minute scale in the form of a circular series of minute graduations on the inner plate and numerals formed on the outer plate around the graduations and adapted to indicate veminute intervals and also having an inner scale within the outer scale in the form of an annular series of hour-indicating numerals on one of the plates, and minuteand hour-hands disposed within the casing and coacting respectively with the minute and hour scales on the dial.

2. A clock comprising in combination, a casing for clock-operating mechanism, a dial disposed in the front portion of the casing and comprising a pair of glass plates disposed one in front of the other, said dial having around the outer portion thereof a minute scale in the form of a circular series of minute graduations on the inner face of the inner plate and a circular series of numerals on the other plate and around the graduations for indicating Ve-minute intervals and also having an hour scale within the minute scale in the form of an annular series of hourindicating numerals on the outer plate, and minuteand hour-hands disposed in the casing behind the dial and coacting respectively with said minute and hour scales.

3. A clock comprising in combination, an open front casing having clock-operating mechanism in the rear portion thereof and provided with an opaque plate in front of the mechanism and spaced inwardly from the front thereof, an opaque ring mounted in the casing in front of the plate, a transparent dial disposed in front of the ring and having a scale consisting of an annular series of graduations adjacent to the inner edge of the ring, minuteand hour-hands positioned in the casing between the plate and the ring and connected for movement by the mechanism, and windows in the casing for admitting light into the space between said ring and plate for dial illuminating purposes.

4. A clock comprising in combination, an open front casing having clock-operating mechanism in the rear portion thereof and provided with an opaque plate in front of the mechanism and spaced inwardly from the iront thereof, an opaque ring mounted in the casing in front of the plate, a transparent dial disposed in front of the ring and having around the outer portion thereof and adjacent to the inner edge of the ring, a minute scale and also having a separate hour scale within the minute scale, minuteand hour-hands positioned between the plate and ring and connected for movement by the mechanism, and window means in the casing for admitting light into the space between said plate and ring for dial illuminating purposes.

5. A clock comprising in combination, an open iront casing having clock-operating mechanism in the rear portion thereof and provided with an opaque plate in front of the mechanism a1 d spaced inwardly from the front portion thereof, an opaque ring mounted in the casing in front of the plate, a dial disposed in front of the ring and comprising a pair of glass plates disposed one in front of the other, said dial having around the outer portion thereof and adjacent to the inner edge of the ring, a minute scale in the form of a circular series of minute graduations on the inner glass plate and a circular series of numerals on the outer plate and around the graduations for indicating five-minute intervals, and also having an hour scale within the minute scale in the form of annular series of hour-indicating numerals on the outer plate, minuteand hour-hands disposed in the casing between the ring and the opaque plate and connected for movement by the mechanism, and windows in the front portion of the casing for admitting light into the space between said ring and opaque plate, and also in front of the ring.

GORDON MILLER BUEHRIG.

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