US2105050A

US2105050A - Electrical clock device

Info

Publication number: US2105050A
Application number: US695907A
Authority: US
Inventors: Mome Marcel
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1932-11-04
Filing date: 1933-10-30
Publication date: 1938-01-11
Anticipated expiration: 1955-01-11

Description

Jan. 11,1938. M. MME 2,105,050

ELECTRICAL CLOCK DEVICE Filed Oct. 50, 1933 Patented Jan. 11, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application October 30.

1933, Serial No. 695,907

In France November 4, 1932 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to electrical clock devices, which include a warning signal device and which are adapted to be fed with current from an electrical distribution system.

5 The clockwork mechanism may be of the usual type wherein a Ferraris disk'or induction motor drives through a speed reducing gear the axis of the spring barrel, thus ensuring a continuous winding of said spring. This disk or motor may also be utilized for winding up a weight used in place of a spring.

According to a feature of my invention, the current with which the motor of the clock is fed serves to operate an electrical alarm device, such as an electric bell and eventually an electric lamp,

connected to the current feeding means of said motor in shunt with said motor, in a particular manner which will be fully described in the following disclosure.

59 Preferred embodiments of my invention will be hereinafter described, with reference to the accompanying drawing, given merely by way of example, and in which:

Fig. 1 is anembodiment of the electrical connections of the different organs;

Fig. 2 is a detail view of a release device for starting the warning system. I

The invention concerns clockwork mechanisms of any conventional type including a clockwork no proper and an electric motor "not the Ferraris disc type, for instance, for winding up said clockwork proper. A known mechanism of this type is illustrated, by way of example, in Fig. 1 of the drawing. In this figure, reference character H indicates the main spring of the clockwork mechanism proper, said spring having its outer end attached to a gear Iii and driving the minute hand H2 of the clock by means of pinion H3 and shaft H4, The hour hand H2 is driven n through a set of back gears H5. A spring escapement ZIG of a conventional type regulates the movement of shaft H4 through gearing Ill- H8., The inner end of spring H0 is attached to shaft H9 by means of which it is rewound. Shaft 7, H9 is driven by the disc 20 of the electric motor through the intermediary of a suitable set of reduction gears iii. According to the present invention, the current from the electrical distribution system that is fed to the coil 4| of the motor serving to wind up the clock is utilized for operating a warning device (including a coil 42, and a vibrating rod 43 for instance) connected in series with a lamp 44 or, more generally, with an impedance (self inductance, capacity, or resistance). The warning device is brought into play when contact or switch 84 (Fig. 2) connected to the device through wires 8.' 86 is closed, the movement of said contact being controlled by the clockwork mechanism, as it will be hereinafter described with reference to Fig. 2. 5

This arrangement makes it possible to reduce the dimensions of the coil 42 of the warning signal device and consequently to reduce the dimensions of the various organs that are included in this device.

An impedance 46 is inserted in shunt with the terminals of the warning signal device. When the warning signal device is brought into play by the closing of contact 84, vibrating rod 43 releases switch member 41, which closes contact 48 under the action of spring 69 and inserts impedance 46 in shunt with the alarm circuit.

When the device is supplied with alternating current, vibrating rod 43 is kept moving until contact 84 is opened, which takes place a determined interval of time after the warning signal device has been brought into play by the clockwork mechanism proper.

When contact 84 is opened, the warning signal device ceases to function, but lamp 44 remains lighted. This lamp is switched off when switch 41 is brought back to its original position, for instance manually.

C'oil 46 may be disposed on the magnetic circuit of the motor of the clock either in the form of an independent electric circuit or in the form of an electric circuit in common with the windings of the motor.

Switch 41, or the relay that may be substituted therefor, may be utilized as a hand switch for switching on lamp 44 independently of the action of the clockwork mechanism, by releasing switch 4'! through any suitable means, for instance by exerting a pressure on small plate '53.

Fig. 2 shows a release device ensuring in a very 40 simple manner the following operations, which are to be performed by all time measuring apparatus provided with a warning signal device, to wit: the closing of a contact at a determined time of the day, the limiting to a given value of the duration of the warning signal, the optional stopping of the warning signal, and finally the bringing back of the parts to their initial position, so that the operation may be repeated.

This device makes use of the cam wheel 16 that is generally provided in mechanical alarm clocks. At the time of the signal, this wheel is given a translatory movement illustrated by arrow l'l, thus displacing lever 19 by means of the forked end 18 thereof. The end 80 oi this lever then depresses blades II and .2 in the direction of arrow 8!. As blade II is more flexible than blade l2, this movement iirst closes contact '4 and therefore brings into play the warning signal device, to which wires and 06 are connected.

The bending of blade 82 in the direction oi arrow 88 then causes a point I! carried by said blade to be inserted between the teeth of a wheel 88 driven' by the clockwork mechanism. Bald wheel therefore drives, together with itself, point 81, blades "-42 being, for this purpose, pivoted about shaft 89. It follows that stop ll moves along sector 80. When this stop reaches the edge 92 of this sector, blades II and .2 are released and resume their positions with respect to each other and to wheel 88. Consequently contact N is broken and point 81 is disengaged from between the teeth oi. said wheel II. The warning signal device ceases to work. Stop ii is now applied against edge 92, thus preventing the two blades "-82 from being brought back to their initial positions under the action of spring 04. Owing to the movement of cam wheel 10, which comes back gradually to its initial position, stop '8! is soon released and the system of blades "-82 is brought back to its initial position.

In order to stop the working of the warning signal device, it sui'flces to accelerate the movement of wheel 88. To this eiiect, this wheel is elastically connected to aitis 98 by means 01' spring 91, so that it can be given a relative rotary move-' ment with respect to axis 96. A plunger 220 is mounted in plate 22L When the plunger 220 is depressed, the lower end of the plunger 22! engages the upper end of a shaft 222, which is slidably mounted in lugs 223 and 224, which lugs are attached to a supporting frame (not shown). Thus when the shaft 222 is caused to move in the direction of the arrow 98 against the inclined plane 99 (which rotates arm Hill in the direction of the arrow Hll), the group of blades lll2 is driven aside by the arm I00, as in the case of the automatic release, but more quickly.

While I have described what I deem to be practical and efilcient embodiments of my invention, it should be well understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto as there might be changes made in the arrangement, disposition, and forms of the parts without departing from the principle of my invention as comprehended within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. In aclocl': including a clockwork mechanism and an electric alarm signal device having a circuit, the combination of two flexible blades fixed together, at least one of said blades being bent with an end normally out of contact with the end of the other blade, means for pivotally supporting said blades about an axis located in the plane in which both of these blades can be elastically bent, cooperating contacts, carried by said respective ends of said blades, electrically insulated from each other when said ends are normally out of contact with each other, said contacts being inserted in said circuit so as to keep it open when said blade ends are out of contact with each other, a pivoting lever, means operative by said clockwork mechanism ior causing said lever to bend said blades at a predetermined time so as to close said circuit. a toothed member driven by said clockwork mechanism in a direction at right angles to said axis, means ior engaging one of said blades with said toothed member, when said contacts are closed, so that both of said blades are caused to move in a direction at right angles to that in which they have been bent, and are allowed tounbend as soon as they have been moved past the edge of said lever, and means for returning all the parts to their initial respective positions after the working of the alarm device.

2. In aclock including a clockwork mechanism and an electric'alarm signal device having a circuit, the combination of two flexible blades fixed together, at least one of said blades being bent with an end normally out of contact with the end of the other blade, means for pivotally supporting said blades about an axis located in the plane in which both of these blades can be elastically bent, cooperating contacts, carried by said respective ends of said blades, electrically insulated from each other when said ends are normally out of contact with each other, said contacts being inserted in said circuit so as to keep it open when said blade ends are out or contact with each other, a pivoting lever, means operative by said clockwork mechanism for causing said lever to bend said blades at a predetermined time so as to close said circuit, a toothed wheel, having its axis parallel to said first mentioned axis, arranged to be driven by said clockwork mechanism, means, carried by one of said blades, for operatively connecting it with said toothed wheel when said contacts are closed, so that both of said blades are caused to rotate in a direction at right angles to that in which they have been bent and are allowed to unbend as soon as they have been rotated past the edge of said lever, and elastic means for returning the parts to their initial positions after the working of the alarm device.

3. A clock according to claim 2 further comprising means, adapted to be operated by hand, for rotating said toothed wheel at a speed higher than thatimparted thereto by the clockwork mechanism, whereby the time of working of the electric alarm can be shortened, said means including a lever adapted to engage at least one of said blades, and manual means for actuating said lever.

4. In an electric clock, the combination of an electric clockwork mechanism, means ior feeding electric current to said clockwork mecha nism, an electric signal device connected to said current feeding means in parallel with said clockwork mechanism, a vibrating element in said signal device, an electric lamp connected in series with said signal device, an impedance connected in shunt with said signal device, switching means inserted between said impedance and said signal device and adapted to be controlled by said vibrating element, and a switch in the circuit of said signal device adapted to be controlled by we