US2107176A

US2107176A - Watchcase

Info

Publication number: US2107176A
Application number: US136961A
Authority: US
Inventors: Dinhofer Julius
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1937-04-15
Filing date: 1937-04-15
Publication date: 1938-02-01
Anticipated expiration: 1955-02-01

Description

' Feb. 1, 1938. J. DINHOFER 2,107,176

WATCHCASE Filed April 15, l9 37 Patented Feb. 1, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in watch cases and has for its object the provision of a watch case of such a construction that its various surfaces can be highly polished by means of a lapping wheel whereby an extremely high lustre to such polished surfaces can be secured. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, it is extremely difiicult if not wholly impossible, to use a lapping wheel for polishing the surfaces of a watch case or similar article when the surfaces to be polished are provided with angular corners or small recesses which cannot be held against the surface of the lapping wheel. Accordingly, my invention contemplates the provision of a watch case composed of several united elements which can be made and polished separately, and then united after the polishing operation to form the watch case and resultantly produce a case whose surfaces will be of extreme high polish and finish.

A further object of the invention is to provide a watch case having a bezel made independently of the body of the case and removable therefrom to permit bezels having difierently shaped crystal-receiving openings to be substituted for one another whenever desired.

These and other objects are attained by the invention, a more particular description of which will hereinafter appear and be pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. l is a plan view of a watch case made in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a similar plan view show ing a bezel having a differently shaped crystalreceiving aperture from that shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 looking in the direction of the arrows; and Fig. 5 is a sectional view through a modified structure.

In the drawing, 6 indicates the upper half portion of a watch case of the wrist-watch variety. The lower half of the case is of conventional form and is accordingly omitted from the drawing. Said case portion is provided with the usual projecting lugs l for the reception of the cross bar to,which the wrist band is attached. The body portion 6 is formed with an inwardly projecting flange 8 and a vertical wall portion 9. Said portion 6 thus forms a frame and defines a central aperture l0 into which the bezel l I is fitted. The bezel H is shown as being in the form of a rectangular frame which fits snugly in the aperture Ill and is provided with the central opening l2 surrounded by the crystal-receiving seat or groove I3. The bezel l l is formed with a circumferential laterally extending flange I I. which is located in back-of the flange 8 on the case portion when the bezel is placed in position.

In constructing the watch case, the bezel ll 5 is made separately from the case portion 6 and thus the outer face of the bezel II can be easily held against the lapping wheel and given an extremely high lustre or polish by the lapping operation. Similarly, the outer face portion of the inwardly extending flange 8 of the case member 6 as well as the outer faces of wall 9 can also be easily polished by the operation of the lapping wheel.

When the parts 6 and I l of the case have thus been highly polished, they are assembled by having the bezel I! inserted through the opening [0 in the case member 6. The bezel ll may retain itself in position by a tight frictional fit aided by the natural resiliency of the metal, or it may be soldered in place at the back of the case member 6. When in its final position, it may project slightly above the face of the flange 8 as shown in Fig. 3 with the lateral flange I4 on the bezel ii seated against the inner face of flange 8 as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. If desired, the vertical wall 9 of the case member 6 may be undercut as shown at E5 in Fig. 5, to thereby provide a snap fit between it and the edge of the lateral flange M of the bezel.

In the event that the bezel is arranged to be removable from the case to permit a new one to be substituted when desired, it will be obvious that a new bezel having, for example, a differently shaped crystal-receiving aperture, an example of which is shown at I6 in Fig. 2 may be substituted. In this manner, the entire aspect of a watch may be changed by a quick substitution of a new bezel. Furthermore, by the manufacture of the parts of the watch-case separate from one another, the operation of securing an extremely high polish or lustre on the faces of these parts by means of a lapping wheel can be had, and the finished watch will accordingly have an extremely high lustre on its exposed faces heretofore only obtainable by tedious hand polishing.

What I claim is:

1. In a watch case, the combination of a watchcase body portion formed with an aperture, a bezel inserted. in said aperture from the back of the body portion and having a portion fitting within said aperture and a lateral flange engaging behind the portion of the case surrounding the aperture and limiting the extent of projection of the bezel through the aperture.

2. In a watch case, a front body portion having a side wall and a top flange, an aperture defined by the top flange, a bezel frictionally held in said aperture, said bezel having a lateral flange friotionally engaging the side wall at the back of the aperture to hold the bezel in position.

3. In a watch case, a front body portion, having a side wall and a top flange, the top flange defining an aperture, a bezel fitting said aperture and having a lateral flange abutting against the back of the body portion about the aperture, said flange engaging the side wall on the body portion with a snap fit to hold the bezel in position.

JULIUS DINHOFER.