US2201376A - Clock - Google Patents

Description

May 2l, 1940.

L. PRINS CLOCK Filed March 8, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 L. PRINS May 21, 1940. i

CLOCK Filed March 8. 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 jeefzderfPr/'mg W7 www Patented May'21, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE CLOCK Leendert Prins, Flushing, N. Y. Application March 8, 1938, Serial No. 194,650

2 Claims.

This invention relates to clocks, and the primary object of the present invention is to provide a clock having means for projecting enlarged images of the clock hands and printed characters corresponding to the numbers of the clock dial, onto a wall or suitable surface, whereby the time may be readily told in a place or room with reduced lighting and from a material distance from the clock. f

An important object of the present invention is to provide a clock of the above character which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and elcient in use.

A further important object of the present inu vention is to provide a clock of the above character including a clock proper of the type disclosed in my pending application for United States Letters Patent Ser. No. 140,040, led April 30, 193'? and projecting apparatus readily attachable to or removable from such clock proper, whereby the latter may be used alone in the ordinary way or in connection with the projecting apparatus.

With the above general objects in View, and others that will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, such invention consists in the novelform, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shownV in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical longitudinal section, of a clock with projecting means, constructed in accordance with the present invention. I

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the construction shown in Figure 1, with parts removed.

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of the falsedial holder and focusing lens support forming 'part of the construction 'shown in Figure y1.y i' Figure 41s a view somewhat similar to Figure 1 of a modiiied form of the invention; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view illustrating a mirror attachment for the focusing lens f the clock shown in Figure 1 or Figure 4, whereby the images may be projected onto the ceiling or other overhead surface.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive embodies aclock proper of the type disclosed in my above-mentioned co-pending application, which clock proper includes an opaque casing member 5 provided with opposed front and .rear openings 6 and 1 closed by transparent members 8 and 9. The transparent member 9 closing the rear opening 1 is provided with a circular series of hour designating numerals I0 and constitutes the dial of the clock proper. Circular transparent members II and I2, respectively having the hour handJli and the minute hand I 4 applied thereto and movable therewith, are located 5 Within the casing member 5 and supported for rotation Within the latter by means such as grooved wheels I5 rotatably mounted in the casing Ymember 5 at the top and sides of the latter, and driving gears I6 and I1 mounted in a hollow 10 base I B upon which the casing member 5 is mounted, the edges of the circular members' II and I2 engaging in the grooves of the wheels I5 so as to be guided by the latter. The' circular membersll and I2 rest upon the gears I6 and I1 l5 and are formed with peripheral teeth I Ia and I2a respectively meshing with the teeth of the gears I6 and I1. The circular hand carrying members I I and I2 are located with their faces between the openings 6 and 1'and the transparent members 20 8 and 9, and means is located in thev base. I8 of the casing including gears I6 and I1 to rotatably drive the circular members I I and I2 at different speeds so that the hour hand I3 carried by the member II is caused to traverse the dial once 25 every twelve hours, and so that the miniite hand Il carried by the circular member I2 is caused to traverse the dial once every hour. This driving means may consist of a suitable electric motor I9 connected 'by a train of gearings with a driven 30 gear 2I as fully shown and described in my aforesaid co-pending application. A

In accordance with the present invention, projecting apparatus is provided for use in connection with "the clock proper, such projection ap- 35 paratus including a lantern 22 seated at the forward portion of its bottom upon a shoulder 23 afforded by the base I8 at the bottom and at the rear ofthe casing member 5, the top of the lanternlgpasing having a forward extension Zt'pro- 40 videdf'with a downturned forward edge 25. arranged to .hook over the top of the casing memberi, so asuto removably hold the lantern in place upon the clock proper. Of course, any s'uit-` able meansv may be provided for retaining the 4f lantern in place, and such lantern also preferably includes an insulating base 28 fixed upon the bottom of the lantern casing and carrying a socket 21 in Ywhich is placed the base of lamp 28 constituting the source of light -of the lantern. A 50 suitable reiiector 29 is mounted in back of lamp 28, and the lantern casing has top and bottom Ventilating openings 30 and 3l provided with suitable guards 32 and 33 which permit the free circulation of airbut prevent outward passage of 55 light from the lantern casing. The insulating base is provided with suitable female contacts 34 -which are connected as at 35 with the contacts of lamp socket 21 and which open through the bottom of the forward portion of insulating base 25 where the latter overlies the shoulder 24 of the clock base I3. At this shoulder 23, the clock base I8 is provided with upwardly projecting contact pins 3G arranged to enter the female contacts 34 'when the lantern is placed upon the clock proper in the position clearly shown in Figure 1, thereby affording electrical connection of the lamp socket 21 with the source of electricity. For this purpose, the wires 31 are extended to the male contact pins 35 from the lead wire 38 which extends into the base I8 and connects with the terminals of motor I9 which drives the clock movement. Thus, the lamp 28 is connected with a source of current when applied tothe clock so that lamp 28 is lighted for providing the necessary illumination.

'I'he present invention contemplates projecting the images of characters corresponding to the characters of the clock dial,l but placed upon a false-dial plate 39 to afford a false-dial smaller than the actual dial of the clock, as shown at 40 in Figure 3. The central portion of this falsedial plate 39 is left transparent and provided about the margin of the transparent central portion was the dial characters or numerals 40, the remaining surrounding portion of the false- Adial plate 39 being opaque as indicated by the shading in Figure 3. This use of a smaller falsedial enables the use of projecting apparatus of small size so as to minimize expense and keep the construction small and light in weight, as well as in proper proportions to the size of the clock proper. This false-dial plate 39 is suitably secured upon the rear face of an enlarged head 4I provided on the rear or inner end of a barrel 42 for supporting an adjustable focusing lens unit 43, the rear or inner end of the unit 43 being adjustably received in the bore -of the barrel 42 as shown. Obviously, the adjustment of focusing lens unit 43 provides for projecting the images in sharp silhouette upon the wall or other surface, according to the size of the images and the distance of the wall or other surface from the clock. 'I'he head 4| of barrel.

42 is removably i'ltted in the opening 8 of clock casing member 5 in front of the front closure plate 3, thereby positioning the false-dial plate 35 directly in front ofthe closure plate 3 with the transparentcentral portion of false-dial plate 3l centrally disposed with respect to the bore of barrel-42 and the hand carrying members II and I2. In projecting the images of the clock hands, konly the inner portions of said hands are used in connection with the false-dial, suitable spaces being provided between the inner and outer portions of said hands as shown at 44 in Figure 2. In other words, images of the inner portions of the hands, only, are projected, the outer portions of the hands being outwardly of the transparent lzone or central portion of the falsedia1 plate 3l. I'he adjustable focusing lens unit 43 is of conventional form and forms no part of the present invention, per se. It will of course be understood that the characters or numerals o! the false-dial provided at 40 on the false-dial plate 3l must of course be inverted as shown in Figure '3 so that they will properly appear on the wall'or other surface when projected. Direct and reflected rays of light from lamp 28 pass through the transparent members I, 9, II and I2,y

yas well as through the transparent central portion of false-dial plate 39, thereby projecting images of the numerals 4U and the inner portions of hands I3 and I4 onto the wall or other surface, such images being greatly enlarged so as to be clearly visible from a distance and in a dark place or room. In this way, I provide a novel timepiece which is not only interesting, but useful. In order to facilitate proper position of the head 4I with respect to the casing member 5 so that the inverted numeral number 5 on the false-dial of plate 33 will be disposed at the top, the casing member 5 may be provided with a projection 45 adapted for reception within a recess or notch 46 provided in the head 4I.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 4, the clock embodies a horizontal tubular casing 5l mounted upon a base or standard 5I enclosed at its rear or inner end as at 52, a transparent plate 53 being provided as a closure for the front end of casing section and having the usual hour-designating numerals arranged on the margin thereof so as to constitute the clock dial.

Arranged in the rear end of casing 5D is a suitable clock movement generally illustrated at 54, and this clock movement has a forwardly projecting elongated hollow or tubular hour hand arbor or shaft that extends to a point adjacent the dial plate 53. Also projecting forwardly from the clock mechanism or movement 54 is a minute hand shaft 55 that extends through the hour hand shaft 55 and projects slightly beyond the forward end of the latter. 'I'he forward ends of shafts 55 and 55 respectively provided with the hour hand 51 and the minute hand 58.

A suitable refiectorl is arranged between the lamps SII and the clock mechanism 54 for projecting rays of light from lamps forwardly through the dial plate 53. Any suitable means may be provided for facilitating connection of the lamps BII with a source of electricity, and the 'clock mechanism 54 may be of either the electrical or mechanical type. Fitted over the forward end of' casing 50 is the enlarged rear or inner end portion 82 of a barrel 63 adjustably receiving the inner end portion of an adjustable focusing lens unit 64. It will be seen that when lamps 50 are lighted, the rays of light will be projected forwardly, images of the numerals on dial plate 53 and of the hour and minute hands 51 and 53 being projected onto the wall or other surface, and such images being greatly enlarged and sharply defined by proper adjustment of the focusing lens unit 54.

Either form of the invention may be utilized to project the images of the dial and hands of the clock onto a ceiling or overhead surface by simply utilizing a reflector attachment for the outer end oi the focusing lens unit 43 or 34 as illustrated in Figure 5. 'I'his reflector attachment simply consists of a. sleeve removably fitted over the outer end of the focusing lens unit and having an angularly disposed mirror 66 arranged to be supported at an inclination beyond the forward end of the unit 43 or 64 so as to reflect the images of the clock dial and hands upwardly onto the ceiling, overhead surface, or wall at one side of the clock. Of course,` the clock of Figure 4 may be used alone or without projecting means, the dial plate 53 being placed right side up so as to secure proper disposition of the images of its numerals when projected onto a ceiling. On the other hand, when thesreflecting attachment 45 is used to reflect images of the clock dial and hands onto a wall at one side of the clock, the

the advantages ofthe present invention will be` readily understood and appreciated by those skilled inthe art. Although the invention has been described in .considerable detail withre spect to two different embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is'susceptible of further modifications and changes in details of construction withoutdepartin'g from the spirit and scope of the invention 'as claimed. What I claimas new is:

1. In combination with a clock' having a base containing clock mechanism and a casing member rigid-with the top of said base and having front andrear openings, transparent hand carrying elements arranged in said casing member and operated by said clock mechanism, a transparent dial in the front of said casing 'memberl and provided with opaque hour designating numerals associated -withthe hands of said hand carrying elements, a light projecting lantern mounted on the base at the rear of said casing member behindl said hand carrying elements and said dial, an adjustable focusing lens unit removably carried by and arranged at the front of vsaid casing member, a barrel removably fitted in the front of saidcasing member and supporting the clock base.

said focusing lens unit, and a false-dial plate carried by said barrely and arranged in front of saidhand carrying elementsv and said rst-named dial, said` false-dial plate having a restricted transparent central portion provided with opaque hour designating numerals, the hands of said transparent hand carrying elements including inner and outer separated portions. whereby en` larged images of the inner portions oi said hands and the hour designating numerals on said fa1se.

dial plate may be projected onto a screen.

2. In combination with a clock having a base containing clock mechanism and a casing member rigid with the top of said base and having front and rear openings, transparent hand carrying elements arranged in said casing member and operated by said clock mechanism, a transparent dial in the front of said casing member and provided with opaque hour designating numerals associated with the hands of said hand carrying-elements, a light projecting lantern mounted on the base at the rear of said casing member behind said hand carrying elements and said dial, an adjustable focusing lens unit removably carried by and arranged at the front of said casing member, said projecting lantern including a source of light, and cooperatingicontacts carried by the lantern andl source of current upon placing the lantern upon IEENDERT PRINS.

Images