US2224085A - Electric clock - Google Patents

Description

F. D. NORTON ELECTRIC CLOCK Dec. 3, 1940.

Filed Dec. 12, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l F. D. NORTON ELECTRIC CLOCK Dec. 3, 1940.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 12, 1938 Patented Dec. 3, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC CLOCK Application December 12, 1938, Serial No. 245,327 In Great BritainDecember 15, 1937 7 Claims.

This invention relates to electrically actuated clocks and has for its principal object to provide a new or improved method of and means for actuating the chiming and/or striking mechanism.

According to the present invention an electric synchronous motor is provided which is adapted to impart continuous and regular motion to the hands through suitable gearing in known manner. Such gearing is adapted to impart, preferably through an intermediate gear wheel, continuous and regular motion to one element of a separable clutch the other element of which is connected to a chime and/or striking drum, the slidable clutch element or associated part being formed or adapted to function as a counter to govern the extent of the chimes and/or the number of strikes after the manner of a counting plate associated with a locking member actuated by or y from the time indicating mechanism and'also adapted to impart the desired longitudinal movement to effect and maintain the clutch elements in operation until said locking member enters a notch or depression, so that the chime and/or striking drum are driven, directly through the clutch, to the extent necessary to give the desired chime and/or strike without the necessity for racks, gathering pallets and snails or the like and attendant gearing.

According to another feature of the invention the chimes mechanism is automatically set and maintained in correct synchronism with the time indication, by means of projections or arms on the tappet wheel or the like on the time element, the length of which are varied to vary the movement of the interconnected mechanism controlling the chiming drum or barrel, and the surface of the latter or part interconnected therewith carrying projections or recesses arranged or adapted so as to only be engaged in correct sequence to ensure that the cycle of movement of said drum or barrel always corresponds in each hour, to the cycle of movement of the time indication hands.

A convenient method is to provide a clutch element connected to the chiming drum which is mounted so as to be capable of a sliding motion, said drum being formed with projections or recesses spaced apart at intervals corresponding to the amount of motion to be imparted to said drum to effect a given chime, said projections or recesses lying within the path of a complemental recess or projection on a member movable under spring pressure or the like normally tending to move the parts together so that a projection on one member engages a recess on the other member to arrest the movement of the drum, said movable member being controlled by a rocking lever or the like adapted to impart motion thereto when actuated by a tappet wheel or the like rotated continuously and uniformly by 5 the time indicating mechanism, said tappet wheel having teeth or projections shaped or spaced apart proportionately, relatively to each other, according to the time intervals of the chiming so as to free the drum at the required time inter- 1 val, whereupon the complemental projections and recesses move out of register with each other and immediately upon the release of said rocking arm or the like the spring pressed member is free to exert itself to impart a sliding movement of 15 the drum to couple the two elements of the clutch so that the chiming drum is revolved for a part rotary motion the length of which is determined by the interengagement of ,the next projection and recess thereon.

Assuming such drum to be used for chimes for the quarter hours then it is preferred to associate a separate disc or drum,'constituting a counting plate to control or effect the hour strike. Said counting plate is also driven from the time indicating gear and has associated therewith the moving clutch element of a second clutch which is controlled in like manner to the first, and is preferably interconnected to the chiming drum to positively prevent rotational movement thereof until said drum has finished a complete revolution. This is conveniently effected by providing a detent, one end of which engages the counting plate while the other end bears against a snail or cam forming part of or connected to the quarter chiming drum so that the time in dicating drive can move the counting disc which governs the movement of the hammer actuating pin-wheel only when the quarter hour drum has completed a full revolution thereby ensuring no overlapping of the chime and strike.

In order to ensure that the chimes and/or striking mechanism shall be maintained in correct synchronism with the time indication the projections and/or length of arms on the tappet wheel are varied to vary the extent of movement of the interconnected mechanism controlling the chiming drum, and the surface of the latter or part interconnected therewith carrying the projections or recesses is arranged so that they lie in diiferent planesor are otherwise adapted so as to only be engaged in correct sequence to ensure that the cycle of movement of said druin always corresponds in each hour, to the cycle of movement of the time indication hands.

The invention will be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein the same reference numerals or characters refer to the same thing or part throughout the several views and wherein:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic front view of a clock showing the invention applied thereto only such parts of the clock necessary for a clear understanding of the invention being shown.

Figure 2 is an end elevation looking from the left hand side of Figure 1 and Figure 3 is a corresponding view looking from the opposite end of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the chiming drum detached.

Figure 5 is a detail view showing the gearing for setting the hands while Figure 6 is a detail view showing in end elevation the counting plate for the hour strike and,

locking member therefor.

In carrying the invention into effect according to one convenient manner as illustrated an electric clock motor I with associated gearing coupled tov the hour and minute hands 2 and 9 respectively is mounted on a clock frame provided with a dial 4 and meshing with said gearing is another gear wheel 5 or train of gears meshing with a gear wheel 6 formed in one with or rigidly connected to a clutch element 1 fixedly mounted on a spindle 8 journalled in the framework and having rotatably mounted thereon a drum 9 having projecting pins II! for actuating the hammer trips H of which any desired number may be provided, usually four, (see Figure 2), for strlk ing the quarter hour chimes, the series of pins l0 being arranged on the separate segments of the drum proportioned relatively to each other to give the correct chime for each quarter in known matter.

Said drum 9 has formed or attached thereto, at the end adjacent to the fixed clutch element 1, the complemental clutch element i2, said clutch being of any convenient type, for example a one way ratchet toothed clutch as shown, the barrel 9 being influenced by a spring I9 located on the spindle 9 between the two clutch elements normally acting to move the barrel outwards to separate said clutch elements.

The opposite end face of the drum 9 is provided with a series of recesses I4, one in each segment of the drum carrying the separate series of pins I9 to actuate the given chime, all lying in the same pitch circle in line with which is apeg II adapted to enter therein, said peg being mounted on one arm I6 of a bell crank lever ll pivotally mounted on the frame at l8 normally acting under the pressure of the spring I 9 to move the peg l5 into engagement with one of the recesses H on the barrel. The other arm l6 of the bell crank lever i1 is acted upon by one end of a rock lever 20 pivotally mounted at 2| on the frame with the other end lying in the path of a snail or tappet wheel 22 rotated by the time gearing, said tappet wheel having four arms 23, of which three are of equal length whilst the fourth is of greater length for a purpose hereinafter explained.

The operation of the device is as follows; assuming the motor to be driving the gearing to move the hands, a like continuous rotary motion is imparted to the fixed clutch element I, the movable element l2 forming part of the drum 9 being separated therefrom due to the interposed spring l9 having moved'the barrel endwise, the frictional drive of the barrel due to said-spri g being resisted due to the engagement of the peg II on the lever IS with one of the recesses ll in the barrel so that no rotation of the chiming barrel takes place.

Continuous rotation of the tappet wheel 22 is also taking place and one of the short arms 23 thereon tilts the lever 20 which in turn rocks the bell crank lever I! to an extent such that immediately preceding the disengagement of said arm 29 from the end of the lever 29, that is to say, at or near the end of the time period, in this instanceone quarter of an hour, the peg I5 is withdrawn from the recess, the barrel 9 then turning slightly, due to the frictional drive, through the spring l3, to move the respective recess ll out of register with the pin I! so that immediately the end of the rocking lever 20 falls of! the tappet arm 23, the spring l9 retracts the bell crank lever I! with the peg I5. bearing against the solid end of the barrel 9, said spring l9 overcoming the spring "so as to push said barrel along the spindle 9 until the clutch elements l2, 1 engage, when the predetermined part rotary movement of said barrel takes place, the longitudinal movement of the barrel moving the pins l9 into the path of the respective hammer trips II, to cause the pins III, III on the appropriate segment to actuate the gong hammers 24 which are carried from the respective hammer trips by the rods 2!, said hammers striking the gong arms 29 as seen more particularly in Figure 1.

At the end of said partrotary movement, the barrel 9 is brought into position with the next recess H in register with the peg l5 which enters therein as said barrel immediately moves in the axial direction, due to the endwise pressure of the spring l3 so that the clutch elements I, I2 separate while the peg l5 entering the recess H prevents further rotational movement of the barrel 9 until the next repeat operation, as governed by the next tappet arm 29.

Projections 21 on the barrel 9 are provided, one for each recess ll, adapted to engage a stop 28 on the frame to positively limit the turning movement of the barrel 9 due to friction and serving to move the respective recess l4 out of register with the peg IS, the barrel 9 being released or disengaged from the stops 29 when endwise movea ment thereof takes place to render the clutch operative, as such endwise movement is suflicient to traverse the projections 21 clear of the stop 29.

The foregoing series of movements takes place for the first three quarter chimes but with the fourth quarter chime the long arm 29" on the tappet wheel 22 gives an increased motion to the rocking arm 29 and consequently to the bell crank lever I1 and peg l 5 so that the latter is lifted clear of a raised stop 29 which is located on the barrel face behind the relevant depression l4 and which, (the stop 29) otherwise prevents the release and rotation of the chime barrel until the minute hand has completed the last quarter of any hour whereby the chimes are self adjusting and self correcting. If desired all the teeth 23 may be of varying length and additional stops 29 of correspondingly varied height be. placed behind the respective recesses II but it is found that automatic rectifying means adapted to function once, if required, during each cycle of movement are quite suflicent for practical purposes.

To allow the hands to be manually set, independently of the motor or the chiming barrel, the drive from the motor pinion a through the pinions a, a and a is transmitted to the hands by means of a one way drive comprising a ratchet wheel (see Figure 5) the pawls 30' for which are mounted on the said pinion a while the ratchet wheel 30 is rigidly mounted on the shaft which carries the minute hand.

The chiming barrel will therefore automatically set itself to the correct chime when the peg l5 engages the stop 29 as previously explained.

To strike the hours a second drum or disc constituting a. counting plate 33 is provided which is also driven from the time indicating gear in like manner to the chiming drum. The continuously revolving clutch element 34 in this case is formed in one with a pinion 35 which is constantly in mesh with a pinion 5* permanently attached to the constantly revolving pinion 5 which meshes with the pinion 6 of the clutch element I.

Said clutch element 34 is fixedly mounted on the spindle 36 journalled in the frame work and having rotatably mounted thereon the drum 31 to one end of which the counting plate 33 is secured, whilst at the other end the complemental clutch element 38 is secured, the barrel 3! and consequently the counting plate 33 being influenced by a spring 39 located on the spindle 36 between the two clutch elements, normally acting to move the plate 33 outwards to separate the clutch elements.

A second bell crank lever 40 pivotally mounted on the frame at -4l is provided with an arm 4|) having a pin 42 to engage slots 43 in the plate 33 and lock said plate against the frictional drive due to the spring 39. The other arm 4|) of the bell crank lever 40 is adapted to be depressed, against the resistance of the spring 44, by a rocking lever 45 whose opposite end 46 is acted upon by a snail or cam surface 41 formed on or attached to the chime barrel 9 as seen more particularly in Figure 1.

The combined clutch element 38 and counting plate 33 have rigidly attached thereto a pinion 48 meshing with a pinion 48 rigid on a spindle 53 journalled in the frame and having the pin wheel 5| attached thereto, the gear ratios of the pinions 48 and 49 constituting multiplying gear to impart increased rotary motion to the pin wheel.

The hour hammer 52 is provided wtih a trip end or pallet 53 lying in the path of the pins or teeth 5| of the pin wheel 5|. The hammer arm 54 is fixed to a spindle 55 journalled in the frame, said spindle being provided with a crank arm 56 located below a pendant arm 51 rigid with the bell crank 40 so that as the arm 4|! is depressed during the initial movement of an hour strike the arm 51 acting through the crank arm 56 imparts a part rotary movement to the spindle 55 which moves the hammer pallet 53 relatively to the re spective tooth 5| so that the counting plate 33 can move slightly, due to the friction drive of the spring 39, immediately the peg 42 is withdrawn from the respective notch 43, such part rotarv movement of the counting plate moving the notch out of register with the peg, the star wheel 5| also moving until the movement of the combined counting plate and star wheel are arrested due to the engagement of the tooth on the latter with the hammer pallet which has not been moved completely clear of the tooth.

When the lever 40 is released from the pressure of the rocking lever 45, the spring 44 causes the lever arm 40 to move towards the counting plate so that the peg 42, which bears on the face thereof, causes endwise movement of the counting plate element against pressure of the spring 33 until said element is clutched to the continuously running gear wheel 35 so that rotary movement is imparted to the counting plate to move it until the peg 42 is in register with and enters the next notch 43 when the counting plate. element is free to move endwise until it is declutched by the ac-.

tion of the spring 33.

The motion of the counting plate is imparted through multiplying gear 43, 43 to the hammer actuating pin wheel 5| 'and the movement of the hammer pallet 53 relatively to the pin wheel 5|, due to the crank arm 56, permits limited free movement of the gear at the commencement of the rotating movement of the pin wheel thereby obviating stress on the motor.

The hour striking mechanism can if desired be set to act in correct sequence to the hour hand by depressing the rock lever 4l| manually until the number of strokes corresponds to the hour as indicated by the hands.

When the desideratum is a striking clock only, no chiming barrel and associated mechanism is required, the counting plate being actuated in like manner to the previously described chiming barrel except that the arms to rock the clutch control lever 4|! are suitably modified so as to be acted upon by means of a twelve-armed tappet wheel or star secured to the hour wheel one of the said twelve arms being longer than the eleven remaining arms thereof, a stop being provided on the counting plate 33 (Figures 3 and 6) the said tappet wheel and stop jointly operating in like manner to the similar tappet wheel 23 and stop 23 formed upon the end face of drum 9 (Figures 2 and 4). It is to be understood that the self correcting mechanism for the hour strike, may, if desired, be associated with the chiming clock described in the preceding example so that the hour striking mechanism is rendered selfcorrecting within the maximum period of twelve hours. The motion of the counting plate is im parted through multiplying gear to the hammer actuating pin wheel as above described.

By these means electric clocks are provided wherein the chimes and/or strikes are effectively actuated without the necessity for racks, gathering pallets and snails or the like and attendant gearing, by the comparatively small synchronous electric motor which is also utilized to actuate the time hands in a sure and certain manner and wherein the parts are readily assembled.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

1. An electric synchronous motor clock embodying visual and audible time-indicating mechanism comprising in combination an electric synchronous motor, visual time-indicating means and audible time-indicating means, constantlymeshing gear wheels to transmit motion to said visual and audible time-indicating means from the motor, separable clutch elements interposed in the constantly-meshing gear train to the audible time-indicating means, a member adapted to function as a counter to govern the extent of the audible time indications connected to and intermittently-rotated by the clutch, a springactuated member adapted to lock the counter in the stationary position and also to move the movable element of the clutch into operative engagement with the constantly-running element of the clutch, a spring normally tending to separate the clutch elements, and means actuated by. the visual time-indicating mechanism to release the locking member, the arrangement being such that the locking member maintains the clutch elements in operation to transmit motion to the counter until said counter is again arrested by said locking member.

2. An electric synchronous motor clock embodying visual and audible time-indicating means comprising in combination an electric synchronous motor, visual and audible time-indicating means, a clutch having two separable elements, constantly meshing gear wheels to transmit motion to the visual time-indicating means and also to one element of said clutch, a member adapted to function as a counter connected to the other and movable element of the clutch, a spring normally tending to separatethe clutch elements, a spring-actuated member normally tending to maintain the counter in the stationary position and also adapted to move the movable clutch element into engagement with the constantly-running clutch element when the locking member has been released, and means actuated by the time-indicating mechanism to release the locking member.

3. An electric synchronous motor clock embodying visual and audible time-indicating mechanism comprising in combination an electric synchronous motor, visual time-indicating means, constantly meshing gear wheels to transmit motion to said visual time-indicating means, a counter slidably and rotatably mounted on the frame and provided with a clutch element, a complemental clutch element driven by constantlymeshing gear wheels from the motor, a spring normally tending to separate the clutch elements,

a locking member to engage the counter and prevent rotation thereof, a member actuated by the time mechanism to move the locking member out of locking engagement with the drum, and spring means to cause said locking member to impart sliding motion to the counter to cause the clutch elements to engage.

4. An electric synchronous motor clock embodying visual and audible time-indicating mechanism comprising in combination-an electric sy chronous motor, visual time-indicating means, constantly-meshing gear wheels to transmit motion to said time-indicating means, a chiming barrel slidably and rotatably mounted in the frame and provided with a clutch element. a complemental clutch element continuously driven by constantly-meshing gear wheels from the motor, a spring-actuated locking member to en a e the barrel and prevent rotation thereof. a member actuated by the time mechanism to move the locking member out of locking engagement with the barrel, spring means to cause the locking member to impart sliding motion to the barrel to cause the clutch elements to engage, asprmg normally tending to separate the clutch elements. said chiming barrel and locking lever being provided with interengaging projections and recesses functioning as a counter.

5. An electric synchronous motor clock embodying visual and audible time-indicating mechanism comprising in combination an electric synchronous motor, visual time-indicating means.

constantly meshing gear wheels to transmit motion' to said time-indicating means. a chiming barrel slidably and rotatably mounted in the frame and provided with a clutch element normally held out of engagement with a complemental clutch element, a complemental clutch element continuously driven by constantlymeshing gear wheels from the motor, a sprin actuated locking member to engage the barrel and prevent rotation thereof, a member actuated by the time mechanism to move the lockin member out of locking engagement with the barrel, spring means to cause the locking member to impart sliding motion to the drum to cause the clutch elements to engage, a spring normallytending to separate the clutch elements,

the chiming barrel and locking lever being provided with interengaging projections and recesses to govern the period of chime, and means to positively arrest the turning movement of the drum when the locking member is released until thelclutch elements engage.

6. An electric synchronous motor clockembodying minute and hour hand visual and also audible time-indicating mechanismcomprising in combination an electric synchronous motor,visual timeindicating means, constantly meshing gear wheels to transmit motion to said time-indicating means, a chiming barrel slidably and rotatably mounted in the frame and provided with a clutch element normally held out of engagement with a complemental clutch element, a complemental clutch element continuously driven by constantly-meshing gear wheels from the motor, a spring-actuated locking member to engage the barrel and prevent rotation thereof, a member actuated by the time mechanism to move the locking member out of locking engagement with the barrel, spring means to cause the locking member to impart sliding motion to the barrel to effect engagement of the clutch elements, a spring normally tending to separate the clutch elements, the chiming barrel and locking lever being provided with interengaging projections and recesses to govern the period of chime, to-

gether with means to positively arrest the tuming movement of the barrel when the locking member is released until the clutch elements engage, means to ensure that the cycle of movement of the barrel always corresponds in each hour to the cycle of movement of the minute hand.

'7. An electric synchronous motor clock embodying minute and hour hand visual and also audible time-indicating mechanism comprising in combination an, electric synchronous motor, visual time-indicating means, constantly-meshing gear wheels to transmit motion to said timeindicating means, a chiming barrel slidably and rotatably mounted in the frame and provided with a clutch element normally held out of engagement with a complemental clutch element, a

complemental clutch element continuously driv en by constantly-meshing gear wheels from the motor, a spring-actuated locking member to engage the barrel and prevent rotation thereof, a member actuated by the time mechanism to move the locking member out of locking engagement with the barrel, spring means to cause the locking member to impart sliding motion to the barrel to effect engagement of the clutch elements, a spring normally tending to separate the clutch elements,'the chiming barrel and locking lever being provided with interengaging projections and recesses to govern the period of chime, together with means to positively arrest the turning movement of the barrel when the locking member is released until the clutch elements engage, automatic means to ensure that the cycle of movement of the drum always corresponds in each hour to the cycle of movement of the minute hand, a pin wheel and hour-striking hammer, a clutch to impart intermittent movement to the pin wheel, constantly-meshing gear wheels to impart continuous rotary motion to one element 01' the clutch, a counter associated with the movable element of the clutch, a spring-actuated locking member to engage the counter and prevent rotation thereof, a member actuated by the chime barrel to move the locking member out of locking engagement with the hour strike counter,

spring means to cause the locking member to impart sliding motion to said counter to effect engagement with the clutch elements and a spring normally tending to separate said clutch elements.

FRANK DAVENALL NORTON.

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