US2229979A - Watchcase - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 28, 1941. p s KRAMER 2,229,979

WATCHCASE Filed June '7, 1959 INVENTOR .Sa uel Kramer.

ATTORNEYJ Patented Jan. 28, 1941 QFFICE VVATCHCASE Samuel Kramer, Bronx, N. Y., assignor to Pioneer Watch Case 00. Inc.,

Mount Vernon, N. Y., a

corporation of New York Application June 7, 1939, Serial No. 277,793

3 Claims.

This invention relates generally to watchcases. More particularly it relates to Watchcases that are so constructed as to exclude foreign matter such as moisture, dust and dirt from the interior of the Watchcase, and cases of which type will hereinafter be referred .to as water tight watchcases.

The general object of my invention is the provision of a watchcase that is simple and inexpensive and is adapted to exclude foreign matter from the interior thereof.

Among the more particular objects of my invention is the provision in a watchcase comprising a plurality of parts of a construction whereby all joints between the parts thereof are rendered water tight, and whereby all foreign matter such as fluids, dirt, dust, grit and the like will be effectively excluded from the interior of the watchcase.

It is also among .the more particular objects of my invention to provide a Watertight construction for a watchcase in which tightness is secured by providing extensive angularly related contact areas at the contacting portions of the parts forming the joint.

Among the more particular objects of my invention is further the provision in a watchcase of a water tight construction that is applicable to existing types and forms of watchcases Without materially altering their contours.

These objects and such other objects as will hereinafter appear or be pointed out are attained in the illustrative embodiment of my invention shown in the drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan View of one form of my improved watchcase;

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof with a portion broken away substantially on the line 2-2 of Figdure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is a sectional view substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, which illustrates my invention as applied to a wrist watchcase, although obviously it is not restricted to this type of watchcase, I have therein shown at Ill the movement ring of a watchcase that is adapted to receive the movement of a watch, while at II is shown the back of the case and at I2 the bezel, between which and the movement ring is carried the crystal I3. Extending from the bezel I2 are a plurality of lugs I4, the root portions I5 of which are reinforced and serve for the reception of screws I6 which pass through the lugs I'I provided on the rim portions of the back I I and serve to draw the back I I toward the bezel I2. The lugs I4 also serve for the support of bars or pins I8 to which a wrist watch strap 5 may be secured, these bars or pins being indicated in dot and dash lines in Figure 1.

The bezel I2 and the back II clamp between them the movement ring In and the crystal I3,the latter being superposed on the former, and inter- 10 mediate the crystal and the movement ring is a gasket I9 seating within an annular groove 23 on the movement ring and adapted to make the joint between the crystal, and the movement ring water tight. For this purpose the gasket I9 is made of 15 a material that is impervious to moisture and one that, when compressed between the movement'ring I0 and the crystal I3 will provide the desired water tight joint. Any suitable or preferred material may be used for this purpose.

As examples I may mention leather and rubber, the latter in particular having the additional desirable property of resiliency.

Between the back II and the lower portion of the movement ring a second gasket 2| seating in 25 a recess 22 on the movement ring and a recess 23 on the back is provided. This gasket effects a water tight joint between the movement ring I0 and the back Ii, and aswill be obvious, the requirements for the material thereof are similar to 30 those enumerated in connection with the asket I9.

It will be observed that by reason of the seating of the gaskets in recesses, the areas of contact are greatly increased and the seepage of water correspondingly reduced. Not merely is the contact area increased, but portions thereof are angularly related along any path that the water may take. The result is a degree of waterproof- 40 ing not hitherto attainable.

In addition it will be observed that the wall of the bezel I4 is in such close contact with the gasket I9 that as the latter is compressed it will expand against the bezel wall, and the same is 45 true of the outer Wall of the recess 23 in relation to the gasket 2 I.

The construction so far described guards against the entry of foreign matter at all places except at the stem portion and the arrangement 50 by which foreign matter is excluded at this point will now be described.

At 24 I have shown a bushing provided with an enlarged head 25 and secured within a bore 24a provided in the side of the casing, as by a threaded extension 26 adapted to screw into bore 24w of the case In. The crown 21 is made hollow so that it can seat slidably on the head 25 and is provided with a central stud 28 that is adapted to extend into the bore of the bushing 24 and has a threaded bore 29 therewithin adapted to receive the stem of the watch movement. Intermediate the stud 28 and the bore of the bushing 24 I have provided means, such as the packing 30 for preventing the passage of foreign matter.

In order to permit of the passage of the bushing through the bezel l2 and the back ll, these are shown cut away, respectively at 3| and 32, without thereby destroying the water tightness of the construction at this point, as can be seen from Figure 3.

It will be observed that the parts just described provide an efiective construction for preventing the entry of foreign matter at the stem portion of the watch. Since the joint between the extension 26 and the movement ring is water tight, such foreign matter must first of all enter between the head 25 and the crown 21 and thereafter must work its way between the packing 30 and the stud 28 or between the packing and the bushing 24 and it is only under the most unusual conditions that any type of foreign matter whether solid or fluid can find its way into the interior of the watchcase.

While I have shown my invention as applied to a circularly contoured watchcase, it will be obvious that it is applicable to all the other contours now in common use, and to many other contours. It is therefore to be understood that I do not intend to restrict myself to watchcases of circular contour. Nor do I intend to restrict myself to the various phases of my invention in the exact combination shown. As will be obvious they can be used in other combinations.

While I have herein described one illustrative embodiment of my invention it will be understood that the same may be embodied in many other forms without departing from the spirit thereof as will be obvious to those skilled in the art, and that the disclosure herein is by way of illustration merely and is not to be interpreted in a limiting sense and that I do not limit myself other than as called for by the prior art.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A watchcase comprising a movement ring, a bezel having a bore adapted to receive said movement ring in close engagement, an annular recess in the upper peripheral portion of said ring, an annular recess in the lower peripheral portion of said ring, a back provided with a recess complementary to said last recess and having an outer wall portion in the form of a flange closely engaging the periphery of said movement ring, and a gasket seated in each of the recesses of said ring, a crystal having peripheral portions extending between the bezel and the upper gasket, and means for drawing said bezel and said back together, whereby said gaskets will be compressed and will effect a watertight joint between said ring on the one hand, and the crystal, the bezel and the back on the other hand.

2. In combination in a watchcase, a movement ring, a bezel having a bore to receive said movement ring in relatively close engagement, a recess running around the upper peripheral portion of said ring, a compressible gasket seated in said ring, a crystal having peripheral portions extending between the bezel and the gasket, and means for drawing said bezel against said crystal, whereby said crystal will press against said gasket and will compress it axially and expand it radially so as to cause its peripheral portions to press against the wall of the bore in said bezel, and to effect a Watertight joint between said ring on the one hand and said crystal and said bezel on the other hand.

3. In combination in a watchcase, a circularly contoured movement ring, a back having a peripheral Wall of an inner diameter to receive a portion of the movement ring, an annular recess in the end of said movement ring, a compressible gasket seated in said recess, said gasket being of a diameter to engage the inner surface of said peripheral wall of the back, and means to press said back against said gasket, whereby said gasket will be axially compressed and its peripheral portions will expand radially and press against the inner surface of said peripheral wall so as to make a watertight joint.

SAMUEL KRAMER.

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