US2299856A - Timing mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 27, 1942. F. c. SMITH EIAL 2,299,856 I TIMING MECHANISM Filed Mar ch 24, 1939 I5 Sheets-Sheet 1 myemara: Fran/r C. Smith and Thamas L. herren 41 for neya Patented Oct. 27, 1942 TIMING MECHANISM Frank C. Smithand Thomas L. Herren,

, Colorado Springs, 0010.

Application March 24, 1939, Serial No. 263,920

12 Claims.

This invention relates to timing mechanism.

An object of the invention is to provide means operated synchronously with the tick of a Watch of known accuracy, called a standard watch, in conjunction with means operated synchronously with the tick of a watch of unknown accuracy,

and means for observing and accurately determining the interrelative speeds of said two means.

A further object of the inventionis to provide, in a mechanism includinga rotor rotated by a motor, means for correcting the irregularities of operation of the motor and causing such rotor to rotate in exact synchronism with the tick of a watch.

A further object is the provision of novel means for visualizing the interrelative speeds of the means operated synchronously with the ticks of the two watches. r

A further object is the provision of a simple, economical, compact and durable mechanism for the visual comparison of the rapidity of the ticks of a watch of unknown accuracy with the rapidity of the ticks of a watch of known accuracy.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, all of which will more fully appear in the following specification, the invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts, as described in the following specification, and illustrated in the accompanying illustrative drawings, in which I Fig. 1 is a central, vertical section of the mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a View on line 22 of Fig. 1, showing the casing in section and vation.

Fig. 3 is a detail view on lin 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view of the observation dial in the casing.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of den parts.

Fig. 6 is a detail view partly on line 6 -6 of Fig. 5, the balance being inelevation.

Fig. '7 is a fragment ofthe parts shown in Fig. 6, illustrating the shutter assembly and as sociated parts in raised position.

Fig. Bis a lay-out of the Wall of the drum.

Anysuitable casing, indicated at'l, and provided with a suitably calibrated dial 2', may be used. A suitable base 3 rests upon the floor of the casing I and rotatably supports a yoke frame 4, the rotation of which may be provided for in any suitable manner, as by pin 5, suitable supthe mechanism in ele 5 the shutterassembly, with a portion broken away to disclose hidtween base 3 and thelower side 4a of theframe. The upper side 4b of the frame carries a bearing sleeve 1, rigid with the frame, and in which the shaft 8 rotates.

Afiixed to the lower end of the shaft is a sleeve 9 carrying on its lower extremity a. worm-wheel 10, adapted to mesh with a worm ll operated by a motor I2 supportedon a platform l3 projecting from lower member 4a of the frame.

A friction disc I4 is affixed to shaft 8 and bears upon the top of sleeve 1, as at [5.

Drum I5 has" a central depending sleeve l1 slidable and revoluble upon the upper part of shaft 8 and provided at its lower end with a disc 13 adaptedto frictionally engage the disc l4. Armature or rotor l9 is affixed to sleeve I! and has a plurality of points 20,preferably five in number, to correspond to the number of ticks ,per second of the large majority of watches, the

ends of which points project approximately to the end of the core" 2! of electro-magnet 22 mounted on bracket 23 supported by the frame 4, the magnet being suitably spaced from the brack et by Washer 24 or other suitable means.

port, as track 6, being preferably provided ice-- At any suitable place within the casing and supported by any suitable means, not shown,

there is provided a microphone 25 having a suitable point 26 for contact with a watch of known accuracy, the microphone being suitably connect ed, as indicated, with an amplifier 21, which in turn is connected with the magnet 22 as illustrated, whereby the tick of the watch through microphone 25 and amplifier 21, will energize ,electro-magnet 22 ateachti'ck of the watch.

It will be obvious from the foregoing description thatas 'motor' 12, through worm ll and worm-wheel It, rotates shaft 8 in sleeve 9, disc [4 will rotate with the shaft and through the friction between the discs I4 and [8 the drum IE will rotate, normally, with the shaft 8. The armature i9 will likewise rotate with the drum,

being affixed to the sleeve [1.

If, during the rotation above described, any one of the points 2!! is centrally aligned with the core 2! of the magnet at the time that the magnet is actuated by the tick of the Watch on the microphone 2'5, the rotation of the armature l9 will not be interrupted, but if such point be to one side or the other of the core of the magnet at the time of the energizing of the magnet by the tick of the watch, the magnet will draw such point into alignment with the core, thus causing a slipping of the sleeve I1 and disc l8 relative to the shaft 8 and the disc I4. Each time that the watch ticks and energizes the magnet, the

point 28 WhlChlS nearest to the magnet will be drawn into alignment with the core 2|. The magnet then being immediately de-energized, the disc l8, sleeve drum |6, and armature l9 continue their rotation with the shaft 8, interrupted only by subsequent energizing of the magnet 22 by the tick of the watch when a point is not in alignment with the core 2|.

It will thus be seen that while the drum 6 rotates generally in synchronism with the shaft, the irregularities in such rotation resulting from any variations in the speed of the motor, as, for example, that resulting from irregularities in the current operating an electric motor, will be corrected and the drum will rotate in perfect synchronism with the ticks of the watch.

In the wall 28 of the drum there are provided three rows of holes, designated, respectively, 28a, 28b, and 280. In the row 28a there are five holes for use in the regulation of what is termed a fivetick watch. Row 28?) has six holes, for use with a six-tick watch, and row 28c has eleven holes, for use With a five-and-one-half-tick watch.

The mechanism thus far described, beginning with the frame 4 and ending with the wall 28 of the drum, constitute a unit assembly, rotatable as such upon the base 3 as above described, suitable means, as arm 29 afiixed to top 4b of the frame and operable by a control wire 30 which may project through the casing in any suitable manner, not shown, for exterior operation, being provided for swinging this assembly to one side or the other upon the pivot 5 for the purpose hereinafter described. It will be understood that the microphone and amplifier 21 may be mounted for movement with the assembly or may be rigidly mounted and connected to the assembly by loose wires.

Yoke 3| is aflixed to the floor of the casing l, as at 32, and surrounds the assembly above described and supports, centrally within thedrum, the light and shutter mechanism illustrated in detail at Figs. 5, 6, and 7, comprising the light housing 33, enclosing a suitable lighting element 34, the housing being preferably curved outwardly, as at 35, to correspond with the curved movement of the shutter hereinafter described. Opposite the lighting element 34 the housing is pro vided with a slot 36. On the front of the housing and adapted to slide up and down thereon and to close or uncover the slot 36, is a curtain 3'! .frictionally held in sliding contact with the housing by guides 38 soldered or otherwise suitably affixed to the housing, as at 39, the frictional grip of guides 38 being just suflicient to hold curtain 31 against gravity while permitting free movement of the curtain either up or down by shutter arms 42 acting in notches 31a. Outside of the guides 38 is a shutter 48 provided with a slot 4| adapted to be aligned with the slot 36 when the shutter is raised to the proper height for that purpose. The shutter is carried on the ends of the shutter arms 42 mounted on the magnetactuated levers 43 pivoted at 43a in frame 45 afiixed in any suitable manner, as by screw 46,

to the yoke 3|, it being understood that there is'a lever 43 on each side of the frame 45, each lever carrying an arm 42, and the arms 42 being aflixed in the two ends of the shutter 48. The notches 310. are considerably wider than the cross-section F ergized, whereby to draw the bar 44 to the core 41 and raise the shutter assembly, as illustrated at Fig. '7

The magnet 48 is connected, as illustrated, with an amplifier 49, which is connected, as illustrated, with a microphone 58 having suitable means, as point 5|, for contact with a watch of unknown accuracy.

Pivoted on the yoke 3|, as at 52, is a mask 53 provided with a slot 54, and a flange 55 engaged by an operating hook 56 projecting through the casing and terminating in a suitable handle 5! whereby the mask 53 may be raised or lowered so that the slot 54 will uncover one of the rows of holes 28a, 28b, and 280, as desired, while masking the other two rows of holes.

The relative positions of slot 36, curtain 3'! and shutter 48, at the beginning of the upward movement of arms 42, are shown at Figs. 5 and 6 where arms 42 are shown in contact with the upper edges of notches 31a, lifting curtain 31 as well as shutter 48 and, while in this position, slot 4| is above curtain 3?. Accordingly, as arms 42 continue their upward movement slot 4| aligns with slot 36 while curtain 3? is still below slot 4|, so that light from the light-source 34 shines through slots 36 and 4| and on to the wall 28 of the drum and through the holes 28a, 28b, and 280 therein, but only that light passing through the holes aligned with slot 54 in the mask 53, will reach the dial 2.

Arms 42 continue upwardly until curtain 31 covers slot 36, and the parts are so proportioned that arms 42 reach their upward limit as soon as slot 36 is covered by curtain 31. At this point the magnet 48 is de-energized, releasing levers 43, whereupon shutter 48 and arms 42 drop by gravity, but curtain 31 is frictionally held over slot 36 by guides 38 until arms 42 contact the lower edges of notches 31a, by which time slot 4| has dropped below the top of curtain 31 so that when the arms 42 carry curtain 3'! down below, and uncovers slot 36, the solid part of shutter 48, above slot 4|, will continue to act as a screen preventing projection of light from. slot 36 to the wall 28 of the drum. Suitable stops, not shown, are preferably provided to positively limit the upward and downward movement of arms 42 to prevent momentum carrying the arms beyond the desired point.

The above operative cycle is almost instantaneous, the result being simply a flash on wall 28 and through the holes therein at each such operation of the shutter assembly.

In operation of this mechanism, in regulating watches, a standard watch-one of known accuracyis placed in contact with microphone 25 and the watch to be regulated is placed in contact with the microphone 58 and motor I2 is started. Mask 53 is raised or lowered to bring slot 54 in front of that row of holes in wall 28 which is coordinated with the tick of the watch on the microphone 25, namely, in front of row 2811 if it be a five-tick watch, row 282; if it be a six-tick watch, and row 280 if it be a five-andone-half-tick watch. Flashes will then appear on dial 2 and may appear on either side of center or zero line, a flash appearing as each hole in the selected row in wall 28 passes in front of the shutter assembly.

Control wire 38 is now operated to swing the rotatable assembly, on pivot 5, one way or the other until the flashes on the dial coincide with the center or zero line which indicates that the tick of the watch on microphone 58 is flashing light throughslots 36 and 4| at 'the'instant that the tick of the standard watch on microphone 25 has brought one of the holes in wall 28 to a point directly behind such center line.

The microphone is now set for the test and is allowed to continue in operation, as thus set, and from this point, movement of the flash point on the dial 2 away from the-center line in either direction will indicate mal-timing of the watch on microphone 53, the nature and degree of a which real-timing may be determined as follows:

If the flash point on the dial moves in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the drum, the watch on microphone D is ticking faster than the standard watch, thereby flashing light through slots 36 and ll and thence through one of the holes in wall 2t, through slot 54 and on to dial 2 before the tick of the standard Watch has brought that hole to the point immediately behind the centercr zero line on the dial.

If the fiash point on the dial moves in the direction of rotation of the drum, then the watch on microphone 5c is ticking slower than the standard Watch, thereby flashing light through the slots and the'hcle and onto the dial after the tick of the standard watch has brought that hole past the point immediately behind the center or zero line on the dial.

The extent of movement of the flash on the dial for any given period, preferably one minute," is noted, and that period is multiplied by the number of times it occurs in 24 hours. For example, if the period be one minute, the extent of variation during that minute is multiplied by 1440. The result is the total variation of the two watches during a twenty-fo-ur-hour period and,

given this data, a watch regulator will have no difflculty in regulating the watch on microphone 55 to eliminate such variation.

The microphone so may be mounted in any manner or position desired, as upon a tipping table or other device, in order that the watch to be regulated may be tested in any desired position.

This invention has been described in terms of its application to a device primarily constructed for the comparison of speeds of two watches, but it will be obvious that the structures included in this mechanism may be used for various purposes, and patent protection is not sought simply on the particular application of the invention as herein described and drawn for illustrative purposes.

Many details of construction have been herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but various equivalent modifications and alternatives will occur to those skilled in the art, and the invention and application are not to be construed as limited to such details but to include such equivalent modifications and alternatives.

We claim:

1. In timing mechanism, a plurally apertured movable screen, means for moving the screen, means activated by and synchronously with the tick of a watch adapted to modify the movement of said screen whereby to cause the apertures to pass a given point successively in synchronism with the ticks of said watch, an assembly activated by the tick of a second watch and adapted to project, onto said screen, light in flashes synchronously with the ticks of said second Watch, said apertures being arranged in a plurality of series respectively coordinated with various the first watch, whereby to cause an unmasked aperture to pass the given point at eachtick of the first Watch.

4. In timing mechanism, a light-flashing assembly' comprising a light source in a housing having an aperture, a'reciprocating shutter having an aperture and adapted to be reciprocated in front of the housing aperture, the shutter masking the housing aperture except when, during reciprocation, the shutter aperture aligns with the housing aperture, and a curtain associated with the shutter and adapted to mask the housing aperture during the passage of the shutter aperture past the housing aperture in one direction.

5.121 timing mechanism, a light-flashing assembly comprising a light source in a housing having an aperture, a reciprocating shutter having an aperture and adapted to be reciprocated in front of the housing aperture, the shutter masking the housing aperture except when,dur-

ing reciprocation, the shutter aperture aligns with the housing aperture, and a curtain associated with, but reciprocable relative to, the shutter and provided with a retarder, whereby the curtain is adapted to mask the housing aperture during the passage of the shutter aperture past the housing aperture in one direction.

6. In timing mechanism, a light-flashingassembly comp-rising a light source in a housing having an aperture, a reciprocating shutter hav-,

ing an aperture and adapted to be reciprocated in front of the housing aperture, the shutter masking the housing aperture except when, during reciprocation, the shutter aperture aligns with the housing aperture, and a curtain associated with the shutter and adapted to mask the housing aperture during the passage of the shutter aperture past the housing aperture in one direction, and swinging arms carrying the shutter and the curtain, and means activated by and synchronously with the tick of a watch for swinging said arms and reciprocating said shutter and curtaint 7. In timing mechanism, a light-flashing assembly comprising a light source in a housing having an aperture, a reciprocating shutter having an aperture and adapted to be reciprocated in front of the housing aperture, the shutter masking the housing aperture except when, during reciprocation, the shutter aperture aligns with the housing aperture, and a curtain associated with, but reciprocable relative to, the shutter and provided with a retarder, whereby the curtain is adapted to mask the housing aperture during the passage of the shutter aperture past the housing aperture in one direction, and swinging arms affixed to the shutter and loosely engaging the curtain, and means activated by and synchronously with the tick of a watch for swinging said arms and reciprocating said shutter and curtain.

,8. In timing mechanism, a drum, spaced series of apertures in thewalls of the drum, respectively coordinated with various standard Watch ticks, a dial aligned with said apertures, means to selectively mask all but one of said series, means to rotat said drum at a rate to cause said apertures in the unmasked series to pass a given point on the dial synchronously with the ticks of a watch, means within the drum to project light through said apertures onto said dial, means for flashing said light in synchronisrn with the ticks of a second watch, whereby the light projected through said apertures will strike said dial at points successively changing according to the variation between the ticks of said two watches.

9. In timing mechanism as defined in claim 8, said spaced series of apertures comprising; a plurality of horizontal series of apertures in the wall of the drum and said masking means comprising a vertically movable, horizontally slotted mask adapted to uncover a selected series of apertures While masking the other series of apertures.

10. In a structure having an aperture adapted to permit passage of light therethrough, means for intermittently opening and masking said structure aperture comprising a reciprocating shutter having an aperture and adapted to be reciprocated across the structure aperture and to mask the structure aperture except when, during reciprocation, the shutter aperture aligns with the structure aperture and a curtain associated with the shutter and adapted to mask the structure aperture during the passage of the shutter aperture past the structure aperture in one direction only.

11. In timing mechanism, a light-flashing assembly comprising a light source in a housing having an aperture, a reciprocating shutter having an aperture and adapted to be reciprocated in front of the housing aperture, the shutter masking the housing aperture except when, during reciprocation, the shutter aperture aligns with the housing aperture, and a curtain associated with the shutter and adapted to mask the housing aperture during the passage of the shutter aperture past the housing aperture in one direction only, and means activated by and synchronously with the tick of a watch for reciprocating said shutter and curtain.

12. In timing mechanism, a light-flashing assembly comprising a light source in a housing having an aperture, a reciprocating shutter having an aperture and adapted to be reciprocated in front of the housing aperture, the shutter masking the housing aperture except when, during reciprocation, the shutter aperture aligns with the housing aperture, and a curtain associated with, but reciprocable relative to, the shutter and provided with a retarder, whereby the curtain is adapted to mask the housing aperture during the passage of the shutter aperture past the housing aperture in one direction only, and means activated by and synchronously with the tick of a watch for reciprocating said shutter and curtain.

FRANK C. SMITH. THOMAS L. HERREN.

Images