US244684A

US244684A - Clock-escapement

Info

Publication number: US244684A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1881-07-19
Anticipated expiration: 1898-07-19

Description

M (No Model.) 7

C. STAHLBERG.

CLOCK ESGAPEMENT} No. 244,684. Patented July 19,1881.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES STAHLBERG, OF ST. CHARLES, MISSOURI.

CLOCK-ESCAPEMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,684, dated July 19, 1881.

Application filed March 29, 1881.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES STAHLBERG, of St. Charles, in the county of St. Charles and State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Clock-Escapements, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in the escapement of a clock; and it consists in duplicate levers with springs actin g to force the pallets against the teeth of the escapementwheel. The pallets have projections which arrest the movement of the wheel until the pendulum or balancewheel, by impin gem ent against the lever, allows the tooth to escape from the projection.

1n the drawings, Figure l is a top view of my device, showing the bridge which gives bearing to the upper ends of the lever-posts broken away and the standard for supporting the pendulum removed. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, and part ofa system of clock-gearin g with part of theinclosing-case broken away. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of same. Fig. 4 is a detail enlarged view, illustrating the arrangement of the levers on their posts (one'only being shown) and the means for giving more or less tension to the springs operating the levers, said device consistingofa sliding arm, of which Fig. 5 is an enlarged top view. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view of the pallets against which the teeth of the escape-wheel impinge. Fig. 7 shows the application of my device to abalance-wheel. Fig. 8 shows my device with the pendulum hanging vertically beneath the escape-wheel, and showing a modification of the levers, springs, and pallets. Fig. 9 shows the pendulum hung in the same way as in Fig. 8, and a still further modification of the levers. In this modification only one of the levers operates on the pendulum, the lower arm of said lever being formed with a spring, and its upper arm having a pallet, and also operating on one end of a lever'of bell-crank shape, the other end of which is operated on by a spring, as shown, and carries a pallet which acts in combination with the pallet on the other lever for the purpose of giving to the escape-wheel its intermittent movement. Fig. 10 is an enlarged (No model.)

detail view of theform of pallet shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 11 is another modification of pallet and teeth of escape-wheel; and Fig. 12 is an enlarged view of pallet shown in Fig. 11.

It will be seen that the shape of teeth on the escape-wheel, the shape of the pallets and their projections on the ends ofthe levers, the shape of the levers, and the springs for operating said levers, can all be varied more or less without essentially altering the nature of my invention.

A A are the side pieces of the inclosing-case of a clock, and B is the top of said case. Part of the case is shown broken away in Fig. 2 to exhibit part of the train of wheels 0 of a clock transmitting power from the mainsprin g to the escapement-wheel. As I do not claim anything new in this mechanism of a clock, and as any system or arrangement of gearing for conveying power to the escape-wheel will act effectually with my improvement, it will not be necessary to further describe said mechanism.

To the top plate, B, is secured a bridge, D, which gives journal-bearing to the upper end of the shaft of the escape-wheel E. The teeth 6 of the escape-wheel may vary in form. I have shown several modifications, but do not confine myself to any of them, as any shape tooth would fulfill the purpose which would act, in combination with the pallets on the ends of the levers, to cause the intermittent movement of the escape-wheel.

F F are levers, which work on fulcrum-posts f, having bearing in the top plate, 13, of the case A at the lower end, the other ends having bearing in the bridge G. which is secured to the top piece, B, by means of screws g or otherwise. The inner ends of these levers F F are provided at their extremities with pallets f, against which the teeth of the escape-wheel strike alternately. The shape of these pallets may be varied, as I do not confine myself to any particular form. The pallets have incline facesf against which the teeth 0 impinge and travel along the incline, turning the lever on its fulcrum until the tooth comes in contact with the dead-stop projection f when the motion of the escape-wheel is arrested. As the lever is moved by the action of the tooth upon the pallet the tension of the spring H is increased, thus storin g power in said spring,

which may be of spiral or other form. As shown, one end of each springHis secured to the postf of the levers F F, and the other end is secured to the end of an arm, I. The arms I have bearing on the plate B in such a manner as to allow the ends of the arms to be moved to the right or left to give more or less tension to the springs H. In Fig. 5 the attachment of the arm to the plate is best shown, and is as follows: The arm is formed with a circular ring or hub surrounding a disk, h, which fits it tightly, and which is secured to the plate B by means of screws k When the screws h are screwed down tightly the friction between the disk and the ring will be sufficient to hold the arm against the force of the spring to its adjustment. As a tooth of the escapewheel comes in contact with the incline surface of either pallet the other end of thatlever will be moved inwardly and power will be stored in the spring El. \Vhen the tooth of the escape-wheel comes in contact with the projection f on the pallet it is held in that position until the other end of the lever is moved over by the impingement of the pendulum, which moves the pallet away from the tooth of the escape-wheel, and the tooth acts on the pallet of the other lever in the manner before described. The spring H,actingthrough the medium of the lever F or F, gives to the pendulum a return impulse sufficient to overcome the friction of the same in its bearings and against the air. The bearingsurfaces f are suitably formed to receive the pressure of the pendulum or the lever ofthe balance-wheel. The pendulum is supported on a bracket or standard, A, secured to the piece B.

It will be seen that the projections f on the pallets, as shown in Fig. 6, are not formed alike on their bearing-faces. The reason of this is that while the projection on the lever F moves away from the tooth in releasing it the projection on the lever F moves toward the tooth in swinging out on the fulcrum, so that the faces of the projections upon which the teeth of the escape-wheel act may both be in the arc of a circle having the fulcrum for its center, and the bcaring'faces of the teeth should be inclined accordingly. The proper form of the projection and teeth would be such as would assure the arrest of the escape-wheel, but would allow the release with a very little friction between the faces and slight loss of force.

Fig. 7 shows my improvement applied to a balance-wheel. In this the levers F F extend each side of the shaft K of the balance-wheel L, and their outward movement is limited by eccentrics M upon studs M. The shaft of the balance-wheel is connected by a hair-spring, N, with the lever O, turning on the shaft K as a fulcrum. The other end of the lever 0 carries a stud, P. which extends down between the levers F F, so that they are moved by it in the same manner as by the pendulum-rod.

Q is the regulator.

In Fig. 8 is shown a modification, in which the escape-wheel is vertical and above the pendulum. In this case the pallets have the inclined faces shown in a modified form. The spiral springs H bear against the outer sides of the levers. An enlarged view of these pallets is shown in Fig. 10.

Fig. 9 shows a modification, in which the lever F is the only one having bearing upon the pendulum, and the lever F is of obtuse bellerank form, one end bearing against the upper arm of the lever F.

Fig. 11 shows the inclines f and the stopprojectionsf made on the teeth of the escapewheel instead of upon the pallets. In this case the pallets consist of simple round or flattened studs 1' on the ends of the levers F F, as shown enlarged in Fig. 12.

I have shown the levers as extending in a plane parallel to the escape-wheel; but it will be readily perceived that they may be set angularly upon the levers. Accordingly I have shown the pendulum-rod at right angles to the levers and in the same plane therewith but it is obvious that they may be set at other angles.

The levers F F are shown as made in two pieces each, connected by the fulcrum-posts; but they may each be made in one single piece.

I claim as my invention In combination with the pendulum or balance wheel of a clock and the escapementwheel, the levers F F, and springs H, the pallets of said levers being provided with projections f substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

CHARLES STAHLBERG.

Witnesses:

J. E. KNIGHT, Gno. H. KNIGHT.