US2461599A

US2461599A - Hour-increment hour hand setting mechanism

Info

Publication number: US2461599A
Application number: US552489A
Authority: US
Inventors: Graef Jean Pierre
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1943-07-22
Filing date: 1944-09-02
Publication date: 1949-02-15
Anticipated expiration: 1966-02-15

Description

Feb. l5, 1949. J. P. GRAEF yHOUR--INCREMENT HOUR HAND SETTING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 2, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 15, 1949. J. P. GRAEF 2,451,599

HOUR-NCRMENT HOUR HAND SETTING MECHANISM Filed sept. 2, 1944 2 sheets-sheet 2 2a 22r 23 3a 24 7/ 7 N/ 2a 2s ao a 32 31 aa a4 35 Patented F eb. 15, 1949 HOUR-IN CREMEN T HOUR HAND SETTING MECHANISM Jean Pierre Graef, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland Application September 2 In Switzerlan 1944, Serial No. 552,489 d July 22, 1943 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires July 22, 1963 Claims.

vThis invention relates to watches. Object of the invention is a Watch in which the hour-hand is coupled with a wheel taking along the hourhand by means of a mechanism allowing a sudden change of the position oi this hand with regard to the said wheel by a predetermined angle. Such an arrangement can be used in pocket chronometers, as Well as in board watches or in wrist watches and is particularly useful when the user goes from one time zone to another. These time zones vary by an entire hour one from the other. However, as this difference may be in the one or the other sense, means are preferably provided allowing the hour-hand to be advanced or returned by an entire hour.

The accompanying drawings illustrate, by way of example, two embodiments of the watch according to the invention. They relate to watches with an hour-hand independent of the minutehand, thatV is, with an hour-hand rotating over a separate circle of hour-indicia which is not concentric with the dial of the watch.

Figure 1 is a plan View showing the iirst em bodiment, in so far as is necessary for the comprehension of the invention;

Figure 2 is a section through this iirst example;

Figure 2a, shows a detail oi the rst example;

Figure 3 shows a plan view of the second embodiment, in so far as is necessary for the comprehension of the invention with a nevel pinion in ydisengaged position;

Figure 4 is a section along the broken line A B C of Fig. 3,y but with the bevel pinion in engaged position.

In Figs. l and 2 the hour-wheel I driven by the pinion 2l is loosely mounted on an axle 2 to which a star-shaped wheel 3 and a wheel i with square-shaped teeth are rigidly xed. The hour-hand shown in chain-dotted lines is iixed to the hub 5 of the star-shaped wheel 3. On the hour-wheel I a pawl 6 is pivoted, the free end of which is pressed by a spring 'l into one of the twelve tooth-gaps of the star-shaped wheel 3 which correspond to the different hour-indicia.

In the neighbourhood of the wheel l an oscillatory member 9 is pivoted on the pivot 8, a doubleacting pawl IB being articulated to said member 9. This pawl, in its median position shown in the drawing, bears with the portion between the hooks H and I2 slightly and elastically against the square-shaped teeth of the wheel 4. The pawl ID is held in this median position by a spring i3 engaging a notch of the oscillatory member 9.

A pusher I4 illustrated in Fig. 2 goes through the caseband of the watch. It is rotatably arranged and under the inuence of two springs. The first one, l5, holds the pusher i4 out of contact with the oscillatory member il and the second one. 39, holds the nose l' of the pusher M constantly in such a position that an accidental operation has no influence whatever upon the oscillatory member For acting upon the latter in the one or the other direction, it is, therefore, necessary, to rotate the pusher by 90 in order to bring the nose IS either to the right or the left side of the pivot S of the oscillatory member 9. This rotation having been carried out, the pressure which follows thereupon acts on the one or the other side of this pivot 8 in order to engage either the hook il or the hooi: l2 with the toothed wheel and to advance or to return this latter by one tooth. This movement corresponds to the desired displacement of the hour-hand. When the pusher is again released it is brought back by the springs acting upon it. The pawl lil again takes the position shown and the watch can continue to work.

Referring now to the second example shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the plate 22 of the movement carries a pin 23 on which the hour-Wheel 2B rotates coupled to the spring motor by means of nonrepresented gearings. This wheel 24 meshes with the minute-pinion 25; the minute-work wheel 26 meshes with the pinion 27 on the axle of which a minute-hand is mounted. The hub 38 oi the wheel 24 is connected with a plate 28 to which a spring 29 is iixed whose free end bears on the circumference oi 'a star-shaped wheel 3d loosely mounted on an extension of the hubv38. This star-shaped wheel 30 has, on the one hand, a toothing with twelve notches each corresponding to an hour of a day. On the other hand this star-shaped wheel 34.3 has an ordinary toothing engagingan intermediate Wheel 3l, the pinion 32 of which meshes a second intermediate wheel 33 engaging a bevel pinion 34 fixed to the rod 35. This latter can carry out an aXial movement. At one end of its stroke (see Fig. 3) it is completely released, while, at the other end of its stroke it is coupled with the intermediate wheel 33. A spring 35 cooperating with the rod 35 holds the latter in place in the one or the other of its positions.

The hour-hand 31 is fixed to the hub of the star-shaped wheel 30.

It may he seen that, the bevel pinion 34 being in the position represented in Fig. 3, the hourhand 3l is normally taken along by the star shaped Wheel coupled with the hub 38 of the wheel 24 by means of the spring 29. If, however,

Vrotated in the one or the other direction, while moving therstar-'shaped-wheeL along the4 free end Vof the spring-29,.

W hat I claim is:

l. in a watch, a star-shaped Wheel, an hour hand in connection with said star-shaped Wheel, an hour wheel, a means in relation with said starshaped Wheel, adjusted to drive the latterin eitherrrotating direction relative-to .said hour wheel in order to rotate said hour hand independenly of any movement of said hour Wheel, and a pawl in driven connectionwitlrsaidihour wheel and in engagement with said star-shaped wheel to drive said latter onmormal-advance movement of said hour hand provokedzbyf said hour wheel and to trail over said star-shaped wheel when the latter is driven by said means.

2. In a watch, arpusher projecting to the outside, a star-shapedwhe'el, an hour-hand in conn neotion withfsaid starshaped wheel, a" toothed Wheel `coupled withsaid star-shaped'wheel, an hour wheelyan oscillatory member in voperating relation with said pusher, a iirst pavl in operai,r ing relation with said'os'cillatory member said-toothedwlieel-to engage said toothed wheel onoperation 01E-'said pusher to produce'lmovement ofsaidstar-shaped Wheel in order to'rotate said hour-handindependently of any movement of said hour wheel, andaV second pawl in driven con- Y nectionwith said hour Wheel and in engagement with said star-shaped wheel tov drive said latter on 'normal-advance movement of saidhour hand provoked by said .hour wheeland to trail lover said Vstareshaped Wheel'when the latter is driven bysaidl toothed wheel von operation of said pusher.

`13. Inafwatch, a'pusher rotatable into two dif ferent positions, la star-shaped wheel, an honrharid in connection-with saidstanshaped wheel, a toothed wheel coupled with said star-'shaped wheel, an hour WheeLan oscillatory member adlasted tobe swung' by said' pusher, a double-acting y-prawl adjusted -tolworls upon fsaid Vtoothed wheel in theorie or the other direction according as'lsaid pusher is in the one or theiother of'said vtwo"different positions, to producemovement of said star-shapedwheel in'iorder to rotate said hour hand independently 'of' any i movement of saidhour wheel, -and a'second pawl in driven connectionwith' said hour wheel and in Aengagement vwith Asaid star-*shaped Wheel to drive' said latter on normal advance movement of' said hour hand 'prdvokedbyv saidhour wheel and to` trail over said Istar-shaped wheel when the vlatter is drivenv ley-said toothedfwheel on operation of said pusher.

4. In a Watch, a pusher rotatable into two different positions, a star-shaped wheel, an hourhand in connection with said star-shaped wheel, a toothed wheel coupled withfsaid Vstan-shaped wheel, ani hour-wheeL; a spring,': an oscillatory member engaged by said spring in order to be :held in median position, said oscillatory member being adjusted to he rotated by said pusher against theeiect of said spring in the one or the' other direction according as the latter is in the v:eneide-r the .other of said two diEEerent posi- -.tions, a double-acting pawl hinged on said oscillatory member adjusted to work upon said toothed -wheelin theorie or the other direction according as said pusher is in the one or the other of said twoy positions, to produce movement of said star- `Shaped4 Wheel in order to rotate said hour hand independently of any movement of said hour rvheelpand a second pawl in driven connection with said hour wheel in engagement with said star-shaped whee to .adrive said 'latter on' normal advance movement of; said 'hour hand provoked bylsaid lionr'yI-heel: to .trail Yover saidstarshaped :Wheelf-when thelatter is driven '.byi said toothed wheel on operationl of said pusher.

5. In a'watch, abevel pinion, a-:rotatableshat carrying bevel pinion: a= star-.shapedA wheel., an hour-,hand yin Vconnection `with tsaidfstarshaped .vheet'a toothed wheel coupled with `said star-shaped wheel, an"hourwheel, ra gearing` in engagement vwith said toothed wheei'and'in `disengageable relation with said bevel pinion to :produce movement ofsaidf starshaped wheel lin order to'. rotate said .incur-'hand independently .of any movement of said hour-wheel, and a '.pawl in engagement with said :star-.shaped wheel' to drive-said latter on normal advance movement of" said hour, hand Vprovoked thy said hour wheel and toitrail over said starL-shaped'wheel Whenthe latter is Jdrivenv by said toothedfwhe'elA on operation of said; sha-ft.

JEAN PIERRE GRAEF.

1fmiinfiltrations-` orrnn The following references'a-re of record in the le oi this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS