US2535543A - Geographical multiple dial watch - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 26, 1950 B. MAIZLISH ETAL GEOGRAPHICAL MULTIPLE DIAL WATCH File d Jan. 3, 1947 INVENTOR. BENJAMIN MAIZLISH BERNARD L. MAIZLISH Patented Dec. 26, 1950 GEOGRAPHICAL MULTIPLE DIAL WATCH Benjamin Maizlish and Bernard L. P/laizlish, Baltimore, Md.

Application January 3, 1947, Serial No. 720,132

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to horological instruments and more particularly to watches having plural dials for the indicating of the time in different geographical places throughout the world on the same watch face. These watches are usually known as universal watches.

While clocks and watches have been designed and built for indicating the times for various localities throughout the World on the same face, the mechanism used for propelling the various dials provided, is operated from the center shaft of its watchworks.

This has the disadvantages of requiring a complicated arrangement of gears and the use of a central main dial to refer to. This involves a considerable change in the standard watchworks which makes it special and adds considerably to the cost of its production. This invention is based on the use of a single-dial watch-work construction to which is added the particular parts required for the extra dials. The addition involves very little change in the structure of the watch while its operation is the same. The additional parts are limited in number and involve no special complicated assembly when they are put into place.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved universal watch that will avoid one or more of the disadvantages and limitations of the prior art.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved universal watch that will be based on the standard construction of a single dial watch with a relatively few additional dial parts to make it function as a universal watch.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved universal wrist watch that will consist of parts of similar or uniform size as far as feasible and other features enabling them to be assembled to a standard watch case with facility.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved construction in a wrist watch or the like that Will apply its driving power to the hour and minute hands in an off-center position.

Other objects will become apparent as the invention is more fully set forth.

For a better understanding of the invention and the objects thereof, reference is made to the appended drawings and the following description, which together portray a particular form of the invention by way of example, while the claims particularly emphasize the scope and principles of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a wrist watch having four separate and distinct dials mounted on the single dial face held in a standard wrist Watch case and embodying this invention;

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the watch works showing the method of securing power from the spring motor in an off-center manner,

Figure 3 is a front elevation of Figure l, with the dial face removed to show the manner of applying the cover plate, with driving gear in position,

Figure 4 is a similar View to that shown 1n Figure 3, with the cannon pinions, idler gear and hour driving gear in position, and

Figure 5 is a similar view to that shown in Figure 4 with balance of the gears added ready to receive the dial face and hands, and

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the watch shown in Figure 1 taken along the line 6-3 of Figure 5.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

A standard single dial watch structure I8 consists of the regular gears and mechanisms mounted on the framework i I in a casing I2. In this standard structure of the shafts for the minute hand and hour hand are usually brought up in the central portion of the framework. However in this invention these shafts are eliminated or shortened and a cover plate is suitably fastened over the place where they ordinarily would be located. This cover plate It is stationary and has a stub 54 projecting vertically above it, on which a relatively large spur gear I5 is loose and rotatable. This gear is termed the minute idler, asa matter of convenience. This spur gear I5 is driven by another gear it which is mounted on a shaft 36 of a gear 4| which in turn is driven by the same spring motor gear 40- that revolved the original hour and minute hands when they were located in the central portion of the dial. However the shaft 36 and gears I6 and 4| are now located in a position spaced at an appreciable distance from the original shaft location. This is arranged for by engaging the gear 4| with the same gear 69 that operated the hands in the original or conventional design, but at a different point arcuately distanced therefrom or ofi-centered towards the side, as indicated, instead of at the center where formerly positioned. The ends of three cannon pinions II, I8 and I9 are rotatably positioned in holes in the frame and are rotated by the idler gear I5 all at the same rate of speed. The gear I6 and pinions I'l, I8 and I9 are coupled through their individual shafts 36, 31, 38 and 39 to the minute hands respectively of four different dials, 26, 21, 28 and 29 spaced 90 apart on centers. The hour hands for these dials are operated through hollow stems operable over the minute shafts 36, 31, 38 and 39 so as not to conflict therewith. The minute hands under this arrangement rotate together in unison at the same speed and mark off the time on four clock or Watch faces or dials. In this instance the timing is set so that each clock is set for the time at a different city about the world. The hour hands are mounted on the stems or hubs, which in turn are actuated by and form parts of hour drive gear 46, and hour hand rotating gears 41, 48 and 49 all of which are equal in size and rotate at the same speed. The gear It in addition to driving the idler 15 also drives the hour reducer gear 50 to which is attached a pinion gear for rotating the hour drive gear 46 which is loosely positioned on shaft 36 of the gear It. This hour drive gear 46 drives an hour idler gear 52 which turns the hour hand rotating gears 41, 43 and 49. A screw 53 holds the gears l5 and 52 on the stub M. A gear 20 meshes with the idler gear and through a pin gear, stem 22 and knurled top 23 is used to wind the watch and to set the hands in the usual manner. The hour and minute hands on the dials 26, 21, 28 and 29 are attached to their respective stems and shafts and are set to suit the difference in time between them and the local time dial 28, and then allowed to rotate at the same rate in all. The time designated by the local dial will therefore be at the time of that location, while the others will be on the respective times of the countries or localities they represent.

The watch otherwise operates in accordance with the usual procedure of a standard watch and will be understood by those skilled in the art without further detailed explanation. The difference in the operation of the dials is that they are coupled up to the spring motor of the watch- Works at the new off-center location. This location is lateral to the central portion as already described. The original minute and hour hand bearing mechanism for the central location is eliminated entirely from the Works and the plate It used to fill up the unused depression. The new arrangement places the new gears under their respective dials where they may be gotten at readily for inspection and repairs. At the same time, a conventional watch works and trains may be used as the basis for the motive power and horological control of the new arrangement. This greatly simplifies the design, manufacture and production of the watch or clock and avoids much experimental try-out that would otherwise be required. It is also to be appreciated that the terms, watch, clock, and

horological are comprehensive and can be interchangeably used throughout without requiring special mention of the fact. These dials are marked with the hours and minutes in a conventional manner for facile reading by the user. Although only four dials are shown in Figure 1, the number may be varied to suit the conditions required.

While but one general form of the invention is shown in the drawings and described in the specifications it is not desired to limit this application to this particular form or in any other way otherwise than limited by the scope thereof, as it is appreciated that other forms could be made that would use the same principles and come within the scope of the appended claims:

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. The combination with a watch works, a spring motor and a centrally located spring motor gear driven by the spring motor, of a casing for said works, a shaft in said casing offset from the-center of the motor gear, a gear at the lower end of said shaft in mesh with the motor gear, a spur gear at the upper end of said shaft, a minute hand carried by said shaft, a centrally located plate blanking the central portion of the works, a stub shaft projecting upwardly from said plate, an idler gear freely rotatable on said stub shaft and meshing with said spur gear, a plurality of pinions meshing with said idler and placed equidistantly about the periphery thereof together with said spur gear, shafts for said pinions, minute hands mounted on said shafts, hol- 10w hubs mounted axially of said shafts and of the shaft of the aforementioned spur gear, hour hands carried by said hubs, gears for rotating said hubs, reducing means between said last named gears and said spur gear, whereby a plurality of time-indicating systems are provided, and dials for each of said time-indicating systems cooperating with their respective minute and hour hands.

, 2. The combination set forth in claim 1 together with setting and winding means for the spring motor, said winding means including a.'

the idler gear. BENJAA/IIN MAIZLISH. BERNARD L. MAIZLISH.

gear meshing with REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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