US2621467A - Warning clockwork instrument - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 16,1952

Filed Sept. 15, 1950 .1.DANGr-:LY ETAL 2,621,467 WARNING CLOCKWORK INSTRUMENT 4 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 16, 1952 Filed sept. 15, 195o J. D'ANGELY ETAL WARNING CLOCKWORK INSTRUMENT 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 16, 1952' J. D'ANGELY ETAL WARNING cLocKwoRx INSTRUMENT 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. l5. 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 J D ANGELY ET AL WARNING CLOCKWORK INSTRUMENT Dec. 16, 1952 Filed sept. 15, 195o Patented Dec. 16, 1952 2,621,467 WARNING oLocKWoR-K INSTRUMENT Jean dAngely, Paris, and Ren Linard, Montbeliard, France, assignors to Etablissements Japy Freres, Societe Anonyme, Paris, France, a

company of France Application September 15, 1950, Serial No. 185,032 In France October 13, 1949 6 Claims.

Clockwork instruments are known, such as alarm clocks, which have the object of indicating, especially by audible means, the ends kof a period of time previously fixed on the instrument by the movement of a hand. In general, they are used to produce audible signals after a period of operation lying between a minimum of fteen minutes and a maximum of eleven hours, with an error of operation varying approximately between three and ve minutes owing to the mechanism itself and depending upon the judgment of the user when moving the alarm hand on the corresponding dial.

For these reasons, clockwork instruments comprising a normal alarm system cannot be employed as warning devices having a short-term operation, for example of the order of one minute. in order to remedy this deficiency, clockwork devices known as minute movements have been provided, such for example as time meters opf erated electrically or by other means, which are arranged to set in operation a ringing mechanism after a period of operation of between and 60 0r 120 minutes with suflicient precision. However, such instruments are limited to their metering operation and do not indicate the time. It is also known, for example as disclosed in French patent specification No. 942,575 of March l, 1947, to provide in association with an ordinary alarm clock an indicating system with means for operating a ringing system after a short time.

The instrument described in the said specification is limited in its period of operation to 2 to 58 minutes by its very conception. Moreover, the arrangement temporarily takes energy, in the form of friction from the clockwork movement to which it is applied, whereby anomalies may arise in operation.

The present invention overcomes these disad- Vantages.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided in association with a clockwork mechanism comprising an alarm bell a metering and warning mechanism controllable from the outside, which is subjected to the action of a return spring and normally disengaged from the clockwork mechanism but arranged to be connected thereto through friction means. The said mechanism is kinematically connected on the one hand to a metering device and on the other hand to a rocking member terminated by a forked portion,

the two noses of which may serve alternately to vitv is engaged and moved against friction in the 2 opposite direction to the clockwork movement. In this operation, the metering member is brought in front of a time indicating means, while one of the noses of the rocking member is substituted for the other by the locking of the striking anchor.

When the action on the mechanism is discontinued, the clockwork movement drives the said mechanism at its own speed in the opposite direction through the friction, whereby the metering device is progressively returned to its initial position and the change over of the stop noses of the striking anchor is brought about at slow speed at the end of the movement. During this changeover, the bell is rung;

It is obvious that it is possible by the choice of the gear ratios employed in the metering and warning mechanism to choose arbitrary times limited simply by the motion of the clockwork movement with which the metering and warning device is associated. In practice, these times will be limited to a maximum duration of minutes, which is sufcient for most purposes. Moreover, the said metering and warning mechanism does not take energy from the clockwork movement since its return spring can not only compensate for the actual friction of the said metering device, but can also supply additional energy to this clockwork movement.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the nose of the rocking member, which is normally engaged with the striking anchor, may be subjected to an elastic force perpendicular to the plane of the fork and may cooperate with the usual operating cam of the ringing mechanism of alarm clocks instead of the usual spring acting axially on the said cam. The cam is thus able in the usual manner to control also the ringing mechanism.

The description hereinafter given with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are given by way of non-limitative example, will enable the manner in which the invention can be carried into eiect to be readily understood, the details appearing both from the text and the drawings naturally forming part of the said invention.

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the metering and warning device associated with an alarm movement,

Figure 2 shows a variant of the connection of the aforesaid warning device to the time movement to which it is applied, and

Figures 3, 4 and 5 show a variant of the device for operating the ringing mechanism.

Figures l, 2 and 3 show a number of parts normally employed in alarm clocks, namely the pin of the minute hand I, the cannon pinion 2 rigid ly mounted on the pin, the minute wheel 3 and its pinion the cannon wheel 5, the cannon e supporting the hour hand 1, the cam wheel S and the operating cam 5, the pin I for setting the alarm, the'button II thereof, the operating dog I2 thereof, and the alarm hand I3 thereof, the minute hand Iii, the alarm anchor pin I5, the anchor It, the striker rod I1 with the striker I8 and the stop rod I5.

Apart from these known parts, Figure 1 shows a toothed wheel 2U arrangedrto turn on the min# ute pin I with a friction determined by a spring 2|. Situated in the same piane as the wheel 29) and arranged to mesh therewith is a toothed sector 22 riveted to a supporting cannon 23 `and connected in turn to another toothedsector 24, the whole assembly turning about a pin 25 parallel to the axis of the minute hand I.

.In .the .sfimplan a .the ,569139.11??? Pilion ,25 .for Operating the 'metering and warning .device meshes with the said sector. .This "pinion is mounted Aon apin giwhichueirtends out vof the .Gesine Offihe mOi/@meet eed is Previded with a control button 2.3. A`The pin 2'1carries 4a dog 29 to' which is Secured 0.11 en@ of a Spline @Mlle Othef'end gf .which is connected t0 a xed point cf themovement'at elf The spring is wound so as to tend to produce rotation of the pin 21 and of the pinion in the direction of the arrow 32.

The engagement between thepinion 2e and the sector 22 is limited by theaetion of a stud 22a which abuts either against the pinion 25 as s hown in the drawingsorA against the wheel 20 if thesector 22 is turned in the direction of the arrow 22h. In the plane of `the sector 2, a wheel 33' riveted to acannon 54 turns freely on the cannonY 5. The carmen 3ft carries the'hand 35 for setting the metering deviceto thereq'uired time. Bvway of example, the starting point o f this hand is at a and the limit of its movement is a spring 35 acting on a flat Stamachined on the cannon 34. It isY also possible to provide another u spring producing a similar action to the spring 36, but diametrically opposite thereto on the cannon 3s in'order to balance the pressures exerted onthe cannon Sli with a view to preventing increas'ein the friction thereof during the rotation.

InanV embodiment not shown in the'drawings, the hand 35 may also be returned to Zero by the action of a spiral spring, the eifect of which is limited by theprovision of a stop on the hand 35 (this device is advantageous owing to the fact that' it tends to cancel out the irregularities produced by the sets of gears).

The sector 22 carries rollers 31 to replace, for the sake of convenience a cam also provided. These rollers 31 cooperate with a rocking member, which in the present case is an operating lever l38 pivoting at Sa. The upper part of this lever is divided into two arms 38h and 38o. The arm 38e is elastically tensioned against the operating cam 5 and follows the movements thereof in the direction of the Varrow 39 or vice versa, which has the effect of releasing or locking the stop rod I9 by its bent-over extremity I9a. This function is that of the normal release of the i alarm. The lever 38 is subjected to the action of the return spring 4I acting in the direction of the arrow 42, which forces it against the rollers 31.

The arrangement operates in the following manner; The Aparts shown in Figure 1 are in the position in which the `meteringandwarning device is not in operation, that is to say with the hand 35 at zero and with the sectors 22 and 24 Vnot in engagement with the wheels 20 and 35 respectively. In this position, the ringing of the alarm takes place in the usual way by the action of the c am e, which disengages or locks the stop rod VI9 Vfor therelative elastic movements of the armc.

In order to usevthe metering device independently ,of the alarm, the button 28 is turned in the direction of the arrow 43, which produces the rotation of the sectors 22 and 24 in the direction of the arrow 22h. Each of these sectors then meshes with the wheels 20 to 33, which `brings about theV following simultaneous actions:V

l. Coupling'of the device'with the time A movement, Ythewheel 20 being engaged .with the sector 22',.thisV wheel, mounted withy fricti'on'o'n the pin I, has been yable to turn 'under' the action of the sector without causing' any 'disturbance of v.this pinll,

2. Increase of the return force of the spring 3i).

3. Displacement `ofthe hand'35v of the metering device to the desired lgraduation (indicating the number'of minutes after which the warning device is to function), by the actionef the sector'24 which causes the wheel 33 carrying'thecannon 34 and the hand 35`to turn'fl "'i. The' operating lever 38 has `turned through a certain angle under the thrust of the rollers31 acting on the varn'i'Sld. It follows thatthe upper arms 38h and'c haveturned in the dire'ction of the arrow di! to lthe point where the arm 38e has released the stop rod I9a while at the' saine time the arm 33h has again locked the redige.

The operation of the' metering devicemcom'- menc'es from the instant when the 'button' 28a` is released. At this instant, the clockworkniovement, through the wheel 2U Yreturns the sectors in the direction'oppositev that of the arrow`22b. This rotation is assisted b`y`the actionof the spring Si), which expands and supplies energy to the movement. 'The meter hand 35 returns to its initial position (zero) and indicates constantly the time which has to elapse.` When it reaches zero, the lever 38 has movedv in thedirection of the arrow i2 under'the'action' of the spring 4I and due to` the retraction of the'rollersl 31. Simultaneously the arm 33h has released the ringing stop rod I 9a, whereby the bell is'st'art'ed. Obviously, the barrel of the ringing mechanism (not shown in Figure 1)"must have' been r'ewound after the Setting of the mereringiievice to the required hour.

' After the operation of the ringing mechanism dened above, the sector 22 and the wheelf20`remain in engagement for a few instants in order that the arms y58h and 38e may be slowlyreturned to their initial position, which gives the ringing mechanism a normal period of operation. It'will' be understood thatv the spacev between` the ends 38h and 38e is greater than the width of the part Iia ofthe stop rod I5. Ultimately, the engagement between the wheel '28 and the sector 22 ceases, the time movement released again by disengagement of the sector 22 and the parts return to the position shown in Figure 1.

It is possible"withoutA departing from the prnciple of the invention to envisage a number of modified embodiments, merely by way of example.

It is apparent notably that the sector 22 can come into contact with a wheel which may be fixed to a movable part of the clockwork mechanism other than that carrying the minute hands, that intermediate wheel systems may be provided between these two parts to obtain different gear ratios or to stagger the pins for convenience of construction.

The meshing of the sector 22 with the teeth of the wheel 2d, that `is to say the engagement of the said sector, is facilitated by modifying the length or form of the rst tooth 22a of this sector, for example. The control of the metering device by the button 28, instead of acting through the pinion 25 on the sector 22, may be made to turn the sector 24 or even a further wheel provided on the mounting of these sectors. In addition, the button 28 may be situated in front of the instrument and even on the side, an angular transmission of movement being employed. The sector 24 may also be replaced by a toothed wheel also engaging with the wheel 33 if it is considered that o. return of the hand 35 beyond the Zero position is desirable, that is to say a return equal to the time elapsing between the operation of the ringing mechanism and disengagement of the sector 22 and the wheel 2G.

Figure 2 shows a variant of the connection of the warning device to the time movement. This variant is characterised by the use of gears, in permanent engagement contrary to the system of sectors in which the engagement is temporary. This permanent connection of the gears is associated with an engaging system which may be of any desired form and which is engaged by the starting of the metering device and disengaged at the end of the operation thereof.

The cannon pinion 2 engages with a wheel 44 which is riveted to the boss having a groove 5a and turning freely on a pin 46. A plate 41 is connected to the said pin 46 and limits laterally the movement of the boss 45. The said plate is provided with engaging means, for example a stud 48 serving as a xed base for a spring 49. The said spring rests in the groove 45a when its extremity is not lifted by a pin 50 secured to the movement. The spring 49 bearing in the groove 45a, in which good conditions of adhesion are provided (trapezoidal groove, materials of high coefficient of friction, roughening, etc., for example), provides the engagement between the boss 45 and the shaft 45.

A wheel 5| is connected to the shaft 46 and drives a wheel 52 mounted on a cannon 53 which receives the hand 54 for setting the meter to the required time. The said wheel 5| is controlled by a pinion 55 mounted on a control rod 56 which extends out of the casing. A button 5T is secured to the said rod. As in Figure 1, this rod 5B is subjected to the action of a spring 59 which acts on a dog 58. The relative movements of the gears 5l, 52 and 55 are limited by a stop 5|a which in turn forms part of the wheel 5| or which may be arranged in any other manner.

The shaft 46 supports a cam 69 rigidly connected thereto, and on rotation produces movements of the operating lever 6| through a roller 62. In its upper part, the operating lever 6| is identical to that described with reference to Figure l.

In this variant, the operation is as follows:

If the button 57 is turned in the direction of the arrow 63, the following actions occur simultaneously:

1. Displacement of the hand 54 to the required position by the rotation of the wheels 55-5I-52.

2. Tensioning of the spring 59.

3. Rotation of the shaft 4B, which in turn has two functions:

(a) It drives the plate 41 in the direction of the arrow 64. At this instant, the spring 49 leaves the position in which it bears against the pin 50' and becomes engaged in the groove 45a in which it exerts, by pressure, ya friction calculated to permit sliding when the plate 41 turns without having to drive the wheel 44 (during the setting of the meter to the required time), and driving of the plate 41 and of the shaft 46 by the wheels 44- and 2 when the metering device operates after the release of the button 5l.

(b) It drives the cam 60, which actuates the operating lever 6|, whereby the operation explained with reference to Figure 1 is brought about.

These various operations having taken place at the instant when the meter has been set to the required time by the user, the apparatus automatically carries out the following functions under the regulating action of the time movement. The cannon pinion 2 slowly turns the wheel 44, which drives the whole assembly mounted on the shaft 46 (in the opposite direction to the arrow E4), owing to the spring 49 which is in the engaged position (this rotation is assisted by the energy accumulated in the spring 59 during the setting to the required time). Consequently, the needle 54 returns to zero and the other parts progressively take up the position shown in Figure 2. The cam 69, in passing, sets in operation by means of its slope 60a, the ringing mechanism of the metering device and by its slope 6022, a few instants afterwards, it returns the operating lever to the alarm position, while simultaneously disengaging the boss 45 by lifting the spring 49 on the pin 50.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 show a variant of the operating arrangement. This variant may be associated with any of the means for connecting the metering system to the time movement hereinbefore described. More especially Figure 3 shows the type of connection in which toothed sectors are employed as shown in Figure 1. It will be noted that the operating lever' 65 does not bear directly against the cam 9. A disengaging spring 66 connected to the movement transmits to the arm 65a, by means of its extremity 66a, the relative displacements controlled by the cam 9, in the direction of the arrow 61 or in the opposite direction thereto, so that the alarm ringing mechanism is released (Figure 4) or locked (Figure 3) by the action of the nose E517. The lever 65 subjected to the action of the rollers at its part 65d at the instant when the meter is set to the required hour, turns in the direction of the arrow 49 and takes up the position shown in Figure 5, 1n which the nose 65o locks the part |912 of the stop rod. Due to the operation of the metering device, the lever 65 slowly returns to the rear in the direction of the arrow 40. The arrangement 1s such that when the hand 35 for setting the metering device to the required time returns to zero, the nose 65o releases the part |912 of the stop rod i9, whereby the ringing mechanism is enabled to operate. The distance Ibetween the noses 65h and 65o is such that the nose 65D can only locle the stop rod in its bent portion when the ringing mechanism has functioned for the whole 'lofthe necessary time. Subsequently.: the

lever returns to its initial position and again takes `up theposition shown in Figure 3 or 4, inwhich the-usual alarm is'in thc-position. of use or'is ready for operation.

The indicationlof Vthe metering time as described in the foregoing, which isgiven'by a needle movingpast a minute scale, is not limited tothese means. Other forms-of embodiment-are l,also.possiblefsuch as a'dialturning behindV the usual'dial, which has an opening through which `the graduation can be seen. Similarly the meter needle may be situated outside the minute pin -or usual hands and in particular on the axis of thesectors 25, it may be disposed with its corresponding graduation on the iront andrear faces vof the instrument.

For certain purposes requiring a more precise appreciation of short times than of long times,

the sector 2li-andthe Wheel 33, crthe equiva- -lents thereof, may be given teeth of variable ratio in order to obtain in the neighbourhood of zero, as a function of time, larger angular disvplacements of the hand 35.

'Theinvention hereinbefore described gives visual and audible indications determining the end of a fixed time.

It is Vobvious that each of the operative parts of the system, that is the means for setting the metering device to the required time, Vthe means for controlling the operating VVgraduated time metering device providedfwith -further. control means accessible from the outside, the combination of a rocking member provided with :two opposite noses adapted tocome selectively into abutment with said stop rod; means l for coupling said metering device with said` clockwork; connecting means between said metering devicegand, said rocking member for rocking the latter into abutting position of either or" said noses; and a mechanical link between said connecting -means and said coupling means.

2. ,In an valarm clock including a clockwork associated with an alarm movement having control means accessible from the outside and an alarm device including a stop rod, and with-a graduated time metering device provided with further controlmeans accessible from theoutside, .the combination of a rocking member; anose on said rocking member, vadapted to come into abutment Awith said stop rod; resilient means Lfor i urging -said nose out ofrabutment from said stop `V,of abutment; and cam means associated with said Vcoupling means "for rocking lsad rock-ing member against theaction of said .spring means. 3. A combination according! to claim2, further comprising further spring meansffor urgingsaid f jtrol means accessible from the outsideand an alarmrdevice including a stop rod, and with a graduated time metering `device provided with furtherv control means accessible from the outside, the combination of a rocking member; a nosel on saidrocking member, a'daptedrto come into abutment with said stop rod; resilient means for urging said nosevout of abutment -from'said stop rod, parallelly Vio the rocking axis of said rocking member; a further nose on said rocking member adapted to come into abutment with said stop rod opposite -to the former mentioned nose; means for coupling said metering ldevice with said clockwork; a camQthe outline of which includes substantially an arc-ofa circle and a recessadjacent an end of said arc of a circle, said cam being associated withY said coupling means and being in contactrelationship with a part of said rocking member', whereby said recess corresponds to abutting position of said former mentioned nose and to disengagement position of said coupling means, and said arc of a circle corresponds to abutment of said further -nose and to engagement position of said coupling means; and spring means for urging said part of said rocking member into contact with said cam.

5. In an alarm clock including a clockwork associated with an alarm movement having control means accessible from the outside and an alarm device including a stop rod, and with a graduated time metering vdevice provided with further control means accessible from the outside, the combination of a rocking member; a nose on said rocking member, adapted to come into abutment with said stop rod; resilient means for'urging said nose out of abutment from said stop rod, parallelly to the rocking axis of said rocking member; a further nose on said rocking member, adapted lto come into abutment with said stop rod opposite to the former mentioned nose; agearing Yfrictionally connected to 'said clockwork; means Yfor coupling said gearing with said metering device; spring means acting on said rocking member for urging said- -former 4mentioned nose into abutting position and said further nose out of abutment; cam'meansassociated with said coupling means -for rocking said rocking membernagainst rthe action of said spring means; and further spring means for urging said metering deviceinto uncoupled position.

6. 'In an alarm clock including a clockwork associated with an alarm movement having Acontrol means accessible from'the outside and an alarm device `including a stop rod, and with .a graduated time metering device provided with further control means accessible Afrom the outside, Athe combination of a rocking member;` anose on said rocking member, adapted to come into abutmentv with said stop rod; resilientmeans for urging said nose out of abutment from said stop rod, parallelly to the rockingfaxis of Ysaid rocking member; a further nose on said rocking Vmember, adapted to comekinto abutment With 'said vstop rod opposite to the former mentioned nose; gearing on said clockwork; means for frictionally coupling said gearing with said ymeteringdevice; spring means actingv on said rocking mem- -ber for V'urging said formerv mentioned nose vinto 2,621,467 9 10 abutting position and said further nose out of REFERENCES CITED abutment; cam means assoclgted Wth sald cou' The following references are of record in the pllng means for rocking said rocking member me of this patent. against the action of said spring means; and

further spring means for urging said metering 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS device into uncoupled position. Number Name Date 1,082,077 Gage Dec. 23, 1913 JEAN DANGELY. 1,158,282 Porter Oct. 26, 1915 REN IJNARD 1,327,669 Gage Jan. 13, 1920

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