US2646659A - Automatic alarm reset mechanism - Google Patents

Description

July 28, 1953 B. o. BOWER AUTOMATIC ALARM RESET MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 17, 1951 INVENTOR.

BRUCE 0. BOWER July 28, 1953 B. o. BOWER AUTOMATIC ALARM RESET MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 17, 1951 INVENTOR.

BRUCE 0. BOWER July 28, 1953 B. o. BOWER AUTOMATIC ALARM RESET MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 17, 1951 INVENTOR.

BRUCE 0. BOWEI? Patented July 28, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC ALARM RESET MECHANISM Bruce 0. Bower, Lorain, Ohio Application October 17, 1951, Serial No. 251,720

This invention, in general, relates to alarm clocks and more particularly to automatic reset mechanism for the alarm clocks.

An object of the invention is the provision of resetting an alarm clock immediately after the ringing of the alarm has been shut oii. Another object of the invention is the provision of an automatic cycling mechanism operated by a time driven shaft from the clock for automatically resetting the alarm after the ringing of the alarm has been shut off, the cycling interval reoccurring at periods of seven days.

Another object of the invention is the provision of first and second means to restrain the alarm from ringing movement, the second means releasing the alarm, or ringing movement, in response 'to movement of the first means.

' Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

7 Figure 1 is a top view of a clock embodying the features of the invention with portions of the clock broken away to better illustrate the invention;

Figure 2 is the rear end view of the clock shown in Figure 1, with the rear cover removed;

Figure 3 is a side view of the clock with the cover being shown in longitudinal cross-sectional view;

Figure l is a fragmentary and enlarged, diagrammatic view illustrating a resilient finger mounted upon a rotary disk which is employed to provide the energy for resetting the alarm;

Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the features of the invention, the parts being shown where the alarm is about ready to o off;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5, but showing the alarm in its ringing position;

Figure '7 is a view similar to Figures 5 and 6, but shows the position of the parts with the alarm manually shut off from ringing movement; and

Figure 8 is a View similar to the Figures 5, 6, and 7, but with the parts shown where the alarm has been manually shut off while, at the same time, the resilient finger of the automatic reset mechanism is automatically biasing the shut-off member to reset position.

This invention may be embodied in any type of alarm clock, whether it is driven by a spring or driven by electric motor. In the drawings, I have illustrated the clock driven by an electric motor. The clock may comprise an hour hand 20, a minute hand 2 l, and an alarm setting hand for ringing a bell producing the ringing sound of the alarm. Theclapper member 24 is flexible 11 Claims. (Cl. 58-2115) like a vibrating reed and has its anchored, or left-hand, end connected by screws 21 to the frame of the motor, with its free, or right-hand, end being magnetically actuated for ringing movement by a magnetic core 26. As illustrated best in the perspective views, the right-hand, or free end, of the clapper member 24 is provided with a latch element 29 and a cam element 30. As illustrated in Figure 5, the cam element 30 is adapted to be contacted by a wedging element 3| which operates to raise or restrain the clapper member 24 from ringing movement. In other words, when the wedging element 3| is contacting the cam element 30, the clapper member 24 is raised to an elevated position so that the magnetic core 25 can no longer actuate the clapper member 24 for ringing the alarm. The wedging element 3! is connected to a pivotally mounted bracket 32 which is pivotally carried up on a pivot pin 33, whereby the wedging element 3! may be moved into and out of engagement with the cam element 33. A, spring 34 which surrounds the pivot pin 33 is employed for normally biasing the pivotally mounted bracket 32 in such position that the cam element 30 is actuated to the release position shown in Figure 6, that is, the position where the wedge element 3! is moved away from the cam element 39 and freeing, or releasing, the clapper member 24 for ringing movement.

As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the pivotally mounted bracket 32 is engaged by a flange face 31 of an alarm control, time driven gear 35. In the perspectiveviews, the flange face 31 is shown spaced from contact with the pivotally mounted bracket 32, but this has been done only to illustrate the parts in their exploded views, but in actual construction, the flange face 31 engages the pivotally mounted bracket 32 for actuating it'in opposition to the spring 34 for forcing the wedging element 3| into contact with the cam element 30. Mounted adjacent to the alarm control, time driven gear 35 is an alarm control, timeset gear 36 which may be adjustably set by a gear '39 mounted on the end of an alarm setting shaft 38. The alarm control, time driven gear 35 is driven by a wide face intermediate gear 40 actuated by an hour hand gear 4 I. The gear 35 has a diameter twice that of the hour hand gear 4| and, thus, the gear 35 makes one revolution in 24 hours. Accordingly, the alarm setting hand 22 operates on a dial which has twenty-four hours around its circumference.

As shown best in Figure 5, the alarm control gear 35 has a cam slot 15 and the alarm time setting gear 36 has a cam boss 46 which is adapted to fit within the cam slot 45 when the two gears are inproper registration. Let it be supposed that the alarm setting hand 22 in Figure 1 is set at 3 :00 a. m. Under this condition, when the alarm time driven gear 35 is turned slightly farther in a clockwise direction, as viewed from the front of the clock, the cam slot will register with the cam boss 66, whereby the spring 34 will push the gear 35 next adjacent to the gear 36, as shown in Figure 6. The moment that the gear 35 is moved toward the gear 36, the wedging element 3| is moved out of release from contacting the cam element 38 and permits the clapper member 24 to move for ringing the bell. This ringing position is shown in Figure 6, and the alarm continues to ring until it is manually shut 01? by the manual actuation of an alarm shut-off member 59.

The Figure '7 of the drawing shows the alarm shut-oil member pushed in, which stops the ringing of the alarm. The alarm shut-oil member has a knob 51 which is mounted externally of the casing, for manual operation. The alarm shut-off member 5% has an abuttable stop element 52 carried thereby against which a, hook element 53 is biased by means of a spring 54. The hook element 5?, is slidably mounted upon the alarm shut-off member 55! and is arranged to slide by means of pins fitting within a longitudinal slot. The hook member 53 is provided with a bracket 55 to which one end of the spring 54 is connected, the other end of the spring being connected to the abuttable stop element 52. The hook element 53, on its top side, is provided with a latching surface 56 which terminates in a cam shoulder 51. As thealarm shut-off member 58 is moved to its shut-on position, the hook element 53 passes under the latch element 29 until cam shoulder 5'! engages the opposite side of the latch element 29. The hook element, in the position shown in Figure 7, holds the latch element 29 and the clapper member 2 in raised position and, thus, constrains the clapper member 24 from ringing movement. I

When the alarm shut-01f member 50 is in its reset position, as shown in Figure 5, the hook element 53 is entirely to one side of the latch element 29, whereby the clapper member 24 is free for ringing movement, but as the member 50 is moved to its shut-off position, hook element 53 is moved to a position under the latch element 29, whereby the latch element rests upon the latching surface 56, with the cam shoulder 5'! dispose-d on the opposite side of the latch member.

The automatic provision for resetting the alarm shut-on" member 50 is accomplished by means of a disk wheel 60 having seven spring reset fingers Si, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, and 61 which are mounted at fixed intervals around the circumferential edge portion of the disk wheel. The

interval between each of the fingers represents a time elapse of one day, or twenty-four hours.

Th disk wheel 60 is driven by a gear 13 connected to one end of a shaft 16. On the opposite end of the shaft is a gear 15 which is driven by an intermediate gear 14 from the hour hand gear 4}. The ratio of the gears is such that the disk wheel 60 makes one revolution in seven days. 7 Each of the spring reset fingers is arrangedto be pivotally connected to the disk wheel 65 by means of a pivot pin 68, whereby the operator may turn one or more of the fingers on the pivot to reino've it from the path of the L-shap'e'd abuttable end '!8 'of the shut-off member 50. As the disk wheel 60 is rotated in a clockwise direction, as

viewed from the rear end of the clock, the spring reset fingers pass under a compression member 1'! (see Figure 4) so as to fully compress the spring fingers, storing up potential energy in them, whereupon the spring fingers, upon passing the compression member 17, suddenly spring out with an impact force sufficiently to move the alarm shut-off member 50 to its reset position, as shown in Figure 6. When the shut-off member 50 is in its reset position, a spring 59 registers with a detent 52 so as to resiliently hold the shut-off member so in its reset position.

It is to be observed that the time interval that it takes for the cam slot 45 to move out of registration with the cam boss 46 of the alarm control gears 35 and 36 is ordinarily of the order of an hour and a half to two hours. In Figure 6, the hour hand is at three oclock and the alarm setting hand is also at three oclock and, thus, the position of the parts is such that the clapper member 2- is ringing. In the ringing position, it is to be noted that the finger 62 will not engage the L -shaped abuttable end 78 for a considerable length of time-approximately ten hours.

However, in the meantime, the cam boss 43 has moved out of registration with the cam slot 45, whereby the flange face 3? again re-engages the pivotally mounted bracket 32 for moving the wedge element 3| into cam engagement with the cam element for raising same to an elevated position. The moment that the cam element 30 is raised to an elevated position, the latch element 29 is, likewise, raised until it clears the cam shoulder 53?. The lifting of the latch member 29 to clear the cam shoulder 58 thereby frees, or releases, the hook element 53. Accordingly, when the spring finger 62, at a subsequent time, forces the shut-off member 50 to its reset position, the hook element 53 is moved from underneath the latch element 29 and to one side thereof, as shown in Figure 5, that being the reset position of the parts after the reset movement has been. completed.

Let it be supposed, however, that it is desired to set the alarm to go off at one o'clock p. m., such as is shown in Figure 8, which is ten hours after the setting in Figures 5, 6, and 7. At this position, it is to be observed that the spring reset finger 62 is now under the L-shaped abuttable end 78 of the shut-off member 58. Therefore, if an attempt is made to shut 01f the alarm by manually pushing in the shut-off member 50, the spring reset finger 62 will immediately push the shut-off member 5!] out to its full reset position, as shown in Figure 8. Under this condition, the clapper member 24 would normally tend to ring again the moment that the spring finger 62 had moved the shut-off member 50 to its full rest position.

However, with the present invention, it is to be observed that the latch element 29 is hooked, or engaged by the cam shoulder 51, with the result that the resetting of the shut-off member 50 merely elongates the spring 54. The spring '54 is of such design that, when it is elongated, it does not manifest suflicient strength to move the spring 59 from the detent 58, with the result that the shut-off member 50 remains in its full reset position in opposition to the tension exerted by the spring 54.

The cam shoulder 57 remains latched with the latch element 29 until the wedging element 31 raises th'ecam element 30, which occurs upon the cam slot 45 moving out bf registration with the cam boss E8 on the alarm control gears 35 and 35. As pointed out previously, it takes approximately an hour and a half for this movement to occur, whereupon the alarm control gears 35 and 35 separate for moving the wedging element 3| into contact with the cam element 30 for raising the latch element 29. The moment that this pletely effected. Accordingly, with the present invention, the alarm may be immediately shut oil without the alarm reringing. In other words,

the present invention enables the operator to reset the alarm immediately after the ringing of the alarm has been shut off. In effect, with the present invention, it is only necessary for the operator to shut off the alarm after it has started ringing and the reset operation is effected automatically.

Customarily, a person gets up at the same time each morning and, under these conditions, it is only necessary for the operator to set the alarm setting hand 22 at a specific time and this setting is not changed unless the operator desires to set a new time. The time having once been set, it is only necessary for the operator to shut off the alarm immediately after it has started to ring. This invention, thus, provides a seven day recurrence cycle of operation.

However, let it be supposed that the operator should desire to discontinue the early morning rising on a Sunday, for example. In this event, he would merely turn the particular spring reset finger about the pivot point 68 so as to remove the reset finger in passing under the L-shaped abuttable end 18 of the alarm shut-ofi member.

In the event that the operator wanted to restore the resetting of the alarm for Sunday, then he merely turns the spring reset finger back to its normal position. In the drawing, the spring reset finger B4 is shown in its inwardly turned position to exclude it from passing underneath the L-shaped abuttable end 18 of the shut-off member 50.

It is noted that the present invention embodies -the latch element 29 and the cam element 39 to restrain the alarm from ringing movement and that the latch element 29 is released in response to movement of the wedging element 3! raisin the cam element 39. This arrangement provides an organization of parts whereby the alarm may ,be reset immediately after the ringing of the alarm has been shut ofi.

Summarizing, the disk wheel till revolves at the rate of one revolution per week. The seven spring reset fingers, which are equally spaced on the disk wheel, operate to eject the alarm shutoff member 59 once daily to reset position on such days of the week as are desired, thereby setting the alarm for that day. Selection of the desired days is accomplished by positioning the spring reset fingers to travel in a circular path under the compression member 11 whereby they will make contact with the L-shaped abuttable end 18 of the alarm shut-off member 50. In passing under the compression member 11, the spring reset fingers are compressed, thereby storing up potential energy necessary to expel the alarm shutoff member 50, thus resetting the alarm. When it is desired to skip a day for the ringing of the alarm, the spring reset finger for that particular .day may be turned inwardly toward the center so that it no longer passes under the compression member 11 and makes contact with the L- shaped abuttable end 18 of the alarm shut-off I member 50. The alarm control time-driven gear revolves once every 24 hours and the alarm control time-set gear 36 has its position varied in accordance with the time for which the alarm is set. During most of the 24 hours, the alarm control time-driven gear 35 is forced away from the alarm control time-set gear 36, whereby the wedging element 3| is in contact with the cam element 30 and prevents the alarm from ringing. However, when the cam slot 45 of the alarm control time-driven gear 35 registers with the cam boss 46 of the alarm control time-set gear 36, the spring 34 forces the two alarm control gears together and withdraws the wedging element 3| from making contact with the cam element 30, thereby allowing the alarm to ring. In the event that the alarm shut-off member 59 is manually pushed inwardly to shut off the ringing of the alarm at the time when the L-shaped abuttable end 18 is urged outwardly by a reset finger to reset position, then the spring biased, slidable der 51, having previously been caught on the opposite side of the latch element 29, prevents the spring 54, from pulling the slidable hook element to the released position to one side of the latch element 29. The hook element 53 is eventually released when the wedging element 3| again contacts the cam element 39 and raises the latch element 29 above the cam shoulder 51, whereby the spring 54 may return the hook element 53 to its released position to one side of the latch element 29. One purpose of the spring biased, slidable hook element 53 is to make it possible to reset the alarm immediately after the alarm has been shut off. In the event the alarm shut-off member 59 is manually pushed inwardly to shut off the ringing of the alarm at a time when the L-shaped, abuttable end 18 is not urged outwardly by the reset finger to reset position, then the alarm shut-off member 50 and the spring biased, slidable hook element 53, which is carried thereby, remain in their pushed-in position with the hook element 53 remaining under the latch element 29. Subsequently, the wedging element 3| will raise the cam element 3!, which usually occurs within an hour and a half or two hours after the alarm has been shut off, being the time that it takes the cam slot 45 of the alarm control timedriven gear 35 to move out of registration with the cam boss 46 of the alarm control time-set gear 36. As the reset finger subsequently passes under the compression member 71 during the course of the day and forces the L-shaped, abuttable end 18 of the alarm shut-off member 50 to its reset position, the slidable hook element 53 moves along therewith since the cam shoulder 51 has been previously released by the raising of the latch element 29 by the wedging element 31. In other words, the slidable hook element 53 moves along with the alarm shut-ofi member '50 to reset position, except only when the reset fingers function to eject the alarm shut-off member 59 before the wedging element 3! raises the free end of the clapper member '24.

Although the invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A mechanism for re-setting an alarm device of a clock having a time-driven shaft, said mechanism comprising a pivotally mounted clapper member having its free end provided with a latch element, an alarm shut-0d member movably mounted to be shifted between alarm shut-ofi position and alarm re-set position, said shut-cit member having an abuttable stop element, a hook element movably mounted on and carried by said shut-01f member, resilient means having one end connected to the shut-off member and having its other end connected to the hook element for urging said hook element against said abuttable stop element, said hook element having a latching surface terminating in a cam-shoulder defining a hook portion, said hook element in the re-set position of said shut-01f member being disposed e 'ely to one side of said latch element whereby said clapper member is free for ringing movement, said abuttable stop element upon movement of said shut-off member from said re-set position to shut-off position moving said hook element to latch engaging position against said latch element with the latch element resting on said latch surface and with the hook portion disposed on the opposite side of said latch element whereby said clapper member is restrained against ringing movement, means driven by the time-driven shaft for moving said shut-oii member to re-set position said shut-oil member upon movement to re-set position urging said resilient means to pull said hook member from latch engaging position with said latch element, said hook portion engaging said opposite side of said latch element and retaining said hook member in latch engaging position with said latch element in opposition to said resilient means, and means to release said latch element from said hook portion and thereby permit said resilient means to move said hook element out of latch engaging position with said latch element whereby said clapper member is free for ringing movement.

2. A mechanism for re-setting an alarm device of a clock having a time-driven shaft, said mechanism comprising a pivotaily mounted clapper member having its fr e end provided with a latch element, an alarm shut-off member movably mounted to be shifted between alarm shut-oil? position and alarm re-set position, said shut-off member havin an abuttable stop element, a hook element movably mounted on and carried by said shut-on member, resilient means connected to the shut-off member for urging said hook element against said abuttable stop element, said hook element having a latching surface terminating in a cam-shoulder defining hook portion, said hook element in the re-set position of said shut-oi? member being disposed entirely out of latch en gaging position with said latch element whereby said clapper member is free for ringing movement, said abuttabl'e stop element upon movement of said shut-off member from said re-set position to shut-oir position moving said hook element to latch engaging position against said latch element with the latch element resting on said latch surface and with the hook portion disposed next adjacent one side of said latch element whereby said clapper member is restrained against ringing movement, re-set means driven by the time-driven shaft for moving said shut-off member to re-set position, said shut-oh member upon movement to re-set position urging said resilient means to pull said hook member from latch engaging position with said latch element, said hook portion engaging said one side of said latch element and retaining said hook member in latch engaging position with said latch element in opposition to said resilient means, and means to release said latch element from said hook portion and thereby permit said resilient means to move said hook element out of latch engaging position with said latch element whereby said clapper member is free for ringing movement.

3. A mechanism for resetting an alarm device of a clock having a time-driven shaft, said mechanism comprising a pivotally mounted clapper member having its free end provided with a latch element, an alarm shut-off member movably mounted to be shifted between alarm shutoff position and alarm re-set position, said shutoff member having an abuttable stop element, a hook element movably mounted on and carried by said shut-on member, resilient means connected to the shut-oil member for urging Said hook element against said abuttable stop element, said hook element having a latching surface terminating in a cam-shoulder defining a hook portion, said hook element in the re-set position of said shut-ohmember being disposed entirely out of latch engaging position with said latch element whereby said clapper member is free for ringing movement, said abuttable stop element upon movement of said shut-off member from said reset position to shut-oi? position moving said hook element to latch engaging position against said latch element with the latch element resting on said latch suriace and with the hook portion disposed next adjacent one side of said latch element whereby said clapper member is restrained against ringing movement, re-set means driven by the time-driven shaft for moving said shut-oh member to re-set position, said shut-oil member upon movement to re-set position in'ging said resilient means to pull said hook member from latch engaging position with said latch element, said hook portion engaging said one side of said latch element and retaining said hook member in latch engaging position with said latch element in opposition to said resilient means, means to release said latch element from said hook portion and thereby permit said resilient means to move said hook element out of latch engaging position with said latch element whereby said clapper member is free for ringing movement, said re-set means comprising a rotary member havinga plurality of resilient fingers mounted at circumferentially spaced intervals for periodically engaging said shut-off member and moving same to re-set position.

4. A mechanism for re-setting an alarm device of a clock having a time-driven shaft, said mechanism comprising a p-ivotally mounted clapper member having its free end provided with a latch element, an alarm shut-off member movably mounted to be shifted between alarm shuton position and alarm re-set position, said shutoff member having an abuttable stop element, a hook element movably mounted on and carried by said ShlltrOfi member, resilient means connected to the shut-off member for urging said hook element against said abuttabie stop element, said hook element having a latching surface terminating in a cam-shoulder defining a hook portion, said hook element in the re-set position of said shut-off member being disposed entirely out of latch engaging position with said latch element whereby said clapper member is free for ringing movement, said abuttable stop element upon movement of saidshut-cit member from said reset positionito shut-off position moving said hook element to latch engaging position against said latch element with the latch element resting on said latch surface and with the hook portion disposed next adjacent one side of said latch element whereby said clapper member is restrained against ringing movement, re-set means driven by the time-driven shaft for moving said shut-off member to re-set position, said shut-off member upon movement to re-set position urging said resilient means to pull said hook member from latch engaging position with said latch element, said hook portion engaging said one side of said latch element and retaining said hook member in latch engaging position with said latch element in opposition to said resilient means, means to release said latch element from said hook portion and thereby permit said resilient means to move said hook element out of latch engaging position with said latch element whereby said clapper member is free for ringing movement, said re-set means comprising a rotary member having a plurality of resilient fingers mounted at circumferentially spaced intervals for periodically engaging said shut-off member and moving same to re-set position, compression means next adjacent said rotary member under which said resilient fingers pass prior to engaging said shut-off member, and detent means to resiliently hold said shut-off member in re-set position.

5. A mechanism for re-setting an alarm device of a clock having a time-driven shaft, said mechanism comprising a pivotally mounted clapper member having its free end provided with a latch element, an alarm shut-off member movably mounted to be shifted between alarm shutoff position and alarm re-set position, said shutoff member having an abuttable stop element, a hook element movably mounted on and carried by said shut-off member, resilient means connected to the shut-off member for urging said hook element against said abuttable stop element, said hook element having a latching surface terminating in a cam-shoulder defining a hook portion, said hook element in the re-set position of said shut-off member being disposed entirely out of latch engaging position with said latch element whereby said clapper member is free for ringing movement, said abuttable stop element upon movement of said shut-01f member from said re-set position to shut-off position moving said hook element to latch engaging position against said latch element with the latch element resting on said latch surface and with the hook portion disposed next adjacent one side of said latch element whereby said clapper member is restrained against ringing movement, reset means driven by the time-driven shaft for moving said shut-off member to re-set position, said shut-off member upon movement to re-set position urging said resilient means to pull said hook member from latch engaging position with said latch element, said hook portion engaging said one side of said latch element and retaining said hook member in latch engaging position with said latch element in opposition to said resilient means, means to release said latch element from said hook portion and thereby permit said resilient means to move said hook element out of latch engaging position with said latch element whereby said clapper member is free for ringing movement, said re-set means comprising a rotary member having a plurality of resilient fingers mounted at circumferentially spaced intervals for periodically engaging said shut-off member and moving same to re-set position, compression means next adjacent said rotary member under which said resilient fingers pass prior to engaging said shut-off member, detent means to resiliently hold said shut-off member in re-set position, said resilient fingers each being shiftable out of the path of said shut-off member.

6. Mechanism for re-setting an alarm device of a clock having a time-driven shaft and an alarm setting shaft, said mechanism comprising a pivotally mounted clapper member having at its free end a cam element and a latch element, a Wedgin element engageable with said cam element, first and second alarm gears, said first gear having axially slidable movement with respect to said second gear, spring means for biasing said wedging element away from said cam element to free said cam element and allow the free end of said clapper member to move for ringing movement, first turning means for turning said first gear by said alarm setting shaft, second turning means for turning said second gear by said timedriven shaft, said gears respectively having cam means for imparting axial separating movement of said first gear from said second gear upon rotational registration of said gears, said separating movement of said first gear opposing said spring means and moving said Wedging element against said cam element and lifting said free end of said clapper member to prevent ringing movement, an alarm shut-off member movably mounted to be shifted between alarm shut-ofi position and alarm re-set position, said shut-off member having an abuttable stop element, a hook element movably mounted on and carried by said shut-off member, resilient means connected to the shut-off member for urging a said hook element against said abuttable stop element, said hook element having a latching surface terminating in a cam-shoulder defining a hook portion, said hook element in the re-set position of said shut-off member being disposed entirely to one side of said latch element whereby said clapper member is free for ringing movement, said abuttable stop element upon movement of said shutoff member from said re-set position to shut-off position moving said hook element to latch engaging position against said latch element with the latch element resting on said latch surface and with the hook portion disposed on the opposite side of said latch element whereby said clapper member is restrained against ringing movement, re-set means driven by the time-driven shaft for moving said shut-off member to re-set position, said shut-off member upon movement to re-set position urging said resilient means to pull said hook member from latch engaging position with said latch element, said hook portion engaging said opposite side of said latch element and retaining said hook member in latch engaging position with said latch element in opposition to said resilient means, said wedging element .releasing said latch element from said hook portion and thereby permitting said resilient means to move said hook element out of latch engaging position with said latch element.

7. Mechanism for resetting an alarm device of a clock having a time-driven shaft and analarm.

setting shaft, said mechanism comprisin a pivotally mounted clapper member having at its free end a cam element and a latch element, a wedging element engageable with said cam element,

first and second alarm gears, said first gear having axially slidable movement with respect to said second gear, spring means for biasing said wedging element away from said cam element to free said cam element and allow the free end of said clapper member to move for ringing movement, first turning means for turning said first gear by said alarm setting shaft, second turning means for turning said second gear by said time-driven shaft, said gears respectively having cam means for imparting axial separating movement of said first gear from said second gear upon rotational registration of said gears, said separating movement of said first gear opposing said spring means and moving said wedging element against said cam element and lifting said free end of said clapper member to prevent ringing movement, an alarm shut-oi? member movably mounted to be shifted between alarm shut-off position and alarm re-set position, said shut-off member having an abuttabie stop element, a hook element movably mounted on and carried by said shut oil member, resilient means connected to the shutoff member for urging a said hook element against said abuttable stop element, said hook element having a latching surface terminating in a cam-shoulder defining a hook portion, said hook element in the re-set position of said shutoff member being disposed entirely to one side of said latch element whereby said clapper member is free for ringing movement, said abuttable stop element upon movement of said shut-ofi member from said re-set position to shut-on position moving said hook element to latch engaging position against said latch element with the latch element resting on said latch surface and with the hook portion disposed on the opposite side of said latch element whereby said clapper member is restrained against ringing movement, re-set means driven by the time-driven shaft for moving said shut-off member to re-set position, said shut-01f member upon movement to re-set posi tion urging said resilient means to pull said hook member from latch engaging position with said latch element, said hook portion engaging said opposite side of said latch element and retaining said hook member in latch engaging position with said latch element in opposition to said resilient means, said wedging element releasing said latch element from said hook portion and thereby permitting said resilient means to move said hook element out of latch engaging position with said latch element, said re-set means comprising a rotary member having aplurality of resilient fingers mounted at circumferentially spaced intervals for periodically engaging said shut-ofi member and moving same to re-set position, compression means next adjacent said rotary member under which said resilient fingers pass prior to engaging said shut-01f member, and detent means to resiliently hold said shut-off member in re-set position.

8. Mechanism for re-setting an alarm device of a clock having a time-driven shaft and an alarm setting shaft, said mechanism comprising a pivotally mounted clapper member having at its free end a cam element and a latch element, a Wedging element engageable with said cam element, first and second alarm gears, said first gear having axially slidable movement with respect to said second gear, spring means for biasing said wedging element away from said cam element to free said cam element and allow the free end of said clapper member to move for ringing movement, first turning means for turning said first gear by said alarm setting shaft, second turning means for turning said second gear by said timedriven shaft, said gears respectively having cam means for imparting axial separating movement of said first gear from said second gear upon rotational registration of said gears, said separating movement of said first gear opposing said sprin means and moving said Wedging element against said cam element and lifting said free end of said clapper member to prevent ringing movement, a slidably mounted shut-oil member movable between shut-oil position and. alarm reset position, said shut-oil? member having an abuttable stop element, a hook lifting element slidably mounted on and carried by said shut-off member, resilient means for urging said hook lifting element against said abuttable stop element, said shut-off member upon movement to shut-off position moving said hook lifting element under said tongue element to lift said tongue element and hold the free end of said clapper member against ringing movement, said hook lifting member having a hook portion to retain said hook lifting member under said latch element upon movement of said shut-off member to re-set position, and means driven by the timedriven shaft for moving said shut ofi member to re-set position.

9. Mechanism for a clapper member of an alarm device of a clock, said mechanism comprising first means to make contact engagement with said clapper member to restrain it from ringing movement, second means to make interlocking contact engagement with said clapper to restrain it from ringing movement, and means responsive to the contact engagement of said first means with said clapper member to release said second means from making interlocking contact engagement with said clapper member.

10. Mechanism for a clapper member 01' an alarm device of a clock having a time-driven shaft, said mechanism comprising first means to make contact engagement with said clapper member to restrain it from rin ing movement, second means to make interlocking contact engagement with said clapper to restrain it from ringing movement, and means responsive to the contact engagement of said first means with said clapper member to release said second means from making interlocking contact engagement with said clapper member, both of said means eing operated by said time-driven shaft.

11. Mechanism for a clapper member of an alarm device of a clock having a time-driven shaft, said mechanism comprising first means to make contact engagement with said clapper member to restrain it from ringing movement, second means to make interlocking contact engagement with said clapper to restrain it from ringing movement, means responsive to the contact engagement of said first means with said clapper member to release said second means from making interlocking contact engagement with said clapper member, both of said means being operated by said time-driven shaft, and manually operable means to independently operate said second means,

BRUCE O. BOW ER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PA'I'EN'IS Number Name Date 919,892 Lapham Apr. 27, 1909 1,332,076 Smith Feb. 24, 1920 2,562,712 Gilson July 31, 1951

Images