US2678528A - Alarm clock with two setting hands - Google Patents

Description

y 18, 1954 i M. A. HAMM ALARM CLOCK WITH TWO SETTING mums Filed July 14, 1952 5 EIII-il Patented May 18, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims priority, application Germany July 18, 1951 17 Claims. 1

This invention relates to clocks, and more particularly to alarm clocks and the like.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved alarm clock having a second pair of adjustable hands.

Other objects, and the manner in which the same are attained, will become apparent as this specification proceeds.

The invention involves an alarm clock having a second pair of adjustable hands (setting hands) which is arranged in concentric relationship to the pair of clock hands, the hour setting hand and the minute setting hand each having a ratchet mechanism correlated to them which mechanisms are controlled by the movements for hours and minutes, respectively, and automatically efl'ect by ratchet action, the alarm when the minute hand as well as the hour hand are about to overtake the minute and hour setting hands, respectively. With known alarm or signal clocks of this kind, the ratchets of the ratchet mechanisms are so designed, i. e. in the form of a roof, that the setting hands after release of the alarm, remain at the points for which the alarm was set, whereas the regular clock hands move on and hereby automatically release again the ratchet mechanisms. This results in two pairs of hands in different positions being normally visible on the clock dial which is quite undesirable for purposes of a quick and sure reading of the time. Moreover, the known arrangement of the ratchet mechanisms involves adjustment of the setting hands in counterclockwise direction only which is extremely cumbersome whenever the time for which the alarm is to be set, is only a few hours or minutes later than the clock time at which the setting takes place, so the setting hands must be turned counterclockwise over an interval of nearly 11 hours or more.

The invention contemplates to eliminate the drawbacks of prior art devices outlined above, and to provide an alarm or signal clock which is readily and without any difficulty, usable even for short or frequently varying alarm time intervals, According to the invention, the ratchet mechanisms are provided in the form of regular couplings for the setting hands, in a manner such that following engagement of the ratchets and releas of the arm, they couple the hour setting hand with the regular hour hand, and the minute setting hand with the regular minute hand so that the setting hands are taken along by and turn synchronously with the hour and minute hands, the hands of one pair covering their correlated partners of the other pair. Moreover, the ratchet mechanisms according to the invention may be disengaged by means of a manually operated member counteracting the force on the ratchet, into a position where they permit setting the setting hands for any time for the alarm. Contrary to the known ratchet mechanisms, therefore, the ratchet mechanisms provided according to the invention, in the form of couplings remain, after release of the alarm, in the engaged position until they are disengaged manually, and only then the setting hands are displaced with respect to the regular clock hands and set to the time for which the alarm is desired.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, an adjusting device actuated by the manually operated member permits setting the setting hands, in the disengaged position, in either direction, i. e. both clockwise and counterclockwise. If the time for the alarm or signal is only an hour later than the clock time at which the setting of the alarm takes place, the setting hands after disengagement of the coupling, are merely advanced by one hour instead of turning them back for an 11 hours interval. When the alarm is released the setting hands move in tow of and synchronously with, the clock hands which cover them so only one pair of hands is visible from the front and the reading of the time is not troubled by the setting hands.

In the afore-noted embodiment of the invention, the adjusting device serves for disengaging the coupling of the ratchet mechanisms counteracting the force of a coupling spring, as well as for setting the setting hands by means of a setting mechanism connected with the adjusting device. This manifestly constitutes a particularly efficient and simple form of the adjusting mechanism.

The preferred embodiment of the invention provides further that the adjustable members of the adjusting device when actuated, engage the ratchet mechanisms so as to disengage the same counteracting the force of the coupling spring, and also couple the adjusting device with the setting mechanism of the setting hands so that they can be set from the adjusting device. The two steps-uncoupling of the ratchet mechanisms and coupling of the setting mechanism-thus are effected when actuating the adjusting device, by a simple manual operation.

The subsequent setting of the setting hands, in this preferred embodiment of the invention, therefore n to be eiiected by the same adjusting member, accessible from the outside and handoperated, which is controlled inthe two coupling steps'reierred, to above. For this purpose, in this acrea e embodiment the adjusting member is arranged for rotation as well as for longitudinal displacement and controls in one direction of adjustment the setting of the setting hands in either direction, while in the other adjusting direction at first the disengagement of the ratchet mechanisms is controlled. It is advantageous to arrange such a double-acting adjusting member above the clock case and easily accessible from the front of the clock.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the members of the adjusting device controlled during disengagement of the coupling, serve also for locking the release levers of the ringing mechanism or the like, and advantageously also for controlling a friction device which in the uncoupled position of the ratchet mechanisms engages the setting mechanism of the setting hands and on engagement of the ratchets, releases the setting hands from this device which retains the hands in the set position until engagement of the ratchets takes place. Thus, in this embodiment, a single push by one finger, on the adjusting member of the adjusting device controls simultaneously and in the simplest possible manner, all operations required for preparing. the clock for a setting of the alarm, to wit: uncoupling of the ratchet mechanisms accompanied by a setting of the coupling spring, connecting the adjusting member with the setting mechanism of the setting hands, locking the ringing mechanism and engaging the friction levers, so that a subsequent turning of the adjusting member sets the setting hands for the time desired.

A particularly simple arrangement of the adjusting device and the setting mechanism connected therewith results if, preferably, the two ratchet mechanisms, in a manner known by itself, are arranged for rotation coaxially with respect to the axis of the concentric shaft of the hands, and the components of the ratchet mechanisms which can be uncoupled by the axial displacement, are displaced in this axial direction together and simultaneously, from the adjusting member of the adjusting device.

- In the drawing accompanying this specification and forming part thereof, some embodiments of the invention are illustrated diagrammatically by way of example.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 shows, in axial section through the shaft of the hands, the hand mechanism with the correlated setting mechanism and adjusting device, (the ordinary clock movement and most parts of the bell or ringing device being omitted for the sake of clarity) in the uncoupled position of the ratchet mechanisms and with the adjusting device in operative position;

Fig, 2 shows the same axial section as Fig. 1, however with the ratchet mechanisms in the coupling position and the adjusting device (shown by way of a modification of the device of Fig. 1) in inoperative position, and shows, also in section, the bell or ringing device;

' Fig. 3 is a rear view, in section, of the bell or ringing device shown in Fig. 2, and

is a section taken along line A--B in Fig. 2, drawn to a larger scale.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like elements are denoted by identical reference numer ale, and first to Figs. 1 and 2, the mechanism for the hands together with the ratchet and setting mechanisms, as well as the bulk of the adjust ng device connected therewith, are arranged between two plates i and 2, while the space between plate 4 t and an additional plate 3 accommodates the remainder of the adjusting device, the bell clapper indicated at 1 and the movement of the clock proper which is not shown for the sake of clarity and which may be mounted on a downward extension of the plate or on an additional plate not shown but situated to the right, in the drawing, of plate A shaft 5 for the minute hand driven by the clock movement and journalled with its rear extremity, in the plate 2, mounts at its front end the ordinary minute hand it. Arranged for rotary displacement on this shaft is a bushing "i the front end of which mounts a minute setting hand 8 while its rear extremity is rigidly connected with a pinion ii and a coupling disk iii. The shaft 5 for the minute hand mounts rigidly, behind the coupling disk iii, a ratchet disk H the rim of which has a rectangular, recess, or a groove extending all the way through. This recess or groov corresponds in size andsh'ape, to the downwardly bent end portion ii, of a hook i3 which mounted on the coupling disk it, extends rearwardly across the ratchet H. The disks l0 and ii, together, thus form the ratchet mechanism which is designed to synchronously couple the minute hand with the minute setting hand 56, in a manner to be described below in detail.

The bushing i mounts for rotation, a hollow shaft i i the front end of which mounts the ordinary hour hand it; and abuts against the flanged front end of the bushing i, while its rear extremity is rigidly connected with a coupling disk (6. Arranged in front of this coupling disk is a correlated ratchet disk H which is supported for rotation on the hollow shaft M and i journalled in the plate i by means of a forwardly extending short bushing it the front end of which mounts the hour setting hand iii. The coupling disk I6 mounts a forwardly projecting pin Zil, and the.

ratchet disk i? has a, corresponding recess of V- shaped section (shown in Fig. 4) which can be engaged by the pin 20. The disks i6 and IT, together, thus form the ratchet mechanism designed to couple the hour hand with the hour setting hand.

On its outer periphery 21 the coupling disk I6 is provided as a toothed wheel which meshes with a pinion 22 mounted on a shaft 23 which is journalled in the plates 1 and 2 and is driven by the clock movement in the manner usual for driving the hour hand. Meshing pinions 25. (mounted on the shaft 5 for the minute hand) and 25 (mounted on the shaft 23 for the hour hand) transmit the rotary displacement of the latter shaft to the former.

The coupling disk in together with the pinion 9 and the bushing i can be displaced axially toward the front (i. e. toward the hand 6) and relative to the shaft b, so that the hook portion 12 can engage the correlated recess or groove in. the ratchet disk when this recess or groove is disposed opposite the hook portion ill. On axial forward displacement of the parts referred to, the coupling disk likewise is carried along so as to be displaced forwardly provided the recess in the ratchet disk ii is disposed opposite the pin 20; Relative to the distance between the hook portion it and the correlated recess or groove, the pin 253 is made sufficiently long that it can partly engage the recess in the ratchet disk i? even though the hook portion [2 is not yet disposed opposite the recess or groove in the ratchet disk I l but has merely approached this disk. Only when the positions of members I] and i2 correspond,

a further axial forward displacement, and engagement of the minute ratchet mechanism Iii, ll takes place. The parts of the ratchet mechanism described so far now are in the position of engagement shown in s. 2 and A coupling or return spring 28 tend to effect the engagement of the two rate at mechanisms iii, if and it, if acting through etting mechanism to be described below. Tilt: reverse operation of uncoupling the two ratchet mechanisms is effected from the adjusting device to be described below by counteracting the force of the spring 25.

The principal member of this adjusting device is an adjusting member 2'! which projects above the top of the clock case (not shown), is provided as a revolving handle and, as shown in Figs. 1. and 2, extends into a shaft 29 journalled in a plate 28. This shaft is supported axially on the plate by means of a spring 3t abutting against a coliar 31 which is rigidly mounted on the shaft. The lower extremity of t ,e shaft 23 traverses for rotation a leaf spring 32 mounted on the plate 3 and abuts against this spring by means of a collar 33.

The plate 3 mounts a bushing 5 and a shaft 35 of the setting mechanism is journalled for rotation in this bushing, in the plate 3 and in the plate 2. The shaft 35 mounts rigidly a conical disk 36 disposed in proximity to a downward extension 37 on the leaf spring 32. The rear face of the conical disk 36 serves as abutment for the front end of the coupling spring 26 the rear extremity of which abuts against the bushing 34 so that this spring tends to push the conical disk 35 with the shaft 35 forwardly (toward the left in the drawing). In the initial position of the adjusting member 2? shown in Fig. 2, this displacement is limited by a collar 38 fixed on the shaft 35 which abuts against the inside of the bushing 34 so as to relieve the couplings, at least partly, from the influence of the spring 26. As shown in Fig. 2 the adjusting member 2'! is in the position where it is elevated by the spring 30 and where the extension 3'! is not in touch with the conical disk 36 so that the latter may assume its foremost position shown in Fig. 2. When the adjusting member 21 is pushed downwardly against the force of the spring til, the collar 33 carries the leaf spring 32 along in a downward direction so that the extension 3"! thereof presses on the conical disk 36 displacing the same rearwardly while compressing the spring 26 until the position shown in Fig. 1 is reached. At the same time, a bevel pinion 39 mounted on the bottom of shaft 29 engages a bevel pinion 40 fixed on the shaft 35 of the setting mechanism.

Rigidly connected with the front end of the shaft 35 of the setting mechanism are a driver disk 4| and a pinion 62 the latter of which meshes with a toothed wheel 53. The toothed wheel 43 is rigidly mounted at the rear extremity of a shaft 44 the front end of which is iournalled in the plate I and rigidly mounts a pinion A5. The pinion t5 meshes with a toothed rim provided on the periphery of the ratchet disk El. Besides, the toothed wheel 43 meshes with the pinion 9 which is connected with the coupling disk H). The ends of the shafts 35 and 44 disposed between the plates 5 and 2 are journalled for rotation in some suitable manner not indicated in the drawing.

The driver disk 4| engages for rotation therein, a groove 4! provided in that part of the ratchet mechanism formed by the pinion 9 and the cou pling disk it] so that on axial displacement of the shaft 35 of the setting mechanism, this part 6 is carried along in axial direction toward the frontor the rear. Accordingly, when the adjusting member 21 is pushed downward as described above, the rearward displacement of the shaft 35 of the setting mechanism effects simultaneously the displacement of members 9 and it from the coupling position shown in Fig. 2 into the uncoupled position shown in Fig. 1, whereas the toothed wheels 62, 43 and 9 which are provided sufficiently deep, remain in mesh. In the course of this axial displacement manifestly the coupling disk 2| too is carried along toward the rear by its hollow shaft M and the overlapping end of bushing l, the correspondingly deep toothed wheels [6 and 22 again remaining in intermeshing relationship.

A downward displacement of the adjusting member 21 thus results in both ratchet mechanisms H), II and l6, I! being uncoupled. Since at the same time, the bevel pinions 3i! and 4B engage one another, the shaft 35 of thesetting mechanism now can be turned forward dr backward by corresponding turns of the adjusting member 2']. This rotary displacement is transmitted through the parts of the setting mechanism 42, 43, 9 on the one hand, and 45, 65 on the other hand, and efiects the setting of the setting hands 8 and is to the time desired for the alarm, the transmission ratio between the setting hands, of course, being the same as that between the clock hands, i. e. 1:12. If the alarm is to be set for a time which is only a few minutes or a few hours later than the clock time, it is of particular advantage that the setting mechanism can be turned not only backward, as usual, but also forward.

When the adjusting member 27 is released so as to be lifted again under the influence of its spring 30, and the bevel pinions 39, 49 and the parts 36 and 3? become disengaged, nevertheless the coupling spring 26 can not again couple the ratchet mechanisms as the pin 20 no longer is disposed opposite the recess in the ratchet disk I! but abuts against the rear surface thereof. Only when the pin 20 is disposed opposite the recess in the ratchet disk (1, the coupling spring 26 effects, through the parts 5| and 9, a small axial forward displacement in the course of which thepinion 9 carries along the coupling disk 2! and the pin 20 partly engages the corresponding recess in the ratchet disk ll. At this moment the hour and hour setting hands l5 and 19 are nearly aligned whereas the minute and minute setting hands are not yet in aligned positions. If the alarm time when the alarm is set, differs from the clock time by less than an hour, the coupling procedure on the ratchet mechanism it, I! for the hour hands, of course, takes place the moment the adjusting member 21 is released. While this takes place the hook portion l2 approaches the ratchet disk H without, however, engaging the recess in the same as yet.

When also the minute and minute setting hands 6 and 8 cover one another, the hook portion I 2 of the coupling disk It is disposed in front of the corresponding recess in the ratchet disk H and engages this recess under the influ ence of the coupling spring 26 at which point the pin 20 penetrates still further into the corresponding groove in the ratchet disk if. At this moment the coupling operation is terminated and the alarm, bell, ringing mechanism, etc. is released in the manner to be described below. The coupling procedure described is facilitated by providing the recess or groove in the ratchet disk ll of the ratchet mechanism for the hours, with a V-shaped section, while. the recess or groove in the ratchet disk I is provided with a rectangular section, whereby the pin 26 can gradually engage its correlated recess or groove already before the sudden engagement of the. hook portion |2 with the recess or groove correlated therewith.

When the adjusting member 21 is pushed down, the bevel pinion 36 presses on the bent upper end 48 of a rod 49 which is supported for longitudinal displacement in a shoulder 50- on the plate 2. Mounted rigidly on the rod 49 and extending transversely thereto is a locking lever which abuts against the upper end of a compression spring 53 the lower end of which abuts against the shoulder 50. The lower end 52 of the rod 49 which is bent downwardly and toward the front extends, in the coupling position shown in Fig. 2, into proximity of the coupling disk Hi. When this disk is displaced rearwardly by the uncoupling operation, into the position shown in Fig. l, the part 52 at the same time has been carried along downwardly when the adjusting member 2! is pushed down so that the rim of the coupling disk |0 moves over the part 52, as shown in Fig. 1. The coupling disk, therefore, is retained in the uncoupled position and after setting of the alarm, by friction on the part 52 in the set position, the frictional contact deriving from the spring 53, however, permitting nevertheless the setting of the coupling disk l0 and of' the setting hand 8 connected therewith. Since during this'setting operation the coupling disk H1 is coupled, through the parts 9, 43, 44, 45 and 46 of the setting mechanism, with the ratchet disk II, the setting hand is too is retained in the set position by friction with the part 52.

When the setting hands have been set by turning the adjusting member 21 and the latter is released so it rises again, the friction device formed by the parts 48, 49, 50, 52 and 53 nevertheless remains in its operative position, i. e. in engagement with the coupling disk It), until coupling of the minute ratchet mechanism accompanied by alignment and mutual coverage of the minute and minute setting hands takes place, whereupon the friction rod, underthe influence of the spring 53, returns into the position shown in Fig. 2.

In the operative position of the friction device shown in Fig. 1 the locking lever presses on arelease lever 54 of the hell or other signal mechanism of which, for sake of clarity, Fig. 1 shows a few parts only which will be mentioned below, in connection with the description of the entire bell or ringing device as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 1 shows the release lever 54' in the position where the ringing device is locked; the position of release lever 54 when it releases the bell or ringing device, is shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 shows an adjusting member 2'! which is a modification of the adjusting member 21 shown in Fig. l and which permits winding the alarm or other signal device from the adjusting device. This is particularly desirable if, for example for use during the day, the signal is to be short so the spring must be wound only a little. This modification, however, does not exclude the possibility of winding the alarm in the usual manner, in the rear of the clock whenever the spring is to be wound completely.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the adjusting member 21 has a hollow shaft 29a the bottom of 8 which mounts the bevel pinion 39. This hollow shaft is traversed by a winding member 56 mounting a grip or button 55 and pressing, with its lower extremity, on a lever 51 pivoted on the alarm mechanism. A click 58 pivoted on the other end of the lever 51, and a click 59 pivoted on a plate of the clock, are forced by a draw spring 60 connecting the two clicks, into engagement with a stepping wheel 6| which is connected with the spring of the alarm in any suitable manner not shown in the drawing. At the same time, the spring 60 tends to push the left end of the lever 5i and with it the winding member 56, upwardly. When the grip or button 55 is pushed down repeatedly, the stepping wheel 6| is stepwise rotated counterclockwise by the click 58, while the click 59 serves as a ratchet pawl.

The lever 51 is pivotally mounted on a shaft E8 journalled in the plates 69 and 59. The stepping wheel fil is fixed on this shaft 68. Mounted for rotation on the shaft 68 is a spring housing H which accommodates the customary helical spring for operating the alarm mechanism. The inner end of this spring is fixed on the shaft 68 while its outer end is fixedly connected with the spring casing H. This casing in turn is fixedly connected with or mounted on, a toothed wheel 52 mounted for rotation on the shaft 68. This toothed wheel 62 meshes with a pinion 63 which is fixed on a shaft 51 which is journalled in the plates 69 and 69 The shaft 61 has rigidly mounted on it, a ratchet wheel 64 which is alternatingly engaged by the arms of a swiveling twoarmed pawl or anchor 55 rigidly mounted on a shaft 6% which in turn, is journalled, for rotation, in the plates 69 and 69'. The shaft 66 also carries the clapper 4 which under the influence of the back-and-forth movements of the anchor 65, swings against the bell 10.

In the position of the adjusting member 21 shown in Fig. l, the anchor 85 is blocked against any swivel movement, by the fact that the looking lever 5| has pushed the release lever 54' downwardly so the lower arm of the anchor or pawl 65 engages the ratchet 64. This also blocks the operation of the ringing device as the ratchet 64 can not turn and the clapper 4 is prevented from swinging back and forth.

When coupling of the ratchet mechanisms for the hour and minute hands, has caused the adjusting member 21 and the rod 49 to reach the position shown in Fig. 2, the locking lever 5| has released the release lever 54 with the result that the lower arm of the pawl 55 disengages itself from the ratchet wheel 6 and the pawl is'free to execute its back and forth movements under the influence of the helical spring in the spring housing H. This causes the clapper 4 to be swung back and forth by the shaft 66 so it swings against the bell Hi to ring the alarm.

The winding of the spring of the ringing device contained in the spring housing H, accord ing to the embodiment of Fig. 2, is effected by repeatedly pushing down the button 55 and the rod 56. The consequent stepwise advancement, described above, of the stepping wheel 6! by means of the lever 51 and the click 58, rotates the shaft 68 whereby the alarm spring contained in the housing H is wound up. The hell or ringing device itself may take any conventional form, or may be replaced by any known non-acoustic signal device, in a well known manner. Since the winding operations for the alarm are under consideration only if, according to Fig. 1, the alarm mechanism is locked, the ratchet mocha and the setting of the setting hands may also be effected by mutually independent members.

The term ratchet mechanism as employed in the foregoing specification and the appended claims, is intended to refer to the groove and key coupling members H), II and I6, ll, for abbreviation purposes, rather than to ratchet devices in the strictest sense of the term.

While I have disclosed the preferred embodiments of my invention and the preferred modes of carrying it into effect, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention as illustrated in the foregoing specification, is susceptible to numerous variations without departure from the spirit of the invention or sacrifice of the advantages thereof. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be understood as limited solely by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A11 alarm clock comprising a clock movement, a pair of clock hands driven by said movement, a pair of setting hands concentrically arranged relative to said clock hands, contact means associated with each of said setting hands, driven by said movement and adapted to release the alarm when the clock hands have reached the positions of the corresponding setting hands, said contact means being provided as clutches adapted upon engagement, and release of the alarm, to couple the setting hands with the corresponding clock hands for mutual coverage and synchronous motion, and a manually operated member for disengaging said clutches whereby to permit setting of the setting hands.

2. An alarm clock according to claim 1, comprising an adjusting device associated with said manually operated member and adapted to permit setting of the setting hands in clockwise as well as counterclockwise direction.

3. An alarm clock according to claim 1, comprising a coupling spring tending to maintain said clutches in engaged relationship, a setting mechanism for setting the setting hands, and an adjusting device associated with said manually operated member and adapted to disengage said clutches against the force of said coupling spring, and to set said setting hands by means of said setting mechanism.

4. An alarm clock according to claim 3, wherein the adjusting device comprises displaceable members for disengaging said clutches, and means for coupling the setting mechanism with the adjusting device whereby the setting hands may be set from the adjusting device.

5. An alarm clock according to claim 1, comprising an adjusting device associated with said manually operated member, an alarm release mechanism, and means controlled by said adjusting device for disengaging said clutches and at the same time, locking said alarm release mechamsm.

6. An alarm clock according to claim 2, said manually operated member being arranged for rotation as well as for axial displacement, said whereby to lock the ment of the clutches is effected, and thereafter 10 member being adapted to eifect, on axial displacement, disengagement of said clutches, and on axial displacement and rotation, setting of the setting hands in clockwise as well as counterclockwise direction.

7. An alarm clock according to claim 1, said manually operated member being arranged accessible from the outside and on top of the clock case.

8. An alarm clock according to claim 4, comprising a friction device associated with said setting mechanism, said adjusting device including a member controlling said friction device setting hands until engagerelease the setting hands.

9. An alarm clock according to claim 1, comprising concentric shafts for the clock hands,

each of said clutches comprising two clutch portions co-axially arranged for rotation about the axis of said shafts, one of said portions of each clutch being an axially displaceable member, said members being adapted to be axially displaced together and simultaneously by said manually operated member.

.10. An alarm clock according to claim 9, wherein one of said clutches includes a coupling disk connected with the hour hand, a grooved disk adjacent said coupling disk and connected with the hour setting hand, a pin on said coupling disk adapted to enter the groove in saidgrooved disk whereby to engage the clutch, a second coupling disk on the other clutch connected with the minute setting hand, a second grooved disk adjacent said second coupling disk and connected with the minute hand, and a hook on said second coupling disk adapted to engage with its end only the groove in said second grooved disk whereby to engage the second clutch.

11. An alarm clock according to claim 10, wherein the groove in the disk connected with the hour setting hand and a V-shaped section, and the groove in the disk connected with the minute hand has a rectangular section.

12. An alarm clock according to claim 3, wherein said setting mechanism comprises a shaft surrounded by said coupling spring and a collar on said shaft whereby to limit extension of said coupling spring in the direction of coupling so the clutches in their engaged position, are at least partly relieved from the influence of this spring.

13. An alarm clock according to claim 1 wherein said manually operated member is arranged for axial as well as rotary displacement and forms part of an adjusting device comprising, in addition, a shaft extending from the bottom of said manually operated member and journalled for axial as well as rotary displacement, a bevel pinion at the bottom of the shaft and spring means for normally retaining the shaft in an elevated position; said clock comprising further a setting mechanism having a shaft arranged at right angles relative to said first-named shaft, a bevel pinion on said second shaft normally out of mesh with said first-named bevel pinion, driver members on said second shaft whereby to axially displace some portions of said clutches into engagement with correlated clutch portions, and a coupling spring on said second shaft normally maintaining said bevel pinions spaced and said driver members in the position of engagement of said clutch portions; and means for axially displacing the second shaft on axial displacement of the first shaft whereby to cause engagements 11 of said bevel pinions and axial displacement of said driver members to disengage said clutch portions.

14. An alarm clock according to claim 13, comprising a friction device associated with said adjusting device and normally spaced from said clutch portions but adapted, on axial displacement of the adjusting device and consequent axial displacement of some clutch portions, to

frictionally engage one of said clutch portions whereby to secure the setting mechanism asso ciated with said frictionally engaged clutch portion in position until release of the adjusting device resulting in displacement of said clutch portion into engagement with its correlated portion, causes disengagement of said friction device.

15. An alarm clock according to claim 14, including an alarm release mechanism and means on said friction device for blocking said mechanism in the displaced position of the friction device, and for unblccking said mechanism upon return of the friction device into normal position where said clutches are engaged.

16. An alarm clock according to claim '13, wherein said "manually operated member and said shaft of the adjusting device are traversed by a winding member for the movement of the a1arm mechanism.

1'7. An alarm clock according to claim 16, said shaft being provided as a hollow shaft and the winding member being arranged-for axial displacement in and relative to said shaft, said movement of the alarm mechanism comprising a stepping wheel, said winding member being adapted to actuate said stepping wheel by repeatedaxial displacement whereby to wind said movement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,731,846 Dunn Oct. 15, 1929 2,192,377 Hafe Mar. 5, 1940

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