US2694338A

US2694338A - Clock face projecting device

Info

Publication number: US2694338A
Application number: US340772A
Authority: US
Inventors: Moultry Isaac; Adamec Gilbert
Original assignee: MOULTRY
Current assignee: MOULTRY
Priority date: 1953-03-06
Filing date: 1953-03-06
Publication date: 1954-11-16
Anticipated expiration: 1971-11-16

Description

Nov. 16, 1954 1. MOULTRY EI'AL CLOCK FACE PROJECTING DEVICE 3 Sheeds-Sheet 1 Filed March 6, 1953 INVENTORJ [Jflfld -MOOLTRV BY 5. GILBERT ADA/45C I IYZQO/WVE) Nov. 16, 1954 l. MOULTRY ETAL 2,694,338

CLbCK FACE PROJECTING DEVICE Filed Marbh 6, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TORJ 15/716 MOULTRK y GILBERT ADA Nov. 16, 1954 l. MOULTRY ETAL CLOCK FACE PROJECTING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 6, 1953 IN V EN T 0R5 United States Patent CLOCK FACE PROJECTING DEVICE Isaac Moultry, New York, and Gilbert Adamec, Bronx, N. Y.; said Adamec assignor to said Moultry Application March 6, 1953, Serial No. 340,772

3 Claims. (Cl. 88-24) This invention relates to a clock face projecting device.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a clock face projecting device wherein one lying in bed or remote from the device may cause by the pushing of a button the clock face to be projected upon a wall or ceiling so that it can be read without difilculty.

It is another object of the invention to provide a clock face projecting device wherein the angle from which the clock face is projected from the device can be adjusted for projection to either one wall or an opposite wall or upon the ceiling by a mere turning of a part having a reflecting mirror and lens.

It is another object of the invention to provide a clock face projecting device wherein the mirror and the lens part can be angled and the position selected by the person using the clock by operation of a control button and wherein the position of the mirror and lens part will be indicated by a musical note.

Other objects of the invention are to provide'a clock face projecting device which is of simple construction, inexpensive to manufacture, has a minimum number of parts, is easy to install and adjust, of pleasing appearance, compact, and efficient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the clock face projecting device constructed according to one form of the invention and illustrating the manner in which the clock face is projected upon a wall, the device of this form of the invention being powered by batteries;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the device looking upon the clock dial but with the mirror and lens part being detached therefrom;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevational view of the device according to a modified form of construction and wherein the device serves as a support for a lamp attachment;

Fig. 6 is a wiring diagram of the light circuit;

Fig. 7 is a perspective and collective view of the lamp bulb assembly on the side of the clock casing;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view of the lamp bulb socket taken on line 88 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a modified form of the invention wherein the clock is electrically operated and wherein the adjustment is propelled by the clock motor to locate the mirror and lens on opposite walls or upon the ceiling;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view looking upon the drive gear arrangement for the adjustment of the mirror and lens part;

Fig. 11 is a iring diagram for the form of the invention shown in Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the musical note strikers;

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the driving gear of the clock mechanism.

Referring now to the figures, 15 represents a hollow box having a bottom slide cover 16 with a notch 17 therein. Within the box there are disposed

batteries

18 and 19 which are connected in series with one an ther, Fig. 6, by a contact strip 21. A contact strip 22 extends from the battery 18 to the top of the box by a nut 24. The contact strip 22 is fixed to the terminal 23 by a nut 25, Fig. 3. Extending upwardly from terminal 23 is a support strip 26 that carries on its upper end a socket 27 for a lamp bulb 28. A washer 29 is fixed between the socket 27 and the support strip 26. The socket 27 has a shank 30 which is peened at 31 to fix the socket 27 to the support 26. The lower end of the support 26 is fixed in a slot 32 of the terminal 23 by a rivet 33. The socket 27 has a flange 34 that is curved to conform to a clock shell 35. The lamp bulb extends through a hole 36 in the shell and into the socket 27. The lamp bulb 28 lies within the shell 35. The bottom of the clock shell is supported on a resilient and compressible pad 37 lying on the top of the box 15.

Another terminal strip or contact 38 connects with a terminal 39. The terminal 39 is secured to the top of the box by a nut 40 and the contact strip 38 is secured to the terminal by a nut 41. A supporting member 42 extends upwardly from the terminal 39 and has a socket 43 connected to the upper end thereof in the same manner that the socket 27 is connected to the upper end of the support 26. A lamp bulb 44 is fitted into the socket 43. A curved flange 45 is seated against the clock shell 35. The two sockets 27 and 43 are grounded through the clock shell 35.

Extending from the box is a cable cord 46 having

wires

47 and 48 therein. These wires are connected with a switch 50 lying in a handle knob 51. The switch 50 includes a press button 52 which when pressed will bridge contacts 53 and 54 to close the circuit through the

batteries

18 and 19 and

lamp bulb

28 and 44. The battery 19 has a positive terminal 19' with which a contact 55 engages. The contact 55 is carried on the inner side of the box and connects with cable cord wire 47.

The clock shell 35 contains a clock mechanism 56 which can be wound by a turn knob 57 and can be set by set knob 58. A drive shaft arrangement 59 has

clock hands

60 and 61 connected thereto to be operated, and these bands extend in front of a transparent dial 62 carried on a ring 63 which is fixed to the inner surface of the clock shell 35, and forwardly of the

lamp bulbs

28 and 44. Spaced from the dial is a ring 64 carried on bolts 65 circumferentially spaced from one another.

The shell 35 is open at its forward end and has tightly fitted therein a box-like shell 66 having a diagonally extending mirror 67 on to which the numerals and clock hands are projected and directed through an opening 68 on the shell 66 and about which extends a cylindrical shell 69 that carries a lens 70 fixed to the outer end of the shell by a threaded ring 71 adjustable from wi hin the shell 69.

The shell 66 has a circular flange 72 that fits into the end of shell 35 to permit rotation of the box-like shell 66 relative thereto. The box-like shell 66 c ntaining the mirror and the lens 70 can be adjusted to direct the dial face and the hands either to one side of the room or to the other side of the room, as shown in Fig. 1, or in a vertical direction and upon the ceiling as shown in Fig. 2. The box-like shell 66 is removed and turned in the direction to which the lens 70 is to point and is then fitted again into the end of the clock shell 35. The handle knob 51 can be extended over a bed 73, as shown in Fig. 1, while the clock reading device can be positioned on a night table 74 located near the bed.

In Fig. 5 there is shown a modified arrangement wherein a box-like shell 75 has a lens device 76 on one side thereof and an upwardly extending circular flange 77 to which a sleeve support 78 is attached. The upper end of this sleeve support has a lamp socket 79 and a sh de supporting frame 80 attached thereto. A lamp bulb 81 is disposed in the socket 79. A shade 82 has an upper frame 83 which is attached to the upper end of vertical supporting frame 80 to a bolt projectlon 84 thereof to which a nut 85 is secured. Cable Wires 86 and 87 extend downwardly from the socket 79, through the bottom of the box-like shell 75 and into the box 15. A switch 89 is provided on the side of the box .15 which can be operated to turn on the lamp bulb 81.

The

cable wires

86 and 87 can be connected to the batteries lying within the box in a similar manner to which the

lamp bulbs

28 and 44 are connected to the batteries. In this arrangement the dial and hands will be projected on to a side wall, as shown in Fig. 1. It will also be seen that this same device can be used as a lamp and can be independently turned on by operating switch 89. Thus, the device can serve as a night lamp in which the light from the batteries is sufiicient.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 9 to 13, in which there is shown a modified form of the invention. According to this form of the invention, the clock is electrically operated and power is taken from the clock to cause the rotation of the mirror and lens unit so that the user of the device can cause from the bed the adjustment of the mirror and lens unit to direct the dial face and hands in any direction at the option or selection of the user. A base 91 has a bottom support 92 rested thereon and secured thereto by screws 93. Ex-

tending upwardly from the bottom support 92 is a vertical support 94 having a shaft 95 fixed thereto by a set screw 96 and extending to one side thereof whereby to pivotally support a drive gear 97.

A bearing 90 is provided on the support 94 and rotatably supports a shaft 99 to which a large bevel gear 100 is fixed. This shaft also has a small gear 101 adapted to engage with the drive gear 97. The shaft 99 extends through a solenoid 102 that is carried on a bracket portion 103 of the support 94. A bearing portion 104 extends upwardly from the bottom support 92 to support the other end of the shaft 99. Shaft 99 is slidable in the

bearings

98 and 104. Shaft 99 has an enlargement 105 adapted to be attracted by the solenoid 103 so that upon the solenoid 102 being energized the shifting movement of the large gear 100 can be effected so that it t can engage with a small gear 106 of an electric clock 107.

Surrounding the bottom support 92 and extending over the vertical support 94 is a casing 108 having a top 109 on which the clock device 107 is fixed by a bracket 110. The large gear 100 extends through a slot 111 in the top 109 of the casing 103 and through a slot 112 in the bottom of the clock device 107 for engagement with the gear'106 thereof.

The clock device 107 is electrically driven and contains gears 113 which are connected to a shaft 114 on which are mounted hands 115 and 116 lying in front of a dial face 117. Within the clock device 107 is a lamp bulb 118 which can be lighted when desired to cause the light to be passed through the transparent dial face 117 to project the same upon the mirror 119 in a combined mirror and lens unit 120 mounted for rotation upon a reduced diameter end portion 121 of the clock 107. A ball bearing unit 122 surrounds the reduced diameter portion 121 and a connecting member 123 is secured to the outer ball bearing and has teeth 124 thereon which depend through a slot 125 in the top 109 of the casing 108. This connecting member 123 is secured to a reduced and circular flange portion 125 of the unit 120.

The unit 120 has an upstanding circular flange 126 to which a lens sleeve 127 is attached. The upper end of this sleeve 127 is threaded as at 128 and is turned inwardly as indicated at 129 to support a lens 130 which is made secure thereto by a retaining ring 131 threaded n upon the threaded end 128 of the sleeve 127. The image of the dial face is thus projected from the mirror through the lens.

Extending upwardly from the base support 92 is a boss 132 to which there is pivoted a gear segment arm 133 having an elongated slot 134 therein in which works a roller pin 135 fixed to the drive gear 97. This pin 135 will serve as a crank as the gear 97 is rotated by the engagement of gear 100 with the gear 106 of the clock device 106 so that a gear segment 136 is oscillated or reciprocated back and forth. The gear segment 136 has engagement with gear teeth 124 of the mirror and lens unit 120 so that as the gear segment 136 is reciprocated, the mirror and lens unit will be oscillated between angled pos1t1ons so that the image can be projected on one wall, opposite wall or upon the ceiling.

A musical spring 140 is fixed by screws 141 to a vertically extending projection 142 of the base support 92. This musical spring 140 has three

fingers

143, 144 and 145, all of different length to give av different pitch note.

The gear segment 136 has an arm 146 with a finger 147- thereon adapted to engage the finger 144 to give one indication of the position of the combined mirror and lens unit 120. This musical note is to indicate the position of the unit when it extends in a vertical direction as shown in Fig. 9 to project the dial face upon the ceiling.

Angularly spaced upon the segment 136 from the finger 147 are

projections

148 and 149, respectively lying on opposite sides of the projection 146. The projection 148 has a ratchet finger 150 adapted to engage with the musical finger 143 but which upon the return movement of the segment 136 will ride over the end of the finger 143. On the ratchet projection 149 is a ratchet finger 151 adapted to engage the musical finger 145 and upon the return movement of the segment will ride over the finger 145. Accordingly, as the different sounds of the musical fingers, the position of the lens and mirror unit can be determined.

A supply cable 153 extends through a flexible sleeve 154 and the holder member 155. On the end of the cable 153 is a plug 156 having prongs 157 and 158 adapted to fit the openings in a wall receptacle whereby to supply electric current to the electric clock device. This same cable 153 may through the holder provide electric current for the operation of the solenoid 102. An electric cable 159 extends from the holder 155 and has a handle knob 160 on the free end thereof. A press button 161 operates a switch 162 in the handle knob 160. This same handle knob has an operating lever 163 which is pivoted between contacts164 and 165 to close a lamp circuit, Fig. 11.

In Fig. 11, 166 represents the clock motor and this motor is connected across supply wires 167 and 168 to have continuous rotation. Solenoid 102 is connected to a supply wire 168 and to a switch contact 169 in the handle knob 160. A wire 171 is connected to a switch contact 172 and a supply wire 167. Upon the solenoid circuit being closed, the gear 100 is put into mesh with the gear 106- of the clock motor. This is effected merely by pushing the button 161. The button is held until the mirror and lens unit reach the desired position, as indicated by the musical notes of the musical spring 140.

It will be noted that with the clock device of both forms of the invention being provided with a light source, the dial face and the hands thereof can be projected upon either wall or upon the ceiling of a room. It will also be apparent that the switch button for operating this device can be operated in a bed and the time will quickly and easily be made known to the occupant of the bed by simply pressing the switch button. It will also be apparent that there has been provided two forms of the invention, one in which the light source is provided by a battery, and the clock motor is operated by its spring, and the other wherein the clock motor is of the electric type and supplied with source current from a wall receptacle and wherein the combined mirror and lens unit can be adjusted by power from the clock motor and the adjustment effected from the same hand knob which can be rotated in the bed and remote from the clock device.

While various changes maybe made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is: I

l. A clock face projecting device comprising a base having an upwardly extending casing thereon. a clock shell mounted on said casing, said clock shell having a driving mechanism and a dial face on the front thereof, electric lamp means in said clock shell, switch button means extending from said casing to a remote location and having wires connected on said casing, a combined mirror and lens means mounted on said clock shell for rotation to project the clock face on different areas of the room and selective gear means connected to said mirror and lens unit to effect rotation thereof and control means operable to selectively engage the driving gear means with the operating mechanism of the clock shell at times when it is desired to rotate and adjust the combined mirror and lens unit thereof, and sound indicating means associated with said gear operating means for the adjustment of the mirror and lens unit to indicate the relative position of the mirror and lens unit with respect to the clock shell and the projection of the clock dial face upon the walls and ceiling of a room.

2. A clock face projecting device comprising a base, a bottom support on said base having upstanding portions, a casing extending over said base and over the upstanding portions and axially adjustable shafts journalled on two of said portions, an electric solenoid operable upon said shaft to axially adjust the same, a gear mounted on said shaft and extending upwardly through the top of said casing, a reciprocating member having gear teeth thereon and pivotally connected to another of said upstanding portions of said bottom support and having its gear teeth accessible through the top of the casing, gear crank means connected to one of the portions and operable upon said reciprocating member to cause its reciprocation, a clock shell mounted on the top of the casing, said clock shell having an operating mechanism with a driving gear, said gear on said shaft extending through the top of said shell extending into said clock shell and releasably engageable with the operating gear of the clock operating mechanism, said clock shell having a transparent dial face therein, said operating mechanism in the clock shell having hands operable over the dial face, a combined mirror and lens unit rotatably mounted upon said clock shell and having a gear formation engageable with the gear of the reciprocating gear segment to be adjusted by the same, lamp means in said clock shell, an electric solenoid on one of said upstanding projections of the bottom support and operable upon said shaft having upon the gear of the clock operating mechanism electric switch means having cable wires extending to said electric solenoid and said lamp bulb means to effect the operation of the same and electric source means connected with said switch, electric solenoid and lamp bulb, whereby said mirror and lens unit can be adjusted by remote switch means to locate the projected dial face upon a particular wall of the room at the will of the user of the device.

3. A clock face projecting device, as defined in claim 2, and a musical spring connected to another upstanding portion of a bottom support and having spring fingers of different lengths, said reciprocating gear segment having finger arms with fingers thereon adapted to respectively engage the fingers of the musical spring and said finger arms being angularly positioned relative to each other on said reciprocating gear segment, whereby the different musical notes will be imparted for the different positions of the mirror and lens unit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS l umber Name Date 740,433 Hirth Oct. 6, 1903 778,891 Rausch Jan. 3, 1905 813,836 Smith Feb. 27, 1906 1,032,160 Schenck et a1 July 9, 1912 1,137,512 Miller Apr. 27, 1915 1,153,110 Jenkins Sept. 7, 1915 1,292,005 Minor Jan. 21, 1919 1,992,776 Schindler Feb. 26, 1935 2,201,376 Prins May 21, 1940 2,351,238 Teuber June 13, 1944 2,486,425 Loewe Nov. 1, 1949