US2712725A

US2712725A - Calendar clock

Info

Publication number: US2712725A
Application number: US315039A
Authority: US
Inventors: Manuel P Bell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1952-10-16
Filing date: 1952-10-16
Publication date: 1955-07-12
Anticipated expiration: 1972-07-12

Description

M. P. BELL CALENDAR CLOCK July 12, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 16, 1952 July 12, 1955 M. P. BELL 2,712,725

CALENDAR CLOCK Filed Oct. 16, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Manue/ P. Bel/ mmvroze.

Atmney:

vide a' date the days of the months thereon and a power driven line -5 and showing the its accommodating recess;

United rates Patent Gfifice tad 2,712,725 CALENDAR CLGCK Manuel P. Bell, Albuquerque, N. Mex. Application Qctober 16, E52, Serial No. 315,tl39 4 Claims. (Cl. 58-6) primary object a dating mechanism that is operatively connected to a clock so that the year. month, day of the month, and day of the week will be readily observable.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a date mechanism including novel and improved means for automatically displaying the twenty-ninth day of February every four years.

Yet another object of the present invention is to proinechanism including an endless tape hav ng rnem drive to be periodically engaging a the tape until the 29th day of February is A further object of "the a calendar clock that is in structure and present invention is to provide extremely small and compact which involves a simple drive connection with the hand supporting shaft of a clock.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a date mechanism of the aforementioned character, that is extremely simple and practical in construction, strong and reliablc'in use, efficient and durable in operation, inexpensive tomanufacture, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, references being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof wherein like numetals refer to like parts throughout,

' a front elevational view of the present invention and with the front wall of the casing broken away for theconvenience of explanation;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View taken substantially on the plane of broken section line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the-upper portion of the invention shown in Figure 2;

-Figure l is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sec ional view takensubstantially on the plane of section line 44 of-rigure 1;

= Figure 5 is an enlarged detailed fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section tooth element disposed within Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showing the tooth element projected radially outwardly of the supporting member therefor;

Figure 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 7 7 of Figure 5;

- Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 3-8 of Figure 1;

Figure 9 is a perspective view of one of the spider members used in the invention;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the other spider member used in the invention; and

represents a casing having forward and

rear walls

12 and 14.

an electric clock 13 of any well known structure. The forward wall 12 is also provided with a pair of sidebyside slots and 22 and an upper slot 24. Transparent strips 26 are suitably held in the

slots

20, 22, 24. The rear wall 14 is provided with an opening 28 in which there is positioned a removable closure or door 30 having latch means 32 for retaining the same in its closed position.

A vertical supporting; wall 34 is fixed within the casing, preferably to the upper and lower walls of the casing and supports upper and lower groups of horizontally disposed guide rollers or

spools

36 and 38. An endless indicia bearing strip or tape 4i is trained back and forth 42, 4s and the tape trained 44-, 45 slack in the tape.

engaged by a lug or dog 56 on a 40 as the latter is moved. The tape 4% has all months and days of the months thereon including February 29, and the lug 56 is so disposed that it will of the ratchet 54 the indicia the slot 22 to change anism 59.

A bracket 58 is secured to and wall of casing 10 and rotatably disposed tubular shaft or spindle 60 which forms the driving shaft for the tape A rod 62 extends axially through the shaft 6t) and its ends project outwardly from the ends of the shaft 60 and support a wheel 64- and a sprocket 66. Wheel 64 has the days of the week thereon that will sequentially register with the slot 20 as the rod 62 is rotated. The shaft 60 has a sprocket 66 fixed thereon and the sprocket 63 is spaced from and disposed alongside of the sprocket 66. The

sprockets

66 and 68 are similar in size and ha equal number of circumferentially spaced teeth thereon.

A support bracket 76 is fixed to a side wall of casing It) and rotatably supports a vertical shaft 72 having upper and lower

bevelled gears

74 and 76 fixedly secured to its ends. The bevelled gear 76 meshes with a similar bevelled gear 78 at one end of a horizontal shaft 80. The shaft 8% is rotatably supported by the casing of clock 18 and its inner end carries a bevel gear 82 depends from the upper supports a horizontally ,A horizontal shaft $3 is rotatably supported in bearings carried by the bracket One end of shaft fixedly supports a bevel gear 91 that meshes with gears 74- whereas the other end of shaft 88 fixedly supports an peripheral tooth 94 (Figure 4) for engaging the sprockets 66, 63 to rotate both shafts 60 and rod 62.

Member 92 is formed with a peripheral recess or slot 96 having an end wall 98. A movable tooth element 100 is slidable in the recess 76 radially of the member .5 92 and carries a headed lug 102 at one end whose shank is slidably received in a guide slot 104 formed in end wall 98. A coil spring 106 terminally secured to lug 102 and member 92 yieldingly urges the tooth element 100 radially inwardly of member 92 and within recess 96.

Means is provided for moving the tooth element 100 radially outwardly of the recess 96 and this means comprises a sliding wedge 108 whose sloping face engages the slanting face 116 of tooth element 100. Recess 96 is formed with a shoulder 112 for engaging the notch 114 of wedge 168 to limit movement of the wedge away from the tooth element. An arm 116 is slidably and pivotally attached, as 118, to the sliding wedge 168, as shown in Figure 7, and is adapted to engage a stop or abutment 120 on bracket 70.

When tooth element 100 is urged radially outwardly from the recess 96 by the wedge 1118, as shown in Figure 6, the tooth element 100 will engage between two teeth of ratchet 68 to permit rotation of the member 22 and shaft 66 as a unit until the tooth element 100 clears ratchet 68.

Means is provided for engaging the arm 116 to move the wedge forcefully against the tooth element in order to urge the latter to its position shown in Figure 6. This means consists of a plate element 122 that is fixed to the bracket 70 and which supports a horizontal pin 124 for a swingable arm 126. A ring element 128a is fixed to the lower end of arm 126 and a contact shoe or tooth 128 is fixed to the upper end of arm 126.

A hanger bracket 130 secured to the upper wall of casing rotatably supports a horizontal rod 132 having

spider members

134 and 136 fixed to its ends. Member 134 is composed of four radially disposed arms, whereas member 136 is composed of but three radially disposed arms whose relative positions are shown in Figures 8 and 9. A spring urged locking pawl 138, pivoted to bracket 130, will sequentially engage the arms of member 134 to prevent back rotation of rod 132 and hence the

members

134 and 136.

Rod 132 is disposed perpendicular to the vertical flight portion of tape 46 that registers with the slot 22 and member 134 is disposed relatively close to a side edge of tape 40 to be engaged by a lug or dog 140 that is secured to this side edge as the tape is moved. Lug 140 is disposed adjacent the February 26 indicia on tape 40 so that the February 28 indicia approaches slot 22, lug 140 will engage one arm of the member 134 to rotate

members

134 and 136 ninety degrees. As this step is being accomplished, one arm of member 136 will engage tooth 128 to swing arm 126 and cause ring element 123a to engage arm 116 and move the wedge against the tooth element 160 and the latter radially outwardly of member 92. Arm 116 continues to ride against element 128 as the member 92 is rotated until the arm 116 engages the stop 125) whereupon the arm 116 will be pivoted out of engagement with the ring element 128a, thus permitting the wedge 108 to be pulled away from the tooth element 1% by action of the spring 106. Tooth element 100 when disposed radially outwardly of the member 92, as shown in Figure 6, will engage the sprocket 68 to move the tape 46 an additional step which causes February 29 to pass over the slot 22.

The above procedure is repeated for three successive years since the member 136 is provided with three arms. However, the fourth year (leap year) as the fourth arm of member 134 is engaged by lug 140, member 136 is rotated without engaging the tooth 123 of arm 126, and hence tooth element 166 is retracted and will not engage sprocket 68 so that February 29 will register with the slot 22.

It will be noted that the tooth 94 will engage both the

sprockets

66 and 68 to rotate the tape one step and the wheel 64 one step. However, an additional step of movement for tape 46 is accomplished by tooth eleill A ment engaging the sprocket 68, this latter step being. accomplished for three successive years, by the actuation of the tooth element 100 in the following manner:

The lug 140 upon movement of the tape 41) will contact the arms of member 134. This will cause rotation of the rod 132 on which the member 134 as well as the member 136 are rigidly affixed, and rotation of the rod 132 will, for three of each four years, cause an: arm of member 136 to actuate the ring member 128a and press it against the arm 116 holding the arm 116 and hence the tooth element 100 in engagement with the: sprocket 68 to give the sprocket 68 an extra turn. The arm 116 is freed from engagement with the ring me1n-- ber 128a by contact with the stop which causes the arm 116 to pivot outside of the diameter of the ring member 128a.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A calendar clock comprising a casing having a front wall with openings therein, a clock supported in one of the openings and including a driven hand-supporting shaft, an endless date bearing strip within the casing, guide rollers in the casing over which the strip is trained, the dates on said strip adapted to sequentially register with an opening in the front wall, a drive roller over which said strip is trained, said drive roller being tubular, a rod extending through and journaled in said drive roller, a day indicating roller fixed on the rod and registering with an opening in said front wall, a first sprocket fixed on said driven roller, a second sprocket fixed on said rod, a driven member operatively connected to said shaft for rotation therewith and having a tooth for engaging the sprockets to rotate the driven spool and the rod, a second tooth carried by the member and engageable with the sprocket on said driven roller and movable radially outwardly from and inwardly of the periphery of said member, means for engaging and urging the second tooth radially outwardly from the member, means engageable with the second tooth urging means permitting retraction of the latter, and means on the strip for engaging the second tooth urging means to move the latter to a position for forcing the second tooth radially outwardly from the member.

2. A calendar clock comprising a casing having a front wall with openings therein, a clock supported in one of the t openings and including a driven hand-supporting shaft, an

endless date bearing strip within the casing, guide rollers in the casing over which the strip is trained, the dates on said strip adapted to sequentially register with an opening in the front wall, a drive roller over which said strip is trained, said drive roller being tubular, a rod extending through and journaled in said drive roller, a day indicating roller fixed on the rod and registering with an opening in said front wall, a first sprocket fixed on said driven roller, a second sprocket fixed on said rod, a driven member operatively connected to said shaft for rotation therewith and having a tooth for engaging the sprockets to rotate the driven spool and the rod, a second tooth carried by the member and engageable with the sprocket on said driven roller and movable radially outwardly from and inwardly of the periphery of said member, a sliding wedge carried by the member and engageable with the second tooth to urge the latter radially outwardly from the member, means engageable with the wedge to permit retraction of the same, and actuating means on the strip for periodically causing actuation of the wedge to move the same to a position dially outwardly from the member.

3. A calendar clock comprising a casing having a front wall with openings therein, a clock supported in one of the openings and including a driven hand-supporting shaft, an endless date bearing strip within the casing, guide rollers in the casing over which the strip is trained, the dates on said strip adapted to sequentially register with an opening in the front wall, a drive roller over which said strip is trained, said drive roller being tubular, a rod extending for urging the second tooth ral t5 through and journaled in said drive roller, a day indicatin roller fixed on the rod and registering with an opening ing roller fixed on the rod and registering with an opening in said front wall, a first sprocket fixed on said driven in said front wall, a first sprocket fixed on said driven roller, a second sprocket fixed on said rod, a driven memrolier, a second sprocket fixed on said rod, a driven member operatively connected to said shaft for rotation thereber operatively connected to said shaft for rotation ther 3 with and having a tooth for engaging the sprockets to with and having a tooth for engaging the sprockets to rotate the driven spool and the rod, a second tooth carrotate the driven spool and the rod, a second tooth carried by the member and eng geable with the sprocket on ried by the member and engageable with the sprocket on said driven roller and movable radially outwardly from said driven roller and movable radially outwardly from and inwardly of the periphery of said member, a sliding and inwardly of the periphery of said member, a sliding 10 wedge carried by the member and engageable with the wedge carried by the member and engageable with the second tooth to urge the latter radially outwardly from second tooth to urge the latter radially outwardly from the member, means engageable with the Wedge to permit the member, means engageable with the wedge to permit retraction of the same, and actuating means on the strip retraction of the same, and actuating means on the strip for periodically causing actuation of the Wedge to move 4. A calendar clock comprising a casing having a front 20 Refelmcfis Cited in the fi f th s pa en wall with openings therein, a clock supported n one of the UNITED STATES PATENTS openings and includlng a driven hand-supporting shaft, an endless date bearing strip within the casing, guide rollers 9941122 Casslty June 61 1911 in the casing over which the strip is trained, the dates on said strip adapted to sequentially register with an open- 25 FOREIGN PATENTS ing in the front Wall, a drive roller over which said strip 307,445 Germany Aug. 29, 1913 is trained, said drive roller being tubular, a rod extending 561,601 Germany July 13, 1933 through and journaled in said drive roller, a day indicat- 238,181 Switzerland Jan. 16, 1946