US2794314A - Watch time zone hour indicator - Google Patents

Description

June 1 R. w. SLAUGH WATCH TIME ZONE HOUR INDICATOR Filed Juiy 14, 1955 III,

" 2 INVENTOR RICHARD w. SLAUGH ATTORNEY United States Patent WATCH TIME ZONE HOUR INDICATOR Richard W. Slaw'h, Lancaster Township, Lancaster County, Pa., assignor to Hamilton Watch Company, Lancaster, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 14, 1955, Serial No. 522,029

2 Claims. (Cl. 58-126) This invention relates to a watch dial and particularly that type of dial designed to indicate the time in different time zones simultaneously.

In the past watches have been designed with a plurality of hour hands to indicate the time in different time zones simultaneously. This is well known and specific examples are shown in Patents 927,472, 1,499,692, and 2,662,368. The particular type of mechanism which is common to these patents is a rotating dial or plurality of hour hands which indicate simultaneously the time in twelve different zones or less. This is confusing in that there is no specific difference between the indicators for the different hours. Perhaps lettering or different colors as suggested by Patent 2,662,368 would aid in selecting the particular time which it is desired to know. It is, however, a departure from the ordinary system of a minute hand and an hour hand for indicating the time.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a rotating hour disc which will indicate simultaneously the correct time in twelve different time zones and to differentiate one time zone from the other by different colors.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an indicator movable with respect to the disc and which is used in conjunction with the different pointers of the rotating hour disc so that the time of one particular time zone stands out above the others.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a rotating hour disc having twelve markers imprinted thereon, each marker being of a different color from the other markers with the said markers extending only a short distance inward toward the center of the disc and to have an auxiliary marker which bridges the gap between the center of the rotating disc and the marker to provide a continuous hand to indicate the hour of one particular time zone.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an adjustable half hand which may be used in conjunction with a plurality of disc carrying markers to indicate the time in one particular time zone in the manner of an ordinary watch.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the watch.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section.

A wrist watch having a case 12, strap attaching lugs 13, strap 14, winding crown 15, crystal 16, all of which Patented June 4, 1957 are the usual construction, is shown in Figures 1 and 2. The watch is provided with a dial 17 having the usual numbers or markers and mounted in the ordinary fashion of a dial. The dial 17 is formed with a center hole 17 so that the hour wheel and hour disc may be inserted from the top. Carried directly on the hour wheel 18 is a rotatable hour disc 19 in place of the usual hour hand. This hour disc is formed with a plurality of markers 20 extending from a point half way of the center of said disc outward toward the circumference. These markers may be of different colors and also is provided with distinguishing marks or letters and indicate the different time zones. The shaft 21 on which the hour wheel 18 is mounted is the ordinary construction and receives therethrough the minute staff 22 and the second staff 23. The staff 22 carries the usual sweep second hand 24 while the shaft 22 carries the minute hand 25.

Rotatably mounted on the shaft 21 is a half hand 26 which extends from the center of the rotatable disc and meets the markers 20 to provide the illusion of an hour hand. This hand 26 is a friction-tight on the shaft 21 but may be moved manually to any of the positions coinciding with any particular one of the markers as shown at 27 indicating Greenwich time, 28 indicating eastern daylight time or 29 indicating central time. These are but examples as the hand may be placed at any of the twelve positions. With the half-hand in position the eye eliminates the other maarkers and reads the time at a glance, so that with this particular watch once the half-hand has been set to the desired time zone the local time or desired time is read at a glance as with an or dinary watch, while should the time be desired in any other particular zone a careful scrutiny of the dial gives you the particular time.

This is particularly valuable for travelers who cross time zones continually or for people who use the tele phone to cross time zones and prefer to call at a convenient time for the other party. The time is instantly available without calculation.

What is claimed is:

1. In a watch, a dial, a minute hand, an hour disc having a plurality of indicating pointers extending over a portion of the radial distances of said disc, a hand settable with respect to said hour disc to align with any of the pointers, the hand extending over that part of the radial distances between said pointer and the center of the disc.

2. In a watch, a dial, a minute hand, an hour disc having twelve indicating hour pointers, said pointers extending over a portion of the radial distance of said disc, and means settable with respect to said hour disc and rotating with said hour disc after being set to a position in alignment with any selected one of said pointers, said means extending over the radial distance between the center of said disc and said pointers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 712,729 Schumacher Nov. 4, 1902 935,806 Olinger Oct. 5, 1909 2,169,956 Leatart Aug. 15, 1939

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