US2981055A

US2981055A - Self-winding time-piece

Info

Publication number: US2981055A
Application number: US587771A
Authority: US
Inventors: Froidevaux Jean-Michel; Bandi Fred
Original assignee: Montres Perret Et Berthoud Sa
Current assignee: Manufacture des Montres Universal Perret Freres SA
Priority date: 1955-05-27
Filing date: 1956-05-28
Publication date: 1961-04-25
Anticipated expiration: 1978-04-25

Description

April 25, 1961 JEAN-MICHEL FROIDEVAUX ET AL 2,981,055

SELF-WINDING TIME-PIECE Filed May 28, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 p -vaw-l'ofs m mu! fiwdn/ r 1M BAA DI SELF-WINDING TIME-PIECE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 28, 1956 N GI 7+0 (all. m)

April 25, 1961 JEAN-MICHEL FROIDEVAUX ETAL 2,981,055

SELF-WINDING TIME-PIECE I Filed May 28, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 {I llllll I h"; IIII I.

Dvu/m /ors 280/ M "I/IC/ Tibia /441 "2"]- WAW P 25, 1961 JEAN-MICHEL FROIDEVAUX ETAL 2,931,055

SELF-WINDING TIME-PIECE Filed May 28, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 )rvLn/h f5 u M'Ze/ W l /M @WMQ n4 rfi'fffw United States Patent 2,981,055 SELF-WINDING TIME-PIECE Jean-Michel Froidevaux and Fred Bandi, Geneva, Switzerland, assignors to Manufacture des Montres Universal Perret Freres, Geneva, Switzerland, a Swiss firm Filed May 28, 1956, Ser. N0. 587,771 Claims priority, application Switzerland May 27, 1955 4 Claims. (CI. 58-82) Producers of self-winding watches are more and more compelled to comply with aesthetic requirements. Thus, it has been necessary to reduce the total height of watches without reducing their grade of operation nor consequently the resistance of the different parts. Obviously,

if it is desired to execute watches all the parts of which are solid and wear-resisting, they should be given a suitably large size which leads thus unavoidably to the execution of bulky watches.

The embodiments proposed hitherto resort for the obtention of the power required for the winding of the mainspring to an oscillating weight the pivotal axis of which registers with the axis of the watch. The rocking movements of said weight are performed in a plane different from that containing the movement of the watch.v On the other hand, the automatic winding mechanism lies also in a plane different from that of the movement of the watch, which leads to a comparatively considerable height for the watch. It is thus impossible to reduce this height without risking an objectionable reduction in the strength of the diiferent parts of the watch and without jeopardizing its operation.

It has been proposed to reduce said height by resorting to an oscillating weight which does not execute complete revolutions, the self-winding watches thus obtained including consequently rocking weights associated with stops. However such self-winding watches provide for the winding of the .watch only for one direction of movement of the rocking weight. Consequently, it is necessary for the rocking weight to execute a larger number of movements for the winding of the mainspring than that required in the case of the so-called rotor watch with a freely rocking weight. Consequently the watch is wound more slowly and, to bring'a remedy to such drawbacks, the rocking weights are made comparatively heavy and consequently bulky.

Now, our invention has for its object the execution of a very flat automatic watch showing a resistance to wear and an accuracy in operation which are at least equal to, if not better than the resistance and accuracy provided by any known prior self-winding watch.

Our invention covers more specifically a timepiece with automatic self-winding means including a weight adapted to rock freely round its axis and to wind the driving mainspring for both directions of rotation.

According to a primary feature of our invention, the rocking weight has its axis arranged eccentrically with that of the watch and it is arranged in superposition with the winding mechanism above the watch plate within the space left free on the latter by the mainspring, the movement and the balance wheel while the total height of said weight and winding mechanism is at least approximately equal to that of the movement.

We have illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings three preferred embodiments of our invention. In said drawings:

Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively a diagrammatic plan View from the bottom of the timepiece and a cross-section through line HII of Fig. 1 of a first embodiment of our invention incorporated with a watch movement provided with a conventional time train with an eccentric seconds hand gear.

Figs. 3 to 6 are views similar to Figs. 1 and 2 of two further embodiments associated with novel arrangements of the movement provided respectively with an eccentric and with a central seconds hand spindle, Figs. 3 and 5 show the movement from below and Figs. 4 and 6 are cross-sections through line IV-IV and VI-VI respectively. It should be remarked that the sectional views of Figs. 2, 4 and 6 are arranged upside down with reference to the position for which the dial is uppermost.

In the watch illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the rocking weight 1 pivots freely round a spindle 2 which is integral with a support secured to the auxiliary plate 3 carrying the entire self-winding mechanism, which plate 3 is fitted inside an opening 4a in the pillar plate 4 of the watch movement, the two plates 3 and 4 lying in a common plane. A pinion 5 coaxially rigid with the rocking weight 1 meshes permanently with a gear 6 which in its turn is in permanent mesh with a similar gear 6', both said gears being pivotally and freely secured over two

projections

25 and 26 fitted in the plate forming the rocker member or yoke 7 which in turn pivots freely round a point of the auxiliary plate 3.

According to the direction of rotation of the rocking weight 1, either of the gears 6 and 6' meshes with a wheel 8 forming part of a speed reducing train and coaxially rigid with a pinion 9 meshing with a pinion 9' which meshes in turn with a wheel 27 coaxially rigid with the pinion 28 which cooperates with the ratchet or winding Wheel on the barrel 10. A bridge plate 29, attached to the auxiliary plate 3, carries the upper pivots of rocket member 7 and of the wheel 8 and pinion 9. A. nut 30 on the spindle 2 limits the vertical movements of the -rocking weight and forms through its lower surface. a

bearing for the jewel 31 rigid with the rocking weight. A catch 32 pivotally secured between the bridge plate 29 and the auxiliary plate 3 cooperates with the first wheel 8 of the

speed reducing train

8, 9, 27, 28. Said catch has for its object to prevent any rearward movement of the wheel 8 under the action of the mainspring as it unwinds.

The upper surface of the rocking weight is substantially flush with that of the barrel carrying bridge 33 and of the other bridges of the watch movement.

The self-winding operation is performed as follows: when the rocking weight rocks clockwise in the direction of the arrow the pinion 5 rigid with the weight drives the gear 6 in the opposite direction. Said gear thus sub jected to the stress transmitted to it will make the rocker member 7 execute an anticlockwise rotation by a small angle. The gear 6' which is in permanent mesh with the gear 6 engages consequently the intermediate wheel 8, andthe pinion 9 coaxially rigid with the latter will then mesh with pinion 9', which meshes with the intermediate wheel 27 which in turn drives through its pinion 28 the ratchet on barrel 10. The latter revolves in the direction of arrow f2 (Fig. l) and therefore tensions the main spring of the barrel drum.

In contradistinction, when the rocking weight rocks anticlockwise, its coaxial pinion 5 meshing with the gear 6 urges the latter through the stress thus transmitted to it into a direction which shifts the rocker member 7 in a manner such that the gear 6 meshes now directly with the wheel 8 of the speed reducing train while the other gear 6' revolves idly. As in the preceding case, the gear 8 will drive through the pinions 9 and 9 the wheel 27, the pinion 28 rigid with the latter which drives the ratchet wheel and produces the winding of the mainspring in a direction opposed to the actual direction of movement of the rocking weight because the gear 6' is idle in the transmission.

Obviouslythe motion reversing means including a rocker member may be replaced by any other means such as a sliding gear, a differential gear or a system of catches. Similarly, the speed reducing train may be replaced by a differential gear. The rocking weight instead of pivoting round a stationary spindle may be mounted on a spindle rigid therewith and the ends of which form two pivots.

The above-disclosed arrangement allows making the self-winding means independent of the actual movement of the watch, which provides the advantage of allowing the ready access to either of the sections of the watch without it being necessary to dismantle any part of the watch movement or of the automatic self-winding means.

The-embodiments illustrated in Figs. 3 to 6 show a novel arrangement of the movement gears as provided with a view to increasing to a maximum the space left free on the plate on the outside of the movement, the balance wheel and the barrel drum. As a matter of fact, the center gear of these embodiments no longer ineludes coaxially rigid pinions. In order to avoid any unnecessary repetition of the disclosure, we will describe said embodiments only in so far as they are difierent from that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. In particular, it is not necessary to describe the self-winding means which are similar to those described with reference to said Figs. 1 and 2.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 which shows a conventional watch with an eccentric seconds hand gear, the barrel 34 drives through the agency of a wheel 11 the pinion 35, attached to spindle 36; on the latter the socket 36' is mounted frictionally, and said socket carries the minute hand. Said pinion 35 which is comparatively high controls in its turn a wheel 14 coaxial with the wheel 11, having the same diameter as said wheel 11 and mounted loose on the pipe coaxially rigid with the latter.

The wheel 14 controls in the usual manner the balance wheel 20 through the agency of the seconds wheel 37, of the third wheel 38, of the fourth wheel 39 eccentrically positioned on the 6 oclock radius and of the escape wheel 19.

' Since the pinion 35 lies on the path through which the movement is transmitted from the main spring to the escape wheel, the minute hand cannot be subjected to any objectionable shifting as a consequence of a play in the gearing.

The space left free on the plate by the barrel, the movement and the balance wheel, is swept by the rocking weight 24 the size and weight of which are thus very large, since the pinion 35 occupies an area which is clearly less than that occupied by a conventional center wheel in usual watches where it is arranged centrally of the movement.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. and 6, wherein the seconds hand gear is arranged centrally to form a sweep hand, the mainspring in the barrel 40 controls in the manner described with reference to Figs. 3 and 4 the wheel 41 through the following sequence of gears: wheel 11 controlled by barrel 40, pinion 42, cannon 43 carrying socket 43' and wheel 14 revolving freely over the pipe which carries said wheel 11 and meshing with wheel 41.

The Wheel 41 which is eccentrically mounted as in the case of Figs. 3.and 4 controls the third wheel 45 and the wheel 46 coaxially rigid with the latter meshes on the one hand with the pinion 47 driving the escapement 19 and the balance wheel 20 and on the other hand, with the spindle 21 for the central seconds hand the play of which is compensated for through the pressure of the blade spring 22 engaging the pinion 23 on said spindle 21.

The volume of the rocking weight 24 may thus be considerably increased as in the case of the preceding embodiments.

- '4 What we claim is: 1. In a self-winding substantially round watch, the

combination of a barrel including a mainspring, a balance wheel, a movement operatively connecting the balance wheel with the barrel, a rocking weight freely revoluble round an axis eccentric with reference to that of the watch and adapted to turn in an unlimited manner round said axis in both directions, a wind up gearing extending in superposed relationship with reference to the rocking weight, controlled by the latter and adapted to drive the barrel and wind. the spring in the latter upon rotation of the weight in either direction and a plate arrangement carrying the system constituted by said barrel, movemen-t and balance wheel and the further system constituted by said superposed rocking weight and wind-up gearing, said systems lying in side-by-side relationship and having substantially the same total height.

2. In a self-winding round watch, the combination of a barrel including a mainspring, a balance wheel, a movement operatively connecting the balance wheel with the barrel, a main plate carrying the barrel, balance wheel and movement, an auxiliary plate coplanar with themain plate, a rocking weight revolubly carried by the auxiliary plate round an axis eccentric with reference. to that of the watch and adapted to turn in an unlimited manner round said axis, said weight being provided with a recess extending over the major part of its surface facing the auxiliary plate, a wind-up gearing housed inside said recess, controlled by the weight and adapted to drive the barrel and wind the spring in the latter upon rotation of the weight in either direction, said weight and wind-up gearing being carried by said auxiliary plate in side-byside relationship with reference to the system carried by the main plate and constituted by the barrel, balance wheel and movement and having a total height substantially equal to that of said last-mentioned system.

3. In a self-winding round watch, the combination of a barrel including a mainspring, a balance wheel, a movement operatively connecting the balance wheel with the barrel including a central pinion, two independent coaxial wheels meshing simultaneously with the pinion and one of which is controlled by the barrel, an eccentrically mounted wheel controlled by the second coaxial wheel and gearing operatively connecting said eccentrically mounted wheel with the balance wheel, a rocking weight freely revoluble round an axis eccentric with reference to that of the watch and adapted to turn in an unlimited manner round said axis in both directions, a wind-up gearing extending in superposed relationship with reference to the rocking weight, controlled by the latter and adapted to drive the barrel and wind the spring in the latter upon rotation of the weight in either direction and a plate arrangement carrying the system constituted by said barrel, movement and balance wheel and the further system constituted by said superposed rocking Weight and wind-up gearing, said systems lying in sideby-side relationship and having substantially the same total height.

4. In a self-winding round watch, the combination of a barrel including a mainspring, a balance wheel, a movement operatively connecting the balance wheel with the barrel including a central pinion, two coaxial wheels meshing simultaneously with the pinion and one of which is controlled by the barrel, an eccentrically mounted wheel controlled by the second coaxial wheel, a rocking weight freely revoluble round an axis eccentric with reference to that of the watch and adapted to turn in an unlimited manner round said axis in both directions, a wind-up gearing extending in superposed relationship with reference to the rocking weight, controlled by the latter and adapted to drive the barrel and wind the spring in the latter upon rotation of the weight in either direction and a plate arrangement carrying the system constituted by said barrel, movement and balance wheel and the further system constituted by said superposed rocking weight and References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Byam Aug. 4, 1885 6 Colomb Feb. 4, 1936 Thiebaud Dec. 8, 1953 Stamm Dec. 27, 1955 Godat Oct. 9, 1956 Notice of Adverse Decision in Interference In Interference No. 98,066 involving Patent No. 2,981,055, J .-M. Froidevaux and F. Bandi, Self-Winding time-piece, final decision adverse to the patentees was rendered May 21, 1963, as to claim 1.

[Ofiicz'al Gazette July 23,1963] Notice of Adverse Decision in Interference In Interference No. 98,066 involving Patent No. 2,981,055, J .-M. Froidevaux and F. Bandi, Self-Winding time-piece, final decision adverse to the patentees was rendered. May 21, 1963, as to claim 1.

[Ofiicz'al Gazette July 23,1963.]