US2982086A

US2982086A - Regulating device for a timepiece having a balance and hairspring

Info

Publication number: US2982086A
Application number: US781349A
Authority: US
Inventors: Loretan Edouard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1957-12-26
Filing date: 1958-12-18
Publication date: 1961-05-02
Anticipated expiration: 1978-05-02

Description

7a of the regulator.

United States Patent REGULATING DEVICE FOR A TIMEPIECE HAV- ING A BALANCE AND HAIRSPRING Edouard Loretan, La Rochette, Le Sentier, Switzerland Filed Dec. 18, 1958, Ser. No. 781,349

Claims priority, application Switzerland Dec. 26, 1957 Claims. (Cl. 58-111) The present invention is concerned with a regulating device for a timepiece having a balance and hairspring, wherein the outer stop for regulating the active length of the hairspring is radially movable and is pressed elastically in the direction of the inner stop.

This regulating device is characterised in that the outer stop is mounted rotatably on the regulator and is fast with a control pinion meshing with a fixed toothed sector, an abutment limiting the radial displacements of the said stop towards the exterior, the whole arrangement being such that when the said pinion is operated it disengages partly from the said toothing, moving away the outer stop in opposition to the elastic device until said stop abuts against the said abutment, thus unclamping the hairspring, and that the regulator is then entrained.

One form of embodiment of the subject of the invention and a modified constructional form thereof are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawlugs.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a regulating device for a timepiece.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line II--II of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line III-III of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a detail of a modified constructional form, taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 5, and

Fig. 5 is a view thereof from below.

The regulating device illustrated comprises a hairspring support I mounted rotatably on the end-piece which is designated as 2. The outer end of the hairspring 3 is fixed to a lug 1a of the hairspring support by means of a plate 4 supported by a screw 5. A fiat spring 6 moves this plate away when the screw is released.

The regulator designated as 7 is mounted rotatably on the hairspring support 1. The

stops

8 and 9 for regulating the active length of the hairspring are carried by a lug 7a of the regulator. The inner stop 8 is fixed whereas the outer stop 9 is mounted so as to be slidable in a radial slot 10 (Fig. 2) of the lug 7a. This outer stop is urged towards the inner stop by a Wire spring 11 which embraces the two stops, thus clamping the hairspring 3.

The outer stop 9 is also mounted rotatably on the lug It carries a pinion 12 situated on the said lug and in engagement with a toothed sector 1b formed on the hairspring support 1. This toothed sector could belong to a shoulder of the cock, in the case of a regulating device which is not provided with a hairspring support.

Regulation is eliected in the following manner: the balance being set by an adjustment of the angular position of the hairspring support 1, the latter has no longer to be displaced and remains fixed. In order to regulate the active length of the hairspring 3, a screwdriver is inserted in a slot 13 formed in the pinion 12, whereby the said pinion can be rotated. During this rotation of the pinion 12, a tooth of the sector 1b meshing with the pinion exerts on the top of a tooth of this pinion a force directed perpendicularly to its flank. Since "this flank, as it can be seen from Fig.1 of the drawing, is inclined with respect to the radial line II-II, this force has a radial component. Now, this force is the higher as the regulator 7 is not freely mounted on the support 1, but frictionally. Moreover, since the pinion 12 is free to move radially, this radial component of the force urges the pinion to move radially, together with the outer stop 9, thus unclamping the hair spring 3. Once the outer stop 9 bears against the end of the slot 10 provided in the regulator 7, the pinion 12 is prevented from displacing farther radially, whereby the regulator is then driven. In this way, the regulator cannot be displaced until the hairspring has first of all been liberated. It should be noted that when the pinion 12 reaches one or other end of the toothed sector 1b, it remains partially disengaged from the toothing, so that the stops thus remain spaced apart, which permits the hairspring to be put in position and removed.

The modified constructional form of Figs. 4 and 5 differs from the first form of embodiment in that the inner stop 14 for regulating the active length of the hairspring is not of circular cross-section but is substantially rectangular in cross-section, one of the sides of this rectangle being slightly convex so as to form a bearing surface 15 for the hairspring (Fig. 5). The outer stop comprises a sleeve 16 which is mounted'freely on a roller 17 similar to the roller 9 of the first form of embodiment. This sleeve has a concave surface 18 in r the form of a section of a cylinder wall, against which the hairspring is supported. The latter is thus clamped over some proportion of its length, thus increasing the accuracy of regulation.

A wire spring 19 provides the clamping action on the hairspring. This wire spring bears on the rollers 17, passing through a slot 20 formed in the sleeve 16, so that it prevents the said sleeve from leaving the roller. The latter is fast with a pinion 21 which is in engagement with a toothed sector 22; the operation of this regulating device is identical to that of the first form of embodiment.

What I claim is:

1. In a regulating device for a timepiece having a hairspring comprising, a regulator, an outer and an inner stop on said regulator for regulating the active length of said hairspring, said outer stop being radially movable, and an elastic means urging elastically said outer stop in the direction of said inner stop in such a regulating device: a control pinion fast with the outer stop which is mounted rotatably on the regulator, a toothed sector with which said pinion is in engagement, and an abutment limiting the radial displacement of the said outer stop toward the exterior, whereby, when the said pinion is operated, it disengages partly from the said toothed sector, moving away the outer stop in opposition to the said elastic means until the said outer stop abuts against the said abutment thus unclamping the hairspring, to permit driving of the regulator.

2. In a regulating device for a timepiece having a hairspring, comprising a regulator, an outer and an inner stop on said regulator for regulating the active length of said hairspring, said outer stop being radially movable, and an elastic means urging elastically said outer stop in the direction of said inner stop, in such a regulating device; a roller constituting said outer stop, a lug of the regulator provided with a radial slot in which extends said roller which is mounted rotatably on the regulator, a control pinion fast with said roller, situated on said 111g, a toothed sector with which said pinion is in engagement, and an abutment limiting the radial dis- 'whereby, when the said pinion is operated, it disengages partly from the said toothed sector, moving away the,

outer stop in opposition to the said elastic means until the said outer stop abuts against the said abutment thus unclamping the hairspring, to permit driving of the regulator.

3. In a regulating device as claimed in claim 2, a sleeve mounted freely on said roller and having a bearing surface in the form of a cylindrical wall, which is intended to co-operate with the hairspring.

4. In a regulating device for a timepiece having a hairspring, comprising a regulator, an outer and an inner stop on said regulator for regulating the active length of said hairspring, said outer stop being radially movable, and an elastic means urging elastically said outer stop in the direction of said inner stop, in such a regulating device: a control pinion fast with the outer stop which is mounted rotatably on the regulator, a Wire spring surrounding the two stops and constituting said elastic means, a toothed sector with which said pinion is in engagement, and an abutment limiting the radial displacement of the said outer stop toward the exterior, whereby, when the said pinion is operated, it disengages partly from the said toothed sector, moving away the outer stop in opposition to the said elastic means until the said outer stop abuts against the said abutment thus unclamping the hairspring to permit driving of the regulator.

5. In a regulating device for a timepiece having a hairspring, comprising a cock, a regulator, an outer and an inner stop on said regulator for regulating the active length of said hairspring, said outer stop being radially movable, an elastic means urging elastically said outer stop in the direction of said inner stop, and a hairspring support to which the outer end of the hairspring is fixed and which is rotatably and frictionally mounted on the cock, coaxially with the regulator, in such a regulating device: a control pinion fast with said outer stop which is mounted rotatably on the regulator, a toothed sector provided in said hairspring support and with which said pinion is in engagement, and an abutment limiting the radial displacement of the said outer stop toward the exterior, whereby, when the said pinion is operated, it disengages partly from the said toothed sector, moving away the outer stop in opposition to the said elastic means until the said outer stop abuts against the said abutment thus unclamping the hairspring, to permit driving of the regulator.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,589,717 Marti Mar. 18, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 846,976 Germany Aug. 18, 1952