US3021665A

US3021665A - Electric watch mechanism

Info

Publication number: US3021665A
Application number: US798086A
Authority: US
Inventors: Varga Gyula
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-03-09
Filing date: 1959-03-09
Publication date: 1962-02-20
Anticipated expiration: 1979-02-20

Description

Feb. 20, 1962 G. VARGA ELECTRIC WATCH MECHANISM Filed March 9, 1959 INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,021,665 :ELECTRIC WATCHMECHANISM Gyula Varga, 314 Locust Drive, 'Plioenixville, Pa. Filed Mar. 9, 1959, Ser. No. 798,086 3 Claims. (Cl. 58-28) This invention relates to electric watch mechanisms and more particularly to a watch mechanism which is operated by a battery.

It has heretofore been proposed to apply the force from an electromagnet directly on the balance wheel of a watch to provide the driving force required for proper time keeping. This however introduces various complications, including excessive consumption of electrical energy, excessive friction of the balance Wheel shaft, and difficulty of accurate adjustment.

Other electrically operated mechanisms for watches have been proposed but they are of excessive size or have other objectionable characteristics.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide an electric watch mechanism which is simple in construction, has a minimum of space requirements, and has a minimum of power requirements.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electric watch mechanism in which the balance wheel acts as a pendulum suspended on a hair spring, and the pallet is electromagnetically actuated in timed relation to impart an impulse to a roller pin on a roller on the balance wheel arbor.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electric watch mechanism having an electromagnetic drive which is energized in timed relation in a simple but effective manner.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electric watch mechanism having an intermittently operated electromagnetic drive in which the contacts for controlling the energizing of the electromagnet are arranged in a simple but effective manner.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electric watch mechanism which can be readily repaired, if required, by a watchmaker without the necessity for employing complicated instruments.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electric watch mechanism of high precision as to timekeeping and which can be readily set as required.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the description and claims.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of a portion of an electric watch mechanism in accordance with the present invention, part of the balance wheel and balance spring being broken away to show the details of construction, and the structure being shown greatly enlarged;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view of the structure shown in FIG. 1, parts being broken away in the interest of clarity; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view, enlarged, of one end of the pallet and illustrating the details of construction of a preferred form of electrical contact mounted thereon.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawings herein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications and changes can be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a balance wheel of a watch mechanism is illustrated,

carried on a balance wheel arbor 11. The arbor 11 can be supported at one end in a bearing 12 carried by a portion of the frame 14 and at the other end in a bearing 13 carried in another portion of the frame 14 on which a regulator 15 is pivotally mounted. The balance wheel 10 can serve as a pendulum in a-well known manner.

The arbor 11 has a ring 11' thereon of well known type to one end of which a balance wheel spiral hair spring 17 is connected, the other end of the hair spring 1.7 being adjustably held by a hair spring stud '18 carried on the frame 14. A roller 16 is provided on the arbor l1 and carries a roller pin 19.

A pallet 2c is provided, having a mounting spindle 21 carried in

bearings

22 and 23. The spindle 21, or the

bearings

22 and 23, or both, can be made of non-electrical conductive material.

Spaced stop pins

24 and 25, of non-electrical conductive material, are provided for limiting the extent of pivotal movement of the pallet 20. A pallet spring 26 can be provided secured at one end to the pallet 20 and at the other end to'the stop pin '25 'for urging the pallet 20 towards a neutral or intermediate position, but permitting overriding in either direction.

The pallet 20, at its outer end is provided with a core piece or armature 27, preferably-arcuate in shape, which extends into a hollow coil 28 of an electromagnet.

The pallet 2%, at its inner end has an offset end or'half fork 30, preferably of electrical insulating material which is wear resistant, such as nylon, phenol formaldehyde resin, or the like, for actuating engagement with the roller pin 19.

A contact carrying member 31 is provided, of resilient material such as spring steel, and is pivotally mounted by a pivot pin 32 on a bracket arm 33 on the pallet 29. The contact carrying arm 31 has an extension 34 with which a spring 35 is in engagement. The spring 35" is held on the pallet 20 by mounting pins 36. A stop screw 34' is provided for positioning the extension 34.

The contact carrying arm 31 has an insulating covering 38 on the outside face remote from the roller pin 19 as shown in FIG. 3 and a contact face 37 on the inside face for establishing an electrical contact, as hereinafter explained.-

The electrical circuit is illustrated diagrammatically on FIG. 2 and includes an electric battery 40 of small size and of a type now available as a source of electric energy and a conductor 41 extending therefrom to the frame 14 to energize the roller pin 19 through the spring 17, the balance wheel 10 and the roller 16. The pallet 20, other than its insulated half fork 30, can serve as a portion of a conducting circuit, the pallet spring 26 being electrically connected thereto. A conductor 42 extends from the spring 26 to one terminal of the electromagnet coil 28, the other terminal of the coil 28 being connected by a conductor 43 to the battery 40.

The mode of operation will now be pointed out.

Upon energization of the electromagnet coil 28, the armature 27 is drawn thereinto. The movement thus imparted to the pallet 20, against the restoring force of the pallet spring 26 is effective for providing an impulse of the half fork 30 against the roller pin 19 to rotate the balance wheel 10 in a clockwise direction, in opposition to the restoring force of the balance wheel spring 17. The roller pin 19, upon counterclockwise movement of the balance wheel 10, moves past the end of the contact carrying arm 31 which swings on its pivot pin 32 to permit such movement but by reason of its insulated face 38 does not at this time set up a circuit through the arm 31.

The balance wheel 10, after movement in a counterclockwise direction, then moves in a clockwise direction and in so doing engages the contact face 37 to establish an activating circuit for the coil 28. Upon energization of the coil 28, the armature 27 is moved, as previously pointed out, so that the pallet 26 can, through the half fork 30, impart an impulse to the roller pin 19.

The arm 31, by reason of its elasticity, permits relative movement of the roller pin 19 towards and away from the half fork 30 without interposing any substantial 'obstruction, but permits of and provides for establishing a coil energizing contact for a short time interval but sufiicient for an actuating impulse to be imparted to the balance wheel 10. The short time interval of energization of the coil 28 reduces the drain on the battery 40.

The power take off can be of any type, utilizing the pallet movement, the armature movement, the balance wheel movement, or the force available in the coil 28.

I claim:

1. An electric watch mechanism comprising a frame, a balance wheel pivotally mounted in said frame, a balance spring connected to said balance wheel and to said frame, a roller pin movable with said balance wheel, a pallet pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said frame, one end of said pallet having an armature thereon, an electromagnetic coil for actuating said armature to move said pallet in a predetermined direction, a resilient memher connected to said pallet and continuously urging said pallet toward a predetermined position and in opposition to the force exerted by said coil, the other end of said pallet having a rigid impulse input half fork portion extending therefrom for engagement with a face of said pin upon movement of said pallet in a predetermined direction by said coil, said other end of said pallet having a flexible contact arm pivotaily mounted thereon with a part thereof on one side of its pivotal mounting disposed in spaced parallel relation to said half fork portion, said contact arm having a contact face portion on one side thereof for contact with said roller pin in one position of said pallet and an electrical insulating portion on the other face thereof for contact by said roller pin in another position of said pallet, and circuit connections for energization of said coil including said balance spring, said balance wheel, said roller pin and said contact face portion of said contact arm.

2. An electric watch mechanism as defined in claim 1 in which said half fork portion is of electrical insulating material.

3. An electric watch mechanism as defined in claim 1 in which said contact arm on the other side of its pivotal mounting has a positioning spring in engagement therewith permitting flexing of said contact member for movement of said roller pin past said contact arm in either direction.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 345,292 Fenner July 13, 1886 FOREIGN PATENTS 285,800 Great Britain Sept. 13, 1928 301,024 Switzerland Nov. 1, 1954