US3116592A - Automatic regulator for timepiece - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 7, 1964 D. FRITSCH 3,116,592

AUTOMATIC REGULATOR FOR TIMEPIECE Filed April 28, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet l "llllllll W 54 52 Ill! GEAR INVENTOR Danie] Fntsch,

ATTORNEYS Jan. 7, 1964 D. FRITSCH 3,115,592

AUTOMATIC REGULATOR FOR TIMEPIECE Filed April 28, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 mmm /Z INVENTOR Daniel Frifsch,

Jan. 7, 1964 D. FRITSCH 3,116,592

AUTOMATIC REGULATOR FOR TIMEPIECE Filed April 28, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Dazu'e! Fri t sch,

BY f fill/7W y :TTORNEYS United States Patent Ufitice 3,116,592 Patented Jan. 7, 1964 3,1165% AUTUMA'IIIC REGULATGR FUR TFMEPIIEQE Daniel Fritsch, Lancaster, Pa, assignor to Hamilton Watch Company, Lancaster, Pa a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Apr. 28, 1969, Ser. No. 25,350 14 (Claims. (Cl. 58-4355) This invention relates to automatic regulators for timepieces and more particularly to timepieces which are automatically regulated by means of a delayed action mechanism and which are provided with means for limiting the frequency and/ or degree of regulation.

There has been a growing trend in the timepiece industry to produce timepieces equipped for automatic regulation to correct inaccuracies in timekeeping. In conventional timepieces, it has been the ordinary practice to provide a regulating mechanism which is accessible from either inside the case or from the back of the timepiece. ln certain types of timepieces, such as automobile clocks, however, the mounting of the clock makes it difficult to provide a readily accessible regulating mechanism which is not also subject to undesirable tampering, such as by children. This problem has been particularly compounded by the fact that it has most usually been the desire of either the clock or the automobile manufacturer to provide an automatic regulating mechanism requiring a minimum of conscious effort on the part of the operator, which desire has usually been satisfied by so incorporating the regulating mechanism in the timepiece that regulation is effected each time the hands of the clock are set. If regulation is automatically effected each time the hands of the clock are set by means of a readily accessible adjusting mechanism, tampering with the clock is quite apt to result in over-regulation and ultimately in an inaccurate timepiece.

A still additional problem is created by the fact that it is often desirable to adjust the setting of the hands of the timepiece for reasons other than faulty timekeeping, i.e., when passing from one time zone to another or when the clock has stopped due to failure to wind or because of a power failure. It is thus essential that the regulating mechanism be so constructed that regulation will not be significantly effected when adjustments of the latter nature are made.

It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved automatic regulating mechanism for a timepiece which is readily accessible and yet will minimize the effects of tampering.

It is another principal object of the present invention to provide an automatic regulator for a timepiece which will limit the maximum regulation per adjustment to compensate for non-regulatory adjustments of the timepiece.

It is another object of the instant invention to provide an automatic regulator for a timepiece in which regulation is effected by the motive power source of the timepiece without the necessity for manual prestressing or energizing of elements associated with the regulating mechanism.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an automatic regulator for a timepiece in which regulation takes place slowly after the regulation has been injected into the regulating mechanism during the setting operation of the timepiece.

A still additional object of the present invention is to provide alternate embodiments of a novel automatic regulating mechanism, one permitting immediate, complete erasure of an erroneous regulation, the other permitting only partial erasure of an erroneous regulation.

These and further objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reference to the following specification, appended claims and draw ings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one form of the automatic regulating mechanism of the present invention, with parts broken away for clarity of illustration;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of the automatic regulating mechanism shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a portion of a second form of automatic regulating mechanism within the framework of the present invention; and

FIGURES 4, 5 and 6 are top plan views of the actuating portion of the automatic regulating mechanism illustrated in F-IGURE 3.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the novel regulating mechanism of the instant invention comprises a vertically movable setting stem It! having a knurled knob 12 at its outer end and carrying a setting pinion 14 which is adapted, in the setting position of setting stem 10, to engage the minute wheel partially shown at 15 to set the hands of the timepiece. Minute wheel 15 is indicated by dashed line I9 as mechanically connected to a time indicator such as minute hand 17. Setting stem 10 is biased into the position shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 by means of a spring 16 having furcations 18 which engage a necked-down portion 20 on the setting stem. The other end of spring 16 (not shown) is suitably secured to a stationary portion of the timepiece.

Positioned adjacent setting stem 10 and its associated elements is an automatic regulating assembly indicated generally at 22 in FIGURES 1 and 2. This assembly comprises a crank 24 having a gear 26 positioned near one of its ends and a V-shaped bend 28 near its other end, the latter being positioned intermediate 21 pair of limit pins 34 and 32 which are secured to a stationary portion of the timepiece. Crank 24 carries a pinion 34 having a disc 36 rigidly fixed to the crank and positioned atop pinion 34. Pinion 34 is mounted on crank 24 by means of a friction clutch or equivalent arrangement such as bent spring washer 35 urging the pinion against the plate so that when crank 24 is braked against rotation by engagement of the V-bend 28 with either of limit pins 30 or 32, pinion 34 may be free to rotate about crank 24. i

As shown in FIGURE 2, disc 36 extends radially beyond the periphery of pinion 34 to form an annular shoulder 38. Crank 24 is necked-down immediately above disc 36 at 39 to receive the furcations 40 of spring 42, which normally biases automatic regulating assembly 22 into the position shown in FIGURE 2. Spring 42 is rigidly fixed to a stationary portion of the timepiece in a conventional manner.

As is clearly shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, an elongated iinger 44 is mounted for rotation about a drive shaft 46 by means of a collar 48 so as to engage the vertex of V-bend 28 during the course of its movement in a horizontal plane above the top ends of limit pins 34 and 32. Finger 44 is mounted relative to shaft 46 by means of a friction clutch assembly or equivalent structure in a conventional manner such as by a bent spring washer 5i urging collar 48 against a suitable flange 53 on shaft 46 to permit shaft 46 to rotate independently of finger 44 after the latter has moved through a predetermined arc. Shaft 46 is preferably one of the shafts on which one of the gears of the gear train is mounted and is indicated by dashed line 47 as mechanically connected to the gear train 49. In the embodiment shown in FIG- URES 1 and 2, finger 44 will be mounted on a shaft rotating in a counter-clockwise direction, though, as will be apparent, finger 44 could be positioned on the other side of V-bend 28 and be mounted on a shaft rotating in a clockwise direction. As shown in its non-regulating position in FIGURES 1 and 2, finger 44 biases V-bend 28 into 3 its neutral, centered position between limit pins 34 and 32 by virtue of the continued rotation of shaft 46.

In its normal, non-regulating position, gear 26 is in engagement with a gear 59 mounted on the end of a horizontal shaft 52. At the other end of shaft 52 is a worm 54 which is in engagement with a toothed regulating wheel 56 which is pivotally attached to the timepiece frame and which has a depending regulating arm 58 adapted to engage the hairspring of the timepiece in a conventional manner.

The operation of the automatic regulating mechanism of the instant invention is as follows:

When it is desired to set the hands of the timepiece, setting stem is pulled upwardly (in the direction of arrow 60 in FIGURE 1) to its setting position in engagement with the minute wheel. As the setting stem is pulled toward its setting position, setting pinion 14 will move into engagement with pinion 34 in regulating as sembly 22 and, by means of shoulder 38 on disc 36, continued movement of setting stem It} toward its setting position will result in upward movement of crank 24 sufiiciently so that gear 26 becomes disengaged from gear 50 at its uppermost position (viz., the setting position of setting stem 10).

As setting stem 10 is rotated to adjust the hands of the timepiece, setting pinion 14 will simultaneously cause pinion "34 to rotate, resulting in the rotation of crank 24 and V-bend 28. If the adjustment of the hands is slight, angular movement of crank 24 and V-bend 23 will be directly proportional to the angular rotation of setting pinion 14. When adjustment of the hands exceeds a predetermined amount, however, continued rotation of V-bend 28 will be prevented by the engagement of the lower leg 61 of the V-bend with one or the other of limit pins 30 and 32, though regulating pinion 34 will continue to rotate by virtue of its friction clutch mounting.

As will be clear from FIGURES 1 and 2, rotation of setting stem 10 in a counterclockwise direction will result in rotation of V-bend 28 in a clockwise direction toward limit pin 32, as shown by the dotted lines in FIGURE 2; rotation of setting stem 10 in a clockwise direction will cause V-bend 28 to rotate counterclockwise in the direction of limit pin 39, as may also be seen in dotted lines in FIGURE 2. The friction clutch mounting of finger 44 on shaft 46 will also permit finger 44 to be rotated in a clockwise direction under the urging of V-bend 28 as the latter is rotated toward either limit pin 36 or 32, depending upon the direction of the correction. Since gear 26 is disengaged from gear 50 at this point, no regulation of the timepiece will take place during the setting operation.

When the setting operation has been completed and crank 24 rotated into a cooked position, the setting stem 10 is returned to its non-setting position by means of spring 16, regulating assembly 22 will be returned to its normal position (as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2) under the biasing force of spring 42. At this point, gear 26 will be in engagement with gear 50 and V-bend 28 will be cocked or displaced from its centered position between limit pins 30 and 32 by an amount proportional to the angular rotation of setting pinion 14, or against either of limit pins 30 and 32, as the case may be. Since finger 44 is mounted on a shaft forming part of the train of the timepiece, finger 44 will slowly rotate in a counterclockwise direction in accordance with the rotation of shaft 46. Since the free end of finger 44 is in engagement with the V-blend, rotation of finger 44 will slowly cause crank 24 to uncock or rotate back to its neutral position and, correspondingly, to rotate gears 26 and 56 to a like extent. Rotation of gear 50 will result in adjustment of the hairspring of the timepiece in an obvious manner. When V-blend 28 has returned to its neutral position between limit pins 30 and 32, finger 44 will be braked against further rotation, though continued rotation of shaft 46 will be assured by virtue of the friction clutch mounting of finger 44.

A second embodiment of the instant invention is illustrated in FIGURES 3-6. Except for the particular regulating assembly indicated generally by the numeral 7t) in FIGURE 3, the second embodiment of the present invention does not differ from the embodiment shown in FIG- URES l and 2. For this reason, the setting stem and regulating wheel assemblies have been omitted from the drawings of this embodiment.

The upper portion of regulating assembly 70' is identical to the corresponding portion of the first embodiment described above. Thus, gear 26, disc 36, pinion 34 and spring 42' are identical to gear 26, disc 36, pinion 34 and spring 42, and are positioned relative to one another and to gear 5% and setting pinion 14 in a manner identical to the relative positioning of the elements of the first embodiment. So too, pinion 34' is mounted on shaft 72 by means of a friction clutch 35, as was the case in the structure of the first embodiment.

Mounted near the lower end of shaft '72 is a support element '74 on which is fixed a vertical pin '76 which projects above and below support element 74 as shown in FIGURE 3. A finger 44, which is mounted on a staff 46' bearing one of the gears of the train by means of a friction clutch assembly as before, has its free end extending between the lower portion of pin '76 and the lower end of shaft 72 beneath support element '74. Finger 44 will normally urge pin '76 toward the position shown in FIGURE 4, since shaft 46' will normally be rotating in a counterclockwise direction, as in the case of the structure of the first embodiment.

Fixedly mounted to a stationary portion of the timepi ce by means of a mounting pin 78 is a spring 80 having an E-shaped head portion indicated generally at 82. As best shown in FIGURE 3, the outermost leg 84 of head portion 82 is longer than legs as and 9t and has a depending arm 86 which abuts against finger 44.

Spring 8t) is mounted so that when pin 76 is in its neutral position as shown in FIGURE 4, the spring will be biased in a counterclockwise direction about mounting pin '78 so that fingers 84 and 88 remain in engagement with finger 44 and pin '76, respectively. The biasing force of spring 89 is sufficiently less than the force exerted by rotation of finger 44 (through rotation of shaft 46) so that shaft 44- will urge finger 84 and pin '76 toward and maintain them in the position shown in FIGURE 4.

The operation of this embodiment of the present invention is as follows:

When the setting pinion is raised into its setting position as described above in connection with the structure of the first embodiment, shaft 72 will be raised sufficiently to disengage gears 26 and 5d and to move setting pinion l4 and pinion 34 into engagement. At this point, the regulating elements of the timepiece are in the position shown in FIGURE 4. If setting pinion 14' is rotated in a clockwise direction, regulation pinion 34 will be rotated counterclockwise as shown in FIGURE 5. Rotation of pinion 34' will result in corresponding rotation of support element 74 and pin '76, rotation of the latter urging finger 44' in a clockwise direction to cock the regulator.

When rotation of the setting pinion 14 exceeds a predetermined point, pin '76 will slip into the slot 92 formed between fingers 84 and 83. As will be clearly evident from FIGURE 5, continued rotation of setting pinion 14' will result in continued movement of pin 76, movement of said pin in the counterclockwise direction being limited only by the ultimate engagement of finger 44' with shaft 72. Once pin 76 has entered slot 92, however, movement of the pin in the clockwise direction is prevented by finger 83. Thus, in the event the timepiece is overset and has to be reset in the opposite direction from the original movement of the hands, the initial regulation injected into the regulating assembly 70 will be at least partially retained. The regulation will thus always remain in the direction of the first hand setting.

When setting pinion 14 is returned to its non-setting position, rotation of finger 44 on co-unterclockwise-rotating shaft d6 will uncock or slowly urge pin 76 back to its neutral position, resulting in regulation of the timepiece as described in eonnetcion with the structure of the first embodiment. Since the biasing force of spring isfi will be less than the force exerted against arm 86 and pin 76 by finger 44', spring fit will not impede uncocking movement of pin 76 back to its neutral position. When the elements have been returned to their neutral position as shown in FIGURE 4, finger 44 will stop rotating but, through the friction clutch arrangement described above, will permit shaft 46 and its connected train elements to continue rotating to permit the timepiece to function in its normal manner.

Similarly, rotation of setting pinion M in a counterclockwise direction will cause pin 76 to rotate clockwise as shown in FIGURE 6. If setting pinion 14' is rotated sufficiently in this direction, pin 76 will eventually slide into slot 94 between legs 88 and 90 of spring 84 the pin being locked against reverse movement by leg 88 as before.

The mechanisms of the instant invention provide numerous advantages. Not only is each of these mechanisms fully automatic, obviating completely the necessity for conscious effort on the part of the operator, but, and more important, each makes possible the placement of the setting stem knob in an accessible position without fear of the possibility of tampering. Thus, if an adjustment is made by a child tampering with the device, another full adjustment cannot be made until such time as the finger attached to the train rotates suificiently to return the regulating assembly shaft or crank back to its neutral position. The only regulation which may be made before that time is partial (viz., re-regulation after part of the regulation has taken place), but this presents but a limited problem.

Another important feature of the instant invention is the provision of means to limit the maximum degree of regulation for non-regulatory adjustments of the timepiece. In addition, the several embodiments described provide a choice between a mechanism permitting complete, immediate erasure of an erroneous correction and one permitting only a partial erasure in such an instance.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended drawings rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

l. A timepiece comprising: time measuring means including a gear; time indicating means actuated by said time measuring means; time setting means for setting said time indicating means to any position in its time indicating range; said time setting means having a setting and nonsetting position and including a gear; rate regulating means including a gear for regulating the rate of said time measuring means; automatic regulating means including a first and second gear; said time setting means gear being in mesh with said first gear of said automatic regulating means when said time setting means is actuated in its setting position for cocking said automatic regulating means so as to provide a limited amount of adjustment for subsequent insertion into said rate regulating means; said second gear of said automatic regulating means being out of mesh with said rate regulating means gear when said time setting means is in its setting position so as to prevent immediate insertion of said limited adjustment to said rate regulating means; said second gear of said automatic mg ulating means being in mesh with said rate regulating means gear when said time setting means is returned to its non-setting position after a setting operation; said automatic regulating means being driven by said time measuring means gear for gradually uncocking said automatic regulating means so as to gradually insert said limited adjustment into said rate regulating means through said second gear of said automatic regulating means and said rate regulating means gear when said time setting means has been returned to its non-setting position after a time setting operation; and said automatic regulating means including means for uncocking said automatic regulating means so as to erase at least a portion of said limited adjustment after a time setting operation but before said time measuring means gear has completely uncocked said automatic regulating means.

2. A timepiece in accordance with claim 1 wherein said automatic regulating means further includes means movable between a neutral position and either of two fully cocked positions; said movable means being in its neutral position when said time setting means is in its non-setti g position and said limited adjustment is not inserted into said rate regulating means; means riven by said time measuring means gear for constant ly biasing said movable means towards its neutral position; the biasing force of said biasing means being overcome whenever said time setting means is actuated so that said movable means may be cocked toward one of its fully cocked positions; and said biasing means being effective to urge said movable means back to its neutral position after said setting operation.

3. A timepiece as defined in claim 2 wherein said biasing means is a train-driven element.

4. A timepiece as defined in claim 2 wherein said automatic regulating means is further provided with lockout means to prevent full erasure of said limited adjust- .ent immediately after said time setting operation.

5. A timepiece as defined in claim 4- wherein said lock-out means is not effective unless said time indicating means has been adjusted by said setting means to a predetermined degree.

6. A timepiece as defined in claim 4 wherein said lock-out means comprises a slotted member constantly biased against said movable means in a direction substantially opposite to the biasing force on said movable means of said biasing means; said movable means having means to engage the slot in said slotted member after said movable means has been cocked to a predetermined degree; said movable means being returnable to its neutral position by means of the biasing force of said biasing means.

7. A timepiece as defined in claim 6 wherein said biasing means is a train-driven element adapted to gradually return said movable member to its neutral position in synchronism with movement of the train and after said setting means has been returned to its non-setting position.

8. A timepiece comprising: time measuring means including a gear; time indicating means actuated by said time measuring means; time setting means for setting said time indicating means to any position in its time indicating range; said time setting means having a setting and non-setting position and including a gear; rate regulating means including a gear for regulating the rate of said time measuring means; automatic regulating means including a pair of gears; said time setting means gear being in mesh with the first gear of said pair of gears when said time setting means is actuated in its setting position for cocking said automatic regulating means so as to provide a limited amount of adjustment for subsequent insertion into said rate regulating means; the second gear of said pair of gears being out of mesh with said rate regulating means gear when said time setting means is in its setting position so as to prevent immediate insertion of said limited adjustment to said rate regulating means but being in mesh with the second gear of said pair of gears when said time setting means is returned to its non-setting position; said automatic regulating means being driven by said time measuring means gear for gradually uncocking said automatic means so as to gradually insert said limited adjustment into said rate regulating means through said second gear of said pair of gears when said time setting means has been returned to its non-setting position after a cocking operation; said automatic regulating means including means for partially uncocking said automatic regulating means when said time indicating means is actuated in a direction opposite to the direction of the first setting operation so as to erase at least a portion of said limited adjustment after said first setting operation but before said time measuring means gear has completely uncocked said automatic regulating means; and said automatic regulating means further including lock-out means for preventing further uncocking of said automatic regulating means when said time indicating means is adjusted in a direction opposite to the direction of said first setting operation until said time measuring means gear completely uncoeks said automatic regulating means.

9. A timepiece as defined in claim 8 wherein said time measuring means gear is part of a train of gears and wherein said driving force is provided solely through said train of gears.

10. A timepiece comprising: time measuring means including a gear; time indicating means actuated by said time measuring means; time setting means for setting said time indicating means to any position in its time indicating range; said time setting means having a setting and non-setting position and including a gear; rate regulating means for regulating the rate of said time measuring means; automatic regulating means for pr0 viding limited adjustment to said rate regulating means; said automatic regulating means being coupled to said time setting means when said time setting means is in its time setting position and being coupled to said rate regulating means when said time setting means is in its non-setting position; said automatic regulating means being cooked by said time setting means gear when said time setting means is in its setting position so as to provide said limited adjustment for subsequent insertion into said rate regulating means; said automatic regulating means being driven by said time measuring means gear when said time setting means is returned to its non-setting position aiter a setting operation so as to gradually insert said limited adjustment into said rate regulating means; and lock-out means coupled to said automatic regulating means for preventing complete uncocking of said automatic regulating means when said time setting 8 means is actuated in a direction opposite to the direction of the first setting operation until said time measuring means gear completely uncocks said automatic measuring means.

11. A timepiece comprising: time measuring means including a train; time indicating means actuated by said time measuring means; time setting means for setting said time indicating means to any position in its time indicat ing range; said time setting means having setting and nonsetting positions and including a gear; rate regulating means for regulating the rate of said time measuring means and including a gear; automatic regulating means for providing limited adjustment to said rate regulating means; said automatic regulating means including a first and second gear and a crank; said crank being movable between a neutral position and either of two fully cocked positions; said first gear of said automatic regulating means being in mesh with said time setting means gear when said time setting means is in its setting position so that actuation of said time setting means moves said crank towards one of its fully cocked positions; said second gear of said automatic regulating means being in mesh with said rate regulating means gear when said time setting means is returned to its non-setting position after a time setting operation; and means driven by a gear of said train of said time measuring means for gradually uncocking said crank and returning it back to its neutral position so that said limited adjustment may be gradually inserted into said rate regulating means through said second gear of said automatic regulating means and said rate regulating means gear subsequent to said time setting operation.

12. A timepiece as defined in claim 11 wherein said crank has a non-linear portion and is moved back towards its neutral position by a train-driven element urging against the non-linear portion of said crank.

13. A timepiece as defined in claim 12 wherein said train-driven element comprises an elongated finger mounted for rotation on a shaft carrying one of the gears of the train of the timepiece.

14. A timepiece as defined in claim 12 wherein said fully cocked positions of said crank are determined by limit means interposed in the path of movement in a direction towards either of said fully cocked positions of the non-linear portion of said crank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

Claims (1)

1. A TIMEPIECE COMPRISING: TIME MEASURING MEANS INCLUDING A GEAR; TIME INDICATING MEANS ACTUATED BY SAID TIME MEASURING MEANS; TIME SETTING MEANS FOR SETTING SAID TIME INDICATING MEANS TO ANY POSITION IN ITS TIME INDICATING RANGE; SAID TIME SETTING MEANS HAVING A SETTING AND NONSETTING POSITION AND INCLUDING A GEAR; RATE REGULATING MEANS INCLUDING A GEAR FOR REGULATING THE RATE OF SAID TIME MEASURING MEANS; AUTOMATIC REGULATING MEANS INCLUDING A FIRST AND SECOND GEAR; SAID TIME SETTING MEANS GEAR BEING IN MESH WITH SAID FIRST GEAR OF SAID AUTOMATIC REGULATING MEANS WHEN SAID TIME SETTING MEANS IS ACTUATED IN ITS SETTING POSITION FOR COCKING AND AUTOMATIC REGULATING MEANS SO AS TO PROVIDE A LIMITED AMOUNT OF ADJUSTMENT FOR SUBSEQUENT INSERTION INTO SAID RATE REGULATING MEANS; SAID SECOND GEAR OF SAID AUTOMATIC REGUALTING MEANS BEING OUT OF MESH WITH SAID RATE REGULATING MEANS GEAR WHEN SAID TIME SETTING MEANS IS IN ITS SETTING POSITION SO AS TO PREVENT IMMEDIATE INSERTION OF SAID LIMITED ADJUSTMENT TO SAID RATE REGULATING MEANS; SAID SECOND GEAR OF SAID AUTOMATIC REGULATING MEANS BEING IN MESH WITH SAID RATE REGULATING MEANS GEAR WHEN SAID TIME SETTING MEANS IS RETURNED TO ITS NON-SETTING POSITION AFTER A SETTING OPERATION; SAID AUTOMATIC REGULATING MEANS BEING DRIVEN BY SAID TIME MEASURING MEANS GEAR FOR GRADUALLY UNCOCKING SAID AUTOMATIC REGULATING INTO SAID RATE REGULATING MEANS THROUGH SAID SECOND GEAR OF SAID AUTOMATIC REGULATING MEANS AND SAID RATE REGULATING MEANS GEAR WHEN SAID TIME SETTING MEANS HAS BEEN RETURNED TO ITS NON-SETTING POSITION AFTER A TIME SETTING OPERATION; AND SAID AUTOMATIC REGULATING MEANS INCLUDING MEANS FOR UNCOCKING ANS AUTOMATIC REGULATING MEANS SO AS TO ERASE AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID LIMITED ADJUSTMENT AFTER A TIME SETTING OPERATION BUT BEFORE SAID TIME MEASURING MEANS GEAR HAS COMPLETELY UNCOCKED SAID AUTOMATIC REGULATING MEANS.

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