US3116594A - Automatic regulator mechanism for timepiece - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 7, 1964 Filed May 11. 1961 J. A. VAN HORN AUTOMATIC REGULATOR MECHANISM FOR TIMEPIECE 2 Sheets-Sheet l 28 34 29 Z I 36 30 J Z 32 /6 Q42 4 I INVENTOR Jbltn A. V1111 Horn.

ATTORNEYS Jan. 7, 1964 J. A. VAN HORN AUTOMATIC REGULATOR MECHANISM FOR TIMEPIECE Filed May 11, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ohn A. in. H0221.

BY v flfl 7W ATTORNEYS United States Patent Pennsylvania Filed May 11, 1961, Ser. No. 109,357 lltl Claims. (Cl. 58'85.5)

This invention relates to a timepiece with an automatic regulator and more particularly relates to a timepiece so constructed as to automatically accomplish regulation thereof when the hands of the timepiece are set.

Conventional timepieces, such as watches and clocks, are ordinarily provided with a regulator which is accessible either from the inside of the case or from the back of the timepiece so that the timepiece may be regulated to keep accurate time. In certain types of timepieces, however, such as automobile clocks, the mounting of the clock makes it difficult to provide a readily accessible regulator which is not also subject to undesired tampering, such as by children. In solving this difficulty, it has been proposed to provide an automatic regulator which is actuated to cause regulation each time that the hands of the clock are set to correct inaccurate time indications.

In a certain type of regulator of this nature which has been proposed heretofore it has been suggested that it is essential for proper automatic regulation that some means he provided to insure that the regulation set into a clock at a single setting is limited to a predetermined maximum. As one means of accomplishing this, it has been suggested to always vary the regulator by a predetermined fixed amount each time that the hands of the clock are set. One such example of this type regulator is shown in Rabinow Patent No. 2,542,430. According to another suggestion of the same inventor (Rabinow Patent No. 2,858,029), it has been proposed to utilize limit means for limiting the magnitude of change of adjustment for a change of indication within a predetermined period of time to insure that at no time will the change in regulator adjustment exceed this predetermined amount. In conjunction with such limit means, this same inventor provides a regulator lockout so that it is impossible to reregulate during the predetermined period of time.

As opposed to this prior concept of a limitation on the maximum regulation which may be injected into the clock in a predetermined period of time, the present invention utilizes a system which provides for unlimited regulation as a non-linear function of clock setting. That is to say, there is no limitation on the amount of regulation which can be injected into a clock at a given setting or a predetermined period of time with the exception, of course, of the inherent limit of movement of the rate regulator itself, but the regulation occurs at a non-uniform rate so that the regulation is effected at a high rate only during initial movement of the setting stem and then is eflected at a much lower rate or at a zero rate until the setting stem has been rotated a certain predetermined amount. At this time, regulation again occurs at the high rate and the sequence may be indefinitely repeated.

As one advantageous result of this system, it becomes possible for a jeweler or a clock repairman to inject a large amount of regulation from the front of the clock without tampering with the regulating mechanism itself. As a second advantage it is possible to correct a regulation in the wrong direction which has been injected by inadvertently moving the clock hands in the wrong direction. Neither of these advantages is possible with the limit and lockout systems previously mentioned.

According to the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated herein, the regulating element is connected to the setting element through an intermittent low velocity 3,116,594 liatented Jan. 7, 1964 ice drive mechanism. Such an arrangement causes the regulating element to be driven at a predetermined rate during the period of engagement of the drive mechanism followed by no movement of the regulating element during the ensuing motion of the drive mechanism. The drive mechanism then reengages to cause further movement of the regulating element at the predetermined rate and the sequence is indefinitely repeated to provide what essentially amounts to an intermittent low velocity drive between the setting element and the regulating element. "this intermittent low velocity drive is reducible to a very simple mechanism composed of low cost parts and yet having high reliability which provides effective unlimited automatic regulation with the advantages previously mentioned. In addition to this, such an unlimited automatic regulation system is readily adapted to existing clock movements since the mere addition of a series of inexpensive gear wheels is necessary.

It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved automatic regulator for a timepiece.

it is another object of the invention to provide an improved automatic regulator for a timepiece wherein there is no limitation on the amount of regulation which can be injected into the timepiece at any given setting of the 1311613 and wherein the rate of movement of the regulator corresponding to a given increment of movement of the hands is non-uniform.

It is another object of the invention to provide an automatic regulator for a timepiece wherein the amount of regulation corresponding to a given increment of setting of the hands varies as the hands are set.

It is another object of the invention to provide an automatic regulator including an intermittent low velocity drive between the setting mechanism and the regulating mechanism.

It is another object of the invention to provide an automatic regulator including an intermittent low velocity drive mechanism between the time measuring mechanism and regulating mechanism.

it is another object of the invention to provide an improved hold-down spring for use in cooperation with the intermittent low velocity drive mechanisms.

it is another object of the invention to provide an improved hold-down spring for use in cooperation with the automatic regulator.

it is still another object of the invention to provide an automatic regulator which has no limit on the amount of regulation which may be injected on one setting and no means to lock out the regulating mechanism for a pre determined period of time but which still provides practical insurance against the injection of excessive regulation.

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

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an automatic regulator constructed according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical elevation, partially in section, of the regulator of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the improved hold-down spring of the present invention.

FZGURES l and 2 illustrate a timepiece having an hour wheel 2 meshing with a minute pinion 4- and driving an hour hand 5. The minute pinion 4 is attached by shaft 6 to the conventional minute wheel 8 and this is adapted to be driven by setting pinion 10. Setting pinion it) is attached to a setting staff 12 adapted to be rotated by a setting knob 14. The setting pinion is biased away from the minute wheel 8 by a helical spring 16 surrounding the setting staii" l2 and seated against the dial plate 18 of the clock. The setting staif 12 may be raised upwardly against the biasing force of this helical spring until the setting pinion Ztl engages the minute wheel 3 so that the hands of the clock may be set in a conventional manner.

A double gear comprising an upper gear 2%) and a lower gear 22 is secured to a shaft 24 journalled in the clock frame in any suitable manner which will permit axial motion of the shaft. A tab 26 is struck from the upper gear 20 and extends generally toward the dial plate of the clock frame. The position of the shaft 24 is determined by an arm 30 of a hold-down spring 28.

The hold-down spring 28, as best seen in FiGURE 3, is provided with a number of apertures 29 which cooperate with suitable tabs struck from the dial plate to maintain the base 31 of the spring 28 flush against the dial plate. Any other suitable method of mounting could be equally well used. The ends of the spring 23 are bifurcated as shown at 32 and The end 32 biases the hour wheel 2 away from the dial plate while the end 34 biases a beveled wheel 36 away from the dial plate 18.

The beveled wheel 36 is connected to a pinion by a shaft The wheel, pinion and shaft are preferably made integrally of any suitable plastic, although they could be made separately and of metal if desired. A pivot 41 is provided at the end of the pinion 33 and is suitably journalled in the clock frame.

A regulating wheel 42 is pivotally attached to the clock frame and has a depending regulating arm 44 which engages the hair spring 46 of the timepiece in a conventional manner. The hair spring is mounted on the balance staff 48 of the clock which staff also carries the balance wheel '56. The regulating wheel i2 is provided with teeth 33 which mesh with the teeth of the pinion 38.

A leaf spring 52 has one end 54 attached to the setting pinion iii. The other end of the leaf spring 52 is provided with an aperture 56 which is pivoted on a pin 58 mounted in any suitable manner on the pillar plate 6 2 of the clock frame. The pin 58 is provided with a head 65) to prevent the spring 52 from sliding out of engagement with the pin 59. The diameter of the aperture 56 is greater than that of the pin but less than the head 6%.

The pivoting of one end of the spring 52 rather than the fastening of this end is an important feature of the present invention. This pivoting permits the spring 52 to move through part of its travel under the influence of the setting staif 12 without bending. This preliminary movement before bending permits an accurate determination of just where the spring will bend and also contributes to a longer life for the spring.

A cycle of operation of the present invention follows:

When the setting staff 12 is pulled against the bias of the spring 16, it pulls the leaf spring 52 with it in a man ner described above. As the spring '32 travels away from the pillar plate 62, it engages the lower end of the shaft 24. As the spring '52 continues its travel, it forces the shaft 24 together with the double gear 22Z against the bias of the arm fit? of the hold-down spring 28. As the setting stem is pulled outwardly, the setting pinion it) meshes with the minute wheel At this time, the double gear has been moved to a position abutting the beveled wheel 36. As the setting stem is now turned to set the hands of the clock, the lower gear 22 has been raised to a position where it meshes with the hour wheel 2. As the hour wheel is rotated, the double gear is also rotated so that the tab 26 contacts the beveled wheel 36 and causes it to rotate, thus causing the regulator wheel 42 to be rotated through the medium of the pinion As the hands of the clock are rotated further, the resultant rotation of the double gear causes the tab 26 to disengage the beveled wheel 36. No more regulation will take place until the hour wheel has been rotated sufiiciently to return the tab 26 to a position where it contacts the beveled wheel 36. It can thus be seen that regulation is provided at a first rate for a predetermined rotation of the setting stem, at a zero rate for a further predetermined rotation of the setting stem, and then again at the original rate. Thus any desired amount of regulation may be introduced by turning the setting stem.

When the clock is correctly set, the setting knob is released and the spring 16 returns the setting stem back to its normal position. The spring 52 is likewise returned to its normal position and the hold-down spring 28 again biases the beveled wheel 36 downwardly. In its normal position, the upper gear 29 engages the hour wheel 2. Since it is desired that each new setting of the cloclt will introduce some re ulation, it is necessary that the tab always return to its initial position in which it will engage the beveled Wheel 36. For this purpose, the upper gear 2% is provided with a cutaway portion 23. As the hour wheel rotates, it will rotate the double gear until this cutaway portion is reached. Further rotation of the hour wheel will not effect the double gear and the tab 26 will have been returned to its initial position.

By establishing the gear ratios such that a setting of six or twelve hours correction into the hands of a timepiece is necessary to rotate the tab 26 one revolution, it is virtually assured that over-regulation will not occur. That is to say, normal setting of the hands of the clock would never approach such a large increment nor is it even probable that a child tampering with the hands of the clock would be so persistent as to continuously turn the setting knob in one direction in an amount equal to six or twelve hours. It would also be possible to introduce greater regulation for the same amount of setting stem rotation by providing a plurality of tabs on the double gear.

It may well be appreciated that with the unlimited automatic regulator of this invention, excessive regulation is prevented as a practical matter, while the intelligent injection into the timepiece of as much regulation as necessary is permitted. That is to say, there is no arbitrary limit on the amount of regulation which can be set into the clock at one setting of the clock hands, thereby permitting regulation corrections which are not possible with the limit and lockout type of automatic regulation.

At the same time, While unlimited regulation is permitted, the nature of the regulation is such that regulation occurs at a relatively high rate only during a limited predetermined rotation of the setting hands so that unless the hands are set through a time indication in excess of twelve hours (or any other predetermined interval), an excessive regulation is not iniected into the clock. If regulation is again attempted after an initial setting which exceeds this predetermined amount of hand setting, regulation does not occur.

Where the hands of a timepiece are to be set for a relatively small time, such as for instance, ten or fifteen minutes, it is not at all uncommon for a person setting the clock to first rotate the hands of the clock in the wrong direction. With the limit and lockout devices which have been previously proposed, this would inject an erroneous regulation and it would be impossible to erase this regulation until after a predetermined period of time has elapsed. With the unit of the present invention, however, the injection of an erroneous regulation of a small amount in this manner can be immediately corrected by moving the hands of the clock in the proper direction.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims 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.

This application relates in part to the subject matter of application Serial No. 840,373, filed September 16, 1959, and Serial No. 18,425, filed March 29, 1960.

I claim:

1. In a timepiece: time measuring means; time indicating means actuated by said time measurin means; time setting means for setting said time indicating means to any position in its time indicating range; rate regulating means for regulating the rate of said time measuring means; a pinion engaging said rate regulating means; a beveled disc operatively connected to said pinion; gear means including a tab struck therefrom and adapted to intermittently engage said beveled disc; said gear means being movable by said time setting means into a position where said gear means engages said time measuring means and said tab intermittently engages said beveled disc for unlimitedly adjusting said rate regulating means in non-uniform amounts during the time setting operation.

2. In a timepiece in accordance with claim 1, wherein said timepiece includes: a frame; a pin mounted on said frame; spring means operable to bring said automatic regulating means into engagement with said time measuring means; and said spring means being fixedly attached at one end to said time setting means and loosely pivoted at the other end to said pin.

3. In a timepiece: time measuring means; time indicating means actuated by said time measuring means; rotatable time setting means for setting said time indicating means to any position in its time indicating range; rate regulaitng means for regulating the rate of said time measuring means; a pinion engaging said rate regulating means; a beveled disc operatively connected to said pinion; a first and second superimposed gear; said first gear having a tab struck therefrom; means under the control of said time setting means for moving said gears from a first position to a second position; said first gear being engageable by said time measuring means when said gears are in said first position; said second gear engaging said time measuring means when said gears are in said second position; said beveled disc being intermittently engageable by said tab on said first gear when said gears are in said second position for unlimitedly adjusting said rate regulating means in non-uniform amounts during uniform adjustment of said time setting means.

4. In a timepiece in accordance with claim 3 wherein said timepiece includes: a frame; a pin mounted on said frame; spring means operable to bring said automatic regulating means into engagement with said time measuring means when said time setting means are moved into engagement with said time measuring means; and said spring means having one end fixedly mounted to said time setting means and the other end loosely pivoted on said pm.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein: said other end of said spring is provided with an aperture; said aperture having a dia meter larger than said pin but smaller than a head terminating said pin.

6. A timepiece as set out in claim 3 wherein an hour wheel forms a part of said time measuring means, said first gear being engageable by said hour wheel when said gears are in said first position, said second gear engaging said hour wheel when said gears are in said second position.

7. A timepiece as set out in claim 6 including a dial plate, spring means fixedly attached to said dial plate, said spring means biasing said hour wheel, said beveled disc and said first and second superimposed gears away from said dial plate.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said spring means also biases said tab out of engagement with said beveled disc, said setting means being operative to overcome said bias and move said tab into engagement with said beveled disc.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said spring means is an elongated spring with bifurcated ends and a lateral projection intermediate said ends, said ends and said projection being bent at an angle with respect to said dial plate.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said bifurcated ends bias said hour wheel and said beveled disc and said lateral projection biases said first and second superimposed gears.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,966,720 Henning July 17, 1934 2,071,010 Weberling Feb. 16, 1937 2,542,430 Rabinow Feb. 20, 1951 2,554,029 Holdman May 22, 1951 2,858,029 Rabinow Oct. 28, 1958 2,933,883 Giger Apr. 26, 1960 2,941,349 Lux June 21, 1960 2,949,728 Dicke et a1. Aug. 23, 1960 2,976,673 Petters Mar. 28, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 522,837 France Apr. 8, 1921 787,002 Great Britain Nov. 27, 1957

Claims (1)

1. IN A TIMEPIECE: TIME MEASURING MEANS; 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; RATE REGULATING MEANS FOR REGULATING THE RATE OF SAID TIME MEASURING MEANS; A PINION ENGAGING SAID RATE REGULATING MEANS; A BEVELED DISC OPEATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID PINION; GEAR MEANS INCLUDING A TAB STRUCK THEREFROM AND ADAPTED TO INTERMITTENTLY ENGAGE SAID BEVELED DISC; SAID GEAR MEANS BEING MOVABLY BY SAID TIME SETTING MEANS INTO A POSITION WHERE SAID GEAR MEANS ENGAGES SAID TIME MEASURING MEANS AND SAID TAB INTERMITTENTLY ENGAGES SAID BEVELED DISC FOR UNLIMITEDLY ADJUSTING SAID RATE REGULATING MEANS IN NON-UNIFORM AMOUNTS DURING THE TIME SETTING OPERATION.

Images