US3140579A

US3140579A - Lapel timepiece

Info

Publication number: US3140579A
Application number: US232791A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr George Skakel
Original assignee: Great Lakes Carbon Corp
Current assignee: SGL Carbon Corp
Priority date: 1962-10-24
Filing date: 1962-10-24
Publication date: 1964-07-14
Anticipated expiration: 1981-07-14

Description

y 1964 Y s. SKAKEL, JR 3,140,579

LAPEL TIMEPIECE Filed Oct. 24. 1962 United States Patent f 3,140,579 LAPEL TIMEPIECE George Skakel, Jr., Greenwich, Conn., assignor to Great Lakes Carbon Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 24, 1962, Ser. No. 232,791 4 Claims. (Cl. 5888) This invention relates to a new type of timepiece intended to be worn on the lapel of a womans article of clothing such as a blouse, suit or jacket. More particularly, it relates to a lapel watch having a pivoted cover over its face and which can be easily read by its wearer.

A lapel watch generally comprises a watch movement enclosed in an ornamcntally decorated case which is fastened to the lapel by a short chain, and a clip or pin. The face of the watch is covered with a transparent crystal and a hinged face cover. Up to the present time, such watches have served more as ornamental or decorative feminine jewelry than as timepieces which are functional to the wearer. The reason for this limited usefulness is the fact that the face of the watch is usually hidden from view by the face cover which is connected by a small hinge or other means to the watch case and is held in a closed position by a latch. In order to ascertain the time, the wearer must unlatch the cover and open it, and then turn the watch around so that she may look at its face. This is inconvenient and troublesome to the wearer. Even if the watch is not provided with a face cover, it must still be turned around in order to be read by the wearer.

It is an object of this invention to provide a lapel watch which overcomes the foregoing shortcomings.

It is another object of the invention to provide a lapel watch which can be easily read by the wearer.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a watch which can be easily read by the wearer by merely looking into the opened face cover.

These and other objects will be more fully understood when taken in light of the following descriptions and accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 represents a side elevation of the lapel watch with a small portion of the crystal cut away; and

FIGURE 2 represents a front view of the watch, partially in section, both figures shown with the closure member or face cover in an open position.

My new improved watch comprises a timekeeping mechanism enclosed in a suitable case, a watch face covered by a transparent protective crystal cover, hands which move in a counterclockwise direction, calibrations on the face of the watch which can register with the hands for telling time, said calibrations being reversed from those of an ordinary watch, and a pivoted closure connected to the case and adapted, when closed, to cover the face, and having a light-reflectant surface on its side adjacent to the watch face when closed. This light reflectant surface is what is commonly referred to as a two-way mirror. Such a mirror is characterized by having one side of light reflection, and one side of light transparency. With such a mirror, a person looking at one side of it will see his own reflection while a person looking at the other side will be able to see through the mirror and ascertain objects on the other side.

The mirror is peripherally secured in a rim or a frame, constituting the hinged cover. Means are generally provided for prohibiting the cover from swinging more than 90 from the closed to the open positions. Means are also provided for maintaining the hinged cover in a closed position (as in a conventional timepiece).

FIGURES 1 and 2 depict a watch case 1 containing a time mechanism or movement (not shown), and a watch face 2 on which appear the numerals and marks customarily found on any ordinary watch, but the numerals are 3,140,579 Patented July 14, 1964 reversed, ie as a mirror image of the usually designated numbers. The minute and hour hands 3 move around the face of the watch in a counter-clockwise direction. The stem and crown 4 are used for setting the time and for winding the watch. An ordinary how 5 is afiixed to the watch case over the plunger and crown. Attached to the bow is a means 7 for fixing or pinning the watch to the lapel of the wearer. The closure means or cover 9 consists of a mirror 8 supported in a frame or rim 10 made of any suitable rigid material, preferably metal or plastic. The cover is attached to the watch case 1 by hinge 11. A hook 12 and a notch 13 serve to retain the closure in a closed position. A crystal 15 over the face of the watch serves the normal function of protecting the watch movement and face from dust and moisture, and from physical damage when the cover is open.

When the cover containing a two-way mirror is closed, and the watch is looked at from the front, the observer sees the face of the watch through the transmittant or transparent side of the mirror. The viewer sees the face in reverse, or a mirror image of the normal face of a watch. This reversal is accomplished, in effect, by pivoting an ordinary watch face 180 about a vertical axis. The

numerals

6 and 12 do not change their position but appear backward. The numerals 9 and 3 are backward and have changed positions. If non-numeral calibrations such as dots or slash marks are used to represent the numbers on the face of the dial, they wont necessarily appear to be backward when reversed. However, they represent numbers which are reversed.

When the wearer desires to know the time, she unfastens the hook and swings the pivoted mirror cover to such a position that the face of the watch is reflected in the reflectant side of the two-way mirror. What she sees in the mirror is a watch face as it is normally seen with the numbers in standard position in a clockwise manner. She can thus ascertain the correct time without the necessity of holding the watch out and away from the lapel and turning the face around toward her. The watch, however, does not lose any of its ornamental effect by use of this closure means.

The cover is attached to the watch case by any suitable means, preferably by the use of a small hinge 11 typically located at the bottom of the case. The two parts of the hinge may each be provided with a shoulder (not shown) which serve to limit the are through which the cover moves. Thus, when the cover is swung open a predetermined amount, for instance the shoulder portion of the cover hinge comes to rest on the shoulder portion of the case hinge thus preventing further opening. Alternatively, other means may be provided for limiting the opening arc of the cover, although such means are not necessary. The hinge or other pivotal means may be at some position other than the bottom, if desired.

Although the cover as described in the figures is held closed by a simple hook and notch, other means which are well known to one skilled in the art can be used. Any closure means which holds the cover in a closed position, but allows it to be readily opened is suitable, providing it does not adversely affect the operation of the watch movement and is not too cumbersome or unattractive. Opening and closing may be eflected by twisting the bow 6 or turning or depressing the Stern if desired.

The watch may be attached to the lapel of the wearer by any suitable means, customarily by a chain and a pin. If desired, a pin or clip can be attached directly to the watch case itself, omitting the chain.

As shown in the drawings, the two-way mirror 8 is secured in a rim or frame. The use of such a frame reduces the possibilities of accidental chipping, cracking or breaking of the mirror. It also affords a convenient means of pivotally attaching the mirror to the watch case and of providing a hook or other closure means on the mirror. However, the frame need not extend completely around the mirror, and in fact the presence of a frame is not absolutely essential in the practice of the invention. Instead,

the mirror can be formed into the proper shape to cover the face of the watch and can contain a pivotal means such as a hinge and a closure means integrally incorporated into its design. By this means, the necessity of using a frame is avoided. Likewise, a partial frame or rim, peripherally attached to the mirror only at its bottom and/or top can be used to facilitate connecting it to the case and for providing means for holding it closed.

The transparent side of the two-way mirror may be embossed, cut or etched with an appropriate design or scroll work to enhance the ornamental effect of the watch. Likewise, the rim may be appropriately decorated or engraved. The watch may otherwise be decorated or ornamented by the use of jewels or rare metals, or by other means well known to watchmakers and jewelers.

Having thus fully described my invention, but not intending to be limited by the description, I claim:

1. In a timepiece including a timekeeping mechanism enclosed in a case, a watch face, a protective transparent cover over the face, and a closure pivotally connected to the case and adapted when closed to cover the face, the improvement comprising:

hands engaged with the timekeeping mechanism and rotatable about the face in a counter-clockwise direction,

calibrations cooperative with the hands for telling time,

said calibrations being a mirror image of those found on an ordinary watch, and

a mirror contained within the closure and having a first side of light reflection adjacent the watch face when 3. the closure is closed, and a second side of light transparency.

2. A timepiece according to claim 1 wherein said closure comprises an annular support peripherally securing the mirror therein.

3. A timepiece according to claim 1 further comprising means for maintaining the closure in a closed position.

4. In a lapel watch including a time keeping mechanism enclosed in a case, a watch face, a crystal over said face, and a closure pivotally connected to the case and adapted when closed to cover the face, the improvement comprising:

hands engaged with the time keeping mechanism and References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 780,287 Hardy Jan. 17, 1905 809,698 Kelley Jan. 9, 1906 1,610,532 Russell et al Dec. 14, 1926 2,132,476 En Holrn Oct. 11, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS 603,727 France Jan. 12, 1926

Claims

1. IN A TIMEPIECE INCLUDING A TIMEKEEPING MECHANISM ENCLOSED IN A CASE, A WATCH FACE, A PROTECTIVE TRANSPARENT COVER OVER THE FACE, AND A CLOSURE PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE CASE AND ADAPTED WHEN CLOSED TO COVER THE FACE, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: HANDS ENGAGED WITH THE TIMEKEEPING MECHANISM AND ROTATABLE ABOUT THE FACE IN A COUNTER-CLOCKWISE DIRECTION, CALIBRATIONS CO-OPERATIVE WITH THE HANDS FOR TELLING TIME, SAID CALIBRATIONS BEING A MIRROR IMAGE OF THOSE FOUND ON AN ORDINARY WATCH, AND A MIRROR CONTAINED WITHIN THE CLOSURE AND HAVING A FIRST SIDE OF LIGHT REFLECTION ADJACENT THE WATCH FACE WHEN THE CLOSURE IS CLOSED, AND A SECOND SIDE OF LIGHT TRANSPARENCY.