US3206841A

US3206841A - Method for producing a clockwork dial provided with projecting symbols

Info

Publication number: US3206841A
Application number: US121503A
Authority: US
Inventors: Vogt Andre
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1960-07-04
Filing date: 1961-07-03
Publication date: 1965-09-21
Anticipated expiration: 1982-09-21
Also published as: CH376058A

Description

Sept. 21, 1965 A. VOGT 3,206,841

METHOD FOR PRODUCING A CLOCKWORK DIAL PROVIDED WITH PROJECTING SYMBOLS Filed July 3. 1961 AMV'I'IH 7A FIG. 2 I

FIG. 3

FIG. 4

FIG. 5 I

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FIG. 9

United States Patent 3,206,841 METHOD FOR PRODUCING A CLOCKWORK DIAL PROVIDED WITH PROJECTING SYMBOLS Andr Vogt, 63 Rue Jacob Brandt, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland Filed July 3, 1961, Ser. No. 121,503 Claims priority, application Switzerland, July 4, 1960, 7,615/ 60 2 Claims. (Cl. 29-177) Various methods for producing clockwise dials provided with projecting symbols are already known, according to which the dial plate and the symbols are obtained through electrodeposition means starting from a mold of insulating material, the surfaces of which are made conductive through metallization. The metallized layer may be removed at the end of the operation, or else, it may be retained for giving a color to the dial or to the symbols.

There are obtained thus dial plates of an electrolytic material, the grade of which is however lower than that of stamped plates. Furthermore, it is not possible to provide signs or symbols made of solid gold without this leading to the production of dials also made of gold, or else, without resorting to an amount of gold which is much larger than that actually required for the forma tion of gold symbols alone.

My improved method allows executing clockwork dials which do not show such drawbacks.

According to my invention, the dial plate and the time symbols or indicia are made independently and a fraction at least of said symbols is coated with a protecting layer, so as to secure the symbols over the dial, said projecting layer being removed after this securing of the symbols or indicia to the dial.

The accompanying drawing illustrates an embodiment of my invention, showing how this method may be executed.

FIGS. 1 to 9 of said drawing illustrate diagrammatically the main successive stages of said method.

According to said method, I begin by producing a mold of plastic material (FIG. 1), of which the upper surface is provided with impressions for the formation of the symbols which it is desired to lay on a dial.

The mold or matrix carries a conductive member 2 embedded inside it and forming the bottom of said impressions, said conductive member being constituted, for instance, by an old dial. The impressions are obtained by means of a further member 3 inserted, for instance, inside the apparatus into which the plastic material forming the mold is to be injected.

The surface of the mold (FIG. 2) is first coated with a thin layer of conductive material 4, say a copper layer, obtained through metallization or deposition in a vacuum and which has for its result an electric interconnection between the impressions and the conductive member 2.

By means of a slight operation on a milling machine, for instance, this layer is removed from the upper surface of the mold so as to allow only that section of the layer which lines the impressions to remain in position. The mold is then dipped into an electrolytic bath, so as to form the symbols by a filling of the impressions, for instance by means of gold (FIG. 3). The latter is deposited only inside the recesses, since only these are then conductive.

This being done, the upper surface of the symbols is finished off by a surfacing by means of a diamond or by polishing (FIG. 4), after which the finished symbols are protected by means of a copper layer 6, for instance, which is obtained electrolytically (FIG. 5).

3,206,841 Patented Sept. 21, 1965 Said protecting layer has a thickness of, say A of a mm., which ensures a proper protection of said symbols.

Known means, for instance a welding through a resistance, or a welding by means of supersonic waves, soldering, gluing or the like, are then resorted to for securing over the protecting layer 6 a support 7 which may be constituted, for instance, by a metal ring or plate.

The mold 1 is finally removed by melting or by chemical reagents which dissolve it, for instance, and thenafter, the conductive member 2 is removed by attacking, for instance, the metalized layer connecting it with the gold or the like symbols. I obtain thus the complete hour scale secured to the support 7, as illustrated in FIG. 7.

Further means also known per se and preferably resistance welding or supersonic welding, are used for securing the symbols 5 onto a dial plate 8, while holding the support 7. The latter is then removed together with the protective layer carried by it, so as to provide for the appearance to view of the finished symbols which the different securing operations cannot damage by reason of the protective layer 6 coating their parts subjected to such operations. The removal of the support 7 may be obtained through a series of wellknown means, say through electrolysis or through dissolution by an acid.

The upper surface of the dial plate may, of course, be entirely finished, that is, it may have been previously subjected to the usual finishing operations and, in particular, to conventional electrolytic treatment.

My improved method is particularly economical since it allows obtaining dials carrying projecting symbols which are made, for instance, of gold, while resorting only to the amount of gold which is strictly required for their execution. The dial plate may be obtained through any conventional means, for instance through stamping. Lastly, the symbols, as also the dial plate, can be finished independently of one another and the operations on the dial plate cannot damage the symbols and reversely.

Of course, my invention is by no means limited to the method described hereinabove which may be subjected to many modifications within the scope of the accompanying claims. In particular, the mold may be executed through other means than those described and made of other materials.

The filling of the impressions for the formation of the symbols may be executed methods other than through an electrodeposition method, for instance, through injection molding or die casting.

Similarly, the symbols may also be made separately through any other known means, for instance through stamping or punching. The protection may also be obtained through means other than an electrolytic deposit of metal, but through a varnish, or merely through a mechanically fitted element for example caps having a soft inner surface laid over each symbol. Of course, the support may be secured to the symbols after removal of the mold and before removal of the conductive member. Furthermore, it is possible to remove only a section of the mold, so as to uncover the corresponding portions of the symbols, of which the actual body would remain fitted inside the mold, so that the latter may absorb the strains arising upon securing of the symbols to the dial. In this case, the mold would act as the protecting means. Lastly, the securing of the elements may be obtained on the dial and on the support through any known means.

What I claim is:

1. A method for manufacturing a clockwork dial having time indicia and the like thereon in relief comprising, providing a finished dial plate having a major face to which indicia are to be secured in spaced positions without further finishing operations to be performed at least on said major face of said dial plate, providing finished indicia separately from said dial and having face surfaces viewable in the completed dial and in a finished condition without further need of finishing operations, applying on said face surfaces of said indicia in intimate contact therewith a protective layer of material capable of at least mechanically protecting said face surfaces of said indicia during securing of said indicia on said major face surface, permanently securing the indicia on said dial in spaced relative positions, after securing said indicia removing said layer of material to expose said finished face surfaces, and prior to securing said indicia on said dial plate, joining the protective layer on said indicia with said indicia disposed in discrete spaced positions corresponding to spaced relative positions said indicia are to be disposed in secured positions on said dial plate major face, and in which said joined indicia are jointly positioned on said major face for securing thereon.

2. A method for manufacturing a clockwork dial having time indicia and the like thereon in relief comprising, providing a finished dial plate having a major face to which indicia are to be secured in spaced positions Without further finishing operations to be performed at least on said major face of said dial plate, providing finished indicia separately from said dial and having face surfaces viewable in the completed dial and in a finished condition without further need of finishing operations, confining said indicia in discrete spaced positions in a matrix prior to securing them on said dial plate Without confining said face surfaces thereby protecting said indicia, applying a protective layer on the face surfaces of said indicia in intimate contact therewith and while confined in said matrix to at least mechanically protect said faces of said indicia during securing of said indicia on said major face surface, joining the protective layer of all of said indicia for holding said indicia in spaced relative positions upon removal of said matrix, removing said matrix, positioning all of said joined indicia on said major face for securing thereon, permanently securing the indicia on said dial in spaced relative positions, and after securing said indicia removing said layer of material to expose said finished face surfaces.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,060,361 4/13 Rea 29424 1,325,325 12/19 Janke 29-155.54 1,392,007 9/21 Freund 29-177 1,571,756 2/26 Colomb 29177 1,995,036 3/35 Pape 58127 2,011,517 8/35 Geoffrion 58-127 2,608,529 8/52 Varian 29424 2,636,489 4/53 Brenner 29-424 2,983,992 5/61 Bloomberg 29423 3,000,081 9/61 Webb 29424 FOREIGN PATENTS 566,210 8/57 Italy. 584,982 11/58 Italy.

WHITMORE A. WILTZ, Primary Examiner.

NEDWIN BERGER, Examiner.

Claims

1. A METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A CLOCKWORK DIAL HAVING TIME INDICIA AND THE LIKE THEREON IN RELIEF COMPRISING, PROVIDING A FINISHED DIAL PLATE HAVING A MAJOR FACE TO WHICH INDICIA ARE TO BE SECURED IN SPACED POSITIONS WITHOUT FURTHER FINISHING OPERATIONS TO BE PERFORMED AT LEAST ON SAID MAJOR FACE OF SAID DIAL PLATE, PROVIDING FINISHED INDICIA SEPARATELY FROM SAID DIAL AND HAVING FACE SURFACES VIEWABLE IN THE COMPLETED DIAL AND IN A FINISHED CONDITION WITHOUT FURTHER NEED FOR FINISHING OPERATIONS, APPLYING ON SAID FACE SURFACES OF SAID INDICIA IN INTIMATE CONTACT THEREWITH A PROTECTIVE LAYER OF MATERIAL CAPABLE OF AT LEAST MECHANICALLY PROTECTING SAID FACE SURFACES OF SAID INDICIA DURING SECURING OF SAID INDICIA ON SAID MAJOR FACE SURFACE, PERMANENTLY SECURING THE INDICIA ON SAID DIAL IN SPACED RELATIVE POSITIONS, AFTER EXPOSE SAID INDICIA REMOVING SAID LAYER OF MATERIAL TO EXPOSE SAID FINISHED FACE SURFACES, AND PRIOR TO SECURING SAID INDICIA ON SAID DIAL PLATE, JOINING THE PROTECTIVE LAYER ON SAID INDICIA WITH SAID INDICIA DISPOSED IN DISCRETE SPACED POSITIONS CORRESPONDING TO SPACED RELATIVE POSITIONS SAID INDICIA ARE TO BE DISPOSED IN SECURED POSITIONS ON SAID DIAL PLATE MAJOR FACE, AND IN WHICH SAID JOINED INDICIA ARE JOINTLY POSITIONED ON SAID MAJOR FACE OF SECURING THEREON.