US3405241A - Timepiece - Google Patents

Description

P. VOGT TIMEPIECE Oct. 3, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 2, 1966 M I a 4 5 w lrl" v 7 I Q E I 7 i a w 3 Pall! United States Patent 3,405,241 TIMEPIECE Paul Vogt, Neuchatel, Switzerland, assignor to Ebauc'hes S.A. Neuchatel, Switzerland, a firm of Switzerland Filed June 2, 1966, Ser. No. 554,794

Claims priority, application Switzerland, June 3, 1965,

2 Claims. (Cl. 200-38) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An alarm timepiece having a release mechanism operating an electrical switch and including an alarm wheel frictionally mounted on the frame of the timepiece coaxially with the hour wheel and settable to a desired position by .a control device, a release cam rigidly secured to the hour wheel while the movable annular contact member is mounted for displacement on the alarm wheel and is elastically urged against the cam, so that when a recess of the cam and the movable contact member are aligned during the rotation of the hour wheel, the contact member is displaced under the action of the spring and comes into contact with a stationary ring carried by the frame in electrical isolation therefrom, thereby closing the switch.

The present invention relates to a timepiece, especially to an alarm timepiece, comprising a release mechanism controlling an electric contact.

This timepiece is characterized by the fact which comprises an alarm Wheel frictionally mounted on the frame of the clockwork, coaxially with the hour wheel, and a control device allowing this alarm wheel to be brought to any angular position, a release cam rigid with the alarm wheel or hour wheel, and a contact member movably mounted on the other wheel, this contact member being elastically urged against the cam, so that, when a recess of the latter and said contact member are opposite one another, during the rotation of the hour wheel, the contact member moves itself and comes into contact, at least indirectly, with a stationary ring carried by the frame of the clockwork, electrically isolated therefrom, and which constitutes one of the elements of the said electric contact, while the other is constituted by the said contact member.

The drawing shows, by way of example, several embodiments of the Object of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a detail of a first embodiment of an alarm timepiece, the base plate being removed.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view along line IIII of FIG. 1, on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a detail of a second embodiment of an alarm timepiece, the base plate being removed.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along line IVIV of FIG. 3, on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a detail of a third embodiment of an alarm timepiece, with a part in section along line VV of FIG. 6, and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view along line VI-VI of FIG. 5, on an enlarged scale.

The timepiece represented in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises an hour wheel 1 having a sleeve 1a engaged on a cannonpinion 8. A release cam 3 is force fit on sleeve 1a. The cam is, constituted by a circular disc provided with a recess 4.

The base plate of the clockwork, designated by numeral 5, carries, frictionally mounted coaxially of the hour wheel, an alarm wheel 6. The friction is ensured by elastic washer 7 interposed between the base plate 5 and a sleeve 2 forced on a sleeve 6a of the alarm wheel 6.

This alarm wheel is subjected to the action of a manually actuatable control device only one wheel of which, designated by numeral 9, has been represented in FIG. 1.

The alarm Wheel 6 carries a contact lever 10, having the shape of a segment of crown, articulated thereon at 11, and subjected to the action of a return spring 12 which urges extremity 10a of this lever, bent at a right angle, against the lateral face of the release cam 3.

A contact ring 13 is secured to the base plate 5, on the lower face thereof, with interposition of an insulating element 14; this ring is thus electrically insulated from the mass of the clockwork.

The contact lever 10 is provided, at its extremity opposite 10a, with an. embossment 10b intended to enter into contact with the ring 13, for connecting it electrically to the mass and thus produce the desired closing of the electric contact. To this effect, the lever 10' pivots under the action of the spring 12 when the recess 4 of the cam 3 comes opposite part 10a of the lever; the lever 10 pivots in then counter-clockwise direction.

The time at which this release occurs can be set by turning the alarm wheel 6 by means of the manually operable setting device acting by the intermediary of the Wheel 9.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, the hour wheel is designated by 15. It carries, forced thereon, a release cam 16 provided with a recess 17.

The alarm wheel is designated by 18 and the contact member by 19. This latter is constituted by an annular ring pivotably mounted at 20 on the wheel 18. It is provided with a part 19a bent at right angles, held in contact with the cam 16 by the action of a spring 21 constituted by an elastic blade engaged by its extremities in notches 22 provided in the ring 19. This spring 21 bears, on the other hand, by its middle part, on a central collet 18a of the wheel 18.

The contact member 19 is provided with an embossment 19b diametrically opposite the bent part 19a, intended to come into contact with a contact ring 23 secured to the base plate, designated by 24, with interposition of an insulating member 25.

The closing of the contact occurs when the recess 17 of the cam 16 comes opposite the bent part 19a of the contact member 19.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6, the release cam, designated by 26, is forced on the hour wheel, designated by 27, and has a bell shape; it is provided with a recess 28. The contact member is constituted by an elastic lever 29, riveted at 30 on the alarm wheel, designated by 31, and which is located within the cam 26. This release lever bears elastically, by its free extremity 29a, against the inner face of the cam 26.

When the recess 28 is situated opposite the extremity 29a of the elastic lever 29, this extremity moves radially outwardly, under the influence of the elasticity of the lever. During this displacement, a stud 32, carried by the extremity 29a of the lever 29, and which passes through an elongated aperture 33 of the wheel 30, enters into contact with a contact ring 34, secured under the base plate, designated by 35, with interposition of an insulating element 36.

As a modification, the release cam could be carried by the alarm wheel, and the contact lever carried by the hour wheel. In this case, the contact between the lever and the stationary contact ring would be a friction contact.

As a modification, the release cam, instead of being provided with a recess, could be a snail cam. However, in this case, the manually operable setting device would have to be provided with a friction coupling, so as to prevent the mechanism from being damaged in case of a setting effected in a direction opposite to the relative movement between the release cam and the contact member, due to the regular running of the clockwork.

What I claim is:

1. An alarm timepiece comprising a frame, a rotatable hour wheel on said frame, an electrical switch including a stationary ring carried by said frame in electrical isolation therefrom, and a movable contact member for opening and closing said switch, a release mechanism operating'said electrical switch including an alarm wheel frictionally mounted on said frame coaxially with the hour wheel, a control device for moving the alarm wheel to any desired angular position, a release cam rigidly secured to said hour wheel, said cam'having a periphery with a recess therein, said movable contact member being constituted as an annular member movably mounted on the alarm wheel including diametrically opposed engaging portions, and means urging one of said engaging portions of said contact member against said cam so that when the recess of said cam and said one engaging portion come into alignment during rotation of the hour wheel, the contact member is"m0ved and the other engaging portion contacts said stationary ring.

2. A timepiece as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means which urges one of the engaging portions of said contact member against the cam comprises a spring constituted as a bent elastic blade having opposite ends engaged in two inner notches provided in the'annular contact' member, said alarm wheel including a central collet, saidblade including a middle portion bearing" against said comet. 4 w M, ,.v i

References Cited GEORGE HARRIS, Primary Examiner.

FRED E. BELL, Assistant Examiner.

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