US3487631A

US3487631A - Date correcting device for calendar watches

Info

Publication number: US3487631A
Application number: US747882A
Authority: US
Inventors: Katsuhiko Morita
Original assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc
Current assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc
Priority date: 1967-08-14
Filing date: 1968-07-26
Publication date: 1970-01-06
Anticipated expiration: 1987-01-06
Also published as: SE352968B; GB1168745A

Description

J 6, 1970 KATS'UHIKO MORITA 3,487,631

DATE CORRECTING DEVICE FOR CALENDAR WATCHES Filed July 26. 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet l F/GJ Jan. 6,, 1970 KATSUHIKO MORITA 3,487,631

DATE CORRECTING DEVICE FOR CALENDAR WATCHES Filed July 261 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent Ofiice 3,487,631 Patented Jan. 6, 1970 US. Cl. 5858 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A date correcting device for calendar watches including a clutch wheel longitudinally displaceable along the winding stem and rotatable therewith, said clutch wheel being formed with first gear means on one side thereof adapted to meshingly engage corresponding gear means on the date dial to rotate said date dial in response to the rotation of the winding stern.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to date correcting devices for calendar watches. The known date correcting devices for calendar watches are relatively complex in that they require separate parts adapted solely for use in connection with date correction. This complexity makes the known arrangements difiicult to assemble initially and to repair. The resulting increased labor and material costs increases the initial expense and the cost of repair of watches incorporating the known arrangements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Generally speaking, and according to the invention, a crown is provided of the three position pull-out type. A clutch wheel is disposed on the Winding stem and adapted to be longitudinally displaceable therealong and rotated thereby. Said clutch wheel and date wheel are provided with corresponding first gear means adapted to meshingly engage when said clutch wheel is displaced against said date wheel. The clutch wheel and setting wheel are provided with corresponding second gear means adapted to meshingly engage when said clutch wheel is displaced against said setting wheel. Means are provided for longitudinally displacing the clutch wheel in response to the longitudinal displacement of the winding stem. Said displacing means includes a yoke engaging the clutch wheel at one end and pivotably mounted at the other, a lever pivotable about an axis intermediate its ends in response to the longitudinal displacement of the winding stem, spring means engaging said yoke intermediate its ends against one arm of said setting lever so that said yoke pivots in response to the pivoting of said lever, and means engaging said setting lever to define the three positions of said Winding stem and clutch wheel.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a date correcting device for calendar watches which does not require additional separate mechanisms independently operable and specifically devoted to date correction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a date correcting device for calendar watches which utilizes the clutch wheel for the function of date correction.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a date correcting device for calendar watches which permits accurate correction of the date, while being relatively inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a date correcting device for calendar watches wherein the gear means for date correction does not interfere with the rotation of the date dial due to the normal passage of time.

Another object of the invention is to provide a date correcting device for calendar watches wherein the calendar mechanism is not damaged it the date correcting device is rotated in the wrong direction.

Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference is had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the date correcting device for calendar watches according 'to the invention with the mechanism disposed in the first or normal position;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the date correcting device for calendar watches of FIG. 1 disposed in the second or date correcting position; and

FIG. 3 is a plan View of the date correcting device for calendar watches of FIG. 1 disposed in the third or hand setting position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIG. 1, the date correcting device for calendar watches depicted include a winding stem 10 adapted to wind a watch and formed with a circumferential groove 12 in an upper portion thereof and a substantialy square portion 14 spaced inwardly of groove 12. Setting lever 16 is pivotably mounted on axle 18 intermediate its two

arms

20 and 22. Pin 24 mounted on yoke arm 20 is disposed within circumferential groove 12 of winding stem 10. Also mounted on setting lever 16 is pin 26 adapted to rest and be retained in three alternate positions along lever spring 28 as defined by

notches

30, 32 and 34. Lever spring 28 is formed as part of member 36 which is secured to the plate of the watch by means of screw 38.

Disposed about square portion 14 of winding stem 10 is clutch wheel 40. The clutch wheel is formed with a substantial square central bore corresponding to the peripheral surface of square portion 14 whereby said clutch wheel is rotated by said winding stern but is longitudinally displaceable along said winding stem square portion. Clutch wheel 40 is formed with a central circumferential groove 42, a first gear means 44 on the outer side thereof and a second gear means 46 on the inner side thereof. First gear means 44 is of the ratchet type and adapted to meshingly engage a corresponding gear means 48 on date wheel 5t). First gear means 44 and gear means 48 corresponding thereto are adapted so that date wheel 50 is driven by clutch wheel 40 only when said clutch wheel is rotated in one direction, namely counter-clockwise. When the gear means 44 and 48 are in meshing engagement and clutch wheel 40 is rotated in a clockwise direction, the corresponding inclined faces of the respective ratchet gear means engage to displace said clutch wheel away from said date wheel so that said date wheel is not rotated.

Second gear means 46 is adapted to meshingly engage a corresponding gear means 52 on setting wheel 54 as best seen in FIG. 3. Yoke 56 is pivotably mounted at one end on pin 58 while the other end thereof rides in circumferential groove 42 of clutch wheel 40. Said yoke is formed with three notches 6t), 62 and 64 intermediate its ends, said notches being adapted to receive and retain arm 22 of setting lever 16. Yoke spring 66 engages yoke 56 and is biased so as to tend to rotate said yoke in a clockwise direction about pin 58.

The foregoing arrangement is of the three-position pullout type. FIG. 1 shows the arrangement according to the invention in the first or inner position. Clutch wheel 40 is disposed in a neutral position whereas neither first gear means 44 nor second gear means 46 engage their corresponding gear means. Accordingly, neither the date correcting nor hand setting functions are performed in this position. Pin 26 of setting levers 16 is disposed within notch 30 of lever spring 28 while setting lever arm 22 is disposed within notch 60 of yoke 56. The various elements are held in this position by means of yoke spring 66 and lever spring 23.

When winding stem 16 is pulled out to the second or middle position, the arrangement according to the invention is disposed as shown in FIG. 2. When winding stem is displaced from the first to the second position, setting lever 16 is pivoted about axle 18 by means of pin 24 riding in circumferential groove 12 of said winding stem. Pin 26 is displaced from notch 30 of lever spring 28 into notch 32 thereof. Setting lever arm 22 is displaced out of notch 60 of yoke 56, said yoke being pivoted in a clockwise direction about pin 58 by means of yoke spring 66 until setting lever arm 22 rests in and engages yoke notch 62. Clutch wheel is displaced longitudinally along the square portion 14 of winding stem 10 due to the rotation of yoke 56, one end of which is disposed within circumferential groove 42 of said clutch wheel. In the second position, first gear means 44 is in meshing engagement with the corresponding gear means 48 disposed on the inside peripheral surface of date wheel 50. As pointed out above, date wheel 50 is rotated in response to the rotation of winding stem 10 when said winding stem is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction. In this manner, the date may be corrected in a precise manner. It is noted that first gear means 44 and the corresponding gear means 48 may be shaped so that date wheel 50 is driven when winding stem 10 is rotated in a clockwise direction rather than the counter-clockwise direction required in the embodiment shown in the drawings.

When winding stem 10 is pulled out to the third or outer position, as shown in FIG. 3, the arrangement according to the invention is disposed to permit rotation of setting wheel 54 in response to the rotation of winding stem 10. When said winding stem is displaced outwardly from the second to the third position, setting lever 16 is rotated about axle 18 by means of pin 20 disposed in groove 12 of said winding stem. Pin 26 is displaced from lever spring notch 32 to notch 34 thereof While arm 22 is displaced from yoke notch 62 to notch 64 thereof. The displacement of arm 22 forces yoke 66 to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction about pin 58, thereby longitudinally displacing clutch wheel 40 inwardly so that second gear means 46 is in meshing engagement with the corresponding gear means 52 on setting wheel 54. When so disposed, the hands of the watch can be set by rotating winding stem 10.

The above-described date correcting device for calendar watches does not require parts adapted solely for use in date correction. Further, the device according to the invention is relatively simple so that assembly and disassembly are readily accomplished. Since, in the first or lower position, first gear means 44 is disposed outside of the addendum circle of the corresponding gear means 48, the former does not prevent the date dial from turning in the conventinal manner due to the passage of time. The above-described arrangement permits extremely accurate date correction since the rotation of the winding stem is directly transmitted to the first gear means. Finally, by forming first gear means 44 and the corresponding gear means 48 as ratchet gears, turning the winding stem 10 in the wrong direction will not damage the mechanism irrespective of the time at which the date is corrected.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above,

among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efiiciently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1.. A date correcting device for calendar watches comprising, a longitudinally displaceable winding stern; a clutch wheel disposed on said winding stem, said clutch Wheel being coupled to said winding stem for rotation thereby and longitudinal displacement therealong; a date wheel; said date wheel and one side of said clutch wheel both being formed with corresponding first gear means adapted for meshing engagement therebetween; a setting wheel, said setting wheel and the other side of said clutch wheel being formed with corresponding second gear means adapted for meshing engagement therebetween; and means for longitudinally displacing said clutch wheel into and out of engagement with said date wheel and said setting wheel in response to the longitudinal displacement of said winding stem, whereby both date correction and hand setting functions may be accomplished by longitudinally displacing and then rotating said winding stem.

2. A date correcting device for calendar watches as recited in claim it, wherein said clutch wheel displacing means is adapted to retain said winding stem and clutch wheel at three postions defined by the longitudinal position of said winding stem, said clutch Wheel being free from engagement with both said date wheel and setting wheel at the first of. said positions, said clutch wheel being in meshing engagement only with said date wheel at the second of said positions and said clutch wheel being in mashing engagement with said setting wheel at the third of said positions, whereby the correction function may be performed at said second position, and the hand setting function may be performed at said third position.

3. A date correcting device for calendar watches as recited in claim 2, wherein said winding stem is displaceable outwardly from said first to said second position, and from said second to said third position.

4. A date correcting device for calendar watches as recited in claim 2, wherein said clutch wheel displacing means includes a setting lever having first and second arms and being pivotably mounted intermediate said arms, said setting lever first arm being secured to said winding stem for longitudinal displacement therewith; a yoke pivotably mounted at one end and connected to said clutch wheel at the other end thereof, said clutch wheel being longitudinally displaceable in response to the pivoting of said yoke, said yoke being formed with three notches therein intermediate the ends thereof, each of said notches being adapted to receive and retain said setting lever second arm in one of said three positions; and yoke spring means adapted to bias said yoke against said setting lever second arm.

5. A date correcting device for calendar watches as recited in claim 4, wherein said clutch wheel displacing means includes a pin carried by said setting lever; and a lever spring formed with three notches therein, each of said notches being adapted to receive and retain said pin at one of said positions to further define said positions.

6. A date correcting device for calendar watches as recited in claim 4, including a second pin extending normally from said first arm of said setting lever, said winding stem being formed with a circumferential groove adapted to receive said second pin whereby said setting lever is pivoted by the longitudinal displacement of said winding stem without interfering with the rotation thereof.

7. A date correcting device for calendar watches as recited in claim 4, wherein said clutch wheel is formed with a circumferential groove, said other end of said yoke 5 6 riding in said circumferential groove whereby said clutch FOREIGN PATENTS Wheel is longitudinally displaced in response to the pivot- 996 795 12/1951 ,Franca mg of Sand Yoke- 372,983 12/1963 Switzerland.

References Cited 5 RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 326,677 9/1885 Sandoz 58-73 3,248,868 5/1966 PO10 Ct a1. 58-85.5 X 58 63 3,319,415 5/1967 Von Aesch et a1 58-63 GEORGE H. MILLER, JR., Assistant Examiner