US3546500A - Elastic resonator for timekeeping instruments - Google Patents

Elastic resonator for timekeeping instruments Download PDF

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Publication number
US3546500A
US3546500A US828211A US3546500DA US3546500A US 3546500 A US3546500 A US 3546500A US 828211 A US828211 A US 828211A US 3546500D A US3546500D A US 3546500DA US 3546500 A US3546500 A US 3546500A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
tines
resonator
tine
common
timekeeping
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US828211A
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English (en)
Inventor
Werner R Baumgartner
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Bulova Watch Co Inc
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Bulova Watch Co Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Bulova Watch Co Inc filed Critical Bulova Watch Co Inc
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Publication of US3546500A publication Critical patent/US3546500A/en
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04C—ELECTROMECHANICAL CLOCKS OR WATCHES
    • G04C3/00—Electromechanical clocks or watches independent of other time-pieces and in which the movement is maintained by electric means
    • G04C3/08—Electromechanical clocks or watches independent of other time-pieces and in which the movement is maintained by electric means wherein movement is regulated by a mechanical oscillator other than a pendulum or balance, e.g. by a tuning fork, e.g. electrostatically
    • G04C3/10—Electromechanical clocks or watches independent of other time-pieces and in which the movement is maintained by electric means wherein movement is regulated by a mechanical oscillator other than a pendulum or balance, e.g. by a tuning fork, e.g. electrostatically driven by electromagnetic means
    • G04C3/101—Electromechanical clocks or watches independent of other time-pieces and in which the movement is maintained by electric means wherein movement is regulated by a mechanical oscillator other than a pendulum or balance, e.g. by a tuning fork, e.g. electrostatically driven by electromagnetic means constructional details
    • G04C3/102—Electromechanical clocks or watches independent of other time-pieces and in which the movement is maintained by electric means wherein movement is regulated by a mechanical oscillator other than a pendulum or balance, e.g. by a tuning fork, e.g. electrostatically driven by electromagnetic means constructional details of the mechanical oscillator or of the coil
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
    • G04B17/00—Mechanisms for stabilising frequency
    • G04B17/04—Oscillators acting by spring tension

Definitions

  • An elastic resonator of the tuning-fork type for timekeeping instruments including a pair of tines extending from a common base, the tines in their static condition lying in a common plane.
  • a weight is attached to the free end of each tine, driving means being provided to actuate the tines to effect push-pull oscillation thereof in directions normal to said common plane.
  • This invention relates generally to an elastic resonator for timekeeping instruments, and more particularly to a resonator constituted by two oscillating tines having Weights attached to their ends, the oscillation of the resonator being maintained by driving means generating electrical pulses.
  • the resonator is therefore a tuning forklike device.
  • Tuning forks are normally stamped or punched from a laminated metal sheet of definite thickness.
  • this technically simple and very economical manufacturing method has a fundamental drawback.
  • the thickness of the tines measured perpendicularly with respect to the plane for-med by both tines, is defined by the laminating procedure and is therefore very accurate.
  • the width of the tines depends on the wear of the punching tools. Since the frequency depends on the width of the tines by the third power of its square root, a very small degree of wear in the punching tool will give rise to an appreciable departure of the resonance frequency of the punched-out forks with respect to the theoretical value of the resonance frequency.
  • a resonator according to the invention is characterized by the fact that both tines thereof oscillate in a pushpull manner in directions which are perpendicular to the Unlted States Patent Oflice Patented Dec. 8, 1970 plane defined by both tines.
  • the driving means for the tines may include an element fixed on the tine, or they may be fixed partly on the tines and partly on the pillar plate. These means may be of the electromagnetic, electrodynamic or piezoelectric type, or these means may even be predicated on another principle. Suitable electromagnetic transducers for this purpose are disclosed in United States Pats. 3,221,190, 2,971,323 and 2,960,817.
  • the resonant frequency is primarily defined -by the thickness of the metal sheet which is used for its manufacture, the resonator comprising two tines and a common base. Since the frequency of the fork is proportional to the square root of the width of the tines, the resonance frequency changes only slightly when the punching tools wear out.
  • FIG. 1 shows an oscillator in accordance with the invention without weights attached thereto. It consists of a tine 1, a tine 2, and a base 3 which is common to both tines 1 and 2 as well to a mounting stem 4. Stem 4 is secured to a base plate by means of screws 5 and 6.
  • the fork is preferably punched out from a laminated sheet of metal, various alloys being suitable for this purpose. The thickness of the sheet corresponds to the thickness of the tines.
  • the width of the tines is indicated by letter b. Normally, width b is larger than the thickness d, in order to suppress parasitic oscillations.
  • Tines 1 and 2 in their static condition lie in a common plane.
  • the normal oscillation mode of the tines 1 and 2 is a push-pull movement which is perpendicular to this common plane. That is to say, if tine 1 moves in direction A, tine 2 will move in the opposing direction A. On the other hand, when tine 1 moves in direction B, tine 2 will move in the opposing direction B.
  • tine 1 carries a stiff arm 7 which is L shaped, the connecting link of said arm being perpendicular to the common plane of tines 1 and 2, the extension of said arm being parallel to tine 1 and extending in the opposite direction with respect to the free end of tine 1.
  • Tine 2 also bears a stiff arm 8, which arm is located on the other side of the common plane of both tines.
  • a cup magnet 9 of known shape, whereas the stiff arm 7 bears a counterweight 11 at its free end.
  • the arrangement is reversed, the free end of tine 2 bearing a weight 10 and the free end of stiff arm 8 bearing a cup magnet 12 acting as a counterweight.
  • the cup magnets cooperate with fixed transducer coils in the manner disclosed in the above-identified patents.
  • both cup magnets 9 and 12 are parallel to each other and are open in the same direction, one realizes a fundamental advantage therefrom. It is possible to disassemble the resonator from the base plate without being required to disassemble the transducer coils and electronic components. Assembly and service of the timepiece are therefore facilitated.
  • the invention may be realized in other embodiments.
  • both times could be fitted with cup magnets or both tines could be fitted with Weights, the cups then being fixed at the free ends of the stiff arms. It is even possible to have only one extremity fitted with a cup magnet, the three others bearing weights or counterweights.
  • An elastic resonator for timekeeping instruments comprising:

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Piezo-Electric Or Mechanical Vibrators, Or Delay Or Filter Circuits (AREA)
US828211A 1968-05-29 1969-05-27 Elastic resonator for timekeeping instruments Expired - Lifetime US3546500A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CH797368A CH494991A (de) 1968-05-29 1968-05-29 Elastischer Schwinger für Zeitmessgeräte

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3546500A true US3546500A (en) 1970-12-08

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Family Applications (1)

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US828211A Expired - Lifetime US3546500A (en) 1968-05-29 1969-05-27 Elastic resonator for timekeeping instruments

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CH (2) CH797368A4 (en))

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4817413A (en) * 1983-01-08 1989-04-04 Horiba, Ltd. Method of using an opto-acoustic apparatus for measuring concentration of gas

Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2888582A (en) * 1953-06-19 1959-05-26 Bulova Watch Co Inc Tuning fork oscillator
US2960817A (en) * 1955-05-12 1960-11-22 Bulova Watch Co Inc Electrical timepiece
US3281725A (en) * 1961-09-28 1966-10-25 Siemens Ag Filter for electrical waves using plural resonators having similar dominant responseand different spurious response
US3303705A (en) * 1964-03-19 1967-02-14 Bulova Watch Co Inc Attitude compensated electromechanical oscillator
NL6709050A (en)) * 1966-09-26 1968-03-27
CH451021A (fr) * 1965-05-28 1968-05-15 Ebauches Sa Oscillateur symétrique à flexion pour pièce d'horlogerie
GB1130012A (en) * 1965-02-12 1968-10-09 Citizen Watch Co Ltd Mechanical vibrator for timepiece
US3447311A (en) * 1966-03-29 1969-06-03 Ebauches Sa Electronic timepiece

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2888582A (en) * 1953-06-19 1959-05-26 Bulova Watch Co Inc Tuning fork oscillator
US2960817A (en) * 1955-05-12 1960-11-22 Bulova Watch Co Inc Electrical timepiece
US3281725A (en) * 1961-09-28 1966-10-25 Siemens Ag Filter for electrical waves using plural resonators having similar dominant responseand different spurious response
US3303705A (en) * 1964-03-19 1967-02-14 Bulova Watch Co Inc Attitude compensated electromechanical oscillator
GB1130012A (en) * 1965-02-12 1968-10-09 Citizen Watch Co Ltd Mechanical vibrator for timepiece
CH451021A (fr) * 1965-05-28 1968-05-15 Ebauches Sa Oscillateur symétrique à flexion pour pièce d'horlogerie
US3447311A (en) * 1966-03-29 1969-06-03 Ebauches Sa Electronic timepiece
NL6709050A (en)) * 1966-09-26 1968-03-27

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4817413A (en) * 1983-01-08 1989-04-04 Horiba, Ltd. Method of using an opto-acoustic apparatus for measuring concentration of gas

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CH797368A4 (en)) 1970-04-15
CH494991A (de) 1970-04-15

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