US3579882A - Perpetual calender - Google Patents

Abstract

A mechanical type of perpetual calendar utilizing laterally interlocking blocks having both faces of different color and which are arranged by being moved and turned upside down for the purpose of distinguishing in appearance the week days from flag days or red letter days. A frame holder is provided to slidably receive the blocks in rows, and has a side access frame member providing access for the blocks, and which frame member interlocks with the adjacent end blocks of the respective rows placed within the frame to hold same in a stabilized condition.

Description

United States Patent [72] lnventor Yoshio Miyahune No. 238, Kitakase, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa-Ken, Japan [21] Appl. No. 809,893 [22] Filed Mar. 24, 1969 [45] Patented May 25, 1971 [32] Priority Apr. 17, 1968 [33] Japan [31] 43/31257 [54] PERPETUAL CALENDER 2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] 11.8. C1 40/107, 40/64 [51] Int. Cl G09d 3/02 [50] Field of Search 40/107, 140, 63, 64; 35/358, 35.9; 101/402, 404, 28

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 758,088 4/1904 Mixer 40/64 1,470,065 10/1923 Downer i. 40/107 2,336,325 12/1943 Weber 101/28 FOREIGN PATENTS 816,076 8/1957 Great Britain 35/35.9

Primary Examiner.ler0me Schnall Assistant Examinerl. 1-1. Wolff Attorney wenderoth, Lind and Ponack ABSTRACT: A mechanical type of perpetual calendar utilizing laterally interlocking blocks having both faces of different color and which are arranged by being moved and turned upside down for the purpose of distinguishing in appearance the week days from flag days or red letter days. A frame holder is provided to slidably receive the blocks in rows, and has a side access frame member providing access for the blocks, and which frame member interlocks with the adjacent end blocks of the respective rows placed within the frame to hold same in a stabilized condition.

PATENTEDHAYZSIBYI $579, 82

Figl 7! 8! A7 8 )3 YOSHIO MI YAHUNE udmimlbm w Attorneys PERPETUAL CALENDER This invention relates to a perpetual calendar. The calendar now used for civil purposes throughout the world is called the Gregorian calendar introduced in the 16th century, which is one of the most important calendar systems in use as a socalled Western Calendar that also comprises so-called Perpetual Calendars giving the date and the day of the week throughout the future or for 100 years; such calendars may be of the chart or of the mechanical type. This invention relates to an improved modification type of Perpetual Calendar in which the arrangement and rearrangement of the various dates are freely carried out by moving and turning the individual elements which constitute the calender of this invention.

in this invention which comprises a baseplate and frame, a plurality of hard plastic or wooden block pieces representing the various name dates and the numerical days of the week, a principal feature resides not only in having different colored opposite faces for the blocks which are selectively exchangeably arranged and rearranged in the frame, but also in the frame having at least one movable side frame member for holding the selectively arranged blocks, and which side frame member is manually operable to open and close same to permit rearrangement of the blocks, including turning them upside down to expose the opposite face as needed. The present device may be fitted to the lower part of a clock or other timepiece so as to indicate the time as well and will also be a feature of this invention.

The object of the invention is therefore to provide a type of perpetual calendar utilizing opposite sides or faces of the block pieces, which faces are color coded and selectively ar ranged by moving and/or turning them upside down for the purpose of distinguishing in appearance the week days from flag days or red letter holiday type days.

The object and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following description by way of an embodiment of the invention taken in connection with the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of the invention showing a side frame member partly in an open condition;

FlG. 2.is a fragmentary perspective view of the block piece of the invention shown partially broken away; and

FIGS. 3A and 3B are perspective views of a reversible reserve or substitute block of the invention, FIG. 3A showing the front side, and HG. 33 showing the back side thereof.

Now, a preferred present embodiment will be described in reference to the drawings. Numeral 1 denotes a base plate, shaped as an oblong plate member made with a hard synthetic resin or from a wooden board, having side frames 2, 2 provided at opposite sides of said base plate 1.

The upper end of said side frame 2' is pivotally fixed at 3 to the upper right side of the base plate 1 so that the side frame 2 may be opened and closed and the inner side of said side frame 2 is provided with a number of spaced short-columnar projections 4. The surface of said base plate 1 is provided with partitionsS disposed horizontally at proper intervals, and said projections 4 of said side frame 2 are disposed to generally medially correspond to guide paths 6 constituted by the predetermined spaces or distances formed by and between said partitions 5.

Numeral 7 denotes blocks indicating the various name days of the week from Sunday to Saturday in English in this embodiment, and these total seven in number, from among which the Sunday blocks 7' are represented in a particularly obvious different color, e.g., in red color so as to be distinguished from other days.

Numeral 8 denotes blocks indicating the numerical date,

prepared in 31 consecutively numbered pieces from 1 to 31 the front and back sides having respectively the same dates but the back side date 8' (H6. 1) printed in a different color, e.g., red color. These blocks with the date 8' represented in red color are used by turning the block upside down to distinguish them from other dates as when flag days, holidays, or Sundays are differentially indicated on the calendar.

The aforementioned day-blocks 7 and date-blocks 8 as well as the later mentioned reserve blocks, are all formed with a projection or tongue 9 on the one side edge of them, e.g., the left side of them as illustrated while the opposite side edge thereof is complementally formed with a recess or groove 10 for receiving said projection 9. These blocks can be made of any material such as hard plastic or wood, and it is preferable to make the surface of them somewhat protuberant or swollen in the center. i

The operation of this invention will now be described. As is shown in FIG. 1, those day-blocks 7 prepared as aforementioned are horizontally arranged on the uppermost position of the guide paths 6 on the base plate 1 one after another in the order from Sunday through Saturday.

This arrangement is made successively by fitting the projection or tongue part 9 of a block 7 into the grooved part 10 of another following block 7 as said fitting may be made selectively in a removable manner.

Thereafter, the date-blocks 8 are set in the various following guide path 6 in consecutive succession from 1 to 31 in accordance with the particular month to be expressed.

For example, when the month of March should be represented, the first day of the month falls on Thursday in the exemplary embodiment for the year 1967, therefore, the blocks should be set accordingly by forwarding them in order of the dates of said month in succession, and when the month changes, a corresponding arrangement is applied similarly to every month onward.

1n the present calendar, it is necessary or preferable to more obviously distinguish holidays, Sundays or Flag days from other days, therefore the blocks are arranged so that the dates corresponding to such days are represented on the calendar in a different color, such as red color, by turning the blocks upside down or in amanner to expose the opposite printed face of the block.

Further, in the present calendar, when the month ends on 28th day as in Feb., the blocks of 29 to 31 may be merely removed away, but such reserve or spacer blocks 11 as-shown in FIG. 3 may be prepared and used in as many pieces as needed. Said reserve blocks carry the date additionally on their front side in smaller characters and respective blocks may also carry the number of 29 to 31 on their back side in larger characters, such reserve blocks 11 being preferably prepared and including also the block for Sunday.

In setting or incorporating the blocks in the guide paths 6 on the base plate 1 in this way as above-mentioned, inasmuch as the blocks have been mutually fitted to each other through and by virtue of their complemental tongue and groove construction, the block parts on the calendar face therefore can not be singly exchanged as'by merely freely lifting them out. The construction is so devised in this invention that the upper end of only the side frame 2 is pivotally fixed so that the guide paths 6 may be opened freely to provide unrestrictedaccess thereto. When the blocks are to be rearranged and set, the side frame 2 will have only to be opened as is shown in FIG. 1 and be closed after the blocks have been freely rearranged and incorporated therein.

When the side frame 2' isclosed, the projecting parts 4 on the inner side thereof will fit tightly into the respective recesses of 10 of the right side of the blocks, so that the whole setup may be stabilized in a firm and steady manner.

As has been described in the foregoing the present invention is composed so that every time the month changes a perpetual calendar is obtained at all times by merely rearranging the blocks, which are firmly and steadily supported on the base plate. Therefore, this invention is very useful and effective. In addition, this invention may be connectively fitted or frame, said base plate having a plurality of parallel partitions disposed substantially at right angles to said frame members and formed at predetermined spaced intervals on its upper surface to form a plurality of guide paths arranged one above the other adaptable to receive calendar-forming block members therein; a plurality of said calendar-forming blocks having opposed faces, and most of which blocks individually respectively bear individual weekday name and weekday numeral indicia characters represented in one color on one face and in a different color on the opposite or reverse face; each of said blocks being of a size to slidably fit within said guide paths, and each being provided with a medially disposed tonguelilte projection on one lateral side, and with a medialdisposed recess on .the opposite lateral side of a size large enough and adaptable to receive the projection of an adjacently disposed block; said blocks being laterally connected interchangeably in predetermined succession within said guide paths to form the week day names and numerical designations there beneath for a given month and year; some of said blocks being substantially clear of any prominent indicia at least on one face thereof so as to serve as reserve or spacer blocks, said blocks being constructed so as to provide interchangeable and uniformly aligned attachment with any other given block irrespective of which face is up; one of said lateral frame members being a separate member and means to pivotally mount it at one end on said frame, said pivotal frame member having a plurality of lateral projections spaced to medially align with said guide paths and the recesses of the blocks disposable therein, so that said frame member can be a readily opened and closed so that its projections fit into the recesses of the respective blocks to thereby press the blocks into alignment within the guide paths and to support them in a stabilized condition on the surface of said frame base plate.

2. A perpetual calendar as defined in claim 1 wherein said frame side edge opposite the pivotal side edge is so constructed to receive the projections of the respective blocks as disposed adjacent thereto in the guide paths, to better provide a stabilized mounting of the plurality of blocks.

Claims (2)

1. A perpetual calendar comprising in combination, a frame including a base plate and at least two opposed block-retaining frame members disposed at opposite lateral sides of the frame, said base plate having a plurality of parallel partitions disposed substantially at right angles to said frame members and formed at predetermined spaced intervals on its upper surface to form a plurality of guide paths arranged one above the other adaptable to receive calendar-forming block members therein; a plurality of said calendar-forming blocks having opposed faces, and most of which blocks individually respectively bear individual weekday name and weekday numeral indicia characters represented in one color on one face and in a different color on the opposite or reverse face; each of said blocks being of a size to slidably fit within said guide paths, and each being provided with a medially disposed tonguelike projection on one lateral side, and with a medial-disposed recess on the opposite lateral side of a size large enough and adaptable to receive the projection of an adjacently disposed block; said blocks being laterally connected interchangeably in predetermined succession within said guide paths to form the week day names and numerical designations there beneath for a given month and year; some of said blocks being substantially clear of any prominent indicia at least on one face thereof so as to serve as reserve or spacer blocks, said blocks being constructed so as to provide interchangeable and uniformly aligned attachment with any other given block irrespective of which face is up; one of said lateral frame members being a separate member and means to pivotally mount it at one end on said frame, said pivotal frame member having a plurality of lateral projections spaced to medially align with said guide paths and the recesses of the blocks disposable therein, so that said frame member can be readily opened and closed so that its projections fit into the recesses of the respective blocks to thereby press the blocks into alignment within the guide paths and to support them in a stabilized condition on the surface of said frame base plate.

2. A perpetual calendar as defined in claim 1 wherein said frame side edge opposite the pivotal side edge is so constructed to receive the projections of the respective blocks as disposed adjacent thereto in the guide paths, to better provide a stabilized mounting of the plurality of blocks.

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