US3649858A - Transmission, particularly for use in a timepiece, for converting the oscillating movement of a tuning fork into a rotating movement - Google Patents

Transmission, particularly for use in a timepiece, for converting the oscillating movement of a tuning fork into a rotating movement Download PDF

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Publication number
US3649858A
US3649858A US9361A US3649858DA US3649858A US 3649858 A US3649858 A US 3649858A US 9361 A US9361 A US 9361A US 3649858D A US3649858D A US 3649858DA US 3649858 A US3649858 A US 3649858A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
tuning fork
driving
transmission according
rod
branch
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
US9361A
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English (en)
Inventor
Gaston Raval
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.)
Omega Louis Brandt and Frere SA
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Omega Louis Brandt and Frere SA
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Omega Louis Brandt and Frere SA filed Critical Omega Louis Brandt and Frere SA
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Publication of US3649858A publication Critical patent/US3649858A/en
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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02K—DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES
    • H02K7/00—Arrangements for handling mechanical energy structurally associated with dynamo-electric machines, e.g. structural association with mechanical driving motors or auxiliary dynamo-electric machines
    • H02K7/06—Means for converting reciprocating motion into rotary motion or vice versa
    • H02K7/065—Electromechanical oscillators; Vibrating magnetic drives
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B06—GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS IN GENERAL
    • B06B—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OF INFRASONIC, SONIC, OR ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY, e.g. FOR PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK IN GENERAL
    • B06B3/00—Methods or apparatus specially adapted for transmitting mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency
    • 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
    • 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
    • G04C3/104—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 pawl or the ratched-wheel
    • G04C3/105—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 pawl or the ratched-wheel pawl and ratched-wheel being magnetically coupled

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT A transmission, particularly for use in a timepiece, for converting the oscillating movement of a tuning fork into a rotating movement, wherein a driving element in diving engagement with an indexing wheel is mounted on a driving rod rigidly fixed to one branch of the tuning fork for obtaining a substantially rectilinear movement of said driving element in spite of nonrectilinear oscillation of said tuning fork.
  • This invention relates to a transmission for converting an oscillating movement of a tuning fork into a rotating movement, comprising at least one driving element in driving engagement with an indexing wheel and to which the oscillating movement of said tuning fork is transmitted.
  • Said driving element may be a stepping pawl acting onto a ratchet wheel or a ferromagnetic element acting onto a track of ferromagnetic material of the indexing wheel by magnetic forces without touching it.
  • the driving element In transmissions of this kind it is desirable to attach the driving element to a portion of the tuning fork as distant as possible from the nodal point of the tuning fork in order to impart to this driving element an amplitude as high as possible.
  • the portions of the tuning fork having the greatest distance from the nodal point that is, the free ends of the branches of the tuning fork, not only oscillate with the greatest amplitude during normal operation, but also have the highest amplitude of disturbing oscillations occurring due to shocks acting onto the timepiece. Therefore, driving elements fixed to the free ends of the branches of the tuning fork are liable to produce faulty advance of the indexing wheel due to disturbing amplitudes of substantial magnitude of the branch ends of the tuning fork.
  • a magnetized oscillating driving element faces a profiled track of ferromagnetic material of the indexing wheel.
  • the airgap between the driving element and the indexing wheel should be very small, but in this case the driving element might easily bump against the indexing wheel when the free end of the tuning fork is deviated by shocks acting onto the timepiece.
  • the magnetized driving element should execute an oscillating movement as rectilinear as possible.
  • This invention aims in mounting said driving element in such a manner that its oscillating movement is practically rectilinear and has an amplitude nearly as important as the free ends of the branches of the tuning fork, but that the disturbing amplitudes of the driving element are much smaller that those of the free ends of the branches of the tuning fork when shocks act onto the timepiece.
  • This aim of the invention is achieved broadly by fixing said driving element on a driving rod rigidly mounted on one branch of the tuning fork between the nodal point and the free end of said branch.
  • FIG. I shows a preferred embodiment of the transmission according to the invention.
  • FIG. 2 shows a modification of the transmission including a curved driving rod.
  • FIG. 1 has a mounted base I connected to the nodal point 2 of the tuning fork by a bridge 3 of reduced cross section.
  • the branches 4 of the tuning fork are of substantially circular form. Their annular length is in the order of 90 and their free ends 5 are directed inwardly.
  • a pot 6 of soft iron with a permanent magnet 7 is fixed to each end portion 5 of the tuning fork (one only being shown).
  • a coil disposed in the airgap between magnet 7 and pot 6 serves as a driving coil or control coil connected to an amplifier sustaining the oscillation of the tuning fork 4.
  • a straight driving rod is rigidly fixed to the one branch 4 of the tuning fork between its free end and its nodal point.
  • this rod 8 is fixed to the branch at a distance of about 40 from the nodal point 2, and the rod 8 has an inclination of about 9 to 10 towards the center or symmetry axis of the tuning fork.
  • the free end of the driving rod 8 carries a support 9 whereon is fixed a permanent magnet 10 having two poles 10a, 10b. These poles 10a and 10b face the circumference of an indexing wheel 11 mounted on a shaft 12. As indicated, the rotating movement is transmitted by a worm 13 on shaft 12 and a wheel 14 meshing therewith to the hands of the timepiece.
  • Support 9 is disposed near pot 6, that is, near the free end of the left branch 4 of the tuning fork, but there is no direct connection between these parts. Therefore, support 9 and magnet 10 may oscillate at an amplitude and in a direction entirely independent of the amplitude and direction of the oscillation of parts 5 and 6. It was found that for the design as illustrated in the drawing, parts 9 and 10 will execute a practically rectilinear oscillating movement in a direction parallel to the axis 12, while parts 5, 6 and 7 oscillate along practically circular curves of small radius with their center approximately in the center of gravity of parts 4 to 7. Of course the rectilinear oscillation of support 9 is more suitable for driving the magnet 10 than the substantially circular oscillation of portions 5 and 6.
  • the deviations of the branches of the tuning fork under shocks acting onto the timepiece are of much greater amplitude than the deviations of support 9 under the same conditions.
  • the oscillating amplitude of support 9 of which the distance from the nodal point 2 is nearly equal to the distance of portions 5 and 6 from the nodal point is practically in the same order as the amplitude of the free ends of the branches of the tuning fork. In this way an efficient and reliable transmission is obtained for converting the oscillating movement of the tuning fork into a rotating movement.
  • Other forms of the tuning fork, of the driving rod and of the driving element are feasible.
  • the track may be magnetized instead, or the driving element and the track may be magnetized.
  • another type of driving element for instance, a stepping pawl may be used.
  • a straight driving rod 8 a curved driving rod 8 bypassing obstacles may be provided as shown in FIG. 2.
  • a transmission for converting an oscillating movement of a tuning fork into a rotating movement comprising:
  • a rigid driving rod rigidly mounted at one end thereof to one branch of said tuning fork at a point of said fork between the nodal point and the free end of said branch;
  • a driving element magnetically engaged with said wheel for effecting driving thereof, said element being rigidly mounted upon the opposite end of said rod, the oscillations of said rod end oscillating said driving element to effect said magnetic drive of said wheel.
  • indexing wheel has a profiled track of ferromagnetic material, said driving element acting onto said track and indexing wheel respectively by magnetic forces.
  • tuning fork has curved branches for instance circular branches, carrying driving magnets for sustaining the oscillation of the tuning fork.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Electromechanical Clocks (AREA)
  • Transmission Devices (AREA)
US9361A 1969-02-19 1970-02-06 Transmission, particularly for use in a timepiece, for converting the oscillating movement of a tuning fork into a rotating movement Expired - Lifetime US3649858A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CH247769A CH521618A (fr) 1969-02-19 1969-02-19 Dispositif de transmission pour convertir en un mouvement rotatif le mouvement vibratoire d'un diapason

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3649858A true US3649858A (en) 1972-03-14

Family

ID=4234673

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US9361A Expired - Lifetime US3649858A (en) 1969-02-19 1970-02-06 Transmission, particularly for use in a timepiece, for converting the oscillating movement of a tuning fork into a rotating movement

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (1) US3649858A (de)
CH (2) CH247769A4 (de)
DE (1) DE2006726B2 (de)
FR (1) FR2037380A5 (de)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20090146534A1 (en) * 2006-06-21 2009-06-11 Klaus Reichmann Piezoelectric Generator

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1403767A (en) * 1919-12-20 1922-01-17 Western Electric Co Electromagnetic step-by-step mechanism
US2690646A (en) * 1948-06-10 1954-10-05 Clifford Cecil Frank Escapement mechanism
US3283495A (en) * 1964-02-18 1966-11-08 Centre Electron Horloger Electronic watch
US3410081A (en) * 1965-10-04 1968-11-12 Gen Time Corp Drive system for tuning fork timepiece
CH470017A (de) * 1963-06-24 1969-04-30 Jeco Kk Elektrische Uhr mit einem stimmgabelartigen, mechanischen Oszillator
US3486049A (en) * 1967-03-31 1969-12-23 Centre Electron Horloger Mechanical resonator

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1403767A (en) * 1919-12-20 1922-01-17 Western Electric Co Electromagnetic step-by-step mechanism
US2690646A (en) * 1948-06-10 1954-10-05 Clifford Cecil Frank Escapement mechanism
CH470017A (de) * 1963-06-24 1969-04-30 Jeco Kk Elektrische Uhr mit einem stimmgabelartigen, mechanischen Oszillator
US3283495A (en) * 1964-02-18 1966-11-08 Centre Electron Horloger Electronic watch
US3410081A (en) * 1965-10-04 1968-11-12 Gen Time Corp Drive system for tuning fork timepiece
US3486049A (en) * 1967-03-31 1969-12-23 Centre Electron Horloger Mechanical resonator

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20090146534A1 (en) * 2006-06-21 2009-06-11 Klaus Reichmann Piezoelectric Generator

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CH247769A4 (de) 1971-12-15
CH521618A (fr) 1971-12-15
DE2006726A1 (de) 1970-08-20
FR2037380A5 (de) 1970-12-31
DE2006726B2 (de) 1971-06-09

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