US3715879A

US3715879A - Intermittently repeating alarm mechanism

Info

Publication number: US3715879A
Application number: US00241285A
Authority: US
Inventors: E Cielaszyk
Original assignee: GEN TIME CORP
Current assignee: GEN TIME CORP; GENERAL TIME CORP US; General Time Corp
Priority date: 1972-04-05
Filing date: 1972-04-05
Publication date: 1973-02-13
Anticipated expiration: 1990-02-13
Also published as: GB1421982A

Abstract

A spring wound alarm clock, an alarm mechanism which permits an intermittent sounding of the alarm. Such mechanism comprises a star wheel which causes the alarm clapper to repeatedly oscillate and strike the bell surface to sound the alarm. In keeping with the present invention, at least one tooth of the star wheel is deformed from the others and serves to arrest the clapper and thereby silence the alarm after a very brief alarm-sounding period; not more than a single revolution of the star wheel. Following about two minutes of silence, a continuously rotating cam wheel which is in engagement with a projection on the clapper member effectively removes the clapper from the star wheel arresting position and thereby frees the mechanism for a second brief alarm-sounding period. The above intermittent alarm sequence of very brief alarm-sounding will continue up to approximately 50 minutes, or until the alarm mechanism is manually disabled.

Description

United States Patent 1 Cielaszyk INTERMITTENTLY REPEATING ALARM MECHANISM 75 Inventor: Edward F. Cielaszyk, Oglesby, ll].

[73] Assignee: General Time Corporation, Mesa,

Ariz.

22 Filed: April 5, 1972 21 Appl. No.2 241,285

52 us. c|. ..5s/1s [51] Int. Cl. ..G04b 23/10 [58] Field of Search ..58/l8, 21.12 p

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 958,930 5/1910 Kern .l ..58/l8 1,623,698 4/1927 Porter 2,979,885 4/1969 Jaccard 3,533,227 10/1970 Jaccard ..58/18 x Primary Examiner-Richard B. Wilkinson Assistant ExaminerLawrence R. Franklin Attorney-Deans. Edmonds et al.

1451 Feb. 13, 1973 5 7 ABSTRACT A spring wound alarm clock, an alarm mechanism which permits an intermittent sounding of the alarm. Such mechanism comprises a star wheel which causes the alarm clapper to repeatedly oscillate and-strike the bell surface to sound the alarm. In keeping with the present invention, at least one tooth of the star wheel is deformed from the others and serves to arrest the clapper and thereby silence the alarm after a very brief alarm-sounding period; not more than a single revolution of the star wheel. Following about two minutes of silence, a continuously rotating cam wheel which is invengagement with a projection on the clapper member effectively removes the clapper from the star wheel arresting position and thereby frees the mechanism for a second brief alarm-sounding period. The above intermittent alarm sequence of very brief alarm-sounding will continue up to approximately 50 minutes, or until the alarm mechanism is manually disabled.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 1 INTERMI'ITENTLY. REPEATING ALARM MECHANISM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Clock manufacturers for many years have been marketing alarm interrupting mechanisms whereby at alarm time, the sounding of the alarm is temporarily arrested to permit the user to gain an additional amount of sleep, or drowse, fora selected interval of time. Following such interval, the alarm would then resume sounding and continue to do so unless a second drowse period was manually selected or the alarm was manually shut off. Other known drowse mechanisms, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,213,603, which is assigned to'the same assignee as is the present invention, operate automatically. The alarm mechanism of the above-noted patent is programmed for a short initial ringing, then silenced. After a delay, a sustained ringingwill occur. The automatic delay feature uses a two-step drop off for the alarm instituting means. The first step permits only a short alarm, the second step sets off the sustained alarm. The present invention relates to automatic alarm interrupting mechanism but is not, in reality, a drowse but rather an automatic alarm interrupter and thereby a gentle awakener. I

The principle featureof this invention is a repeated and very brief alarm-sounding mechanism which gently nudges the user out of a sound sleep and slowly bring on the awareness that the sleep period is at an end.

The mode of gentle awakening is a distinct improvement over the heretofore rude and harsh spring-wound alarm which continuously sounds until the spring runs down or the alarm mechanism is manually disabled.

. The mechanism is quite simple in operation and fabrication. The alarm clock model embodying this invention has been commercially accepted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A spring wound alarm clock having a novel intermittent alarm-sounding mechanism coupled with the unique timing mechanism that periodically enables the alarm-sounding apparatus shortly after it has been disabled. When the alarm is set for actuation and alarm time arrives, the spring driven star wheel rotates and oscillates the alarm clapper which is in engagement with said wheel. The clapper has a tab formed laterally therefrom that engages with the spaced teeth of the star wheel whereby during rotation of the star wheel, the alarm is sounded. At least one of the teeth of the wheel is cut back or mutilated. At alarm time, the star wheel is liberated for rotation by its drive spring at approximately one revolution per two seconds. This represents the duration that the alarm is sounded as the mutilated or deformed tooth of the wheel-is rotated to engaging position with the laterally displaced tab of the clapper. The star wheel and clapper therewith are thereby arrested. These members would remain arrested and the alarm silenced exceptfor the provision of the timing cam which engages a laterally extended pin fixed in the alarm clapper. The cam is effective to elevate the pin and therefore the clapper and tab thereon out of arrested position whereupon the star wheel takes off for another 2 second cycle to briefly sound the alarm, after which it is again arrested as described above. The arresting and liberating sequence will continue for approximately 50 minutes or until the alarm mechanism is manually disabled.

2 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS cycle and with the alarm sounding mechanism at the point of liberation by the control cam;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail view showing the arresting tooth of the alarm star wheel in engagement with the tab of the alarm clapper; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the alarm sounding mechanism in the manually set off position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Turning now to the drawings there is disclosed an alarm sounding drive train embodied in a clock of the spring wound type that is well known by those skilled in the art. Consequently, only a portion of the movement is shown.

For sounding the alarm, an alarm drive train is provided having a driven gear which is connected to the end of the drive spring 12. Driven gear 10 meshes with a pinion 14 mounted on a shaft 16 carried by a star wheel 18. Mounted oscillatory movement adjacent the star wheel is a clapper 20 having

tabs

22 and 24 which are alternately impulsed by uniform star wheel teeth 26. The upper or hammer end 27 of the clapper is arranged to engage the inner surface of a bell 28 for alarm sounding during clapper oscillation. For the purpose of normally blocking the clapper a customary release member 30, partially shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 is situated to engage a stop 32 on the clapper 20 during alarm off periods.

A shaft 34 is madefast to clapper 20 and arranged for slidable movement between the plates of the clock movement. Shaft 34 extends to the rear of the timepiece (as best seen in FIG. 5) and has a handpiece 36 fixed thereto. Manual withdrawal of handpiece 36 conditions the alarm sounding mechanism. The release member is coupled for response to a condition whereby registration between the usual hour wheel and index wheel (not shown) takes place when the pre-set alarm time is reached, the release member 30 frees the clapper 20 for oscillation by the uniform star wheel teeth 26 and thus sounding of the alarm ensues. For a more detailed discussion of this mechanism, reference is made to applicants U.S. Pat. No. 3,382,664 dated May 14, 1968 which is assigned to the same assignee as is the present invention.

In carrying out the present invention, means are provided for interrupting the alarm sounding mechanism after said mechanism has been enabled for a short period, namely one cycle of the star wheel 18 and, following a brief silent interval, enabling it again. Accordingly non-uniform special teeth 38 and are formed to permit free entry of tab '22 therebetween and thereafter be arrested by advancing non-uniform or mutilated tooth 38 to thereby lock clapper 20 against further oscillation and thus silence the alarm. Such position of tab 22 and tooth 38 in locking engagement therewith is shown in FIG. 4.

More specifically, when the alarm goes off, star wheel 18 is rapidly rotated clockwise in FIG. 1 by drive spring 12 whereupon the uniform teeth 26 cause the upper portion or hammer 27 of clapper to strike bell 28 for an alarm sounding of approximately two seconds. That is, one full revolution of the star wheel from FIG. 1 where it is just taking off to the FIG. 2 position which is immediately before the ensuing arresting action of tab 22 engaging mutilated tooth 38 takes place (FIG. 4). The alarm sounding mechanism is thus rendered inactive or delayed for a period of time and then activated for a subsequent short alarm cycle in a manner now to be described. 7

In accordance with a principlefeature of the invention a four-lobed cam 42 is provided and said cam is rotated by the clock gear train approximately one revolution every 8 minutes to periodically liberate the alarm clapper during an alarm sounding sequence by means of pin 4.4 fixed in clapper 20, described more in detail hereinafter.

The usual timing train of the clock includes a main gear '48 which is also connected in a well-known manner to the drive spring 12. The main gear meshes with a pinion 50 coupled to a minute wheel 52. Meshing with minute wheel 52 is a first intermediate pinion 54 (FIG. 5) that is fast with a stud member 56 which serves as a mount for a control cam assembly 58 which includes a four-lobed control cam 42 loosely mounted on studmember 56 and urged in a clockwise direction,

as seen in FIGS. l3, by a coil spring 62. One end of spring 62 is anchored in a collet 64 fast with stud member 56, see particularly FIG. 5. The opposite end of spring 62 is entered into a perforation provided in control cam 42 to effect a bias thereto in clockwise direction. In FIG. 1, spring 62 would be in tightly wound condition. With such arrangement, control cam 42 is yieldably mounted on stud 56 but rotates therewith at approximately one revolution every 8 minutes.

At alarm time, release member 30 is withdrawn from the position shown in FIG. 5 thereby liberating clapper 20 and star wheel 18 whereupon uniform teeth 26 oscillate clapper 20 by means of alternately engaging

tabs

22 and 24 and thus sound the alarm. After about a 2 second ring, the star wheel rotates from the FIG. 1 to the FIG. 2 position wherein pawl 22 is about to be engaged by special or lock tooth 38. In FIG. 4 it can be seen that an angle surface 66 of tooth 38 is so cut as to grippingly engage tab 22 and positively lock in the star wheel 18 despite the strong bias thereon exerted by drive spring 12.

In the meantime, pin 44 on clapper 20 lowers to engage cam surface 68 on control cam 42 and slightly uncoils spring 62 by rotating cam 42 back against its normal direction of rotation. The alarm is now silenced and remains so for approximately 2 minutes while control cam is rotated with spring slightly uncoiled from the FIG. 2 to the HO. 3 position. During said 2 minutes of rotation, cam surface 68 elevates clapper 20 by means of its engagement with pin 44 thereon and urges tab 22 upwardly along the angled surface 66 of tooth 38. As tab 22 is elevated beyond surface 66, coil spring 62 snaps control cam a few degrees clockwise to position the succeeding lobe for the next alarm sequence and also positively extricate tab 22 from tooth 38. The FIG. 3 position shows the mechanism above-described just as the tab 22 is escaping from tooth 38 and in addition the control cam prior to being rotated a few degrees clockwise by the action of spring 62 recoiling. The star wheel 18 and clapper 20 now take off on a subsequent 2 second alarm sounding whereafter the alarm is again silenced in the above-described manner. The two seconds on, 2 minutes off sequence will continue for approximately 50 minutes unless manually silenced during that time. Thus the sleeper is slowly, steadily and gently roused to awareness at alarm time in distinction to the strident alarm or the well-known drowse where one is apt to be repeatedly and unpleasantly roused from a deep slumber.

What is claimed is:

1. In a clock having a gear train and an alarm mechanism, the latter having an alarm sounding and an alarm silenced condition, the alarm mechanism including a drive spring, a drive spring output pinion, a star wheel rotated by the output pinion, the star wheel having a plurality of uniform teeth, trip means associated with the clapper for inactivating same, means for releasing the trip means and associated clapper to permit concurrent rotation of the star wheel and activation of the clapper, tabs on the clapper cooperating with the uniform teeth on the star wheel to initiate an alarm sounding period during rotation of the star wheel, the improvement comprising means to provide an intermittent alarm repeating mechanism wherein:

at least one non-uniform tooth on the star wheel effects arrest of the clapper and star wheel after a predetermined alarm sounding period, and

means rotated by the clock gear train liberates the clapper after a predetermined time interval to reactivate the clapper and star wheel for a subsequent predetermined alarm sounding period.

2. The improvement defined in claim 1 in which the means rotated by the clock gear train includes a yieldably mounted cam member whereby liberation of the clapper and star wheel is facilitated after the predetermined time interval.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the yieldably mounted cam member is multiple-lobed whereby each lobe serves to determine the time interval that the clapper and star wheel remain arrested.

4. The improvement as defined in claim 2 further comprising:

an extension forming part of the clapper adapted to engage the yieldable cam member during arrest of the clapper and star wheel whereby liberation of the clapper during rotation of the cam member is effected.

Claims

1. In a clock having a gear train and an alarm mechanism, the latter having an alarm sounding and an alarm silenced condition, the alarm mechanism including a drive spring, a drive spring output pinion, a star wheel rotated by the output pinion, the star wheel having a plurality of uniform teeth, trip means associated with the clapper for inactivating same, means for releasing the trip means and associated clapper to permit concurrent rotation of the star wheel and activation of the clapper, tabs on the clapper cooperating with the uniform teeth on the star wheel to initiate an alarm sounding period during rotation of the star wheel, the improvement comprising means to provide an intermittent alarm repeating mechanism wherein: at least one non-uniform tooth on the star wheel effects arrest of the clapper and star wheel after a predetermined alarm sounding period, and means rotated by the clock gear train liberates the clapper after a predetermined time interval to reactivate the clapper and star wheel for a subsequent predetermined alarm sounding period.