US3754390A - Watch movement construction - Google Patents

Watch movement construction Download PDF

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Publication number
US3754390A
US3754390A US00256752A US3754390DA US3754390A US 3754390 A US3754390 A US 3754390A US 00256752 A US00256752 A US 00256752A US 3754390D A US3754390D A US 3754390DA US 3754390 A US3754390 A US 3754390A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
watch movement
bridges
frame plates
frame plate
cut
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
US00256752A
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English (en)
Inventor
K Maeda
N Kobayashi
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.)
Seiko Instruments Inc
Original Assignee
Seiko Instruments Inc
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Seiko Instruments Inc filed Critical Seiko Instruments Inc
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3754390A publication Critical patent/US3754390A/en
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Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • 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
    • G04B29/00—Frameworks
    • 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
    • G04B15/00—Escapements
    • G04B15/12—Adjusting; Restricting the amplitude of the lever or the like

Definitions

  • 58/7, 58/59 flat and are provided at predetermined positions with [51] Int. Cl. G04b 13/00, G04b 33/00 cut-outs or mount holes for easy assembly of the con- [58] Field of Search 58/7, 59, 139, 140 R struction and for receiving the staffs of rotary members i of the construction.
  • the cut-outs and mount holes can [56] References Cited be formed by simple pressing or drilling operations.
  • a principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved watch movement construction eliminating the abovementioned drawbacks and capable of being easily and assuredly assembled.
  • a watch construction according to the present invention comprises two bridges and two frame plates.
  • the bridges and frame plates are made of flat plates and provided at predetermined positions with cut-out portions or mount holes for hearing elements of the watch and to allow easy access for assembly of the construction.
  • the bridges and frame plates are easily made by molding press or by automatic lathing tools.
  • the bridges are fixed spaced at predetermined distances, by spacers, so that the watch movement construction ac cording to the present invention makes it easy to position or carry the elements of the watch movement eliminating the use of any particular jigs or the requirement of turning over the movement.
  • the two spacers are constructed with flat surfaces normal to a longitudinal axis thereof. These flat surfaces are axially spaced and the two bridges and two frame plates rest on respective flat surfaces and extend generally parallel.
  • the outermost bridge and outermost frame plate are provided with openings into which the spacers extend.
  • the flat surfaces are spaced axially on the spacers determining the spacing among the bridges and frame plates and therebetween.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing a watch movement construction according to the present invention
  • FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are perspective plan and bottom or backside views respectively of the watch movement construction of FIG. I;
  • FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section view taken on a section line 4-v-4 of FIG. 2;
  • FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section view taken on a section line 5-5 of FIG. 4;
  • FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section view taken on a section line 6--6 of FIG. 4;
  • FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagrammatic view illustrating the relationship between a second plate and a fork pallet of the watch movement in FIG. 1.
  • FIGS. 1-3 there is shown a watch construction wherein first and second bridges l and 2 define spaces into which mechanical parts of the watch are accommodated.
  • the bridges and frame plates 3, 4 are provided with mount holes 6, 6a, 6b, and 6c, into which is inserted a spacer 5 fixing the bridges and frame plates at predetermined distances therebetween.
  • two spacers 5 are provided to assure the stable attachment of the bridges and plates as shown in FIG. 2.
  • the bridges and frame plates are provided at predetermined positions with holes 7, 7a and 7b functioning as bearings for the staffs of the gears and with cut-out portions 8, 8a, and 9, 9a for housing the mechanical elements.
  • the spacers 5 have at one end a flanged portion 5a engaging with the first and second bridges I and 2 and being axially thick enough to separate one from the other. Further, the spacers have at the other end a smaller diameter portion 5b loosely engaging with a hole 6b of the second frame plate 4 and a smaller diameter portion 5c also loosely engaging with a hole 6c of the first frame plate 3, and has threaded bore at its central portion to receive a correspondingly threaded screw 11 for fixing the plates. Screws ll fix the frame plates 3 and 4 together with the spacers 5.
  • a balance wheel 19 with its staff is carried on bearing means each mounted on the first bridge I and the first frame plate 3.
  • a pallet fork l6 reciprocated by the balance wheel 19 is carried on the first bridge 1 and the second frame plate 4.
  • the second frame plate 4 has a cut-away portion 9b for housing therein a top portion 16a of a pallet fork 16.
  • the edges 9a of the cut-away portion also act as stop members for limiting the angu lar movement of the pallet fork 16 (FIG. 7).
  • the gear trains that is, an escapement wheel 15, and third and fourth wheels 13, 14 with their staffs are also rotatably carried on the first bridge 1 and the second frame plate 4'
  • mechanical parts of the watch are assembled in the following steps to constitute the watch movement construction.
  • the spacer 5 is inserted into the mount hole 6 provided on the first bridge 1 and is caulked thereto.
  • the second bridge 2 has inserted into it the spacer through the hole 6a thereof to the extent that the second bridge 2 rests against the flanged portion "5a of the spacer so as to be spaced from the first bridge 1.
  • the third wheel 13 is mounted on the first bridge I.
  • a bearing block 36 for rotatably bearing a winding stem 40 in a cavity thereof is secured to the first bridge I with its integral projections 36a and 37b fixed into the bearing openings 7 as shown in FIG. 4.
  • the fourth wheel 14, the escapement wheel 15, and the fork pallet 16 are mounted through the second bridge 2 on the first bridge 1, while the center wheel 12 is mounted on the second bridge 2.
  • the winding stem 17 and a setting lever pin 18 are set at predetermined positions respectively, as shown in FIGS. 4 and and these are assembled with the bearing block 36 before it is mounted on the assembly.
  • the second frame plate 4 is then mounted by inserting into the mount hole 6b thereof the portion 5b of the spacer 5 and by setting each staff of the gear train on the corresponding bearing mount.
  • the balance wheel 19 is mounted.
  • a clutch lever 21 is mounted on the second frame plate 4 with a crown wheel 22 as shown in FIG. 4.
  • a minute wheel 24 is then disposed on a predetermined position, as shown in FIG. 6, and its pivot is press fitted into an opening in the plate 4.
  • a bridge screw 11 is threaded into a threaded bore of the spacer to fix the first and second frame plates 3 and 4, respectively.
  • An hour wheel pinion 25 is mounted on the staff of the center wheel 12 and an hour wheel 26 is also mounted thereto.
  • a setting lever 27' is inserted through a cut-away in the plate 4 and holds a lever pin 18 in place and is secured by a setting lever spring which is fixed to the first frame plate 3 by a screw 29 threaded into an internally threaded sleeve as shown in FIGS.
  • the setting lever pin is mounted in the bearing 36 before mounting thereof on the plate 4.
  • a barrel drum 31 is inserted laterally of the bridges and plates and is set at a predetermined position between the first bridge 1 and the second frame plate 4 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
  • the winding stem bearing block 36 may be made of plastic as an integral, precision injection molded unit that has accurately molded cavities and openings therein for receiving those members of the watch movement that it carries.
  • the winding stem 17 is assembled with the bearing 36 in a cavity thereof prior to mounting of this bearing on the bridge and plate.
  • the winding stem extends axially out of the bearing 36 and the assembly shown in the drawings.
  • the winding stem In assemblying the winding stern bearing the winding stem is inserted into its cavity through a winding stem pinion 17a that is received in its own cavity in the bearing 36 and has a central opening provided with internal surfaces complementary to those of the winding stem that drives it.
  • the winding stem 17 is provided with a collar 17b and a portion 17c spaced axially from the collar and has a major diameter.
  • the setting lever 27 has a bent portion that extends through a cut-out in the plate 4 into the cavity of the winding stem and is disposed between the collar 17b and the portion 17c of major diameter so that it maintains the winding stem from moving axially outwardly of the bearing.
  • An innermost end postion 17d of the winding stem is supported for rotation by a bearing pin 36a extending into the cavity of the winding stem.
  • This bearing pin 36a is inserted into position through an opening in the plate 4 and is held therein.
  • a rachet wheel 34 is inserted in a barrel staff 32, the axle 33 of which is in turn fixed to the first bridge 1 by a spring keeper or E-ring 35.
  • the watch movement construction according to the present invention has many advantages or features over the conventional ones as follows: the second bridge 2 is assuredly maintained spaced apart from the first bridge 1 while the second frame plate 4 is also maintained spaced apart from the first frame plate 3 by the spacers 5 with the first and second frame plates 3, 4 both fixed to the spacer 5 by the bridge screws 11.
  • the cut-out portions can be formed by changing the configurations of the first and second frame plates 3 and 4 as shown by dotted lines P in FIG. 3.
  • the clutch lever 21 is included between the first and second frame plates 3,4.
  • the first frame plate 3 also functions as a spring for the clutch lever 21 (FIG. 4).
  • the assembling of the complete barrel drum 31, with the ratchet wheel 34 may be taken apart without any disturbance of the remaining parts.
  • the provision of the hole 8 allows the second hand pinion to be connected to the staff 12a of the center wheel 12 and makes easy the power transmission to the minute and hour hands (FIG. 1). No surface machining, bending, off-setting or milling are required thereby saving much time.
  • the provision of holes 8a on the second bridge 2 for the fourth wheel 14, the escapement wheel 15, and the pallet fork 16 prevent the inclination of these wheels during assembling and makes easy the assembling thereof (FIG. 1).
  • Cut-out portion 9 provided on the second frame plate 4 serves as limiting means for limiting the oscillation of the pallet fork 16, thereby dispensing with the conventional banking pins.
  • the back gear train is assembled without turning over the movement because the assembling can be always carried out with the bridges down.
  • a watch movement construction comprising, two flat bridges and two flat frame plates, two separate spaced spacers each having bearing surfaces axially spaced thereon on which the two bridges and the two frame plates bear individually and are held spaced apart extending generally parallel, each bridge and each frame plate having cut-outs in predetermined places including some of which are in registry to provide access to a space therebetween and having a plurality of spaced bearing openings for receiving therein respective staffs of a plurality of rotatable elements of a watch movement, each spacer having a threaded bore, and a threaded screw holding an outermost one of the frame plates on said spacer.
  • a watch movement construction including a pallet fork oscillatable on said out- 'ermost frame plate, and said outermost frame plate having a cut-out within which said pallet fork oscillates, and the surfaces defining the cut-out being disposed to limit the amplitude of oscillation of said pallet fork.
  • a watch movement construction in which said spacers each have a longitudinal axis and said bearing surfaces are flat and disposed in planes substantially normal to the longitudinal axis thereof, and said bearing surfaces are disposed axially spaced on the longitudinal axis at axial distances determining desired axial spacing of said bridges and said frame plates.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromechanical Clocks (AREA)
US00256752A 1971-05-27 1972-05-25 Watch movement construction Expired - Lifetime US3754390A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP3645871 1971-05-27

Publications (1)

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US3754390A true US3754390A (en) 1973-08-28

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ID=12470361

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
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Country Status (7)

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US (1) US3754390A (it)
CA (1) CA956124A (it)
CH (2) CH785172A4 (it)
FR (1) FR2143675B1 (it)
GB (1) GB1383027A (it)
HK (1) HK83679A (it)
IT (1) IT957995B (it)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5061074U (it) * 1973-10-03 1975-06-05
US4090352A (en) * 1975-08-20 1978-05-23 Devhorl S.A. Reducing gear-train of an electronic watch with analog display

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP3923086A1 (fr) 2020-06-12 2021-12-15 ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse Module moteur pour un mouvement horloger

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US673053A (en) * 1900-10-03 1901-04-30 Alexander L Henderson Clock.
FR558665A (fr) * 1922-11-15 1923-08-31 Perfectionnements aux mouvements d'horlogerie
US3492808A (en) * 1968-01-23 1970-02-03 Us Time Corp The Watch construction with spacer block as assembly aid

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US673053A (en) * 1900-10-03 1901-04-30 Alexander L Henderson Clock.
FR558665A (fr) * 1922-11-15 1923-08-31 Perfectionnements aux mouvements d'horlogerie
US3492808A (en) * 1968-01-23 1970-02-03 Us Time Corp The Watch construction with spacer block as assembly aid

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5061074U (it) * 1973-10-03 1975-06-05
JPS545015Y2 (it) * 1973-10-03 1979-03-03
US4090352A (en) * 1975-08-20 1978-05-23 Devhorl S.A. Reducing gear-train of an electronic watch with analog display

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
IT957995B (it) 1973-10-20
FR2143675A1 (it) 1973-02-09
CA956124A (en) 1974-10-15
FR2143675B1 (it) 1978-03-03
CH588108B5 (it) 1977-05-31
HK83679A (en) 1979-12-14
CH785172A4 (it) 1976-01-30
GB1383027A (en) 1975-02-05

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