US3765111A

US3765111A - Perpetual calendar

Info

Publication number: US3765111A
Application number: US00293285A
Authority: US
Inventors: L Spicer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-09-28
Filing date: 1972-09-28
Publication date: 1973-10-16
Anticipated expiration: 1990-10-16

Abstract

A truncated-conical member, formed by a plurality of juxtaposed overlapping wall members, supports, at their upper limit, a color coded member and a plurality of cylinders and disks having calendar data thereon. An opening, provded in the outer frame wall, exposes calendar data of a particular month printed on inner walls of the frame when the walls are selectively positioned.

Description

United States Patent [191 Spicer' I I 41 PERPETUAL CALENDAR FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 280,004 11/1927 GreatBritain.,......,...............40/111 996,015 10/1951 France.............,..........;..... 40/111 [22] Filed:

Primary Examiner-Robert W. Michell Assistant Examiner-J. H. Wolff Att0rney+Robert K. Rhea T C A R T S B A n r 1 nmn 5 mun GM G s ".7 l N mmr, mm m en C WM 1 3m U.mF HUM 55w A truncated-conical member, formed by a plurality of juxtaposed overlapping wall members, supports, at

- their upper limit, a color coded member and a plural- [56] References Cited ity of cylinders and disks having calendar data UNITED STATES PATENTS thereon. An opening, provded in the outer frame wall,

exposes calendar data of a particular month printed on innerwalls of theframe when the walls are selectively positioned.

10/1972 Spicer...... 9/1971 Robinson. 615,221 11/1898 Irwin et a1 2,006,485 I 7/1935 2,073,275 3/1937 4 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures Segal Elberg......

PATENTED BUT I 8 I973 SHEET 2 UF 4 PATENIEB 01:1 1 6191s I sum 3 or 4 PATENTEUBBTIBW 3.785.111

SHEET 1 BF 4 PERPETUAL CALENDAR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to calendars and more particularly to a desk type calendar device having calendar forming data printed thereon to form a perpetual calendar.

Many perpetual type reference calendars have been proposed, some of which have appeared in publications arranged in columnar or chart form for determining calendar datesof past or future years, however, most of these chart-like calendars are of limited range and are not relatively easily used. In using such calendars it is usually necessary to follow lines or columns in order to match data a plurality of times frequently resulting in errors as well as being a tedious procedure. This cross referencing of information, which may not be readily available, has prevented this type of calendar from being generally accepted.

The present invention eliminates the inconvenience of not having such calendar data readily available and eliminates matching cross reference data by incorporating calendar information on a plurality of overlapping truncated-conical walls concentrically supporting calendar code and data containing members including a plurality of superposed disk members connected with upstanding substantially cylindrical members.

2. Description of the Prior Art U.S. Pat. No. 1,940,859 discloses a 200 year calendar having years of centuries printed on a disk underlying a coversheet and rotatably supported thereby with windows in the cover sheet indicating which of a plurality of master calendars are to be used for a particular year. U.S. Pat. No. 2,788,595 discloses a master calendar printed on the front of a container having windows in its front exposing years or centuries and positioning daysof the week over the master calendar by selective {frame which concentrically supports a color code ring indicating years in response to the setting of concentrically supported disks having decade and century information printed thereon, wherein any selected year and I month, of that year may be found by a selected setting of the components forming the desk calendar with the I selected month visible through an opening in the outer wall of the calendar frame.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A truncated-conical frame is formed by intermediate and outer overlapping wall members rotatable relative to each other and aninner frame wall about a vertical axis. The wall members concentrically support a ring member having a repeating series of seven colors circumferentially printed thereon. A plurality of juxtaposed disks are concentrically supported by the frame and have calendar data printed thereon. Upstanding inner and outer cylindrical members, respectively connected with a pair of the disks, coaxially receive a bolt joining the disks and cylindrical members and support year indicating dials at its uppermost end. Calendar months printed on the innermost wall are exposed by an opening in the intermediate wall simultaneously exposing the days of a selected month, forming a part of a repeating series of seven numerals arranged in columnar form printed on the outer surface of the intermediate wall, through a calendar window formed in the outer wall. Thus, any selected decade and year of any century of any millennium may be found by selective rotation of the disks and cylindrical members in combination with the color code with the days of a desired month of a year exposed through the window in the outer wall.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a compact desk top type frame structure having perpetual calendar indicia printed on certain of its components wherein the components may be rotated relative to each other to reveal calendar data of a particular month of selected year.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. l is a perspective view of the device;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view, partially in section, looking in the direction of the arrows 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 with the depending walls and other components removed for clarity;

FIG. 5 is a development plan view of an endless truncated-conical wall forming member containing calendar month data;

FIG. 6 is a top view of a disk containing year digits for two decades;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of components for locating calendar dates of a Julian calendar assembled with a Julian-Gregorian millennium-century digital unit;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of the outer cylindrical wall of FIG. 7 containing Gregorian century data;

FIG. 9 is a plan view, partially in section, of the upper disk shown inFIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a development plan view similar to FIG. 8 illustrating the Julian-Gregorian millennium calendar data;

FIG. llll is a perspective view'of one component containing decade digits of. calendar years coaxially supported by the components of FIG. 7;

FIG. 12 is a top view of FIG. 11; and,

FIG. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 13-13 of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur.

In the drawings:

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1 to 5, the reference numeral 20 indicates the device, as a whole, which is substantially truncated-conical in general appearance comprising a base portion 22 and coaxial upstanding cylindrical members 2% supporting a set of year indicating dials 26. The base portion 22 is formed by a frame 28 characterized by a horizontally disposed centrally apertured plate portion 30 having an integral downwardly and outwardly diverging wall 32. The depending outer surface portion of the wall 32 is provided with a circumferential recess forming an outwardly directed surface 34 on which the abreviated names of the calendar months of a year are printed in selected radially spaced relation (FIG. 4). An endless band-like truncated-concical shaped intermediate wall 36 contiguously overlaps the frame wall 32 in rotating sliding contact in its wall recess forming the surface 34 while the depending edge portion of the wall 36 is integrally enlarged to form a base support, as at 38. The base 38 is provided with an upwardly open recess 40 for the purposes presently explained.

The intermediate wall 36 may be formed, as shown in the plan view of FIG. 5, wherein a portion of one of its ends is provided with adhesive material 42 for joining this end portion to the opposite end portion 44 to form the endless configuration of the intermediate wall. Obviously the ends may be joined by bonding in end to end abutting relation rather than overlapping, if preferred. The intermediate wall 36 forms a calendar month band or wall and has printed thereon a repeating series of calendar indicia comprising days of the month arranged in columnar form with the columns radially spaced-apart so that any two adjacent numerals in each column differ by seven. In the example shown, the calendar wall 36 contains five repeating series of month forming calendar indicia. The calendar wall is further provided in its uppermost edge portion 46 with a plurality, four in the example shown, of rectangularshaped slots 48 open to its upper edge and in overlying relation with respect to the outer surface 34 of the frame wall 32 so that any one of the slots 48, respectively, expose a selected one of the month names printed on the frame wall surface 34 by rotation of the calendar wall 36 about the axis of the frame 28, as hereinafter explained.

An outer wall or shield 50, substantially truncatedconical in general configuration, overlies the outer surface of the calendar wall 36 and is rotatably slidable relative thereto with its downwardly directed edge 52 frictionally engaged within the base recess 49. The shield 50 is provided with an opening or window 53 dimensioned for exposing the calendar indicia or numerals indicating the days of a month. Letters indicating the days of a week are printed in any selected order on the outer surface of the shield 50 between the upper limit of the window 53 and the upper edge of the shield with the radial spacing between these letters coinciding with the spacing between the columns of calendar data forming month days. A week day centering indicator 55 is positioned above the center letter, for example the letter W, as a key in positioning the shield 50.

A lug or stop 54 (FIG. 13), cylindrical in shape, and having a length at least equal to the thickness of the recessed portion of the frame wall 32, is formed on the inwardly disposed surface of the calendar wall 36 at a selected location for limiting rotative movement of the calendar wall with respect to the frame wall 32. A portion of the periphery of the stop 54 contacts a depending edge surface 56 extending through a selected are of the periphery of the frame wall 32 horizontally disposed above the remaining depending edge 58 of the frame wall (FIGS. 2 and 4) thus limiting rotative movement of the calendar wall 36 relative to the frame 28 to the arc defined by end limits of the frame depending wall edge 56.

A color code ring 60 overlies the frame 28. The color code ring is provided with a central opening 62 diametrically slightly smaller than the horizontal plate portion 30 of the frame thus forming the ring-like wall having an upper arcuate portion, as at 63, and a depending wall portion 64, contiguously overlying the outer surface of the frame above the frame recess forming the month name surface 34. The color code ring 60 is fixed or secured to the frame 28 by a plurality, three in the example shown, of bolts or screws 66 projecting upwardly through the frame and the color code ring in radial unequal spaced relation and secured by wing nuts and springs 68 surrounding the respective screw 66. The outward and upwardly disposed surfaces of the color code ring is radially divided to form a plurality of equal area circumferential sections with each of these sections being printed or colored with a selected color to form a calendar year code. The colors comprise a repeating series of seven colors, such as purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, red and black, in that order, extending counterclockwise in endless fashion around the color code ring so that a repeating series of five of the seven colors occupies the outer peripheral surface of the color code ring. Every fifth color block extends inwardly beyond the limit of the other color blocks to the edge of the color code ring forming the opening 62. The depending edge surface of the color code ring is provided with a plurality of relatively small lugs 67 cooperatively nested by a like plurality of recesses formed in the upwardly directed edge of the shield 50 for increasing the frictional resistance between the color code ring 60 and the shield 50. This also assures accurate positioning of the shield month indicator 55 with the proper color block.

Referring also to the remaining Figures, an upwardly open vertically disposed cylindrical tube 70 projects coaxially through the central opening of the frame 28 and is coaxially secured at its depending end to a centrally apertured disk '72 contiguously contacting the depending surface of the frame plate 30 and underlying the head of the respective screw 66. The outer surface of the cylinder 70 has numerals printed thereon indicating millenniums of the Julian calendar arranged in substantially horizontal rows (FIG. 10) with the vertical row arrangement of these indicia indicating millenniums of the Gregorian calendar. A casing 74 coaxially surrounds the cylinder 70 and is provided with a centrally apertured diametrically reduced upper end portion for coaxially receiving a bolt 78, or the like, with its head underlying the disk 72. The depending end of the casing is provided with a coaxial flange 82 overlying and diametrically slightly smaller than the upper surface of the frame plate 30.

The upper surface of the flange 82 has printed thereon indicia indicating centuries of the Julian calendar (FIG. 9). An arc of the periphery of the flange 82 is diametrically reduced, as at 83, for limiting its rotative movement as hereinafter explained.

Adjacent its juncture with the flange 82, the casing outer wall surface is also provided with indicia printed thereon indicating centuries.

An elongated rectangular slot 84 is formed in the wall of the casing 74% adjacent its uppermost end for exposing the millennium indicating indicia printed on the surface of the cylinder 70 as the casing is rotated relative to the cylinder. A relatively short tube 36 coaxially and rotatably surrounds the depending end portion of the casing 74 and is integrally connected with a decade disk 88 flatly overlying and diametrically substantially equal with the flange 82. The decade disk 88 also has indicia printed thereon, comprising the numerals I through 0, in selected spaced-apart relation for indicating a decade as hereinafter explained. The decade 88 is provided with an aperture 90 for exposing indicia printed on the upper surface of the flange 82. Similarly the decade disk 88 is also provided with a diametrically reduced arc portion 89 coinciding with the are 83 of the flange 82. The wall of the short tube 86 is provided with a vertically disposed rectangular slot or opening 92 for exposing Gregorian calendar indicia printed on the periphery of the casing 74.

A centrally apertured, preferably transparent, year disk 94, diametrically substantially equal with respect to the diameter of the decade disk 88, overlies the latter with its central aperture 96 loosely surrounding the periphery of the depending portion of the short tube 86.

The upper surface of the transparent disk 94 has the major portion of its periphery divided or scored by radial lines forming spaces coinciding with a like plurality of the position of the colored blocks on the color code ring 60 with these respective spaces imprinted with indicia comprising two repeating series of numerals l throughO arranged in counterclockwise relation indicating year digits for 2 decades. This disk 94 is provided with a substantially circular scored line 98 at the beginning of one of the series of indicia which is placed in register with the decade being used, for example the numeral 7 enclosed by the scored ellipse 100 on the flange 82, thus indicating the present decade or era of the years beginning with the numeral 7.

The position of the cylinder 70 and its flange 82, the casing 74 and its disk 88 are maintained in selected fixed position by a recycle screw 102 projecting upwardly through the cylinder connected plate 72, frame plate 30 and in sliding contact with the peripheral arc surfaces 83 and 89 of the flange 82 and disk 88, respectively, thus limiting rotation of the flange 82 and disk 88 to the length of the

arcs

83 and 89.

As shown in FIG. 4, the frame plate 30 is provided with a plurality, seven in the example shown, of openingsl04 in equal radially spaced relation coinciding with the seven color blocks extending inwardly of the color code ring for receiving the recycle screw 102- and positioning the tube 70 and casing 74 in proper position relative to the color code ring 60 and other decade settings of the calendar.

The bolt 78 is threadedly connected with the calen dar year dial member 26 by its horizontally disposed central rod member 106. The calendar dial member is substantially conventional, having two pairs of rotatable dials 108 and 110, respectively, coaxially connected with the respective ends of the rod 106 and rotatable about'the axis thereof. The peripheries of the dials each contain a series of numerals, such as l through 0, for indicating the present or a selected year thereon. A major portion of each pair of dials is shielded from view by a surrounding flange 112 each having a slot-like opening 114 for exposing the selected numerals.

As an aid to the user a plurality of color codes, not shown, for selected decades of a century may be printed as a key and attached to the inner surface of the calendar wall 36.

OPERATlON In the example shown by FIG. 1, the calendar is set for the leap year 2,000 and the month of January for that year with the present era in time comprising the area 98 of the year digits disk 92 aligned with the color block lines for red. The shield 50 has been rotated relative to the month code ring 60 so that its indicator 55 is aligned with the color black which is the color for this leap year January. Succeeding months of this leap year are located by rotating the calendar wall 36 relative to the frame 28 so that the month slot 48 exposes the next or succeeding month, then the shield 50 is rotated relative to the calendar wall 36 to expose the indicia indicating the days of the month aligning with the color red. During a leap year when 29 days are required for the month of February and initial rotation in a counterclockwise direction of the shield 50 does not expose a 29 day calendar month the numeral 29 and arrow 107, printed on the calendar wall, indicates that further movement in the same counterclockwise direction is necessary for exposing the February leap year month. Non-leap years use one color for all twelve months.

For obtaining the setting of the calendar for any selected date, the desired millennium of years is first obtained by rotating the casing T2 about the cylinder until that millennium, in combination with numerals on the wall of the cylinder 70, is exposed in the opening 84 and the three zeros printed on the outer surface of the casing, equals the millennium.

In the event the desired period in time is not within the present era, either past or future, the recycle screw 102 must be manually retracted out of contact with the flange and disk arcs 83 and 89 and reinserted through one of the frame plate openings MM aligned with the new position of the

arcs

83 and 89 relative to the frame 28.

The short tube 86 is then rotated until its window 92 exposes the century years in combination with the two zeros printed on the periphery of the tube 86. The year disk 94 is then positioned so its scored area 98 is aligned with the decade disk opening which positions the two repeating series of numerals on the year disk 94 so that their digits correspond with a like plurality of the color code blocks on the color code ring 60 thus indicating the color'code for any selected year of 2 decades-Thereafter, the calendar wall 36 is rotated to expose the selected month name of the year and the shield 50 is rotated relative to the calendar wall 36 so that its indicator 55 is aligned with the previously found color code for the year while simultaneously exposing the name of the month through the calendar wall opening 48 and exposing the days indicating the month arranged in the sequence of the days for that month or, in other words, the first of the month being arranged vertically under the proper day of the week as shown on the outer surface of the shield.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to changes or alterations without defeating its practicability, therefore, I do not wish to be confined to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein.

l claim:

ll. A desk top perpetual calendar, comprising:

a frame having a horizontally disposed central plate portion secured to a depending truncated conical wall along its smaller diameter, said frame well having an outer surface, the outer surface of said frame wall having indicia printed thereon in radially spaced relation indicating months of the year;

an intermediate truncated conical wall juxtaposed over a portion of the outer surface of said frame wall and matingly rotatably thereon in a self centering relation, said intermediate wall having an outer surface and slots along its upwardly directed smaller edge portion so as to selectively expose month indicia disposed therebelow on said frame wall, the outer surface of said intermediate wall having a repeating series of numerals representing days of the month printed thereon in spiraling radially spaced parallel rows and so arranged that any two adjacent numerals in adjourning rows differ by seven; truncated conical shield overlying said intermediate wall and matingly rotatable thereon in a selfcentering relation,

said shield having a a rectangular aperture therein exposing the days comprising monthly calendar imprinted therebelow on said intermediate wall and simultaneously exposing one of the month exposing slots in said intermediate wall,

said shield having indicia printed thereon along a horizontal edge of said aperture indicating days of the week, said day indicia being so spaced as to align in cooperating relation with respect to the spacing between the parallel rows of the repeating series of numerals on said intermediate wall;

a cylinder coaxially supported vertically by said frame plate, said cylinder having mellennium indicia printed on its outer surface in vertically spaced horizontal rows arranged in vertically aligned radially spaced relations:

a casing having means for rotatably surrounding said cylinder, said casing having century indicating indicia printed on its outer surface in vertically spaced horizontal rows arranged in vertically aligned radially spaced relation and having a window formed in its wall exposing the indicia on said sylinder as said casing is rotated relative to said cylinder;

a flange secured to the depending end of said casing and overlying said frame plate,

said flange having year indicating indicia printed on its upper surface in radially relation;

a tube rotatably surrounding the depending end portion of said casing,

' said tube having an aperture in its wall exposing century indicating indicia on said casing as said tube is rotated relative to said casing;

a decade disk coaxially secured to the depending end of said tube and overlying said flange,

said decade disk having indicia printed on its upper surface in radially spaced relation indicating the last digit of each year of a decade,

said decade disk having an aperture exposing one of the year indicia printed on said flange; and,

a transparent year disk surrounding said tube in rotatable overlying relation with respect to said decade disk, said year disk having an opening mating and mismating with the aperture in said decade disk, said year disk being radially divided throughout a portion of its periphery in equal radially spaced relation with respect to the spacing of the month code, each division of said year disk being assigned a value corresponding with the last digit of a year for two decades and being arranged in a repeating series.

2. The perpetual calendar according to claim 1 and further including:

a calendar month code ring overlying and supported by said frame, the upper surface of said ring being radially divided and overprinted to form a repeating series of seven colors whereby each color indicates a color code for one year.

3. The perpetual calendar according to claim 2 and further including:

a cylinder disk coaxially secured to said cylinder in underlying relation with respect to said frame plate; a recycle screw threadedly extending vertically through a peripheral portion of said cylinder disk, said frame plate having a circular row of radially spaced openings coinciding with the inner limit of the radial position of every fifth one of said month code colors and the path of travel of travel of said recycle screw when said cylinder disk is rotated relative to said frame plate,

said flange and said decade disk each having a recess cooperatively formed in its periphery and extending through an arc of less than 180 for receiving the upwardly directed end portion of said recycle screw and limiting rotative movement of said flange and said disk relative to said frame to the are defined by the end limits of the recesses.

4. The perpetual calendar according to claim 3 and further including:

a stop secured to the inwardly disposed surface of said intermediate wall, said frame wall having a horizontal recess formed in its depending surface and extending through an arc of not more than for receiving said stop'and limiting the rotative movement of said intermediate wall with respect to said frame.

i t i 1

Claims

1. A desk top perpetual calendar, comprising: a frame having a horizontally disposed central plate portion secured to a depending truncated conical wall along its smaller diameter, said frame well having an outer surface, the outer surface of said frame wall having indicia printed thereon in radially spaced relation indicating months of the year; an intermediate truncated conical wall juxtaposed over a portion of the outer surface of said frame wall and matingly rotatably thereon in a self centering relation, said intermediate wall having an outer surface and slots along its upwardly directed smaller edge portion so as to selectively expose month indicia disposed therebelow on said frame wall, the outer surface of said intermediate wall having a repeating series of numerals representing days of the month printed thereon in spiraling radially spaced parallel rows and so arranged that any two adjacent numerals in adjourning rows differ by seven; a truncated conical shield overlying said intermediate wall and matingly rotatable thereon in a self-centering relation, said shield having a a rectangular aperture therein exposing the days comprising monthly calendar imprinted therebelow on said intermediate wall and simultaneously exposing one of the month exposing slots in said intermediate wall, said shield having indicia printed thereon along a horizontal edge of said aperture indicating days of the week, said day indicia being so spaced as to align in cooperating relation with respect to the spacing between the parallel rows of the repeating series of numerals on said intermediate wall; a cylinder coaxially supported vertically by said frame plate, said cylinder having mellennium indicia printed on its outer surface in vertically spaced horizontal rows arranged in vertically aligned radially spaced relations: a casing having means for rotatably surrounding said cylinder, said casing having century indicating indicia printed on its outer surface in vertically spaced horizontal rows arranged in vertically aligned radially spaced relation and having a window formed in its wall exposing the indicia on said sylinder as said casing is rotated relative to said cylinder; a flange secured to the depending end of said casing and overlying said frame plate, said flange having year indicating indicia printed on its upper surface in radially relation; a tube rotatably surrounding the depending end portion of said casing, said tube having an aperture in its wall exposing century indicating indicia on said casing as said tube is rotated relative to said casing; a decade disk coaxially secured to the depending end of said tube and overlying said flange, said decade disk having indicia printed on its upper surface in radially spaced relation indicating the last digit of each year of a decade, said decade disk having an aperture exposing one of the year indicia printed on said flange; and, a transparent year disk surrounding said tube in rotatable overlying relation with respect to said decade disk, said year disk having an opening mating and mismating with the aperture in said decade disk, said year disk being radially divided throughout a portion of its periphery in equal radially spaced relation with respect to the spacing of the month code, each division of said year disk being assigned a value corresponding with the last digit of a year for two decades and being arranged in a repeating series.

2. The perpetual calendar according to claim 1 and further including: a calendar month code ring overlying and supported by said frame, the upper surface of said ring being radially divided and overprinted to form a repeating series of seven colors whereby each color indicates a color code for one year.

3. The perpetual calendar according to claim 2 and further including: a cylinder disk coaxially secured to said cylinder in underlying relation with respect to said frame plate; a recycle screw threadedly extending vertically through a peripheral portion of said cylinder disk, said frame plate having a circular row of radially spaced openings coinciding with the inner limit of the radial position of every fifth one of said month code colors and the path of travel of travel of said recycle screw when said cylinder disk is rotated relative to said frame plate, said flange and said decade disk each having a recess cooperatively formed in its periphery and extending through an arc of less than 180* for receiving the upwardly directed end portion of said recycle screw and limiting rotative movement of said flange and said disk relative to said frame to the arc defined by the end limits of the recesses.

4. The perpetual calendar according to claim 3 and further including: a stop secured to the inwardly disposed surface of said intermediate wall, said frame wall having a horizontal recess formed in its depending surface and extending through an arc of not more than 90* for receiving said stop and limiting the rotative movement of said intermediate wall with respect to said frame.