US3796043A - Continuous wipe-out clocks - Google Patents

Continuous wipe-out clocks Download PDF

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Publication number
US3796043A
US3796043A US00260450A US3796043DA US3796043A US 3796043 A US3796043 A US 3796043A US 00260450 A US00260450 A US 00260450A US 3796043D A US3796043D A US 3796043DA US 3796043 A US3796043 A US 3796043A
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United States
Prior art keywords
dial
movable
rotation
rotatable
rack
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Expired - Lifetime
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US00260450A
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English (en)
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R Ebdon
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Individual
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Individual
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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
    • G04B19/00—Indicating the time by visual means
    • G04B19/04—Hands; Discs with a single mark or the like
    • 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
    • G04B19/00—Indicating the time by visual means

Definitions

  • the interface can thus wipe 183,019 10/1876 PhilllpS 58/125 R out the previously visible urface and replace it 349,878 9/1886 Garcia habits 58/125 R h 1.806678 5/1931 Farkas 40/62 1,846,928 2 1932 Willens 40/33 10 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTED MAR 1 2 I974 SHEET 1 0F 4 PATENTEDHAR 12 m4 3. 796, 043 sum 3 nr 4 air-9604s PATENTEIJMAR 12 I974 SHEET [1F 4 CONTINUOUS WIPE-OUT CLOCKS This invention relates to timing devices.
  • Timing device which provides a pictorial representation of the passage of time. This is achieved by defining a point in time by an interface between two adjacent surfaces of contrasting shades, and enabling this interface to move at a substantially constant speed which is related to the passage of time. The interface can thus wipe out the previously visible surface and replace it with another.
  • the interface would normally move in a circular arc and the movement would becontrolled by some conventional means such as a pin pallet lever escapement mechanism associated with a rotational axis related to the movement of the interface.
  • a pin pallet lever escapement mechanism associated with a rotational axis related to the movement of the interface.
  • The can of course, be a complete circle and is conveniently surrounded by a scale defining units of time.
  • the mode of the invention may be included in a clock, designed for continuous running, or for a timer,
  • Such means might be a rack and pinion, the rack being moveable by the controlled absorption of potential energy. This may be achieved by controlling the movement of a falling weight, this movement causing the motion of the interface. To initiate this movement the weight may be raised from the rest position to a predetermined height and then released.
  • the raising means, weight, and drive means may be so designed that movement of the raising means can reset the device and also, if required, the lever may arrest all motion of the device if held in a certain position.
  • a device according to the invention suitable for use as a clock designed for continuous running may comprise a dial clock having a face including a plurality of petals (as herein defined), each one of which has at least two faces of contrasting shades and is mounted for rotation in response to movement of the clock hands.
  • a petal means a tapered elongate member, a plurality of which may be mounted contiguously to present an arcuate section.
  • the section may be part of, or the whole of, an annulus. It may cover substantially the whole of a disc surface.
  • Petals may be arranged co-extensively in groups of two or more to provide circular arcuate sections of different radii.
  • each petal is provided with a toothed wheel at one end which engages with a corresponding member on a clock hand as the clock hand passes adjacent the petal.
  • the clock wouldv normally have two hands each being associated with a corresponding group of petals. The hands could be an hour hand and a minute hand.
  • each petal In order that a petal may rotate without interfering with a stationary adjacent petal, the cross-section of each petal is preferably in the form of a pin-cushion distortion. In this way the presented surface does not present discontinuities as a petal rotates. Thus one face is wiped out and replaced by another without any large gaps appearing in either presented face.
  • a continuous running clock according to the invention has a dial face comprising a plurality of petals wherein each petal has sides of different colours and is shaded in the same way, the petals being so arranged on the clock face that one shade is presented on one side of the hand and another shade is presented on the other side.
  • FIG. 1 is a view of face general assembly in one embodiment of the invention
  • FIG. 2 is a section of FIG. 1 at arrows DD (rack is on reverse side); I
  • FIG. 3 is a rear view of FIG. 1 with back cover cut through to reveal contents
  • FIG. 5 shows the face general assembly of another embodiment of the invention
  • FIG. 7 is a part view in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 6; the backing cover plate and the hour wheels cover plate are removed;
  • FIG. 8 is a perspective view of one of the four sided seconds petals with gear part cut away to emphasize the concaved faces of the embodiment in FIG. 5;
  • FIG. 9 is a part view in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 7 showing the gear end of three petals and the semicircular rack pad at the end of the cranked arm;
  • FIG. 10 is a perspective view of one of the two sided seconds petals in the embodiment of FIG. 5.
  • One embodiment of the invention might be a l minute wipe-out clock face in seconds.
  • the main drive (FIG. 2) l is provided with its motion by means of a rack 2 and pinion 3.
  • a weight 4 providing the energy and is contained within slots 5 to prevent undue movement.
  • the drive 1 which is controlled to one revolution per minute by means of a pin pallet lever escapement of conventional design (not shown) is fed through a slipping clutch 6 which enables the rack 2 and weight 4 to be reset by the lever 7 after the passing of 1 minute, during which time the weight 4 will have reached the bottom.
  • tion 11 clock face 11 by its rotary motion.
  • the clock face being white and the seconds dial of a dark colour gives the impression of a circular increasing band moving round the clock face until after 1 minute it is continuous.
  • the reset lever 7 serves the double purpose of resetting the motion and if it is squeezed sideways against its slot it will arrest the motion of the seconds dial.
  • the parts 10, 8, 12 2 and 3 should preferably be made from acetal, nylon or similar low friction engineering plastics.
  • Maximum clearance between the dogs 8 and the slots 9 (FIG. 4) is necessary for the angled contact edges 16.
  • the aim of this mechanism is to provide an instructive short timepiece for children to handle with safety, simple to operate (one lever) and no electricity or clockwork mechanisms.
  • An additional push on clock face is provided to convert the 60 second dial to a normal 12 hour clock face to show the relationship between them.
  • Another embodiment of the invention could take the form of a continuous wipe-out clock face for 12 hour working (in seconds).
  • the main drive 39 which revolved once per minute, has a cranked arm 40 with integral counter balance 41, the tip of the arm 40 is provided with a semicircular pad 42 with cycloidal gear teeth to engage with the gears at the large end of each petal 43, According to the number of faces on the petals, i.e. two, three or four, so the length of the pad will be determined, it being sufficient to provide one-half, one-third or onefourth of a turn to each petal as it passes on its circular path. After it has passed each petal they are retained in line with the clock face by the aforementioned fingers of the spring steel plate 37 lightly pressing on the flats 36 provided around the bottom stud. Thus it will be seen that after each complete revolution of the'arm (1 minute) the face will commence to wipe-out the previously built-up colour face with a different colour.
  • the main 1 rpm. drive 39 is fed through suitable reduction gearing 44 to a secondary piped spindle 45 for the minute hand and a further train of reduction gears 46 to the tubular mounted hour hand 47.
  • the main drive may be provided by means of a synchronous electric motor suitable geared or by a clock mechanism (not shown).
  • the petal faces may well carry a printed message or other suitable emblems or symbols for the purpose of information or advertising.
  • the message thus building up during the passing minute and a fresh message then commencing while the former is wiped out. Up to four messages are possible.
  • the invention may be usefully used for teaching purposes demonstrating the importance of time.
  • a timing device comprising a housing, a bearing member having a helical groove, a fixed dial, a movable, rotatable dial, and a pin secured to the rotatable dial adapted to engage said groove, each dial having a helical form and coaxially positioned relative to the bearing member, the rotatable dial being mounted for rotation in the housing and constrained to move through the fixed dial by said pin secured to the rotatable dial and engaging the helical groove formed in the bearing member and, means for imparting rotation to the movable dial.
  • a device comprising a boss having two eccentric axial passages, which passages are adapted to receive two dogs of a rotatable drive member.
  • a device according to claim 1 wherein the dogs are of trapezoidal cross-section to minimize friction during relative axial movement of the dogs and passages.
  • a device according to claim 1 wherein the means to provide the potential energy comprises a weight attached to such rack releasably held at a predetermined height.
  • said fixed dial and movable dial comprise first and second coaxial helical surfaces respectively, each of small and substantially equal pitch, the first surface fixed with its axis horizontal, the second surface mounted for axial rotation to screw into the first surface on rotation whereby the leading edge of the second surface defines a moving interface.
  • a device wherein the maximum extent of the inter-engagement of the surfaces defines a predetermined period of time.
  • a device according to claim 9 wherein the period of time is 1 minute.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Toys (AREA)
  • Measurement Of Predetermined Time Intervals (AREA)
  • Measurement Of Unknown Time Intervals (AREA)
US00260450A 1971-06-13 1972-06-07 Continuous wipe-out clocks Expired - Lifetime US3796043A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB923971A GB1399857A (en) 1971-06-13 1971-06-13 Timing devices

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3796043A true US3796043A (en) 1974-03-12

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00260450A Expired - Lifetime US3796043A (en) 1971-06-13 1972-06-07 Continuous wipe-out clocks

Country Status (6)

Country Link
US (1) US3796043A (enExample)
AU (1) AU470674B2 (enExample)
DE (1) DE2228776A1 (enExample)
FR (1) FR2141823B1 (enExample)
GB (1) GB1399857A (enExample)
IT (1) IT956517B (enExample)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4006588A (en) * 1975-11-19 1977-02-08 Mcmahon Robert J Wrist watch
US5872746A (en) * 1996-05-30 1999-02-16 Sanitoy, Inc. Clock timer with clock face transforming from a frowning orientation to a smiling orientation
US7274375B1 (en) 2002-11-19 2007-09-25 Peter David Timekeeping system and method for graphically tracking and representing activities

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2781578A1 (fr) * 1998-07-23 2000-01-28 Modolo Associates Sa Di Piece d'horlogerie de table

Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US183019A (en) * 1876-10-10 Improvement in clocks
US349878A (en) * 1886-09-28 Clock
US1806678A (en) * 1931-05-26 farkas
US1846928A (en) * 1931-02-04 1932-02-23 Willens George Combination clock and sign
US1877732A (en) * 1931-09-05 1932-09-13 Seth Thomas Clock Company Imitation hour glass clock
US2011517A (en) * 1934-09-04 1935-08-13 Arthur J Geoffrion Clock dial
US2547468A (en) * 1947-02-26 1951-04-03 Hussey Paul Second-marking clock
US2785530A (en) * 1955-03-28 1957-03-19 Mayer Arthur Disk time indicating device
US3616643A (en) * 1968-01-10 1971-11-02 Marilyn J Maus Timepiece for identifying time by color

Patent Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US183019A (en) * 1876-10-10 Improvement in clocks
US349878A (en) * 1886-09-28 Clock
US1806678A (en) * 1931-05-26 farkas
US1846928A (en) * 1931-02-04 1932-02-23 Willens George Combination clock and sign
US1877732A (en) * 1931-09-05 1932-09-13 Seth Thomas Clock Company Imitation hour glass clock
US2011517A (en) * 1934-09-04 1935-08-13 Arthur J Geoffrion Clock dial
US2547468A (en) * 1947-02-26 1951-04-03 Hussey Paul Second-marking clock
US2785530A (en) * 1955-03-28 1957-03-19 Mayer Arthur Disk time indicating device
US3616643A (en) * 1968-01-10 1971-11-02 Marilyn J Maus Timepiece for identifying time by color

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4006588A (en) * 1975-11-19 1977-02-08 Mcmahon Robert J Wrist watch
US5872746A (en) * 1996-05-30 1999-02-16 Sanitoy, Inc. Clock timer with clock face transforming from a frowning orientation to a smiling orientation
US7274375B1 (en) 2002-11-19 2007-09-25 Peter David Timekeeping system and method for graphically tracking and representing activities

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE2228776A1 (de) 1972-12-28
GB1399857A (en) 1975-07-02
AU470674B2 (en) 1973-12-13
IT956517B (it) 1973-10-10
FR2141823A1 (enExample) 1973-01-26
AU4303572A (en) 1973-12-13
FR2141823B1 (enExample) 1977-12-23

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