US3878673A - Automatic watch - Google Patents

Automatic watch Download PDF

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Publication number
US3878673A
US3878673A US433527A US43352774A US3878673A US 3878673 A US3878673 A US 3878673A US 433527 A US433527 A US 433527A US 43352774 A US43352774 A US 43352774A US 3878673 A US3878673 A US 3878673A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
rewind
shaft
mainspring
pinion
nut
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
US433527A
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English (en)
Inventor
Heinz Meitinger
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.)
Bifora Uhren J Bidlingmaier GmbH
Original Assignee
Bifora Uhren J Bidlingmaier GmbH
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Bifora Uhren J Bidlingmaier GmbH filed Critical Bifora Uhren J Bidlingmaier GmbH
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3878673A publication Critical patent/US3878673A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • 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
    • G04B9/00—Supervision of the state of winding, e.g. indicating the amount of winding
    • G04B9/005—Supervision of the state of winding, e.g. indicating the amount of winding by optical indication of the amount of winding
    • 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
    • G04B5/00—Automatic winding up
    • G04B5/24—Protecting means preventing overwinding

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT An automatically rewound watch having a mainspring barrel with exterior teeth in engagement with a control member gear, the control member being a nut axially movable along a threaded shaft which is rotated during rewinding so that the nut moves in a first direction in response to rewinding and in opposite direction in response to unwinding of the barrel, said shaft being axially movable upon the nut engaging a stop member so to disengage a rewinding mechanism coupling.
  • the invention relates to portable watches and, in particular, to a mechanism for automatically rewinding the mainspring thereof.
  • the mainspring is housed in a barrel and fixed to a mainspring shaft.
  • the mainspring shaft is operatively connected via a pinion mounted thereon to a blocking gear.
  • a rotatably journalled mass termed a rotor, oscillating upon movement of the watch and coupled to the mainspring to rewind it.
  • the coupling is controlled by a control member responsive to relative rotation of the mainspring barrel and the blocking gear. Relative rotations in a first direction such that the mainspring is unwound will cause movement of the control member in a first direction. Relative rotation in the other, second direction such that the mainspring is rewound will cause movement of the control member in a second direction. At the end of the second path of movement, there is a stop member which, upon engagement of the control member, will disable the coupling between rotor and rewind pinion.
  • the coupling is provided between the rewind pinion and the rotor gearing, and it is preferred to make use of the one-way coupling which normally is present at this point to prevent rotation of the rotor gearing in case of the blocking gear being actuated manually. In this manner, the design provides a very inexpensive solution.
  • a simple and relatively small design results by using as the control member a nut having teeth at its outer circumference in engagement with teeth provided at the barrel exterior.
  • the nut is carried by the rewind shaft which for this purpose has been threaded.
  • the number of teeth is selected such that the ratio of the number of teeth between the blocking gear andthe rewind pinion is equal to the ratio of the number of teeth between the mainspring barrel and the control nut, i.e.:
  • control nut and the stop member are the only parts to be added while the rewind shaft must be provided with a thread.
  • the nut is blocked against rotation by engagement of its teeth with those of the barrel so that the nut will travel along the rewind shaft until it arrives at the stop member.
  • the latter may cause an axial movement of the rewind shaft so as to discouple the gearing and to stop further winding.
  • the watch is in operation while the rewind shaft is stopped, the barrel rotation drives the nut so that the latter moves along the rewind shaft in the opposite direction, disengages the stop member and permits rewinding again.
  • the actual position of the nut indicates the respective winding status of the main spring, and this position may be displayed, say, via a dial window.
  • the rewind shaft thread terminates a certain distance spaced from the stop member. If the rewind shaft has been already axially shifted, its thread will thereafter disengage from the control nut thread and prevent any further pressure from being exerted thereon, if the rewind pinion is manually rotated.
  • the drawing is a schematic section view through a watch movement, those parts which are not germane to the invention being omitted for clarity.
  • the rewind pinion 2 is in engagement with the blocking gear or wheel 1 and is operatively connected with the rewind wheel 3 via a one-way coupling mechanism.
  • the latter permits manual rewinding in that the pinion 2 is rotated while the rewind wheel 3 is blocked, because of its being in engagement with the rotor of the automatic rewind mechanism via a conventional reduction gear (not shown).
  • the oneway coupling operates such that the inclined nose 4 at arm 5 is urged downwardly against the bias of spring 6.
  • the automatic rewind mechanism which via wheel 21 and pinion 2 (the latter in engagement with rewind wheel 3) is connected to the coupling, the rewind wheel drives via nose 4, the arm 5 and the pinion 2.
  • Wheel 3 is rotatably journalled about rewind shaft 7.
  • the shaft 7 is provided with a thread and extends through control nut 8 having interiorly the mating thread while it is provided exteriorly with teeth engaging teeth 9 on the circumference of the main spring barrel [0. There is, however, no spring bias transmission to nut 8.
  • the number of teeth 9 on barrel 10 relates to that of nut 8 as the number of teeth of blocking wheel I to that of rewind pinion 2.
  • barrel l0 and blocking wheel 1 have the same number of teeth, and on the other hand, nut 8 and pinion 2 have the same number of teeth.
  • nut 8 is driven downwardly if rewind pinion 2 is rotated forwardly while the barrel is stopped, and if pinion 2 is stopped while the barrel 10 rotates under the bias of the main spring therein (not shown), nut 8 is driven upwardly (as seen in the drawing).
  • Thedimensions are chosen such that nut 8 is just in tough with pinion 2 with the main spring being completely-unwound.
  • nut 8 arrives atshaft bearing 11 prior to the main springs being completely rewound; this position is shown in the drawing. in further rewinding. torque acts upon shaft 7 and the latter tends to drive nut 8 further downwardly. Since the latter, however. is blocked against the bias of spring 6, wheel 3, however, remains in its axial position because its upward movement is prevented by sleeve 12.
  • a display member 13 scans the axial position of nut 8 which corresponds to the winding status of the main spring and the position of member 13 may be seen by the user through a window provided in the watch dial (not shown).
  • the barrel support is designed such that the barrel may be radially shifted after unscrewing of barrel screw 14 so to disassemble the barrel.
  • the barrel screw 14 has a long bolt 23 serving as a bearing form main spring shaft 15 and barrel 10, the bolt extending through shaft 15 into base plate 16.
  • the upper end of shaft 15 is journalled in a slot 18 which extends inwardly from the edge of bridge 17.
  • Rewind pinion 2 and a blocking cone (not shown) are mounted such that the barrel is urged into the bearing of its shaft by the resulting forces.
  • the automatic rewinding being controlled by the ratio of the gearing instead of a force and friction dependant coupling. proper operation of the automatic mechanism may be expected over a long service period.
  • a watch having an automatic rewind mechanism comprising a mainspring fixed at a mainspring shaft and housed in a mainspring barrel, said mainspring shaft having a toothed blocking gear in operative engagement with a toothed rewind pinion, the latter mounted on a rewind shaft and including a rotor oscillating upon movement of the watch, the oscillatory motion of said rotor being transmitted to said mainspring via said rewind pinion and blocking gear in order to wind said mainspring, the improvement comprising coupling means between said rotor and said rewind pinion which coupling means is automatically disengaged after the mainspring is wound to a predetermined extent in order to prevent overwinding, which coupling means comprises:
  • a rewind wheel rotatably journalled about the rewind shaft and disposed above and coaxial with the rewind pinion, said rewind wheel being in engagement with the rotor of the automatic rewind mechanism via reduction gear means;
  • the means by which rotary motion is imparted to the rewind pinion comprises a nose formed on the top surface of the rewind wheel and alaterally extending arm mounted on the rewind shaft and disposed above the rewind wheel. said arm engaging said nose whereby the oscillatory motion of the rotor is converted via the reduction'gear means to cause rotation of the rewind wheeL-the nose of the rewind wheel driving the arm which in turn causes rotation of the rewind pinion.
  • the improvement of claim 1 further including a display member for indicating the axial position of the nut on the rewind shaft, the relative position of the nut on the rewind shaft corresponding to the relative bias of the mainspring.
  • the improvement of claim 8 further including means for preventing upward movement of the rewind 6 10.
  • said means for preventing upward movement of said rewind wheel comprises a sleeve journalled about the upper end of wheel when the rewind shaft moves axially upward 5 the rewind Shaft against the bias of the spring.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Transmission Devices (AREA)
  • Measurement Of Predetermined Time Intervals (AREA)
US433527A 1973-01-20 1974-01-15 Automatic watch Expired - Lifetime US3878673A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE2302885A DE2302885C3 (de) 1973-01-20 1973-01-20 Automatikaufzug für die Zugfeder einer Kleinuhr

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3878673A true US3878673A (en) 1975-04-22

Family

ID=5869567

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US433527A Expired - Lifetime US3878673A (en) 1973-01-20 1974-01-15 Automatic watch

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US3878673A (de)
JP (1) JPS49106858A (de)
DE (1) DE2302885C3 (de)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6422739B1 (en) * 1998-04-17 2002-07-23 Seiko Epson Corporation Mainspring device, timepiece, and method of controlling the mainspring device and the timepiece
US20040145974A1 (en) * 2001-05-22 2004-07-29 Vincent Berard Operation level indicator device
US20140056113A1 (en) * 2012-08-23 2014-02-27 Audemars Piguet (Renaud Et Papi) Sa Timepiece movement with power reserve for extended operation
EP4379476A1 (de) * 2022-12-01 2024-06-05 Nivarox-FAR S.A. Entkuppelbare aufzugsvorrichtung, insbesondere für einen uhrzylinder, mit einer gleitaufzugssicherung

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP4619818B2 (ja) * 2005-02-22 2011-01-26 セイコーインスツル株式会社 パワーリザーブ表示機構及びこれを備えた機械式時計
US9345231B2 (en) 2013-11-26 2016-05-24 Vet Innovations, Llc Selective access control apparatus for animals using electronic recognition
EP4379475A1 (de) * 2022-12-01 2024-06-05 Nivarox-FAR S.A. Aufzugsvorrichtung, insbesondere für einen uhrzylinder, mit einer lösbaren aufzugssicherung

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2098737A (en) * 1931-07-08 1937-11-09 Bornfriend Louis Self-winding timepiece
US3010277A (en) * 1957-02-09 1961-11-28 Gruen Watch Mfg Co S A Self-winding watches

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2098737A (en) * 1931-07-08 1937-11-09 Bornfriend Louis Self-winding timepiece
US3010277A (en) * 1957-02-09 1961-11-28 Gruen Watch Mfg Co S A Self-winding watches

Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6422739B1 (en) * 1998-04-17 2002-07-23 Seiko Epson Corporation Mainspring device, timepiece, and method of controlling the mainspring device and the timepiece
US6439762B2 (en) * 1998-04-17 2002-08-27 Seiko Epson Corporation Mainspring device and a winding protection structure
US20040145974A1 (en) * 2001-05-22 2004-07-29 Vincent Berard Operation level indicator device
US6805482B2 (en) * 2001-05-22 2004-10-19 Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier Sa Operation level indicator device
US20140056113A1 (en) * 2012-08-23 2014-02-27 Audemars Piguet (Renaud Et Papi) Sa Timepiece movement with power reserve for extended operation
CN103631126A (zh) * 2012-08-23 2014-03-12 爱彼（雷诺和帕皮机芯厂）股份公司 具有用于延长运行的动力储备的计时器机芯
US8956042B2 (en) * 2012-08-23 2015-02-17 Audemars Piguet (Renaud Et Papi) Sa Timepiece movement with power reserve for extended operation
CN103631126B (zh) * 2012-08-23 2017-05-31 爱彼（雷诺和帕皮机芯厂）股份公司 具有用于延长运行的动力储备的计时器机芯
EP4379476A1 (de) * 2022-12-01 2024-06-05 Nivarox-FAR S.A. Entkuppelbare aufzugsvorrichtung, insbesondere für einen uhrzylinder, mit einer gleitaufzugssicherung

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE2302885A1 (de) 1974-08-01
DE2302885C3 (de) 1975-06-12
DE2302885B2 (de) 1974-11-07
JPS49106858A (de) 1974-10-09

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