US3878674A - Stepping mechanism for digital timepiece - Google Patents

Stepping mechanism for digital timepiece Download PDF

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Publication number
US3878674A
US3878674A US451124A US45112474A US3878674A US 3878674 A US3878674 A US 3878674A US 451124 A US451124 A US 451124A US 45112474 A US45112474 A US 45112474A US 3878674 A US3878674 A US 3878674A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
stepping
finger
teeth
series
drive element
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
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US451124A
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English (en)
Inventor
Kurt Muerrle
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.)
Pforzheimer Uhren Rohwerke Porta GmbH
PFORZHEIMER UHREN ROHWERKE RUDOLF WEHMER
Original Assignee
Pforzheimer Uhren Rohwerke Porta 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 Pforzheimer Uhren Rohwerke Porta GmbH filed Critical Pforzheimer Uhren Rohwerke Porta GmbH
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Publication of US3878674A publication Critical patent/US3878674A/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
    • G04B19/00—Indicating the time by visual means
    • G04B19/20—Indicating by numbered bands, drums, discs, or sheets
    • G04B19/202—Indicating by numbered bands, drums, discs, or sheets by means of turning discs
    • 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
    • G04B13/00—Gearwork
    • G04B13/002—Gearwork where rotation in one direction is changed into a stepping movement

Definitions

  • the mechanism comprises a stationary peripheral series of teeth a stepping finger. which is mounted to be rotatable and radially displaceable relative to said central drive element and engageable with said series of teeth and coupled to said digital indicating means for joint rotation.
  • a one-way coupling element which is eccentric with respect to and operatively connected to said central drive element to revolve around the same in a predetermined direction and arranged to repeatedly withdraw said stepping finger from said series of teeth after respective intervals of time, and spring means urging said stepping finger radially outwardly and in said predetermined direction of revolution. whereby said spring means are arranged to impart a rotation to said spring finger and digital indicating means in said predetermined direction of revolution when said stepping finger has thus been withdrawn and until said stepping finger reengages said series of teeth.
  • This invention relates to a stepping mechanism for timepieces having digital indicating means. particularly for the hour-indicating means of watches. which mechanism comprises a stepping finger. which cooperates with a series of teeth. The stepping mechanism may also be used for dateindicating means.
  • Such stepping mechanisms are known, inter alia. in watches. particularly wrist watches. which are provided with digital indicating means. ln these known mechanisms a rotating leaf spring imparts the hour step to an hour ring. For this function. the rotating leaf spring is stressed in engagement with a stop and when the spring has been sufficiently deflected it jumps over the stop to impart the step to the ring.
  • This hour-stepping mechanism is inaccurate because the stepping jump of the spring is influenced by toler ances in the spring length. spring material. and mounting. so that the hour step tends to vary. Whereas the indication of minutes and seconds is accurate to a second in modern precision movements. there is then an undesired inaccuracy as regards the time of the hour step. Besides. the spring mechanism gives rise to difficulties when the movement is set back because the reverse rotation may cause a breakage of the spring.
  • a stepping finger cooperating with a series of teeth.
  • oneway coupling element withdraws the stepping finger out of the series of teeth and the stepping finger then jumps forward under spring force by one tooth pitch and in this movement imparts a quick step by one unit preferably to the hour ring. This arrangement results in an accurate step and the movement may be set back without damage.
  • the stepping finger may have a fork which embraces the central drive element and may be hooked on one side as with a hook into the eccentric coupling element and on the other side bears with the extended fork prong on a preferably U-shaped spring.
  • the stepping finger and the spring are mounted on a rotatable disc.
  • the fork extends under a flange of the central drive element and the finger extends through a slot in a raised rim ofthe disc into engagement with the peripheral series of teeth, which consists of ratchet teeth.
  • the rotary disc is driven by reducer gears and carries a one-way coupling element for driving the stepping finger.
  • That portion of the stepping finger which extends through the rotary disc may have a step by which the stepping finger is held at the edge slot of the rotary disc in a partly extended position during a reverse rotation so that the stepping finger need not be retracted against spring force throughout the entire height of each tooth when the movement is set back.
  • each tooth of the peripheral series of teeth may be divided into tooth steps for partial stepping operations so that the indication of time in the hour window may be stepped forward by partial steps during an hour and a visual indication of part of the hour is given without need for an exact reading ofthe minute indication.
  • FIG. 1 is a transverse sectional view taken on line ll in FIG. 2 and showing a stepping mechanism.
  • FIGS. 2 and 3 are top plan views showing that stepping mechanism during the stepping jump and as the indicating mechanism is set back. respectively.
  • FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic elevation showing a step ping mechanism for imparting partial steps.
  • a watch movement I has a cannon 2. which carries a minute disc 3.
  • the cannon 2 carries also a rotary disc 8 provided with a stepping finger 9 for driving an hour ring 4. which is guided on a ring bearing Sand is covered on top by a dial 6.
  • the ring 4 covers ratchet teeth 7.
  • the rotary disc 8 is vertically located by a retaining plate [0. Motion is imparted from a cannon pinion 2a through a minute wheel H and a minute pinion lla to an hour wheel 12 and the rotary disc 8. as indicated by the line uu in FIG. 1.
  • the movement shown in FIG. 1 is arranged for a lZ-hour indication so that the tooth pitch and step angle are 30. ln case ofa 24- hour indication the angle is l5 per hour so that the tooth pitch is l50too. To enable a stepping ofthe hour ring 4, the latter has laterally bent lugs 13 which engage the stepping finger 9 on both sides.
  • the stepping finger 9 has a fork 14, which embraces the hub 15 of the rotary disc 8 so that the finger 9 is mounted to be rotatable and radially displaccable.
  • the finger 9 is provided on one side with a hook 17. which is hooked into an eccentric one-way coupling pin 16 on the rotary disc 8.
  • the finger 9 has an extended prong 18. which engages a U-shaped spring 19.
  • the finger 9 extends through a slot 20 in the raised rim of the rotary disc 8 and into engagement with the series of teeth 7. When the disc 8 rotates in the direction A.
  • the coupling pin 16 withdraws the stepping finger 9 from the series of teeth 7 in the direction B and after a rotation of 30 the finger jumps in the direction C into the position shown in dash-dot lines in FIG. 2 in engagement with the next following of the teeth 7.
  • the hour ring 4. which engages the finger 9 on both sides with lugs 13. is advanced by one tooth pitch so that the next hour is indicated.
  • the bight of the U-shaped spring 19 is located in a cut-out 21 in the rimg 22 of the rotary disc and one leg and of the spring extends under a radially inwardly extending top portion of the rim 22, as is apparent from the drawing. it is apparent that the U-shaped spring [9 can well be mounted. just as the stepping finger 9.
  • the stepping finger 9 has also a shoulder 23 and as is apparent from FIG. 3 said shoulder snaps into engagement with the rim 22 at the rim slot 20 moving in the direction E after a withdrawal of the finger in the direction F at the ratchet tooth 7 during a reverse rotation of the disc in the direction D. As the reverse rotation is continued. the finger 9 then need not be moved against the action of the spring 19 throughout the height ll of each tooth but only to er the height a of a tip portion of each tooth.
  • FIGv 4 shows an arrangement for imparting partial steps b.
  • the cannon 2. the rotary disc 8. the stepping finger 9 provided with the fork 14. the one-way coupling member 14 and the U-shaped spring 19 are only diagrammatically indicated. just as the teeth 7 engaged by the stepping finger 9. in this case each tooth 7 has steps b so that the stepping finger performs a plurality of smaller steps during an hour before the final hour step is performed.
  • the indicated hour. in this case the 7 on the hour ring 4. is advanced in the hour window 24 of the dial 6 during the progress of the hour. as is indicated in dash-dot lines. whereafter the final hour step is performed to expose the 8 on the hour ring.
  • a timepiece having a central drive element and digital indicating means. the provision of a stepping mechanism for advancing said digital indicating means. said mechanism comprising a stationary peripheral series of teeth.
  • a stepping finger which is mounted to be rotatable and radially displaceable relative to said central dri ⁇ e element and engageable with said series of teeth and coupled to said digital indicating means for joint rotation.
  • a one-way coupling element which is eccentric with respect to and operatively connected to said cen tral drive element to revolve around the same in a predetermined direction and arranged to repeatedly withdraw said stepping finger from said series of teeth after respective intervals of time.
  • said spring means are arranged to impart a rotation to said stepping figure and digital indicating means in said predetermined direction of revolution when said stepping finger has thus been withdrawn and until said stepping finger reengages said series of teeth.
  • a stepping mechanism as set forth in claim I. which is incorporated in a watch in which said digital indicating means consists of hour-indicating means.
  • said fork has on one side of said finger an extended prong which bears on said spring means and said stepping finger has on its other side a hook which embraces said coupling element.
  • said spring is mounted on said disc.
  • said fork embraces said central drive element under said radial flange.
  • said stepping finger extends through said slot into engagement with said series of teeth.
  • said spring means comprises a U-shaped spring having a bight which is located in said cut-out and a leg end which engages said top portion from below.
  • a stepping mechanism as set forth in claim 5. in which said rotary disc is mounted for rotation around said central drive element and a retaining plate is provided. which interengages with said rotary disc to axially locate the same.
  • a stepping mechanism as set forth in claim 5. in which said stepping finger is formed with a step adjacent to said rim and said step is adapted to engage said rim and limit the radially outward movement of said stepping finger during a rotation of said finger opposite to the direction of rotation of said coupling element.
  • each of said teeth is provided with a plurality of steps which are engageable by said finger to permit of a stepping of said digital indicating means by increments corresponding to part of a unit of time represented by a digit.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromechanical Clocks (AREA)
  • Measurement Of Unknown Time Intervals (AREA)
US451124A 1973-03-22 1974-03-14 Stepping mechanism for digital timepiece Expired - Lifetime US3878674A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE2314249A DE2314249C3 (de) 1973-03-22 1973-03-22 Schrittschaltvorrichtung für Uhrwerke mit Digitalanzeige

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3878674A true US3878674A (en) 1975-04-22

Family

ID=5875528

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US451124A Expired - Lifetime US3878674A (en) 1973-03-22 1974-03-14 Stepping mechanism for digital timepiece

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (1) US3878674A (enrdf_load_html_response)
CH (2) CH581856B5 (enrdf_load_html_response)
DE (1) DE2314249C3 (enrdf_load_html_response)
FR (1) FR2222683B1 (enrdf_load_html_response)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4050233A (en) * 1975-09-27 1977-09-27 Pforzheimer Uhren-Rohwerke Rudolf Wehner Stepping mechanism for watches
US4063411A (en) * 1975-11-06 1977-12-20 Pforzheimer Uhren-Rohwerke Rudolf Wehner Stepping mechanism

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1921832A (en) * 1931-08-07 1933-08-08 Herman I Marmorstein Watch or clock movement
US2579166A (en) * 1944-11-22 1951-12-18 Casco Products Corp Electric alarm clock
US3703805A (en) * 1970-03-11 1972-11-28 Junghans Gmbh Geb Electric timepiece with date dial
US3738097A (en) * 1971-07-12 1973-06-12 Omega Brandt & Freres Sa Louis Mechanism for driving and correcting a data disc in a day-date timepiece

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1921832A (en) * 1931-08-07 1933-08-08 Herman I Marmorstein Watch or clock movement
US2579166A (en) * 1944-11-22 1951-12-18 Casco Products Corp Electric alarm clock
US3703805A (en) * 1970-03-11 1972-11-28 Junghans Gmbh Geb Electric timepiece with date dial
US3738097A (en) * 1971-07-12 1973-06-12 Omega Brandt & Freres Sa Louis Mechanism for driving and correcting a data disc in a day-date timepiece

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4050233A (en) * 1975-09-27 1977-09-27 Pforzheimer Uhren-Rohwerke Rudolf Wehner Stepping mechanism for watches
US4063411A (en) * 1975-11-06 1977-12-20 Pforzheimer Uhren-Rohwerke Rudolf Wehner Stepping mechanism

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE2314249C3 (de) 1975-09-25
DE2314249B1 (de) 1975-02-13
FR2222683A1 (enrdf_load_html_response) 1974-10-18
CH260574A4 (enrdf_load_html_response) 1976-04-30
DE2314249A1 (de) 1974-10-10
CH581856B5 (enrdf_load_html_response) 1976-11-15
FR2222683B1 (enrdf_load_html_response) 1978-03-31

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