US3908352A - Bell tone apparatus for a clock - Google Patents

Bell tone apparatus for a clock Download PDF

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Publication number
US3908352A
US3908352A US474636A US47463674A US3908352A US 3908352 A US3908352 A US 3908352A US 474636 A US474636 A US 474636A US 47463674 A US47463674 A US 47463674A US 3908352 A US3908352 A US 3908352A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
bell
shaft
clock
hammer
cam
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
US474636A
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English (en)
Inventor
Albrecht Haag
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.)
Kienzle Uhrenfabriken GmbH
Original Assignee
Kienzle Uhrenfabriken GmbH
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Publication date
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Publication of US3908352A publication Critical patent/US3908352A/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
    • G04B21/00—Indicating the time by acoustic means
    • G04B21/005—Periodical acoustic signalling arrangements

Definitions

  • the apparatus comprises a bell mounted on the clock housing, a hammer supported by a spring adjacent the bell, and a cam mounted on the shaft for rotation with the shaft, the cam being located at a position adjacent the hammer to engage the hammer and move it progressively away from the bell as the shaft rotates.
  • the cam is shaped to release the hammer from engagement therewith at a predetermined angular position of the rotating shaft whereby the released hammer is impelled by the spring back toward the bell to strike the bell and thereby provide an audible tone.
  • the present invention relates to a bell tone apparatus for a clock, of the type employing a hammer or striker disclosed adjacent the bell and operative to be actuated at periodic time intervals by the clockwork mechanism to provide an audible tone which announces the elapse of each such time interval.
  • Bell tone mechanisms of the general type described are already known and customarily comprise a separate mechanism which employs its own driving spring and which operates independently of the main clockwork mechanism.
  • an actuating wheel is customarily provided which is released by the main clockwork mechanism at periodic time intervals to turn, under the influence of the separate driving spring, so as to actuate the hammer and cause the hammer to strike the bell.
  • the actuating wheel can be released every minutes, or every 30 minutes, or on the hour to cause the bell to provide an audible tone at the selected time interval.
  • These known arrangements are, in general, comparatively complex and expensive, and, moreover, are usually so designed that they constitute an integral portion of the main clockwork mechanism.
  • the present invention relates to a bell tone apparatus which is far simpler in construction, and less expensive, than bell tone apparatuses ofthe type described above, and which, moreover, can be readily attached to a preexisting clockwork mechanism to provide that preexisting clock with a bell tone sounding capability.
  • a selfcontained bell tone apparatus which can be readily attached, as an additional component, to a standard clockwork mechanism to cause the clockwork mechanism to actuate the added bell tone apparatus at periodic intervals during operation of the clock thereby to provide an audible tone at a desired time interval.
  • the bell tone apparatus comprises a bell which is associated with a mounting structure for attaching the bell, usually by snap connection, to a portion of the clock housing.
  • a hammer is supported for movement adjacent the bell.
  • a cam is attached to a rotating shaft in the clockwork mechanism, which turns continuously in unison with the hands of the clock, e.g.
  • the cam may be attached to the shaft which is provided for manually regulating the positions of the clock hands, for engaging the hammer to move it progressively away from the bell as the main clockwork operates, and to release the vhammer at each selected periodic time interval so as to cause the released hammer to bounce back toward the bell and strike it.
  • the hammer is so mounted that, after it has been moved away from the bell and then released by the aforementioned cam,
  • the hammer bounces back toward its neutral or starting position under the influence of gravitational forces.
  • the hammer can be supported on the 'bell mounting apparatus by a leaf spring which is back toward the bell to strike the bell when the hammer is released from engagement with the cam.
  • the cam and/or the hands of the clock can be arranged for angular adjustment relative to one another, so that, after the bell tone mechanism of the present invention has been attached to the clock housing, the resultant composite mechanism can be readily adjusted to provide the desired audible tone at predetermined, precise time intervals.
  • FIG. 1 is a side view, in partial section, of a bell tone apparatus constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 3 shows an adjustable clock hand arrangement which may be employed in conjunction with the bell tone apparatus of the present invention.
  • FIG. 4 is a detail of a coupling plate which may be employed in the arrangement of FIG. 3.
  • the bell tone apparatus of the present invention comprises a bell 4 which is supported by a mounting structure 3 having a resilient clamping structure 2 comprising a pair of spaced arms adapted to snap over and engage complementarily shaped support portions of the clock housing 1.
  • Clamp 2 may be fabricated of any appropriate resilient material, e.g. metal or plastic, and, when attached to the clock housing 1, supports the bell 4 at a position adjacent to but spaced from said clock housing.
  • the mounting structure further includes a leaf spring 5 which is attached at one end to bell mount 3 and which supports, at its other end, a hammer 6 at a position adjacent bell 4.
  • the hammer 6 is provided, moreover, with a free end which protrudes beyond the bell 4 to a position adjacent a cam 7 which is mounted on a shaft 8 associated with the main clockwork mechanism, and which operates, in a manner to be described hereinafter, to periodically actuate hammer 6 so as to cause it to strike bell 4.
  • shaft 8 constitutes a manually rotatable shaft which is provided to regulate the position of the clock hands.
  • shaft 8 is connected by a beveled gear 14 to the minute hand shaft 15 of the clock.
  • shaft 8 will similarly be caused to rotate in unison with the clock hands.
  • some clockworks are designed in such a manner that a separate shaft 8, for manually regulating the hands of the clock, is omitted and, instead, a manual adjustment knob is attached directly to the outermost end of minute hand shaft 15.
  • the cam 7 is mounted directly on the minute hand shaft 15 so as to rotate with shaft 15.
  • Cam 7 includes an inclined ramp surface which commences at a relatively narrow edge 16 located below the free end of hammer 6, and which extends therefrom in an inclined circular arc to ramp edge 17.
  • the angular distance between edges 16 and 17 of cam 7 is less than 360 whereby, after the free end of hammer 6 has been engaged by edge 16 of the cam during rotation of cam 7 and shaft 8, the free end of hammer 6 will remain in engagement with the inclined ramp surfa'ce of cam 7 until it reaches cam edge 17, at which time the free end of hammer 6 is released.
  • the shaft 8 provided for manual regulation of the hands of the clock, turns in the direction shown by the arrow in FIG. 2.
  • the comparatively narrow edge 16 of cam 7 moves under the free end of hammer 6 to cause the free end of the hammer to engage the inclined ramp surface of cam 7.
  • the inclination of the cam ramp surface causes the free end of hammer 6 to be moved progressively away from bell 4, thereby placing leaf spring 5 under progressively increasing tension, and causing the spring 5 to be bent increasingly outwardly.
  • shaft 8 completes a single revolution every hour so that ham mer 6 is released to provide an audible tone every hour on the hour. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art, however, that by appropriate design, e.g. by appropriate selection of gears 14 and/or the shape of cam 7, the bell tone apparatus can be caused to sound every 30 minutes, or even every 15 minutes.
  • the cam 7 is preferably made angularly adjustable relative to shaft 8.
  • the clock hands may then be regulated so that they indicate a full hour, whereafter cam 7 is rotated about its associated shaft (e.g. shaft 8) until the hammer just drops from the end 17 of the cam, and the cam is then locked to the shaft at the position so found, e.g. by a set screw.
  • FIGS. 3 and 4 show an alternative adjustment arrangement which can be provided to assure that the bell tone apparatus of the present invention sounds at a desired precise time interval.
  • the hour hand shaft of the clock takes the form of a sleeve 18 upon which the hour hand 19 is adjustably mounted, and the minute hand shaft 15 extends through sleeve 18 to support an adjustable minute hand 12 adjacent its forward most end 20.
  • the end 20 of the minute hand shaft 15 is threaded, and is provided with a profile which corresponds to that of the hole 11 (see FIG. 4) of a coupling plate 9 which is slipped over the end 20 of shaft 15, i.e. coupling plate 9 will rotate with shaft 15.
  • the coupling plate 9 is provided with a plurality of outwardly protruding, sharp-edged projections 10 which engage the rear surface of minute hand 12.
  • Minute hand 12 in turn is provided with a circular opening through which the end 20 of shaft 15 extends.
  • minute hand 12 can be angularly adjusted relative to shaft 15 until a desired position is reached, at whichtime minute hand 12 is locked into place by screwing a nut 13 onto the threaded end 20 of shaft 15 to force the minute hand 12 into engagement with projections 10 thereby to lock minute hand 12 to shaft 15.
  • the hour hand 19 is pressed-fit onto hour hand shaft 18 so that it too can be moved relative to the hour hand shaft 18 for purposes of adjustment if desired.
  • the rotatable shaft 15 is turned until a bell tone occurs.
  • the clock hands 12 (and 19 if necessary) are adjusted relative to the corresponding shafts and relative to the clock face to indicate a full hour, whereafter the clock hands are locked into place.
  • a bell tone apparatus for attachment to a clock housing and adapted to be actuated at periodic intervals during the operation of the clock to provide an audible tone, the clock having at least one shaft which rotates in unison with the hands of the clock and having a portion which is accessible from the exterior of said housing, said apparatus comprising a bell, mounting means for attaching said bell to said clock housing, a hammer supported by said bell mounting means for movement adjacent said bell, a cam mounted on said accessible portion of said shaft for rotation with said shaft, said cam being located at a position adjacent said hammer for engaging said hammer to move said hammer progressively away from said bell as said shaft rotates, said cam being shaped to release said hammer from engagement therewith at a predetermined angular position of said rotating shaft whereby said released hammer is impelled back toward said bell to strike said bell and thereby provide an audible tone when said rotating shaft reaches said predetermined angular position.
  • said bell mounting means comprises attachment means for removably attaching said bell and its associated spring-supported hammer to the housing of the clock.
  • attachment means includes resilient means for snap connecting said apparatus to the housing of the clock.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromechanical Clocks (AREA)
  • Measurement Of Predetermined Time Intervals (AREA)
US474636A 1973-12-18 1974-05-30 Bell tone apparatus for a clock Expired - Lifetime US3908352A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE7344754 1973-12-18

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3908352A true US3908352A (en) 1975-09-30

Family

ID=6641760

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US474636A Expired - Lifetime US3908352A (en) 1973-12-18 1974-05-30 Bell tone apparatus for a clock

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (1) US3908352A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
JP (1) JPS5093676A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE7344754U (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1465778A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5314571U (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) * 1976-07-19 1978-02-07
DE3329586A1 (de) * 1983-08-16 1985-03-07 Peter-Uhren Gmbh, 7210 Rottweil Weckuhr

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US240013A (en) * 1881-04-12 Clock-striking mechanism
US330896A (en) * 1885-11-24 Andbeas gulbbandsen hoyde
US644757A (en) * 1898-03-09 1900-03-06 Elijah C Barton Clock-case.
US3951110A (en) * 1974-12-06 1976-04-20 Chappellier Robert A Rotary engine arrangement

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US240013A (en) * 1881-04-12 Clock-striking mechanism
US330896A (en) * 1885-11-24 Andbeas gulbbandsen hoyde
US644757A (en) * 1898-03-09 1900-03-06 Elijah C Barton Clock-case.
US3951110A (en) * 1974-12-06 1976-04-20 Chappellier Robert A Rotary engine arrangement

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE7344754U (de) 1974-03-28
GB1465778A (en) 1977-03-02
JPS5093676A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1975-07-25

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