US399647A - Peters - Google Patents

Description

4 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. BANNATYNE.

(ModeL) REPEAIING CLOCK.

Patented Mar. 19, 1889.

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4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

ALBANNA-TYNE.

REPEATING CLOCK.

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4 Sheets-Sheet 3 (ModeL) A. BANNATYNE.

REPEATING CLOUK No. 399,647. Patented Mar. 19, 1889.

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A. BANNATYNE.

REPEATING 011001;. No. 399,647. Patented Mar. 19, 1889.

WHY/Ants :Ylonmatam-J UNITED STATES THE \VATERBURY CLOCK COMP kNY, OF SAME PLZ; "E.

REPEATENG=CLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 399,647, dated March 19, 1889. Application filed December 21, 1887. Serial No. 258,591. (Model-l To aZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ARCHIBALD BANNA- TYNE, residing at lVaterbur-y, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clocks; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in striking-clocks, the object being to produce a clock of simple and reliable striking action and including repeating and chiming mechanisms novel of construction and effect, and giving the clock additional value as a timepiece.

lVit-h these ends in view my invention consists in certain details of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafterdescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view, in front elevation, of a clock embodying my invention,the clock-case being represented in section to show the push-rod of the repeating mechanism and the bells and bellhammers. Fig. 2 is a broken view of the clock, in vertical longitudinal section, showing the rear frame-plate of the movement, the chimingcam, the chiming-lever, the hammer-wheel, the bell-hammers, and the bells. Fig. 3 is a broken view, in vertical transverse section, showing the front and rear frame-plates, the center arbor, and the several parts attached to such arbor. Fig. t is a detached view, in front elevation, of the hour-wheel, the hour star-wheel, the snail, and the pin employed for coupling such parts together. Fig. 5 is a broken view, partly in section and partly in elevation, taken on the line a b of Fig. 3,100]:- ing in the direction of the arrows c c on that figure, and showing the center arbor, the striking-cam, the operating-lever, and the beveled finger of the spring-arm of such. lever in engagement with the said cam. Fig. 6 is a detached view, in elevation, of the operatinglever with its spring-arm attached. Fig. 7 is a detached view, in end elevation, of the triotion-pinion, showing its extended and split sleeve. Fig. 8 is a reverse view, in elevation, of the spring which completes the hourly l l l movement of the hour star-wheel and snail. Fig. 9 is a detached view, in inside elevation, of the chiming-lever, the hammer-wire connected therewith, and the bell-hammer carried by such hammer-wire. Fig. 10 is a detached view, in side elevation, showing the silent hook in its relation to the rack, the silent stop in its relation to the striketrain, the staff by which such hook and stop are carried, and the button and the indicating-linger attached to the rear end of the stall for operating the same. Fig. 11 is a detached edge view of the snail and hour star-wheel, showing the beveled linger of the flexible rack-arm engaged with the lower step of the snail. Fig. 12 is a detached perspective view of the locking-arm, and Fig.13 is a detached view showing how the spring-ar1n of the operating-lever is retired when the striking-cam is rotated in turning back the hands of the clock.

My improved clock has a front frame-plate, A, and a rear frai'ne-plate, B. its time mechanism and its striking mechanism are operated by a single spring inclosed in a box, 0, indicated by broken lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The general construction and arrangement of the time-train and the strike-train being old, these features have not been particularly illustrated, nor will they be particularly described. l

A push-rod, D, mounted in the top of the clock-case E, provided at its upper end with a push-button, F, restored to and normally sustained in its elevated position by a spring, G, encircling it and inclosed in the clock-case, is provided for liberating the repeating mechanism and incidentally the chiming mechanism. The lower end of this red engages with a step, ll, formed at the upper end of a repeating-lever, I, pivoted to the front frameplate, A, and engaging at its lower end with the bent upper end of the lifting-arm J, which is made integral with the operating-lever K, 5 the outer end of which is provided with a finger, L, and stop-arm M, as shown. A springarm, X, secured to the said operating-lever, is provided at its free end with a beveled finger, O, which projects through a slot, P, in IOO such arm and through an opening, Q, in the frame-plate A into position. for engagement by the two fingers of the striking-cam R, which is rigidly secured to the center arbor, S, of the clock. Normally the cam rotates in the direction of the arrow 01 and engages with the finger O, lifting the said operating-lever, so as to release the strike-train. In turning the hands of the clock back, however, the fingers of the said cam are engaged with the beveled face of the said finger O and force the same out of the way, the spring-arm yielding thereto, whereby the hands may be turned back without injury to the clock. The rack T is of ordinaryconstruction, and has rigidly secured to it a flexible rack-tail, U, provided at its outer end with a fingerbeveled on an outward incline, engaging with the edges of the snail V, which is located upon the center arbor, S, together with the hour star-wheel WV, which is rigidly connected with the snail. By making the said rack-tail flexible and beveling its finger it is adapted to be pushed one side by the snail when the same is being advanced with the finger engaged with its great step X. By locating the snail and the hour star-wheel upon the center arbor economy of space is secured and also economy of material and labor, as fewer parts are required. This construction also enables a better rack arrangement to be had and secures a more direct and hence better action thereof. The snail and hour star-wheel, which are rigidly secured together, as aforesaid, are prevented from being moved out of their proper relation with the hour-wheel Y by coupling the said hour star-wheel with the hour-wheel, which moves both the snail and the hour star-wheel every hour by means of a pin, Z, located in the hour-wheel and projecting between the teeth of the hour star-wheel, betweenwhich it has suffieient range of movement to permit the hour-wheel to move forward during the hour independent of the hour star-wheel, except during a portion of the latter part of the hour, when the said pin engages with that tooth of the hour star-wheel which is immediately ahead of it, and so carries such wheel and the snail forward. By coupling the hour starwheel and the snail with the hour-wheel, as described, the time-train and the strike-train are virtually coupled, whereby'any movement of the pointers of the clock will not throw the two trains out of harmony of action. Under my construction, therefore, the proper relations between the time and strike mechanisms are always maintained and the clock always strikes right or in correspondence with the hour. The hour star-wheel and the snail being positively actuated once an hour by the hour-wheel, as described, their hourly movement is completed by a spring, A, secured to the front plate of the clock and bent at its upper end to form a nose, l3, entering between the teeth of the hour star-wheel, which, under the action of the hour-wheel, pushes it aside. Then as soon as that tooth of the hour star-wheel which is in engagement with the said nose passes the point C of the same the spring flies back, and through the action of the beveled lower face of the nose on the tooth referred to rotates the hour star-wheel and the snail and leaves the pin, and hence the hour-wheel, free. A lip, D, formed upon the outer edge of the spring, is provided for holding the hour star-wheel and the snail in place upon the socket of the hour-wheel. This it does by lapping over onto the outer face of the hour star-wheel, whereby the sameis prevented from moving forward on the center arbor.

The finger L of the operating-lever K engages with the beveled nose E of the pivotal spring-actuated locking-arm F, which is provided with the usual locking-pin, G, for engagement with the rack T. The said lockingarm is bent inward at its upper end to form a stop, H, which projects through an opening, 1, formed in the frame-plate A, in position for engagement with a stop-pin, J, carried by the fourth strike-wheel, K, as shown. The said pin J is also engaged by the stoparm 11, located at the forward end of the opcrating-lever K, so that when the said lever is operated to lift the locking-arm F and disengage the stop H thereof from the stoppin J its stop-arm M is also lifted into range with the said pin, which engages with it, and thereby holds the strike-train until the operatinglever is permitted to drop back by the removal of pressure from the push-button F. The gathering-pin L is carried by a gathering-hub, M, secured to the forward end of the arbor N of the third strike-wheel, O,which is indicated by broken lines in'Fig. 1 of the drawings. This pin and hub are of ordinary construction.

A ham mer-wheel, P, mounted on the arbor Q of the second strike-wheel, R, also indicated by broken lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings, has its slanting teeth engaged by the bent upper end of the hammer-tail S, the same being secured to the arbor T, carrying the hammer-wire U, upon which the hammer V is mounted. The said hammer is arranged for impact upon the bell TV, secured to and within the base of the clock-frame. The hammer thus described is the ordinary striking-hammer of a clock. \Vithin the said bell \V is located the chiming-bell X, of different tone from the bell TV, and struck by a bell-hammer, Y, carried by a hammer-wire, Z, attached to a hub, A pivoted to the frameplate B, and having secured to it a twoarmed chiming-lever, B the arm 0 whereof is pro vided with a finger, D for engagement by the teeth of the hammenwheel P, and with a guard, E extending between such wheel and the said frame-plate B, and preventing the said finger from being displaced with respect to the teeth of the said wheel. The arm F of the said chiming-lever B is arranged for engagement by a chiming-cam, G rigidly secured to the center arbor, S, of the clock at a point just within the frameplate B, rotating in the direction of the arrow 8, (shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings,) and located upon the said arbor so as to release the arm F just before the expiration of the halfhour and re-engage it again just before the beginning of the hour. A spring, H connected with the wire Z aforesaid, exerts a constant tendency to throw the arms of the chiming-lever toward the hammer-wheel and the chiming-cam. Directly in front of the said chiming-cam is located the first time-wheel, P, which is secured to a friction-pinion, J mounted upon the center arbor, S, and provided with an extended sleeve, K split to grip the arbor and coupling the pinion therewith under a friction sufficient to carry the time-train, but permitting the arbor to be turned freely within it through the knurled button L at the rear end thereof.

A silent hook or detent, M and a silent stop or detent, N are, as herein shown, made from a single piece of metal and mounted upon the projecting forward end of a staff, 0' the same being mounted in the frame-plates A and B, and projecting also through the latter and provided upon its projecting rear end with an operating-button, P by which it is manually turned to bring into action or retire the said detent and stop, and with an indicatingfinger, Q, to show how the staff. is to be turned to secure the results specified. The said silent hook is arranged to engage with the rack T, and prevents the same from dropping when released by the action of the striking-cam B. On the other hand, the silent stop is arranged to be engaged by the stop-pin J of the fourth strike-wheel, K, whereby the strike-train is stopped soon after it is released by the disengagement of the stop II from such pin through the action of the strikingcam R.

Under my improved construction the clock strikes the hours upon the bell \Y and repeats thereupon during the first half of the next succeeding hour by manual pressure upon the push-button I the chiming-cam Gr meanwhile holding the arm C and finger D of the chiming-lever B out of range of the hammer-wheel P. Just before the half-hour is reached, however, the chiming-cam releases the chiming-lever, leaving it free. to be actu ated by the haimner-wheel. Then when the first half of the hour is completed and the strike-train is released by the striking-cam the halfhour will be chimed by a single stroke of the bell-hammer V upon the bell IV, followed by a single stroke of the hammer Y upon the bell X. The chiming lever B is now left free for actuation by the hammerwheel until just before the last half of the hour is completed, so that during this last half-hour or until it is just about to close the clock will repeat the hour by chiming it upon both bells. Then just before the end of the hour the chimingcam re-engages with the arm F of the chiming-lever B and lifts the finger D of the arm C thereof out of range of the hammer-wheel P, whereby the hour is struck by the hammer Y alone. By changing the character of the repeating-tone on the half-hour the first and the last half of the hour are indicated and made readily distinguishable each from the other.

It will be noted, also, that under my invention both the time and strike mechanisms are operated from and by a single spring, whereby economy of space and gearing is secured, with the additional advantage of winding both sides of the clock by a single arbor.

It will be noted, furthermore, that by employing a rack and snail in conjunction with a time-train and a striketrain operated by a single spring, the two trains are at all times preserved in their proper relations and the striking is always correct, and this because the snail is uniformly operated by the hourwheel, whereas in clocks having a time-train and a strike-train operated by the same spring, and a count-wheel or a locking-plate, the time and strike sides are often thrown out of harmony by the stopping of the clock. \Yhen the time and strike sides of the clock are so thrown out, harmony between them can only be restored by removing and shifting the hands or by striking the clock round to conform the strike side to the time side. The objections above referred to are overcome by employing, in combination with a single spring, a rack and snail in place of a countwheel or a locking-plate.

I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exact construction shown and described, but hold myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

llaying fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a repeating-clock, the combination, with a spring-actuated push-rod mounted in the top of the clock-case, of a repeating-lever pivoted to the front frame-plate and engaged by the said rod and a lifting-arm engaged by the said repeating-lever and made in the same piece with theoperating-lever of a rack, and snail repeating mechanism, substantially as set forth.

2. In a striking-clock, the combination, with an hour-wheel, of an hour star-wheel and a snail rigidly secured together and coupled with the hourwheel, substantially as set forth.

In a striking-clock, the combination, with the hour-wheel thereof, of a snail and an hour star wheel rigidly secured together and mounted upon the same arbor as the hourwheel, substantially as set forth.

4:. In a striking-clock, the combination, with the hour-wheel thereof, of a snail and an hour star wheel rigidly secured together and mounted upon the same center as the hourwheel and coupled therewith, substantially as set forth.

5. In a striking-clock, the combination, with the hour-wheel thereof, of a snail and an hour star wheel rigidly secured together and mounted upon the same center therewith, and a pin carried by the hour-wheel and extending between the teeth of the hour star-wheel, whereby the said wheel and the snail are coupled with the hour-wheel, substantially as set forth.

6. In a striking-clock, the combination, with a time-train, of a strike-train, a single spring operating both trains, and rack and snail striking mechanism, the snail and the hour star-wheel being mounted on the same center as and coupled with the hour-wheel of the timetrain, substantially as set forth.

7. In a striking-clock, the combination, with the hourwheel thereof, of an hour star-wheel and a snail rigidly secured together and coupled with the hour-wheel and hourly actuated thereby, and a spring applied to the hour star-wheel and completing its hourly movement and that of the snail, substantially as set forth.

8. In a striking-clock, the combination, with a snail and an hour star-wheel rigidly secured together, of a spring entering between the teeth of the hour star-whee1 and provided with a lip for engaging with the face of the same and holding the snail and wheel in place upon their center, substantially as set forth.

9. In a chiming-clock, the combination, with a time-train, of a strike-train, a striking-hammer actuated by the strike-train, a chiminghammer also actuated by the strike-train, and an independent chiming-cam driven by the time-train and operating to cut in and cutout the chiming-hammer, substantially as set forth.

10. In a clock, the combination, with a strike-train, of a time-train, a striking-cam actuated by the time-train and releasing the strike-train, a striking-hammer, a chiminghammer, a hammer-wheel driven by the striketrain and operating first one hammer an d then the other, and a chiming-cam actuated by the time-train and cutting out the chiminghammer from the hammer-wheel and releasing it for operation thereby, substantially as set forth.

11. In a chiming-clock, the combination, with a strike-train, of a time-train which releases the striking-train, a striking-hammer,

and a chiming-hammer actuated by the striketrain, and an independent chiming-cam located upon the center arbor of the clock and rotating therewith and operating to release the chiming-hammer for operation by the strike-train and to cut it out, so that it will not be operated thereby, substantially as set forth.

12. In a chiming-clock, the combination, with a time-train, of repeating mechanism, a striking-hammer and a chiming-hammer actuated by the strike-train, and a chiming-cam driven by the time-train and constructed to periodically release the chiming-hammer, so that for a part of the time it will follow the striking-hammer in repeating the hour, substantially as set forth.

13. In a clock, the combination, with a repeating mechanism, of a chiming mechanism including a chiming-cam automatically operated by the time-train and arranged to bring the chime into play in signaling the half-hour and thereafter in repeating until the conclusion of the hour, substantially as set forth.

14. In a clock, the combination, with a timetrain and a strike-train, of a chiming-cam driven by the time-train, a hammer-wheel operated by the strike-train, and a spring-actuated two-armed chiming-lever engaged by the said cam and wheel and carrying a bellhammer, substantially as set forth.

15. In a clock, a friction-pinion mounted upon the centerarbor and havingan extended sleeve, which is split and grips the arbor, substantially as set forth.

16. In a striking-clock, the combination, with a strike-train, of a striking mechanism having a rack, a pin carried by one of the wheels of such train, a rotatable staff, and two detents carried by such staff and respectively arranged to be engaged with the toothed edge of the rack and the pin, whereby the said rack and pin are each directly held, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AROHIBALD BANNATYNE.

WVitnesses:

IRVING H. PEASE, C. H. HALL.

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