US400734A - Time-piece dial - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

0. BIGKPORD. TIME PIECE DIAL.

No. 400,734. Patented Apr. 2, 1889..

W EE E |N\/ENTEIF|.

WWW?- 5 UNITED STATES PATENT Ornicni CHARLES BICKFORD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TIME-PIECE DIAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,734, dated April 2, 1889.

Application filed July 19, 1888.

To to whom it may OOH/0877b:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES BICKFORD, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have in vented certain new and useful Improvementsin Time-Pieces, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide improved means whereby letters, figures, or symbols of a time-piece denoting the hours from one to twenty-four in each day may be shown in the twelve divisions of a time-piece usually allotted to showing the hours from one to twelve, and also to provide a twentyfour-hour time-piece which, though showing twenty-four hours within the twelve spaces usually allotted to twelve hours, yet may be readily illuminated, as is often desirable in tower-clocks and other time-pieces where the public weal requires that the time be shown in the night.

The invention consists of new an d improved mechanism whereby figures denoting the hours from one to twenty-four may be shown in a circle of twelve divisions, either through twelve openings in the dial or on twelve double figure-plates in front of the dial or on twelve single figure'plates carrying figures which represent twelve of the twenty-four hours, while the other twelve are shown on the face of the dial-plate through a glass or other transparent dial, which may be illuminated, or without any other dial than a narrow ring, on which the minutes may be shown.

The invention also consists, in combination with the mechanism of a time-piece, of a series of figure-platessingle or double, as may be requiredarranged con centrically with the houravheel of the time-piece and at or near the periphery of the dial, each figure-plate being so constructed as to swing freely on its axis in a plane parallel with the dial, said axis being outside of the space on the figure-plate which may be required for figures.

The invention consists, further, of a series of radial levers pivoted to swing in a plane parallel with the dial and behind the same, the outer end of each lever having a fork which connects it with the figure-plate by an eccentric-pin in the hub of the figureplate; or, if a double figure-plate is employed, the

Serial No. 280,425. (No modeLl outer end of the lever may be provided with two or more cog-teeth, which may be made to intersect corresponding teeth on the flange or hub of the figure-plate, while the inner end of the radial lever is connected with a cog wheel or pinion by an eccentric-pin on the face of the wheel, said eccentric-pin working in a slot in the inner end of the radial lever, the above-mentioned cog wheel or pinion being operated by a segment of a gear attached to the hour-wheel thimble, which segment engages each cog-wheel at the proper time and turns it half-way round, the wheel, by reason of its eccentric-pin, giving the lever its lateral motion and operating the figure-plate. The next half-turn of the cog-wheel reverses the motion of the lever and moves the figure-plate back again.

The invention consists, furthermore, in a ring or shield which covers the figure-plates when they are not in their operative positions, and this ring or shield may bear on its face the marks and figures which divide the hours into minutes, all of which I will now proceed to describe.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents the face of the dial on which the single tigure-plates are employed, one series of ordinals being shown 011 the face of the dial. The ring, which covers the figure-plates when they are not required, is broken at 11-23 and 1224 to show the position and action of the figure-plates. Fig. 4 is a section with the ring broken, showing the double figure-plate bearing one of each series of ordinals. Fig. 5 represents the face of a dial with twelve openings, through which the ordinals on the figure-plates are presented to the eye, one of the double figure-plates being shown as partially turned from 16 to a. Fig. 2 is a section showing the edge of the lever and its connection at one end with the cog-wheel and at the other with the flange or hub of the figure-plate, also the ring in section supported by posts from the dial-plate at convenient points, which will not interfere with the action of the figure-plates. This ring may, if desired, be supported by the case of the time-piece. Fig.

3 is a back view of a section, showing the back of the figure-plate, the lever, the cogwheel, and the segment by which they are operated. Fig. 6 represents a modification.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, a represents a dial or plate at the front of the mechanism of a time-piece. Said plate may subserve the usual function of a dial by having figures marked or inscribed directly upon it or not, as hereinafter described. As here shown, said plate constitutes the support for the laterallyswinging figure-plates b and for the devices which communicate motion to said plates from the gearsegment c, which is attached to and revolved by the usual hour-wheel thimble, cl, of the time-piece.

I will first describe my invention as carried out in connection with a dial having permanently inscribed upon it twelve of the twentyfour-hour ordinals, as shown in Fig. 1, the said permanently inscribed or fixed ordinals extending from 1 to 12, inclusive, while the remaining ordinals, extending from 13 to 24, inclusive, are inscribed on a series of twelve plates, 1), which are affixed to arbors e,mount- 'ed in bearings in the dial-plate a outside of the fixed ordinals. The arbors are adapted to be rocked intheir bearings, and to thereby swing the ordinal-plates I) either inwardly, so as to cause them to cover the corresponding fixed ordinals, or outwardly to uncover the fixed ordinals I The described movements are imparted to the plates b by means of the continuously revolving rack-segment c and the intermediate devices above referred to, said devices being composed of, first, a series of twelve pinions, t, mounted on studs affixed to the dial a at uniform distances apart, and arranged concentrically with the hour-wheel thimble, so that the gear-segment in revolving will successively engage and partly rotate said pinions, and, secondly, a series of levers, j, each pivoted centrally to a stud, 7c, affixed to the inner side of the dial, and each having at its inner end a slot, m, which receives an eccentric-pin, n, on one of the pinions 2', and at its outer end a slot 0, which receives an eccentrically-arranged pin, 19, on a disk or hub, r, affixed to the arbor e of one of the plates b. The levers j are radially arranged, and there is one lever, j, and a corresponding pinion, i, for each plate I).

The arrangement of the described parts issuch that the segment a engages with a pinion, 7;, and gives said pinion a half-rotation, and thus causes its eccentric-pin m to turn the:lever j, and, through said lever and the corresponding eccentric-pin, p, and arbor 6, move the plate I) on said arbor before the hour-hand reaches the point where said plate is located. A half-rotation of a pinion, i, is sufficient to swing the plate I), connected therewith, into or out of sight, as the case may be, and the succeeding half-rotation of the same pinion, caused by its next encounter with the segment 0, will move the plate in the opposite direction, so that a plate which at a given time is in its inner position covering one of the fixed ordinals will be swung outwardly to expose said fixed ordinal by the next engagement of the revolving segment 0 with the pinion t, connected with said plate, and will be again swung inwardly by the succeeding engagement of the said segment and pinion twelve hours later, and so on, each plate being moved edgewise either into or out of its operative position after the hour-hand has passed it.

3 represents a ring, which is attached to the dial by studs or posts 25, and is separated from the dial by a space of sufficient width to permit the insertion 'of the plates 1) between it and the dial, said ring being at the outer side of the dial. The ring 3 is of sufficient width to cover the plates 1) when they are swung outwardly, and is arranged outside of th fixed ordinals, as shown.

If desired, all the ordinals may be movable instead of being made in a fixed and a movable series.

In Figs. ,4c and 5 I have shown each arbor 6 provided with two plates, 1) h'. The plates I) bear the ordinals from 1 to 12, inclusive, while the plates b carry the ordinals from 13 to 24, inclusive, as in Fig. 1. The operation is the same as that already described as to the swinging movements of the plates, each plate being alternately concealed and exposed.

Fig. 4 shows the ring 5 arranged as in Fig. 1, while in Fig. 5 the ring is omitted and the dial is provided with twelve orifices, w, arranged in a concentric series, the plates 17 and b coinciding with said orifices when they are in their operative positions.

IVhen the time-piece is to be illuminated, the dial (6 should be transparent or translucent and the ring 5 opaque. In this case the plates 1) may be of transparent material with opaque characters on them; or the characters composing the ordinals may constitute the entire plate, said characters being suitably affixed to the arbors 6.

Fig. 6 shows a modification in which the leverj has a series of rack-teeth on its outer end meshing with teeth formed on the hub of the arbor e, said teeth being an equivalent of the eccentric pin 19 and slot 0, before described. When said teeth are employed, each motion of the lever will give the arbor e a half-rotation, and the plates Z) I), connected with said arbor, will be arranged opposite each other.

It will be seen that when the double figureplates are employed at times the right side of one plate and the left side of its neighbor must reach nearly the same relative location on the dial under the ring; but to prevent their coming in contact one wing of each double plate may be advanced the distance of its own thickness, and it will then swing in front of and past its neighbor without any very apparent difference in the appearance of the time-piece dial, because the figureplates may be constructed of material so thin that the outside plate will still be quite close to the dial. It will also be seen that the figure-plates may be round or of any desired form; or skeleton figures may hang from the hubs by slender supports as the plates do and be shown in high or low degree.

IVhen it is not desired to illuminate the face of the time-piece, the cog-wheels, radial levers, and figure-plates may preferably be pivoted or journaled to or near the dial; but they may be attached to the frame of the time-piece movement or to a special frame, and in the event of an illuminated dial being required the cog-wheels and radial levers would preferably be located some distance from the dial, so that the light may fall between them and the dial and show'no shadows except of the figures and hands, all which may be done by making the hub or shaft of the figureplate to extend back far enough to reach the lever.

In Letters Patent No. $845,737, dated June 19, 1888, I describeand claim a series of radially-arranged levers bearing figure plates or blocks and pivoted to swing from and toward the dial in planes at right angles therewith and operated by a cam. In my present application it will be seen that the radially-arranged levers do not bear figure-plates and do not swing from and toward the dial, but in a plane parallel with the dial, and are not operated by a cam on the hour-wheel thimble.

The gear-segment in Patent No. 384,737 is a combination with a rotating figure-block, while the gear-segm ent and cog-wheels shown in this application are in combination with radial levers having a lateral motion in a plane parallel with the dial and figure-plates detached from the levers and not rotated, but swinging edgewise parallel with the dial.

It is obvious that the arbors e, which support the plates b, may be arranged nearer the center of the dial under a smaller subdial, which is of such diameter as to cover the dial a from the center out to the fixed ordinals, the latter being visible around the margin of the subdial. In this case the mechanism should be so arranged that the plates would swing inwardly under the subdial to be concealed and outwardly to be made operative.

I claim- 1. In a time-piece, the combination of a plate or dial, cL,a series of twelve figure or ordinal plates, each independent of the others, pivoted to swing in a plane parallel with the dial 011 pivots which are arranged concentrically with relation to the center of the dial, and a motor operated by the time-movement of the time-piece and operating said plates successively, whereby each plate is moved independently into its operative position once in every twelve hours and out of its operative position during the succeeding twelve hours, as set forth.

In a time-piece, the combination of the plate or dial a ,a series of figure or ordinal plates pivoted to swing in a plane parallel with the dial, a rack-segment, c, revolved with the hour-hand of the time-piece, and intermediate devices, whereby ed gewise motion is 1m parted successively to said plates from said segment, as set forth.

3. In a time-piece, the combination of a plate or dial, a, a series of figure or ordmal plates pivoted to swing in a plane parallel with the dial, a rack-segment revolved wlth the hour-han d of the time-piece, intermediate devices which impart edgewise motion from said segment to said plates, whereby said plates are moved successively to and from their operative positions, and a ring or cover outside of the dial, whereby said plates are concealed when in their inoperative positions, as set forth.

4. In a time-piece, the combination of a plate or dial having a series of fixed ordinals, a series of ordinal plates or movable ordinals pivoted to swing in a plane parallel with the dial, a rack-segment revolved by the hourhand of the time-piece, intermediate devices which impart edgewise motion successively to said plates from said segment, whereby said plates are alternately swung over the corresponding fixed ordinals and away from the same, and a ring or cover outside of the dial, whereby said plates are concealed when moved away from the fixed ordinals, as set forth.

5. In a time-piece, the combination of a series of arbors, c, ordinal-plates or ordinals secured to said arbors, a rack-segment affixed to the hour-hand thimble of the time-piece, a series of pinions mounted in fixed bearings and arranged to be engaged successively by said segment, eccentric-pins on said pinions and on the hubs of the ordinal-plates, and radial levers pivoted between their ends and engaged at their ends with said pins, as set forth.

6. In a time-piece, the combination of a transparent or translucent plate or dial, ct, a series of movable ordinals mounted to swing in a plane parallel with the dial, and an opaque ring or shield arranged to conceal the said ordinals when they are moved away from their operative positions, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 9th day of July, A. D. 1888.

CHARLES BIOKFORD.

\Vitnesses:

O. F. BROWN, A. D. HARRISON,

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