US429396A - Electrical clock-winding mechanism - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

C. A. WARD.

v ELECTRICAL CLOCK WINDING MEGHANISM. N 29,396. Patented June 3, 1890.

(No Model.) 4 sheets-sheet 2.

0. A. WARD. I

ELECTRICAL CLOCK WINDING MECHANISM.

, 29.396. I PatentedJu ne s, 1890.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

O. A. WARD. ELECTRICAL CLOCK WINDING MEGHANI$M. No. 429,396. Patented June 3, 1890.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(No Model.) I

0. A. WARD. I I ELECTRICAL CLOCK WINDING MECHANISM.

No. 429,396. Patented June 3, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES ADELBERT VARD, OF VATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRICAL CLOCK-WINDING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 429,396, dated J une 8, 1890.

Application filed August 26, 1889. Serial No. 322,040. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES ADELBERT \VARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Vaterbury, in the county of New l-la ven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Im1. rove1'nem's in Electrical Clock-\Vinding Mechanism; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in electrical winding devices for clocks, and has for its object to provide a simple and automatically-operating mechanism whereby the clock may be wound at predetermined intervalssay once in four, or twelve, or twenty-four hours, according as the timing of the winding mechanism may be arranged; and with these ends in view my invention consists in the construction and combination of elements hereinafter fully explained, and then recited in the claims hereunto annexed.

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may fully understand its construction and operation, I will describe the same in detail, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is an elevation of a clock-movement having my device attached thereto, the parts being shown as in their fully-wound position; Fig. 2, a detail view lookingdownward upon the winding-gears and circuit-closer Fig. 3, a detail section at the line mm of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a detail edge view showing the circuit-controller rod and its position relative to the pin and gear; Fig. 5, a detail elevation of the circuit-controller rod,pin-carrying gear, and circuit-closer, the same appearing as in position to commence winding; Fig. (3, a diagrammatic view showing the circuit-connections.

Like letters and numerals denote the same parts in all the figures of the drawings.

A is the frame of the clock, on which the going and striking trains are mounted in any ordinary manner.

My device consists of a winding-shaft 1, j ournaled in the frame and carrying upon one end a band-wheel 2, preferably of considerable size, so that it may be turned by the motor at a comparatively slow rate. The shaft 1 also has secured thereon a gear 3, which meshes upon the one hand with a gear et, secured on the mainspring-shaft 5 of the timetrain, and on the other hand with a gear 6, which through a clutch-pawl mechanism, presently to be described in detail, is connected to the shaft 7 of the striking-train, to which the striking-spring is attached.

8 are single-helix elect-r0 -magnets, each forming a terminal of a circuit A, which ineludes any suitable generator B and a motor C, which latter is bolted to the wheel 2 by a driving-band. These magnets are contactterminals adapted to be joined by the armature to complete the circuit, and instead of the magnets I can, with very satisfactory results, substitute a pair of copper springs or other suitable terminals, between which the circuit maybe completed by a contact-bar operated in the same manner as the armature herein shown and described.

10 is an armature, which, when engaged with the cores of the magnet, as seen at Fig.

2, serves to complete the circuit, and thereby admit of the driving of the motor by current derived from the generator. This armature is secured upon the upper end of a rod 11, which is pivoted at 12 and is bent outward, as at 13. (See Fig. i.) At its lower end it carries a transversely-extended loop 14, forming a way, upon which a small weight 15 is supported by means of a roll 16. Projecting outward from the face of the gear 4 is a pin 17 of such length as to engage either side of the rod 11 above its outward bend, but to pass beneath it below said bend.

Then the clock is fully wound and the parts are in the position shown at Fig. l, the circuit being open, the gear 4:, as the clock runs down, turns in the direction of the arrow i), Fig. l, slowly carrying with it the gears 3 and 6, until said gear 4thas made a complete circuit and the pin has passed beneath the bent portion of the rod and has arrived at the position in which it is shown at Fig. 5, when, engaging said rod, it moves it upon its pivotal point until the armature is carried into contact with the cores of the electro-magnet and the circuit of which the motor forms a part is completed. As the rod is carried along by the pin, the weight runs by gravity to the other end of its track, (see Fig. and thereby the center of gravity of the rod is so changed as to cause the armature to remain in contact with the cores and retain the circuit closed during the winding of the clock. During this process the gear t is turned by the motor in the direction of the arrow (1 through the band-wheel, the shaft, and the gear 35 until the said gear a has made a complete revolution and the pin has passed from the position shown at Fig. 5 under the bentporlion of the rod and around until it strikes said rod on the other side, as seen at Fig. 1. After it engages said rod its continued movement takes the armature out of contact with the cores, the circuit is broken, and the 1110- tor stops. Of course during the time between the engagement of the pin with the rod and the rupture of contact between the armature and the cores the attraction of the magnetis opposed to the power exerted on the pin by the motor; but the motor will receive power from the circuit up to the time the contact between the armature and cores is broken, after which the motor will only run as far as its momentum will carry it. At this time the weight at the bottom of the rod again traverses its track, and by the change of the cen ter of gravity retains the armature out of contact with the cores until the gear it, driven in the reverse direction by the unwindingspring, again turns the rod on its pivotal point and makes contact between the armature and the cores.

The clutch mechanism between the gear 0 and the shaft 7, heretofore referred to, is for the purpose of allowing said gear to run free, driven from the gear -t through the central gear 3, during the unwinding of the spring of the time-train, but to cause itduring the winding process to engage the shaft of the striking-train and wind its spring. To this end the gear 6 has secured against its outer face a one-toothed ratchet 18, and both the gear and ratchet are journaled about the shaft '7, upon the end of which is secured an arm 19, carrying a spring-actuated pawl 20, whose hooked end is adapted to engage the tooth upon the ratchet. During the unwind ing of the strikil'lg-spring the shaft 7, carrying the arm and pawl slowly, turns in one direction, and the gear (5 and ratchet are slowly turned upon the shaft by the unwinding of the time-train spring. hen the unwinding begins, however, the pawl 011 the arm is engaged by the ratchet, and thereby the shaft 6 is revolved and the striking-spring wound. The identical construction of this clutch is unimportant, and any device which will engage the gear 6 and shaft 7 during the wind ing process and leave them. disengaged during the time consumed in unwinding maybe used without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim 1. In an electric clock-winding device, the combination, with the time-train, of a gear on the spring-shaft, a winding-gear meshing therewith, a motor connected and adapted to operate the winding-gear, the pivoted circuitclosing rod and the terminals adapted to he closed thereby, and a pin on the gear of the spring-shaft adapted to engage and to move the circuit-closing rod both into and out of contact with the terminals, substantially as set forth.

The combination, with the motor and the means for connecting said motor with the gear on the spring-shaft, of the pivoted circuit-closer, a projection on the spring-shaft gear adapted to engage and move said circuitcloser both into and out of contact, and a sliding weight attached to the circuit-closer and adapted to change the center of gravity thereof, substantially as setforth.

The combination, with the central winding-shaft and a motor-driven band-wheel and gear thereon, of the gear upon the springshat't, a pin projecting from said gear, a swinging circuit-closer hanging in front of said gear and adapted to be engaged by the pin, and. a sliding weight arranged upon said closer and adapted to change the center of gravity thereof, substantially as set forth.

-t. In a device of the characterdescribed, the combination, with the central shaft, the motor for driving the same, and the gear secured on said shaft, of the strikingspring shaft, a gear thereon meshing with the gear on the winding-shaft, and a clutch mechanism interposed between the gear and the shaft, the gear on the time-spring shaft, a pivoted and positively-actuated circuit-closer, and a pin upon the last-named gear, said pin adapted to engage and actuate said circuit-closer in both directions, substantially as set forth.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination, with the winding devices, the circuit, and the motor, of a circuit-closer hung from its upper end, means for moving said circuit-closer, and a weight arranged to slide upon said circuit-closer, whereby the latter may be retained in or out of contact, substantially as set. forth.

0. The combination, in adevice of the characterdcscribed, with the time-spring shaft, the gear on said shaft, the means whereby said gear is driven, and the pin projecting from the face thereof, of the swinging circuitcloser extending across the face of the gear, said closer being bent outwardly, so that the pin may engage it when at the top of its sweep and may pass beneath it when at the bottom of its sweep, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix mysignatu re in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES ADELBERT \VAR/D.

Witnesses:

ROBERT C. MANVILIJG, Wu. J. 'laivxnn.

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