US436583A - Feedeeic a - Google Patents

Description

(Model.)

P.A.LANB. CLOCK.

No. 436,583. t Patented Sept. 16, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERIC A. LANE, OF NEV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRANK E. MORGAN, OF SAME PLACE.

CLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 436,583, dated September 16, 18.90.

Application filed September 30, 1889. Serial No. 325,479. (Model) To LZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERIC A. LANE, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented new Improvements in Clocks; and do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings, and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description. of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure l, a view in front elevation of one form which a clock embodying` my invention may assume; Fig. 2, a plan view thereof; Fig. 3, a view in vertical section on line A B of Fig. l, and Fig. 4 a modification showing the use of more than one equalizing-wheel.

My invention relates to au improvement in clocks, the object being to lengthen the running time of a clock without increasing its motive power, whereby economy of material, labor, and space is secured, as well as increased durability in use, and whereby a clock of standard patternmay be converted bythe addition of one or more wheels to run for one, eight, fourteen, or thirty days, or for any other desired time.

Vith these ends in view my invention consists in a clock having one or more equalizing-wheels interposed between its time-train and dial-work to harmonize the action of the latter with the beating of the pendulum.

As herein shown, the clock is provided with a single equalizing-wheel A, located on the outside ot the front plate B of the movementframe and secured to one end of an arbor C, which corresponds in its relation to the timetrain D of the clock to the center arbor of an ordinary clock. This equalizingwheel meshes into the cannon-pinion E, which is mounted upon a stud F, secured tothe frameplate B in the position occupied by the center arbor of an ordinary clock;

The dial-wheel G, the pinion H thereof, and the hour socket-wheel I, which,together with the said cannon-pinion, constitute the dialwork of the clock, are all of ordinary. construction, as is also the ti1ne-train,myinvention in the clock shown being represented solely by the equalizing-wheel A,which is interposed between the time-train and the dialwork. The function of this wheel, as has been described, is to harmonize the action of the dial-work with the beating of the pendulum and to compensate for a reduced rate of speed in the time-train, although it is conceived that clocks may be made under my invention in which the time-train will have a greaterrate of speed than the dial-work.

It is evident that in order to keep correct 6o time the rate of the pendulum and the rate of the cannon-pinion and the hour socketwheel must remain in constant harmony; but it is not necessary that the time-train should harmonize in its rate of actuation with either 6 5 the pendulum or the dial-work, provided only that what variation there maybe between the action oi' the pendulum, the time-train, and the dial-work be accounted for; and it is the object of my invention to provide for 7o running the time-train much faster or slower than the dial-work and accounting for the variation by equalizing mechanism, which takes the form ot ono or more equalizingwheels.

Ordinarily my invention will be applied to the construction of clocks in which the timetrain is run at an abnormally-slow rate of speed, whereby the power of a spring is distributed over a much longer space of time 8o than in any clock heretofore constructed with a spring of the same power. In clocks so constructed it will not do to have the ordinary connection between the time-train and the dial-work, for in that case the dial-work would 8 5 not go fast enough to keep correct time; but means must be provided to compensate for the slower rate of movement in the timetrain to equalize the action of the dial-Work with the pendulum. I therefore interpose an 9o equalizing-wheel between the time-train and the dial-work, the number of leaves in this wheel being proportioned to the reduced rate of movement in the time-train. The slower the rate of rotation in the time-train the more 9 5 the equalization required to account forit, and this demand may be filled by increasing the size of the equalizing-wheel or by employing more than one equalizing wheel constructed under well-known principles of gearing. 1 oo The modification shown by Fig. 4 of the drawings shows ay construction in which an additional equalizing-wheel J and pinion K v its dial-work such equalizing mechanism as will harmonize the action of the pendulum and the dial-work. One clock therefore of standard pattern may be converted for use as a thirty-hour clock, or an eight-day clock, or a fourteen-day clock, or a thirty-day clock without changing its spring or without changing its time-train by simply changing the length ofits pendulum and interposing between its time-train and dial-work one or more equalizing-wheels, as may be demanded to harmoni'zethe action of the pendulum and the dial-work. Here an important economy in the manufacture of clocks will be seen, for instead of having all of the special tools and dies' which are required forI making each of the different time-keepers above referredl to, under my invention one standard clock may be made and adapted to run any length of time desired by the simple introduction of one or more ordinary wheels Without any modification or alteration of the clock as an organization.

Under my invention also I am enabled to make a clock adapted to run for a long period yin very compact form, inasmuch as my invention enables me to employ a small and light spring and a simple train, Whereas heretofore clocks adapted to run for a long period of time have required large andheavy springs 4o and complicated time-trains. It is to be noted, also, that a clock constructed under my invention is much more durable than clocks as hitherto made, first, because the spring being light the tension of the time-train is lightenedv and friction reduced, and, second, because the train runs much slower than the train of an ordinary clock, so that the snrfaces exposed to friction do not come in contact as often.

It is apparent that my invention is applicable to all styles and types of pendulumclocks, and I would have it understood that vI do not limit myself to any special construcone or more equalizing-wheels between the said time-train and dial-work for the purpose of harmonizing the action of the dial-Work with the vibrations of the pendulum,substan tially as described, and whereby by 'change in the said equalizing-wheels the saine movement is adapted to varyinglengths of pendulum and consequently to greater or less r-unning time without change of the time-train or power.

FREDERIC A. LANE.

Witnesses:

GEO. D. SEYMOUR, FRED C. EARLE.

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