US445073A

US445073A - Clock-winding mechanism

Info

Publication number: US445073A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1891-01-20
Anticipated expiration: 1908-01-20

Description

W. N. PACKER 8v W. W. BRADLEY.

No Model.)

CLOCK WINDING MEGHANISM.

No. 445,073. Patented Jan. 20,1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENTY OFFICE.

VILLARD N. PAOKER AND VILLIAM lV, BRADLEY, OF CANTON, OHIO.

CLOCK-WINDING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,073, dated January 20, 1891.

Application filed May 5, 1890. Serial No. 350.558. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may ccncern:

Be it known that we, XVILLARD N. PACKER and WILLIAM W. BRADLEY, citizens of the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clocks; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in clocks; and the object of the invention is to provide a clock with a weight as a propelling medium instead of springs, as are now usually employed, and to furnish the weight with means to electrically raise the same at given intervals when run down, and thus keep the clock constantly running and avoiding winding by hand.

The invention proceeds on the hypothesis that the weight is superior to t-he springs as a means of operating clock mechanism, for the reason that it is always the same and absolutely uniform in its elfect, regardless of temperature, length of time in service, strain, and other conditions which are liable to effeet springs unfavorably.

To this end the invention consists in a clock mechanism provided with a weight to propel the same, and said weight having means connected therewith to aise it at certain fixed intervals, so that the clock may run perpetually and winding by hand is not required.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure lis a part front and a part side view in elevation of a clock-frame and mechanism therein, including our improved weight, and showing an electric motor in that connection to raise the weight in the manner hereinafter described. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the weight, and showing the shaft by which it is wound or raised and the wor1n-wheel for connecting it with the clock mechanism. Fig. 3 shows a flexible shaft-connecting motor and screwthreaded weight.

A represents the clock-frame, which for the purpose of this description may be said to contain any well-known or usual combination of clock mechanism, the parts of which need not be particularized, except as they are changed to make connection with thc propelling-power herein provided for.

B is a tube or cylinder having a screwthread eXtendin g over its surface between its ends, as shown in Fig. 2, and provided with a weight B at its lower end. This tube or cylinder and the weight B together may be regarded as constituting the weight from which power is derived for actuating the clock mechanism, taking the place of weights as heretofore used or of a spring in common clocks.

O is a worm wheel or gear set in the position in the clock mechanism usually occupied by the spring-drum or weight-drum, and supported in this instance on a shaft E, extending centrally through the said tube and provided with any suitable bearing at its upper end, by which it is held steadily in position, and in this instance extending down to the electric motorF, upon which the armature of said motor is secured, so that said shaft may be regarded as the motor-shaft extending upward through the clock and forming a support for the tube B and its supplemental weight. The said tube is so placed upon the shaft that it is free to slide up and down thereon, and the said shaft is provided with a spline e, which is engaged. by a screw or other pin f on the lower end of the tube B on the shaft, and this arrangement allows the said tube to slide freely up and down upon its shaft, while at the same time the shaft when turned causes thc tube B to turn therewith. The wheel O has wormgear upon its periphery, which is engaged by a corresponding thread on the tube B, and a bearing wheel G is placed on the shaft H opposite the wheel O to keep the tube B in engagement with the wheel O without in any manner interfering with the free up-and-down movement of the said tube. In this construction it is of course required that the weight, consisting of the parts B B', should be madejust sufficient to actuate the clock mechanism in the manner desired, and the same principles would en ter into this calculation as would occur in the employment of other weights or in the use of springs foralikepurpose. Vhen the weight is raised to the position seen in the drawings, it is in position to work and IOO operate .the clock until it has run down.` It is designed that, this running down of the weight shall be so limited that, while the weight has space or room to have considerable fall and requires considerable time in making this distance, it will not go beyond a certain point before it will be run or wound back to the starting-point. For this purpose we provide the wheel. C with a conductor I, extending sufficiently beyond the periphery of said wheel to make electrical contact with the tube B. The said wheel C, or at any rate the conductor I thereon, by any suitable means is placed in circuit with a generator, as a battery or the like, in the motor-circuit, and the circuit is completed through said condu'ctor, the tube B, and, say, the shaft of the motor onwhichl the tube B is supported, so that l when the conductor I comes around on each complete rotation of the wheel C the circuit will be closed on the motor and the motor will continue to run as long as contact between the conductor I and the tube B continues, and the contac-t will be broken and the'motor stopped when such contact is broken and the conductor I moves out of connection with the tube B. It will be noticed that this operation of winding the, clock, so to speak, or, in other words, of, running thev weight up to its initial position, must occur-while the clock continues to operate without any interruption thereof, so that the clock will be making the same time without any diminution in speed or other change while the winding is going on and the same as when the windinghas been completed. This is accomplished by reason of the shaft E being connected with the weight, as herein described, wh'ereby the weight continues to have the same effect upon the wheel C during the winding process as before or aft-er winding takes place. The shaft E has a rotary movement,and this movement is imparted to the tube B, and the tube B is run up on its threads in contact with the worm C; but in this operation the said shaft E merely turns the tube B, but exerts no influence affecting its weight. Hence the weight of the saidtube, with they weight B', continues. the same at all times whether winding occurs or not. [f in raising the weight an upward lift were given thereto at, the same time that the tube is rotated,` this would not occur; but there is no upward lift except such as occurs by the rotation of the tube, and during this rotation the weight upon the worm-wheel is not diminished by reason of rotation and remains the same atall times. By the time the tube B is raised to the. maximum elevation the co-n ductor I has had time to move out of contact with the side of said tube, the circuit is broken, and the motor stops. Of course the distance which the tube B travels downward before the ope-ration of rewinding occurs is determined by the rotation of the wheel C, and such downward movement will continue until the electrical contact-point or conductor I comes around and again touches the tube B, when wind-ing again occurs, and so on repeatedly and continually as long as the parts are in condition to perform their functions and the motor is prepared to do its work, as herein described. The worm-gear C is fixed to rotate with the shaft D, but is insulated therefrom, so as to keep the shaft out of the circuit. The wornrgear in the operation of winding serves as a nut for the tube B to turn in, the opposite worm-wheel G co-operlating therewith and holding the'shaft in its proper relation to the actuating-wheel C. It will of course be understood that the escapement of the clock prevents the worm-gear C from turning, except in unison with the beats of the pendulum in the usual way, and the clock throughout operates and acts the same as. it would if other and well-known propelling-power were employed. Ob-viously the shaft. E and the tube B might be fixed together and the shaft splined to slide up and down in the motor instead ofy the tube sliding on the shaft, as shown herein, and the motor might be set to one side and a geared connection made with the shaft E, if desired, said shaft of course being arranged to slide up and down or fixed and tube B arranged to slide thereon, as herein shown. In these particulars and in others there is room for considerable change of arrangement and construction of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The part B is referred to here as a tube, by which is meant a tube exteriorly threaded, whether solid throughout or provided with an opening for the passage of the rod E. If the said tube or screw were made heavy enough in its body to actuate the mechanism, the weight B could be dispensed with.

It will be understood that while this mech anism is described as a clock mechanism the weight and means for operating the same may be employed in connection with other mechanism not used for operating the hands of a clock.

In Fig. 3 we show a flexible shaft connecting the motor and the threaded weight in the clock. This arrangement enables us to place the motor behind the clock at one side thereof, or in some other position by which the motor can be removed from view, and at the same time accomplish lfrom the shaft the operation desired. l

It will be noticed that the tube B and the shaft E. turn only when winding up occurs. At other times the. tube feeds straight down the same as. it would if it had an ordinaryl toothed rack on its. side. The thread is required for winding. The same weight is eX- ercised on wheel C whether the screw is wind ing or not, the whole weight in either case being on the wheel C, less of course the imperceptible friction on wheel G and at thev spline.

Having thus described onriuvention, what IOO IIC

we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent. is-

l. In clock mechanism, an exteriorlythreaded weighted screw supported in a perpendicular position and a gear-wheel in the said mechanism actuated by said screw, substantially as described.

A weighted tube provided with a thread on its surface, a gear-wheel actuated by said tube, and power mechanism connected with the tube to turn and raise the same, substan tially as described.

3. The combination oi' a worin-gear and a weighted screw for maintaining uniform tension or pressure on the mechanism connected with said gear, substantially as described.

4. The weighted tube and a rotatable shaft on which the tube is free to gravitate without turning, a wheel actuated by the tube, and mechanism to rotate the said shaft and raise the tube, substantially as described.

5. The clock mechanism having a wormgear, in combination with a threaded tube to operate said gear and a rotating bearing opposite said gear in contact with said tube, substantially as described.

6. A weighted threaded tube and a shaft on which said tube is arranged to slide, a motor to turn said shaft, and a worm-wheel actuated by said tube, in combination with clock mechanism driven by said wheel, substantially as described.

7. Glock mechanism having a worm-gear to operate the same, in combination with a shaft, a tube having threads meshing with said worm -gear and arranged on said shaft to gravitate downward thereon, a motor to turn said shaft, and means to lock the tube on said shaft therewith, substantially as described.

8. The operating-tube having a threaded surface and a power-wheel meshing therewith, in combination with an electric motor to turn said tube and a contactpoint arranged to make and break the circuit on the motor, substantially as described.

9. The operating' threaded tube, a motor, and connections between motor and tube to turn the tube, in combination with clock mechanism driven by the said tube and an electrical contacbpoint operated by said mechanism and making and breaking circuit on the said motor, substantially as described.

Witness our hands to the foregoing specicatiou this lith day of April, 1890.

WILLARD N. PACKER. WILLIAM XV. BRADLEY.

Witnesses:

JAMES J. GRANT, MICHAEL S. DIROGEN.