US452652A - Clock-movement - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

C. STAHLBERG.

01100K MOVEMENT.

110. 452,652. Patented May 19,1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES STAHLBERG, OF NET YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE ACCURATE TIME STAMP COMPANY, OF YVEST VIRGINIA.

CLOCK-MOVEM ENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 452,652, dated May 19, 1891.

Application filed June '7, 1890. Serial No. 354,634. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom -z't may concern.-

Beit known thatI, CHARLES STAHLBERG, of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new 'and useful Improvements in Clock-Movements and the Like 5 and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates, particularly, to that class of movements employinga remontoirescapement, or, in other words, one in which I5 a small spring or its equivalent, which drives a constantly-moving clock-train, is wound aty regular intervals by means of a main or power spring or its equivalent, the latter being held in check and released at the proper intervals zo by a suitable escapement or stops controlled by the constantly-moving clock-train, the invention being particularly designed for use in a time printing-stamp such as disclosed in my prior patent, No. 424,369, dated March 25,

The objects of the invention are to secure greater accuracy of the movement and to prevent the remontoir or auxiliary spring from running down should the main or power spring 3o be allowed to go too long without rewinding,

and, further, to secure certain minor advantages in details of construction, all of which will be hereinafter described, and pointed out particularly in the claims at the close of this 3 5 specification.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of a clock-move ment constructed in accordance with my invention with a portion of the front plate broken 4o away. Fig. 2y is a sectional view taken in front of the escapement, showing the escapement-train and the safety device for preventing the running down of the small or auxiliary spring. Fig. 3 is a section looking toward the front of the same. Fig. 4. is an enlarged vertical section through the flying shaft, auxiliary spring, and its shaft and bearings. Fig. o isa perspective view of the stopshaft, arms, and drum, showing their relative 5o location, the frame and connected gearing being broken away or omitted.

Like letters of reference in the several iigures indicate the same parts.

The letter Aindicates the frame,which may be of any desired style; B B, the main or power spring barrels having gear-wheels C on their peripheries, both of which mesh with the pinion l), and through the latter the poweris transmitted to the shaft E, which corresponds to the min nte-hand in an ordinary clock-move- 6o ment, and in the present instance is adapted to move or jump once a minute, being stationary in the intervals. This result is accomplished in the following manner: On the shaft E is mounted a gear-wheel F, meshing with a pinionfon the shaftf, having pivotbearings, the one at the front being in the frame and that at the -rear in a stud-axle affixed to the frame and forming the bearing for the first wheel F of the clock-train com- 7o posed of the pinion and wheel G G', respectively, mounted on shaft g, and the escapementwheel and escapem ent and balance wheel 7L 7L 7a2, respectively, of any preferred construction.

A comparatively light spring, which I shall 7 5 term the remontoir-spring, surrounds the shaft f and has its ends connected, respectively, to the pinion j and wheel F. Thus, when the power-train is in operation it winds said spring, and during the time of winding 8o itself drives the clock train through the spring, the train being driven in the intervals by the power stored in the remontoir-spring.

As disclosed in my before-mentioned patent, the power-train was controlled through the medium of a stop-wheel corresponding to the wheel f2 on the shaft f', which engaged the shaft g and was released or passed by a notch in the same, forming, in effect, an escapement for the powertrain; but with such 9o an arrangement the friction on the shaft g was excessive, and as the shaft rotated toward the tooth-point any roughness of the parts would create a pinch. A further disadvantage of said construction and, so far as I am at present advised, of all reinontoirmovements heretofore made was due to the fact that no provision was made 'forarresting the clock-movement when the power-.train was run down. Thus, should the power-train roo meet with an accident, or should it run down or become inoperative through any cause, the

remontoir-spring would exhaust itself and the clock-train would not run until some skilled person put the proper tension on the remontoir-spring, as will be readily perceived by those skilled in the art. New, in order to overcome these objections and to provide a very light and easily-operated escapem ent for the power-train, I make the wheel f2 a toothed or gear wheel and provide a shaft I above the same with a co-operatingpinion I and an es capement arm or arms which rest on top of the shaft g. The shaft Gis provided with two notches et', out of line with each other, and the shaft I with two cooperating arms 'i' t', arranged, preferably, substantially parallel and separated from each other far enough to permit the first one to just clear the shaft when the second is resting on the same, and when the second one is released to permit the shaft to make practically a complete revolution, securing accuracy in the movement and an exceedingly light pressure on the shaft G, which latter turns away from the arms and has no tendency to bind against the same. It will be noted that the shaft I acts under the impulse of the power-spring, being controlled or released at determinate intervals by the clock-train. Now in order to stop the clock-train when the power-train has run down it is only necessary to have co-operatin g stops, one on each train, and which, when the power-train is stationary, will not engage, but which will engage if the power-train does not make a full and complete movement, as would be the case were the arms released and the power-springs be almost run down, it being impossible with the construction shown to get the parts in such relation to each other when released as that the arms would remainin exactly the position occupied when in normal position, and theleast variation from this position would cause the stops to engage. This idea is embodied in the present construction by locating a pin or pins m on wheel G and providing the shaft I with a hollow7 drum M, having a cut-out portion on one side, through which the pin travels when the shaft is held in normal position with the arms resting on shaft g; but when the arms are at a point away from normal position the drum or its rim will be in the path of the pins and the clock-train will be arrested before the remontoir-spring has run down or gone beyond its normal movement, and when the powersprings are again wound the arms will move around to normal position and the clock resume its working at once without other attention on the part of the attendant.

The advantage of mounting the pinion f on a shaft havingpivot-bearings and the wheel F on a stud-axle will be understood when it is remembered that the friction, whether in one place or thev other, decreases the available power, and as the pinion has to bear the entire strain of the powensprings it would be subjeetedto the greatest friction, and I reduce this as muchy as possible by the pivot-bearings,

while the wheel F', acting under the inlluence of the comparatively light spring, will create but little friction, and thatlittle under the influence of a power which is practically constant and maybe given a stud or smooth bearing without impairing the effectiveness of either of the trains in the least, the arrangement as an entirety being such as that the greatest accuracy is secured with very simple mechanism.

The variation of the strength of the powersprings or the load carried thereby, as the operating-shaft of a time-stamp, it will be seen, cannot affect the accuracy of the clockmovement and the release of the power-train at exact intervals.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new isl. In a remontoir clock movement, the combination, with the power and clock trains, substantially as described, of a stop for the clock-train, controlled by the power-train, whereby the clock-train is arrested when the power-train is inoperative, substantially as described.

2. In a clock-movement, the combination, with the power and clock trains, a spring connecting said trains, and an eseapement controlling the power-train and operated by the clock-train, of a stop controlled by the powertrain and adapted to be thrown into position to engage the clock-train when the powertrain does not malte a complete movement, substantially as described.

3. In a clock-movement, the combination, with the power and clock trains, a spring connecting said trains, and a shaft in gear with the power-train and having an arm engaging a notched shaft in the clock-train, of a stop mounted on said shaft, and a pin on the clocktrain adapted to pass said stop when the shaft is in its normal position of rest, but to engage therewith when the shaft is at any other point of its movement, substantially as described.

et. In a remontoir clock movement, the combination, with the power and clock trains, substantially as described, of a pin on one of the gears in t-he clock-train,and a hollow drum controlled by the power-train, having a cutout portion at one side, through which the pin passes when the power-train is in its norm al position of rest, substantiallyas described.

5. In a remontoir clock movement, the combination, with the power-train and the clock-train having the notched shaft and pin, substantially as described, of the shaft gearing with the power-train, the arm on said shaft engaging the notched shaft, and the hollow drum also mounted on said shaft and having the cut-out portion through which the pin passes when the arms are in engagement with the shaft in normal position, said drum being adapted to engage the pin when not in its normal position of rest, substantially as described.

G. In a remontoir clock movement, the combination, with the clock-train having the TOO IIO

constantly-rotating shaft provided with two notches, of the power-train having a shaft in gear therewith, provided with tivo substantially pa aiiel detent-arins slightly separated, so as to pass through their respective notches at slightly-different moments, Substantially as described.

7. In a remontoir clock movement, the combination, with the clock-train having' the notched shaft, the powertrain, and a spring connecting said trains, of a shaftin `,ear with the power-train, loca-ted at the side of the notched shaft, from which the latter turns, and an arm -on the shaft. in gear with the power-train, resting;` on the notched shaft,

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