US1087076A - Keyless clock. - Google Patents

Description

' C. H. BELL.

KEYLESS CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED Anm, 1913.

' 1,087,076, Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

l/:-SHEET 1.

Cm. uuuuuu uma c C. H. BELL.

KEYLESS CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5, 191s.

COLUMBIA PLANouRAPn C0.. wASHlNa'ruN. u. c.

Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. BELL, OF THOMASTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO SETI-I THOMAS CLOCK CO., OF THOMASTON, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION.

KEYLESS CLOCK.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES H. BELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at The-masten, in the county of Litchfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Keyless Clocks; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the characters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this application, and represent, in-

Figure 1 a view in front elevation of a keyless clock constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 a view thereof in side elevation. F 3 a view of the clock-case in central, horizontal section on the line a-b of Fig. 1, with the clock-movement shown in plan. Fig. -l a view of the clock in front elevation with the bezel and dial removed. Fig. 5 a detached edge view of the clockmovement. Fig. 6 a view of the clock in front elevation with the bezel, winding-andsetting ring and dial removed, the parts being shown in their normal or winding positions. Fig. 7 a corresponding view with the parts in their setting positions, with the centering brige removed. Fig. 8 a view in rear elevation of the front movement-plate, showing the levers employed for shifting the parts from their winding to their setting positions. Fig. 9 a perspective view in rear elevation, of the rotary winding and setting plate. Fig. 10 a detached perspective view of the centering bridge. Fig. 11 a corresponding reverse view thereof. Fig. 12 a detached perspective view of the sliding setting-arm. Fig. 13 a corresponding view of the bell-crank lever carrying the intermediate gear.

My invention relates to an improvement in keyless clocks of the type primarily designed for use as automobile clocks, though not limited to such, the object being to produce a simple, convenient, reliable and durable keyless clock constructed with particular' reference to centering its winding and setting gear member upon the movement itself rather than upon the case as heretofore, so as to reduce the wear and strain of winding and setting to the minimum, as well as the danger of breakage or derangement owing to the lateral displace- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led April 5, 1913.

Patented Feb. 10,1914.

serial No. 759,161.

ment in use of the winding and setting member gear with respect to the elements of the winding and setting trains.

Vith these ends in view, my invention consists in a keyless clock having certain details of construction and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out my invention, as herein shown, I employ a rotary winding and setting gear member in the form of a circular plate 2 having a large concentric opening rcceiving the flange 3 of an annular external gear 4e projecting from the inner face of the said plate with which the gear rotates. The said gear l sets over and has rotary bearing upon a large circular bearing-and-positioning hub 5 centrally located with respect to the clock-movement and formed upon the outer face of a specially constructed centering-bridge G secured by screws 7 to the outer face of the front movement-plate S of the clock. The said hub 5 is formed with a central opening 9 for the reception of the sleeve 10 of the hour-wheel 11, the center-arbor 12 projecting forward through the said sleeve. Upon its inner face the hub 5 is formed with a recess 13 for the clearance of the hourwheel 11 and with a recess 14 for the clearance of the minute-'wheel 15 and the pinion 1G thereof. The centering-bridge G is also formed with a circular opening 17 for the clearance of the seconds-stati 1S which projects forward through it as shown in F el.

Under the construction above described, the large centrally located hub 5 of the bridge (3 constitutes a fixed bearing for the circular winding and setting plate or gear member 2 which is thus carried by and centered with respect to the clock-movement rather than by the cylindrical band 19 of the clock-case which has been used heretofore to center the winding and setting gear members of keyless clocks of the type to which my improvement belongs. The said plate 2, as shown, is formed witaa circular series of segmental slots 2O arranged to eX- pose the regulator arbor 21 which may be squared for the reception of a key, or which may be provided, as shown, with a hub having an operating arm 23. In case, in the operation of the plate 2, none of its slots 2O stand over the arbor 21, when the plate comes to a rest, the plate may be slightly shifted in one direction or the other so as to afford access to the arbor 2l through one of the slots 20.

For the rotation of the vwinding-and-setting plate 2, it is provided, as shown, with three equi-distant radial coupling-arms 24 adapted to enter coupling-slots 25 (Fig. 9) formed in the edge of the forwardly projecting externally threaded flange 26 of ab rotary lnnirled winding and setting ring 27 whicl is centered upon the forward edge o'C the case-band 19. The said ring 2'? is held against forward movement upon the caseband 19 by tie radial coupling-arms 2e of the plate 2 which is itself held against lateral movement by being interposed between the outer face of the centering-bridge and the inner face of the dial 28 which is secured by means of screws 29 directly to the flat outer face of the hub 5 of the bridge G. llhe ring 27 is prevented from moving rearwardly upon the case-band 19 by the bearing upon the outer face of the dial 28, of the dial-mat 30 which rides upon the dial and which, together with the crystal 3l, is located within the bezel 32 which is fo med with a lrnurled rim and provided with internal threads for being screwed upon the forwardly projecting externally threaded flange 2G of the said ring 27 which thus carries the bezel 82 and is turned by the same. The plate 2 is thus seen to be centered upon the hub 5 of the winding-bridge 6 and coupled with the bezel 32 by means of which it is rotated in' one direction or the other7 through the mediun of the ring 2, ,vhich has bearing upon the band 19 of the cloc r-case. I prefer to make the plate 2 sutliciently smaller than the internal diameter of the ring 27 to provide an accon modation space il (Fig. sutiiciently arge to permit the clock-movement to accommodate itself in position within the clock-case so as to avoid any binding of the ring 27 upon the case-band '19a whereby the ring` 27 may be litted su'llicieniily closely upon the caseband i9 to prevent the entrance of dust and dampness into the movement without endangering the binding of the parts should the movement not be accurately centered within the cloclecase. ln that event the plate 2 would be free to move laterally in trie annular accommodation space Bilt to an extent sutlicient to compensate for the want of concentricity between the ring 2.7 upon the case-band 19 and the center of the movement wit-hin the clockcase. u

The external gear 4 carried by the rotary winding and setting plate 2, is normally maintained in mesh with an intermediate winding-and-setting wheel 35 turning upon a stud 3G mounted in the arm 87 of a bellcranl; lever 38 bearing against the inner face of the front movement-plate S and Lest/,07e

swinging upon a screw 39 as shoivn in Fig. 3, the said plate 8 being formed with a slot l0 through which the stud 3G extends outward for the carriage of the wheel 35 which bears upon the outer face of the said plate and normally meshes into the main winding or ratchet w reel Lil which is mounted upon a square winding-arbor l2 held against reverse rotation by an ordinary ratchet pawl 43 operated by a spring di. rEhe arm a5 of the bell-crank lever 38 is engaged by a spring LlG mounted upon the inner face of the front mevement-plate 8 and exerting ay constant elort to .sr-.fing the bell-crank l ver 38 so as to maintain the wheel in constant mesh with the main winding or ratchet wheel al, to provide for what is commonly known as ratcheting haelt. Ilie bell-crank lever aforesaid forms a swinging carrier for the winding and setting wheel For setting the clocl", l provide a flat7 sheetmetal sliding setting-arm Ll-Z arranged to bear upon the inner face of the front movementeliilate S to which it is secured by means of studs L18, 49, respectively, passing' through a slot 50 in its outer end, and a slot 5l in its inner end, the arm being given an outwardly bowed form for the purpose of clearance. it its outer end the said arm i117 has a linger 52 co-acting with the inner end of a plunger 53 having its outer end provvided with a button the inner end of which extends over a sleeve 55 projecting radially from the case-band l) and forn'iing a hearing for the plunger` 53. At its inner end the setting-arm el? is formed witl'i a rounded nose 5G engaging with the outer end of the arm 3'? of the bell-crank lever 3 l. dl'hen the button is pressed inward so as to overcome t-he tension of the sprino 4:6, the bell-crank lever 38 swings upon its 39, whereby the wheel 35 demeshef`r` Nrom the mainswinding wheel ll and moved into mesh with an intermediate setting-wheel 3T mounted on a stud 58 projecting from the outer face of the front movement plate S and carrying upon its inner face a wheel 5.() meshing into the minute-wneel l5. is long as inward p essure is maintained upon the button lil, the parts of the clock will be in position for setting, which will be effected by turning the bef/el 32 in one direction or the other without, however, imparting any lateral or forward or bacl: movement to it.

moment inward pressure upon the button oli is removed, the spring lo will assert itself to swing the bell-crank lever 3S so as to carry the wheel 35 out of mesh with the wheel and into mesh with the main winding wheel al, leaving the clock-movement again in normal readiness for winding.

rlfhe clock-movement proper may be of any approved construction, and no detailed description of it is called for. is shown it is formed With a rear movement-plate 60 connected with the front movement-plate 8 by means of pillars 6l. The entire movement is mounted within the caseeband 19 by means of heavy pillars 62 screwed at their forward ends into the plate 60 and having their rear ends threaded for the reception of screws 63 passing from rear to front through the case-back 64 which is fitted snugly within the rear end of the circular case-band 19.

What I particularly wish to emphasize in connection with my improvement is that the winding and setting gear is centered entirely with respect to the clock-movement rather than with r'espect to the clock-case, whereby I secure a greater accuracy of mesh as well as a great-er freedom of operation than can be achieved where the Winding-and-setting gear is centered upon the case rather than upon the movement.

I claim I. In a keyless clock, the combination with a cloclecase, of a time-movement having movement plates and Winding-and-setting trains, a bearing and positioning hub located upon one of the said movement-plates concentric with the center shaft of the said movement and smaller in diameter than the plate on which it is located, a winding-andsetting gear having bearing upon the said hub by which it is centered with respect to the movement, and a rotary winding-andsetting member concentric with and centered upon the said clock-case and connected with the said gear for driving the same.

2. In a keyless clock, the combination with a case, of a time-movement having Winding and sett-ing trains, a centering-bridge mounted upon one of the plates of the said time-movementand provided with a bearing and positioning hub concentric with the center-shaft of the said movement, a rotary winding-andsetting plate turning upon the said hub and carrying a gear co-acting with the winding and setting trains of the said movement, and a rotary bezel centered upon the clock-case and connected with the said plate for the operation thereof, whereby the said winding-and-setting plate and gear are centered and positioned by the timemovement rather than by the case.

3. In a keyless clock, the combination with a case, of a time-movement having Winding and setting trains, a centering-bridge fixed to the movement and provided with a bearing and positioning hub concentric with the center-shaft of the said movement, a winding-and-setting plate having rotary bearing upon the said hub and provided with an annular gear co-acting with the winding and setting trains of the movement, and a rotary bezel bearing upon the clock-case, the said plate and bezel being coupled together with capacity for accommodation with respect to each ot-her, whereby the said plate is centered and positioned by the movementrather than by the case.

1l. In a keyless clock, the combination with a clock-case, of a time-movement having winding and setting trains, a centeringbridge fixed to the movement and having a bearing and positioning hub, a dial fixed to the said bridge, a cir ular winding-and-sctting plate having bearing upon the said hub, interposed between the said bridge and dial and provided with an annular gear co-acting with the winding and setting trains of the clock, and a rotary bezel mounted upon the clock-case and coupled with the said plate which it rotates, whereby the said plate is centered and positioned by the movement. rather than by the case.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES I'I. BELL. Iitnesses IILLIAM A. ARMoUR, FRED I. ROBERTS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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