US2179411A - Pendulum clockwork - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 7, 1939. H. JUNGHANS 2,179,411

PENDULUM CLOCKWORK Filed July 1, 1938 HELMUT JUNGHANS ATTYS Jnmv/ar:

UNITED grates i ATENT OFFi'fIiii PEN DU LUM CLO CKWORK Helrnut .Ennghans,

Schramberg- Sulgen,

Wurtemberg, Germany Application July l, 1938, Serial No. 217,067 In Germany April 21, 1937 5 Claims.

The present invention relates to pendulum clockworks, and has for its object the provision of such a clockwork having a very small depth of frame. Such clockworks would be particularly suitable for wall clocks which according to the prevailing trend in taste are built extremely flat to fit as closely as possible against the wall. The pendulum clockworks hitherto known are not very suitable for building into flat housings as the arrangement of the suspension block for the pendulum spring on the outside of the rear plate increases the depth of the clockwork by morethan a half. The portion of the pendulum fork which is bent at right angles to the rear plate also requires much space.

A pendulum clockwork which will meet the above requirements is built up according to the invention in such a way that the pendulum is suspended between the two frame plates of the clockwork, and in order that the pendulum rod or spring can pass through the axis of the anchor shaft, the latter is extended around the point where the said rod or spring passes through it.

According to a further characteristic the anchor shaft may be provided with an opening at this point, orwith a recess or it may be cranked, the crank passing around the pendulum spring. According .to another characteristic of the invention the pendulum rod can be bent or curved laterally near the clockwork shafts (minute shaft, winding shaft) in order to obtain the necessary freedom of movement.

In a pendulum clockwork having the above characteristics the pendulum fork is preferably attached to the anchor shaft between the frame plates, then extended through the rear plate and parallel to and along the outside of the latter to the lower edge thereof and finally bent inwardly up to the pendulum rod.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 shows a pendulum, its suspension, anchor shaft and, indicated diagrammatically, some of the shafts and wheels of the clockwork, as seen from the rear.

Figure 2 is a side View of Figure 1,

Figures 3 to 5 show various embodiments of the anchor shaft.

Parts of the clockwork which have no direct bearing on the invention have been omitted from the drawing. a is the rear plate, a the front plate of the frame of the clockwork. Between the two plates there is located the anchor shaft 17. The anchor shaft b carries the escape wheel pallets b of a mechanical escapement. The pendulum c is attached in known manner to the suspension block by means of the pendulum rod d and the pendulum spring e. However, the suspension block 1 is not as usual attached to the rear plate so as to extend rearwardly beyond, it, but instead is arranged so as to lie above the clockwork. It is known that in a clockwork of the kind here described the pendulum spring must intersect in a vertical plane the imaginary axis of the anchor shaft. Furthermore, the sus pension is to be effected in such a way that the line about which the pendulum bends coincides with the axis of the achor shaft. The reason for this is that the pendulum fork g is attached to the anchor shaft and that during the swing of the pendulum there should be no displacement of the portion g which is bent up to the pendulum rod, in relation to the pendulum rod d.

In order to fulfil these conditions the anchor shaft in the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 is provided with an opening it in the flattened and widened part i. The pendulum spring extends through this opening in such a way as to interest the imaginary axis of the anchor shaft at right angles, the line along which the spring bends coinciding with the said axis.

In the embodiment illustrated only a clock movement has been provided, so that not only the minute shaft but also the movement winding shaft lie perpendicularly below the anchor shaft. Now, in order to provide the pendulum rod with sufficient freedom of lateral movement to carry out its oscillations, the said rod is curved or bent laterally outward at the level of the minute shaft 7c and again at the level of the winding shaft Z, at d and The pendulum fork is attached near the rear end of the anchor shaft, then cranked at g and passed through the rear plate. The portion g of the fork passes on the outside of the rear plate a and parallel thereto to the lower edge thereof, where the fork is bent at right angles and brought up to the pendulum rod (1, the prongs of the fork lying around the rod in known manner.

A simplified form of anchor shaft as compared with the one shown in Figures 1 to 3 is obtained by passing the said shaft around the pendulum spring in the form of a crank. In this case room for the pendulum spring is obtained by providing a somewhat thicker anchor shaft with a recess m. on one side (see Figure 4) or with a cranklike bend n (Figure 5).

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare, that what I claim is:

1. A pendulum clockwork comprising spaced frame plates, a pendulum suspended between the frame plates, and an anchor shaft mounted in the plates and having means permitting the passage of the pendulum through the axis of the anchor shaft to decrease the distance between the frame plates and thus the depth of the clockwork, the said shaft extending around the point of intersection of the pendulum and the axis.

2. A clockwork according to claim 1, in which the means of the anchor shaft is in the form of an opening through which the pendulum passes.

3. A clockwork according to claim 1, in which the means of the anchor shaft is in the form of a crank providing a lateral recess.

4. A clockwork according to claim 1, in which a plurality of clockwork shafts are provided and the pendulum rod having laterally curved portions at the level of the shafts to obtain the necessary freedom of movement for the pendulum.

5. A clockwork according to claim 1, in which a pendulum fork' is provided attached to the anchor shaft between the frame plates and extending through one of the plates and parallel thereto along the outside thereof to the lower edge thereof and then bent inwardly up to the pendulum.

HELMUT JUNGI-IANS.

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