US2919538A - Toy watches - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 5, 1960 A. G. EICHHOLZ TOY WATCHES Filed June a, 1956 2 Sheets -Sheet FIG. 3

Z Ra mm mm mE c T s U G U A AT T Y.

Jan. 5, 1960 A. s. EICHHOLZ 2,919,538

TOY WATCHES Filed June 8, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet z ll 7 1| I I I FIG- 8 l I I 5| 1 as 49 I 35-I 52 5e 55 FIG. 9 36 I INVENTOR. AUGUST G. EICHHOLZ FIG. IO

. ATTORNEY United States Patent TOY WATCHES August G. Eichholz, St. Louis, Mo.

Application June 8, 1956, Serial No. 590,277

11 Claims (Cl. '58106) This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improvement in toy motors adapted for use in toy watches and other similar objects requiring an inexpensive compact power-source which can be wound up by the user and will deliver the stored energy over a predetermined period of time.

The average child usually desires some type of a plaything which is capable of simple motor-driven mechanical movement. For example, most children like to own a toy Watch which could be Wound up by a simulative watch stem very much in the manner of a genuine watch and would tick away for a substantial number of seconds after the stem has been released or the winding completed.

It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide a motor or mechanical movement which is particularly adapted for incorporation in a toy such as a childs toy watch and which may be wound up so as to release itsenergy slowly over a protracted period of time to the accompaniment of ticking noises or sounds similar in character to those emitted by real watches or clocks.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a motor for toys such as a toy watch which is capable of being wound up by a stern very much in the manner of a real watch and will, when the stem is released, deliver mechanical power for a predetermined interval.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toy watch of the type stated which is rugged and durable and will withstand the type of abuse to which children ordinarily subject their playthings.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a toy motor of the type stated which is simple and economical in construction and can be manufactured at relatively low cost so that it may be sold well within the range of modest retail price usually associated with childrens toys and playthings.

It is, furthermore, an object of the present invention to provide a toy watch having a windable tick-emitting mechanical movement which is also capable of imparting motion to component parts in the production of some visual or visible effect, such as the winking of an eye or the waving of an arm of a figure or character painted on the watchdial.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a toy watch construction in accordance with and embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of the motor frame;

Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6 are fragmentary sectional views taken, respectively, along lines 33, 4-4, S5, and 6-6 of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a modified form 2,919,538 Patented Jan. 5, 1960 2 of a toy watch constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 9-9 of Figure 7, and

Figure 10 is a sectional view taken along line 10-10 of Figure 8.

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to the drawing, which illustrates practical embodiments of the present invention, A designates a toy watch comprising a preferably rectangular stamped metal top housing or shell 1 provided along its opposite transverse margin with longitudinally projecting pairs of ears 2 for receiving conventional strap-retaining pins 3 by which wrist straps 4, 4', are held in place. The shell 1 integrally includes longitudinal side walls 5, 5, the latter being centrally provided with a U-shaped slot 6 extending upwardly from its lower margin. Provided for snug-fitting telescoped disposition within the shell 1 is a motor frame 7 having a flat bottom wall 8 and longitudinally extending side walls 9, 9', the former being centrally provided with a U-shaped slot 10 extending downwardly from its upper margin for registration with the slot 6. The respective lengths of the slots 6, 10, are such that the straight portions thereof will overlap and extend beyond each other and together will define a substantially circular aperture for purposes presently more fully appearing.

Securely attached to the wall 9 is a bracket 11 which is provided to hold a spring-leaf flapper 12 formed preferably of synthetic plastic or other similar resilient material. Similarly attached to the wall 9 is a bracket 13 which is provided with a flapper 14, substantially similar in shape and construction to the flapper 12. It will be noted by reference to Figure 2 that the brackets 11 and 13 are preferably located at diagonally opposite corners of the motor frame 7 and the flappers 12 and 14 extend in upwardly spaced parallel relationship to the bottom 8, terminating at their free ends adjacent to the transverse center line of the motor frame 7.

Extending along the transverse center line of the frame 7 is a shaft 15 which is journaled at one end in a bearingforming ear 16 mounted centrally along the wall 9. At its other end the shaft 15 is preferably sharpened or pointed and at such end passes through a relatively thick or substantial rubber disk or membrane 17 which is securely fastened to the inner end face of which stem 18 having a tubular shank 19 extending through the opening formed by the slots 6 and 10. At its outer end the shank 19 is integrally provided with a knurled knob or crown 20 by which the watch stem can be manually rotated. Rigidly fixed upon the shank 19 inwardly of the wall 9 is a gear or star wheel 21 meshing with the free end of the flapper 12.

Likewise fastened upon the shaft 15 inwardly from the projecting ear 16 is a similar star wheel or gear wheel 21' meshing against the free end of the flapper 14. Said shaft 15 is further provided at its center with a concentric disk '22 having a hooked slot 23 for engaging a rubber band or similar flexible member 24 which is also looped around two hooks 25, 25', located in spaced parallel relationship along one transverse edge of motor frame 7 as best seen in Figure 2.

In use, the child may wind up the watch A, so to speak, by turning the crown 20 with an uni-directional winding movement. The flapper 12 prevents the stem 13 from turning in the reverse direction and also produces an audible clicking sound which simulates the sound of a conventional watch. Because the point of the shaft 15 has been pushed forcibly through the rubber disk 17 there will be sufiicient frictional engagement between the rubber disk 17 and the shaft so that the winding movement of the crown will cause the shaft 15 to rotate and this will result in the rotation of the slotted circular disk 22, causing the rubber band 24 to wind around the shaft 15. The winding movement of the crown 20 will further cause the star wheels 21 and 21 to rotate against the free ends of the flappers 12 and .14, producing a desirable and definitely audible clicking sound. When the winding movement is completed, and the child releases the crown 20, the rubber band 24 will have been wound up or coiled around the shaft 15 as shown in Figure 2 and will, of course, tend to unwind and rotate the shaft 15 in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation with which it 'was wound up. This unwinding force, so to speak, would ordinarily tend to rotate the crown 20 and its associate stem 18 and tubular shank 19 in this same reverse direction but the amount of frictional resistance imposed by the flapper 12 against the star wheel 21 is relatively much greater than the resilient binding or gripping engagement between the rubber disk 17 and the shaft 15. Consequently the star wheel 21, stem 18, shank 19 and crown 2% will remain stationary while the shaft slowly slips rotatively within the rubber disk 17. In other words, while the crown 20 and its associated parts remain stationary, the tension placed on the rubber band 24, will cause slippage within the frictional engagement between the rubber disk 17 and the shaft 15 so that the shaft 15 will slowly revolve in a reverse direction as the rubber band 24 unwinds. The star wheel 21' slowly revolves also while meshing with the flapper 14 thereby producing a slow measured ticking sound closely resembling the normal ticking sound of a genuine Watch.

As will be readily evident, the rubber band 24 is cap'able of winding up around the shaft 15 for a substantial number of turns and thus will store a suflicient amount of energy so that the unwinding and ticking action will last for an appreciable number of seconds and will, in a manner of speaking, give a sufficiently prolonged audible effect so that the child will have a feeling that the toy watch A is ticking just like a genuine watch.

It should also be noted in this connection that the toy watch A is substantially foolproof in its operation, inasmuch as it cannot be overwound to such a degree as would tend to break the rubber band 24. Whenever the child has wound up the Watch as tightly as the elastic limits of the rubber band 24 will permit and the rubber band 24 tends to approach its breaking point, the amount of force required to continue turning of the knurled head 20 will be greater than the amount of frictional force between the rubber plate 17 and the shaft 15, so that the shaft 15 will slip with respect to the rubber plate 17 and no further winding action will be transmitted to the shaft 15 to impose additional stretch on the rubber band 24. Finally, if, after long usage, the rubber band wears out and does break it is relatively easy for the childs parents or an older sister or brother to take the toy watch A apart and replace the rubber band in substantially the same manner as it was originally installed.

If desired, a modified form of toy watch B, essentially similar to the previously described watch A, comprises a case having sidewalls 31, 32, endwalls 33, 34, and a removable back having a peripheral flange 36 which tightly engages the sidewalls 31, 32, and endwalls 33, 34. Rotatably mounted in the sidewall 31 is a watch stem 37 comprising a tubular shank 38 provided at its outer end with a knob or crown 39. At its inner end the shank 38 is provided with a ratchet-wheel 40 having teeth 41 which engage a flapper 42 fastened at its end to a boss 43 formed on the sidewall 31. Suitably held upon the inwardly presented face of the ratchet wheel 40, as by means of a clip 44, is a rubber disk or membrane 45 which extends closure wise across an axial bore 46 in the inner end of the shank 38.

Journaled at one end in a bracket 47 fastened upon the inner face of the sidewall 32 is a shaft 48, the other end of which is pointed and forcibly inserted through the disk 45 so as to be encircled and frictionally gripped thereby. Rigidly mounted upon the shaft 48 inwardly of the ratchet-wheel 40 is a star-wheel 49 having relatively long teeth 5i) which engage the free end of an auxiliary flapper 51 also mounted on the boss 43. The star-wheel 49 also engages a felt ring 52 adhesively secured upon the downwardly presented face of a rotary disk 53 having a stub-shaft 54 journaled in and extending through the top wall 55 of the case 30. At its outer end the stub-shaft 54 is provided with a so-called sweep second hand 56 located between a bezel 57 and a numbered dial 58 conventionally forming the upwardly presented face of the Watch B. If desired, dummy hands 59, 60, can be provided to simulate the hour and minute hands of a conventional watch.

Rigidly fastened to the shaft 48 is a hook 61 which engages a rubber band 62, the latter also being looped around hooks 63, 64, formed on the endwalls 33, 34, and hook 65 formed on sidewall 32. Thus, when the watch stem 37 is manually rotated, the rubber band 62 will wind up around the shaft 48 substantially in the same manner as previously described in connection with the watch A. When fully wound and released, the rubber band 62 will unwind slowly against the frictional retardation imposed of the shaft 48 by the rubber disk 45 and the star-wheel 49 will rotate the disk 53 and the associated sweep second hand 56 with an accompanying ticking sound emitted by the flapper 51. Of course, the sweep second hand 56 will turn in the other direction as the watch stem 37 is wound up, so to speak, but this movement, while not conforming to the operation of a conventional watch, nevertheless, has definite appeal or play value for children.

It should be understood in this connection that the above described mechanism is not necessarily limited to toy watches, but may be applied to various other typ'es of toys requiring similar motivation, and it should, also, be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the present invention may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what -I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A motor for toy watches and the like comprising a hollow casing, a shaft operatively mounted in the easing, shaft-operating means mounted on said casing and projecting externally thereof, said shaft-operating means being operatively associated with the shaft by which the shaft may be manually turned, an elastic element secured to said shaft-operating means, said shaft extending bodily through the elastic element whereby the elastic element will grip the shaft annularly due to normal contraction for frictional engagement therewith so that when said shaft-operating means is manually rotated the elastic element will in effect attach itself to the shaft for rotation therewith and thereby rotate the shaft, a resilient band looped around and attached to the shaft and also attached to the casing so that as the shaft is rotated by said shaft-operating means the band will coil itself up around the shaft into a plurality of stretched substantially circular turns, means within the casing for holding the shaft-operating means stationary when manual rotation is discontinued, the frictional engagement between the elastic element and the shaft being of such nature that when the shaft-operating means is held stationary after the band is wound into a series of stretched convolutions the shaft will operatively slip with respect to the elastic element and the resilient band will unwind itself pro ducing rotation of said shaft, and means within the casing actuable responsive to the rotation of the shaft for producing mechanical movement.

2. A motor for toy watches and the like comprising a hollow casing, a shaft operatively mounted in the casing, shaft-operating means mounted on said casing and including a knurled knob extending externally of the casing, said shaft-operating means being operatively associated with the shaft by which the shift may be manually turned, an elastic element secured to said shaftoperating means, said shaft extending bodily through the elastic element whereby the elastic element will grip the shaft annularly due to normal contraction for frictional engagement therewith so that when said knob is manually rotated the elastic element will in effect attach itself to the shaft for rotation therewith and thereby rotate the shaft, a resilient band looped around and attached to the shaft and also attached to the casing so that as the shaft is rotated by said knob the band will coil itself up around the shaft into a plurality of stretched substantially circ'ular turns, means within the'casing for holding the knob stationary when manual rotation is discontinued, the frictional engagement between the elastic element and the shaft being of such nature that when the knob is held stationary after the band is wound into a series of stretched convolutions the shaft will operatively slip with respect to the elastic element and the resilient band will unwind itself causing the shaft to rotate in the reverse direction with respect to the direction it was rotated as a result of manual actuation of the knob, and means within the casing actuable responsive to the rotation of the shaft for producing mechanical movement.

3. A toy watch comprising a hollow casing, a shaft operatively mounted in the casing, shaft-operating means mounted on said casing and projecting externally thereof,

said shaft operating means being operatively associated with the shaft by which the shaft may be manually turned, an elastic element secured to said shaft-operating means, said shaft extending bodily through the elastic element whereby the elastic element will grip the shaft annularly due to normal contraction for frictional engagement therewith so that when said shaft operating means is manually rotated the elastic element will in effect attach itself to the shaft for rotation therewith and thereby rotate the shaft, a resilient band looped around and attached to the shaft and also attached to the casing so that as the shaft is rotated by said shaft operating means the band will coil itself up around the shaft into a plurality of stretched substantially circular turns, means within the casing for holding the shaft-operating means stationary when manual rotation is discontinued, the frictional engagement between the elastic element and the shaft being of such nature that when the shaft operating means is held stationary after the band is wound into a series of stretched convolutions the shaft will operatively slip with respect to the elastic element and the resilient band will unwind itself producing rotation of the shaft, and means within the casing actuable responsive to the rotation of the shaft for producing mechanical movement.

4. A motor for toy Watches and the like comprising a hollow casing, a shaft journaled in and extending across the casing, a knob mounted in and projecting outwardly from the casing, an elastic element secured upon the interior end face of the knob and frictionally engaged with the shaft so that when the knob is manually rotated the elastic element will rotatethe shaft, a toothed Wheel rigidly mounted on the knob, a flexible spring-like blade rigidly mounted on one end within the casing and having its free end engaged with the toothed wheelf or holding the shaft stationary when manually applied rotative effort ceases, a rubber band looped around and attached to the shaft, said band also being stationarily attached to the casing whereby the band will coil itself around the shaft when the latter is manually rotated, the frictional engagement between the shaft and the elastic element being such that when the knob is held stationary the shaft will slip with respect to the elastic element whereupon the rubber band will unwind itself and by such unwinding action produce rotative movement of the shaft in the reverse direction, a toothed member rigidly mounted on the shaft, and a blade-like flapper mounted at one end in the casing and engaged at its free end in the toothed member whereby the flapper is moved by the toothed member to cause said flapper to strike thereagainst and produce a ticking sound as the shaft is rotated.

5. A motor for toy watches and the like comprising a hollow casing, a shaft operatively mounted in the casing, shaft-operating means mounted on and projecting externally of the casing and operatively associated with the shaft by which the shaft may be manually turned, an elastic element secured to said means, said shaft extending bodily through the elastic element whereby the elastic element will grip the shaft annularly due to normal contraction for frictional engagement therewith so that when said shaft operating means is manually rotated the elastic element will in effect attach itself to the shaft for rotation therewith and thereby rotate the shaft, a resilient band looped around and attached to the shaft and also attached to the casing so that as the shaft is rotated by said shaft-operating means the band will coil itself up around the shaft into a plurality of stretched substantially circular turns, ratchet means within the easing, means within the casing cooperatively engaging the ratchet means for holding the shaft-operating means stationary when manual rotation is discontinued, the frictional engagement between the elastic element and the shaft being of such nature that when the shaft-operating means is held stationary after the band is wound into a series of stretched convolutions the shaft will operatively slip with respect to the elastic element and the band will unwind itself, and means within the casing actuable reponsive to the rotation of the shaft for producing mechanical movement.

6. A motor for toy watches and the like comprising a hollow casing, a shaft operatively mounted in the casing, a shaft-like member rotatably mounted in and extending outwardly from the casing in co-axial alignment with the shaft, a knurled knob mounted on the shaft-like member externally of the casing by which the shaft-like member may be manually turned, an elastic element secured to said shaft-like member, said shaft extending bodily through the elastic element whereby the elastic element will grip the shaft annularly due to normal contraction for frictional engagement therewith so that when said knob is manually rotated the elastic element will in effect attach itself to the shaft for rotation therewith and thereby rotate the shaft, a resilient band looped around and attached to the shaft and also attached to the casing so that as the shaft is rotated by said knob the band will coil itself up around the shaft into a plurality of stretched substantially circular turns, means within the casing for holding the shaft-like member stationary when manual rotation is discontinued, the frictional engagement between the elastic element and the shaft being of such nature that when the shaft-like member is held stationary after the band is wound into a series of stretched convolutions the shaft will operatively slip with respect to the elastic element and the band will unwind itself, and means within the casing actuable responsive to the rotation of the shaft for producing mechanical movement.

7. A motor for toy watches and the like comprising a hollow casing, a shaft operatively mounted in the easing, shaft operating means mounted on and projecting externally of the casing and operatively associated with the shaft by which the shaft may be manually turned, an elastic element secured to said means, said shaft extending bodily through the elastic element whereby the elastic element will grip the shaft annularly due to normal contraction for frictional engagement therewith so that when said shaft operating means is manually rotated the elastic element will in effect attach itself to the shaft for rotation therewith and thereby rotate the shaft, a

slotted wheel rigidly attached to the shaft, a resilient band looped around the shaft and hooked into the slotted wheel, said band also being attached to the casing so that as the shaft is rotated by said shaft operating means the band will coil itself up around the shaft into a plurality of stretched substantially circular turns, means within the casing for holding the shaft stationary when manual rotation is discontinued, the frictional engagement between the elastic element and the shaft being of such nature that when the elastic element is held stationary after the band is wound into a series of stretched convolutions the shaft will operatively slip with respect to the elastic element and the band will unwind itself, and means within the casing actuable responsive to the rotation of the shaft for producing mechanical movement.

8. A motor for toy watches and the like comprising a hollow casing, a shaft operatively mounted in the easing, shaft-operating means mounted on and projecting externally of the casing and operatively associated with the shaft by which the shaft may be manually turned, an elastic element secured to said shaft-operating means, said shaft extending bodily through the elastic element whereby the elastic element will grip the shaft annularly due to normal contraction for frictional engagement therewith so that when said shaft-operating means is manually rotated the elastic element will in effect attach itself to the shaft for rotation therewith and thereby rotate the shaft, a resilient band operatively connected to the shaft and also attached to the casing so that as the shaft is rotated by said shaft operating means the band will coil itself up around the shaft into a plurality of stretched substantially circular turns, means within the casing for holding the shaft-operating means stationary when man ual rotation is discontinued, the frictional engagement between the elastic element and the shaft being of such nature that when the shaft-operating means is held stationary after the band is wound into a series of stretched convolutions the shaft will operatively slip with respect to the elastic element and the resilient band will unwind itself producing rotation of said shaft, and means within the casing actuable responsive to rotation of the shaft for producing mechanical movement.

9. A device in accordance with claim 8 and further comprising a hand rotatably mounted in the casing, and driving means operatively connecting the hand and the shaft so that the hand will rotate responsive to rotation of the shaft.

10. A device in accordance with claim 8 and further comprising a hand rotatably mounted in the casing, a disc rigidly fastened to the hand, a friction element mounted on the disc, and a wheel rigidly mounted on the shaft for peripheral engagement with the friction element whereby the disc and hand will rotate responsive to rotation of the shaft.

11. A device in accordance with claim 8 and further comprising a hand rotatably mounted in the casing, a disc rigidly fastened to the hand, a felt ring mounted on the disc, and a Wheel rigidly mounted on the shaft for peripheral engagement with the felt ring whereby the disc and hand will rotate responsive to rotation of the shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,667,738 Eichholz Feb. 2, 1954

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