US3145526A

US3145526A - Luminous electric clock

Info

Publication number: US3145526A
Application number: US123742A
Authority: US
Inventors: John J Kroon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-07-13
Filing date: 1961-07-13
Publication date: 1964-08-25
Anticipated expiration: 1981-08-25

Description

Allg- 1964 J. J. KROON 3,145,526

LUMINOUS ELECTRIC CLOCK Filed July 13, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 29 23 32 31 6 [5b 20 2/ 22 H 12 I824 v 14 1 19 33 v, ,1: fl* 3,5 4o 42 3o 35 37 //o FIG. 2

INVENTOR BY JOHN J. Kaoou ATTORNEYS 25,1964 J. J. KRQON 3,145,526

LUMINOUS ELECTRIC CLOCK Filed July 13, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR BY JOHN KROON ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,145,526 LUMINOUS ELECTRIC CLGCK John I. Kroon, 1415 W. Troy, Ferndale 20, Mich. Filed July 13, 1961, Ser. No. 123,742 12 Claims. (Cl. 58-50) This invention relates to luminous electric clocks and particularly to control means associated with a conventional electric clock movement for indicating time on stationary luminous indicia.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved luminous electric clock.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a clock which is simpler in construction and operation than prior art clocks.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a clock having a novel synchronizing mechanism between the minute and hour indicia.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a clock embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a part sectional view taken along the line 22 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a clock face used in association with the mechanism shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 4-4 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic wiring diagram of the circuit of the clock embodying the invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a control body 9 is mounted concentrically on the face of a standard electric clock movement housing 10. The control body 9 is made of electrically non-conductive material and remains stationary, being aflixed to clock mechanism housing 10. A resilient commutator brush 11 of electrical conducting material is aflixed to driver plate 12 as by welding at 13. Driver plate 12 is pressed on minute hand arbor 14 of the clock movement 10. Commutator brush 11 has a curved end as shown bearing against a pin 15. Twelve equally spaced pins 15 are arranged in a circle on the periphery of flange 17 of body 9. Pins 15 serve as switch points for the minute indicia 25 (see FIGS. 3 and 5). As minute hand arbor 14 rotates in a clockwise direction, brush 11 moves substantially in a straight line in the direction indicated by the arrow adjacent brush 11 in FIG. 1. After a five minute interval, brush 11 will have moved in the direction of the arrow to a position where one pin 15 no longer affords support. It is during this time of substantially linear movement that brush 11 is stressed in a manner which causes it to advance instantly to the next adjacent pin 15 when the previous pin 15 no longer affords support. This action is repeated at each pin 15 as brush 11 is advanced in a clockwise direction.

A disk 18 of electrically conducting material is rotatably mounted on the hour hand arbor 159. Disk 18 is formed with twelve equally spaced latch holes 20 about its periphery. A spacer 42 insures the proper positioning of disk 18.

A resilient curved brush 21 of electrically conducting material is shown secured to disk 18 as by welding at 22. Brush 21 is similar in function to brush 11, and is shown bearing against a pin 23 which is one of twelve equally spaced pins 23 which extend radially inwardly from surface 24 of flange 17. Pins 23 serve as switch points for the hour indicia 26 (see FIGS. 3 and 5).

All

pins

15 and 23 are electrical conductors and are insulated from each other, being mounted in non-conducting control body 9.

Brushes 11 and 21 are both grounded electrically through the shafts and gearing of clock movement 10.

Referring to FIG. 3, it can be seen that there are twelve equally spaced minute indicia 25 arranged in an annular series on face 27 which may be mounted on body 9 or remotely therefrom. The twelve hour indicia 26 are also arranged in an equally spaced annular series, but the hour indicia 26 form a smaller circle inside the circle of the minute indicia 25. The minute indicia 25 are so controlled that only one is in the circuit at any given time. .The hour indicia 26 are similarly controlled. The relative distances from the center of the clock face 27 of the hour and minute indicia suggest the difference in the length of the hands on a standard clock. Numerals 28 may be provided on the clock face in addition to

indicia

25, 26.

Since no traveling hands are employed on the face 27 of this clock, and since there are only twelve hour indicia 26, and only twelve minute indicia 25, provision is made for one instantaneous change per hour in the hour indicia 26, and one such change per five minute interval in the minute indicia 25. In order to resemble the operation of a conventional clock face the hour reading should advance one position at the same instant that the minute reading advances from the half hour past position to the twenty five minute before the hour position.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an arm 29 is pressed onto and rotates with hour hand arbor 19. A tension spring 30 is connected at one end to arm 29 and at its opposite end to a bracket 31 which is welded to disk 18. Tension spring 30 is prestressed so that it tends to urge disk 18 in a clockwise direction, but is prevented from doing so by a stop 32, which is welded to disk 18.

A trip lever 33 is shown secured to the end of a radial shaft 34 which, in turn, is mounted in bearing 35 that is formed integrally with or secured to control body 9. The other end of shaft 34 is bent at a right angle into a trip lever leaf 36, the extreme end of which is bent into an axially extending hook 37 (see FIG. 4). A tension spring 38 is connected at one end to trip lever 33 and at its opposite end to a bracket 39 that is formed integrally with or secured to control body 9. Spring 38 thus yieldingly urges hook 37 through a hole 40 in body 9 against disk 18.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, disk 18 must rotate approximately twenty degrees in a clockwise direction from the position shown before a latch hole 20 presents itself to hook 37. When a latch hole 20 presents itself to hook 7, spring 38 causes the end of hook 37, which is contacting the underside of disk 18 to enter latch hole 20, thereby restraining further rotation of disk 18. Since hour hand arbor 19, arm 29 and disk 18 rotate 4 as fast as minute arbor 14, it follows that minute arbor 14 will have rotated 240 while hour arbor 19 has advanced twenty degrees. During this time, brush 21 has been in contact with pin 23, since brush 21 is resilient and of such length that it maintains contact with pin 23 through several degrees of rotation.

After the above latched condition is reached, arm 29 continues to rotate with arbor 19. Arm 29 acting through spring 30 tends to urge disk 18 to rotate with arm 29. However, while the hook 37 is engaged with a latch hole 20, spring 30 is prevented from rotating disk 18. Brush 11 also continues to advance from pin to pin on surface 17 in a clockwise direction. When brush 11 rotates an additional and makes contact with pin 15a arm 29 will have advanced approximately ten degrees ahead of disk 18 which is restrained by hook 37 through the lostmotion connection between the disk 18 and arm 29. However, as brush 11 flips or jumps from pin 15a to pin 15b, it engages trip lever 33 and swings it against the action of spring 38. Such action causes hook 37 to be removed from latch hole 241 and allows spring 30 to rotate disk 18 through the ten degrees by which it has lagged behind arm 29. Brush 21 is of such length and resilience that ten degrees of rotation permits it to jump to. the next pin 15b or switch point on surface 24. After trip lever 33 is moved out of the path of brush 11 as it moves from pin 15a to pin 155, spring 38 returns the trip lever 33 to a position where the end of hook 37 contacts the undersurface of disk 18 so it is in position to engage the next hole 20. This brush 21 always advances one position each time brush 11 reaches pin 15b.

The electric circuit is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 5. Electric currenttissupplied from a source indicated by

posts

43 and 44 and through

loads

45, 46, 41 and 48 to continuously operate the synchronousmotor of electric clock movement lit. Electric current aiso flows from post 44 through

leads

48 and 49 to ground. Since brushes 11 and 21 are grounded through the clock movement housing 10, a circuit is completed to pins or switch

points

15 and 23 through minute indicia and hour indicia 26, dropping resistors 52, through leads 53 and 54 and lead to post 43. ,

Indicia

25, 26 may comprise lamps such as light bulbs, neon lights or other electrically energized signal means.

Although minute indicia are provided at five minute positions, it can be appreciated that minute indicia can also be provided at minute intervals.

I claim:

1. For use with a conventional electric clock movement having concentrictminute arbor and hour arbor, the combination comprising a first resilient electrical contact brush mounted on the minute arbor for rotation therewith, a disk rotatably mounted on the hour arbor, a second resilient electrical contact brush mounted on said disk for rotation with said disk, a plurality of circumferentially spaced electrical contact members associated with each of said brushes, luminous indicia means associated with each said contactmember, yieldable means extending between said hour arbor and said disk tending to rotate said disk, means for releasably mechanically locking said disk in one of a plurality of angular positions, said means actuated by engagement with said first brush once during each revolution thereof to release said locking means and permit said disk to rotate a predetermined angular distance.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said means interposed between said hour arbor and said disk comprises a tension spring.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 wherein said last-mentioned means includes an arm fixed on said hour arbor and extending radially outwardly therefrom, one end of said tension spring being connected to said arm and the other end of said tension spring being connected to said disk, and a stop fixed to said disk and engaging said arm for limiting the movement of said disk toward said arm.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for locking said disk comprises a latch, means for yieldingly urging said latch into engagement with said disk, said latch having a portion thereof adapted to be engaged by said minute brush to disengage the latch from the disk.

5. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said circumferentially spaced contact members cooperating with said first brush comprise circumferentially spaced pins extending axially.

6. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said circumferentially spaced contact members associated with said second brush comprise a plurality of pins extending radially inwardly toward said second brush.

7. For use with a conventional electric clock movement having concentric minute arbor and hour arbor, the combination comprising a body of electrical insulating material adapted to be mounted on the housing of a clock movement, said body having an opening therein through which the hour arbor and minute arbor of the clock movement extend, said body including an axially extending peripheral flange, a plurality of circumferentially spaced contact members mounted on said flange and extending axially therefrom, a resilient electrical contact brush mounted on said minute arbor and adapted to successively engaged said contact members, a disk rotatably mounted on said arbor and extending within said flange of said body, a second resilient electrical contact brush mounted on said disk, a plurality of circumferentially spaced contact members mounted on said fiange and extending radially inwardly toward said hour arbor, said second contact brush adapted to selectively and successively engage said radial contacts, said disk being formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced holes near the outer edge thereof, a latch mounted on said body and having an end adapted to selectively engage said holes, means for resiliently urging said latch into engagement with said holes, said latch having a portion, thereof extending into the path of said first mentioned brush whereby said latch is disengaged from said disk once during each revolution of said brush, and resilient means extending between said disk and said hour arbor tending to rotate said disk.

8. The combination set forth in claim 7 wherein said means interposed between said hour arbor and said disk comprises a tension spring.

9. For use with a conventional electric clock movement having concentric minute arbor and hour arbor, the combination comprising a first resilient electrical contact brush mounted on the minute arbor for rotation therewith, a member rotatably mounted on the. hour arbor, a second resilient electrical contact brush mounted on said member for rotation with said member, a plurality of circumferentially spaced electrical contact members associated with each of said brushes, luminous indicia means associated with each said contact member, yieldable means extending between said hour arbor and said member tending to rotate said member, meansfor releasably mechanically locking said member in one of a plurality of angular positions, said means actuated by engagement with said first brush once during each revolution thereof to release said locking means and permit said member to rotate a predetermined, angular distance.

10. For use with a conventional electric clock movement having concentric minute arbor and hour arbor, the combination comprising a body of electrical insulating material adapted to be mounted on the housing of a clock movement, said body having an opening therein through which the hour arbor and minute arbor of the clock movement extend, said body including an axially extending peripheral flange, a first set of circumferentially spaced contact members mounted on said flange and extending axially therefrom, a resilient electrical contact brush mounted on said minute arbor and adapted to successively engage said contact members, a disk rotatably mounted on said arbor and extending within said flange of said body, a second resilient electrical contact brush mounted on said disk, a second set of circumferentially spaced contact members mounted on said flange, said second contact brush adapted to selectively and successively engage said second contacts, said disk being formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced holes near the outer edge thereof, a latch mounted on said body and having an end adapted to selectively engage said holes, means for resiliently urging said latch into engagement with said holes, said latch having a portion thereof extending into the path of said first mentioned brush whereby said latch is disengaged from said disk once during each revolution of said brush, and resilient means extending between said disk and said hour arbor tending to rotate said disk.

11. For use with a conventional electric clock movement having concentric minute arbor and hour arbor, the combination comprising a body of electrical insulating material adapted to be mounted on the housing of a clock movement, said body having an opening therein through which the hour arbor and minute arbor of the clock movement extend, a first set of circumferentially spaced contact members mounted on said body, a resilient elec trical contact brush mounted on said minute arbor and adapted to successively engage said contact members as the minute arbor rotates, said engagement comprising a sliding movement relative to said contact members followed by a movement past said contact members, a disk rotatably mounted on said arbor within said contact members, a second resilient electrical contact brush mounted on said disk, a second set of circumferentially spaced contact members mounted on said body, said second contact brush adapted to selectively and successively engage said second contacts, luminous indicia means associated with each said contact member, yieldable means extending between said hour arbor and said disk tending to rotate said disk, means for releasably mechanically locking said disk in one of a plurality of circumferential positions, said means actuated by engagement with said first contact brush once during each revolution thereof to release said locking means and permit said disk to rotate a predetermined angular distance.

12. The combination set forth in claim 11 wherein said locking means comprises a latch mounted on said body,

said disk being formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced holes near the outer edge thereof, said latch having an end adapted to selectively engage said holes, means for resiliently urging said latch into engagement with said holes, said latch having a portion thereof extending into the path of said first brush whereby said latch is disengaged from said disk once during each revolution of said first brush.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,774,579 White Sept. 2, 1930 2,193,992 Vissing Mar. 19, 1940 3,022,626 Grow Feb. 27, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 20,262 Great Britain AD. 1899 534,434 Italy Oct. 17, 1955

Claims

1. FOR USE WITH A CONVENTIONAL ELECTRIC CLOCK MOVEMENT HAVING CONCENTRIC MINUTE ARBOR AND HOUR ARBOR, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A FIRST RESILIENT ELECTRICAL CONTACT BRUSH MOUNTED ON THE MINUTE ARBOR FOR ROTATION THEREWITH, A DISK ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON THE HOUR ARBOR, A SECOND RESILIENT ELECTRICAL CONTACT BRUSH MOUNTED ON SAID DISK FOR ROTATION WITH SAID DISK, A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED ELECTRICAL CONTACT MEMBERS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF SAID BRUSHES, LUMINOUS INDICIA MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH SAID CONTACT MEMBER, YIELDABLE MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID HOUR ARBOR AND SAID DISK TENDING TO ROTATE SAID DISK, MEANS FOR RELEASABLY MECHANICALLY LOCKING SAID DISK IN ONE OF A PLURALITY OF ANGULAR POSITIONS, SAID MEANS ACUTATED BY ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FIRST BRUSH ONCE DURING EACH REVOLUTION THEREOF TO RELEASE SAID LOCKING MEANS AND PERMIT SAID DISK TO ROTATE A PREDETERMINED ANGULAR DISTANCE.