US3277646A - Five-in-one watch assembly - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 11, 1966 R. M. HOWARD, SR

FIVE-IN-ONE WATCH ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 12, 1964 I INVENTOR.

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Oct. 11, 1966 M HOWARD, SR

FIVE-IN-ONE WATCH ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 12, 1964 IVENTOR.

BY fiubefl /7 M 7 y) AT/UR/VZZ Howard, 5r.

United States Patent f 3,277,646 FIVE-IN-ONE WATCH ASSEMBLY Ruben M. Howard, Sr., 1392 Boston Road, Bronx, NY. Filed Nov. 12, 1964, Ser. No. 410,418 1 Claim. (Cl. 58-88) This invention relates to the art of jewelry and more particularly to a five-in-one watch assembly.

Broadly the invention comprises a watch assembly comprising a case with a back closure plate, a front crystal, a plurality of watch movements or units in annular formation around the case and in the center interposed between the back plate and crystal, each movement including a dial, an hour hand, a minute hand, stem winding mechanism, the hour and minute hand being visible through the crystal, a peripheral removable ring encircling the case and adapters mounted on the ring for attaching the case selectively to a wristband, a watch chain or a swingable supporting frame.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a circular watch assembly case with means for selectively and readily attaching and detaching a wristband, a watch chain, an ornamental pin or a swingable supporting frame.

Another object of the invention is to provide a circular watch assembly case with means for attaching and detaching wristband sections.

Still another object according to a modification of the invention is to provide a circular watch assembly case with means for attaching and detaching a watch chain.

A further object according to another modification of the invention is to provide a circular watch case with means for attaching and detaching an ornamental pin.

It is also an object according to still another modification of the invention to provide a circular watch case with means for attaching and detaching a swingable supporting frame.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings and to the appended claim in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a watch assembly embodying one form of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view thereof, parts being shown broken away and parts being shown in moved position, in dash lines.

FIG. 3 is an edge elevational view of the watch case looking from the line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an edge elevational view of the watch case looking from the line 44 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a top perspective view showing the joint between the ring and end of a wristband section.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on the plane of the line 7-7 of FIG. 6, on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 7A is a top perspective view of a modified form of ring and modified form of joint between the ring and end of a wristband section.

FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of a watch assembly embodying a modified form of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a portion of the ring showing the mounting of the brackets.

FIG. 10 is a front perspective view of a watch assembly embodying still another modification of the invention.

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary spread perspective view of a modified form of watch case and ring.

3,277,646 Patented Oct. 11, 1966 FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken on the line 12-12 of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a front elevational view of a part of the watch assembly of FIG. 8 with a modified form of sup porting device.

Referring now in detail to the various views of the drawings, in FIG. 1, a watch assembly embodying one form of the invention is shown and designated generally at 10. The watch assembly 10 comprises a watch assembly case 12 including a back closure plate 14, a front crystal 16 and a fixed peripheral band 18.

A plurality of watch movements or watch units indicated generally at 20, 22, 24, 26, 28 is mounted in the case between the back plate 14 and the front crystal 16. The watch movements or units 22, 24, 26, 28 are disposed in annular formation adjacent the periphery of the case, with the watch movement 20 in the center of the case. Each movement includes a dial 30, hour hand 32, minute hand 34 and winding stem 36 arranged outside the case and leading to the setting and winding mechanisms of the movement.

The watch movements may be provided for telling the time in various countries, for example, watch movement 20 may be provided for telling the time in New York, 22 in London, 24 in Paris, 26 in Japan and 28 in Cairo.

In accordance with the invention, means is provided for attaching a supporting member to the case. For this purpose, .a ring 40 is mounted on an annular shoulder 42 formed on the back plate 14, rearwardly of band 18. A pair of brackets 44, 44 is plugged into a pair of sockets 46, 46 formed in the outer surface of the ring 40, projecting outwardly of the ring, and another similar pair of brackets 48,48 is plugged in the ring at a point opposite the brackets 44, 44. The brackets of each pair carry opposed pivot pins 50.

In FIG. 1, one end of a pair of wristband sections 52 and 54 is shown attached to the brackets, section 52 being attached to brackets 44 and section 54 to brackets 48. This is accomplished by forming a loop 56 in the end of the band section and by means of a sectional round rod 58 (FIG. 7) inserted loosely in the loop with the ends of the rod protruding from both sides of the loop. Rod 58 may be formed of wood, metal or plastic and comprises an elongated round section 60 formed with a socket opening 62 intersecting one end and formed with a central recess 64 intersecting the other end thereof. The other end of section 52 carries a buckle 65 adapted to coact with holes 67 in the other end of section 54 in order to fasten the watch assembly on the wrist of the wearer. In use, the wristband sections may be readily removed by manually pressing the rod section 66 inwardly against the action of spring 74 in order to release section 66 from the pin 50 on bracket 44. The rod section 66 is round and shorter than section 60 but is formed at one end with an elongated extension 68 smaller in diameter than the diameter of section 66 and with another narrower extension 70 forming a continuation of extension 68, the extensions 68 and 70 being slidably fitted in the recess 64 in section 60. A socket opening 72 is formed in the outer end of section 66. The compression spring 74 is interposed between the sections 60 and 66 for urging the section 66 outwardly. The socket opening 62 of section 60 is slipped over one of the pins 50, and the socket opening 72 of section 66 slipped over the other opposed pin 50 thereby releasably mounting the rod 58 on the pins and fastening the wristband section to the watch assembly case.

This type of watch assembly may be readily converted from a wrist Watch type to a pocket type by merely removing the wrist band sections 52 and 54.

In FIG. 7A, the modified form of connection between the end of the band section to the ring 40 is just the reverse of FIG. 1. In this form, the brackets 44 on the ring 40' are formed with socket openings 80 in place of pins, and the rod 58 in band section 52 is formed with pins 82 projecting from the solid ends of the sections 60 and 66' in place of socket openings.

With particular reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, herein is disclosed a modified watch assembly construction wherein only a single pair of brackets 44" is mounted on the ring This mounting comprises threaded holes 86 in the ring adapted to receive the threaded stems 83 of the brackets 44 carrying the pins The pair of brackets 44" is for the purpose of attaching or connecting a Watch chain 90 to the watch assembly case 12". This connection includes a tubular member 92 having a pair of closely spaced upstanding perforated lugs 94, 94 at the center thereof. A rod structure 58 similar to rod 58 is positioned in tubular member 92 for fastening the tubular member to the case. A large horse-shoe shaped loop or link 95 is attached to the end link 96 of the chain 90. The loop 95 is formed with opposed round lugs 98 loosely seated in the perforations of the lugs 94, 94.

This type of watch assembly construction is for wearing in the pocket of the user. The watch assembly case may of course be placed in the pocket without the chain.

The watch assembly 10 in all other respects is similar to watch assembly 10 and similar reference numerals are used to indicate similar parts.

In FIG. 10, a watch assembly construction 10a similar to watch assembly 10 of FIG. 1 is shown mounted on a pivoted rectangular shaped tubular frame 100. This mounting consists of inwardly projecting lugs 102 at the centers of the ends of the frame. The lugs 102 are suitably fastened to the rods 58a detachably connected across the pairs of brackets 44a and 48a on the watch assembly case 12a.

Frame is pivotally supported on a tubular L-shaped frame 104 by means of pivot pins 106 carried by the frame 100 journalled in eye portions 108 on the L-shaped frame. The frame 100 is freely mounted on the frame 104 so that the watch assembly may be tilted or rotated as desired.

In FIG. 11, a modified form of mounting for the bracket mounting ring 40aa on the Watch assembly case 12aa is illustrated. Herein the peripheral band 18aa of the case is formed with an annular groove 110 with spaced holes 112 therein. The ring 40aa is provided with a spring pressed yieldable pin 114 projecting inwardly .and adapted to seat removably in any desired hole 112 so as to orient the pair of brackets 44a relative to any desired watch movement.

The modification shown in FIG. 13 differs from the modified form shown in FIG. 8 merely in mounting an ornamental pin such as a brooch in the lugs 94x of tubular member 92x. The brooch permits the watch as- 4- sembly 12x to be pinned on the waist or jacket of the user.

It will of course be understood that each of the watch movements or units 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 may include one or more separate dials, one hour hand, one minute hand and one second hand. Furthermore, each movement or unit may have two or three of such hour, minute and second hands.

The above described watch assemblies may be installed in a wrist watch, ,a pocket watch, a desk clock, a brooch watch or in an attachment to be worn around the neck in the form of a pendant.

Furthermore, the watch assembly case may be of the one-piece type with a single crystal, or may be made of two or more pieces with separate crystals.

While there has been illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A watch assembly comprising a circular case, a plate at the rear of the case, a crystal at the front, a band around the periphery of the case, a series of watch movements in the case including dials visible through the crystal, a ring on the case alongside the band, said ring having pairs of sockets therein at opposed sides thereof, opposed pairs of spaced brackets in said sockets, said brackets having opposed pins, a sectional rod interposed between each pair of pins, one section being spring-pressed away from the other section, said other section having a socket at one end thereof, said other section having a socket at the other end thereof, whereby the rod may be shortened for removal from the pins, and a pair of Wrist band sections, each section having a looped end adapted to receive the sectional rod for attachment to the case.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 650,454 5/ 1900 Dirand 58-425 1,292,043 1/ 1919 Porter 58-56 2,229,978 1/ 1941 Kolberg 224-4 2,535,543 12/1950 Maizlish et al 58-425 2,551,405 5/ 1951 Winterborne 58-56 2,995,888 8/1961 Ryan 58-855 3,062,491 11/1962 Green 248-116 FOREIGN PATENTS 183,000 6/ 1936 Switzerland.

218,931 5/ 1942 Switzerland.

RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner.

GERALD F. BAKER, Examiner.

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