US3377796A - Electric watch calendar setting mechanism - Google Patents

Description

, A ril 16, I968 D. JQROGERSY 3,377,796

ELECTRIC WATCH CALENDAR SETTING MECHANISM Filed Mafch 11. 1966 INVENTOR DONALD J. ROGERS ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,377,796 ELECTRIC WATCH CALENDAR SETTING MECHANISM Donald J. Rogers, Lancaster, Pa., assignor to Hamilton Watch Company, Lancaster, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Mar. 11, 1966, Ser. No. 533,587 12 Claims. (Cl. 58-58) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The timepiece provides for the manual adjustment of a date-bearing indicia member by means of a reciprocable rack. The timepiece incorporates a setting stern carrying a pinion movable into three diiferent positions. In the normal or run position, the pinion of the setting stem is disengaged from the remainder of the works and the watch runs in a normal manner. By moving the stem longitudinally into a second position where the setting pinion engages a portion of the dial train, the stem may be manually rotated to set the hands of the watch or timepiece. In the third position, the setting pinion engages the movable rack such that manual rotation of the setting stem in this third position acts to move the rack and ultimately results in a stepwise advancement of the calendar ring to the next or subsequent following date. Provision is made for avoiding oversetting of the rack and for automatically returning the rack to a proper neutral position for further advancement of the calendar ring in the event this is necessary.

This invention relates to a mechanical calendar or date rin-g setting mechanism for use in watches, clocks, and other timing devices having date indicating mechanisms. It is intended primarily for electric watch movements having, or being adaptable to, a three-position setting stem where the additional stem position is for manual date setting.

There are many existing timepiece calendar systems in which the movement of a Watch or like timepiece is provided with a date bearing indicia member which is operated in timed relation to the hour wheel of the timepiece so as to indicate successive dates. In typical existing calendar watch systems, the dial side of the movement is provided with a calendar ring or disc that is rotatably mounted below the dial and bears 31 equally spaced numbers which are successively exposed through a window in the dial as the disc is advanced of a revolution each 24 hours by means interconnecting the calendar ring with the dial train of the watch.

In existing calendar watch systems, the dial train is effectively disconnected from the calendar indicia ring or disc for about 21 hours with the appropriate date number on the calendar ring being exposed through a window in the watch dial to indicate the date. In the remaining three hour period, the dial train is drivingly engaged with the calendar ring, usually by a camping arrangement, so as to cause the calendar ring to advance & of a revolution. The date ring is thus progressively moved in the remaining three hour period, which is usually around midnight, until the next date number is beneath the aforementioned dial window. That date number is exposed for the next 21 hours and is thereafter replaced by the next successive number when the calendar ring is again drivingly engaged with the dial train by the intermediate camming arrangement and thus displaced. Such existing calendar watch systems are not completely desirable in that the date'change takes place over a substantial period of time, i.e. approximately three hours, and for much of this time, the numerals are not readily readable ice through the dial window. In addition, they impose a quite high load on the source of power driving the dial train, and this load is more than existing electrical watch systerns can bear with a compact long-lived power source. Also due to the relatively high power requirements of such prior watch calendar systems, they are a problem with so-called automatic or self-winding spring driven watches when they are not in a full wind state.

In order to overcome these and other disadvantages of prior constructions, I disclose in my copending application Ser. No. 533,512, entitled, Watch Calendar Drive Mechanism and filed on even date herewith, a novel calendar ring indexing mechanism which combines the features of calendar ring drive and detenting in a single unitary assembly which imposes a light load on the watch driving mechanism and for this reason is particularly suited to electric watches and other timepieces having a limited power source. The indexing mechanism of that application is believed to be unique in that it combines all desirable calendar features in one mechanism which does not require excessive energy as do other calendar mechanisms previously proposed. These desirable features include instantaneous date change, accuracy and repeatability in date change, accurate date positioning, calendar ring detenting (holding and releasing) and rapid calendar ring setting, all features being combined in a simple mechanism requiring little space and energy.

However, as with most known calendar ring constructions, the mechanism of the aforesaid copending application requires some provision in the timepiece for manually setting the calendar ring to the desired date. For example, if for some reason, the watch should stop running, it becomes necessary upon re-initiation of watch operation to reset the calendar ring so as to compensate for the elapsed time during which the watch was stopped. In addition, calendar ring constructions usually incorporate an annular member or ring provided with date indicia in the form of 31 equally spaced numerals representative of the 31 days of the longest months of the year. At the ends of those months which in fact have less than 31 days, it is necessary for the wearer of the timepiece to advance the calendar ring from the last day of the month (i.e. from the numeral 30 for the end of September) to the numeral 1 representative of the first day of the following month. Thus, it is apparent that even if the watch is continuously in proper operation, some provision must be made in the calendar mechanism for manually adjusting the calendar date at least at the end of certain months of the year.

The present invention is directed to a novel watch calendar setting mechanism which while adapted for use with all types of calendar ring drives and indexing systems is particularly suited for use in conjunction with the calendar ring index mechanism disclosed in the aforesaid copending application. The setting mechanism of this invention is of simple and reliable construction and makes it possible to set the calendar ring completely independent of the position of the hands of the timepiece. To this end, it is particularly adapted to mechanisms employing a three-position setting stem wherein the setting stem of the timepiece is longitudinally movable from a normal or watch running position to one of two remaining positions, namely a hand setting position and a calendar ring setting position.

It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a new and improved calendar setting mechanism for a timepiece.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a calendar ring setting mechanism particularly suited for use in electric watches.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism useable in setting the calendar ring of a timepiece completely independent of the timepiece indicating hands.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel rack type setting mechanism for rapidly, accurately, and reliably advancing a calendar ring, particularly at those times when it is necessary to advance the calendar ring date at the end of a month having less than 31 days.

In the present invention, the watch incorporates a setting stem carrying a pinion movable into three different positions. In the normal or run position, the pinion of the setting stem is disengaged from the remainder of the works and the watch runs in a normal manner. By moving the stem longitudinally into a second position where the setting pinion engages a portion of the dial train, the stem may be manually rotated to set the hands of the watch or timepiece. In the third position the setting pinion engages a movable rack such that manual rotation of the setting stem in this third position acts to move the rack and ultimately result in a step-wise advancement of the calendar ring to the next or subsequent following date. Provision is made for avoiding over-setting of the rack and for automatically returning the rack to a proper neutral position for further advancement of the calendar ring in the event this is necessary.

These and further objects and advantages of the invention will be more apparent upon reference to the following specification, claims and appended drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a partial plan view showing a portion of an electric watch mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention with the rack in its normal position;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view similar to that of FIGURE 1 showing the rack moved into position for calendar ring indexing; and

FIGURE 3 is a vertical cross section through the setting mechanism of FIGURES 1 and 2.

Refer-ring to the drawings, the numeral generally indicates a Watch which may be any presently commercially available watch having a movement of suitable design. For example, the movement may be that used in the Model 505 Electric Watch of the Hamilton Watch Company, Lancaster, Pa., disclosed in Hamilton Service Bulletin #220, but modified to incorporate the watch calendar system of this invention as hereinafter amplified.

The watch movement includes a pillar plate which is provided on its dial side with an annular peripheral ring having an internal shoulder for seating the lower exterior portion of an annular geared calendar ring illustrated in the drawings at 12. A dial train bridge is concentrically mounted on the dial side of the pillar plate and the circular edge portions of the dial train bridge and annular shoulder on the periphery of the pillar plate provide a track for the geared calendar ring 12 whereby the calendar ring is rotatable about the axis of the center Wheel of the watch. For a more detailed discussion of the mounting for the rotatable calendar ring 12 of this invention, reference may be had to assignees copending application Ser. No. 227,160, filed Oct. 1, 1962, now Patent No. 3,420,006 which is incorporated herein by reference.

Calendar or date ring 12 is provided on its upper face 14 with 31 equally spaced numerals 16 numbered successively from 1 to 31. The lower internal annular portion of the calendar ring 12 is provided with '31 internal gear teeth 18 uniformly spaced around the entire periphery of the calendar ring by slots 20. The teeth are each provided with concave surfaces 22 for a purpose more fu ly described below.

Longitudinally movable through the watch case is a setting stem 24 which is rotated in a conventional manner to set the hands of the watch. This setting stem carries at its inner end a setting pinion 26 adapted to be moved longitudinally to one of three diiferent positions, labeled positions A, B and C, respectively, in the several figures of the drawings. The A and C positions are illustrated in dashed lines, while the B position for the setting pinion 26 is illustrated in solid lines in FIGURE 3. Position A is the fully in position where the setting pinion rests during normal operation of the watch. Position B is an intermediate position where the setting pinion 26 engages with the teeth 28 of a rack 30 for calendar ring setting and position C is the fully out position where the setting pinion 26 engages with the contrate teeth 32 of the minute wheel 34 forming a portion of the dial train or drive train for the Watch hands. The minute wheel is connected to the remainder of the dial train by the peripheral teeth 36.

Connected to the rack adjacent one end is a laterally projecting extension member 38 provided with a threaded aperture at 40 receiving the lower end of a threaded screw 42. Rotatably mounted about an unthreaded portion of the screw 42 is a pawl assembly generally indicated at 44 including a pawl 4-6 which carries an indexing pin 48 adapted to be received in one of the slots 20 between the calendar ring teeth 18. PaWl 46 is lightly spring loaded in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG- URES 1 and 2 by a flat spring 50 and is restricted from excessive counterclockwise rotation by a shoulder 52 of the pawl assembly 44.

Finally, the timepiece mechanism of the present invention is provided with a circular detenting segment 54 adapted to closely engage the concave surface 22 of one of the calendar ring teeth 18. Circular segment 54 acts as a portion of the calendar ring drive as well as a detent element in a manner more fully shown and described in the aforementioned copending application filed on even date herewith. The segment is rotatably mounted on an arm 56 pivoted to a stationary portion of the watch movement at 58 and which arm is spring biased so as to cause the segment 54 to engage the concave surface 22 by a detent bias spring 60.

In order to reset the calendar ring 12, such as would be the case at the end of a month having less than 31 days, the setting stem 24 is manually pulled to its intermediate position so that the setting pinion 26 assumes position B illustrated in the drawings where it meshes With the teeth of rack 30*. Upon rotation of the setting stem 24 in a counterclockwise direction (as viewed from the crown end) rack 30 advances against the force of a spring 62. This spring is secured at one end to the extension member 38 of the rack and at its other end is retained slidably between a pair of stationary pins 64 secured to a stationary portion of the watch movement. Advancement of the rack from the normal position illustrated in FIGURE 1 to the setting position illustrated in FIGURE 2 by manual rotation of the setting stem 24 causes the pin 48 to slide past the calendar ring teeth 18 until it springs into a tooth slot 20 due to the counterclockwise spring loading of the pawl spring 50 as illustrated in FIGURE 2.

At this stage, the counterclockwise setting stem rotation is stopped and the setting s-t-em released. Spring 62 forces rack 30 to its original FIGURE 1 position thereby causing pin 48 to drive calendar ring 12 in a clockwise direction. Should the setting stem 24 be rotated farther in a counterclockwise direction than is necessary for the pin 48 to fully engage in the slot 20, this continued rotation does not continue to advance the rack because the tooth portion of the rack ends at this point as illustrated in FIGURE 2. The geometry of travel of tooth slot 20 and pin 48 is such that the pin disengages from the tooth slot 20 after about of the desired index rotation of calendar ring 12, thereby allowing the detent or positioning segment 54 to engage the concave surface of the next tooth to force the calendar ring the remaining A part of the index rotation.

Spring 62 automatically returns and holds rack 30 in its normal FIGURE 1 position such that the .pin 48 is not in engagement with the calendar ring teeth 18 during normal operation of the movement when the setting pinion 26 is not in mesh with the rack. Thus, spring 62. prevents the rack from interferring with the normal periodic calendar ring indexing such as is described in the afor mentioned copending application. Spring 62 also returns rack 3% to its meshing FIGURE 1 position with the setting pinion 26 in the event that the user attempts to index the calendar ring through a clockwise stem rotation (as viewed from the crown end).

It is apparent from the above that the present invention provides a simplified and reliable arrangement for accurately setting the date indicating mechanism of a timepiece. Important features of the present invention include the provision of a three-position setting stem and setting assembly wherein the calendar ring can be adjusted into a new position independently of the watch hands. While useable in conjunction with all types of calendar drive systems, the setting mechanism of the present invention is particularly suited for use in conjunction with the calendar drive and detent mechanism disclosed in copen-ding application Ser. No. 533,512, filed on even date herewith, and makes possible independent calendar adjustment while maintaining proper synchronism between the calendar drive and the dial train of the watch. It is useable in conjunction with the low load system of that invention particularly adapted to electric watch constructions wherein the power supply in the form of a small compact battery is limited.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A calendar setting mechanism for a timepiece comprising date indicating means and linear reciprocatable means, means for linearly moving said reciprocatable means including a manually operable member selectively engageable with said reciprocatable means, said date indicating means being operatively connected to said reciproca-table means and being stepped one date in response to linear movement of said reciprocatable means without interference with the time indicated on said timepiece.

2. A calendar setting mechanism for a timepiece according to claim ll wherein said manually operable memher is rotatably mounted, said reciprocatable means being :linea-rly moved in one direction in response to rotary movement of said member.

3. A calendar setting mechanism for a timepiece ac-' -cording to claim 1 wherein said manually operable member linearly advances said reciprocatable means in one direction, said moving means including means biasing said reciprocatable means for movement in the opposite direction, said date indicating means being stepped in response to said latter movement.

4. A mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said date indicating means comprises a calendar ring having spaced slots, said reciprocatable means comprising a rack having an index pin adapted to engage in one of said slots, a spring biasing said rack to a neutral position, a three position setting stem havin a pinion for engaging the teeth of said rack, and detent means engaging said calendar ring.

:7. A mechanism according to claim 4 wherein said calendar ring has a plurality of spaced portions with a concave surface, and said detent comprises a rotatable circular segment, and resilient means urging said circular segment against the concave surface of one of said calendar ring portions.

6. A calendar setting mechanism for a timepiece comprising date indicating means, and reciprocatable means engageable with :a manually operable member for man ually stepping said date indicating means one date without interference with the time indicated by said timepiece, said reciprocatable means comprises a rack carrying an indexing pin, said indexing pin being engageable with said date indicating means, said rack being engageable with said manually operable member.

7. A mechanism according to claim 6 wherein said date indicating means comprises a calendar ring having spaced slots adapted to be engaged by said indexing pin.

8. A mechanism accondin to claim 7 including a rotatable setting stem having a pinion movable into engagement with the teeth of said hack.

9. A mechanism according to claim 8 wherein said stem is longitudinally movable into three positions, namely a timepiece running position, a calendar ring setting position, and a watch hand setting position.

I'll. A mechanism according to claim 9 including spring means biasing said rack to a neutral position.

11. An electric watch comprising a calendar ring having date indicia thereon and a plurality of spaced slots, a reciprocatable rack having a pawl assembly, an index pin carried by said pawl assembly and adapted to engage in one of said slots, spring means urging said rack to a neutral position, and a rotatable setting stem carrying a pinion engageable with the teeth of said rack, said setting .stem being longitudinally movable to a watch running position, a hand setting position and a calendar ring setting position.

12. A watch according to claim Zlll including detent means resiliently bearing on said calendar ring.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1952 Marchand 58-58 6/1963 Meyer 58-58

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