US3540208A - Hydraulic watch - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 17., 1970 s. A. KOCK HYDRAULIC WATCH Filed ma 22. 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 w INVENTOR.

Bruce A. Kock 2744, 924

B. A. KOCK HYDRAULIC WATCH Nov. 17, 1970 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 22," 1968 INVENTOR.

7 Bruce A. Kock BY Z4, M 424% 99 Attorneys Nov. 17, 1970 B. A. KOCK HYDRAULIC WATCH 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 22, 1968 Fig. 5

INVENTOK Bruce A. Kock myw I Attorneys I Nov. 17,1970 B. A. KOCK 3,540,208

HYDRAULIC WATCH Filed May 22, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

INVENTOR. .Bruce A. Kock florneys Nov. 17, 1970 B. A. KOCK HYDRAULIC WATCH 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 22, 1968 INVENTOR. Bruce A. Kock BY United States Patent Ofiice 3,540,268 Patented Nov. 17, 1970 3,540,208 HYDRAULIC WATCH Bruce A. Kock, 6017 Ocean View Drive, Oakland, Calif. 94618 Filed May 22, 1968, Ser. No. 731,076 Int. Cl. G041) 1/26 U.S. Cl. 58-42 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A watch wherein timing is accomplish by the movement of a piston through a fluid under the influence of a spring. Movement of the piston is sensed by a wire wound about a shaft which is in turn connected to the hands of the watch by means of a continuous belt. A jump hour hand is incorporated whereby the hour hand moves from one hour indicia to the next during the last five minutes of movement by the minute hand. A clicking sound is generated by passing a circular comb over the teeth of a gear.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the past, timepieces and particularly wrist watches have been designed utilizing a pendulum in some form or another for the determination of timing. The pendulum has taken the form of balance wheels or other devices in association with intricate escapements. The nature of the balance wheel escapement is such that in small devices, such as wrist watches, accuracy normally demands that structures be constructed primarily of metal. Moreover, the conventional watch movements require a great number of parts to be assembled with extreme care and even so, they are notoriously susceptible to damage by vibration and rugged use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND OBJECTS The invention is incorporated in a watch which includes a closed fluid filled chamber having a piston movable therein between the two ends. The movement of the piston is under the influence of a spring and an orifice is provided in the piston to regulate the speed of movement. A cable connected to the piston is wound about a shaft whose rotation is recorded by the hands of the watch. The minute and hour hand wheels are coupled together by a step movement arrangement whereby the hour hand stays fixed in position except for the last five minutes of each hour. A crown is selectively connected to the shaft for alternately compressing the spring for activation of the watch or for setting the hands of the watch. A circular comb is passed over the teeth of a gear to provide a clicking sound characteristic of the more conventional watch.

It is a general object of this invention to provide a time piece which may be constructed small enough to be used as a wrist watch and at the same time be constructed almost entirely of plastic parts.

It is another object of this invention to provide a timepiece of the aforementioned character wherein the timing action is accomplished by means of a piston resiliently urged through a fluid.

It is another object to provide a timepiece of the aforementioned character which can be easily assembled from but a few separate parts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the exterior of a watch in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the watch shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the lines 3-3 of FIG.l;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view showing the crown, drive gear and drive shaft of the watch shown in FIGS. 1 to 4;

FIG. 6 is a detailed view showing the cooperation of the crown, drive gear and drive shaft with the piston;

FIG. 7 is a detailed view showing the cooperation of the crown, drive gear and drive shaft with the hands of the watch; and

FIG. 8 is an exploded view showing the minute and hour hands of the watch with their associated wheels.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the figures, the watch includes a body 11 to which may be connected a strap 13 for convenient attachrnent to a persons wrist. The watch includes the usual face 15 which may be covered by a transparent cap 17. The minute and hour hands 19 and 21, respectively, cooperate with the face 15 in the usual manner. A crown 23 is included and serves the dual purpose of setting the hands of the watch or alternatively to wind it.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, it is seen that the body 11 includes a closed chamber which is filled with a fluid such as a lightweight oil. Within the chamber 25 is a piston 27 Whose movement provides the timing action for the watch.

The piston 27 is formed of relatively rigid material but includes a web 29 which is sufficiently thin to be flexible and resilient. The side wall 31 of the piston is dimensioned slightly smaller than the corresponding side wall 33 of the chamber 25. Consequently, contact between the piston and the side of the chamber 25 is made only through the resilient web 29.

By so proportioning the web 29 with respect to the piston proper a unidirectional seal is provided between the wall 33 of the chamber and the piston 27. When the piston is urged downward as viewed in FIG. 4, the fluid force causes the web 29 to engage the wall 33 and thus prevent fluid bypass. As the piston is urged upward, fluid force causes a slight collapse of the web 29 and fluid bypass is permitted.

In order to facilitate operation of the web, the piston 25 in cross section as seen in FIG. 3, has the shape of a smooth curve and, in this instance, is generally elliptic in shape. With such a shape there are no sharp corners which would necessitate folding of the web when in its collapsed condition.

Movement of the piston 27 during the running of the watch is under the influence of the spring 39. One end of the spring 39 is received by a seat 41 in the piston itself and the other end is similarly received by a seat 43 in the body 11 of the watch. An orifice 45 extends completely through the piston 27 to permit a regulated flow of fluid through the piston as it is moved under the influence of the spring 39.

While it would be expectedthat the velocity of the piston under the influence of the spring 39, and consequently the accuracy of timing, would vary dependent upon the extension of the spring, such variation has not been found. 'It is believed that although the force of the spring decreases as it becomes more extended the frictional force between the side wall 33 and the web 29 decreases proportionately. It is believed that the decrease in frictional contact between the web 29 and the wall 33 compenstates completely "for the decrease in the force of the extended spring whereby the overall timing of the watch remains accurate regardless of the extension of the spring 39.

In order to wind the watch, that is, to compress the spring '39, a cable 47 is secured at one end to the piston 27 by means of a pin 49. The cable 47 passes through a fluid tight gland 51 and its other end is secured to a drive shaft 53 which is rotatably secured within the body 11. Upon rotation of the drive shaft 53 in the direction of the arrow 55 shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the cable 47 is wound about the shaft 53 thereby compressing the spring 39. Conversely, as the spring 39 is extended, the cable 47 is pulled thereby to rotate the shaft 53 in the direction opposite to that shown by the arrow 55.

As seen more clearly in FIG. 5, the drive shaft 53 includes a transverse bore 57 near one end thereof which serves to receive and anchor the end of the cable 47. The end of the shaft also includes near its center a conically shaped spool guide 59 which, as will be seen more clearly hereinafter, serves to guide a drive belt for the hands of the watch. The upper end of the shaft, as seen in FIG. 5, includes a fluted section 61 which serves to selectively engage the crown 23. The drive gear 63 is fitted onto the shaft in the area 65 thereof in a friction tight manner.

The drive gear 63 includes a stem portion 67, a ratchet wheel portion 69, a guide ring 71, a bevel gear portion 73 and a spur gear portion 75. Both the bevel gear portion and the spur gear portions have triangular shaped teeth but the number of teeth is different for each gear. For example, the spur gear portion 75 may include thirty teeth while the bevel gear portion 73 includes thirty-one teeth.

The crown 23 includes a central opening 77 to receive the drive shaft 53 and the inner end of the opening 77 is internally fluted as at 79 to selectively cooperate with the fluted end 61 of the shaft 53. When the fluted sections 61 and 79 are not intermeshed the crown 23 is freely rotatable about the shaft 53.

The crown 23 further includes a series of resilient finger like members 81 which together form a circular comb or annular gear having the same number of teeth as the spur gear portion 75 of the drive gear 63. Thus in the example shown there are included thirty fingers 81 corresponding to the thirty teeth of the spur gear portion 75. Each of the fingers 81 also include a raised portion 83 for reasons to be explained hereinafter. The crown 23 further includes a ratchet wheel 85, a guide ring ,87 and a handle 89.

In their assembled condition as shown in FIGS. 4, 6 and 7, the drive shaft 53, drive gear 63 and crown 23 are assembled on a common axis with the guide rings 71 and 87 riding within a cylindrical chamber 91 formed in the body 11. The end portion 93 of the shaft 53 is frictionally engaged in a bearing block 95. For reasons which will become more apparent hereinafter the frictional force between the area 93 of the shaft 53 and its associated bearing 95 is greater than the frictional force between the area 65 on the shaft 53 with the cooperating drive gear 63.

The guide ring 87 on the crown 23 is resiliently held between fingers 97 and 99 which in their relaxed position are as shown in FIG. 4. A ratchet pawl or click 101 is formed in the body 11 and, when engaged with the ratchet 'wheel portion 85 of the crown 23, prevents rotation of the crown in the direction of the arrows 103, as shown in FIG. 7. A similar ratchet pawl or click 104 cooperates with the ratchet wheel portion 69 on the drive gear 63 to continuously prevent rotation of the drive gear in the direction of the arrow 55, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The guide ring 71 on the drive gear 63 is retained in axial position between the click 104 and an annular keeper 105 formed in the body 11. A confining ring 106 having a cam surface 107 is also formed in the body 11 and cooperates with the raised portions 83 on the crown finger 81 to urge and to retain the fingers in a cylindrical configuration when the crown is withdrawn slightly from the body 11 as shown in FIG. 7.

When the shaft 53 is rotated in the direction of the arrows 103 (FIG. 7) it carries with it by friction the drive gear 63 together with the stem portion 67 thereof. A continuous belt 108 passes about the stem 67 and is sheaved in a minute wheel 109 rotatably secured on a stud 111 formed on the body 11. The minute wheel 109 includes a belt groove 113 and an offset finger 115 having a detent portion 117 and a cam follower portion 119. The minute wheel 109 further includes a hub 121 which receives the minute hand 19 and which is in turn rotatably received by a similar but smaller hub 123 secured to the hour wheel 125.

The hour wheel 125 includes a series of twelve notches 127 equally spaced about its periphery. A cam 129 is formed on the body 11 of the watch and cooperates with the finger 115 to periodically urge the detents 117 of the finger into the notches 127 on the hour wheel. A friction ring 131 which may take the form of merely a high friction portion on the body 11 normally prevents rotation of the hour wheel 125 even though it is in contact with the rotating minute wheel 109.

Operation of the watch can best be understood, referring to FIGS. 6, 7 and 8. As seen in FIG. 6 the crown 23 can be depressed that is, moved to the right as shown in the figure whereby the fluted portions 61 and 79 of the drive shaft 53 and the crown 23 respectively, are intermeshed. In this condition the fingers '81 of the crown ride up on the beveled teeth 73 on the drive gear and together take on the general form of a cone. When the crown is rotated in the direction shown by the arrows 55 the shaft 53 isrotated therewith but the drive gear 63 is held firm by means of the click 104. The passage of the fingers 81 about the beveled teeth 73, of course, provides a clicking sound as the crown is rotated. More importantly, however, the rotation of the shaft 53 causes the cable 47 to be wound thereupon to compress the spring 39. After the spring is fully compressed the crown is released and the fingers 97 and 99 resiliently urge the crown to the position shown in FIG. 4. The watch is then in a run ning condition and the spring 39 expands against the fluid within the chamber 25 in a manner regulated by the diameter of the orifice 45. As the spring 39 expands it carries with it the cable 47 rotating the shaft in a direction opposite to the arrows 55. The opposite rotation of the shaft 53 carries with it the drive gear 63 since the click 104 does not interfere.

With the crown in its released position, as shown in FIG. 4, the fingers 81' still maintain slight engagement with the beveled teeth 73 on the drive gear. In its released position as shown in FIG. 4, the crown is prevented from rotating opposite to the arrows 55 by means of the click 101. Consequently, rotation of the drive gear 71 causes the beveled teeth 73 to pass across the fingers 81 thereby causing a clicking sound similar to that characteristic of the more conventional watch.

When it is desired to reset the hands of the watch the crown 23 is pulled out that is, to the left as shown in FIG. 7 and in this condition the raised portions '83 on the finger 81 are held in restricted condition by means of the confining ring 106 such that they maintain tight engagement with the spur gear portion 75 of the drive gear. As will be noted in FIG. 7 the fluted sections 61 and 79 of the drive shaft 53 in crown 23 are disengaged. In this condition rotation of the crown 23 in the direction of the arrow 103 is possible since the ratchet wheel portion 85 of the crown is withdrawn from the click 101. Such rotation of the crown causes a similar rotation of the drive gear -63 because of the positive contact between the fingers 81 and the spur gear portion 75. Rotation of the drive gear 63, in turn, of course, causes rotation of the minute hand wheel 109 through the belt 108 Rotation of the shaft 53, however, is prevented since the frictional contact between the shaft '53 and the rotating drive gear 63 is less than the frictional contact between the shaft 53 and the stationary bearing block 95. Consequently, the cable 47 is not unwound during the time that the hands of the watch are set. Winding of the hands of the watch in the wrong direction is prevented by means of the cli 104, which, as previously explained, permits rotation of the drive gear in one direction only. Again when the crown is released the fingers 97 and 99 resiliently urge it to the position shown in FIG. 4.

Both while the watch is running and while it is being wound the hour hand is periodically moved by means of the fingerllS on the minute hand. In the position of the finger 1 with respect to the cam 129, as shown in FIG. 7, rotation of the minute wheel 109 has no affect on the hour wheel 125. Friction surface 131 causes the hour wheel 1:25 to remain stationary. However, as the minute wheel is rotated to the position shown in phantom lines in FIG. 8, the cam 129 urges the cam follower 119 toward the hour wheel such that the detent 117 engages a notch 127 on the wheel. The length of the cam 129 is such that it causes such engagement of the detent 117 and notch 127 during rotation of the minute wheel 109 of one twelfth of a revolution corresponding to the twelve notches 127 and, of course, to the twelve hours on the face of the clock. After the minute wheel 109 has carried the hour wheel 125 for one-twelfth of a revolution the finger 115 springs outward from the hour wheel 125 and that wheel is again stationary.

I claim:

1. A watch comprising a body defining a closed chamber having end walls and a side wall, a piston within said chamber and movable between the end Walls thereof, said piston extending to said side wall in fluid tight relationship, resilient means urging said piston toward one end wall of said chamber, a fluid within said chamber, means for permitting a regulated flow of said fluid from one end of said piston to the other as the piston rnoves under the influence of said resilient means, a shaft rotatably mounted within said body, a cable having one end thereof secured to said piston and the other end thereof wound about said shaft, minute and hour indicators and means coupled between said shaft and said indicators for changing the indication responsive to movement of the piston.

2. A watch as defined in claim 1 wherein said minute and hour indicators comprise a minute wheel, a minute hand secured to said minute wheel, means for rotating said minute wheel in response to rotation of said shaft, an hour wheel, an hour hand secured to said hour wheel and means for rotating said hour wheel in response to the rotation of said minute wheel.

3. A watch comprising a body defining a closed chamber having end walls and a side wall, a piston within said chamber movable between the end walls thereof, said piston extending to said side Wall in fluid tight relationship, resilient means urging said piston toward one end wall of said chamber, a fluid within said chamber, means for permitting a regulated flow of said fluid from one end of said piston to the other as the piston moves under the influence of said resilient means, a shaft rotatably secured in said body, a cable having one end thereof secured to said piston and the other end wound about said shaft, a drive gear frictionally secured on said shaft, minute and hour indicators disposed on said body, means forming a coupling between said indicators and said drive gear whereby the indication of said indicators changes in response to the rotation of said drive gear, means for manually rotating said drive gear relative to said shaft whereby said indicators may be changed without rotation of the shaft and movement of the piston, and means for rotation of the shaft relative to said drive gear whereby said spring may be compressed without altering the position of said indicators.

4. A watch as defined in claim 3 wherein said manual means for rotating said shaft and for rotating said drive gear comprise a crown rotatable on a common axis with said shaft and said drive gear, said crown being axially movable among three positions, means for resiliently retaining said crown in its center axial position, first ratchet means for preventing rotation of said crown in one direction when in its first and second axial position and for permitting rotation of said crown in both directions when in its third axial position, said crown in its first axial position being directly coupled to said shaft for causing rotaton thereof, said crown in its second position being stationary with respect to the rotating shaft and drive gear, said crown in its third axial position being directly coupled to said drive gear for causing rotation thereof, second ratchet means cooperating with said drive gear for preventing rotation of the drive gear in that direction opposite to that prevented by said first ratchet means.

5. A watch as defined in claim 4 wherein said drive gear and said crown each include facing teeth, the number of teeth on said crown being different from the number of teeth on said drive gear whereby rotation of the drive gear relative to the crown causes a contact between the teeth at a rate greater than the number of teeth multiplied by the rate of revolution.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,749,700 6/1956 Schgman 5842 2,953,810 9/1960 Hall 18896 X 3,043,404 7/1962 Peras 188-96 X 3,171,245 3/1965 Breed 58-l X 3,176,595 4/1965 Schwartz 92249 X 3,272,079 9/1966 Bent 92249 X FOREIGN PATENTS 122,613 8/ 1948 Switzerland.

RICHARD B. WILKERSON, Primary Examiner G. H. MILLER, JR., Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 188-96; 58-59

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