US3708972A

US3708972A - Correcting mechanism of date- and day-indications in leaf-type clock

Info

Publication number: US3708972A
Application number: US00226876A
Authority: US
Inventors: H Koide
Original assignee: Rhythm Watch Co Ltd
Current assignee: Rhythm Watch Co Ltd
Priority date: 1971-02-23
Filing date: 1972-02-16
Publication date: 1973-01-09
Anticipated expiration: 1990-01-09

Abstract

The correcting mechanism of date- and day-indications in a leaftype clock includes an operating lever, an operating shaft, a date corrector and a day corrector, both of which are pivoted on a common shaft, and a date star wheel and a day star wheel, both of which are pivoted on another common shaft. When the operating lever is manually rotated clockwise by the operating shaft, its left end engages the right end of the date corrector and compresses the latter against the date corrector spring which has imparted a clockwise bias to the date corrector. Thereby a left end pawl of the date corrector engages with the teeth of the date star wheel and causes this star wheel to rotate, resulting in turning over the date indicating leaf-plate, that is, correcting of the date-indication. Similarly, when the operating lever is manually rotated counterclockwise, its right end engages the right end of the day corrector and compresses the latter against the day corrector spring which has imparted a clockwise bias to the day corrector. Thereby a left end pawl of the day corrector engages with the teeth of the day star wheel and causes this star wheel to rotate, resulting in turning over the day indicating leaf-plate, that is, correcting the day-indication.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Koide 51 Jan. 9, 1973 [75] Inventor:

[73] Assignee: Rhythm Watch Company, Limited,

Tokyo, Japan [22] Filed: Feb. 16, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 226,876

Hideo Koide, Urawa, Japan [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 23, 1971 Japan ..46I9688 [52] U.S.CI ..58/6R,58/125 C,58/126E [51] Int. Cl.....- ....G04b 19/02, G04b 19/00 [58] Field of Search .....58/2, 4 R, 6 R, 125 C, 126 E, 58/125 R, 126R Primary Examiner-Richard B. Wilkinson Assistant Examiner-Stanley A. Wal Att0mey-John J. McGlew et al.

[57] ABSTRACT The correcting mechanism of dateand day-indications in a leaf-type clock includes an operating lever, an operating shaft, a date corrector and a day corrector, both of which are pivoted on a common shaft, and a date star wheel and a day star. wheel, both of which are pivoted on another common shaft. When the operating lever is manually rotated clockwise by the operating shaft, its left end engages the right end of the date corrector and compresses the latter against the date corrector spring which has imparted a clockwise bias to the date corrector. Thereby a left end pawl of the date corrector engages with the teeth of the date star wheel and causes this star wheel to rotate, resulting in turning over the date indicating leaf-plate, that is, correcting of the date-indication. Similarly, when the operating lever is manually rotated counterclockwise, its right end engages the right end of the day corrector and compresses the latter against the day corrector spring which has imparted a clockwise bias to the day corrector. Thereby a left end pawl of the day corrector engages with the teeth of the day star wheel and causes this star wheel to rotate, resulting in turning over the day indicating leaf-plate, that is, correcting the day-indication.

9 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures CORRECTING MECHANISM OF DATE- AND DAY- INDICATIONS IN LEAF-TYPE CLOCK FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a so-called digitaltype clock in which figures and letters showing time and the like are indicated in individually separated windows on the front surface of the clock. More particularly, the invention relates to a correcting mechanism of dateand day-indications in a so-called leaf-type clock (e.g. in US. Pat. No. 3,220,174) consisting ofa plurality of tilting leaf-plates hinged on horizontally,

, oriented drums and carrying the hours-, minutes-,

datesand days-indications.

In the, leaf-type clock, indicating figures and letters can be made much larger in comparison with those of other kinds of digital-type clocks, in which hours, minutes, and the like are marked on the cylindrical surface of drums, and further there is the advantage that continuous thirty-one figures of date can be indicated with only one rotary drum and therefore the manual correcting-means of the figure-indications are simpli-fied, such manual correction of the date-indication being periodically needed at the end of every month having anfeven number of days and of February for such date-indication-type clock (the correction of hoursand minutes-indications is carried out through the manual rotation of the shaft of the minute hand in the time driving movement). However, the correction of dateand day-indications in these leaf-type clocks has hitherto required rotating of two operating shafts which are separately arranged, and the mechanism and operation ofthe clocks have beenmade complicated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is directed to a mechanism for the correction of dateand day-indications in such leaf-type clock, and which can readily be operated through a single operating shaft.

An object of the invention is to provide a correcting mechanism of dateand day-indications in the leaf-type clock in which such correction can readily be performed usinga single operating shaft" and few wheels.

Another object 'of the invention is to provide a correcting mechanism of date-and day-indications in the leaf-type clock having a simple construction and ease of operation. 1

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS I Still further objects of the invention will be understood from the detailed explanation ofthe invention in reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. I is a fragmental side view ofan embodiment of the invention. 7

FIG. 2 is a fragmental front view of the same embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing part of the jumper of another embodiment ofthe invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2, the operating lever l secured. to the. operating shaft 2, which is manually rotatable, has a left end la and a right end lb offset axially inopposite directions from its central part or hub. The date corrector 3 and the day corrector 4 are separately pivoted on a common shaft 5 and are made so as to respectively rotate counterclockwise (in the direction of arrow m in FIG. I) when the

right end

3a or 40 thereof is pressed by the left end la or right end lb of operating lever 1 which has been manually rotated. However, such rotations of

correctors

3 and 4 are limited by the stopper 6 and further at this time rotation of the operating lever l is limited similarly by the

right end

3a or 4a of the

corrector

3 or 4 which has been stopped by the stopper 6. The respective left ends 3b and 4b of the

correctors

3 and 4 are formed as pawls engageable with the teeth of the date star wheel 7 and the day star wheel 8, respectively, both i of which are independently rotatable on a common shaft 9. A pawl 3b or 4b engages with a tooth of

star wheel

7 or 8 when

corrector

3 or 4 is rotated counterclockwise, as described above, so that

wheel

7 or 8 can be rotated by one tooth. Date corrector spring 10 and day corrector spring 11 are wound on a stud 12, the opposite ends of

springs

10 and 11 being respectively engaged between downward projection 3c or 4c of the

corrector

3 or 4, respectively, and a common stud 13, so that

correctors

3 and 4 are constantly biased clockwise. A jumper or check pawl 14 pivoted on a shaft is biased by a spring 16 so as to contact lightly with teeth of the date star wheel 7 and day star wheel 8, whereby free rotation of

star wheels

7 and 8 is inhibited. The opposite ends of spring 16 are respectively engaged with jumper l4 anda stopper 15. A gear 17 which is secured to day star wheel 8', meshes with the day gear 18, to which tubular shaft 19 and day drum 20 are rigidly anchored. A gear 21, which is secured to datestar wheel 7, meshes with thedate gear 22, to which shaft 23 and date drum 24 are rigidly anchor-ed, shaft 23 being telescoped loosely through tubular shaft 19. A plurality of day indicating leaf-plates 25 and date indicating leaf-plates 26 are hinged, respectively, on the day drum 20 and the date drum 24.

Concerning the operation of the mechanism according to the invention as described above, primarily, when no torque in either direction is applied to the operating shaft 2 and the operating lever l, the

right ends

3a and 4a of the

correctors

3 and 4 are biased clockwise through the

corrector springs

10 and 11 and engage, respectively, the left end la and the right end 1b of the operating lever'l simultaneously, so that both

correctors

3 and 4 are in a balanced state with the lever 1, the left ends 3b and 4b of both

correctors

3 and 4 being separated from the teeth of the

star wheels

7 and 8, respectively.

With the abovementioned situation, as the operating shaft 2 is rotated clockwise in the direction of arrow n in FIG. I the left end la of the operating lever l presses the right end 30 of the date corrector 3 to rotate lever 3 counterclockwise in the direction of arrow m against the bias date corrector spring 10, so that theleft end pawl 3b engages with a tooth of the date star wheel 7 to rotate wheel 7 by one tooth against the resistance of jumper 14. Accordingly the date gear 22 meshing with gear 21, which is secured to date star wheel 7, is rotated, whereby one leaf of the date indicating leafplates 26 is turned over, that is, the correction of the date-indication is performed. In the meantime, the date corrector 3 engages stopper 6 to stop the rotation of corrector 3 and of operating lever l and, upon manual release of operating shaft 2 at this time, the corrector 3 is rotated clockwise through the spring and accordingly the operating lever 1 is pressed reversely to rotate counterclockwise, returning to the abovedescribed initial balanced state, the left end pawl 3b of the corrector 3 being released from engagement with the tooth of the date star wheel 7. That is, through oscillation of the operating lever 1 in clockwise and counterclockwise directions by a certain width, one leaf of the date indicating leaf-plates 26 is turned over to correct the date.

In a similar way, rotating the operating shaft 2 counterclockwise in the direction of arrow mv the right end 1b of the operating lever l presses the right end 40 of the day corrector 4 to rotate lever 4 counterclockwise against the bias of day Corrector spring 11 so that the left end pawl 4b of corrector 4 engages with a tooth of the day star wheel 8 to rotate wheel 8 by one tooth against the resistance of jumper 14. Accordingly the day gear 18 connected with star wheel 8 is rotated,-

thereby one leaf of the day indicating leaf-plates 25 is turned over, that is, the correction of the day-indication is performed. In the meantime, the day corrector 4 engages stopper 6 to stop the rotation of corrector 4 and of operating lever l, and, upon manual release of operating shaft 2 at this time, both day corrector 4 and operating lever 1 are rotated clockwise through the day corrector spring 11, returning to the initial balanced state, the left end pawl 4b of the corrector 4 being released from engagement with the star wheel 8. That is, through oscillation of operating lever l in counterclockwise and clockwise directions through a certain angle, one leaf of the day indicating leaf-plates 25 is turned over to correct the day indication.

In the mechanism of the invention explained above, the stopper 6 is positioned adjacent those sides of

correctors

3 and 4 remote from operating lever 1. However, the stop may be arranged so that it is adjacent that side of lever l

remote form correctors

3 and 4, as indicated at 6"in FIG.- 1, and will perform a similar function. 7 I

The corrector springs 10 and 11 may be wound on the'common shaft 5 of the

correctors

3 and 4 instead of the stud 12. Moreover, in the mechanism of the invention when either the date star wheel 7'or the day star wheel 8 is rotated by one tooth by means of being engaged with the corrector pawl 3b or 4b, other star wheel is released instantly from detention by jumper 14. However, these star wheels are substantially not rotatable freely on account of the -connecting 're-' sistance thereof with the time driving movement, so that such other star wheel does not rotate and remains Y in its initial position; However, jumper 14 may be composed in such a way that it is divided into two parts, as

- shown in FIG. 3, these two parts 14 and 14' releasably retaining the date star wheel 7 and the day star wheel 8, respectively, through the springs 16 and 16'.

What I claim is:

1. In a leaf-type digital clock having respective drums carrying day indication leafs and date indication leafs, a

opposite ends offset in respective opposite axial directions from its central portion secured to said operating shaft; a day corrector lever and a date corrector lever oscillatably mounted, intermediate their ends, in axially spaced relation on a common mounting shaft and having respective first ends, aligned with respective opposite ends of said operating lever, and respective second ends formed as pawls; spring means biasing said corrector levers to engage their first ends with the associated opposite ends of said operating lever; respective day and date star wheels each operatively connected to thecorresponding drum and each aligned with the second end of the corresponding corrector lever for stepping thereby; a second mounting shaft mounting said star wheels for independent rotation; means releasably restraining rotation of said star wheels; manual rotation of saidoperating shaft in either angular direction rocking a respective one of said corrector levers against its spring bias to step the as,- sociated star wheel and the corresponding drum; and stop means limiting oscillation of said corrector levers to an angular distance sufficient to step the associated star wheels by only one step.

2. A corrector mechanism, as claimed in claim 1', wherein said stop means comprises a stop positioned adjacent those sides of said corrector levers remote from said operating lever.

3 A correcting mechanism, as claimed in claim 1, in which said stop means comprises a stop positioned adjacent that side of said operating lever remote from said corrector levers.

4. A correcting mechanism, as claimed in claim 1, in which said spring means comprises respective springs for each corrector lever; said springs being wound on a common shaft and each having one end engaging the associated corrector lever and a second end engaging a fixed stud means.

5. A correcting mechanism, as claimed in claim 4, in which said springs are wound on said first-mentioned common mounting shaft.

6. A correcting mechanism, as claimed in claim 1, in which said releasable restraining means comprises spring biased check pawl means releasably engagin said star wheels. r

7 A correcting mechanism, as claimed in claim 6, in which said check pawl means comprises a single spring biased check pawl releasably engaging both. star wheels.

8. A correcting mechanism, as claimed in claim 6, in which the check pawl means comprises respective spring biased check pawls releasably engaging each star wheel. I

9. A correcting mechanism, as claimed in claim 1, in which each star wheel is connected to the corresponding drum by gearing including a respective gear fixed to rotate with each star wheel.

Claims

1. In a leaf-type digital clock having respective drums carrying day indication leafs and date indication leafs, a correcting mechanism for the day and date indications comprising, in combination, a manually rotatable operating shaft; an operating lever secured, intermediate its ends, to said operating shaft and having its opposite ends offset in respective opposite axial directions from its central portion secured to said operating shaft; a day corrector lever and a date corrector lever oscIllatably mounted, intermediate their ends, in axially spaced relation on a common mounting shaft and having respective first ends, aligned with respective opposite ends of said operating lever, and respective second ends formed as pawls; spring means biasing said corrector levers to engage their first ends with the associated opposite ends of said operating lever; respective day and date star wheels each operatively connected to the corresponding drum and each aligned with the second end of the corresponding corrector lever for stepping thereby; a second mounting shaft mounting said star wheels for independent rotation; means releasably restraining rotation of said star wheels; manual rotation of said operating shaft in either angular direction rocking a respective one of said corrector levers against its spring bias to step the associated star wheel and the corresponding drum; and stop means limiting oscillation of said corrector levers to an angular distance sufficient to step the associated star wheels by only one step.

2. A corrector mechanism, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said stop means comprises a stop positioned adjacent those sides of said corrector levers remote from said operating lever.

3. A correcting mechanism, as claimed in claim 1, in which said stop means comprises a stop positioned adjacent that side of said operating lever remote from said corrector levers.

6. A correcting mechanism, as claimed in claim 1, in which said releasable restraining means comprises spring biased check pawl means releasably engaging said star wheels.

7. A correcting mechanism, as claimed in claim 6, in which said check pawl means comprises a single spring biased check pawl releasably engaging both star wheels.

8. A correcting mechanism, as claimed in claim 6, in which the check pawl means comprises respective spring biased check pawls releasably engaging each star wheel.