US3823548A

US3823548A - Universal time providing clock

Info

Publication number: US3823548A
Application number: US00298066A
Authority: US
Inventors: M Riba
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-10-16
Filing date: 1972-10-16
Publication date: 1974-07-16
Anticipated expiration: 1991-07-16

Abstract

A universal time providing clock includes a rotatably mounted support annulus which has hour designating numerals on opposite faces, and a clock body is rotatably supported in the annulus. The clock body includes a front face with clock hands driven by a clock motor located within the clock body. On the rear face of the clock body there are mounted a pair of concentric hemispherical shells which are rotatable about a central axis perpendicular to the clock face and the inner and outer shell peripheries drive embrace rotatable rollers so that rotation of the outer shell rotates the inner shell in an opposite direction. The outer shell is transparent and is regularly divided into twelve numbered time zone segments and the inner shell is provided with time zone designating indicia. Centrally rotatably mounted on the outer shell is a disc carrying regularly spaced numbers from 1 to 12 along its border. By manipulation of the outer shell and the disc the time in any time zone and its relative day and P.M., A.M. relationship to local time can be determined.

Description

United States Patent [191 Riba [ UNIVERSAL TIME PROVIDING CLOCK [76] Inventor: Morris Riba, 2881 W. 12th St.,

Brooklyn, NY. 11224 22 Filed: Oct. 16, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 298,066

Primary Examiner-Richard B. Wilkinson Assistant Examiner-Edith Simmons Jackmon Attorney, Agent, or FirmWolder & Gross [451 July 16,1974

[57] ABSTRACT A universal time providing clock includes a rotatably mounted support annulus which has hour designating numerals on opposite faces, and a clock body is rotatably supported in the annulus. The clock body includes a front face with clock hands driven by a clock motor located within the clock body. On the rear face of the clock body there are mounted a pair of concentric hemispherical shells which are rotatable about a central axis perpendicular to the clock face and the inner and outer shell peripheries drive embrace rotatable rollers so that rotation of the outer shell rotates the inner shell in an opposite direction. The outer shell is transparent and is regularly divided into twelve numbered time zone segments and the inner shell is provided with time zone designating indicia. Centrally rotatably mounted on the outer shell is a disc carrying regularly spaced numbers from 1 to 12 along its border. By manipulation of the outer shell and the disc the time in any time zone and its relative day and P.M., A.M. relationship to local time can be determined.

7 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures 1 UNIVERSAL TIME PROVIDING CLOCK BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to improvements in clocks and it relates particularly to an improved clock device for determining the time and related day in any locality or time zone at any local time.

The systems heretofor available or proposed for de termining the time and day in any particular time zone or geographical locality when the local time is known possess numerous drawbacks and disadvantages. They are commonly based on a 24 hour clock system and are not easily employable with a 12 hour clock and thus lead to confusion where a 12 hour clock is employed. Those systems which employ a l2 hour clock system are complex and difficult to employ and frequently lead to miscalculations particularly when determining the day and P.M., A.M., relationships. Moreover, the universal clock devices heretofor available are unreliable and unattractive devices and otherwise leave much to be desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved world wide clock.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved device for determining the time in any geographical location or time zone at any given local time.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a world wide clock based on successive 12 hour A;M. and RM. cycles.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a highly attractive display clock.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a device of the above nature characterized by its reliability and high versatility and adaptability.

The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof.

In a sense the present invention contemplates the provision of a world wide time determining device comprising a clock including a front face and an hour indicator located on the front face and a 12 hour cycle clock motor driving the hour indicator, a dial peripherally divided into 12 equal intervals extending around the clock face, and a main circular member mounted for rotation about its center and coaxial with the dial and divided into 12 equal time zone segments. Another feature of the present invention resides in the attractive display provided by the improved clock which includes a vertical annular member having hour designating indicia on a face thereof, a clock body housing a clock motor registering with the annular member and swingable about a vertical axis extending diametricaly of the annular member, the clock body having a front face, and hour and minute hands located on said front face and driven by the clock motor.

In its preferred form the improved clock includes a base upon which an hour indicia carrying annular rim is rotatably mounted, the clock body being in turn mounted in registry with the rim for independent rotation about a vertical axis. On the rear face of the clock and coaxial therewith are spaced inner and outer concentric hemispherical shells rotatable about the axis of the annular member. A plurality of rollers are frictionally embraced by the confronting outer borders of the shells so that rotation of the outer shell in one direction effects the rotation of the inner shell in an opposite direction. The outer shell is divided into 12 equal time zone sectors each of which may have imprinted therein geographical locations disposed in the corresponding zone and the inner shell likewise carries indicia which may include geographical locations disposed in accordance with their time zone. An A.M., P.M. determining disc is centrally rotatably mounted on the center of outside face of the outer shell and is divided into twelve correspondingly designated equal sectors.

The improved clock device is highly attractive, versatile and adaptable and provides a simple mechanism for determining the time in any geographical location at any local time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a front elevational view of a clock embodying the present invention; I FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view thereof, shown partially broken away;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4l in FIG. I;

FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view of the clock, partially in section;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the clock universal time determining assembly; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of the assembly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the reference numeral III generally designates the improved display world wide clock which comprises a base portion II, a dial defining rim or annulus I2 and a body portion I3. The base II includes a vertical cylindrical lower section M having a shallow well formed in the top thereof in which is nested a ball bearing turntable I6 including a bottom plate suitably bolted to lower section M and a rotatable top plate superimposed on the turntable top plate and screw fastened thereto is a cylindrical block I7 which projects above base portion I4.

The rim I2 is mounted atop and suitably fastened to block 17 and includes a tubular outer section I8, decorated and finished as desired, and a tubular relatively thick inner section I9, which telescopes outer section I8 and extends to points short of the edges of outer section I9. The inner section I9 is formed of any suitable material, for example, an expanded polystyrene, and has flat end faces on each of which is mounted or otherwise formed or applied equally spaced hour designating numerals 29 which are from 1 to 12, in accordance with the conventional 12 hour clock dial. Embedded in diametrically opposite points in the medial inner face of inner dial section I9 and coaxial with the axis of rotation of turntable I6 are a pair of metal cylindrical bearing cups 2I.

The body I3 rotatably registers with rim I2 and includes a thick mounting or core disc 22 of somewhat less diameter than the inside diameter of rim inner section 19 and has a pair of diametrically opposite bores 23 formed'therein opposing and corresponding bearing cups 21. A pivot pin 24 has opposite inner and outer ends axially slideably engaging respectively the bore 23 and bearing cup 21 of each pair thereof and is outwardly urged relative the bore 23 by a compression spring 26 entrapped between the confronting end faces of bore 23 and pivot pin 24. Each pin 24 has an annulus 27 fixed proximate its outer end and the annulus abuts the edge of a respective bearing cup 21.

A plastic disc 28 coincides with the rear face of mounting disc 22 and is divided by radial lines 29 into twelve 30 peripheral sections. The disc 28 is angularly adjustable in disc 22 a single increment of 30 and is releasably locked in a preselected position by cap nuts 30 engaging screws which separably engage opposite of selected apertures 32 of corresponding pairs thereof. A well is formed in the rear face of disc 22 and an opening is formed in disc 28, a clock motor 33 nesting and secured in the well and registering with the disc opening which is of a configuration which permits the angular adjustment of disc 28. The clock motor 33, which is advantageously of a well-known battery driven type including a replacable battery 34, includes coaxial shafts projecting through the center of disc 22 and drive supporting minute, hour and second hands 36 in the usual manner. It should be noted that dividing lines 29 are aligned with corresponding numerals 20.

Arranged in quadrature along the border and about the center of disc 28 in tight engagement with bores in disc 22 are four pins 37 which support at their rear free ends, by means of ball bearings, rollers 38 which are spaced from disc 28 by space members. Bores are provided in disc 22 at 30 intervals from each pin engaging bore to permit the angular adjustment of disc 28 a 30 increment allowing for the changing of the clock mechanism between standard and daylight savings time. A transparent hemispherical cover shell 25 is mounted on the front face of disc 22.

A main hemispherical shell 39 formed of a resilient transparent plastic material has its peripheral border snap fit about the outside faces of rollers 38 with its inner edge proximate disc 28 so that the hand rotation of the shell 39 effects the rotation of rollers 38 in the same direction. The rotation of shell 38 is limited to slightly less than 360 by a stop element 40 located on and projecting outwardly from the border of shell 39 and a stop element 41 positioned on disc 28 in the circular path of stop element 40. A thin plastic collar 42 of lesser diameter than shell 39 is located within and coaxial with shell 39 and has its rear edge mounted to the inside face of shell 39 forward of its rear edge by means of and annular bracket 45 secured to the confronting faces of shell 39 and collar 42. The collar 42 is of slightly curved transverse cross section and tapers rearwardly. A local time zone indicating indicia such as an arrow 35 is positioned on the border of shell 39 in a medial position relative to the local time zone where the device is used and it may be formed with a pressure sensitive adhesive coating so that it may be applied to any desired position. It should be noted that a separate table may be provided indicating the time zones of the principal cities and other desired localities.

The shell 39 is peripherally divided into l2-30 sections 43 by radiating dividing lines 44 extending to points short of the peripheral edge of shell 39, each of the sections corresponding to a pair of world time zones separated by 12 hours and being identified by corresponding numerals 46 consecutively from I to 12 in a clockwise direction and disposed between the edge and center of shell 39. Also located in each of the time zone sections 43 are the names of one or more geographical locations, such as cities, located in the respective time zones. The collar 42 is likewise divided by line 47 into 12 sections which are aligned with sections 43 and may carry the names of geographical locations in the respective time zones and which are visible through shell 39.

An inner hemispherical shell 49 concentric with shell 39 is of lesser diameter than shell 39 and projects through and is spaced from collar 42. Shell 49 is provided along its edge with a peripheral flange 50 which is slideably entrapped between disc 28 and rollers 38 to permit the rotation of shell 49, and shell 49 is formed of a resilient material to permit its detachment from and replacement on disc 28 and rollers 38. Extending about the outer face of shell 49 adjacent to flange 50 is a narrow sleeve 51 which frictionally engages the inside perimeters of rollers 38 which are of such a small diameter so that upon the rotation of shell 39 rollers 38 are driven by shell 39 and in turn rotate shell 49 in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of shell 39 and at substantially the same angular rate. The central outer face of shell 49 is visible through shell 39 and the opening in collar 42 and is provided with indicator line 52 extending outwardly from the center of shell 49. Shell 49 also carries other indicia including 30 spaced radial lines 55 delineating time zones arranged in a relatively opposite direction and numbered by numerals 1 to 12 counterclockwise from line 52 and suitably disposed names of geographical locations which are from time zones in the world hemisphere opposite to that represented on shell 39 and collar 42. The

shell

39 and 49 are so angularly related that arrow 35 and line 52 concurrently point to 12 on dial 20. The geographical locations marked on shell 49 correspond to a following day relative to New York, for example on shell 49, Hong Kong will be negative and appear in zone 1, Tokyo in zone 2, Sydney in zone 3, etc. Furthermore, the various geographical locations on the

shells

39, 42 and 49, when they are related to local time in a negative manner are designated by a minus sign and when they are one day in advance of local time are designated by an asterisk.

Mounted on the central outside face of shell 39 for rotation about the rotational axis of shell 39 is an AM. P.M. determining disc 53 provided with a forwardly directed peripheral skirt wall 54. The disc 53 is rotatably supported by a tubular nut or sleeve 56 having an enlarged outer head and engaging aligned central apertures in a small disc 57 centrally overlying disc 53, and in shell 39, the nut 56 being secured in position by a mating screw 58. The disc 53 carries on its outer border 12 equally peripherally spaced numerical designations 59, from one to twelve.

Considering now the application and operation of the improved device 10 described above in determining the time in any desired time zone or locality and its RM. and AM. relationship, the local time is first ascertained from the clock whose front face is swung forward and the body 13 is then rotated about its vertical axis to bring shell 39 forward. The shell 39 is then rotated to the local time hour where the device is located, and

the time designated zones and geographical locations on the

shells

39 and 49 and collar 42 will be aligned with the times in their respective time zones which times are read from the dial numerals 20.

In determining whether a particular geographical location or time zone is AM. or RM. that is its meridian relationship and the relative date thereof the number of the time zone in which the geographical location is located is added to the local time, such computation being facilitated by the use of the disc 53. The time zones west of the local time zones are herein considered negative zones and are so designated and the zones east of the local time zone are considered positive within twelve time zones distance. if the geographical location is in a negative time zone and the above sum is less than 12 the geographical location and the local time zone are of different meridian relationships and if the sum is 12 or more they are of the same meridian relationship. However, if the geographical location is in a positive zone and the sum is less than 12 the geographical and local time zone or of the same meridian relationship and if the sum is 12 or more they are of different meridian relationships. As an example, if the local time in New York is 2:00 PM. the time in San Francisco is 11:00 AM. since the San Francisco is in the negative 9 time zone and 9 plus 2 is less than 12. At the same time, the time in London which is in a positive 6 time zone is 8:00 PM. since 8 plus 2 is less than 12. On the other hand, applying the above procedure, when it is 7:00 P.M. in New York it is 4:00 RM. in San Francisco since 7 plus 9 is greater than 12 and it is 1:00 AM. in London since 7 plus 6 is likewise greater than l2.

The times of the geographical locations appearing in the time zone by shell 49 are the differences between the hours of the occurring registering numerals on dial 20 and l2. in the alternative a second group of numerals may be carried by the dial 20 which are the differences between the hour designations shown and 112. Thus the 12 dividing lines 29 on disc 23 constitute the counter clockdial for the zones on shell 49, at the bottom of the axially proximal portion of the lines 29 are located small numbers from l to 12 arranged counterclockwise, so that zone one on inner shell 39 will be aligned with the 1 line facing the ill on the clock dial 20, zone two aligned with line 2 facing the 110 on the clock dial 20 and so on up to the twelfth line facing the 12.

While there has been described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of the present invention it is apparent that numerous alterations, omissions and additions may be made without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, the relative time, meridian and relative day calculator may be associated with a watch or other device and the various elements may be other than manually operated.

I claim:

1. A world wide time determining device comprising a clock including a front face and an hour indicator and a minute indicator located on said front face and a 12 hour cycle motor driving said hour and minute indicators in a fixed ratio, a dial which comprises a vertical annular member peripherically divided into 12 equal intervals extending around said clock face, and having hour designating indicia on a face thereof, said clock registering with said annular member and being swingable therein about a vertical axis, and a main circular member mounted on the rear of the clock for manual rotation independently of said indicators about its center and coaxial with said dial and divided into 12 equal time Zone segments.

2. The device of claim ll including a base supporting said annular member for rotation about a vertical axis.

3. A world wide time determining device comprising a clock including a front face and an hour indicator located on said front face and a 12 hour cycle clock motor driving said hour indicator, a dial peripherally divided into 12 equal intervals extending around said clock face, a main circular member mounted for rotation about its center and coaxial with said dial and divided into 12 equal time segments, and an outer circular member mounted for rotation about its center and about the axis of said main circular member and provided with twelve peripherally spaced numerals from 1 to 12.

t. A world wide time determining device comprising a clock including a front face and an hour indicator located on said front face and a 12 hour cycle clock motor driving said hour indicator, a dial peripherally divided into 12 equal intervals extending around said clock face, a main circular member mounted for rotation about its center and coaxial with said dial and divided into 12 equal time zone segments, an inner indicia carrying circular member mounted for rotation about its center and about the axis of said main circular member, and means responsive to the rotation of said main circular member for rotating said inner circular member in a direction opposite to the rotation of said main circular member.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said main and inner circular members comprise first and second hemispherical concentric shells respectively, said first shell being substantially transparent.

6. A world wide time determining device comprising a clock including a front face and an hour indicator located in said front face and a 12 hour cycle clock motor driving said hour indicator, a dial peripherally divided into 12 equal intervals extending around said clock face, a hollow hemispherical shell mounted for rotation about its center and coaxial with said dial and divided into 12 equal time zone segments and an outer circular member mounted on the outer face of said shell and rotatable about the axis of rotation of said shell and having indicia peripherally dividing said outer circular member into 12 equal parts.

'7. The device of claim 5 wherein said rotating means comprises at least one roller located between and frictionally engaging the confronting peripheral outer borders of said first and second shells. =l =l l =l=

Claims

2. The device of claim 1 including a base supporting said annular member for rotation about a vertical axis.

4. A world wide time determining device comprising a clock including a front face and an hour indicator located on said front face and a 12 hour cycle clock motor driving said hour indicator, a dial peripheralLy divided into 12 equal intervals extending around said clock face, a main circular member mounted for rotation about its center and coaxial with said dial and divided into 12 equal time zone segments, an inner indicia carrying circular member mounted for rotation about its center and about the axis of said main circular member, and means responsive to the rotation of said main circular member for rotating said inner circular member in a direction opposite to the rotation of said main circular member.

7. The device of claim 5 wherein said rotating means comprises at least one roller located between and frictionally engaging the confronting peripheral outer borders of said first and second shells.