US767605A - Musical alarm-clock. - Google Patents

Description

Patented August 16, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED STANGE, OF DRESDEN, GERMANY.

MUSICAL ALARM-CLOCK.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 767,605, dated August 16, 1904.

Application filed December 30, 1902. Serial No. 137,167. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known thatI, ALFRED STANGE, a citizen of the Empire of Germany, residing at Dresden, in the Empire of Germany, have invented a new and useful Combination Alarm-,Olock, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in alarm-clocks; and the objects of my improvement are, first, to provide an automatietuneplaying device within the casing of an alarmclock of any known construction, and, second, to provide a special device between said alarm-clock and said automatic tune-playing device by which the latter is released and allowed to play after the alarm-train has gone off. I attain these objects by the arrangement illustrated in a mode of execution in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the clock-casing and a rear view of the alarm-clock, the device, and the automatic tune -playing device, the time-train being omitted. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section through the clock-casing on the line A B in Fig. 1 and a side elevation of the clock-frame, the device, and the automatic tune-playing device, only the winding-shaft of the alarmtrain, with its spring, gear-wheel, and ratchetwheel, being shown in the lock-frame. Fig. 3 is a plan of the bottom of the clock-casing and a horizontal section through the line E F in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4: is a vertical cross-section through the same on the line CD in Fig. 3. Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the/several views.

Of the alarm-clock, which may be of any known construction, only the clock-frame proper and the alarm-train are shown. The clock-frame consists of the two plates 1 2 and the four studs 1 4E. The spiral spring 5 for actuating the alarm-train is assumed to be fastened with its external end on one stud 4 of the frame and with its internal end on the winding-shaft 3. On the latter a gear-wheel 8 is mounted to turn and carries a spring-pressed pawl 7 which engages in the teeth of aratchetwheel 6, fastened on the shaft 3. Over the rear end of the winding-shaft 3 a sleeve 11, Fig. 2, made in one piece with a disk 9, and ahead 12 is placed and fastened by a suitable pin (not shown) passing across the head 12 and the shaft 3'. On the head 12 aturnablekey 13 is arranged, by means'of which the windingshaft 3 can be turned to wind on the spiral spring 5. The tension of the spiral spring 5 can put the hammer 19, Fig. 1, into motion by means of the gearewheel 8, the pinion 141,

the gear-wheel 15, the pinion 16, the escapewheel 17, and the anchor 18, when the bell 20 will sound. These parts, excepting the winding-shaft 3, with all parts thereon, are omitted from Fig. 2 for the sake of clearness and because the construction of the alarmtrain is quite immaterial. The alarm-train is to be put into motion by the time-train (not shown) at any given time by a well-known device, which is equally not represented, as it does not form a part of my invention.

On the bottom 21 of the clock-casing an automatic tune-playing device is secured, which may be of any known construction. It is here assumed to be an ordinary musicbox mechanism comprising a pin-barrel 22 and a sounding-comb 23. hen the spring contained in the barrel 2 1 is wound on by means of the key 25, it can put the shaft 28 of the pin-barrel 22 into motion by means of the crown-wheel 26 and the pinion 27. The speed of the pin-barrel 22 is regulated by the fly 36 with the aid of the gear-wheel 29, the pinion 30, the gear-Wheel 31, the pinion 32, the shaft 33, the worm-wheel 3 1, and the worm 35, as usual. A detent-lever 37 is arranged for engaging in a hole 58 of the gear-wheel 29 under the action of a helical spring 39, connected with its rear arm 38, while its lateral arm 10 engages the fly 36, when the musical instrument will be stopped, as usual.

On the bottom 21 is secured a suitable support 11, in which the axle 42 of a bell-crank lever A3 14: is mounted to turn. The lower arm 13 is formed eccentrically and arranged for striking against the rear arm 38 of the detent-lever 37 and moving it tothe right in Fig. 1, when the upright arm 1 1 is moved to the left, as is indicated by the dotted lines. The bell-crank lever 13 1 1 is, moreover, provided with a third arm 15, against which a leaf-spring 46 is arranged to bear, so as to press the upright arm 44: to the right.

It is evident that on moving the upright arm 44 to the left into the position indicated by the dotted lines at Fig. 1 the eccentrical periphery of the lower arm 43 will strike against the rear arm 38 and move it to the right, so that the pin on the end of the detent-lever 37 will get out of the hole 58in the gear-wheel 29, and at the same time the lateral arm 40 will release the fly 36, whereby the automatic musical instrument is allowed to play.

To the rear frame-plate 2 of the alarmclock a plate 47 is secured by means of one stud 4, its nut 48, and a pin 49. On this plate 47 a pin 50 is secured, on which alever 51 is mounted to turn. Its lower end engages in the end 52 of the upright arm 44, which end is formed somewhat like a scoop. The lever 51 is made in one piece with two toothed segments 53 and 54 of different radiuses. On the plate 47 another pin 55 is fastened, on which a pawl 56 is mounted to turn. Under the action of a leaf-spring 57 this pawl 56 engages in the teeth of the segment 54, which serves as a ratchet-segment.

The winding-shaft 3 of the alarm-train is assumed to be turned in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1 (c'. a, in that of the hands of a watch) for winding on the spring 5 and to make only two revolutions for entirely winding it on. In accordance with this the teeth of the two segments 53 54 are shaped. These two segments, with the lever 51 and the bellcrank lever 44 43, occupy the positions indicated by the dotted lines before the spring 5 is wound on. The disk 9 carries a pin 10,

' which can engage either tooth of the toothed segment 53in both directions after each revolution of the shaft 3. The pawl 56 serves for holding the toothed segment 53 in its momentary position after the pin 10 has moved it through the distance of a tooth pitch and leaves the respective tooth.

On turning the winding-shaft 3 by means of the key 13 in the direction of the arrow at Fig. 1 the pin 10 will twice engage the toothed segment 53, and thereby move the lever 51 into its one extreme position. (Shown by the full lines.) Of course the bell-crank lever 43 44 will follow this movement under the action of the leaf-spring 46. After winding the spring 5 of the alarm-train, the spring of the time-train, (not shown,) and the spring of the musical instrument the whole clock will be ready.

hen at the predetermined time the timetrain releases the alarm-train, the windingshaft 3 will turn in a direction opposed to that of the arrow in Fig. 1 and put the hammer 19 into motion in the manner described above. IV hen the first revolution of the shaft 3 is about to be completed, the pin 10 will strike against the lowermost tooth of the segment 53 (see Fig. 1) and turn the lever 51 through half its angle of deviation. However, as the arm 43 and the detent-lever 38 37 are so arranged that the fly 36 and the gearwheel 29 are released only after the bellcrank lever 43 44 has completed about threefourths of its entire angle of deviation it follows that the above motion of the lever 51 will have no further effect. Then the shaft 3 is about to complete its second revolution, the pin 10 will engage with the next following tooth of the segment 53,and thereby move the lever 51 into its other extreme position,(in cheated by the dotted lines,) when the alarmtrain will have gone off and the automatic musical instrument be started to play.

It is evident that the winding-shaft 3 need not be turned twice. It may be turned through an angle of, say, ninety degrees, so as to cause the hammer 19 to strike only for a short time. In any case, however, the musical instrument will be started after the hammer 19 has ceased striking. \Nhen turning the'wi'nding-shaft 3 through an angle of ninety degrees for windin g on the'spring 5, the pin 10 will engage under the uppermost tooth of the segment 53 and turn the latter through the distance of a tooth-pitch, so that the lever 51 will be turned through half its angle of deviation. In consequence of this the bell-crank lever 44 43 will be turned into its middle position, which is suflicient in accordance with the above explanations for leaving space to the rear arm 38 of the detentlever 37, so that under the action of the helical spring 39 the pin on the end of the detent-lever 37 will engage in the hole 58 of the gear-wheel 29 and the arm 40 will engage the fly 36 to stop the musical instrument. Should the pin on the end of the detent-lever 37 happen to be not exactly opposite to the hole 58, the gear-wheel 29 will turn a little after the spring in the barrel 24 has been wound on by means of the key 25 until the detent-lever 37 engages in the hole 58 and the arm 40 stops the fly 36. It is also evident that the leaf-spring 57 must be strong enough to prevent the lever 51 from moving under the action of the spring 46.

The arrangement described so far may be varied without deviating from the spirit of my invention. The shaft 3 may be arranged to be turned for winding in a direction opposed to that of the arrow in Fig. 1, when of course the eccentricity of the arm 43 will require to be reversed. The plate 47 may be shaped otherwise or it may be made in one piece with the frame-plate 2. The construction of the automatic musical instrument is quite immaterial. The only essential point is that this instrument be provided with a movable part, by means of which it can be stopped and released. This movable part is here the rear arm 38 of the detent-lever 37. What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an alarm-clock, the combination with an alarm-train having a spring-winding shaft,

of a disk fastened on said spring-winding shaft and provided with a pin, a toothed segment with either tooth of which said pin on said disk can engage in both directions after each revolution of said spring-Winding shaft, means for holding said toothed segment in its m0- mentary position, an automatic tune-playing device having a detent for releasing it, a springpressed lever formed eccentrically on the free end for striking against said detent and thereby starting said automatic tune-playing device, and means for transmitting the movement of said toothed segment to said springpressed lever after said alarm-train has gone off, substantially as set forth.

2. In an alarm-clock, the combination with an alarm-train having a spring-winding shaft, of a disk fastened on said spring-winding shaft and provided with a pin, a toothed segment with either tooth of which said pin on said disk can engage in both directions after each revolution of said spring-winding shaft, a ratchet-segment secured to said toothed segment, a spring-pressed pawl engaging the teeth of said ratchet-segment for holding said toothed segment in any position, an automatic tune-playing device having a spring-pressed detent for releasing it, a spring-pressed lever formed eccentrically for striking against said spring-pressed detent and thereby starting said automatic tune-playing device, and means ment secured to said toothed segment, a springpressed pawl engaging the teeth of said ratchet-segment for holding said toothed segment in any position, an automatic tune-playing device havinga spring-pressed detent for releasing it, and a spring-pressed bell-crank lever having one arm formed eccentrically for striking against said spring-pressed detent and thereby starting said automatic tune-playing device, while its other arm is adapted to engage with said arm of said toothed segment to be actuated thereby after said alarm-train has gone off, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED STANGE.

Witnesses:

PAUL E. SoHILLrNe, PAUL ARRAs.

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