US1891967A - Clock - Google Patents

Description

D66. 27, 1932. w, BARTlKosKl 1,891,967

CLOCK Filed March 26. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [N VEN T OR Dec.27, 1932. W.BARTIKOSK| 1,891,967.

CLOCK Filed March 28, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Patented Dec. 27 1932 WESLEY nan'rrxosxr, OF DULUTH, mnmnsora v CLOCK Application filed March 26, 1931. Serial No. 525,423.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in clocks and has for its primary object to provide a conventional or any other clock with novel and improved means for controlling an electric circuit.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clock with an electric switch mechanism which is controlled by the clock movement and has associated therewith manually m adjustable means adapted to effect the operation of said switch mechanism at aset time.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clock with two independent electric switches, each of which is controlled by a manually adjustable time setting device operated by theclock movement, whereby one of said switches is closed at a set time, while the other switch is opened at another set time. A still further object of the invention resides in the provisionof means for indicating the time at which eachelectric switch is operated.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a clock with an electric switch mechanism which is particularly adapted to automatically close and open at the desired hours the electric circuit of a radio receiver or the like, whereby the attachment ofthe clock to the radio receiver is extremely simple and requires no alteration of the wiring of the radio receiver whatever.

A further object of the invention is to provide a conventional clock with an electric switch and manually adjustable switch operating means of exceptionally simple and dur able construction which can be economically manufactured and assembled.

'Withthese and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction and arrangement as hereinafter shown and described and then specifically ointed out in the claims.

1? practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying draw- 4 ings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views. In the drawings: I Fig. 1 is a front elevation view of a clock having my improvement applied thereto;

19 ismade integral with the body of the gear Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2.of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Fig.2or Fig.4;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation view of the clock mechanism with parts broken away; i

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of one of the electric switches in open position;

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view on line 6-6 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 7 is a wiring diagram of the clock.

According to the invention'a gear 1 is rigid- 1y secured on the hour hand socket 2 which has fixed thereon the customary hour gear 3 driven by the clock movement. The 'hour hand socket 2 which is rotatably mounted on the center shaft 5 extends through the dial I plate 4 having the time dial 11 thereon. The hour hand 6 is frictionally mounted on the projecting end of the socket 2: .The minute hand 7 is secured to the projecting outer end '8 of the center shaft 5, whose projecting rear :end is provided with a knurled finger-knob 9. The center shaft 5 has fixed thereon a gear 10 which is driven by the clock movement in well known manner. a

The gear 1 on the socket 2 is arranged between the dial plate 4 and the front plate 12 of the clock movement and is in mesh with two similar gears 13 and 14. The gears 13 and 14 have the same number of teeth as the gear 1 and therefore make-each a revolution once in twelve hours. Each gear 13 and 14 is adapted to control an electricswitch A and B respectively as will be presently described. 3 Since both switches A and B and the actuating mechanism for the same are substantially the same, only one of these mechanisms need to be described in detail.

' As shown in Fig. 3 the gear 13 is rigidly secured on a short sleeve 15 which is rotatw ably mounted on a settin shaft 16 rotatably supported by'the spaced ront and rear plates 12 and 24 respectively of the clock movement. Adjacent the gear .13 a ratchet wheel 17 is 96 fixed on the setting shaft 16 and a latch 18 (Fig. 2) is pivoted at 19 on the gear 13 and is urged in engagement with the ratchet wheel .17 by'a curved spring 19'. The spring M 13 ,or may be secured thereto in any desired manner. A small setting dial 20 is rigidly mounted on the sleeve 15 and is arranged in a circular hole 21 of the dial plate 4 and is flush with the time dial 11. The diameter of the hole 21 in the dial plate 4 and the time dial 11 preferabl is somewhat larger than the diameter of t e setting dial 20 to insure free rotation of the setting dial 20 within said hole 21. The front end of the setting shaft 16 projects through the setting dial 20 and has a setting hand 22 frictionally secured thereto. The rear end of the setting shaft 16 is provided with a knurled finger-knob 23 which is adapted to manually rotate the shaft 16 and the hand 22 thereon in one direction, owin to the shape of the teeth of the ratchet whee relatively to the setting dial 20. Since the gear 13 is rotated by the gear 1 and since the ratchet wheel 17 is latched to the gear 13 by the latch 18, it follows that the ratchet wheel 17 rotates with the gear 13 and also that the setting hand 22, which by reason of its mounting on the shaft 16 rotates with the same, normally rotates simultaneously with the setting dial 20 and that with the same speed.

On one side of the ratchet wheel 17 adjacent the perimeterthereof is arranged a camlike projection 25. This projection 25 may be stamped from the body of the wheel 17 or separately secured thereto and serves to actuate a lever 28 which in turn releases the switch A. The lever 28 has the shape as particularly shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and is pivoted at one end on a post 27 which is secured on back of the time dial plate 14. The other end of the lever 28 terminates in a tongue-like projection 29 adapted to hold the switch A in closed position. The lever 28 has between its ends an off-set portion 30 projecting into the path of movement of the cam-like projection 25 and when engaged thereby causes a swinging movement of the lever 28 and a release of the switch A. A helical spring 31 tends to pull the lever 28 toward the cam-like rojection 25 and as soon as the projection as passed the off-set portion of the lever 28 the same is returned toits normal position by the spring 31. The lever 28 is provided near its upper end with an outward bent portion 32 which engagesthe rear of the time 3' dial late 14 and is slidably secured thereto by a eade'd pin 33 extending through a slot 34 in the bent portion 32, and secured to the dial plate 14.

The switch A comprises an insulating plate 34 secured to the inner face of front wall 12 and having thereon two spaced yielding contact strips 35 and 36 respectively, and a movable insulating block- 37 having secured thereto a contact ring 38' adapted to conductively connect the two contact strips 35 and 36 when the switch is moved into closed po- 5 sition. The insulating block 87 is fixed by a axially slidable shaft 38 projects rearwardly and has secured thereto a finger piece 40 between which and the rear wall24 a helical spring 41 is arranged which surrounds the shaft 38 and tends to move the shaft 38 toward the left (Fig. 3) to open the switch A as soon as the lever 26 is actuated by the camlike projection 25 to withdraw the tongue 29 from the conical enlargement 39. To close the switch A the shaft 38 is manually pushed inwardly, whereby the tongue 29 slides along the outer surface of the conical enlargement 39 until it snaps under the bottom surface thereof, whereupon the switch is held closed by said tongue 29 until the cam-like projection 25 again actuates the lever 28.

The other switch B is open in its locked positionand is closed upon actuation by its associated lever 42, contrary to the switch A which is closed in its locked position and is opened when its lever 28 is actuated. The switch 13 is similar to switch A, however, its stationary insulating plate 43 with the two yielding contact strips 44 and 45 is secured on the inner face of the rear wall 24 instead of the front wall 12. To permit a convenient attachment of the conductors the switch B is provided with clamping bolts 46 and nuts 47, while for the switch A ordinary clamping screws 48 are sufficient.

The movable switch member 49 of the switch B is secured on the axial slidable shaft 50 having thereon a conical enlargement 50 cooperating with the lever 42. The off-set portion 51 of this lever, according to Fig. 2 is just in engagement with the cam-like projectlon 53 on t e ratchet wheel 52 rotated by the gear 14. The lever 42 in the position shown in Fig. 2 is withdrawn from the conical enlargement 50 so that the switch B is closed. The ratchet wheel 52 is secured on a rotatable setting shaft 54 having a setting hand 55 fixed thereon arranged in front of the setting dial plate 56 rotating with the ear 14.

Preferably the ratchet wheels 17 and 52 are each provided with forty-eight teeth in order that the switches A and B may be set to operate any fifteen minutes. Of course, if

a greater number of teeth is selected the switches may be set to operate any ten or even any five minutes of an hour.

The clock mechanism includin the switches A and B may be dispmed 1n any suitable housing, if desired of ornamental design. The Fig. 1 shows by way of example a mantel clock having a housing 58 provided at its back with a plug socket 59. A flexible cord 60 containing two conductors leads from the rear of the clock and has a conventional plug 61 secured thereto adapted to be 'mounted in the rear of the clock housing 58.

The broken lines 58-indicate the clock housing. .To connect the clock with any electric circuit to be controlled by the switches A and B, e. g. with the circuit of a radio receiver, the customary plug of the radio receiver is .inserted in the socket 59 on the clock and the plug 61 of the clock is connected with the supply line e. g. with a wall socket of the house wiring system.

The operation of the invention is then as follows; I

The setting shaft 54 associated with the switch B or with the setting dial on (Fig. l) is manually rotated until the hand 55 points to the desired time the radio receiver 'shall start to play. The setting shaft 16 associated with the switch A or with the setting dial 011' (Fig. l) is manually rotated until the hand 22 points at the desired time the radio receiver shall stop to play. Then both axially movable shafts 38 and 50 are manually pushed inwardly, whereby the switch B is opened and the switch A is closed. The customar control switch on the radio receiver must e closed, but as long as the switch B is open the circuit of the radio receiver cannot be energized. ..The switch B is automatically closed when the cam-like projection 53 actuates the lever 42 and thereby the radio receiver is connected with the supply line. It is, of course, understood that the tuning dial of theradio receiver has to be previously set at the graduation where the desired broadcasting station comes in. After the radio receiver has playedthe desired interval of time, the switchA is automatically opened and thereby the radio receiver is disconnected from the supply line. By opening the control switch on the radio receiver during the interval of time the radio receiver is,playing j as indicated by the setting dials the radio receiver may be disconnected at any time from the supply line.

To set the radio receiver into operation without waiting for the automatic release of the switch B, it is only necessary to manually rotate the setting shaft 54 until the switch B is closed which happens when the cam-like projection 53 actuates the lever 42.

From the above. description it is apparent that the invention lends itself to various modifications and applications. The clock may be provided with only one switch adaptsocket,

to be rotated by said hour socket 1n one direcstruction of the several parts herein shown and described.

What I claim is:

1.. In a clock, an electric switch, a manually rotatable shaft, a ratchet wheel fixed on said shaft,a gear loose on said shaft and driven by the clock, a latch pivoted on said gear and engaging saidratchet wheel to rotate the same with said gear in one direction, said latch permitting manual rotation of said ratchet wheel in the same direction relatively to said gear, a pivoted lever, means oh said ratchet wheel to rock said lever, and means controlled by said lever to o erate said switch when the lever is actuated by said means on the ratchet wheel.

2. In a clock, an hour socket, an electric switch, a manually rotatable shaft, a ratchet wheel fixed onsaid shaft, a gear loose on said shaft and rotated by said hour socket to make a revolution once during twelve hours, a latch pivoted on said gear and engaging said ratchet wheel to rotate the same with said gear in one direction, said latch permitting manual rotation of said ratchet wheel in the same direction faster than said gear rotates said ratchet wheel, a pivoted lever, means on said ratchet wheel to rock said lever once during each revolution, and means controlled by said lever to operate said switch when the lever is actuated by said means on'the ratchet wheel.

3. In a clock, a time dial provided with a hole between its center and its circumference, a rotating dial arranged within said hole, a manually rotatable shaft on which said dial is-rotatably supported, a hand fixed on said shaft in front of said dial, a continuously driven gear loose onsaid shaft and rigidly connected with said dial, means on said gear for rotating said shaft simultaneously with said gear, an electric switch, and means associated with said shaft to operate said electric switch at a time indicated by the hand on said rotating dial,

4. In a clock, the combination of an electric switch with an axially movable shaft adapted to open and close said switch, an hour a manually rotatable shaft adapted tion, cam means on said manually rotatable shaft, a pivoted lever adapted to lock said axially movable shaft against movement, an

off-set portion on said pivoted lever between the ends thereof, said cam means being adapted to engage said off-set portion to oscillate said lever whereby said axially movable shaft is released to actuate said switch, said off-set portion permitting relocking of said axially movable shaft with said pivoted lever as soon as said cam means has tripped and released the off-set portion of said lever.

5. In a clock, the combination of an electric switch with an axially movable shaft adapted to open and close said switch, spring means tending to axially displace said shaft in one direction, a cone-like enlargement on one end of said shaft, a pivoted lever normally engaging with its free end the base of said conelikeenlargement to prevent axial displacement of said shaft by said spring means, an hour socket, a manually rotatable shaft rotated by said hour socket in one direction, cam means on said rotatable shaft adapted to oscillate said pivoted lever to release said lever from said cone-like enlargement whereby said axially movable shaft is displaced by said spring means to actuate said electric switch, the conical surface of said cone-like enlargement being adapted to engage said pivoted lever to guide it in engagement with the base of said cone-like enlargement when said axially movable shaft is manually returned into its initial position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WESLEY BARTIKOSK-I.

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