US209616A - Improvement in striking-clocks - Google Patents

Description

V. HIMHBB. Striking-Clock.

No. 209,616. Patented Nov. b.1878.

F NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT lN STRlKlNQ-OLOOKB.

s a-lama...- f rmlug part of Letters lsteut N I0 9,6]0, listed Revs-min It, ll"; application Med March ,11

To all trlmm it may rm lie it known tint term:

i, \'lT)\i.iH linuunn, of New York city, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented an Improved Striking-Clock, of which the following is a specification:

Figure l is a face view of my improved striking-clock. Fig. 2 is a face view of a portion of the same, showing parts in different positions from what they are in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the same on the line a: .r, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a top view, partly in section, of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

lhc objectof this invention is to produce a striking-clock which will always strike the correct hours or parts of hours, even when the hands are setback.

The invention is more particularly intended as an attachment to the ordinary American clock-movements, and is of such simplicity and cheapness that. it may be readily applied to ordinary American clocks without materially increasing their expcnse,and withontmaking the clock-movements too complicated for ordinary clock makers or repairers to handle.

American st rikin g-cloeks, when made to permit the turning back of the hands without ininrions interference with the striking mechanism, will always derange the relation between the striking part and the hands. For example, it a cioek'rnns too fast and the hands are turned back so that the minute-hand will, in being turned back, pass beyond the tigure 12 of the dial, the snbse nent striking action of the clock will invariab y be wrong. If a clock which struck 12 is, at quarter past 12, set back to a quarter before 12, it will afterward, when pointing to 12, strike 1.

My improved clock is so constructed that even when the'hands are set back over the entire dial the clock may always strike exactly in accordance with the position ofthe hands.

My invention consists of the peculiar arrangement or combination of the parts hereinafter more fully speciiied.

in the accompanying drawing, the letter A represents the frame of an ordinary American striking-clock. B is the spindle which carries the minute-hand C, and upon which the hour- -of the case or d E is the toothed wheel in the clock-movement for lm "Willi motion to the hour-hand. This toothet whee is shown to be in gear with another toothed wheel, F, of the same size and number of teeth, so that the two wheels i and F will revolve with equal velocity, and so that their motions will correspond with those of the hour-hand. Upon the arbor of the wheel F is also mounted an ordinarv snail-like plate, G, of the kind used in striking devices of various clocks, for regulating the number of strokes of the striking mechanism. By a spring, II, the tin b on an arm, a, of alever, I, is soughtto brought in contact with the edge of the snail G said arm a being a spring plate or bar eapa le of lateral spring motion, and provided at or near its end with the pin 6, which is to be brought into proper contact with the edge of the snailplate 0, in manner shown in Fig. 2. The upper part of the lever I is formed it to a toothed segment, J, which segment has twelve teeth for a clock of usual construction. In addition thereto, said segment may have one or three notches at one end, of less dc ith than the re maining notches, whenever it s desired to let the clock strike half-hours or quarter-hours. Into the toothed edge of the segment J mesh the teeth of a pinion, d, that is mounted upon the arbor c of the clock-movement, to which arbor rotary motion in the direction of the arrow 1 in Fl .2 is imparted by the mainspriug of the stri ing mechanism, whenever such strikin mechanism is released for action. The ar r a is found in all American strikingmovements, and also the pinion d thereon. The lever I, carrying the toothed segment J, is placed, as shown in the drawing, against the inner side of the frame A, so as not to project outside thereof, and the wheel F, likewise with its snail, is placed into the inner part of the f rame,so that the parts which I have added to the striking mechanism are not in the way ial, or otherwise calculated to interfere with the convenient handling of the hand I) is also placed.

movement. In fact, the lever I is substanti aliy in line with the wheel E, as indicated in i is a levcr,which is at f pivoted to the frame A, and which carries arpin, 9, that drops behind the edge or end 0 the toothed segment .1 whenever the striking mechanism ts at rest as indicated in Fig. i, or otherwise locks said segment. 'ihis lever l. is held down by a arojecting wire, it, that is formed on the osci latlug arbor i of the movement, said wire being the substitute for tlmt which, in the ordinary American striking-elm-ks. extends from the arbor i to the edge of the dividing or counting wheel.

in my mechanism the toothed segment J takes the place at the usual dividlngor counting wheel oi the American striking-clocks.

Another wire ann.j,pm ieeting from another oscillating arlmr,bears against the under side oi the lever II and serves at the proper time to raise said lover I, and release the lever! from tho ellectot the teeth or dug. The wire j is the same which, in the ord nary American striking-clocks, is used to lift the wire I: out of tho vomiting-wheel. Now, whenever the hour-hand arrives in line with the tlgure 12 ot the dial, (or, it the clock is to strike over? quarter or halt honr, arrives in position wit i that part ot the dial at. which t it! striking is to take place,) the. wirej is moved in the usual manner at American striking-elocks-thatis to say, upward-and thereby lifts the lever I1 and disengages the teeth 9 from the segment .l. The spring ll thereupon draws the lover I, so as to carry its arm a aml the pin 1) thereon into contact with the edge of the snail (i. The wirej having dropped away from the lever L said lever l. is pressed back into its norma position by the wire it, but does not lock the ever J before the same has been moved back from the position shown in Fig. 2, into which it was moved by the spring it, into the position shown in Fig. 1, which is its normal position. Into this normal position the lover I is moved by the action of the rotary pinion d, which, revolving, moves the toothed segment in the direction of the arrow2 (shown in Fig. 2) until, finally, the normal position has been attained. The lever I: then drops its tooth g into place for locking the lever 1 in its proper place.

As already stated, the position oi the wheel F harmonizes with that of the hour-haml,and so does consequently also the position of the snail (i, and therefore, whenever the clock is caused to strike, the lover I is moved more or less to the left, according as the snail has been turned to permit a greater or less degree of motion to said lover. The striking is produced by the return motion of the lever I to its normal position, and this return motion is shorter it" the snail is so placed as to reduce the preceding motion of the lover I, and longer it the snail allows a larger motion of the said lever 1. Thus at 12 o'clock the shortest part of the snail will be in line with the advancing pm I), and the lever will therefore have an opportunity of tnkinga full swing on itspivot,

and eousequentl ,when afterward it returns to its normal pea tien, all of its twelve manttng-teeth will an exposed to the action of the operatingpinion, and the clock will strike 12, whereas at 1 o'clock the snail will upioso its longest portion to the lever and milueo the motion of the said lever to the left, consequently also reducing its return motion to the annual position.

The strikiag'clapper itself is operated by pins p on the rotary arbor e, there being as man pins p on that arbor as there are teeth on the pinion d that operates the segment.

The lever I! is provided with an upwardlyprojecting arm or which, when sah lever is raised by the wire ,or, for repeating purposes by a handle, it, (shown in t to drawing,) will come into the way of the vane .\I, used on all striking mechanisms ct American clocks, aml arrest the motion of said vane, to prevent. the striking mechanism from opcratingnntil alter the lever II has tlrst been moved down again under the iutlnencc ot' the wire It. The obieet of this stop in is to prevent the clock an striking until the handle a is let go as otherwise the clock would strike during all the thno that said handle was being pulled, and would cease ncntly never indicate the correct number 0? strokes. Thus, for example, it it was about 11 o'clock and the rod n was pulled to let the clock repeat, the striking will take place as soon as the rod is let go and consequently the number of strokes will be eleven. lt, howevcr, the lever L were not provided with the projecting arm at, the striking would commence from the moment that the lover I, was being swung away from the segment, aml would continue before the lever L is let go. and after that until the segment reached its normal position. Consequently the number of strokes would be more than eleven, nml would not correctly indicate the position oi the hourhand.

I desire it to be understood that instead of mounting the snail G upon a separate wheel, F, it may, in some cases be mounted directly upon the wheel E; but i prefer the arrangement which I have indicated.

I claim- 1. The locking-lever L, combined with the lifting-wire j, and with tho depressing-wire h and segment J of a striking-clock movement. substantially as oral for the purpose speciiled.

2. The locking-lever L, having the pin g, for stopping the motion of the toothed segment J, and provided with the projecting wire or arm m, for operating in combination with tho vane M, substantially as herein shown anti described.

ViTALlS lllhlhiiilt.

Witnesses:

T. It. Mosrmn, J. U. Tonnuioos.

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