US2023022A - Watch and other time instrument - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 3, 1935. v R, J, JQHNSTON 2,023,022

WATCH AND OTHER TIME INSTRUMENT Filed Aug. 6, 1954 m mmm grulmhili'iliiliilillll llllllllllllllllllll Patented Dec. 3, 1935 WATCH AND OTHER TIME INSTRUMENT Robert J. Johnston, Waterbury, Conn., assigner to The Waterbury Clock Company, Waterbury,

Conn., a corporation Application August 6,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in watches and other timepieces, and relates in particular to the mechanism and parts associated with the spring-drive of such instruments.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a superior construction and arrangement of parts to prevent the undesired reverse turning movement of the driving-spring of a watch or the like.

Another object is to provide a simple, reliable and effective pawl which may be produced at a low cost for manufacture.

A further object is to provide a time-instrument construction in which the driving-spring and associated parts may be assembled and disassembled with maximum convenience and minimum expenditure of time.

With the above and other objects in View as will appear to those skilled in the art from the following, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing and appended claims, the present invention includes all the improvements over the prior art disclosed therein.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a watch embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a broken sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a similar View taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a corresponding View taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the pawl, detached.

The particular watch herein chosen for the purpose of illustrating one embodiment of the present invention, includes a cup-shaped front movement-plate I0 having a forwardly and outwardly extending flange I I and a rear movementplate I2 having `a. cut-out portion I3 lled by a bridge-plate I 4 of a shape corresponding to the said cut-out portion. Both the rear movementplate I2 and the bridge-plate I4 are secured in spaced relationship rearwardly of the front movement-plate I8 by suitable pillars such as I5, each of which latter has threaded into its respective opposite ends screws I6 and I1.

The bridge-plate I4 is formed with a bearingopening I8 receiving the reduced rear end of a main-spring arbor I9, the forward end of which latter-bears in an opening 20 in the front movement-plate Il! and is provided with a polygonal front terminal 2l fitting into a correspondinglyshaped opening 22 in the main Winding-wheel 23 of the watch resting against the front face of the 1934, Serial N0. 738,584

front movement-plate I0. The arbor I9 mounts a usual spring-barrel 24 housing a mainspring 25 and is provided with an annular series of teeth 26 constituting the main wheel of the watch movement. 5

The main winding-Wheel 23 before referred to is retained in place against forward axial displacement by a sheet-metal retaining-plate 21 referably made of spring stock and having an aperture 28 in its forwardly-oisetting inner porl0 tion for the clearance of the polygonal forward end 2| of the arbor I9. The edge of the outer end of the retaining-plate 21 is conformed in curvature to the curvature of the inner face of the flange I I of the front movement-plate I0 and l5 is anchored in place by one of the screws I6 before referred to. By engaging the edge of the retaining-plate 21 with the flange II of the front movement-plate I0, as described, the same may be rigidly held against shifting movement in the 20 plane of the said plate by means of a single one of the screws I6 which passes through it.

The main winding-wheel 23 is normally meshed into by a winding-pinion 29 carried by an oscillating sheet-metal arm 30 pivotally secured by 25 means of a stud 3I to the front face of the front movement-plate I0. The stud 3| also mounts an intermediate pinion 32 meshing into the windingpinion 29 just referred to and also into a stempinion 33 and into a setting-pinion 34, which lat- 30 ter is carried by the arm 30 with freedom for rotation with respect thereto.

The pinion 33 is carried in a manner usual in watches by a winding and setting stem 35 carrying at its outer end a knurled finger-button 36 35 by means of which the watch is both wound and set in the usual manner of such instruments. The sheet-metal arm 3U is oscillatable about its stud 3I in the usual manner of watches to disengage the winding-pinion 29 from the main winding-wheel 23 and to concurrently mesh the setting-pinion 34 with a dial-wheel 31 mounted upon the front face of the front movement-plate I0 and meshing in turn with the center-pinion 38 45 of the watch, which is mounted in the usual manner on the center-arbor 39 thereof.

To prevent the reverse turning movement of the main winding-wheel 23 under the urge of the mainspring 25, I employ a one-piece sheet-metal 50 pawl preferably of spring stock and generally designated by the numeral 40 and comprising a mounting-plate 4I having one of its edges curved as at 42 to conform to and snugly t against the inner face of the flange II of the front move- 55 ment-plate IU. The mounting-plate 4| of the pawl 40 is formed about midway of its length with a perforation 43 through which one of the screws I6 extends to anchor the pawl against forward displacement with respect to the movement-plate HJ, the mounting-plate being held against swinging movement in the plane of the said movement-plate by the conjoint action of the screw I6 passing through it and the engagement of its curved edge 42 with the flange II as described. Bent up from the mounting-plate 4I in a plane perpendicularly with respect thereto is a resilient pawl-arm 44, the extreme outer edge 45 of which is adapted to engage the teeth of the main winding-wheel 23 in such position as to prevent the movement of the said wheel in the direction of the arrow A (Fig. l), i. e., the direction opposite to the direction in Which the said wheel moves when being wound. The outer end of the arm 44 of the pawl V4i) is stepped or shouldered as at 46, which step may ride upon the forward face of the front movement-plate l adjacent a clearance-opening 41 therein. The extreme outer end of the resilient pawl-arm 44 is further stepped inwardly toward the plate l as at 48 to insure a proper amount of edge-surface 45 for engagement with the wheel 23, despite slight variations in manufacture or slight distortion of the parts. The stepped orv projecting portion 48 of the pawl-arm 44 extends rearwardly into the clearance-opening 4l in theV movement-plate i0, as indicated in Fig. 4.

The pawl-arm 44 extends substantially parallel with the adjacent edge of the retainingplate 2l, which edge serves to assist in supporting the said pawl-arm against the strains imposed upon it by the constant effort of the main winding wheel 23 to reversely turn under the urge of the mainspring 25.

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than that herein set forth Without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiment is, therefore, to .be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming Within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. In a time instrument, the combination with a driving-spring thereof; of a movementplate having a laterally-offsetting flange; a toothed wheel operatively connected to the said driving-spring and urged in one direction thereby; and a sheet-metal pawl having a mountingplate abutting against the inner face of the laterally-offsetting iiange of the said movementplate, and also having a resilient arm formed integral with the said mounting-plate and bent therefrom into a plane perpendicular to the plane of the said mounting-plate, the said resilient arm engaging the said toothed wheel to guard against the turning movement thereof under the urge of the said driving-spring.

2. In a time instrument, the combination With a driving-spring thereof; of a movement-plate having a laterally-offsetting flange; a toothed wheel operatively connected to the said drivingspring and urged in one direction thereby; a retaining-member holding the said toothed wheel against axial displacement; and a sheetmetal pawl Vhaving a mounting-plate abutting against the inner face of the laterally-offsetting ange of the said movement-plate and having also a resilient arm formed integral with the said mounting-plate and bent therefrom into a plane perpendicular to the plane of the said mounting-plate, the said resilient arm engaging theV said toothed Wheel to guard against the turning movement thereof under the urge of the said driving-spring and also engaging the said retaining-member for being supported thereby.

3. In a time instrument, the combination with a driving-spring thereof; of a movement-plate having a laterally-offsetting flange and also having a clearance-opening; a toothed wheel operatively connected to the said driving-spring and urged in one direction thereby; and a sheetmetal pawl having a yielding arm engaging the said toothed wheel, and also having a portion abutting against the inner face of the laterallyoifsetting flange of the said movement-plate, the said yielding arm of the said sheet-metal pawl having an offsetting projection entered into the clearance-opening in the said movement-plate. ROBERT J. JOHNSTON..

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