US2146138A - Clock with a rotating advertising disk - Google Patents

Description

- Feb. 7,1939. H. GRASS 2,146,138

CLOCK WITH A ROTATING ADVERTISING DISK Filed July 8, 1956 //7 venzon:

i Wd M 5 070 4 [5 A TOR V 75 Patented F ch. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Heinrich Grass, Berlin, Germany Application July 8, 1936, Serial No. 89,490 In Germany July 18, 1935 2 Claims.

This invention refers to a clock to which is connected an advertising device in the form of a rotating disk carrying advertising matter, the

object of which is to produce a clock with a simpler and more certain action in which the advertising matter can be introduced and displayed in an effective manner.

Clocks with rotating advertising disks are known. Their object is to direct and attract the glances of people who wishto ascertain the time, at the same time to the advertisement. In clocks of the known type, the spindle of the second hand carries a disk with advertising matter thereon, rotating in front of the dial with the numbers thereon. The diameter of this disk must be less than the inner diameter of the circle of the numerals for otherwise the numerals would not be visible. Because of this, the advertisement often passes unnoticed.

Clocks are also knownfwhich besides the circle of numerals, carry a rotating rim bearing advertising matter behind the face of the dial bearing the numerals. In this case, the drive and the mounting of the ring carrying the advertising matter cause difficulties.

The present invention unites the advantages of both devices, in other words the possibility of increasing the size of the advertising matter, and having a central mounting in front of the numeral dial. The invention consists of a centrally mounted rotating advertising disk, placed in front of the numeral dial, said disk carrying advertising matter on the rim outside the usual ring of numerals and being formed so that its central portion is transparent. The transparent central portion leaves the numeral dial with the numerals thereon visible and serves as a carrier for the outer part of the disk carrying the advertising matter, the size of which can be practically unlimited, as the advertising matter is arranged outside the circle of the numerals.

Instead of a fiat ring oi advertising matter of the type described or in addition to such an arrangement, a hollow cylindrical part can be attached to the edge of the disk which likewise carries advertising matter, and if desired may surround the housing of the clock.

The part of the disk carrying the advertising matter can also be made transparent like the central part. In this case, it is possible to illuminate the numeral dial and the advertising matter together. If. the numeral dial is also made transparent then the light source serving for the illumination of both, can be arranged behind the numeral dial where it is protected from moisture and dust. In front of the light source, there can be arranged in any known manner, a hood which also can carry advertising matter. Besides the front side, the back side of the clock can also be provided with a rotating disk carrying advertising matter, in which case if required, both disks can be mounted on the same spindle.

If the advertising disk is connected to the spindle of the second hand, it can be provided with a stripe which rotates and acts as a pointer or indicator of the seconds. Instead of this, or besides this, it can also bear numerals representing the seconds and operate in conjunction with a stationary pointer or window.

Since, in the case of. clocks of large diameter the rotating disk will have a proportionately great weight so that it cannot be carried bythe thin spindle of the second hand of a clockwork, if required, according to the invention, the disk carrying the advertising matter is provided with a central mounting independent of the mounting of the drive. In this case it is connected with the driving mechanism by means of a coupling, which allows for a certain amount of transverse displacement, so that the mounting of the clockwork is relieved from the weight of the advertising disk. Any desired coupling can be used which carries out these conditions. In some cases a flexible spindle is suificient or instead of this the clock in itself can be mounted flexibly so that it can accommodate itself as a whole, so that if there is any slight inexactness in the positioning of the disk bearing, the clockwork mounting will not be submitted to any undue stress.

The bearing for the rotating disk carrying the advertising matter can in this case, be mounted, for example; on the covering disk of the clock housing, so that its axis runs in the prolongation of the axis of the clockwork so that the visibility of the numeral dial will not be interfered with by any projecting parts.

In order to clean the advertising disk and when required, to renew the advertising matter or to change the advertising disk, the cover glass is preferably constructed to swing open, and the coupling between the spindle carrying the ad vertising matter and the spindle of the clockwork is so formed that a coupling up can take place in practically any desired position by a simple closing of the clock housing. On the outside th bearing is covered With a cap, which if desired can itself carry advertising matter. When coupling up, in order to avoid an overloading of the 1 the clock casing becoming too thick. In the case of. very large clocks it may be preferable, in spite of the central mounting of the advertising disk,

to use a special driving device besides the clockwork. This can be arranged under the hood of the cover-glass or also at the edge of the disk. Furthermore it may be desired, in spite of the relief to the mounting of the clockwork, to avoid the Weight and the inertia of the disk carrying the advertising matter by using a framework instead of a glass disk, which may for example consist of two light metal rings between which there is stretched material bearing the advertising matter, and which is connected with the central hub by means of a few spokes. These spokes can, if required, act as second hands for the clock.

The drawing shows a sectional view of a large size advertising clock according to my invention.

In this figure 2' is the case of a large clock carrying the numeral dial at 3, to which the clockwork 4 is attached, the hour hand 5 and the minute hand 6' being positioned in front of the dial. The transparent advertising disk I, which bears the advertising matter around the border, is mounted co-axially with the second hand spindle 8 of the clockwork, but is not at- ;tached therewith. It is rigidly attached to a separate spindle 9 by means of a nut III. The spindle 9 is mounted, in the usual way as in the case of bicycle hubs, by means of ball bearings II, I2 in a hub I3, which itself is secured by a nut I4 in a central aperture of the glass sheet I 5 which covers the whole of the front of the clock case 21 and is held against the cover glass on the opposite side by a flange I6. through the sheet I5. If it is desired to diminish the size of the clock case 2', then the flange I6 can be combined with the wide portion I! of the hub I3 which carries the ball bearing I2 so that practically the whole hub lies outside the glass sheet I5. The bearing is covered on the outside by a cap I8, the outer surface of which can also carry advertising matter. In order to couple the spindle 9 with the second hand spindle 8, the latter is provided with a pin I9, at a right angle, which co-operates with two pins 20 on a plate 2 I, which is rotatably mounted on the spindle 9, and which is pressed by a spring 22 against a flange 23 on this spindle. The tension of the spring is arranged so that when the spindle 9 is held stationary, the disc 2| can be carried around with the spindle 8, without the motor of the clockwork l being overloaded. Therefore, when the coupling is engaged, the clockwork can run undisturbed, although a certain time is necessary before the advertising disc I is brought to the speed of rotation of the second hand spindle.

The hub I3 projects outwardly If desired, a small motor 24 may be arranged in the casing 2, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The driving shaft of said motor 24 is provided with a beveled driving wheel, which is in frictional contact with the beveled edge of the advertising disk I, so that the rotation of the disk I may be caused by said motor 24, if due to large dimensions of the disk I the weight thereof is too great to allow the disk to be driven by the shaft 8 for the second hand.

In order to facilitate changes, the disk I can i be provided with a special hub 26 which remains rigidly attached to the disk I and during the change makes sure of an exact centering, or the disk I can be pulled out together with the hub I3. A slight inexactness in fitting onthe hub I3 is of no consequence for the driving motor, since the coupling with the second hand spindle 8 allows a certain play. The part of the disk which bears the advertising matter can be made translucent instead of transparent in order to improve the visibility or legibility by day.

Further, as a protection against atmospheric and other external influences, at protecting housing can be arranged in any known manner outside the advertising disk or connected thereto.

Furthermore, the disks can be driven with a speed of twice the speed of revolution of the second hand, if the driving device is suitably arranged. Finally, instead of a synchronous clockwork movement any other desired clockwork can be used.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention, and in. a

what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

1. In a mechanism of the character described, a clock provided with clock hands, a rotating second-shaft actuated by said clock, a driven member bearing advertising matter mounted coaxially in respect to said second-shaft, means to rotate said driven member independently of said second-shaft and alternative means to couple said driven member and second-shaft whereby said member may be driven by said second-shaft, said coupling means comprising spring means adapted to create slippage between said driven member and 7 said second-shaft whereby overloading of said second-shaft actuating mechanism is avoided. V

2. In a mechanism of the character described, a casing, a clock mounted to said casing provided with clock hands and a rotating second-shaft actuated by said clock, a' stationary transparent when said driven member and second-shaft are coupled.

HEINRICH GRASS.

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