US2664695A - Anchor escapement for timepieces - Google Patents

Description

1954 M. HUGUENIN 2,654,695

ANCHOR ESCAPEMENT FOR TIMEPIECES Filed June 14, 1952 A ZI Wi/WDK A TTOKZYE) Patented Jan. 5, 1954 2,664,695 ANCHOR ESCAPEMEN T FOR TIMEPIECES Marc Huguenin, Genev to Montres Rolex S. a firm of Switzerland a, Switzerland, assignor Geneva, Switzerland,

Application June 14, 1952, Serial No. 293,503

Claims priority, application Switzerland August 10, 1951 4 Claims. (Cl. 58-121) The present invention has for its object an anchor esca'pement for time pieces. This escapement is characterized by the fact that at least apart of the longitudinal edges of at least one bf the pallets or arch-pieces of the anchor is set back with reference to the upper and lower surfaces of the anchor so as to provide, between the projecting walls of the recesses formed in the anchor for housing the pallets and the upper and lower surfaces of the latter, dihedral angles that term capillary paths for a provision of oil, said paths on the upper and lower surfaces of the pallet respectively being connected by transverse paths, also constituted by dihedral angles, the paths on one surface being also connected with the paths on the second surface, by means of further paths constituted by the dihedral angles formed, on one hand, between the transverse surface of the anchor and the abutment surface of the pallet and, on the other hand, between said transverse surface of the anchor and the impact surface of the pallet, the last mentioned dihedral angle extending at the utmost over 90.

Appended drawings illustrate by Way of example a preferred embodiment of my invention together with several modifications. In said drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a portion of the improved escapement.

Fig. 2 illustrates diagrammatically the oil circuit.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on an enlarged scale through line 11-11 of the anchor illustrated in Fig. 1.

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are cross-sections similar to that of Fig. 3 and correspond to various modifications.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a further modification.

In a first embodiment, the anchor illustrated is designated by the reference number I and the escape wheel by the reference number 2. The pallets of the anchor shown at 3 have their longitudinal ridges 4-5 and 6-! set back with reference to th upper surface 8 and to the lower surface 9 of the anchor respectively. Consequently, dihedral angles are defined at III, II, l2 and ti! by the upper and lower surfaces l4 and I of the pallets 3 and by the longitudinal surfaces of the recesses provided in the anchor. for

the pallets. These dihedral angles form capillary paths for a provision of oil and are shown diagrammatically in Fig. 2. The longitudinal paths ID and II along the upper surface of the anchor are connected by a transverse path I8 constituted by the dihedral angle formed between the bottom wall of the recess housing the pallet and the upper surface 14 of the corresponding pallet. A transverse path 11 is formed similarly on the lower surface I 5 of the pallet. The corresponding longitudinal paths [0 and Hi to each side of the anchor are connected by a path I8 formed by the dihedral angle defined between the abutment surface [9 of the pallet and the transverse surface 20 of the anchor. Similarly, a path 2| connects the paths H and I2 on each side of the anchor. This path 2| is formed by the dihedral angle defined between the impact surface of the pallet and the transverse surface 20 of the anchor. It should be remarked that bevels 22 are formed in the transverse surface of the anchor so that the dihedral angles defining the paths 2| may be acute, which prevents the oil from spreading over the transverse surface of the anchor and furthermore the anchor is provided with a heel or tail-piece la such that the dihedral angle defining the path 18 may be right-angled.

The different paths referred to hereinabove form thus a closed circuit illustrated in dot and dash lines in Fig. 2 and through which the provision of oil may flow. The abutment surface I! of the pallets is comparatively short so that the teeth 2a of the escape wheel may engage the meniscus formed by the oil in the corresponding path l8 at the moment of an abutment of a tooth on said wheel against the surface I9. The tooth is then laden with oil which lubricates the impulse surface 23 of'the pallet. It may then occur that the amount of oil left by the tooth 2a at the moment at which it leaves the pallets collects on the impact surface. This oil gradually approaches the bevel 22 and finally enters same, and collects with the oil in the path 2!. The oil thus removed by the teeth 2a of the escape wheel travels thus over the path 24 shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

In this first embodiment, the surfaces 14 and I5 of the pallets are set back with reference to the surfaces 8, 9 of the anchor. In contradistinction, in the modification of Fig. 4, the main portions of the surfaces 25 and 26 of the pallet 21 are flush with the surfaces 8 and 9 of the anchor I and are provided along their longi tudinal ridges with bevelled surfaces 28 forming with the sides of the recess provided in the anchor a dihedral angle defining the desired oil path.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 5, the

bevels 29 extend so as to meet along a medial longitudinal ridge 30 on the pallet 3i.

In the further modification illustrated in Fig. 6, the upper and lower surfaces 32 and 33 of the pallet 35 are cylindrical, their medial portions being set back with reference to the corresponding surfaces 8 and 9 of the anchor I while, in the otherwise similar modification of Fig. 7, the surfaces 35 and 36 of the pallet 3! that are also cylindrical have their -medial portion flush with the surfaces 8, 9 of the anchor l. The advantage of cylindrical surfacesconsists in that the longitudinal ridges I ll to It projecting out of the anchor are less sharp and risk less breaking the oil meniscus.

Lastly, in the modification illustrated in Fig. 8, the pallet 38 is provided in-its rear portion with a projecting heel 38a forming with the upper and lower surfaces of the pallet body the dihedral angles defining the transverse paths i6 and I! for the oil. This vmodification allows securing the pallet in the conventional manner ,obtained by sticking insidethe space 39 located between the heel 38a and the bottom of the recess providedin the anchor I for housing the said transverse surface, a pallet fitted in each of said recesses and projecting beyond the transverse surface of the anchor and at least one of which is set back with reference to the parallel surfaces of the anchor and defining thereby between the outer surfaces of the pallet, parallel with the parallel outer surfaces of the anchor, and the lateral surfaces of the corresponding recess, dihedral angles atlthe utmost equal to 90 forming longitudinal capillary paths adapted to receive a provision of oihother dihedral angles of the utmost equal to 96 being defined across the parallel surfaces of the pallet and forming transverse paths connecting the first mentioned longitudinal paths, the transverse surface of the anchor defining with the lateral surfaces of the projecting portion of the pallet further dihedral angles forming paths connecting: the longitudinal capillary paths on the two outer surfaces of the pallet, and a toothed escape wheel cooperating with the anchor pallets.

2. In a time-piece, the provision of an anchor escapement comprising an anchor having two parallel outer surfaces and a transverse surface and provided with pallet recesses opening into said transverse-surface, a pallet fitted in each. of said recesses and projecting beyond the transverse surface of the anchor and atleast one of which isset back with reference to the parallel surfaces of the anchor and defining thereby between the outer surfaces of the pallet, parallel with the parallel outer surfaces of the anchor, and the lateral surfaces of the corresponding recess, longitudinal capillary paths adapted to receive a provision of oil, shoulders rigid: with the inner end of the pallet, projecting outside the outer surfaces of thepallet and forming withthe corresponding outer surfaces dihedralangles defining transverse oil paths connecting thefirst mentioned longitudinal paths, the transverse 7 surface of the anchor defining with fi lateral surfaces of the projectig portion of the pallet 0 Number further dihedral angles forming paths connecting the longitudinal capillary paths on the two outer surfaces of the pallet, and a toothed escape wheel cooperating with the anchor pallets.

3. In a time-piece, the provision of an anchor escapement comprising an anchor having two parallel outer surfaces opening into said transverse surface, a pallet fitted in each of said recesses and projecting beyond the transverse surface on the anchor and at least one of which has its lateral outer surfaces of outwardly convex shape, the ridges of which engaging the lateral surfaces of the corresponding recess are set back with reference to the parallel surfaces of the anchor and define thereby between the outer surfaces of the pallet and the lateral surfaces of the corresponding recess, dihedral angles at the utmost equal to forming longitudinal capillary paths adapted to receive a provision of oil, other dihedral angles at the utmost equal to 90 being defined across the outer surfaces of the pallet and forming transverse paths connecting the first mentioned longitudinal paths, the transversesurface of the anchor defining with the lateral surfaces of the projecting portion of the pallet further dihedral angles forming paths connectingthe longitudinal capillary paths on the two outer surfaces of the pallet, and a toothed escape wheel'cooperating with the anchor pallets. V I

4. In a time-piece, including an anchor escapement, comprising an anchor having two parallel outer surfaces and a transverse surface and provided with pallet recesses opening into said transverse surface, two palletsfitted in said recesses, and a toothedescape wheel cooperating with said pallets, each pallet being provided wi th outer surfaces that are set back with reference to the corresponding outer surfaces of the anchor, and including a terminal operative section projecting beyond the transverse surface of the anchor, each pallet defining, between its outer surfaces engaging the recess surfaces and the lateral surfaces of the correspond ing recess, longitudinal dihedral angles, other dihedral angles being defined across the parallel surfaces of the pallet, and the terminal section of the pallet forming with the transverse surface of the anchor further dihedral angles; the feature that said dihedral angles are at the utmost equal to 90, that they define interconnecting capillary paths, and that oil is provided in said paths, whereby the teeth of said escape wheel enter the oil meniscus in one of said paths, take drops" of said oil with them, and. leave at leasta part of said oil in another of said paths, the whole in such a way that, as said paths are interconnected, said oil left by the teeth of the escape wheel can return back to the place where it has been taken away MARC HUGUENIN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Johnston Feb. 26, 1901 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Switzerland can. July 1,.,1926 Switzerland Decal, 1941 Number

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