US2837850A - Electric calendar - Google Patents

Description

June 10, 1958 Filed April 10, 1957 E. G. SINK ELECTRIC CALENDAR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 .54 EGiSz'nk 5/ INVENTOR 32 f 2 a BY 62am 52 56 .ATTORNEYS.

June 10, 1958 slNK ELECTRIC CALENDAR 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 10, 1957 .6. G S 21 n It INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

June 10, 1958 E. G. SINK 2,837,850

ELECTRIC CALENDAR Filed April 10, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 aasmk OZ INVEN'TOR r I 32 I 1 m0 a; 82 BY I I 5 /04 /'aa ATTORNEYS.

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This invention relates to an electric calendar and has as its primary object the provision of an automatically operated electric calendar operable to rotate a roll carrying sequentially positioned date indicia, having electrically actuated mechanism where the roll is turned every twenty four hours to change the date exposed to view.

An important object of this invention is the provision of an electrically actuated device of this character operable by a conventional electric clock driving mechanism so arranged that no movement of the date bearing strip will occur during the gradual rotation of the clock mechanism, but at the expiration of a twenty four hour period the date will be abruptly changed to that of the succeeding day.

A further object of the invention is the provision, in a mechanism of this nature, of means occasioning such abrupt movement of the rotatable roll, and mechanism associated therewith for preventing overriding of the roll past the specified date.

Still another object is the provision, in a device of this character, of additional mechanism designed to prevent retrograde movement of the roll after forward movement by the electric clock mechanism.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a novel casing, having an aperture therein through which only one date at a time may be exposed, and which is further provided with a recess in the base for the accommodation of a setting knob for the mechanism.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of an improved date indicia bearing roll, wherein the successive dates are spaced apart at selectively increased distances whereby the movement of the actuating mechanism throughout the same distance will cause the movement of the roll forwardly to align a date with the viewing aperture regardless of the diameter of the roll, thus avoiding any variation in the length of operating stroke of the mechanism throughout the year.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of an electrically actuated geared drive mechanism including a terminal cam gear which actuates, through a universal connection, a ratchet mechanism associated with the calendar roll, the actuating mechanism being so arranged as to move the ratchet forward one step, at the termination of each twenty four hour period, by the spring biased action of the universal connecting means.

A still further object resides in the provision of a device of this character which is sturdy and durable in construction, reliable and efficient in operation, and relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, assemble and utilize, and which will operate for a full year without attention, except for resetting in the event of power failure.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an electric calendar of this nature which may be utilized successively year after year merely by the changing of the calendar date roll.

Still other objects reside in the combinations of ele- Patent Patented June 10, 1958 ments, arrangements of parts, and features of construction, all as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter and disclosed in the accompanying drawing wherein there is shown a preferred embodiment of this inventive concept.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the electric calendar of the instant invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken substantially along the line 22 of Figure 1 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along he line 3-3 of Figure 2 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 4- is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 44 of Figure 2 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of a constructional detail of the gearing mechanism, parts thereof being broken away.

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-6 of Figure 4 as viewed in the direction indicated indicated by the arrows.

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 7-7 of Figure 5 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 7a is an enlarged exploded sectional View showing certain constructional details shown in Figure 7.

Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 83 of Figure 1 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 9 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Figure 6.

Figure 10 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line I010 of Figure 4 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows and Figure 11 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a portion of the casing showing the viewing opening for the date.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Having reference now to the drawings in detail, and more particularly to Figures 1 and 2, there is generally indicated at 2d a casing, which includes a bottom wall 21, having an upwardly concaved recess 22 therein, the purpose of which will be more fully described hereinafter, an arcuate front portion 23 and an inclined top portion 24. The casing is also provided with an inclined rear wall 25, which extends upwardly a substantial distance above the front wall portion 23, and terminates in an arcuate portion 26, with, in combination with a top front wall 27 forms an inclined upwardly extending space above the space formed between the bottom wall 21 and top wall portion 24. The front wall portion 27 comprises a continuation of top wall portion 24, and is obtusely angled with respect thereto. Oppositely disposed side walls 28 complete the casing. The bottom wall 21 is provided about its perimeter with an upwardly extending flange 30, about which the lower portions of front wall 23, side walls 28 and rear wall are adapted to seat, in order that the top portion of the casing may be readily removed from the bottom 21, it being noted that all of the operating mechanism is connected to the bottom 21, as will be described hereinafter.

Positioned on bottom plate or base 21 and spaced therefrom as by flanges 31 is a supporting plate 32 which has mounted thereon an electric motor generally indicated at 35, of the type normally employed in driving an electric clock.

The clock motor mechanism consists of the conventional laminated core 36 and primary coil 37 which extend to segmental portions of opposite polarity (not shown) which surround :1 depending portion 38 of a sealed gear box 39, the depending portion containing the armature actuated by alternating current passed through the coil 37 for actuating the gear assembly to' rotate a gear shaft 40, which extends upwardly through the top of the conventional casing, to rotate a drive gear 41.

An' inverted U-shaped supporting member including a top plate 42 is supported on base plate 32 by means of legs 43 positioned at opposite ends thereof. A reduction gear 45 is mounted on a suitable stub axle 46 carried by plate 42, in mesh with drive gear 41, and rotates a pinion 47 also mounted on shaft 46. The pinion 47 drives a second reduction gear 48, which is mounted for rotation on a pin 49, which is supported in upright position by a sleeve 50 having a lower flange 51 secured in any desired manner to plate 32, directly over the center of concavity 22 in bottom plate 21. A portion of the pin 49 extends through the bottom of the concavity and has secured thereto a setting knob 52, as by means of a pin 53. The gear 46 includes a spacing sleeve 54, which extends through a suitable aperture in plate 42, and is rotatably seated on the top of sleeve 50. The gear 43 also is provided with an upwardly projecting sleeve 55, which extends through a suitable opening in a supporting plate 56, the latter being supported on an end leg 57 having a flange 58 secured to the plate 42, at one end, and being provided with horizontal flanges 59 for supporting the other end in spaced relation to the plate 42. The upper end of the sleeve 55 is provided with a head 60 from which projects a pair of dimetrically opposed arms 61 as better shown by Fig. each terminating in an angularly disposed spring finger 62. The

spring fin ers 62 are adapted to engage the teeth 63 of an internal ring gear 64, provided with a central aperture surrounding the sleeve'55, in such manner that the gear 64 may be rotated independently of the gear 48, and also rotate therewith, the spring fingers 62 by their engagement with teeth 63 providing a driving connection. The outer periphery of ring gear 64 is provided with an elongated cam arm 65, the purpose of which will be more fully described hereinafter. The ring gear 64 is provided with a top cover plate 66, having a plurality of detents 67 about the periphery thereof, the detents being engaged in suitable recesses 68 in the upper side of the rim of ring gear 64. The top plate 66 is secured as by means of a pin 69 to the top of stem or pin 49, the arrangement being such that upon the exertion of downward pressure on knob 52 the top plate, which carries the arm 65 may be rotated independently for suitable adjustment of the cam arm 65 for the purpose of setting the mechanism, the spring fingers 62 ratcheting over the teeth 63, when the top plate is rotated in a direction opposite to that of the inclination of the spring fingers 62. Under normal conditions the engagement of detents 67 with recesses 68 will provide a sufficient connection to drive the top plate 66 and its associated cam arm 65 through the gear train previously described.

The cam arm 65 is adapted to engage a roller 70, which is secured at the upper end of a resilient arm 71, having a horizontal flange 72 which is fixedly secured to base plate 32. The roller bracket 73, supporting roller 70 has pivotally secured thereto an eye 74, which engages an eye 75 carried by one end of a push rod 76, to form a universal connection between the roller 70 and the push rod 76. The opposite end of push rod 76 terminates in an eye 77 which is linked with an eye 73 pivotally connected to the top of an operating arm 80, to form a second universal connection.

The operating arm 30 is pivoted as by a pivot 81 to an upstanding supporting arm 82 having a horizontal flange 83 which is secured in any suitable manner to base plate 32.

The pivot 81 comprises an extension of a shaft 84, which is journalled in suitable openings in upright sup- 4 porting members 35, which extend rearwardly and upwardly, as best shown in Figure 2 to conform to the outline of the casing. The portion of the shaft 84 between the uprights S5 is surrounded by a roller 36 which provides a receiving reel for a calendar tape 87, to be more fully described hereinafter. The upper extremities of supports 85 are provided with suitable journals 68, which rotatably support a sleeve 89 upon which is mounted the feeding roll 90 of the calendar tape 87. The sleeve 89 is in turn mounted on an axle 9?. which extends through suitable openings in the side walls 23 of casing 20 and has at one end a hand knob 92, by means of which the roll 90 may be suitably tensioned as desired, and at its other end is secured in position by means of a removable cotter pin 93, so that the entire roller may be withdrawn when desired to permit removal of the casing 20 from the base plate 21.

It will now be seen that the calendar tape 87 may be fed from the feeding roll 90 to the receiving roll 94 mounted on sleeve 86, and such step by step rotation is efiected by means of the electric clock mechanism previously mentioned, in a manner now to be described.

Fixedly secured to the pivot 81 and its associated sleeve 86 between supports @2 and one of supports 85 is a ratchet wheel 95, provided with teeth 96 which are adapted to be engaged by a ratchet dog 97 which is pivotally mounted on a transversely extending pin 98 extending from the top of operating arm 80. The arrangement is such that as cam arm 65 is rotated in the manner previously described, the push rod 76 is advanced to ratchet over the teeth 96, 'until such time as the end of cam arm 65 passes roller 70, at which time the spring member 71 moves the roller back into position in engagement with the normal peripheral surface of ring gear 64, and such movement is imparted to the operating arm 30 and its associated ratchet dog 97 to rotate the ratchet through the distance of one tooth. Such rotation is in turn imparted to the sleeve 86 and its associated roll 94 of calendar strip'97, which moves the strip a predetermined distance, to expose a selected date thereon in a suitable aperture 99 in front portion 27 of casing 20 (see Fig. 11).

Means are also provided for precluding the movement of roller 36 and its associated calendar strip 87 beyond a predetermined distance, in order to align the exposed date exactly with the aperture 99. Such means comprise a second ratchet wheel 100' of smaller diameter than ratchet wheel 95, and coaxially mounted therewith in fixed association with shaft 86. The teeth 10]. of ratchet 100 are adapted to be engaged by a ratchet dog 102, it being noted that the teeth 101 are reversely disposed relative to the teeth 96. The ratchet dog 102 is suitably mounted on a pivot 103 carried by the upper end of support 82. The top portion of dog 102 is provided with a crest shaped dog 104, adapted to be engaged by an extending end of pin 98.

The arrangement is such that as the dog 97 is moved rearwardly by operating arm 80 the pin 98 correspondingly moves rearwardly, gradually releasing, through crest shaped dog 104, the engagement of dog 102 with the tooth 101 of ratchet 100. Conversely when operating arm 80 is snapped in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 6, by the push rod 76, and its associated mounting springs 71, crest shaped dog 104 is acted upon by pin 98 to force dog 102 into reengagement with a tooth 101, to preclude rotation of the shaft 84 and its associated receiving roll 94 of calendar strip 87 beyond a predetermined point of alignment to expose a selected date in opening 99.

Means are also provided for preventing backlash or retrograde motion of the calendar strip after it is moved bymeans of ratchet wheel 95, and takes the form of a ratchet wheel 105 fixed to the opposite end of shaft 84, positioned between the other of upright supports 85 and the associated outer wall 28 of the casing. The ratchet wheel 105 is adapted to be engaged by a dog 106 mounted on a pivot 107 carried by the outer side of the associated support 85'. Obviously the roll 94 is thus precluded from reverse rotation. Suitable collars 108 are secured as by pins on the outer ends of the shaft 84 to hold the parts in related assembly.

The spacing of the tips exposed in opening 99 on calendar strip 8'7 is such as to compensate for the decrease in the diameter of feeding roll 90, the date indicia toward the end of the calendar year being spaced progressively further apart than the date indicia toward the first of the year, so that no differentiation in the spacing of the ratchet teeth is necessary to compensate for the relative diameters of feed roll 90 and receiving roll 94.

As best shown in Figure 2 a positioning bar 110 is located immediately behind the opening 99, and is suitably secured in any desired manner to the supports 35. The calendar strip 37 passes between the bar 119 in the opening 99 so that the indicia carried thereby will be closely juxtaposed to the opening 99 to be readily visible therethrough.

The top portion 24 may if desired carry a pad 111 mounted on rings 112 suitably secured to the top portion 24 and a suitable spring clip 113 (see Figs. 1 and 8) may be secured as by means of a flange 114 and a rivet 115 to the top wall portion 24 adjacent the free end of the pad for holding the leaves thereof against displacement.

From the foregoing the operation of the device should now be readily understandable. The casing 20 is first removed from base plate 21, and the cam arm 65 set to zero position, with the pusher arm 76 fully retracted by spring 71. The ratchet wheel 95 is then set in the position shown in Figure 6, with the end of the dog 97 in engagement with the surface of a tooth 96, A calendar strip 87 in roll form bearing suitable date indicia then has its outer end engaged in any desired manner with the shaft 84, and is extended upwardly and positioned between the supporting uprights 35. The casing 20 is then replaced on base plate 21, and the shaft 89 passed through the center of the roll 90, to secure the roll in a desired position. The rotation of the knob 92 may then be employed accurately to align the first date on the calendar strip with the opening 99. It may here be pointed out that the top portion 26 of the casing 20 above roller 89 may be made removable to facilitate the initial positioning of roll 90 of calendar strip 87, as indicated at 116. After such initial setting, the clock mechanism may be energized from any suitable source of alternating current, as through wires 116, which will initiate rotation of drive pinion 41, and through the chain of gears previously described, the rotation of cam arm 65. The cam is adapted to rotate completely in a twenty four hour period, biasing constantly against roller 70, and through push arm 76 moving dog 97 along the camming surface of a selected tooth 96. At the expiration of the twenty four hour period, the cam arm 65 will pass roller 70, and through the action of spring 71 the dog 97 which has simultaneously slipped into tooth engaging position with a tooth 96, will move the ratchet 95 in a direction to move roller 84 a distance to move the calendar strip 87 from one date indicia adjacent opening 99 to the next. The sequence of operation is then repeated each twenty four hours automatically to change the date at substantially perfectly timed intervals. In the case of power failure or mechanical defect, the apparatus may be recycled by means of the operating knobs 52 and 92.

From the foregoing it will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved electric calendar, which is reliable and efiicient to operate, and which accomplishes all of the objects of this invention, and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as many modifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as iliustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In an electric calendar, in combination, a casing having an upwardly extending portion including a removable base, an electric clock motor mounted on said a cam rotatable once in twenty-four hours by said clock motor, a cam follower, spring means biasing said follower into engagement with said earn, a pair of supporting uprights in said upwardiy extending portion of said casing, an upper shaft extending horizontally between said uprights, a lower shaft parallel to and spaced from said upper shaft, a calendar strip including a feed roll extending between said upper and lower rolls, spaced date indicia on said strip, said casing having a viewing opening therein, a ratchet connected to said lower shaft, an operating arm, means pivoting said arm coaxially with said lower roller, a ratchet dog pivoting to said operating arm engageable with a tooth of said ratchet, a push rod connecting said operating arm and said cam follower, said cam being synchronized with the teeth of said ratchet whereby upon a full rotation of said cam, said dog engages a tooth of said ratchet, and upon release of said cam follower said spring means moves said dog, through said push rod, to advance said lower roller and hence said calendar strip, and means for preventing overriding of said calendar strip beyond the distance between said spaced date indicia.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said last mentioned means includes a second ratchet coaxially mounted with said first mentioned ratchet and having its teeth disposed oppositely to the teeth of the first mentioned ratchet, a dog engageable with the teeth of said second ratchet, and means interconnecting said operating arm and said second dog to release said second dog upon movement of said arm toward dog engaging position and reengage said second dog with its associated ratchet upon movement of said operating arm and its associated dog to move the first mentioned ratchet.

3. The structure of claim 2 including additional ratchet means on said lower shaft for precluding reverse movement of said shaft.

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein said indicia on said calendar strip are progressively spaced apart a greater distance to compensate decrease in the diameter of the feed roll as the strip is fed from the upper shaft to the lower shaft.

5. The structure of claim 1 wherein means are provided for setting the cam independently of the clock motor.

6. The structure of claim 5 wherein said cam includes an internal ring gear, a separable top plate for said gear and a cam arm fixed to said top.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,124,926 Ludlow Jan. 12, 1915 2,069,390 Prince Feb. 2, 1937 2,215,552 Hostetler Sept. 24, 1940

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