US3350873A

US3350873A - Date indexing

Info

Publication number: US3350873A
Application number: US565359A
Authority: US
Inventors: Egger Josef; Meitinger Heinz
Original assignee: United States Time Corp
Current assignee: United States Time Corp
Priority date: 1964-08-25
Filing date: 1966-07-12
Publication date: 1967-11-07
Anticipated expiration: 1984-11-07
Also published as: CH466809A; GB1068470A; DE1242512B

Description

NOV. 1967 I J. EGGER ETAL 3, 0, I

DATE INDEXING Filed July 12, 1966 v 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 2

} INVENTOR. TosE F EGGER amz men-"165R Nov. 7, 1967 J. EGGER ETAL 3,350,873

DATE INDEXING Filed July,l2, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 105 E F E Gc g Q HEiNZ ("'IEITINGER BY DW Hm; BMW

Nov. 7, 1967 J, EGGER ETAL 3,350,873

DATE INDEXING Filed July 12, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. TOSEF EGGER mamz M TIH Y B 7W, HM, WW

Nov. 7, 1967 J. EGGER ETAL 3,350,873

DATE INDEXING Filed July 12, 1966' 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 F I I JIOSEF HEINZ MfIT/IVGER United States Patent-1 O 3,350,873 DATE INDEXING Josef Egger and Heinz Meitinger, Pforzheim, Germany, assignors to The United States Time Corporation, Waterbury, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed July 12, 1966, Ser. No. 565,359 '"Claims priority,'application Gelrmany, Aug. 25, 1964,

14 Claims. (01. 58-4) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A watch is provided with a mechanism to display the date through a window in its dial. The morning or afternoon, i.e., A.M. or P.M., is indicated by a dot which is moved to be either above or below the date The mechanism includes a cam rotated by the gear train of the watch, a spring, an indexing lever biased by the cam against the spring, and a calendar ring. The lever acts by unequal steps against the calendar ring. The calendar ring has internal gear teeth and printed dates on its face.

' This application is a continuation-in-part application based on the applicants United States patent application Ser. No. 477,706, filed Aug. 6, 1965 now abandoned.

Some calendar watches have adatering which carries. the dates in figures on its top surface. One figure becomes visible each day. The date ring must be turned forward 24 hours for one figure to appear. In some watches this turning forward occurs slowly. This has the disadvantage that during certain times the entire figures are not visible. Other watches provide a driving device which shifts the date ring step by step by jerks. These calendar watches have the disadvantage that the shifting for one pitch occurs after a delay of 24 hours. If counting units of half-day (twelve hours) are desired, then additional mechanism must be provided in addition to the regular watch movement. Such additional mechanisms are costly and require a relatively large space.

It is the objective of the present invention to provide a simple mechanism which enables one to immediately distinguish A.M. from RM. It cannot happen that the wearer sets the watch incorrectly so that date indexing occurs at noon instead of at midnight. There is a clear indication about the respective halves of the day. The setting of the watch in respect to the date indication is therefore made with certainty.

According to the present invention, the calendar mechanism has a dial ring which rotates step by step for one pitch. The dial ring is rotatable at first for a partial step corresponding to the first part of this pitch and thereafter for the remaining part of the pitch. The indexing at each partial step occurs each time after the same interval, preferably twelve hours. The calendar mechanism is moved by the regular drive for two partial steps without the need for an additional reduction gear.

.The half of the day is shown by a dot which is visible at the upper part or at the lower part of the figure. The visible lower dot indicates A.M. and the upper dot P.M. By looking at the figure it is immediately known that it is A.M. or P.M. One dot is provided between each figure; when one figure is shown the dot designates the second half of the day and at the following figure the dot designates the first half of the day.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described below which, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, describes further advantages and characteristics of the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view in the direction towards the dial, the dial being partially broken out and the hour wheel being shown by a dash-dot line;

FIG. 2 is a cross section taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 and slightly enlarged;

FIGS. 3 to 7 are views corresponding with FIG. 1, which explain the mode of operation of the calendar mechanism, wherein the various parts are shown in consecutive positions; and

FIGS. 8 and 9 are a top plan view of another embodiment of the present invention, the view being taken in the direction toward the dial.

7 In the arrangement shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, 'the frame plate 10 is shown schematically. A central sweep-second staif 11, having a fourth wheel pinion 12, is journaled with itsupper pivot in the bridge 1 (FIG. 2). The center tube 14, which carries a center wheel 15, is positioned upon the sweep-second stafi? 11. The center tube 14 is rotatively journaled in the bushing 16 which is stationarily fixed in the frame plate 10. The hour wheel tube 17 is journaled on the outside of the bushing 16. Tube 17 is rigidly connected with thehour wheel'18. i i i The dial 20 covers the watch movement towards the exterior and the hands of the watch cooperate with the dial in the conventional manner. The dial 20 has a window 22, see FIG. 1.

Underneath the outer edge of the dial a date ring 25 is journaled in a groove in the frame plate 10.'The date ring 25 carries on its face a number of figures from 1-31, which are at times visible through the window 22. In FIG. 1 the figure 31 is visible in the window 22. A dot 26 is arranged between each of the figures. Dot 26 is visible in'FIG. 1 below the figure 31. i

The hour wheel 18 has a jump groove 28. A follower pin 29 fixed'in' a cam 30 engages in the jump groove 28. Cam 30is arranged belowthe hour wheel 18 and is journaled on a ring shoulder 31 of the frame plate. Cam 30 is secured against axial movements by a corresponding part of the frame plate 10 and the hour wheel 18.

An indexing lever 35 cooperates with cam 30. Lever 35 has a guiding clearance'openi'ng 36 in which a front guiding pin 37 is engaged. Pin 37 is fixed in the frame plate 10. The indexing lever 35 has a rear guiding clear-' ance opening 40 in which a guiding pin 41 is engaged. Pin 41 isalso fixed in the frame plate 10. i

The indexing lever 35 has a front arm portion 45 with a first indexing lever tooth 46, a second indexing lever too'th 47, and a banking nose 48. Banking nose'48 cooperates with a banking pin 49 fixed in the frame plate 10. The indexing lever 35 has a scanning arm portion 50, a rear arm portion 52, and an upturned locking bar 53.

One end of an indexing spring rests against locking bar 53. The other end of spring 55 rests against a spring banking pin 56. Pin 56' is attached to safety catch 58 which swivels on the guiding pin 41. Arm 58 has a catch ar'm portion 59 and a safety arm portion 60. g

The safety catch and the indexing lever cooperate with the teeth 24 of the date ring. This cooperation will be described in detail with the aid of FIGS. 3 to 7, wherein the aforementioned components are designated with the FIG. 3 is the same as in FIG. 1. It approaches that position almost at noon (12 oclock). The hour wheel brings the hour hand in its position shortly before the figure 12 of the dial. In the position shown in FIG. 3 the date ring 25 is stopped by the catch arm 59 of safety catch 58. The date ringis not rotational clockwise until the safetycatch 58 is turned forward in clockwise direction against the 3 action of the indexing spring 55. The indexing lever 35 in FIG. 3 is in its pre-stressed condition and is ready to be pushed by spring 55 in a direction towards the right and downwards.

Referring to FIG. 3, the scanning arm 50 rests with its indexing nose 65 on an apex 67 of the cam 30. Pin 29 is at the left or counter-clockwise end of jump groove 28. After a little forward clockwise movement of the cam 30 the nose 65 slides off from the cam 30. In respect to this general position the cam 30 comes to a dead point. The cam 30 now performs under the influence of the scanning arm 50. The indexing lever 35 is given a forward motion under the influence of the indexing spring in a clockwise direction until the banking pin 49 stops the banking nose 48 of the indexing lever 35. This position of the cam 30 at that time is shown in FIG. 4. The cam has quickly been rotated the length of its jump groove 28.

The indexing lever 35 under the influence of the indexing spring 55 moves towards the right and also a little bit downwards, as shown in FIG. 4. This movement of the indexing lever is controlled by

clearances

36 and 40 cooperating with the guiding pins 37 and 41, respectively.

The second indexing lever tooth 47 takes along the tooth 68 of the date ring until the front indexing lever arm 45 banks against the banking pin 49 and its movement is stopped. This forward movement of the date ring represents only a first partial step of the total movement during a 24-hour period. The same date remains visible in the window 22. However, the dot indicating the antemeridian disappears under the dial. The dot 70 between the figure 31 and the following figure 1 appears in the top of the window and serves as an indication that it is the post-meridian (afternoon) of the thirty-first day.

FIG. 4 shows also that the indexing spring 55 is now in a partially relieved condition. The catch arm 59 of the safety catch 58 was lifted a little bit by the forward movement of the date ring. The teeth of safety catch 58 in FIGS. 3-7 is an alternative to the teeth of the safety catch 58 of FIG. 1. After the achieved partial step the catch arm 59 engages in the tooth space 71 so that its right catch flank 73 rests against the tooth 74 and its left catch flank 75 against the tooth 76. The date ring is secured against a rotational movement in both directions. The safety catch is locked in this position by the fact that the safety arm 60 with its front end 61 touches the locking bar 53. The locking bar 53 presses under the influence of the indexing spring 55 against the front end 61 and locks the safety catch in the position shown in FIG. 4.

After this first partial step the safety catch 58 remains for the present in the position shown in FIG. 4. The next partial step is longer than the first partial step in order to change a figure. The cam rotates forward together with the hour wheel and acts with its curved section 77 on the scanning arm so that the indexing lever is again lifted. Shortly before midnight it occupies the position shown in FIG. 5. Simultaneously the indexing spring 55 will again be pre-stressed. The cam 30, as described in connection with FIG. 3, arrives with its apex 67 at the indexing nose 65 of the scanning arm of the indexing lever. Under the influence of the indexing spring 55 occurs again a jerky shifting movement of lever 35 which is limited by the banking pin 49. The indexing lever is moved towards the right and with its front downwards. However, since the date ring 25 and its teeth 24 have already been moved forward for half a step, the front arm of the indexing lever with its

indexing lever teeth

46 and 47 moves towards the next tooth 69. Tooth 69 is caught in the space between the two

indexing lever teeth

46 and 47. The downward movement in clockwise direction, shown in FIG. 6, takes the date ring along for another partial step until the front arm of the indexing lever hits the banking pin 49. This second partial step rotates the date ring 25 until the dot 70 comes to rest at the upper part of the lower edge of the window 22, as shown in FIG. 6. The next figure, in this case FIGURE 1, is seen entirely. However, the dot 72 arranged on the top of FIG- URE 1 remains invisible. By this it will thus be indicated that it is the ante-meridian of the first day. The initial position after a complete stepping and at a forward movement of the cam results again in the position shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 shows a special event which occurs at the backward rotation of the cam, e.g. opposite in direction from FIG. 6, which may occur during setting of the watch. The scanning arm rests against a curved section 78 of cam 30 and this curved section shows a slow rise. At this backward rotation the indexing teeth of the indexing lever 35 remain disengaged from the teeth 24 of the date ring. An indexing of the date ring is prevented during backward rotation of the cam.

On cam 30 a curved section 82 is joined to curved section 78 which begins at the end of the curved section 78 and reaches as far as to the dead point snap position. This curved section 82 has a relatively strong ascent by which the snapping is caused. This curved section 82 is advantageously used for a fast forward indexing of the date ring when the watch is set as to date. In the vicinity of an end position at the end of a time period, thus e.g.

12 oclock, the cam and the hour hand will be turned backward for a small amount. The date ring will be moved step by step forward until the wanted date appears in the window.

It has been shown, according to the invention, an indexing lever which at each period of time, eg 12 hours, is once operable. The indexing lever acts directly with its indexing teeth on the date ring.

The mechanism shown has a date ring having one tooth per partial step, the same number of teeth as the regular date ring. The indexing teeth act at two partial steps on the same tooth of the date ring and rotate it.

The spring acts on the indexing lever and on the cam and cooperates with a ratchet which locks the date ring. The lock ratchet has two positions corresponding to the partial steps. One partial step is longer than the other. The ratchet has two locking means which are unequally spaced. In one alternative, the indexing lever would operrate with a frictional contact on the date ring. In this alternative the entire function of the spacing is controlled by the lock ratchet having two unequally spaced locking means.

Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9'. The driving mechanism is the same as in the prior embodiment of FIGS. 1-7. The cam 30, pin 29, jump groove 28, indexing spring 55, indexing lever 35, locking pin 49 and safety catch 58 are the same. The only differences from the prior embodiment of FIGS. l-7 are: (l) the date ring 25 has twice as many teeth, i.e., 62 teeth; (2) the indexing lever 35 has only one indexing tooth and (3) the safety catch 58 has only one tooth holding means, its groove 101. In the embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9, one tooth 103 on date ring 25 is closer to the second tooth 102 of its pair than it is to a tooth 104 of the next pair. The 31 pair of teeth are equally spaced around the inside circumference of the date ring. The lever 35 acts upon one tooth of the date ring after another in sequence, i.e., acting on tooth 102, then tooth 103, then tooth 104, etc. The safety catch 58 holds the date ring in the position it is rotated to by the indexing lever 35. The single tooth 100 on the indexing lever carries the date ring alternatively long and short distances, corresponding to the spacings between the teeth on the date ring. The short distance shifts the ring to move the dot 70 out from the window and to expose the next dot,.

i.e., A.M. to P.M. The longer distance shifted changes the date. FIG. 8 shows the position of the lever 35 prior to switching at midnight, i.e., a date change. FIG. 9 shows the position of lever 35 prior to switching at noon, i.e., A.M. to P.M. change.

The present invention provides a cam which is driven by the hour wheel and which makes one complete revolution in twelve hours. The cam reaches a determined dead center position and under the action of a spring performs a jump relative to the hour wheel in the direction of the motion. This provides a jerky motion. The motion is limited by a pin of the cam plate in a groove of the hour wheel, or a pin in the hour wheel engaging in a groove in the cam plate.

The snap-like motion of the cam enables the indexing lever to perform a snap-like motion. The levers motion occurs first towards the date ring. Then the front end of the indexing lever moves along the date ring in the direction of its rotation. The levers motion is limited by a banking pin.

As an alternative, the forward movement for partial steps can be reached when the shifting ahead occurs not jerkily but creepingly within a relatively short time, e.g.

I one hour. In this alternative the cam moves positively with the hour wheel and is firmly attached to it.

The cam is arranged so that a relatively short rotation backwards and forwards, e.g. 3 hours, is sufficient to obtain a shifting ahead of the date ring. A relatively short and quickly performed forward and backward movement of the hour hand is suflicient to make a relatively large date correction in a short time.

The indexing lever remains in touch with the date ring and slides along on it during forward rotation of the cam. During the backward movement of the hands, the indexing lever is separated from the date ring and does not act on it so that a forward movement of the date ring does not occur.

Other modifications and alternatives may be made within the scope of the present invention as defined in the subjoined claims.

We claim:

1. In a watch having a frame plate, a calendar mechanism comprising: a rotatable flat date ring journaled in the frame plate and having consecutive figures 1-31 printed on its top face, a plurality of teeth on its circumference, and at least one printed mark to indicate AM. or P.M. between each of the said figures; a rotatable cam adapted to be driven by the wheels of the watch; a lever journaled on the frame plate and having two teeth to act upon each tooth of the date ring; a spring pushing the lever against the cam and compressed by rotation of the cam against the lever; wherein the spring acts upon a locking lever, the locking lever is journaled on the frame plate, and the locking lever has a first tooth holding portion, a second tooth holding portion and a third tooth holding portion, the distance between the first and second portions being greater than the distance between the second and third, whereby alternate advances of the date ring for the same time period are relatively long and short distances.

2. A horological instrument including a train of gear wheels, a date ring having calendar information on its face and a plurality of teeth on its circumference; a cam operated by one of said wheels, a spring, a lever arm biased by the spring against the cam for at least a portion of the cam's rotation and having on one of its ends a tooth which acts against the teeth of the date ring to rotate the ring, and a locking lever to lock the date ring when the lever is not advancing the date ring; said locking lever having three spaced tooth holding means, the first and second holding means being space-d further apart than the said second and third holding means.

3. A horological instrument as in Claim 2, wherein the locking lever is biased by the spring.

4. A horological instrument as in claim 2, wherein the teeth of the date ring are equally spaced around its inner circumference.

5. A horological instrument as in claim 2 and having a frame plate, wherein the lever is journaled on the frame plate by two pins fixed in the frame plate which protrude into bearing openings in the lever.

6. A horological instrument as in claim 2, wherein one of the wheels is an hour wheel, a pin is fixed in said hour wheel, the pin protrudes into a groove of the cam, and said hour wheel pin drives the cam.

7. A horological instrument as in claim 2, wherein one of the wheels is an hour wheel, a pin is fixed on said cam, said pin protrudes into a groove in said hour wheel, and said hour wheel drives said cam.

8. A horological instrument as in claim 2, wherein the cam is curved so that during its counter-clockwise rotation the lever is lifted away from the date ring.

9. In a horological instrument having a frame plate and rotating wheels, a calendar mechanism comprising: a rotatable flat date ring journaled in the frame plate and having consecutive figures 1-31 printed on its top face, a plurality of teeth on its circumference, and at least one printed mark to indicate AM. or P.M. between each of the said figures; a rotatable cam adapted to be driven by one of the said wheels, a lever journaled on the frame plate and having at least first and second teethto act upon each tooth of the date ring; a spring pushing the lever against the cam and compressed by rotation of the cam against the lever; the spacing of the teeth on the lever and the movement of the lever cooperatively arranged so that the first tooth of the lever acts upon a tooth of the date ring for one rotation of the cam and the second tooth of the lever acts upon the same tooth of the date ring for the next sequential rotation of the cam.

10. A horological instrument as in claim 9, wherein the teeth of the date ring are equally spaced around its inner circumference.

11. A horological instrument as in claim 9, wherein the lever is journaled on the frame plate by two pins fixed in the frame plate which protrude into bearing openings in the lever.

12. A horological instrument as in claim 9, wherein one of said wheels is an hour wheel, a pin is fixed in said hour wheel, the pin protrudes into a groove of said camfand said hour wheel pin drives said cam.

13. A horological instrument as in claim 9, wherein one of said wheels is an hour wheel, a pin is fixed on said cam, the pin protrudes into a groove in said hour wheel, and said hour wheel drives said cam.

14. A horological instrument as in claim 9, wherein the spring acts upon a locking lever, the locking lever is journaled on the frame plate, and the locking lever has means to lock the teeth of the date ring.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 54,198 4/1866 Owen 58-5 3,082,594 3/1963 Stamm et a1. 58-58 FOREIGN PATENTS 296,400 3/ 1954 Switzerland. 338,766 5/1959 Switzerland. 368,751 12/ 1962 Switzerland.

RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner. STEPHEN I. TOMSKY, Examiner.

M. LORCH, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A WATCH HAVING A FRAME PLATE, A CALENDAR MECHANISM COMPRISING: ROTATABLE FLAT DATE RING JOURNALED IN THE FRAME PLATE AND HAVING CONSECUTIVE FIGURES 1-31 PRINTED ON ITS TOP FACE, A PLURALITY OF TEETH ON ITS CIRCUMFERENCE, AND AT LEAST ONE PRINTED MARK TO INDICATE A.M. OR P.M. BETWEEN EACH OF THE SAID FIGURES; A ROTATABLE CAM ADAPTED TO BE DRIVEN BY THE WHEEL OF THE WATCH; A LEVER JOURNALED ON THE FRAME PLATE AND HAVING TWO TEETH TO ACT UPON EACH TOOTH OF THE DATE RING; A SPRING PUSHING THE LEVER AGAINST THE CAM AND COMPRESSED BY ROTATION OF THE CAM AGAINST THE LEVER; WHEREIN THE SPRING ACTS UPON A LOCKING LEVER, THE LOCKING LEVER IS JOURNALED ON THE FRAME PLATE, AND THE LOCKING LEVER HAS A FIRST TOOTH HOLDING PORTION, A SECOND TOOTH HOLDING PORTION AND A THIRD TOOTH HOLDING PORTION, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND PORTIONS BEING GREATER THAT THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE SECOND AND THIRD, WHEREBY ALTERNATE ADVANCES OF THE DATE RING FOR THE SAME TIME PERIOD ARE RELATIVELY LONG AND SHORT DISTANCES.