US653712A - Clock. - Google Patents

Description

Patented July I7, I900.

S, P. THRASHER.

vC L 0 C K (Appliuazion filed Mar. 6, 1 897.)

5 Sheets-Shet $64. KiQKMM,

1 v Patented July I7, I900. S. P. THRASHER.

CLOCK.

Application filed Mar. 6, 1897.)

. 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 17, I900.

S. P. THRASHER.

CLOCK.

(Application filed. Mar. 6, 1897.) (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

' W w \u l inventor 9&0; 653,?!2. Patented My 57, E908.

S. P. THMSHER.

I QUICK. (Application filed Ear. a, 1897.) (Na flodei.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 if inefiaw @541 Unrrnn Tamas 'A'rsin'r price.

SAMUEL r. 'rnnAsnnR, on NEW HAVEN, oonuncricn'r.

cLocK.

SIECIFIGATiOni forming part of Laet tia-item No. 653,712, dated July 17, 1906.

Application filed March 6, 1897. Serial No. 626,216. (No model.)

To all 'iLhU/Ib it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL P. 'Tnnasnnn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Timeindicating Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to time-indicating devices, and is especially adapted to indicate time by figures carried upon rotating spools or drums and to operate in connection therewith the striking mechanism; and it consists in theconstruct-ion and relative arrangement of the parts, as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims, reference being had .accnm drawings, i-n'whic'lrlike" ietters and numerals of referenceindicate like parts throughout the several figures.

Figure l is a front elevation of one embodi-' ment of my device complete as it appears in operation. Fig. 2 is an enlarged front view of the ti inc-movement removed from the case and havingthe seconds-dial and pointer removed from the front plate of the same and showing the drums connected with the movement provided with figures to indicate the hours and minutes. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of the mechanism when the device is complete and in operation; Fig. 4 is an enlarged side view of Fig. 3.- Fig. 5 is a topview of the drums and pawls engaging the same. of my mechanism with the drums and frame supporting the same removed from the top of the time-movement. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detached view showing a portion of the striking mechanism and its frame attached to the .a-ear plate of the time-movement and also showing the arrangement'of the count and unlocking mechanism and the trip-lever in position to be engaged by one of the trip-fingers borne on one of the drums, the drum lpe.

ing broken away.

Fig. 8 is a rear vie'ntof Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a modification of the tiiipping mechanism, showing trip-fingers borne upon two of the drums and their engaging trip-lever.

In the above preferred embodiment, A is a bracket suitably secured to the back board B of the case bymeans of the posts 0 O, which are of sniiicient length to allow convenient Fig. (5 is a top view space between the bracket and the board B for the pendulum D, which is suspended from the stud E, secured to the rear of the bracket at its top. Arms F F of the bracket extend forward near the lower end of same and support a time-movement G, which is made fast in its proper position by means of the tightening-screwsfI-I H, entering the lower pillar of the movement, as shown. The time-move .ment is provided, preferably, with a weight I and the usual drum or barrel J, maintain ing mechanism, and dog K, and has its Wind ing-arbor L extending through the front plate to receive the key from the front. I have here shown the usual time-train in movements of this class, the arbor M, bearing the escape Whee making a'coi'nplete revolution once a minute, being the one that usually carries the seconds-hand. This arbor extends through the front plate and has secured on itsfront end the pinion or wheel N and cam 0, each of which makes a revolution once a minute. Suitably fastened to the front plate are the pillars PP, extending toward the front end and forming supports for asemicircular seconds-dial Q, which is fastened to the front end of said pillars. Arranged in front of said dial and connected therewith by means of short pillars is a perforated plate or mat R, in

arbor S, which has frictionally secured thereon a seconds-indicator T, provided with two oppositely-disposed seconds-hands, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and is adapted to make a complete revolution once in two minutes in a manner as follows Secured to the rear end of its arbor is the gear-wheel U, having in this case .sixty teeth, which is connected by an intermediate gear-wheel, V of any convenient number of teeth, with the pinion N',having thirty teeth, which, as previously stated, makes a revolution once a minute, thereby causing a revolution of the seconds-shaft to be elfectcd once in two minutes and hence each pointer of the seconds-indicator to traverse the dial in turn every minute. Secured to the top of thetime-movement G by means of screws passing through the top pillars of the movement into its base-plate W is a frame constructed with upright columns X X, rigidly connected at their upper ends by means of cross-bar Y and having forwardly -extending faces of the (ironic; but it is obvious that the application, Serial No. 626,012, filed March. 5,

and so chat the iocking-dog arms Z Z, which support the plate or met, (1, provided with openings to expose the figures on the movable time-indicetors, in the present embodiment rotatable drums Z) Z) b. Thcce figures are preferably painted on the timedndicntors "would still curry the tiincunb morals even ifsucli numerals were not fixed to the time-indicators, but, were carried past the openings by the some. Thcsc drums are mounted upon a, shaft supported at each end by the columns X X and are free to turn on the name. Preferably journnled also upon ibis shaft is n reciprocating pawl-carrier c, in this embodiment yoke, which is prefernbly connected by means of pitnian cl to the outer end of the lever e, which is clenrly chcwn in Fig. 2. This lever is secured to e. elicit-f, end of said shaft bsving its pivot period in the rear plate of. the movement ts other pi vet supported by e bracket g, to the front plate, as shown in also to the shaft is e. laterallynrin provided with a weight;

feet in the lever e and adapts upon Lie time of the count). Jour- L l .npper end or" the carrier are the sjjj, which are provided with carying and count pearls or dogs arranged and opted to actuate their respective drums, scid drums being provided with rntchets, in this embodiment formed on the drums themselves and engaging pnwls similar in construction to those shown and described in my 1387, end the said pnwls being adapted to opcrate their respective drums in cfiiecting the prepcr chenge of time in substantially the manner shown in my epplzcntion of October l9, 18%, Scniel No. 609,2325. The yoke c is provided with 5:. Eight cross-oer at; its lower end, end by menus of the three elieftejjj, with their pewlu end the weight, of the pitrnnn d etiznched theretofllie upper end-t zjiic yoireis rendered heavier than the lower end, cons to be normally inclined to turn beek- Wnrd to the sterting-point of its oscillation. cirrus Z Z at. the upper end. support shafts which are provided with idle perils to prevent the drums turning backward beyond their proper position when at rest. Suitably secured to the lunch plate or of the time-movementis a. striking mechanism n, being vertichilly dispceed end having its wheels and orburn subsizentielly at righi; iMlglQS to the Wheels and erbnre of the time-movement by arrangement. of the respective frames in like yelntive position to each osher.

I Willnow proceed to describe the construction and arrangement of the striking mechaninni in detnii.

To carry out my invention, 1 have formed the locliingmotcho in the disk p, as sbown'in Si 7, so es to present an inclined surface (1 upon engaging the cement conclusion of striking will brave icudency to pass out of the notch forthwith and to allow the striking to be continued by the unchecked rotation of the heel and shaft to which the disk is secured. To prevent the said further rotation, however, i have secured to the shaft q of the lockingdog (1 the upward-extending arm 1, which instsntly engages the holding and releasing dog 5 in the manner shown in Fig. 7 as soon as the countdog t, which oscillates with the some shaft, falls into its notch on the countwheel 1/, and zillcws the locking-(log g to drop into the stop-notch on the disk and. engage the inclined surface, as referred to, and thus prevent the further striking. It will be seen by use of my novel mechanism here shown and described that the unlocking and the releasing of the striking in eflected by single operation, while in .t-he ordinary close of striking-clocks two distinct operations are required, since in my mechanical the strikingtrnin isinclined to run unchecked on account or". the incline of the commonly-called locking-notcll and is only prevented from so (10- ing by engagement of the upwnrdextending arm '1 with the holding and releasing dog 8. The releasing-dog .5-

pivotelly supported in the position shown has secured to its shaft e trip-iever n, which extends backward and upivi rd and has its upper end arranged to be engaged by trip-fingers w w, "fastened, preferably, to the drum 5, in which case four fingers will be required in striking the hours and half-hours, since the drum revolves once in two hours, the orrnngeincnt of the four fingers being snbste'ntinllyee represented in Fig. i.

I have introduced Fig. 9 to show a modification in which the trip-fingers are secured to two of the drums, as follows: row 0nd "um b to effect the striking of the half-hours and the twelve fingers so :0, arranged on drum 1) toeifect the einiliingof the hours. To engage the fingers on these two drums, I have elongated the shet'ty and provided Lhe 53.1116 with two trip-levers, as shown. By forming the end. of the trip-lever with a. double incline ,2, as shown in 7, the trip-fingers may pane over the same when the drum is rotated in either direction, as in. the case of setting. To prevent the striking when the trip-lever is depressed by the trip-fingers and the releasingdog 8 is raised thereby, as is the case every hour or half-hour when the device is in oporation, I have provided it throw-out urcliccking mechanism, which is particularly shown in Figs. 5, 7, end 8 and which I will now proceed to describe.

1 is a verticel rod having its bearings in small brackets 2 2 and provided with a collar secured to the rod and having rigidly connected thereto the arm 3, which extends. up Ward and at the top is bent laterally and substanbially dispersed (see Fig. 6) in relation to the upper end of the arm o so that when the rod 1, to which it is secured, in slightly turned in its bearings in the right the said arm r is allowed tovibrete Without engaging the some;

but upon slightly turning .the rod l toward the left its upper bent end will be brought into the pathway in which the arm '1" vibrates, and when the arm 1' is in its normal position it will be disposed immediately in front thereof and check further vibrations of the same until it is desired to again throw the striking mechanism into gear.

4 is a lever rigidly attached to the rod 1 and extending to the front of the time-movement and provided with a small button 5, by which the throw-out mechanism is manually operated.

6 is a detachable plate secured to the lower end of the front plate of the time-movement and provided with a horizontal slot 7, in which the front end of the lever 4 rests, the slot being slightly recessed at each end to guard against easy displacement of the lever when left in either position. By moving the lever iand to the position shown by dotted lines in ig. 6, the upper bent end of the rod 3 being also shown by dotted lines in the same figure as out of engagement with the end of the arm a") to the extreme left the striking mechanism is free to operate when released by the dogs, and when it is desired'to throw out the striking mechanism the lever 4 is moved to the opposite end of the slot and the upper end of the rod 3 brought in front of the upper end of the arm 1', aspreviously referred to and shown bv full lines in' the same figure,"and thus the striking mechanism prevented from operating. By making the arm 3 of small wire it is sufficiently flexible to yield laterally to the upper end of the arm 'r-if at any time borne against it by moving the lever 4 suddenly to the right to throw out the striking mechanism when the device is in operation, and it will'continue thus to yield laterally to the pressure of the said lever until it has returned to its normal position in the releasing-dog s, when it will at once dispose itself in front of the said upper end of the lever and in this position prevent further striking, as above stated. On the opposite side of the striking-movement I have arranged a vertical rod 8, having suitable bearings or guides at the upper and lower ends, in which it is free to slide up and down, and have inclined its upper end 9, so that in its normal position its extreme point is immediately under and slightly out of engagement wit-lithe rcleasing dog s, as particularly shown in Fig. 8. Secured .to the lower end isalever 10,

, similar to lever 4 of the throw-out mechanism, whichextends to the front end and is also supported in a slot 12, formed in thedetachable plate (5, the slotin this case being vertical andiadapted to ailowsuflieient up-' ward motion of the leverand vertical rod 8 when lifted by the button by the'operator to lift the releasing-dog sufficiently to free the striking mechanism. liy repeating this operatipp n y device may be struck around at an y t'ifme to the correct hour. By providing a detachable plate for the supportand adjustment of these levers 4 and 10 the front ends or buttons by which they are manually operated are conveniently disposed in front of the timemovement and at the bottom thereof, thereby affording easy access, and may be readily detached from the movement when it is desired to take any of the move ments apart. I have attached the strikingbell to the back of the clock and adjusted the hammer in the usual manner. By providing the bracket A with four long posts C O and disposing the pendulum between the bracket and the back of the case I am enabled to provide sufiieient space between the back of the time movement and the pendulum to arrange the strikingmovement between the time-movement and the pendulum in the manner shown and also bring the time mechanism, mounted on the top of the movement,

nearer to the front of the case, with the'pendulum in position at the same time approximately close to the back of the case. It will he observed in this releasing mechanism of mine that the detent mechanism operates automatically and that when released by the catch it operates independently of the motion of the time-indicator. hat I mean by operating independently of the motion of the time-indicator is that it is not connected with the time-indicator so that the motion of one affects the motion of the other. In the present embodiment when the catch 8 releases the rod 1" the lever r (1 will rotate on its pivot independently of the motion of the drum, for it makes no difference whether the drum isrotatiug or at rest after the catch 8 has been raised.

I will now describe the portion of the mechanism which actuates the yoke eac minute to rotate the drums. 7 As previously stated, the upper end of the yoke is preferably sufficiently weighted to overcome the weight of its lower end, and thereby causes it to bear downward continually by means of the pitman upon the outer end of the lever c, I have also provided the lever c with a'counterweight 72-, borne on its rear-extending arm. This weight is sufficient to overcome the weight of the lever c and the forward end of the yoke and the pitm an and causes the pin 41 to press upward sufficiently against the cam 0, so that when the cam has completed its revolution andthe pin passes off from the highest pointer the cam the lever will forth- IIO' with move upward to the throat of the cam with sufficient force to overcome the said Weighted end of the yoke andcause it by its forward oscillation to carry with it one or more of the drums, as the change of time shown on the drums may require. The principal object of thus overwcighting the upper end of the yoke, so that it continually rests by downward pressure upon the outer end of the'levere, and providing the lever c with the counterweight 71., as described, has been to lessen the power required by the cam' in depressing the lever each minute, for it will ment as here shown.

be seen that by having left a little he tween the under side of the outer end of the lever and the hub 11, attached to the pitman, as shown in Fig. 2, and having disposed the balance of weight of the yoke so as to rest upon the pitman normally at each sudden or intermittent forward movement of the can". caused by the intermittent movements given to it by the action of the escapement when a sudden downward movement is at each time imparted to the lever, it will freely yield suddenly thereto without the resistance of the yoke and its connection with the said lever; but forthwith the weighted upper end of the yoke and its pitman wili overtake the lever and rest thereupon ntil again suddenly aotuatcd by the cam, and thus this operation is continuously repeated at each action of the escapement. It will be observed that in the construction shown in the drawings the weight is not attached to the carrier, but is connected therewith.

The seconds-dial here employed is constructed in the form of half circle and graduated into sixty seconds, the first graduationmark (naught or zero) being at one end and the last or sixtieth graduation-mark being at the opposite end of an imaginary straight line preferably horizontal with the center of the seconds-shaft. By providing a seconds-shaft which revolves once in two minutes, as previously stated, with two ends or pointers and arranging the same in relation to the dial, as described, the same is adapted in its revolutions to have one of its pointers over the first or zero graduation-mark and the other over the last or sixtieth graduation-mark at the commencement and conclusion of each minute, so that proper indication of the successive seconds is continuously maintained by the uniform forward rotation of the double pointer or seconds-indicator. This arrangement presents a neat and attractive appearance on the face of the timepiece. By constructing the device as shown the time-train, the striking-train, and the frame supporting the drums carrying figures form practically a combination of three complete and detachable frames, which renders it possihis to repair or change the parts in any of the frames without disturbing or taking down the parts contained in the other frames. A still further advantage is gained from being able to leave out the striking mechanism or to remove at any time, if desired, the time indicating mechanism and to operate the same electrically or otherwise. Again, by employing one or more of the drums to release the striking mechanism the same is offected independent of the time-train, which in other timepieces serves for this purpose, and the time indicating and striking mechanisms of my device are both operative when the time mechanism is actuated by other power or other means than the time-move- By disposing the drums on the top of the time-movement the striking mechanism in the rear thereof and ends-dial supported. upon the pillars on tile front thereof I am enabled to utilize ordiyo nary time mechanism to operate my device without making any substantial alteration of the name. By employing the perforated p or mat disposed in front of the the shaft may at anytime be readily deta.

from the movement without disturbingregulator and the seconds-shaft may he A 3 vidcd with a pivot on its front end. 33/ sq,-

the back plate and substantially the rear thereof, as shown, the general arrangement and appearance of my device from the trout are not materially changed when the in? mechanism is omitted, and this plan sine 2. 85 fords convenient space for the employment of an elcctromagnet with or without the timetrain to actuate the drums.

It is evident that various changes in construction and relative arrangement of 90 ,in comhi tion with the stop-arm 3, a verticaliy-cw rod 1 having said arm 3 secure ing, suhsiantiallyas and for the purposes dc scribed.

i. In a time-indicating dovice,iu cortion with the vertical rod 1, provide the stop-arm 3, an oscillating and recesses therein, when cocci; operated substantially as and for poses described.

3. In a time-indicatingdevice, couihi 7 tion with a releasingdog s, a vertical ro having its upper end adapted to engage a dog in striking the clock and being provided at its lower end with the forward-extend arm 10 whereby the same may be operated I from the front of the clock, suhstantiaiiy as and for the purposes described.

4. In a time-indicating device, in combine-- tion with the vertical rod 8 projecting arm 10, the slot 12 arranged and adapted to hold the forward end and limit the motion thereof in its upward and downward direction, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. in a time-indicating device, the verticci rods 8 and 1 provided with means respectively at their upper ends for eugaging t11e upward-extending arm rand each provided at its lower end with ievcr, ass and ii), I

tending to the front '1' the time-moves;

" able plate 6 secured to the bottom of the movement and provided with the horizontal and recessed slot 7 and the vertical slot 12,

when used in the manner and for the purposes described.

7. In a time-indicating device incombina- 'tion, a rotating drum carrying time-numer.-- ale, striking mechanism, a count-Wheel for said striking mechanism for regulating the number of strokes, a shaft connected with said striking mechanism and rotated thereby, a wheel onsaid shaft having an inclined locking-notch therein, a two-armed lever one of said arms engaging the inclined face of said locking-notch, the other of said arms being of a greater length than said'first arm and adapted to fall by its own weight and release saidolher arm from said locking-notch, catch to engage the end of said longer arm and hold said shorter arm in engagement with said locking-notch, and means on said drum to release said catch, said two-armed lever being adapted to rotate on its pivot and release said striking mechanism independently of the rotation of said druml 8. lin a time-indicating device in combina tion, a rotatable drum carrying time-numerals on its face, striking mechanism having a rotatable wheel, a two-armed lever r, g, ongaging a stop on said wheel to. hold said striktion on said drum to release saiddetent, an

by the movement of said lever out of engagenTent with said wheel.

tion a clock-face having a semicircular opening therein, a single stationary and curved secondsscale showing therethrough in ahalfcircle of substantially the same length as said opening, the lower edge of said openingheing substantially horizontal, and a pair of oppositely-pointing seconds-hands located so as to move behinds'ai'd clock-face but in front of said scale and fixed on a seconds-shaft, and means to intermittently rotate said secsncc'essively over the full length of said scale.

11. In a time-indicating device in combina- 'tion, a movable time=indicator, a ratchetconnected with the same, a pawl to engagesaid ratchet, a reciprocating carrier for said pawl, means to move said carrier in one direction until said pawl engages said ratchet and to to said carrier but'connected therewith and adapted to fall and move said carrier-pawl and time-indicator in the opposite direction.

1 2. In a time-indicating device in combination, a movable time-indicator, a ratchet con nected with the same, a pawlt-o engage said ratchet, a reciprocating carrier for said pawl, a pivoted lever connected with said carrier, a. clock-movement and means controlled by ing mechanism from operation, a countwheel, said clock-movement to move said lever downwior regulating the number of strokes, said 7 arm 7' being longer than said arm g and extending substantially vertically to a point near said drum, a catch for engaging the end of said arm and a projection from said catch adapted to be engaged by a part on said drum to release said catch, said leverbeing adapted to rotate on its pivot when released from said catch and operate said striking mechanism independently of the movement of said drum. 9. In a time-indicating device in combination, a rotating drum carrying time-numerals, striking mechanism operative independently of the movement of said drum, a countwneel u'for regulating the number of strokes, a wheel rotated by the operation of said striking mechanism said wheel having an inclinedi'aced locking-notch o, a two-armed pivoted lever one of the arms of which engages said notch to hold said striking mechanism and the other arm of which is longer than said first arm and extends substantially vertically ,o a point near said drum, said longer arm adapted "to fall by its own weight when released and move said shorter arm out of said notch, a detent s. to engage the upper end of said longer arm and a projection 11 from said detent engaged by anotherprojec ward and release said carrier, a weight conand return said lever and thereby move said carrier-pawl and time-indicator in the opposite direction.

13. In a time-indicating device in combination, a rotatable numeral-carrying time-indicator, a ratchet connected with the same, a pawl to engagesaid ratchet and a reciprocating carrier for said pawl, a pivoted lever ,1 having two arms one of which is connected with said carrier to reciprocate the same and the other of which carries a weight, a clock movement and a cam operated thereby and connected with said lever to tilt the same thereby raisingjsaid weight and moving said carrier in one direction until said pawl engages said ratchet, said cam adapted to then to fall and return s'aid lever, carrier, and

time indicator in the opposite direction. Signed at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, this 5th day of March, A. D. 1897.

SAMUEL 1. THRASHER. Witnesses:

S. MoALvIN, F. E. HURLB'UT.

10. In a time-indicating device in combina:

onds-shaf t to move each of said seconds-hands release the same thereby allowing said Weight arm tengaging said count-wheel n and moved .85 release said carrier, and a'weight unattached 7 nected with said lever and adapted to fall

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