US2060268A - Over-wind prevention device for spring motors - Google Patents

Description

J. VASS Nov0 10, 1936.

OVER-WIND PREVENTION DEVICE FOR SPRING MOTORS Filed March 2, 1935 N as EL,

FI E. E.

Patented Nov. 10, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OVER-WIND PREVENTION DEVICE FOR SPRING MOTORSl Application March 2, 1935, Serial No. 9,116

3 Claims.

' watches whereby the winding stem Will be disconnected from the winding pinion, so soon as the main spring has become wound to the desired degree. The particularly novel and useful feature of my invention is the combination of an improved shipping lever, for disconnecting the winding stem, with an entirely novel reciprocating actuating arm for operating the shipping lever. 'Ihis novel form of arm is actuated, to yco-act with the shipping lever, by a direct me chanical connection with the arbor of the main spring, and is restored to its normal inoperative position by means of its resilient mounting.

While I have illustrated in the drawing filed herewith and have hereinafter fully described one specific embodiment of my invention, it is to be distinctly understood that I doy not consi-der my invention limited to said specic embodiment, but refer for its scope to the claims appended hereto.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a watch, the dialplate removed, showing the winding mechanism in operative position.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 1, showing the winding mechanism in inoperative position.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

As illustrated in the drawing, the watch provided with my improvement has the ordinary Winding stem I with usual sleeve 2 carrying the hand-setting pinion 3 and clutch member 4 C0- acting with its clutch member 5 on the winding pinion 6 which is connected by the usual gear train with the main-spring arbor 'I to which the inner end of the main-spring 8 is iixed, its outer end being attached to the barrel 9 in the usual way.

Above the barrel 9, the top plate I0 has a suitable aperture II, and adjacent thereto the recess I2 in which is adjustably mounted the block I3 by bolts I4 tapped intol the plate I0, passing through slots I5 in the block I3 and having heads I6 received into' recesses I'I in the block I3. On its outer edge, the block I3 has an inclined shoulder I8 with which co-acts the inclined head I9 of a setting bolt 20 tapped in the plate I0.

Extending from the block I3 and positioned in the aperture II is the spring-arm 2I carrying the annular plate 22 with ribs 23. This plate 22 is disposed concentrically with the arbor l' and there projects through the plate 22 the threadedpost 24 concentrically mounted on the arbor l. Threaded upon this post 24 there is the circular disc 25 having a diameter slightly greater than the orice 26 in the plate 22, and provided with a series of holes 2l through one of which loosely passes the post 28 tapped into the barrel 9.

Extending from the plate 22 there is the rigid arm 23 having the inclined shoulder 30.

Suitably pivoted to the plate I 0 between the sleeve 2 of the winding stem a and this arm 29, 5 there is the shipping lever 3l having its end 32 received in the annular groove 33 of the sleeve 2 and its tail 34 so disposed that its inclined shoulder 35 co-acts with the inclined shoulder 30 of the arm 29. The lever 3| has the spring 36 to rock the lever 3| to hold the sleeve 2 in such a position as normally to inter-lock Athe clutch members 4 and 5.

From the foregoing description of the details of construction of my device, its use and operation Will be obvious. Since the spring 36 causes the shipping lever 3.I normally to hold the clutch members 4 and 5 in engagement, it will be seen that rotation of the winding stem I, through its sleeve 2, clutch members 4 and 5, winding pinion 6 and its gear train, will cause rotation of the arbor 1, thus winding up the main-spring 8. This rotation of the arbor I rotates the post 24 on the arbor 1, and since the post 28 passing through the disc 25 prevents rotation of the disc 25, the rotation of the post 24, on which the disc 25 is threaded, causes the disc 25 to travel downwardly toward the plate 22. The parts are so designed and related that when the arbor I has been rotated sufficiently to wind the mainspring 8 to the desired degree, the disc 25 has been brought into contact with the plate 22 and has depressed the plate 22, against the influence of the spring-arm 2I, and the plate 22 has depressed its associated arm 29 so that its inclined shoulder 30 co-acts with the inclined shoulder 35 of the tail 34 of the shipping lever 3l, so that the lever 3I is rocked, thereby causing the sleeve 2 to move the clutch member 4 out of engagement With the clutch member 5, thus disconnecting the winding stem I from the winding pinion 6, and thereby preventing further winding of the main-spring 8.

It is obvious that as the barrel 9 is rotated, under the influence of the main-spring 8 as the watch is running, the post 28 mounted upon the barrel 9 causes the disc 25 to rotate about the post 24 which is now held stationary by the ordinary action of the pawl-controlled gear train. Thus it is seen that the disc 25, threaded on the post 24, is caused to travel outwardly away from the plate 22. As soon as pressure from the disc is removed from` the plate 22, the spring action of the spring-arm 2| causes the plate 22 to move outwardly and carry with it the arm 29, causing the release of the shipping lever 3|, which is restoredto its normal position by action of the spring 36, thus connecting the clutch members 4 and 5 and rendering the winding mechanism again operative.

It is to be noted that I have designed and related the parts in such a Way that while the Winding mechanism is not disengaged until the completion of the desired amount of winding, the mechanism is re-engaged after a very slight degree of unwinding of the main-spring 8. In this way, I have insured that the proper degree of tension will be put upon the main-spring, and no more, and also that the main-spring may be re-Wound, after a very short period of unwinding, and this re-Winding Will restore the main-spring to its proper degree of tension, and no more.

It is to be noted that by providing a plurality of holes 21 in the disc 25, it is possible to adjust the disc 25 relative to the post 24, in the initial assembly of the parts, so as to secure the proper distance of travel of the disc 25 to properly operate the arm 29 and lever 3|.

It is also to be noted that by means of the setting bolt 20, the block I3, plate 22 and arm 29 may be properly adjusted to secure the desired relation between the shoulders 30 and 35. When the block I3 has been properly adjusted, it is xed in position by the bolts I4.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination, with the main-spring of a spring motor, the winding pinion, clutch and winding stem, of a shipping lever adapted to engage and disengage the clutch; a rigid arm coacting with said lever to cause it to function; a plate from which said rigid arm is extended; a

spring-arm from which said plate is extended; and means actuated by the arbor of the mainspring and adapted to move said plate against the force of the spring-arm to cause said rigid arm to actuate the shipping lever.

2. The combination, with the main-spring of a spring motor, the Winding pinion, clutch and winding stem, of a shipping lever adapted to engage and disengage the clutch; a rigid arm co-acting with said lever to cause it to function; a plate on which said rigid arm is mounted; a spring-arm on which said plate is mounted; a. threaded post on the arbor of the main-spring; a second plate threaded on said post and having an orifice; and a second post on the barrel of the main-spring passing loosely through said orice, the parts being so related that the second plate is caused to travel in one direction by rotation of the arbor and in the other direction by rotation of the barrel, and to engage the iirst plate to move it against the force of the spring-arm to cause said rigid arm to actuate the shipping lever.

3. In an over-wind prevention device for watches, the combination of a winding stem having a clutch member; a winding pinion having a clutch member with which the stem clutch member co-acts; a pivoted lever having a finger at one end to bring the stem clutch member into and out of engagement with the pinion clutch member, and having a beveled shoulder on its other end; a spring disposed against said lever to cause the clutch members to engage normally; an arbor on which the main-spring is mounted and with which the winding pinion is connected by a gear train; a spring barrel with which the main-spring is connected; a threaded post on said arbor; a plate threaded on said post and having an orifice; a post on said barrel passing loosely through said orifice; a resiliently mounted plate disposed in the path of travel of said first mentioned plate; and an arm on said second plate having a beveled shoulder to co-act with the beveled shoulder on the lever to move said lever against the impulse of said lever-spring to cause the clutch members to disengage.

JOSEPH VASS.

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