US2203186A - Electric clock mechanism - Google Patents

Description

June 4, 1940. J ZUBEK I 2,203,18

nmcgmc CLOCK MECHANISM Filed Dec. 13, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l ,7 I I I 9 70k7z Zzzhek v INVENTOR.

A TTORNEYS.

June 4, 1940-.

J. ZUBEK 2263 1 ELECTRIC CLOCK MECHANISM Filed Dec. 13, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 0 g ATTORNEY Patented June 4, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC CLOCK MECHANISM John Zubek, Detroit, Mich. Application December 13, 1938, Serial No. 245,510

1 Claim.

The objects of this invention are to provide a novel means for driving the time train of a clock electrically, and to provide a specifically novel structure for attaining that result, other objects being made manifest as the description proceeds.

A mechanic who gives heed to what is claimed, may alter the precise structure shown, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Fig. 1 shows in elevation, a device constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation wherein the device is viewed edgewise;

Figs, 3, 4 and 5 are elevations showing difierent positions of the parts;

Fig. 6 is a detail enlarged from Fig. 2, parts having been removed; I

Fig. '7 is a section on the line 'I-l of Fig. 3.

Electro-magnets I are carried by a shelf 2, secured'to a support or plate 3, and an armature 4, hingedly mounted at 5 on the support, responds to the electro-magnets and overcomes the efiort of a pull spring 6, connected to the intermediate portion of the armature and to a bracket 1 on the support, 2. depending rod or pawl 8 having its upper end pivoted at 9 to the armature, the rod being supplied adjacent to its lower end with a lateral lug Ill, the rod terminating in a reduced andinwardly inclined finger II.

A ratchet wheel [2 is secured to a shaft l4, journaled in the support 3, and forming part of the time train [5 of a clock. For convenience in setting forth the operation hereinafter, the ratch et wheel l2 may be said to comprise a group of teeth a, b, c and d, and each tooth may be said to include a radial shoulder l6 and an inclined edge H. The lug 10 of the rod. 8 is adapted to engage under the shoulder l6 of any tooth of the ratchet wheel l2, the finger ll of the rod extending between the ratchet wheel and the support 3, I

Three spring tongues, marked l8, l9 and 20, have their lower ends secured, by any appropriate means 2|, to the support 3. The tongue I8 may be denominated a pawl-throw, the tongue 20 a first switch member, and the tongue [9 a second switch member. The tongue I8 terminates at its upper end in an outwardly inclined tip 22, and the tip merges into an inwardly extended projection 23 on the tongue l8. The tongue H! is shorter than the tongue l8 and it carries an uninsulated switch point 24, adapted to engage an insulated switch point 25 on the tongue 20, the tongue 20 being longer than the tongue l9 and shorter than the tongue I8.

The anchorage means 2| for the lower ends of the tongues I8, l9 and 20 is in electrical engagement with the support 3, and to said means is joined a conductor 26, connected to one side of a source 21 of electrical energy. To the opposite side of the source 21 is connected a conductor 28, wherein is interposed a switch 29, under the control of an operator, the conductor 28 being joined to the winding 30 of the electro-magnets I, the winding being connected to a conductor 3|, joined to the insulated switch point 25 on the tongue 20. 1 i When the parts are arranged as shown in Fig. 3, the lug Ill on the rod 8 is below the shoulder of the tooth a. of the ratchet wheel l2, the switch points 24 and 25- being in contact. Then there is established an energizing circuit-for the electro-magnets Lincluding the source 21, the conductor 28, the (closed) switch 29, the winding 30, the conductor 3|, theinsulated switch point 25 on the tongue 20, the switch point 24, the

tongue 59, the support 3, and the conductor 26: all of which will be understood when Fig. '3is compared with Fig. 1.

The circuit for the electro-magnets I thus being closed, the electro-magnets are energized, the armature 4 is attracted, and the rod8 is carried downward. Referring to Fig. 3, as the lug In on the rod 8 moves downwardly, the lug is guided along the tip 22 of the tongue l8 until the lug Ill slides downwardly along the inclined edge of the tooth b, the rod 8 then being carried to'the left, and the tonguela being carried to the left as the lug ID on the rod 8 moves downwardly over the projection 23 on the tongue l8.

As the rod 8 moves downwardly, a time arrives when the upper surface of the lug ID on the rod .8 is flush with the shoulder of the tooth b, and, 'due to the thrusting action of the tongue l8 to the right, the rod 8 is swung to the right on its pivotal mounting 9, the lug I8 being carried beneath the shoulder of the tooth b, as in Fig. 4. When the rod 8 moves to the right, the finger H on the rod engages the tongue 20 and flexes that tongue, the switch point 25 being spaced from the switch point 24, and the circuit of the electro-magnets I thus being opened.

When the parts are arranged as shown in Fig. 4, there is no downward electro-magnetic drag on the armature 4, and the pull spring 6 gets in its work, the armature being swung upwardly on its hinged mounting 5, the rod 8 being raised, and the lug It! on the rod cooperating with the shoulder on the tooth b, to turn the ratchet wheel 12 one step, rotate the shaft l4, and actuate the time train l5 accordingly.

Referring to Fig. 5, it will be seen that, upon the upward movement of the rod 8, the lug II) on the rod moves out of contact with the tip 22 of the tongue l8, and the'tongue I8 is set free to assume its normal position. The tongue 20, also, is permitted to assume its normal position, because that tongue no longer is held to the right by the finger ll of the rod 8. Although the restoring of the tongue 20 to a normal position is desirable, such an operation, in the absence of a feature to be described hereinafter, would engage the switch point with the switch point 24, close the circuit of the electro-magnets I, and cause them to exert a downward pull on the armature 4, before the upwardly-acting spring 6 had accomplished all that is required of it. I

The aforesaid premature energizing of the magnet circuit is prevented, because, as the ratchet wheel l2 turns, the point of the tooth d engages the tongue l9 and flexes the said tongue to the left, as in Fig. 5, thus keeping the switch points 24 and 25 spaced, notwithstanding the fact that the tongue 20 has swung back to the left, to its normal position. Ultimately, the point of the tooth d clears the upper end of the tongue is, the tongue l9 swings to the right in Fig. 5, the switch points 24 and 25 are brought together, and the parts are restored to the position of Fig. 3.

By the use of the device forming the subject matter of this application, the gearing of a clock can be reduced to a simple time train, comprising no more than a few gear wheels and associated parts. The market has many starting devices which, if desired, may be added to the structure herein set forth, the special starting mechanism being something with which the present application is not concerned.

Although not confined to such a use, the device described (costing less than seventy-five cents in the present state of trade) can be combined with a dollar clock, from which most of the works have been removed, and the result will be a good, electrically-operated timepiece.

The rod 8 functions as a pawl, the tip 22 as a guiding part for the pawl, and the spring 6 as a resilient means for actuating the pawl to cause the pawl to rotate the ratchet wheel l2. The spring tongue l8 functions as a pawl-throw. The tongues l9 and 20 constitute a normallyclosed switch, whereof the tongue 20 is the first member and the tongue 19 the second member.

What is claimed is:

A driving mechanism comprising a circuit, an electro-magnet in the circuit, a switch in the circuit and including first and second members cooperating resiliently to close the circuit when in normal positions, a rotatable ratchet wheel including teeth each having an inclined'edge and a shoulder, a resiliently-acting pawl-throw, an

armature responsive to the magnet, a pawl actuated by the armature to cause the pawl to move along the inclined edge of one tooth, displace the pawl-throw from normal position, and render it active, the pawl-throw reacting to normal position and engaging the pawl with the shoulder of said tooth, the pawl cooperating with the first switch member to displace it from normal position and open the circuit, resilient means for operating the pawl to cause it to.rotate the wheel whilst the circuit is open, and to cause the pawl to free itself from the pawl-throw and permit the first switch member to return to normal, circuit-closing position, another tooth meanwhile engaging the second'switch member and holding the switch open when the first switch member moves to normal, circuit closing position, thereby enabling the resilient means to complete its operation whilst the circuit is open, the rotation of the wheel causing said other tooth to clear the second switch member and permit it to return to normal position andto circuit-closing 40;

relation with respect to the first switch member.

JOHN ZUBEK.

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