US2245842A - Universal timer - Google Patents

Description

June 17, 1941. WERNER 2,245,842

UNIVERSAL TIMER Filed Nov. 14, 1938 INVENTOR.

Patented June 17, 1941 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFIQE UNIVERSAL TIMER Edward H. Werner, Elmhurst, Ill.

Application November 14, 1938, Serial No. 240,284

7 Claims.

This invention relates in general toa universal timing device for use in connection with ordinary watches or clocks for indicating the time at any other place in relation to the time at any geographical location for which the disc is set.

An important object of the invention is in the provision of a timing disc which may be variably applied to any ordinary watch or clock depending upon the longitudinal position thereof.

A further object of the invention is in the provision of a timing disc adapted to be attached to and rotatable with the hour hand of a twelve hour clock for indicating the time throughout the world of other geographical locations withrespect to a full day of twenty-four hours.

A still further object of the invention is in the provision of a timing disc for attachment to twelve-hour clocks which is graduated to indicate the relative longitudinal positions upon the geographical map in reverse order.

A still further object of the invention is in the provision of a reverse geographical order upon a timing disc representing one half of thenorthern hemisphere upon an entire circle of three hundred sixty degrees. 7

A still further object of the invention is in the provision of a timing disc for twelve-hour clocks in which there are two separate graduations of one hundred eighty divisions arranged in reverse order, with geographical representations relating to each of the reverse graduations and located I at opposite distances upon the earth, approximately twelve hours time or one hundred eighty degrees apart.

Other and further objects of the invention will appear in this application, the accompanying drawing illustrating a timer in accordance with this invention in which Fig. 1 represents a timer as applied to an ordinary twelve hour clock having hour and minute hands rotatable over the ordinary dial and with the timing disc attached to the hour hand for the location corresponding approximately to the longitude of Chicago, Illinois; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a timing disc as shown in Fig. l with more geographical detail.

In considering foreign business and particularly in quickly determining the time at any other geographical location for radio purposes, it is desirable to provide means for showing the correct time at any other geographical position as it relates to the time at the place where the clock and timing disc are located. The present device provides a timing disc which is quickly and easily attached to any hour hand of a twelve hour clock, l

and extremely light and simple in construction but mathematically correct, which cannot get out of order and is of scientific and educational value.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, a timing disc 4, preferably in the form of a circle, is

provided with a central opening 5 and is usually made in various sizes so that it may be applied to the 'face of a watch, clock or other twelve hour timepiece, about the center thereof, leaving the numerals indicating the hours, and the minute graduations free and uncovered around the edge.

This disc may be of light metal such as aluminum, printed on one side or a thin printed sheet may be attachedto the metal disc for stififness, to prevent warping, and so that it is not affected by heat or moisture. This disc may be made in various sizes preferably at twelve, remove the minute hand of the clock, apply adhesive such as shellac, glue, or any other material, to the hour hand; slip the disc over the shaft and locate it so that the hour hand is pointing and in line with the geographical location of the place in which the clock is used (in Chicago, at approximately 88 degrees west longitude) press the disc firmly in place against the hour hand, let it dry, and then replace the minute hand.

The above procedure is not necessary when the discs are mounted in the factory or incorporated as a part of the hour hand, but if applied at the factory the location of the hand on the dial should be varied in accordance with the locality in which the timepieces are to be used.

This universal timer disc comprises a novel construction, arrangement and representation of the geographical map of a part of the northern hemisphere, the construction of which is based upon the following principles:

1. That a geometrical, geographical, or astronomical semi-circle of 180 degrees is equal or may be referred to a circle of 360 degrees in relation to the present twelve hour timepiece, the dial of which being the circle of 360 degrees is divided into twelve segments of thirty degrees each; each of thesesegments represents one full hour which isequal to sixty minutes, four of which are equal to one astronomical degree or to one degree of any circle; two rotations of the hour hand of the clock are necessary for recording the full time of each day.

2. A geographical map is drawin in inverted or reverse order, that is,'the east extending to the west, and the west toward the east respectively.

3. The construction is based upon the combined application of principles 1 and 2 as they relate to the clockwise rotation of the disc when applied to the hour hand of a timepiece and to the actual rotation of the earth on its axis from west to east around the sun.

The universal timer as shown more clearly by Fig. 2 and in accordance with the above principles comprises a drawing in outline of the western part of the northern hemisphere embracing 180 geographical degrees as spread out in reverse on a circle of 360 degrees, this map or outline appearing as if looking from the center of the earth toward the North Pole but in compliance of the above principle 1 that one geographical degree equals two degrees on the map, and in compliance with principle 2 that the map is drawn in reverse, that is, that the west side of the continent or Los Angeles, is at the right or eastern side, and the east side of the continent or Boston, is at the left or western side of the'map as viewed from above. This map is printed with some principal cities in accordance with their, reversed geographical locations, their longitudes being placed relatively to their respective degrees as marked in the outermost circle ll of such degrees which extend from left to right as marked in tens of degrees in that circle, which it will be observed is in the reverse direction marked West of G (Greenwich) therefore correspond to the location of the cities marked on the map. the circle being divided in 180 degrees.

Within and spaced from the outer circle. H is an inner circle l2 divided into 180 divisions or degrees of longitude marked East of G extending in clockwise direction and having one division thereof equal to two degrees of a circle marked in tens of degrees of longitude from zero to 180. Between the two circles H1 and II is a circle l3 showing geographical longitudes of cities east of Greenwich also in a clockwise direction and arranged in such a manner that their respective capital letters are approximately in line with their respective geographical longitudes as closely as the drawing permits. The outermost circle I I represents a division of the western hemisphere of 180 degrees west of Greenwich but in a counter-clockwise or reverse direction showing the geographical longitude of the cities marked within the disc as correctly as possible.

It will be noticed that the degrees of eastern hemisphere in the inner circle 12 are located above the degrees of the western hemisphere and that their sum is equalto 180 degrees at all locations, which represents an actual separation of 180 degrees of the earths longitude or the twelve hours difference in time due to the exact opposite position of the sun at the other side of the globe. Thus when at the Shanghai longitude, 120 degrees east of Greenwich, it is exactly twelve oclock at noon it must be midnight at Buenos Aires, shown in the outer circle I! of which the geographical longitude is about 60 degrees west of Greenwich, both cities being on different hemispheres. This illustrates the fact that the degrees as shown in the divisional circles I I and I2 opposing and one within the other are'complementary and the number of degrees will always make a total of 180. This applies to all geographical locations. In applying this universal timer to Chicago's geographical longitude of about 88 degrees west of Greenwich, the hour hand of a clock is aifixed to the dial corresponding to the 88 graduation in the outer circle II, which indicates the cities west of Greenwich and as the hour hand of the clock rotates, the relationship of time at all places all over the world can be easily and quickly determined by simply locating the city or the approximate geographical location indicated upon the disc and 'then referring the position of that city to the time designation opposite to and corresponding to it on the face of the clock. The same disc will correctly designate and indicate the time for any other location if the hour hand is set at the longitudinal position of the city as it relates to the disc. Thus if the time in Chicago is 10 am. then directlyopposite on the dial will be observed that the time in London is designated at 4 p.m., Honolulu is 5 a.m., Sitka 7 am. The middle circle I3 indicates Warsaw 5:30 p.m Samara 7 pin, etc. Similarly in any location of the hour hand the corresponding time for any of the cities noted on the disc can be quickly and accurately determined from a reference to the disc and the time indications on the clock dial.

Thus this simple timer when applied to a timepiece may be used to determine the time at any other distant city corresponding to the time at the location of the clock if it is secured to the disc at the proper longitudinal and geographical designation. The same disc is therefore applicable for any clock and for any location; it may be used upon old clocks or may be incorporated as a part of new ones; it may be applied to small or large timepieces in connection with radio cabinets for indicating the time at far distant cities, thereby providing means for determining what programs may be broadcast from such cities at that time. Various other trade and commercial advantages are apparent from the use of this timer.

What I claim is:

1. A rotatable universal timer disc for twelvehour clocks, comprising radial graduations and geographical designations including a map of degrees spread to extend over the entire circle of 360 degrees.

2. In a, rotatable timer disc for twelve-hour clocks, a map representation of a portion of a hemisphere in which the outline of the land is in reverse to its normal appearance so that the west side thereof is disposed at the east, and the east at the west and showing on such a map.

3. In a universal timer disc for twelve-hour clocks, a geographical representation of half of the northern hemisphere extended to cover a full circle and the outline indicating the land being reversed from its normal location and appearance so that the west side thereof is disposed at the east, and the east at the west.

4. In a universal timer for timepieces, a circular disc with a central opening adapting it to be inserted over a central bearing for the hands of the timepiece and attached to rotate with the hour hand, the disc having geographical designations and radial graduations including a map reversed in direction so that the west side thereof is disposed at the east, and the east at the west but corresponding to the graduations, so that an hour hand may be attached to the disc at the graduation designating any longitudinal geographical position.

5. in a universal clock-timer disc, radial graduations and a map related thereto in which the map is drawn to a scale in which one actual geographical degree is shown as two angular degrees on the disc, the map being reversed so that the actual west side thereof is disposed at the east and the east at the west side, and the cities on the map beingangularly related in accordance with such reversal.

6. In a universal clock timer, a disc applicable to the hour hand of a clock, comprising a central map in reversed order so that the west side thereof is disposed at the east, and the east at the west and radial graduations with two outer circles marked oppositely with 10s from 0 to 180, indicating the longitude of cities having geographical locations east and west of Greenwich, the totals of corresponding numbers of the two circles always being 180, thus indicating that the time of I the cities corresponding thereto is twelve hours EDWARD H. WERNER.

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