US3608303A

US3608303A - Electric watch with balance-wheel and hairspring

Info

Publication number: US3608303A
Application number: US54692A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jean Schaad
Original assignee: Voumard Machines Co SA
Current assignee: Voumard Machines Co SA
Priority date: 1969-07-15
Filing date: 1970-07-14
Publication date: 1971-09-28
Anticipated expiration: 1988-09-28
Also published as: DE2036094A1; GB1297412A; JPS4842514B1

Abstract

AN ELECTRIC WATCH WITH REGULATOR, BALANCE-WHEEL AND HAIRSPRING COMPRISING A WATCH CASING HAVING A BACK IN WHICH IS PROVIDED AN APERTURE COVERED WITH A REMOVABLE CAP, IN WHICH A SOURCE OF CURRENT CAN BE PUT IN PLACE AND REMOVED THROUGH THE APERTURE, CHARACTERIZED BY A CONTROL MEMBER FOR THE REGULATOR HAVING ITS END SITUATED IN THE IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE EDGE OF THE APERTURE IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE CONTROL MEMBER CAN BE REACHABLE THROUGH THE APERTURE, THEREBY PERMITTING ADJUSTING OPERATIONS TO BE CARRIED OUT WITHOUT THE NECESSITY OF DISASSEMBLING THE ELEMENTS OF THE CASING OTHER THAN THE CAP.

Description

' p 28, 1971 J. SCHAAD 3,608,303

ELECTRIC WATCH WITH BALANCE-WHEEL AND HAIRSPRING Filed July 1.4;,1970 fl,-T

INVENTOR.

Jean SCHAAD BY WWGQM a 0mm 5 m ditty/s.

United States Patent C 3,608,303 ELECTRIC WATCH WITH BALANCE-WHEEL AND HAIRSPRING Jean Schaad, Gorgier, Switzerland, assignor to Voumard Machines Co. S.A., Hauterive, Neuchatel, Switzerland Filed July 14, 1970, Ser. No. 54,692 Claims priority, application Switzerland, July 15, 1969,

4/69 Int. Cl. G04c 3/04 U.S. Cl. 5828R 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An electric watch with regulator, balance-wheel and hairspring comprising a Watch casing having a back in which is provided an aperture covered with a removable cap, in which a source of current can be put in place and removed through the aperture, characterized by a control member for the regulator having its end situated in the immediate neighborhood of the edge of the aperture in such a Way that the control member can be reachable through the aperture, thereby permitting adjusting operations to be carried out without the necessity of disassembling the elements of the casing other than the cap.

The present invention relates to an electric watch with regulator, balance-wheel and hairspring in which the source of current is located in the same room as the movement, room into it which it can be put in place and out from which it can be removed through an aperture provided in the back of the casing, which aperture can be closed by means of a removable cap.

This watch is characterised by the fact that an operating member for the index or regulator has its extremity situated in the immediate neighbourhood of the said aperture so that the said operating member can be reached thercthrough, that permits to effect the adjusting operations of the watch without having to disassemble other elements of the watch casing than the said cap.

The drawing shows, by way of example, one embodiment of the object of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a part of an electric watch with some portions having been torn away, and

FIG. 2 is a sectional view along line II-II of FIG. 1, at an enlarged scale.

The movement of the electric Watch as represented comprises a base-plate 1 carrying a dial 2; this movement is located in a waterproof casing comprising a back made of one piece with the middle part 3, and a glass 4 held in place by a false middle part 5.

The portion 3a of the back and middle part 3, which constitute really the back, is provided with a circular aperture permitting to introduce and to remove the electric battery 7 which feeds the movement. This aperture is closed by a removable cap 8 mounted on the back by means of a bayonet fitting, in which are provided two grooves 9 disposed at right angle to each other, intended to permit to grip the cap by means of a driving member, for instance a coin, permitting to rotate this cap in order to put it in place and to remove it.

The electric movement of the watch as disclosed and represented has a balance-wheel and a hairspring, the balance-wheel, designated by 10 (FIG. 1), is located between the base-plate on the one hand and the balance cook, designated by 11, on the other hand. The hairspring 12 is secured to a stud-carrier 1'3 rotatably mounted on the cook endstone, designated by 14, this stud-carrier carrying the regulator 15 a tongue of which carries the index pin 16 and the balance spring buckle 17 which serve to adjust the active length of the hairspring. The regulator 15, which is rotatably mounted on the stud-carrier 13, is provided with a toothed sector 18 meshing with a toothed sector 19 of an annular member 20 frictionally and rotatably mounted, like a regulator, on a second endstone, designated by 21, carried by the balance cock 11. The member 20, which serves to operate the regulator 15, is provided with an arm 20a extending up to the immediate vicinity of the edge of the aperture 6 of the back 3a through which the battery 7 is put in place and removed.

A graduation 22 is indicated on a portion 23 of the base-place which surrounds the axial face of a guiding member 23, carried by the base-plate 1, surrounding the battery 7. This graduation permits to determine the value of the displacements of the control arm 20a of the control member 20 when one acts on this arm through the open ing 6, the battery 7 being removed or being let in place. The base-plate 1 carries the indication and opposite the graduation 22, which indicate in What direction the arm 20a has to be operated for producing the movement to go faster or slower. These indications show moreover to the operator that an adjustment of the watch is possible through the aperture 6, that does not appear at first view since the extremity of the control arm 20a is covered by the back 311.

As a modification, one could have the regulator itself provided with a tail extending up to the immediate vicinity of the aperture 6 for permitting to operate it through this aperture.

Owing to the present arrangement, it is possible to carry out the adjusting operations of the movement, by corresponding displacements of the regulator without having to disassemble other elements of the casing than the cap 8 which closes the partition for the source of electric current.

What I claim is:

1. Electric watch with regulator, balance-wheel and hairspring comprising a watch casing provided with a back in which is provided an aperture provided with a removable cap, in which a source of current can be put in place and removed through the said aperture, characterised by a control member for the said regulator having its end situated in the immediate neighbourhood of the edge of the said aperture in such a way that the said operating member is reachable through the said aperature, that permits carrying out the adjusting operations without having to disassemble other elements of the casing than the said cap.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1958 Rawlings et a1 5828X U.S. Cl. X.R. 5853, 88, 109