US3673790A

US3673790A - One-hour incremental watch setting device

Info

Publication number: US3673790A
Application number: US47672A
Authority: US
Inventors: Francois W Gasser; Pierre L Girard
Original assignee: Montres Rolex SA
Current assignee: Manufacture des Montres Rolex SA; Rolex SA
Priority date: 1969-06-23
Filing date: 1970-06-19
Publication date: 1972-07-04
Anticipated expiration: 1989-07-04
Also published as: DE2028659A1; CH513446A; CH957569A4; FR2047039B3; AT308651B; FR2047039A7

Abstract

An apparatus for setting the hands of a watch having a three position stem in which the middle position is for adjusting only the hour hand, the outer position is the normal time setting position for adjusting both the minute and hour hands as in a normal watch, and the inner position is the normal winding position.

Description

United States Patent Gasser et al.

July 4, 1972 ONE-HOUR INCREMENTAL WATCH SETTING DEVICE Francois W. Gasser, Bern; Pierre L. Girard, Biel, both of Switzerland Manufacture des Montres Rolex S.A., Bienne, Berne, Switzerland Filed: June 19, 1970 Appl. No.: 47,672

Inventors:

Assignee:

Foreign Application Priority Data June 23, 1969 Switzerland ..9575/69 US. Cl

Int. Cl.

Field of Search References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1966 Burg ..58/85.5 X

FORElGN PATENTS OR APPLlCATlONS 752,402 7/1956 Great Britain ..58/67 Primary Examiner-Richard B. Wilkinson Assistant ExaminerGeorge H. Miller, J r. Att0rneyStevens, Davis, Miller & Mosher [57] ABSTRACT An apparatus for setting the hands of a watch having a three position stem in which the middle position is for adjusting only the hour hand, the outer position is the normal time setting position for adjusting both the minute and hour hands as in a normal watch, and the inner position is the normal winding position.

8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to watch movement for setting the hands of a watch; more particularly, it is concerned with a watch movement for setting only the hour hand without affecting the position of the minute hand.

2. Description of the Basic Art Numerous different apparatuses have already been conceived which facilitate the reading of time to wearers who are likely to make frequent long distance trips. Some watches are known, for instance, which, aside from the standard indicating devices, have a revolving disc notched according to the planet's different time zones. Others are known which, aside from a standard indicating device making 1 revolution every 12 hours, have another indicating device making 1 revolution every 24 hours. These apparatuses, however, give a considerably heavier look to the watch since additional devices are necessary around and beneath the crystal. Moreover, these devices do not exempt the wearer from having to change the setting of the standard hands in order to adjust the watch to existing conditions in the country where he arrives after changing time zones. Thus, should the watch be a high precision instrument, or should the watchs setting be of extreme precision, it is a nuisance to move the minute hand over 360 so as to reset by 1 hour, inasmuch as this operation will require the watch wearer to repeat the setting of his watch with infinite precision.

In order to overcome this difficulty, some watch movements are already in the planning stages, in which the hour hand can be changed independently by a special mechanism, in order to shift from one given time position to another representing a difference of an hour with the previous position.

Of these watch movements already known, none achieve satisfactory results for two reasons: (I) the corrective mechanism is of a relatively complicated engineering and (2) the mechanism is designed so the hour setting position corresponds to the top position on the stem winder, while the time setting position corresponds to the middle position. In order to correct the position ,of the hour hand, it is therefore necessary to pull the stern in itsup position, then bring it back into winding position by way of the time setting position. But during this procedure, there naturally exists a possibility that the minute hand will be slightly moved, and therefore the expected advantages of this mechanism are lost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Thus, the object of the present invention is to create a mechanism of the aforementioned type, but of more simple design and in which the hour correction position would correspond to the middle position on the stem, while the time setting position would correspond to the up position. Another object of the present invention is a watch movement containing a time setting mechanism which consists of a pull-lever design to allow correction of the hour hand only, in a third position of the stem winder.

To this effect, the watch movement according to the present invention is characterized in that the mechanism has a moving lever for hour correction, which lever rotates around a counter-axle for time setting, which is engaged with the sliding sprocket in the time setting position and the hour correction position, since this lever has at least one indented disc engaged with the time setting counter shaft and since the pull lever and the sliding sprocket lever are shaped in such a way that the latter remains in the same position when the stem slips from its middle position to its outside position, but does carry the sliding sprocket when the stem goes from the middle position to the inside position, because the correction lever is directly triggered by the pull lever when the stem slips from the middle position to the outside position.

The present invention is herein more particularly described with reference to the drawing; in which:

FIG. I is a partial plan as seen from above;

FIG. 2 is a cross section along line lI-Il of FIG. I; and

FIG. 3 is a cross section along line III-III of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The watch movement as shown in the drawing applies, for instance to a wrist watch. In the center of the plate 1 (FIG. 2), sheath 2 is mounted which fits in a main shaft (not shown) and has at its top extremity the minute hand 3; this minute hand appears above the face 4 which is fastened to the plate 1 in the usual fashion. The hours barrel wheel 5 pivots on sheath 2. It is engaged with the teeth of the minute wheel sprocket 6, which is encased in a casing in the plate; the teeth of wheel 6 are engaged with sheath 2. Contrary to the standard watch movement make-up, the barrel of the hour wheel 5 does not bear the hour hand, but guides a support disc 7 which, in turn presents a barrel coaxial to that of the hour wheel, crossing the center aperture of the face 4 and bearing at its top extremity the hour hand 8. The support disc 7 contains a peripheral groove 9, and on its underside, a casing 10 in the shape of a cylinder. At its base, the barrel of wheel 5 bears a grooved ring 11 of a diameter slightly wider than that of the barrel. These grooves can be triangular, for example, or in any other acceptable shape, since the teeth are shorter than the case is deep. A spring wedge 12, in the shape of a spiral, is wedged in the casing 10 of the disc 7 in such a way that its free end fits the teeth of part 11. This spring is fastened with a pin 17, to the bottom of casing 10. Under normal conditions, it insures the coupling of the two

discs

5 and 7. Therefore the main axle triggers the part 2 which sets wheel 6 and barrel wheel 5 in motion which in turn move the hour hands through the disc 7, thanks to the above mentioned springy coupling.

Under these normal conditions, the support disc 7 also moves an intennediary disc 13, which pivots on a screw 14 set in the plate 1.

This watch movement, as described, with particular reference to FIG. I, is designed with a stem winder mechanism, for time setting and correction, made up of several elements assembled in normal fashion. Thus, this mechanism contains a stem winder 15, set radially; a winding sprocket 16 which pivots on a cylindrical end of stem 15 and is held in place axially in a notch of the plate I; a sliding sprocket 18 and correction wheel or gear 18a moving axially upon a square of the stem 15; a counter shaft 19 which pivots upon a notch of the plate I in such a position that when the stem is in time setting position, the axial teeth of sprocket l8 grip the teeth of sprocket 16; a pull lever 20; a lever 21; a pull lever spring 22; and a lever spring (not shown), all these functioning as usual. The lever 21, called hereafter the sliding sprocket lever, is an elongated part, one end of which is slipped into the central ringshaped throat of the sliding sprocket 18, while the other end (not shown) pivots around a fixed axis and consisting for instance of a head screw imbedded in an aperture of the plate. As in standard watch movements, this lever is made of a piece of flat steel sheet cut to the desired shape. In the mechanism shown in the drawing, the sliding sprocket lever 21 and the pull lever 20 are on the same level, and the pull lever cooperates through a point 20a with a section of the lever 21 which will be described in detail later. The pull lever also has a projection 30 which cooperates with the end of the odd shaped arm formed by the pull lever spring 22, this extremity being cut into three rounded slots intended to determine the three positions of the pull lever 20 and therefore the three positions of the stem winder 15.

The mechanism as described also contains a correction lever 23 which pivots around the same axis as the counter shaft 19. This lever is in the shape of an elongated triangle one peak of which coincides with the axis of the counter shaft 19. One of the other two peaks has a projection 24 which cooperates with a ramp 25, formed by the edge of pull lever 20, and the third peak carries a gear 26 which pivots on projection 27. As shown in FIG. 2, the gear 26 is beneath the lever 23 and engages the gear or setting wheel 19a. The lever 23 is also acted on by a spring wire 28 which pivots lever 23 constantly in a clockwise direction as seen on FIG. 1. It can be seen that in the position shown in FIG. 1, the gear 26 is pressed against the teeth of sprocket 13 by the action of spring 28.

The position of the corrective mechanism as shown in the drawing is the median position. A rotation of the crown (not shown) at the outer end of stem 15, moves the disc 7 through the teeth 9. The spring 12, can easily be selected so its elastic resistance will be quite low, and so that a torque exerted upon teeth 9 will always rotate the disc 7 in relationship to the hours wheel 5, rather than the entire mechanism made up by the disc 7, wheel 5, minute wheel 6 and the sheath 2 around the main shaft. As a result, only the hour hand 8 moves. Therefore, it is easy to effect a change of the hour hand of one or several hours, without affecting the minute hand.

The grooves of ring 11 should be preferably 12in number. Thus, the disc 7 presents in relationship to

wheel

5, 12 favored positions spaced 30 apart, which automatically brings the hour hand in a position of a given number of whole hours sequences from the starting position. When one presses on the stem winder to put it in winding position, the pull lever 20 pivots around screw 29, and the projection 30 slips into the upper notch of spring 22. The sliding sprocket lever 21, which presses against the point 20a, pivots in counterclockwise direction in FIG. 1 under the strength of its spring, and causes the sliding sprocket to engage the winder sprocket 16. In order to do this, the pivoting point (not shown) of the sliding sprocket lever 21 must be carefully positioned relative to the pivoting point 29 of pull lever 20. In fact the line joining these two pivoting points must pass over the contact point between pull lever 20 and lever 21 when these parts are in the position represented in FIG. 1. In this fashion, at the time of the pivoting motion of lever 21 and pull lever 20, the point 20a of the pull lever slides along the portion 21a of the levers edge towards the pivoting axis of that lever. The contact point between these two points moves in a direction roughly parallel to the axis of the stem winder, which means that the lever 21 itself pivots counterclockwise and moves the sprocket 18 until its teeth engage the corresponding Breguet teeth of the winders sprocket. In order that this function take place, portion 210 of the sliding sprocket lever's edge and also the point 20a of the pull lever should have roughly the shape as indicated in the drawing, although a slightly different shape for each would be equally suitable.

It can be seen, on the other hand, that during the pivoting movement effected by the pull lever 20, in order to shift from the middle position to the inside position, the part of the edge of pull lever 20 forming the ramp 25 moves away from projection 24. In fact under the pressure of spring 28, the correction lever 23 remains pressed in such position that the gear 26 is engaged with the teeth of gear 13. The winding position is the usual position of the mechanism as described. The

hour disc

5, 9, surrounding the sheath 2, as well as the

discs

13, 26, and 19a are animated by a continuous motion of minute wheel 6. However, when one pulls on stem from the middle position as shown on FIG. 1, towards the outside, the projection 30 slips into the lower notch of spring 22 and the point 200 of the pull lever describes a circular movement around axis 29. The sliding sprocket lever 21 has at the extremity of the portion 21a, an arc-shaped notch 31 which is cut in the edge thereof and oriented in the position shown in FIG. 1; it stretches concentrically to the pivoting point 29 of the pull lever 20. When the stem is pulled out, the lever is subjected to a very tiny clockwise movement until the moment when the point a slips into the notch 31. At that moment, the lever 21 tends to pivot in the other direction, but when the angle in arc 21b formed at the other extremity of notch 31 hits against the point 20a of the pull lever 20, the sliding sprocket lever is again set in motion with the pull lever and finally finds itself, when the projection 30 slips into the inside notch of spring 22, in the position shown in FIG. 1. In practice, this movement is effected without having to displace the lever 20 or the sliding sprocket lever 21. On the other hand, during that motion of the pull lever, the ramp 25 comes in contact with projection 24 and causes the correction lever 23 to pivot, so that the counter shaft 26 disengages itself from the teeth of disc 13 and engages the counter shaft 32 which itself is engaged with the minute wheel 6. If the stem 15 is turned around its axis the sliding sprocket 18 through correction wheel 18a engages gear or setting wheel 19a, which is engaged by sprocket 26. Through the counter shaft 32 and the minute wheel 6, the hour and the minute hands 8 and 3 are driven as during a standard setting.

In another embodiment, the correction mechanism could be conceived differently than that of the drawing. Thus, for example, by maintaining the position of lever 23 and of the counter shaft 26, it would be possible, in a simplified version, to do away with the intermediary disc 13. It would suflice to set the axis of the lever 23 in such a way that the sprocket 26 engages directly with the teeth 9 of disc 7, when the stem is set for correction. This set up would present the advantage of a greater simplicity.

In yet another embodiment, the counter sprocket 32 could be taken out, andthe counter shah 26 so aimed that it could come into direct contact with the teeth of the minute wheel 6.

This counter shaft could for example be a double one which could move with the disc 13 and with the wheel 6, even though these two discs are not on the same level. In still another modification two counter shafts like No. 26, could be mounted upon the lever 23, kept in engaged position, either one with the other or both with the counter shaft 19 for hour setting. Eventually these two counter shafts could be directly engaged, one with the minute wheel in one of the positions of the lever 23, and the other with the teeth 9 of support wheel 7 in the other position of the lever 23.

The coupling of disc 7 and the hour barrel wheel 5 could be created by using, instead of the spring blade 12 set in the casing of disc 7 with the grip 17, a spring wire in the shape of a horse shoe with elbows, these elbows being wedged between two pairs of teeth diametrically set in relationship to the teeth of the ring 11, the median part of this spring wire held in place by the sides of casing 10. In this case, that casing should not be of circular shape set in such a way as to block the middle part of the spring wire while leaving to the two elbows enough room to go over the teeth of ring 1 1, when an hour correction is being effected.

We have thus described the different embodiments for a simple mechanism which could be incorporated to a watch movement, and particularly to a movement of a self winding wrist watch, allowing for easy correction by one or several hours of the hour setting when the wearer goes from one time zone to another, while not altering the position of the minute hand.

The main advantage of the mechanism as described is that it is possible to bring the stem winder from the hour correction position, to that where it is normally set, and which has been described as being the winding position, without going through the time setting position. This result is derived because the hour correction position is the median position on the stern, while the time setting position is the outside position and the normal winding-position is the inside position. In this mechanism, the two levers function independently from each other but with different parts of the pull lever, and each of the levers is designed so they will move within two positions only when the stem is shifted from one, to the other three positions possible.

The mechanism as above described can therefore be utilized in electric or electronic watches, in which the necessary energy is provided by a battery. Indeed, these watches are generally equipped with a stem, which, while it does not function as winder of the main spring, can nevertheless be designed for several settings, each corresponding to a particular function. Thus, in such a watch, the inside position could be a neutral zero position or even a position which by rotating it, provided proper apparatus was employed, could act to correct a date or calendar mechanism.

We claim:

1. A watch having a watch movement, comprising a winding stem movable radially with respect to said watch movement, between a first, a second and a third position, a pull lever pivotally mounted about a fixed axis and operatively connected to said winding stem, a correction lever operatively connected to said pull lever, a correction wheel engaging a square portion of said winding stem and operatively connected to said correction lever, a setting wheel pivotally mounted about a fixed axis and engaging said correction wheel when said winding stem is in one of said first and second positions, wherein said correction lever is pivotally mounted about the same axis as said setting wheel and said correction lever has associated therewith a toothed gear, said toothed gear engaging said setting wheel, minute gear means to set both a minute and an hour hand, and hour gear means to set said hour hand alone without displacing said minute hand, said correction lever being operatively connected to said pull lever to provide engagement of said toothed gear with said minute gear means when said winding stem is in said first position and to provide engagement of said toothed gear with said hour gear means when said winding stem is in said second position, whereby in said third position of said winding stem said correction wheel is disengaged from said setting wheel.

2. A watch having a watch movement, comprising in combination, a winding stem, first gear means operatively associated with said winding stem to set both a minute and an hour hand of said watch when said winding stem is in a first position; first lever means having associated therewith at least one toothed gear, said toothed gear being engageable with said first gear means when said winding stem is in a second position; second lever means connected to said winding stem and operatively associated with spring means and said first lever; third lever means connected to said winding stern and operatively associated with said second lever means when said winding stem is in a third position; second gear means carrying I thereon means for supporting said hour hand, said support means being coaxially disposed with said second gear means; and spring means disposed between said support means and said second gear means.

3. The watch movement as described in claim 1, wherein said second lever means is disposed in the same plane as said third lever means, an edge of said second lever means cooperating with an edge of said third lever means; said first lever means disposed in a plane parallel to said second lever means and laterally displaced therefrom in a direction along an axis of said watch; and further comprising pin means mounted on one of said first or second lever means, said pin means contacting an edge of said other of said first or second lever means.

4. The watch movement as described in claim 2, further comprising second spring means acting on said first lever means in said second and third positions.

5. The watch movement as described in claim 2, wherein said first lever means carries third gear means maintained in constant engagement with said first gear means; said third gear means engaging a fourth gear means pivoting around a fixed axis in said second and third positions of said winding stem; said third gear means further engaging said support means in said second and third positions; and said third gear means engaging fifth gear means operatively connected to said minute hand in said first position of said winding stem.

6. The watch movement as described in claim 2, wherein said spring means comprises an elongated elastic element, one part of which is rotatably engaged with one of said support or second gear means; and means disposed on the other of said support or second gear means to elastically engage another part of said spring means.

7. The watch movement as described In claim 6, wherein said elastic engagement means comprises 12 to 24 triangular teeth, the base of said teeth being larger than their tips.

8. The watch movement as described in claim 6, wherein said elongated elastic element comprises a thin plate or a spring wire which engages said teeth, the central part of which is rotatably connected with said other of said support or second gear means.

Claims

2. A watch having a watch movement, comprising in combination, a winding stem, first gear means operatively associated with said winding stem to set both a minute and an hour hand of said watch when said winding stem is in a first position; first lever means having associated therewith at least one toothed gear, said toothed gear being engageable with said first gear means when said winding stem is in a seCond position; second lever means connected to said winding stem and operatively associated with spring means and said first lever; third lever means connected to said winding stem and operatively associated with said second lever means when said winding stem is in a third position; second gear means carrying thereon means for supporting said hour hand, said support means being coaxially disposed with said second gear means; and spring means disposed between said support means and said second gear means.