GB1138149A - Alarm control - Google Patents

Abstract

1,138,149. Alarm clocks. SUNBEAM CORP. Feb. 23, 1967 [July 5, 1966], No. 8765/67. Heading G3T. An on-off control for an alarm mechanism in a clock or other timing device comprises a thin flexible strip of metal 73, the successive depressions of which actuate a control plate 53 to set the alarm mechanism in either an on or an off position. The clock comprises a motor and timing movement 22 mounted in a case 10 having a spaced front bezel 13 behind which are positioned the clock hands 14-16 and an alarm setting hand 17. The hands 15, 16 are set by pulling out aknob 18 whilst the hand 17 may be set with the knob in its inner position. At the alarm time, lugs 41 on an alarm gear 40 enter arcuate recesses (not shown) in an hour gear 42 so that the hour gear is urged towards the alarm gear by a spring biased alarm trip (43), Fig. 5 (not shown). The resulting pivotal movement of the alarm trip allows its ear 50 to release a tab 52 of a hammer 24 and a tab 28 of the hammer thereby engages the teeth of a wheel 29. The rotating wheel 29 causes the hammer head 26 to repeatedly strike a bell 23. The alarm may be stopped from ringing by depressing the strip 73 or the relative movement of the gears 40, 42 will gradually disengage their respective lugs and recesses to automatically stop the alarm. The depression of the strip 73 moves the 'L' shaped control plate 53 downwards against the tension of a spring 55. The upright portion 56 of the plate has a hole 65 formed with two inwardly projecting lugs 66, 67, and a wheel 54 having teeth defined by alternate slots and notches 64 and 63 respectively is mounted in the hole on a shaft 19. The downward movement of the plate 53 causes the lug 66 to rotate the wheel 54 so that on releasing finger tip pressure on the strip 73, the plate returns upwardly, one of the shallow notches 63 having been aligned with the key 67. A tab 68 on the plate engages a tab 69 on the hammer to prevent the hammer ringing. If now the strip 73 is again depressed, the lug 66 rotates the wheel 54 to align one of the deep slots 64 with the lug 67 and on releasing pressure on the strip 73, the plate 53 moves upwardly so that its tab 68 no longer engages the tab 69. The alarm is now set to sound when the hammer is released by the ear 50. An indication having a red portion 76 which is either masked or revealed by the clock housing moves up and down with the part 57 of the plate 53 to visibly show whether the alarm is set in an off or on position. In a modification, a vibrating reed, which may be restrained by a projection of the plate 53, is used in place of the bell and hammer, the reed vibrating against a plate 30 of the mechanism under the magnetic attraction of the field of the clock motor coil.