US1925288A - Timepiece - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 5, 1933.

E. E. SPRANGER TIMEPIECE Filed Aug. 21, 1931 2 IIYVENTOR. BY M42. W

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 5, 1933 Uni... stars .PATENT OFFICE Application August 21,

3 Claims.

velng standard to zones employing different standards, or in ch nging from,

'11 daylight 1e in 11g, apart nice entailed, is te lzniful to den .1. ch clock nieehai n. Also the case oi iodern electric cloc s considerable difiloulty is. encountered in making the ch Ti one thercf or he present iii-- veniion to provide whereby a time piece. either watch or ck, may be quickly reset, to in-- dicate the correct time in any zone, without the necessity of resetting the hands of the time piece or disturbing its movement in any way.

Another object of this invention is to provide simple means to accomplish said first named ob-- iect.

Still another object is to provide means for effecting said first named object and which may be readily applied to existing time pieces.

Yet a further object is to provide means by which said first named object may be accomplished with minimum displacement from the usual position of time piece numerals in order that there will be no confusion in time reading.

With the above and other objects in view my invention comprises the novel construction, combination and arrangement of elements to be hereinafter mo "c fully described, shown and de-- fined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this specification and in which similar reference characters denote corresponding parts:-

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a time piece equipped with one form of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation partially in section of the device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a slightly modified form of the invention disclosed in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a partial elevational View of a further modification.

Fig. 5 is an elevational view showing the attachment of my device for use on larger time pieces such as electric clocks, alarm clocks or the like; and

Fig. 6 shows a fourth modification.

Referring now to the drawing, the case of the time piece as well as the movement thereof may be anything desired. In Figs. 1-4 for instance, I

show an ordinary pocket watch having a case 1931. Serial No. 558,467

10, hands 11 and 12, a dial face 13, and a transparent cover 14 held in place in well known manner over said dial face by a bezel 15. The numerals on said dial face are positioned as usual. Rotatably borne on said dial face is a second dial 16 whose diameter is so adineasured that when it is, borne on said dial face 13, the numerals on the latter remain exposed. Dial 16 has a central opening to permit free passage therethrough oi the arbors for the hands 11 and 12. The manner of rotary mounting of dial 16 on dial 13 may be any well known one, forinstance, suitable lugs 17 extending from dial face 13 may operate in arcuate slots 17' in dial 16. Extending from said circumferential edge of dial it is a manipulating lug 18 which may project through a suitable slot 19 in bezel 15 in order that said dial may be rotated. The arcuate length of slot 19 determines the range of time standards which may be set on the time piece. In the modification of Figs, 1 and 2, the arcuate length of slot 19 is set so that the lug 18 may be rotated substantially one twelfth of a revolution. A detent 20 is provided in the bezel at each extreme end of the one twelfth revolution of said lug and the latter has a pawl 18' adapted to engage in the said detent. Any other means of externally operating the rotatable dial 16 may be employed. Suitable markings may be provided on the bezel or watch case opposite the respective detents, such as DA and S, to indicate respective daylight saving time and standard time. When the pawl 18' engages the detent at the position marked S, the numerals on the respective dials are in radial alignment and correspond exactly so that the time piece only indicates standard time. To have said time piece also indicate daylight saving time lug 18 is ro-- tated counter-clockwise to engage the detent at the position marked DA. By virtue of the one twelfth revolution of said dial 16, its numerals are each displaced one twelfth of a revolution. They are thus in radial registry with those of the stationary dial. However, one hour difference in time is indicated, for the 1 on the dial 16 is 0pposite the 12 of the stationary dial and so on. Daylight saving time is read by reading the minutes on the stationary dial by hand 11 and the hours on the movable dial as indicated by the hour hand 12.

In the modification of Fig. 3 the slot 19a in bezel 15 is extended in arcuate length so that said lug 18 may be moved through substantially four-twelfths of a revolution. At each one twelfth revolution of said slot a detent 20 is provided. Commencing at the extreme end of the slot in counter-clockwise direction and successively progressing in clockwise direction, the detents may be respectively labelled, D., E. S., C. S., M. S., and P. to indicate respectively, daylight saving, eastern standard, central standard, mountain standard, and Pacific standard times. Rotation of lug 18 to the respective positions indicated, for a watch normally adjusted for eastern standard time, the respective times may be read by reading minutes on the original dial and hours on the movable dial.

Some confusion may result in reading time in the case of the modification of Fig. 1 by virtue of the unnatural position of the hour numerals. To eliminate this, to as great an extent as possible the modification of Fig. 4 is useful. Herein the numerals on the stationary dial are displaced one twenty-fourth of a revolution in clockwise direction from their usual position. The slot 19 in bezel 15 which as before is admeasured to permit a one twelfth revolution of movable dial 16, is so positioned that when lug 18 is in the position marked S, the numerals on both dials correspond and are in radial registry.

' Movement of lug 18 to the position marked D shifts the movable dial one hour so that the numerals thereon are in radial registry with those of the stationary dial, but one higher. The numerals however, are only one twenty-fourth of a revolution out of their normal position and there is less likelihood of confusion. The time is read as before, e. g. minutes on the stationary dial and hours on the movable dial.

In Fig. 5 I show the application of the invention to a mantle or table clock. The casing 21 may have any shape and the movement may be anything desired. The usual stationary dial 22 is provided in which the'numerals are in normal position, or displaced position (as shown), i. e. one twenty-fourth of a revolution from normal position. A movable dial 23 is rotatably borne on dial 2?. in any well known manner, for instance, in the same way as before described for the dial 16 or in any other way. A lug 24 attached to said dial 23 extends through a suitable slot 25 provided in the casing 21 whereby the lug may be accessible. The arcuate length of said slot may be also admeasured to permit one-twelfth of a revolution of said dial face or a larger amount. Similar detents on said casing and a pawl on the lug to engage in the latter as previously described for lug 18 and bezel 15 may be provided. The use of the clock is exactly the same as the use of the watch.

In the case of existing time pieces the modification of Fig. 6 will be useful and readily applieable. It simply comprises an auxiliary dial 26 having the usual numerals. The dial is provided with a radial slit 6. It is applied to the time piece by removing the transparent cover and slipping said dial in place about the hand arbors by means of said slit. Said dial should be adineasured in diameter to be smaller than the diameter of the stationary dial to permit the numerals on the stationary dial to be visible. Then the said dial 26 is adjusted so that the time corresponds to that desired by reading minutes on the stationary dial and hours on the movable dial. Thereupon the cover is replaced and the time piece ready for use. To prevent displacement of the movable dial it may have a plurality of radially disposed lugs 26 so admeasured in length as to frictionally engage the rim of the bezel. Any other expedient may be employed.

The dial 26 may be otherwise removably mounted on the time-piece.

It is obvious that my invention may be modified in many ways without departing from the spirit thereof and I do not wish to be limited to the details shown and described.

What I claim is:-

1. In a time-piece having hands and a stationary dial, a second dial of small diameter concentrically mounted with respect to said stationary dial and on the latter, means to rotate said dial independently of the time-piece, said last named means comp 11;; a lug extending from said dial and projectin externally of said time-piece and means on said time-piece adjacent said externally projecting portion of said lug to indicate onetwelfth revolutions of said rotatable dial.

2. In a time-piece having a stationary dial, hands and a transparent covering supported in a bezel over said dial, the combination therewith of a second dial of smaller diameter than said stationary dial mounted on the latter and concentrically therewith, means extending from said second dial, through said bezel for rotating the said dial and means on said bezel to indicate one twelfth revolutions of said dial.

3. In a time piece having a stationary dial, a transparent cover mounted over said dial and means for so mounting said cover, the combination therewith of a second dial of smaller diameter than said stationary dial mounted on the latter and concentrically therewith, means extending from said second dial, externally of said time piece for rotating said second dial and means on said time piece to indicate one twelfth revolution of said second dial.

ERNEST E. SPRANGER.

Images