US2652684A - Lever wound timepiece - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 22, 1953 G. BRlDEvAUx LEVER WOUND TIMEPIECE 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 18, 1952 w. b w l Sept. 22, 1953 G, BRlDEVAUx 2,652,684

LEVER wUND TIMEPIECE Filed March 18, 1952 v s Sheets-sheet 2 'fly lll/111111111111111',

l 44 [n Ve for 66er er/o@ Vaux @m Aff-orne) Sept. 22, 1953 l G. BRIDEVAUX LEVER WOUND TIMEPIECE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 18, 1952 Patented Sept. 22, 1953 LEVER WOUND TIMEII'ECE Georges Bridevaux, Tavannes, Switzerland, ras signor to Tavannes Watch Co. S. A., Tavannes, Switzerland, .a iirm .of Switzerland Application March I8, 195.2,v Serial No. 27?,.'131 1n .Switzerland June 2.0, 1950 2 Claims. 1

My invention has for its object a time-piece incorporating a driving spring the winding up and expansion of which are performed through the. same end of said spring. According to my invention, this time-piece includes an angularly shiftable member projecting partly outside the casing vof the time-piece so as .to allow its operation, said angularly shiftable member being urged back into its starting position by the Ydriving spring of which it indicates at every moment the extent to which it is tensioned, said Ymember including at least one part closing substantially the opening in the casing through which it moves during its angular shifting.

I 'have illustrated by way of example, in accompanying drawings, various embodiments of a time-piece executed in accordance with my invention. In said drawings.:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a small alarm clock, part of .the casing of which is torn off.;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of a detail of said alarm clock.

Fig. 3 is a cross-.section on an enlarged scale through line III-III of Fig. 2.;

Fig. 4 is a partly sectional view of a further detail;

Fig. 5 is a cross-section through 'line V-V of Fig. 4;

Figs. 6 and 7 are views corresponding to Fig. 4 of ltwo modifications of the arrangement shown in the latter;

Fig. 8 `is a cross-section corresponding to Fig. 3 of a modication of the arrangement illustrated in the latter.

Fig. 9 is a plan View of a further modification;

Fig. 10 ,is a cross-section through line X-X of Fig. v9;

Figs; 11 and 12 correspond respectively to Figs. 9 and l0 and relate to a further modification;

Figs. 13 and 14 are cross-sections passing through the axes of twofurther embodiments;

Fig. 15 is a plan View of a last embodiment and.

Fig. 16 is a cross-section through line XVI- XVI of Fig. 15.

The alarm-clock illustrated includes a support I to. which lis secured through the feet 2 the base plate 3 to one side of which is secured the dial while the opposite surface apparent in Fig. 1 carries the clockwork 4. This clockwork is protected by a cap-shaped casing 5 forming also `the gong of the alarm-bell. Said cap-shaped casing is secured over the rear portion of the clockwork and a narrow annular gap 6 is `provided between said cap-shaped casing and the plate 3 so as to allow .said casing to vibrate and to allow also the angularly vshiftable .winding-up 'lever 1 lto pass through it. Said lever 1 rockably secured to :the center of the plate 3 serves for winding up the striking mechanism for the alarm-bell and is rigid with a protective dust-arresting annulus 8 it is held in position by three rollers Sa, Eil), 9c

pivotally carried by the plate 3 and extending over `said inner fiange YSai. The straight line vconnecting the outer rollers 9a and Se passes slightly .behind the .center of the clockwork so as to allow the positioning of the annulus 3 after the rollers have already kbeen mounted on the plate 3.

The inner end ofthe lever 1 is rigid with a toothed sector 1c meshing with a pinion II! forming part of the clockwork. Said pinion it) is tted through a square socket over a square portion of the shaft II of the barrel I2 of the striking mechanism (Fig. 4). Said barrel I2 is stationary and encloSeS a Vdriving spring I3 controlling the strikingy mechanism. The spring is wound up and expands through its inner end that is secured to the Shaft il. The latter carries also through the agency of a square t a ratchet wheel Iii cooperating with a catch I5 carried by a wheel I6 revolubly tted over the shaft I I andforming Part of the gearwork of the striking mechanism.

For winding up lthe striking mechanism, the lever 1 is shifted in the direction of the arrow I1, which produces ,a drive .of the shaft I I in the direction of the arrow I8. The wheel I8 is not driven thereby as the catch I5 thereon then rides over the teeth of the Yratchet wheel I4. As subsequently the spring I3 unwinds, the shaft II revolves in the opposite direction and carries along with it the wheel I6 controlling the striking mechanism and also the lever 1 that returns into its starting position.; the lever 1 forms thus amember indicating the degree of expansion of the spring I3. The user may, when winding up the striking mechanism, adjust the duration of operation `of the latter by executing a more or less considerable shifting of the lever 1 in the direction of the arrow I1.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 6, the winding up lever is designated by the reference number I9, the toothed sector rigid therewith by IBa, the stationary barrel of the striking mechanism by 29, the kdriving spring by ZI and the vshaft of the barrel of the striking mechanism by 22. The sector Ia meshes with a pinion 23 carried Aby the shaft 22 through a square fit. A wheel 24 is also mounted over said .shaft through the agency of a square lit; said wheel 24 drives a transmission gear 2.5 carried on a rocking lever 26 and. form-ing part .of the gearwork of the striking mechanism. A spring 21 acts on said rocking lever 26 sogas to urge the transmission gear 2-5 intoengagernent with the wheel 42li.

For winding up the striking mechanism, the lever I9 is shifted in the ldirection of the arrow 28, whereby the shaft 22 is also caused to revolve in the direction of the arrow 29; the rocking lever 26 is then shifted against the action of the spring 21 in the direction of the arrow 39 and the teeth of the wheel 24 ride over those of the transmission gear 25 without engaging them. When the spring 2| expands, the shaft 22 revolves in the opposite direction and the transmission gear 25 is driven so that the striking mechanism may become operative while the lever I9 is returned into its original starting position.

In the case illustrated in Fig. 7, the driving spring for the striking mechanism is constituted by a coil spring 3| one end of which is engaged over a stationary stud 32 while its other end engages the winding-up lever illustrated at 33. The latter is pivotally secured at 34 so as to pivot coaxially with a wheel 35 forming part of the gear Work of the striking mechanism, said wheel being driven by the lever 33 through a catch 36 pivotally carried by the latter. During the windingup stage, the lever 33 is shifted in the direction of the arrow 31 so as to stretch the spring 3|; the wheel 35 is then no longer driven by said lever and the catch 36 rides over the teeth of said wheel without engaging them. When the spring 3l is released, it returns the lever 33 into its starting position and the Wheel 35 is driven by the catch 36 so as to control the operation of the striking mechanism.

The embodiment illustrated in Fig. 8 differs from that illustrated in Fig. 3 insofar as thel flange 38a of the dust-arresting annulus 38 ls directed outwardly instead of inwardly as in the case of the flange 8a and consequently the rollers such as 9 are located outside the annulus 38 and surround same.

In Figs. 9 and 10, the winding-up lever illustrated at 39 is rigid with two arms 39a extending radially at 120 with reference to each other and between which is formed the toothed sector 40. The dust-arresting annulus 4I is again secured to the lever 39 and also to the arms 39a.

In Figs. l1 and l2, the dust-arresting annulus illustrated at 42 is secured to the winding-up lever 1 and is fitted inside a depression 43 provided in the carrier plate at 44. This depression extends over more than 180 round the annulus 42 which latter cannot, therefore, be introduced into said recess or be removed from same otherwise than through a movement in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the plate 44.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 13, the dust-arresting annulus designated 'by 45 is guided and held in position by a cover plate 46 secured by means of screws 41 to the frame of the clockwork. This arrangement cuts out the necessity of providing the cap-shaped casing illustrated in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 14, the dust-arresting annulus designated by the reference number 48 assumes the shape of a cap which latter is pivotally secured through an axial perforation over a sleeve 49 secured in its turn to the frame of the clockwork.

Lastly, in the modification of Figs. and 16, the plate of the time-piece illustrated at 50 is thick enough for a depression 5I to be provided therein with a view to housing the clockwork inside said recess. The winding-up lever 52 drives a cap-shaped member 53 rotatably fitted inside the recess 5l and the bottom of which is provided with an opening 54 through which the parts of the clockwork may be reached. A cover 55 covers the whole arrangement; an arcuate groove 56 is provided in this cover to form a passageway for the handle 52a of the lever 52. 'I'his arcuate groove is located in register with the solid part of the covering portion of the cap-shaped member 53 and by no means in register with the opening 54 in the latter so that said opening may be permanently concealed by the cover. 'I'he capshaped member 53 is angularly rigid with the lever 52 through the engagement of the lever handle 52a with a corresponding perforation in the said casing 53.

What I claim is:

1. In a clock, the combination of a plate, a. dial on one side thereof, a clockwork secured to the other side of the plate, a driving spring, a rotatable shaft rigid with one end of said spring and controlling the clockwork, a lever pivotally secured to the surface of the plate carrying the clockworkl means through which the lever controls the rotation of the shaft in the spring winding-up direction, said spring urging the lever back into its original position when released into operativeness, a casing capping the clockwork, the spring and the inner end of the lever and provided with an arcuate opening in a plane parallel to the plate for the passage therethrough of the outer hand-operated end of the lever, an annulus registering with said opening, rigid with the lever, coaxial with the pivotal axis thereof, and including a ange along its edge facing the plate, a plurality of rollers rotatably carried by the clock plate and engaging the annulus flange through the side remote from the plate to hold said annulus in position over the plate.

2. In a clock, the combination of a plate, a dial on one side thereof, a clockwork secured to the other side of the plate, a driving spring, a rotatable shaft rigid with'one end of said spring and controlling the clockwork, a lever pivotally carried to rock round an axis perpendicular to the surface of the plate carrying the clockwork, means through which the lever controls the rotation of the shaft in the spring winding-up direction, said spring urging the lever back into its original position when released into operativeness, a cap-shaped casing enclosing the clockwork, the spring and the part of the lever controlling the latter, the inner edge of said casing defining with the plate an annular gap for the passage therethrough of the outer hand operated end of the lever, an annulus registering with said gap rigid with the lever, coaxial with the pivotalaxis thereof and including a flange along its edge facing the plate, a plurality of rollers rotatably carried by the clock plate and engaging the annulus flange through the side remote from the plate to hold said annulus in position over the p a e.

GEORGES BRIDEVAUX.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

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