‘May 13, 1969 E. F.

CIELASZYK 3,443,375
FRICTION MECHANISM FOR CLOCK

Filed Aug. 11, 1967

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United States Patent 0 rice 1 3,443,375
Patented May 13, 1969

1 2
Torque is supplied to the drive train by means of a
3,443,375 spring 25, the outer end of which is coupled to a barrel
FRICTION MECHANISM FOR CLOCK 26 connected to a winding stem 27. The inner end of the
Edward F. Cielaszyk, Oglesby, Ill., assignor to General spring is connected to an output gear 28.
Time Corporation, Stamford, ‘Conn., a corporation of Drivingly connected between the spring output gear 28
Delaware Ul
Filed Aug. 11, 1967, SenNo. 660,041 and pinion 23 is a centerwheel 30 having a pinion 31 and
Int. Cl. G041) 27/00 integral hub 32. Telescoped within the centerwheel 30
US. Cl. 58—85.5 6 Claims is a minute hand shaft 35. Mounted on the forward end
of the minute hand shaft is a minute hand 36. The knob
10 37, at the rear end of the shaft, is provided for setting
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE the hand.
A clock friction mechanism for use in a clock having For driving the associated hour hand, a pinion 40 on
plastic gear wheels and interposed between the gear train the minute hand shaft engages a reduction gear 41 having
and the minute hand shaft. a pinion 42 which meshes with a further reduction gear
43. The latter has an integral quill 44, on the forward end
of which is mounted the hour hand 46. An alarm set
gear 50, which is set by pinion 51 is connected to an outer
In clocks it is necessary to be able to manually set the quill 52 mounting an alarm setting hand 56.
hour and minute hands without rotating the gears in the In accordance with the present invention the center
gear train which normally drives the hands. This is ac 20 wheel 30, its associated pinion 31, and its axially extend
complished by a friction connection, referred to in the ing hub 32, are integrally molded of plastic material, and
art as a"‘friction” between the minute hand shaft and the cylindrical hub is separated, by axially extending slots,
gear which drives it, which gear is referred to as a “cen into segmented jaws which embrace the shaft, the jaws
terwheel.” being encircled by a loop of garter spring to force the jaws
It is an object of the present invention to provide a into intimate engagement with the shaft. Further in ac
clock friction mechanism intended particularly for use cordance with the invention the shaft has a conically
in clocks having plastic movements which has an easy, tapered section which extends substantially the length of
smooth setting action but which insures positive driving of the jaws and which terminates, at its narrow end, in a
the hands under normal running conditions. It is a related shoulder thereby insuring that the centerwheel, although
object to provide a friction mechanism which is long rotatable on the shaft, is maintained in a precise axial
wearing and free of any tendency to gall or groove at the position.
engaged surfaces.v In this'connection it is an object to Turning to the drawing, the hub 32 in the present em
provide a friction mechanism‘ which has predictable and bodiment is formed into three jaws 61, 62, and 63 which
uniform- characteristics in quantity production runs in are de?ned by equally spaced slots 64, 65, 66. Encircling
spite of the wide tolerances which are normally applicable 35 the jaws is a garter spring 70 having ends 71, 72. The
to low cost plastic movements. ‘ garter spring, which may be formedof spring steel or
It is another object to provide a friction mechanism bronze, has a normal inner diameter which is less than
which is simpler and less expensive than conventional the hub diameter and is of suf?cient strength, readily
clock frictions and‘ which is particularly well suited for determined by one skilled in the art, to apply a force
use in low priced clocks, requiring only a small garter 40 upon the jaws which is directed radially inward for gen
spring, in addition to the gear wheel and shaft normally erating the desired friction. To facilitate installation of
present, and which, being highly compact, is suited for the spring on the hub the tip portion of each of the jaws
use in a wide variety of clock designs. ‘ is chamfered.
, it is a more speci?c object of the present invention to For the purpose of locating the centerwheel axially
provide a clock friction whichv is easily assembled and with respect to the shaft and simultaneously improving
which has a novel ‘provision for automatically and posi the smoothness of the setting action, the shaft is formed
tively locating the associated gear and shaft at the time with a conically tapered section 80 which begins at a line
of assembly and during the life of the clock. or region 81 located at the base portion of the jaws and
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be which tapers down to de?ne a relatively abrupt shoulder
come apparent upon reference to the attached detailed 82 alined with the tips of the jaws. Prior to installation
description and to the drawings in which: , ' ' of and compression by the garter spring, the hub has a
FIGURE 1 is a sectional-view, partially diagrammatic, ‘ sectional pro?le as indicated by the dot-dash lines 60a.
taken through a clock mechanism employing the present When the centerwheel is installed on the shaft 35 the tips
invention; of the jaws, being inwardly biased, snap into position
FIG. 2 is an, enlarged fragmentary section taken adjacent the shoulder. There is no tendency for the center
through the clock centerwheel; and , wheel to move away from this position since the jaws
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective showing the hub are constantly urged in the “down hill” or bottoming
portion of the gear of FIG. 2.» direction .by the force of the spring; thus the conflicting
While the invention has been described in connection requirements of slippage and accurate axial positioning
with a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that I 60 are both achieved.
do not intend to be limited to the particular embodiment The invention may be practiced using any one of a
shown but intend on the contrary to cover such alterna number of plastics having adequate strength, dimensional
tives, modi?cations and equivalents as may be included stability, surface hardness, and elastic modulus. An acetal
within the spirit and scope of the invention. plastic is found to combine the desired qualities in high
Turning now to the drawing there is shown, in simpli 65 measure, one example of an acetal plastic being “Delrin”
?ed sectional view, a clock mechanism mounted on frame manufactured by E. I. du Pont de Nemours of Wilming
plates 11, 12 and 13. The clock drive train, generally indi ton, Del.
cated at 15, is conventional having a balance 16, an es Such material has an unlubricated coe?‘icient of fric
capement pawl 17, and an escapement wheel 18. The pin tion, against steel, within the range of 0.1 to 0.3. This
ion 19 of the latter is driven by a gear 20 having a pinion 70 relatively low coef?cient, which is equal for the static and
21. This pinion is, in turn, driven by a gear 22 having a dynamic states, combined with relatively high per unit
pinion 23. pressure, is considered to contribute to the unusual
 3,443,375
4
smoothness of the setting action. It is found that by using ing an integral axially projecting hub, said hub being sepa
more than one convolution of spring there is a tendency rated by axial slots into segmental jaws embracing the
for the spring to resist retrograde, or expanding, move shaft, said shaft having a conically tapered section extend
ment so that spring wire of relatively light gauge may be ing the length of the jaws and terminating in a shoulder,
employed to develop appreciable squeezing pressures. and a garter spring encircling the jaws for pressing the
However, it is found that where more than two convolu same against the conically tapered section of the shaft
tions are employed the non-retrograde feature tends to with the tips of the jaws positioned adjacent said shoulder
be accentuated to the extent that the spring “locks-up” for locating the center wheel in predetermined axial posi
on the hub so that the jaws ?nd it impossible to yield tion on said shaft while permitting relative slippage upon
in the face of minor dimensional irregularities of the hub exceeding of predetermined torque.
and shaft. Consequently in carrying out the invention 2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 in which the
it is proposed that between one and two convolutions be jaws each have a base portion at the end of the slots
used, preferably one and a half as shown. in which the transverse cross section is less than the cross
'In accordance with one of the more detailed aspects section at the tip portion for bodily bending of each of the
of the invention the transverse sectional area taken 15 jaws about the base portion into conformity with the con
through the base of each of the jaws is less than the ically tapered section of the shaft.
sectional area at the tip portions of the jaws, with the 3. In a clock the combination comprising a driving
result that the jaws, under the urging of the spring force, train having a centerwheel and source of driving torque,
tend to bend bodily about the base, thereby to follow a minute hand shaft telescoped through the centerwheel,
more closely the surface of the conical section of the 20 said centerwheel being formed of molded plastic and hav
shaft. This is brought out in FIG. 2 where it will be ing an integral axially projecting hub, said hub being
noted that the radial thickness of each of the jaws is separated by axial slots into segmental jaws embracing
somewhat greater at the mid portion and approaching the shaft, and a garter spring encircling the jaws for
the end than it is at the base. pressing the same into intimate engagement with said
It is found that the above friction provides a setting shaft while permitting relative slippage upon exceeding
action, which is predictable and consistent in quantity of predetermined torque.
production manufacture in spite of the relatively wide 4. The combination as claimed in claim 3 in which the
tolerances applicable to low cost components. Life tests garter spring is formed of a helical loop of spring metal
indicate that using a conventional shaft material, for ex having between one and two convolutions and pre-sprung
ample, steel, with a centerwheel made of Delrin or any 30 to a diameter less than the diameter of the hub.
one of a number of the durable plastics currently avail 5. In a gear mechanism the combination comprising
able, there is no tendency toward galling or grooving, a driving train having a drive member and source of driv
even after the setting of the clock hundreds of times more ing torque, a shaft telescoped through the drive member,
frequently than would be encountered in normal usage. said drive member being formed of molded plastic and
The invention is ideally suited for use in clocks having 35 having an integral, axially projecting hub of cylindrical
a so-called “plastic” movement in which substantially all shape, said hub being separated by equally spaced axial
of the gears in the timing train are formed of plastic in slots into segmental jaws embracing the shaft, said shaft
lieu of the brass and steel used in the past. It will be ap having a conically tapered section extending the length
parent that the frictional connection has been very simply of the jaws and terminating in a shoulder, and a garter
achieved with only a single added part, the spring, the 40 spring encircling the jaws for pressing the same against
other elements being integral with the gear and shaft the conically tapered section of the shaft with the tips of
respectively. Since the construction in addition to possess the jaws positioned adjacent said shoulder for maintain
ing the features usually sought in a friction, is inherent ing the drive member in predetermined axial position on
ly compact, the invention is applicable to a wide range said shaft while permitting relative slippage upon exceed
of clock designs, including clocks of premium quality. ing of predetermined torque.
The centerwheel is easily molded since the center open 6. The combination as claimed in claim 5 in which the
ing is cylindrical, notwithstanding the fact that it is de plastic material has an unlubricated coe?icient of fric
formed, upon installation, into conical shape. tion against the material of the shaft which is approxi
Although the term “conical” has been applied to the mately equal in the static and dynamic states and which
surface 80, it will be understood that the side walls need 50 lies in the range of 0.1 to 0.5.
not be perfectly straight provided that a circular cross
section is maintained and provided that a shoulder is References Cited
de?ned at the narrow end. UNITED STATES PATENTS
While a coe?icient of friction, both static and dynamic,
1,265,598 5/1918 Borresen ___________ __ 58-59
within the range of 0.1 to 0.3 is preferred, it is found that
3,057,647 10/1962 Wood ___________ __ 64-—11 X
satisfactory operation is achieved where the coefficient in
- 3,213,645 10/1965 Pease ______________ __ 64-30
the static and dynamic states is approximately equal and
Within the range of 0.1 to 0.5. RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner,
I claim as my invention:
1. In a clock the combination comprising a driving 60 G. H. MILLER, JR., Assistant Examiner.
train having a centerwheel and source of driving torque,
a minute hand shaft telescoped through the centerwheel, US. Cl. X.R.
said centerwheel being formed of molded plastic and hav 64--30