Vertical clock

A vertical clock which indicates the time of day from the vertical position of colored cubes rather than from conventional hands on a numbered face. A power source, as an electric clock, has the minute hand removed, and through a gear, movement of the hour hand turns a plate from which there are suspended twelve strings of paper cubes, there being 12 cubes per string. Certain ones of the cubes are appropriately colored to indicate time at a designated position. A pendulum cube, dangling in the center of the others, is driven by the second hand, and it revolves accordingly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to a vertical clock. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention of a vertical clock includes a power source, such as 
an electric clock, from which the minute hand has been removed, and which 
includes a gear arrangement to transfer movement of the hour hand to a 
platform from which are hung vertically 12 strings of paper cubes, with 12 
evenly spaced cubes fastened to each of the strings. There is one 
appropriately colored cube on each string, with the line of colored cubes 
forming a diagonal stripe across the full set of strings. The strings of 
cubes slowly rotate under the driving action of the hour hand, with the 
appropriate colored cube in the front and center position to indicate the 
hour, and the specific hour being determined by count of the cubes on the 
string in question by counting from the bottom up to the colored cube. 
Meantime, a pendulum cube dangles from a string attached to the second 
hand and revolves once per minute. 
The primary object of the invention is to provide a vertical clock, located 
in a clear plastic standing case, and one which indicates the time through 
the use of a plurality of vertically suspended colored cubes that are 
being rotated. 
Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following 
specification when considered in light of the attached drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein like reference characters 
indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the reference numeral 
10 indicates generally a vertically orientated clock incorporating a 
plurality of vertically suspended strings of paper cubes, indicated 
generally at 11. 
The clock 10 includes a case 12 which may be of any desired height, but 
which is composed of a clear, see-through material such as glass or clear 
plastic so as to render the suspended strings 11 visible to a near by 
observer. 
On top of case 12 there is a housing 13, having a quarter-round flange 14, 
so that housing 13 rests securely and evenly on top of big case 12. Across 
the lower part of housing 13 there is a dividing partition 15 which serves 
as a support for the electric clock works 16 that will drive the suspended 
strings 11. 
Projecting through a hole in partition 15 there extends the time shafts 
from the electric clock 16, but the normal hands of the clock have been 
removed. Onto the hour shaft 17 of works 16 there is fastened a short 
horizontal bar 18, this bar 18 pushes near its outer end the L-shaped 
bracket 19, and the curved bottom end of bracket 19 being cemented to a 
disk 20. 
Across the top of case 12, and mounted within its walls, there is a shelf 
21 which rests on quarter-round supports 22. As will be described 
hereinafter, the shelf 21 serves a real purpose in that it fully supports 
the suspended strings and cubes without putting any weight on the electric 
clock works 16. Extending through shelf 21 there is a cylindrical lamp rod 
segment 23 that has at its upper end, and above disk 20, a lock washer 24. 
Below disk 20, and firmly fastened to shelf 21 there is a washer 25, and 
cylindrical segment 23 extends through and freely turns through, washer 
25. Also through the disk 20 there is a hole 26 which serves as an 
entrance for powdered graphite. Since it was pointed out above that the 
L-shaped bracket 19 was firmly attached to disk 20, it is obvious that as 
the bracket 19 rotates pushed by bar 18 then it in turn rotates disk 20, 
and because washer 25 is fixed to shelf 21, then disk 20 rides on washer 
25 as the disk 20 turns, with adequate graphite powder being admitted 
through hole 26 to lubricate the parts. Then, cylindrical segment 23 is 
also fixed to disk 20 through the action of lock washer 24, so segment 23 
likewise rotates when disk 20 rotates. 
Near the lower end of cylindrical segment 23 there is cut a downwardly 
slanting slot 27 into which is hung a sling arrangement 28, this sling 
being attached to and serving as a support for a square plate 29. Around 
the outer periphery of plate 29 there are tied a plurality of downwardly 
hanging strings 30. These hanging strings are spaced on the periphery 
according to the 30.degree. radial lines fanning outward from the center 
of plate 29 to the periphery. It may be clearly seen from FIGS. 4 and 5 
that there is a string at each corner of plate 29 and two more attached to 
each side so that there is a total of twelve strings all together. 
Attached to each of the strings 30 there are a plurality of light weight, 
paper devices or cubes 31. These devices could be in any of several 
shapes, such as small balls, etc., although cubes seem to be the most 
desirable, but most important, as will be observed from the figures, it is 
imperative that there be a total of twelve of these cubes, evenly spaced, 
on each of the strings. Furthermore, of the twelve cubes on each string 
there will be one cube which is colored, as at 32, the particular cube 
which is colored on each string being a different height, or number, from 
that on any of the other strings. 
As pointed out earlier in the disclosure, the normal clock hands have been 
removed from the face of works 16, and a short horizontal bar 18 is 
attached to the hour shaft 17 so that the bar turns at an hourly rate. 
Now, from FIGS. 1 and 7, it can be seen that an S-shaped connection 33 has 
been attached to the second shaft 34, and this S-shaped connection 33 has 
a string 35 hanging from its lower end. 
Since cylindrical lamp rod segment 23 is hollow, and also since there is a 
hole 36 in the center of square plate 29, the string 35 can hand directly 
down and be located basically in the center of the twelve hour strings 30. 
A marker, or pendulum, 37 is fastened to the lower end of string 35 and 
may be marked as Tic-Toc or with any other desirable indicia. The string 
35, being attached to second shaft 34 of the clock works, will constantly 
revolve when the clock is running, and therefore indicia 37 will 
constantly rotate accordingly. 
In the use and operation of the invention, when the vertical clock 10 is 
plugged into a power source, and the clock works 16 are in operation, the 
hour shaft 17 of the clock turns and by means of linkage elements 18 and 
19 the disk 20 also turns. Disk 20 being fastened to cylindrical segment 
23, this component turns square plate 29 so that the strings 30 likewise 
turn to move the appropriate colored cube 32 into a front and center 
position 50 in the box 12 to indicate the hour. The specific hour is 
determined by count of the cubes 31 of the string in question, by counting 
from the bottom, up to the particular colored cube 32 on that specific 
string. 
The pendulum, or marker cube 37, dangles from a string fastened to S-shaped 
connection 33, which in turn is attached to second shaft 34 of works 16, 
and therefore marker cube 37 revolves steadily according to second timing. 
Cube 37 may be labelled "Tic-Toc" on opposite surfaces. 
The vertical clock of the present invention can be disassembled in its 
major parts, easily. The power source 16 lifts free of the flange 14 and 
from the linkage 18 and 19, and is easily replaced. The pendulum 37 
detaches from connection 33 and from second shaft 34. The square plate 29 
with the cube cage lifts out of slot 27. 
The shelf 21 rests on quarter round supports 22 and can be raised upwardly 
with pads, for finer adjustment with the hour hand connection. 
There are three visual motions apparent when the device is operating: 
1. the revolving pendulum; 
2. the hourly positioning of the colored cube; 
3. a bellows-like movement which results from the cube cage being 
alternately square in the box and catercornered in the box. 
These motions and the wide scope of possible color codings can make the 
vertical clock an aesthetic experience while at the same time it is a 
practical time piece. 
Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention it should 
be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may 
be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.