Watch movement having date and phases of the moon indicators

A watch movement has indicators for the date and the phases of the moon, these two indicators being automatically driven by the same intermediate revolving wheel member effecting one revolution every 24 hours, the one indicator by one tooth longer than the others and the other indicator by a pin which acts on a wheel having fifty-nine teeth integral with the indicator of the phases of the moon. A satisfactory engagement of the driving members in the corresponding teeth is ensured by a transverse displacement of the revolving wheel member resulting from the fact that a resilient arm of this revolving wheel member holds the edges thereof resting permanently against a fixed cylindrical stud having a flat surface.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The object of the invention is a watch movement comprising an indicator for 
the date provided with a toothed wheel having thirty-one teeth and an 
indicator for the phases of the moon integral with a wheel having 
fifty-nine teeth and an intermediate revolving wheel member driven in 
rotation by the watch movement at the rate of one revolution every 
twenty-four hours and which causes each of these indicators to advance by 
one step for each revolution. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
Watch movements of this type have been known for a long time. An old Swiss 
patent (No. 13243) describes a mechanism comprising an intermediate wheel 
driven in rotation by an hour wheel carrying the hour hand at the rate of 
one revolution every twenty-four hours. This intermediate wheel is 
provided with two pins which, on each revolution, cause the advancement by 
one step of, respectively, one eccentric wheel having thirty-one teeth, to 
indicate the successive dates, and another, also eccentric, wheel having 
fifty-nine teeth to indicate the corresponding phases of the moon. 
In order that the dates of the indicator integral with the eccentric wheel 
having thirty-one teeth can be read, the mechanism described in said prior 
patent can only be constructed in connection with the movement of a pocket 
watch. 
A system of Vacheron and Constantin (presented in the paper "Les 
montres-calendrier modernes"["Modern calendar watches"] by B. Humbert 
published in 1953 in an issue of the "Journal suisse d'horlogerie"["Swiss 
Horological Journal"], pages 96 and 97, FIG. 156) is provided with an 
analogous mechanism in which the intermediate wheel is, however, rotated, 
not by the hour wheel itself, but by a pinion engaging therewith. For each 
revolution, this intermediate wheel on the one hand, advances the wheel 
having thirty-one teeth which is integral with the date indicator by one 
step by means of a pin and, on the other hand, the wheel having fifty-nine 
teeth, which is integral with the indicator of the phases of the moon by 
means of a finger. In this system, the wheel having thirty-one teeth is 
mounted in the centre of the watch movement, making it possible to fix 
thereto an indicator having the same diameter as the watch movement. 
In view of the fineness of the teeth of the wheel having fifty-nine teeth, 
the adjustment of the revolving members of this mechanism must be effected 
with particular care. The slightest wrong adjustment in one direction 
would have the result that the finger actuating the wheel having 
fifty-nine teeth would not displace this wheel sufficiently to cause the 
jumper cooperating therewith to engage with the following tooth space and, 
in the opposite direction, that the finger in question would be in danger 
of engaging two teeth simultaneously during the same passage or could 
engage with the base of the teeth of the wheel having fifty-nine teeth. 
This problem is particularly acute in wrist watches which have smaller 
dimensions than pocket watches. 
Furthermore, a date mechanism is already known having means which, in the 
course of a predetermined angle of rotation of an intermediate revolving 
wheel member, displaces this latter in the direction of the date 
indicator. Mechanisms of this type are described in Swiss patents Nos. 
651440 and 604233. The mechanism forming the object of the latter patent 
also comprises an indicator of the day of the week as well as means for 
driving this indicator. In this mechanism, the date and day indicators are 
driven simultaneously. 
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the invention to provide a watch movement of the type 
indicated above of smaller dimensions than those of known watch movements, 
the functioning of which is nevertheless ensured, in particular without 
reducing the tolerances beyond conventional limits. 
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention thus provides a watch movement having indicators for 
the date and the phases of the moon, the date indicator having thirty-one 
teeth and that of the phases of the moon being integral with a wheel 
having fifty-nine teeth, an intermediate revolving wheel member driven in 
rotation by the watch movement at the rate of one revolution every 
twenty-four hours causing these indicators to advance by one step for each 
revolution, whereby at a predetermined angle of rotation of said 
intermediate revolving wheel member said wheel member is displaced in the 
direction of the teeth of the date indicator and whereby, at another 
predetermined angle of rotation of said intermediate revolving wheel 
member said wheel member is displaced in the direction of the wheel having 
fifty-nine teeth. 
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the displacements of the 
intermediate wheel member are advantageously used to drive the date and 
lunar indicators referred to. 
In a further preferred embodiment of the invention the members preferably 
used for driving these date and lunar indicators are an elongated tooth 
and a pin respectively, thereby considerably simplifying the manufacture 
of the intermediate revolving wheel member. 
In a further embodiment of the invention the most advantageous direction 
for the displacement of this intermediate revolving wheel member is given 
as the plane between the axes of rotation of the two indicators. 
In a further preferred embodiment of the invention a simple construction of 
the phases of the moon is given which avoids the need for a push button 
control extending outside the watch case.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
FIG. 1 shows a watch movement with a bottom plate 10, a dial 12, hands 14 
and a crown for setting the time 16. The dial 12 has windows 18 and 20 
through which appear respectively the date indicators 22 and the phases of 
the moon indicator 24. 
In FIG. 2 the dial and the indicator of the phases of the moon have been 
removed to make it possible to see the drive mechanism of the indicators. 
In the centre of the movement there is an hour wheel 26 which bears the 
hour hand as well as a wheel having six teeth 28. This wheel 28 meshes 
with an intermediate revolving wheel member 30 schematically represented 
and pivoting about a stud 32 fixed to the bottom plate 10. The date 
indicator 22 is integral with a toothed wheel 34 having thirty-one teeth 
which together form a ring 35. The ring 35 is pivotally mounted on the 
bottom plate 10 at it periphery and coaxially with the hands. The 
indicator of the phases of the moon 24 is fixed to a wheel 36 having 
fifty-nine teeth and pivotally mounted on the hour wheel 26. The toothed 
wheel 34 and the wheel 36 are driven by the revolving wheel member 30, by 
means which will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. The 
indicators 22 and 24 are positioned by jumper springs 37 and 38 which 
cooperate respectively with the toothed wheel 34 and the teeth of the 
wheel 36. 
As may be seen from FIG. 3, the revolving wheel member 30 has twelve teeth 
and thus effects one revolution every twenty-four hours. This revolving 
wheel member 30 has a cut-out which defines two planar cam surfaces 39, 40 
and a resilient arm 42. In all the angular positions of the revolving 
wheel member 30 the arm 42 holds the cam surfaces 39, 40 so that they 
press against the fixed cylindrical stud 32 which has a flat surface 44. 
This revolving wheel member 30 has a first drive organ which is composed of 
one tooth 46 which is longer than the others and has a special profile. At 
each revolution of the revolving wheel member 30 the tooth 46 engages one 
tooth of the toothed wheel 34 of which only one part is shown in FIG. 3. 
At each passage the tooth 46 causes the toothed wheel 34 to advance by one 
step in the manner described below. 
The wheel 30 also has a pin 48 which constitutes a second drive organ. At 
each revolution of the wheel 30 the pin 48 engages one tooth of the wheel 
having fifty-nine teeth 36 and causes it to advance by one step. Since the 
synodical revolution of the moon lasts about twenty-nine and a half days, 
i.e. the duration between two successive conjunctions with the sun, the 
wheel 36 effects one revolution in approximately two lunar periods. 
If the stud 32 were perfectly cylindrical the extremity of the tooth 46 
would pass along the arc of the circle 50. Before arriving at the 
configuration shown in the drawing, the flat surface of the cam 39 has, 
however, begun to pivot about the edge 52 of the stud 32 until this 
surface of the cam 39 lies flat against the flat surface 44 since it has 
been following its movement by pivoting about the edge 54 of the stud 32. 
At the angle of rotation described by the revolving wheel member 30, the 
latter is naturally displaced in the direction of the annular member 35. 
The point of the tooth 46 thus follows the curve 56. In other words, the 
tooth 46 penetrates more deeply into the teeth of the annular member 35 
than it would if the intermediate revolving wheel member 30 were to mesh 
with an axis pivoted in fixed bearings, as was the case in known watch 
movements. In this manner, the driving of the annular member 35 is 
assured, even if the watch movement is of very small dimensions. 
During the described travel, the tooth 46 enters into contact with the 
tooth 58 of the annular member 35 which then occupies the position of the 
tooth 60 and carries this tooth 58 with it until the edge of the jumper 37 
has passed beyond one tooth of the annular member 35. At this moment the 
jumper 37 suddenly completes the advance of the annular member 35 until 
such time as it engages in the following tooth space of the teeth of the 
annular member 35. 
Whilst the surface of the cam 39 pivots about the edge 54 of the stud 32, 
the revolving wheel member 30 progressively moves away from the annular 
member 35 and approaches the wheel 36. During this angle of rotation of 
the revolving wheel member 30, the pin 48 follows the arc of the curve 62 
whilst engaging in the teeth of the wheel 36. 
The position shown in the drawing is that in which the pin 48 has just 
entered into contact with the tooth 64 of the wheel 36. In following its 
rotation, the revolving wheel member 30 will drive the tooth 64 with the 
aid of the pin 48 sufficiently far to make the jumper 38 cooperating with 
the wheel 36 pass into the following tooth space, suddenly completing the 
advance of this wheel 36. 
It will be noted that, due to a special movement of the revolving wheel 
member it is possible to increase the certainty of engagement between the 
pin 48 and the tooth following the tooth 64 in comparison to the security 
of engagement which would be achieved using a revolving wheel member 
pivoting in a fixed bearing. 
By actuating the hour-setting crown so as to turn the hands in an 
anticlockwise direction, the pin 48 enters into contact with the tooth of 
the wheel 36 which occupies the position of the tooth 64. It thus drives 
the wheel 36 backwards, but not far enough to make the corresponding 
jumper engage in the preceding tooth space because the pin 48 follows the 
arc 62 in the opposite direction which moves it away from the wheel 36 and 
makes it emerge rapidly out of engagement with the teeth of this wheel. 
This arrangement permits the indicator of the phases of the moon to be set 
by simply making the hands of the watch turn successively backwards and 
forwards in such a way as to make the pin 48 pass first behind the tooth 
occupying the position of the tooth 64 without definitively changing the 
position of this tooth and then to drive this tooth to cause the wheel 36 
to advance by one step. 
To ensure this setting of the indicator of the phases of the moon under the 
best possible conditions it suffices to arrange the means which 
transversely displace the revolving wheel member 30 in such a way that the 
driving member of the wheel 36 begins to move closer to this wheel as soon 
as the other driving member has pushed the annular member 35 beyond the 
point of its jumper. 
The annular member 35 can be set in a similar manner. Preferably, however, 
the movement of the watch will be equipped with a conventional mechanism 
which makes it possible to drive the annular member 35 about the watch 
movement by rotatably actuating the hour-setting crown previously pulled 
out into an intermediate axial position. 
The actuation of the indicators described may be achieved in the same 
conditions of manufacture, assembly and security on a movement for a 
ladies' wrist watch. The same advantages are also achieved if the 
indicator of the phases of the moon is eccentric. The best results are 
obtained when the means producing the sideways movement of the 
intermediate revolving wheel member displace its axis of rotation at least 
approximately in the plane passing through the axes of rotation of the two 
indicators in question.