Patent GB-962465-A (GB)
Title: A clock timer for a signal device
IPC: G04C21/28
Filed: 1961-01-03
Abstract: 962,465. Combined alarm clock and radio. SUNBEAM CORPORATION. Jan. 3, 1961 [Jan. 7, 1960], No. 249/61. Heading G3T. [Also in Divisions H2 and H3] In a combined alarm clock and radio the clock is provided with manually settable means for controlling the radio "on-off" switch. The manually settable means comprises an alarm set cam settable to any of four positions - "on", "off" , "automatic" and "alarm" - by a lever 25, Fig. 2, and a "sleep" cam settable to either of two positions - "on" and "off" - by a lever 26. In the "on" position of the lever 25 the radio switch is closed and the radio operates. In the "off" position of the lever 25 the radio switch is open. In the "automatic" position of the lever 25 the radio switch is closed after a delay period determined by the alarm setting mechanism. In the "alarm" position of the lever 25 the radio switch is closed after a delay period determined by the alarm setting mechanism and the alarm device is operated after a further delay period. The lever 26 is movable from its "off" to its "on" position to close the radio switch and operate the radio, the lever being returned to its "off" position and the radio switched off after a predetermined time delay. The clock is driven by a shaded pole synchronous motor comprising a rectangular laminated core 45, Fig. 3, having on one limb a bobbin 47 with a motor winding 46a and a radio winding 46b. The split pole pieces 48, 49 define an opening 50 which receives a reduced diameter part 51a of a sealed casing 51. The motor output gear 57, Fig. 8, drives the sweep seconds shaft 68 via a gear 73. The minute hand spindle 69 is driven via gears 74, 79, 78, 77 the latter of which is connected by a friction clutch member to a pinion 75 on the spindle 69. The hour spindle 70 is driven via gearing 75, 84, 83, 82 of which 82 constitutes the axially movable alarm cam. The alarm hand shaft 71 carries a nylon gear 86 having two projections which cooperate with holes in the hour gear 82. A hand and alarm setting shaft which is supported in a bearing in the rear frame plate and carries a gear is axially movable between two positions to drive the alarm setting train or the hand setting train respectively. The alarm mechanism comprises a pivoted metal vibrator 95, Fig. 3, having a thin arm 95a the free end of which is adjacent an extension 45a of the core 45 so as to be able to strike said extension and produce an audible signnal. Control mechanism. The radio "on-off" switch is within an insulated housing 99, Figs. 6 and 8, and comprises contacts 101, 100 on rigid and flexible blades 105, 102 respectively. The housing 99 has an opening 98 through which extends the projection 112 c of a pivoted switch actuating lever 112. The hour gear is biased axially by a pivoted spring loaded lever 120 which is forked to embrace the seconds and minutes spindles 68, 69. The vibrator arm 95a is normally locked by a projection 127c of a pivoted lever 127 biased counter-clockwise by a spring 132 and carrying a cam 136b which can engage the gear 77 for a purpose to be described. The alarm set cam mechanism 30 is mounted on a spindle 148 and has four positions, the two end positions being defined by stops and the two intermediate positions by a detent mechanism. The sleep cam mechanism 34, Fig. 17, has two end positions "on" and "off" defined by stops and includes a part 34c which can be brought into engagement with conical friction gearing surfaces driven by the clock movement. The sleep cam mechanism is thus driven from its "on" to its "off" position and a spring detent 171 provides a final snap action movement. Operation. With the alarm set cam 30 in the "on" position, the nose 112d of switch lever 112 engages the surface 153 of the cam 30 so that the projection 112c is free of switch arm 102 and the switch contacts 100, 101 are closed. The lug 127c of the control lever 127 locks the vibrator arm 95a. The shoulder 166 of the set lever 162 is free of the lug 102f of the alarm lever so that movement of the lever 120 has no effect on the lever 162. With the alarm set cam in the "off" position the set lever 162 is retained in its previous position by the arcuate cam surface 152 but the nose 112d of the lever 112 leaves the surface 153 so that the spring 116 moves the lever 112 counter clockwise and the projection 112c opens the switch contacts 100, 101. With the alarm set cam 30 in the "automatic" position the cam surface 152 is free of the set lever 162 which moves until the shoulder 166 engages the lug 102f of the alarm lever 120. The switch lever 112 remains in its previous switch opening position. When at the alarm set time the lever 120 moves to free the set lever 162 the vibrator control lever 127 is locked by the cam surface 152 and the lever 162 is freed from the lug 120f so that the switch lever 112 is pivoted clockwise and the radio switch 100, 101 closes. When the alarm set cam is moved to the "alarm" position the teeth 136b of the delay cam 136 move into mesh with the gear 77. The action is as in the previous position but the gear 77 moves the cam 136 so that about seven minutes after the radio has been switched on the cam 136 frees the lug 127d of the vibrator control lever 127 which is moved counterclockwise by the spring 132 to free the vibrator arm 95a which produces an audible signal. The sleep cam mechanism 34 has two positions "on" and "off". In the "on" position the switch lever 112 allows closure of the radio switch 100, 101. The cam is driven to the "off" position by friction gearing to return the lever 112 to its switch opening position after an interval e.g. thirty minutes or an hour, as determined by the gearing.