Patent GB-1322982-A (GB)
Title: Digital clock
IPC: G04C23/16
Filed: 1970-07-07
Abstract: 1322982 Time switches; retarding action of switches SANKYO SEIKI SEISAKUSHO KK 7 July 1970 [11 July 1969 17 July 1969 19 July 1969 (2)] 32791/70 Heading H1N [Also in Division G3] In a digital alarm clock having an electromechancal vibratory alarm and a time switch which may be used to control a radio, the alarm and switch functions are controlled via a sector-shaped cam plate 33 which is fixed to a manually operable shaft 38 and has an eccentric pin 33a protruding therefrom. By means of a knob (38a, Figs. 1-4, not shown) the shaft 38 may be rotated to one of four angular positions which correspond to the functions "ON ', "OFF ', "AUTO ', and "AUTO-ALARM". The cam plate 33 and pin 33a determine the position of an operating lever 30 which is pivotally mounted at 31 and biased against the plate or pin by a spring 32. The lever 30 has a portion 30c which may restrain an alarm vibrator 34 and carries a further arm 35 which is pivotally mounted on the lever 30 at 36. A lug 35b on the arm 35 actuates time switch S. The alarm and switch triggering mechanism comprises an alarm gear 23, Fig. 6, which is driven by the timing train and carries lugs 23a, 23b which may enter apertures 24a, 24b in an alarm setting wheel 24. The setting wheel 24 is scaled digitally, see Figs. 1 and 2, not shown. At the preset time, the gear 23 moves axially allowing an alarm actuating lever 28 to rotate under the pull of spring 29 thus deflecting the lever 30 sideways off the surface of the cam plate 33 and on to the pin 33a. In the "AUTO-ALARM" position, see Fig. 13, such deflection allows the lever 30 to drop into the dotted line position whereby the vibrator 34 is released and the arm 35 is removed from the switch S to allow the latter to revert to its normally closed position, thus turning on a radio. In the "AUTO ' position, see Fig. 12, not shown, the drop of the lever 30 is limited so that the switch S is permitted to close but the vibrator 34 is still silenced. In the "OFF ' position, see Fig. 11 not shown, the pin 33a is in its uppermost position, the vibrator 34 is restrained, and the switch S is opened. In the "ON ' position, see Fig. 10, not shown, the vibrator 34 is still restrained but the switch S is closed. On retiring, the user may close the switch S for a settable period at the end of which the switch is automatically opened to turn off the radio. To do so, the user rotates a shaft 44a, Fig. 7, so that one end 46a of a switch blocking lever 46 is raised by a flattened disc 44 which is attached to the shaft 44a. The other end 46b of the lever 46 presses the arm 35 downwardly to allow the switch S to close. At the same time a partially relieved crown grear 43 which is attached to the disc 44 engages with a pinion (47, Fig. 3, not shown), which is driven frictionally via a spring (48) from a gear (20) of the timing train. As the gear (20) and thus the crown gear 43 rotate, the latter becomes disengaged after a preset interval allowing the lever 46 to return to the position shown and the switch S to be opened. The clock provides a digital indication of the time in hours, tens of minutes, minutes, and seconds by corresponding drums (15, 14, 13, 12, Fig. 2, not shown) which are visible through windows in the front of the clock case. A sequential stepping mechanism for the drums is described, see Fig. 14, not shown.