Improvements in Calendars or Date Indicators.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Aug., 1891-Accepted, 12th Sept., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Calendars or Date Indicators.
I, ARNOLD ROCHOLL, of 68 Skalitzerstrasse, Berlin N., in the German Empire,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
My invention relates to those almanacs, which indicate the date, week-days and
months and may be regulated by mechanism and the object is to provide an ever
correct working mechanism, which requires no other regulation and no other
operating but the pressing down of a slide once a day.
After the last day of a month, having thirty-one days, as well as after the last
day of a month, having thirty days, or even such having twenty-eight or twenty-
nine, the almanac will correctly change into the first of the following mouth, by
operating the same in the usual manner.
I attain the said object by the mechanism illustrated on the accompanying
drawing, in which similar letters denote similar parts throughout the different
views and in which
Fig. 1 is a front view of the almanac.
Fig. 2 is a back-view showing the mechanism.
Fig. 3 is a sectional-side-view of the same and
Figs. 4-8 are details.
A box A, which may be covered by a lid, contains the complete mechanism.
The frame B serves, combined with the bottom of the box, for the bearings of
the shafts a a a². On the shaft a the wheel F having 31 teeth is attached at
a short distance from the bottom. The shaft a¹ carries the wheel E having
12 teeth and the shaft a the wheel D with 7 teeth. The 31 teeth of the
wheel F correspond with the days of a month, the 12 teeth of the wheel E
correspond with the months in a year, and the seven teeth of the wheel D with the
days in the week. On the first named shaft a there is a second wheel G having
48 teeth and working loosely on the said shaft, which teeth represent the months
during four years. A pinion K seated on the wheel F by means of the stud b,
engages the wheel G and is rigidly connected to a small spur-wheel K', of which
one tooth always projects out of the periphery of the main-spur-wheel F. The
unintentional turning of these wheels is prevented by the spring, which is firmly
attached to F and has its bearing end resting against the points of two teeth of the
wheel K (Fig. 5). Opposite to the pinion Ka double-armed lever J is pivoted to
the wheel F by the pin . The same is a short distance more apart from F, than
the wheel G, so as to be able to oscillate free from the same. The end of the
shorter arm is bent down at right angles and adapted to catch in between the
teeth of the wheel G. The end of the other arm J2 is provided with a lug n,
which, with each revolution of the wheel F, will come in contact with the under
surface of a bar L, being integral with the framing. While sliding against this
surface, the lug n will be forced nearer to the centre and thus liberate the end of
the arm out of the space between the teeth of the wheel G. As soon as the
wheel G thus is disengaged, the spur-wheel K¹ knocks with its outer tooth against
a pin e, being firmly attached to the casing. The pin e will hold the tooth colliding
therewith back and thus cause K¹ to turn about its axis, enough to rotate the
wheel Gas much as the pitch of the teeth will make out.
At the same time the stud n, having passed the bar L, is set at liberty, and the
point of the arm y may enter the space between the next following teeth. Since
the wheel F completes its revolution once a month, the afore described event will
happen as often, and there being 48 teeth, the point of the arm J' will not enter

page_text: the same space, until four years have elapsed. A double-armed spring fis
fulcrumed on J by the pin 62 and rests with one bearing arm against the shaft a,
and with the other against a pin d, which is attached to the end of the arm J2, thus
tends to remove this end of the arm J' from the shaft a and to force the point of the
counter arm in between the teeth of the wheel G. The spaces between these
teeth are of variable depth corresponding with the length of the different months.
A month with 31 days is represented by a space between two teeth not exceeding
about the breadth of one tooth; the spaces representing months with 30 days are
considerably deeper, that representing February in the leap-year is still somewhat
deeper and the rest intended for February with 28 days are the deepest. It will
be evident, that the lug n will be the farther away from the centre, the deeper
the space is, into which the end of J is caught. The mechanism so far described
is operated by a vertical-slide-bar S having a knob P on top, by which it is pressed
down once a day. A spiral-spring s being attached to this bar tends to force it
upward and redraws the same into its normal position, each time it has been pushed
down. A pawl p is pivotted to the bar S and is held against the stud d² elastically
by the spring. The same is adapted to catch hold of one tooth of the wheel F,
as the sliding-bar moves down and rotates this wheel as much as the pitch of the
teeth. When the bar returns the pawl is moved aside, the spring f giving way to
pressure. An arm N, bent at right angles, is rigidly connected to the sliding-
bar S. Its front edge is somewhat curved and is adapted to catch hold of the
stud n of the double lever J, when the same comes within its path.
the
The length of the same is such, that it will not be able to operate on the lever J,
when the point of J is within one of those spaces between the teeth of wheel G,
which represent the months with 31 days. However in case the point has
entered a deeper slot-like space, which may represent a month having 30 days, the
stud will project out, far enough, to be caught by the arm N. When now the
bar S is pushed down, the arm N will collide with the said stud n before the pawl p
may catch a tooth of the wheel F and the rotating caused thereby, will be twice
as much as is otherwise the case caused by the pawl p. This will happen after
the 30th of a short month, the almanac will overleap the 31st and will at once be
regulated to the 1st of the following month. In February the lever J' is engaged
by a still deeper slot of the wheel G, the stud therefore projects out still further
and on account of the curved edge of the arm N, the same will catch hold of it,
even one or two days sooner as the case may be according to the depth of the slot,
either after the 28th of February or in a leap-year on the 29th. In each case the
almanac will be turned to the 1st of March by one single pressure. On these days
four different effects are attained by this pressure, viz. the week-day, the month
and the date is regulated, whereby the regulation of the date at the same time
involves the overleaping of one, two or three days. The way this is done will be
at once comprehended by a glance at Fig. 1. At the centre there is an opening
permitting the appearance of the date. On a paper or card-board-disc X the
dates from 1 to thirty-one are printed in a circle, one of them is always presented
to the opening.
Two longer rectangular openings, one on each side, show the name of the day
and month, which are in a similar manner printed on paper-discs Y and Z. The
date-disc is attached to the shaft A, the week-day-disc Y is attached to the
shaft a and the month-disc to the shaft a¹.
The month-disc Z is set partly in rotation once a month by pin c, being firmly
secured to the wheel F. The same collides with a tooth of the wheel E, which, as
before described, is furnished with twelve teeth. Each time the pin c comes round,
it turns the wheel E one twelfth of its revolution, whereby each time the next
following month appears in the opening in front of the almanac. Both wheels,
E as well as F, are prevented from unintentional turning by springs f³ resting
against the points of two teeth. The actuating of the week-day-disc Y, which is
fastened to the shaft 3, is accomplished in the following manner.. An oscillating
auchor-lever M, catches the teeth of the wheel D, which, as herein before described,

page_text: is provided with seven teeth. At one end O this lever is bent up at right angles,
so as to enable the sliding-bar S to catch hold of the same, when it is pressed down.
A spiral-spring s¹, attached to the after end of lever M, tends to hold the same in
such a manner, that the first named end O is always in its highest position, into
which it returns automatically by said spring, after being pressed down by the
sliding-bar S. Each time this anchor-lever thus oscillates down and it turns
the spur-wheel D one seventh of its revolution, whereby in the opening in the
front of the almanac the name of the next following day appears.
up,
In regulating the almanac only a pressing-down of the knob P once every
morning is necessary. Thereby the lower point of the sliding-bar operates on the
anchor-lever M in the aforesaid manner and regulates the name of the day. At
the same time the pawl p collides with a tooth of the wheel F and turns the same
one tooth further, whereby the date will be replaced by that of the next following
day. This is the ordinary daily effect, of pressing down the knob P, until the end
of the month, and when the same is thirty-one days long, the pine will be standing
shortly behind a tooth of the wheel E. The next morning when regulating the
almanac in the usual manner, the pin c drives the tooth of the wheel E on and
thereby also the correct month appears in the opening. In course of the month
one day it happens, that one tooth of the wheel K' projecting out, knocks against
the pin c, just after the stud n has begun to slide on the bar L raising the point of
the lever out of the slot or space between the teeth of the wheel G. Now while
regulating the almanac the next day the pin e will hold back the said tooth of the
wheel K and thus set by means of the pinion K the wheel G to revolve slightly
more than half of the pitch of its teeth. At the end of this rotation the stud n leaves
the bar L and the angular point of J¹ drops down on the next following tooth,
remaining thereon until the next day. When the almanac again is regulated the
wheel K completes its part rotation by the retraction of the pin e and also finishes
the part rotation of the wheel G. The moment this is done, the point of J', snaps
into the space between the next following teeth. If it is a month with 30 days,
this space has such a depth, that the stud n will come within the hollow of the
arm N, which will occur after the 30th of such month. On regulating the almanac
the next morning the arm N catches the said stud n and turns the mechanism twice
as much as is usually done by the pawl p.
Therefore the date is changed from
the 30th at once into the first, while at the same time the month changes as does
the name of the day in the usual.manner. Similar occurrence takes place after the
28th of February. By aid of the so much deeper slot between the teeth of the
wheel G the stud projects out farther still and will collide with N so much
sooner, and no matter how soon the stud is caught, it will always be brought
down to the same position by the arm N and therefore always regulate the
almanac to the 1st of the next month. Means also are provided to set the
almanac right from any position independent of the sliding bar S. Causes may
arise, which bring the mechanism out of order, as for instance, when the almanac
is not made use of for some time, or by mistake the knob has been pressed
Therefore
down too often, or the mechanism has been played with otherwise.
to enable separate regulation I provide a cam H having a sleeve attached
thereto, which is loosely mounted on the shaft a. A knob R projecting through
the casing is keyed to the sleeve and thereby a rotating of the cam H is enabled
by hand. This cam is arranged directly over and parallel to the wheel G; by
its front straight edge the same will, when turned right hand, catch the mechanism
by the pin, and by the back curved edge the same will lift the point of the
arm out of the slots of wheel G and hereafter by its straight point also cause
the backward turning of the mechanism. Also the name of the days may be
regulated ad libitum by providing the anchor-lever M with a knob T which also
projects out of the casing by a curved slot in the lid. By moving this knob T
down and up, the wheel D will be turned in the same manner, as is done by the
slide S.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In an almanac-regulating-mechanism a date-wheel F having 31 teeth and
means for intermittingly turning the same, in combination with a month-regulating-
wheel G having slots of varying depths and arranged loosely on the shaft of the
date-wheel F, a double-lever J pivotted to the wheel F, and engaging with the
wheel G, by one end alternatively catching in slots of the same, and having a
stud n on the other end, and means for driving the same, thereby causing the
accelerated turning of the date-wheel at the change of the month, according to the
depth of the slots in the wheel G as described.
2. In an almanac-regulating-mechanism a date-wheel F and a slide-bar S for
intermittingly turning the same in combination with a month-regulating wheel G,
having slots of varying depths and arranged loosely on the shaft of the date-wheel,
a pinion K gearing with the wheel G and attached to the date-wheel F, a spur-
wheel K rigidly combined with the pinion K and intermittingly set to rotate by
one tooth knocking against a pin e, a double lever J pivotted to the wheel F and
adapted to lock the wheel G with F by one end alternatively catching in slots of
the same, a catching arm N integral with the sliding-bar S, serves to operate upon
the double-lever J and thus causes the accelerated turning of the date-wheel F
at the change of the month according to the depth of the slots in wheel G as
described.
2
3. In an almanac-regulating-mechanism the combination of a date-wheel F, with
a sliding-bar S, having a pawl p for driving the date-wheel one tooth each day, a
spiral-springs for giving reciprocating motion to the sliding-bar and blade spring/
resting with its bearing end against the teeth of the date-wheel F, a double armed
lever G, one end of which J' is adapted to catch in between the teeth of a month-
regulating-wheel G and the other end J' carrying a stud n, a spring tending to
hold the point of J' locked with the wheel G, a catching arm N mounted on said
sliding-bar S serves by catching the said stud n to turn the date-wheel F more
than one tooth at a time substantially as described for the purpose set forth.
4. In an almanac-regulating-mechanism the combination of a sliding-bar S with
an anchor-lever M, adapted to oscillate about the pin a³ and elastically held in its
highest position by a coiled spring s¹, a spur-wheel D having seven teeth for
regulating the names of the days is set to rotate by the oscillation of said anchor-
lever as set forth.
5. In an almanac-regulating-mechanism the combination of a month-changing-
wheel E having 12 teeth, with a date wheel F, a pin c attached to the date-wheel
and adapted to turn the wheel E one tooth on cach revolution of the date-wheel F.
6. In an almanac-regulating-mechanism the cam H adapted to be turned by
hand, and to set the complete mechanism to rotate right handed by striking against
a pin and when turned to the left by pressing against the end J of the double
armed lever J to release the same out of slots of the wheel G and set the
mechanism to rotate backward as for the purpose set forth.
ARNOLD ROCHOLL.
By H. F. Boughton, M.I. Mech. E.,
London, Sheffield, and Barnsley, Agent for the Applicant.