Improvements in Speed Regulating Devices for Watches and Clocks, also Applicable to Mechanical Toys

摘要

4604. Schroeder, A., and Hentschel, W. Feb. 24. Mechanical toys. - Relates to speed-regulating mechanism for watches &c., also applicable tomechanical toys. The hair-spring is dispensed with, and the regulation effected by moving the pallets towards or away from the scape wheel. A swinging frame 40, pivoted at 13 to the upper watch plate 50, carries the verge 18 and balance spindle 19b in the overhanging portions 41. A lever 18a on the verge is formed at one end with a fork 28 embracing the spindle of the scape wheel 11, while a rack 29 at the other end engages a pinion 19a on the arbor of the balance wheel 19. A coarse adjustment may be obtained by turning the frame 40 by a key applied to the square. 13c, thereby carrying the pallets 26 on the verge towards or away from the scape wheel, and increasing or diminishing the duration of their engagement, and thence that of each beat. To compensate automatically for the diminishing force as the mainspring unwinds, a nut 38 gradually descends the screwed arbor 39 of the mainspring, and, by bearing on the parallel upwardly-extending arms 30c of the lever 30, which is pivoted to the upper plate at 30e, turns that lever, the other upwardlyextending arm 30b of which rotates the crank 21e, by bearing on the pins 21d, and thence turns the cam-piece, 21, which in turn rocks the frame 40 by means of the L-shaped piece 20 pivoted to it at 20d. Thus, the pallets 26 are moved farther from the scape wheel as the mainspring unwinds. A fine adjustment may be obtained. by turning the frame 20 by means of the lever 17a and campiece 17b. Pins 25 attached to a frame on the barrel pass through the nut 38, preventing its rotation. In an extreme position, the arms of the fork 28 are adapted to strike the spindle of the scape wheel as it rocks, and the scape wheel may be locked by or entirely freed from the pallets. In an alternative arrangement, a pointer, which can be moved over a graduated sector, carries a pinion gearing with a rack on the swinging frame 40, the mainspring adjustment being dispensed with.