US3609957A - Drive arrangement for timekeeping system - Google Patents
Drive arrangement for timekeeping system Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US3609957A US3609957A US811115A US3609957DA US3609957A US 3609957 A US3609957 A US 3609957A US 811115 A US811115 A US 811115A US 3609957D A US3609957D A US 3609957DA US 3609957 A US3609957 A US 3609957A
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- rotor
- electrodes
- drive arrangement
- dielectric
- timekeeping
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G04—HOROLOGY
- G04C—ELECTROMECHANICAL CLOCKS OR WATCHES
- G04C10/00—Arrangements of electric power supplies in time pieces
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G04—HOROLOGY
- G04C—ELECTROMECHANICAL CLOCKS OR WATCHES
- G04C1/00—Winding mechanical clocks electrically
Definitions
- FIG. 2 is a schematic end elevation of the drive arrangement shown in FIG. 1;
- FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective of the electrode-rotor subassembly in the drive arrangement of FIGS. 1 and 2, and illustrating the electric field between the two electrodes;
- FIG. 5 is a vertical section taken along line 55 in FIG. 4.
- a rotor fixed to a shaft 12 which also carries a pinion 11 to be 'ice rotated in response to rotation of the rotor 10.
- the pinion 11 As the pinion 11 is rotated, it drives a gear 13 connected to a conventional timekeeping and indicating mechanism. That is, the pinion 11 and the :gear 13 serve to apply the torque generated by the rotor 10 to a conventional timekeeping and indicating mechanism.
- the relatively high voltage applied to the electrodes 14 and 15 causes gas atoms in the vicinity of the electrodes 14 and 15 to be ionized thereby producing gas ions in the space adjacent the electrodes 14 and 15.
- These ionized clouds cause three effects: First, since the adjacent surface 10a of the rotor 10 is a dielectric, a charge is collected and retained on the rotor surface 10a; because the complementary electrode is of the opposite polarity, there is an attractive force between the rotor charges and the said complementary electrode, which causes rotation of the dielectric rotor 10.
- the source of the D-C potential applied across the electrodes 14 and 15 is a beta primary battery.
- the source 18 comprises a casing 19 forming a vacuum chamber containing an internal emitter 20 and an internal collector 21.
- the surface of the emitter 20 facing the collector 21 is coated with a radioactive material so as to generate a D-C potential across the two external terminals 16 and 17 connected to the collector 21 and the emitter 20, respectively.
- Beta primary batteries of the type illustrated are well known per se, and thus the illustrative source 18 will not be described in detail herein.
- an escapement mechanism is operatively connected to the rotor via spring means which store energy generated by continuous rotation of the rotor and intermittently drive the escapement mechanism.
- the rotor shaft 12 is connected to an escape wheel associated with a pallet 31 mounted for oscillatory movement about a pallet staff 32.
- the escapement mechanism is conventional per se, and includes a balance wheel 33 and a balance spring 34 operatively connected to the pallets 31 via a lever 35,.
- the spring mass system formed by the balance wheel 33 and the balance spring 34 tends to oscillate at a constant frequency in response to driving impulses applied thereto by the escape wheel 30 as it is driven by the shaft 12.
- the pallets 31 are oscillated about the pallet staff 32 so as to permit only intermittent rotation of the escape wheel 30, thereby synchronizing the speed of rotation of the escape wheel 30 with the oscillatory frequency of the spring-mass system formed by the balance 33 and the balance spring 34.
- the rotor 10 is connected via post to one end of a spring 41 having its other end secured to the shaft 12a.
- the energy generated by continuous rotation of the rotor 10 is stored in the spring 41, and intermittently applied via the shaft 12 to the escape wheel 30 during the successive intervals when the escape wheel is released by the oscillating pallets 31.
- An improved drive arrangement for a timekeeping system comprising the combination of an electrostatic motor including a rotor mounted for continuous rotation and having a dielectric circumferential surface and a pair of electrodes operatively associated with said dielectric surface of said rotor for driving said rotor in response to a D-C potential applied across said electrodes, said electrodes being angularly spaced apart around the dielectric circumferential surface of said rotor, a nuclear battery connected to said electrodes for applying a D-C potential across said electrodes to drive said rotor, and output means connected to rotor for applying the torque generated by said rotor to mechanical time indicating means.
- said nuclear battery comprises means forming a vacuum chamber, and first and second internal electrodes spaced apart from each other within said vacuum chamber, one of said electrodes having a surface of radioactive material to generate a D-C potential, the other of said electrodes being provided for charge collection.
Abstract
Description
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US81111569A | 1969-03-27 | 1969-03-27 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US3609957A true US3609957A (en) | 1971-10-05 |
Family
ID=25205606
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US811115A Expired - Lifetime US3609957A (en) | 1969-03-27 | 1969-03-27 | Drive arrangement for timekeeping system |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US3609957A (en) |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3769531A (en) * | 1968-10-08 | 1973-10-30 | Proctor Ets | Electrostatic system for generating periodical mechanical vibrations |
US3789599A (en) * | 1971-10-25 | 1974-02-05 | Suisse Pour L Ind Horlogere Sa | Correction of errors occurring in electronic timepieces |
US3881309A (en) * | 1973-03-13 | 1975-05-06 | Biviator Sa | Electronic timepiece |
US3961209A (en) * | 1972-07-20 | 1976-06-01 | Biviator S.A. | Oscillator for time measurement |
US5164610A (en) * | 1992-01-08 | 1992-11-17 | Chow Shing C | Method and apparatus for transmitting electrical energy to a moving device by means of capacitive coupling |
-
1969
- 1969-03-27 US US811115A patent/US3609957A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3769531A (en) * | 1968-10-08 | 1973-10-30 | Proctor Ets | Electrostatic system for generating periodical mechanical vibrations |
US3789599A (en) * | 1971-10-25 | 1974-02-05 | Suisse Pour L Ind Horlogere Sa | Correction of errors occurring in electronic timepieces |
US3961209A (en) * | 1972-07-20 | 1976-06-01 | Biviator S.A. | Oscillator for time measurement |
US3881309A (en) * | 1973-03-13 | 1975-05-06 | Biviator Sa | Electronic timepiece |
US5164610A (en) * | 1992-01-08 | 1992-11-17 | Chow Shing C | Method and apparatus for transmitting electrical energy to a moving device by means of capacitive coupling |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: MARINE MIDLAND BUSINESS LOANS, INC., GEORGIA Free format text: SECURITY INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:GENERAL TIME CORPORATION, F/K/A TIME ACQUISITION CORP. A CORP. OF DELAWARE;REEL/FRAME:005092/0512 Effective date: 19880330 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: GENERAL TIME CORPORATION, GEORGIA Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:TALLEY INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:005178/0666 Effective date: 19890405 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: BARCLAYS BUSINESS CREDIT, INC., A CORPORATION OF C Free format text: SECURITY INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:GENERAL TIME CORPORATION, A CORP. OF DE;REEL/FRAME:005648/0024 Effective date: 19901105 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: GENERAL TIME CORPORATION, NORCROSS, GA A CORP. OF Free format text: RELEASED BY SECURED PARTY;ASSIGNOR:MARINE MIDLAND BUSINESS LOANS, INC., A CORP. OF DE;REEL/FRAME:005665/0004 Effective date: 19901105 |