US3721087A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Digital clock
Assignee: General Electric Co
•
Filing: 1971-11-08
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Granted: 1973-03-20
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Expires: 1991-11-08
Abstract
Abstract A digital clock wherein four numerals corresponding to minutes, tens of minutes, hours and tens of hours are simultaneously displayed. Three rotatable cams are provided for successively indexing the minutes, tens of minutes and hours display indicators, and the cam for the hours display indicator also actuates the tens of hours display indicator. A unique indexing mechanism is positioned between the minutes cam and the tens of minutes cam for indexing the minutes cam one increment each minute and for simultaneously indexing the tens cam one increment at the instant of the tenth actuating increment of the minutes cam.
Inventors
- 👤 R Boyles
- 👤 S Polonsky
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 23:19
CPC Classifications
G; G04; G04B; G04B19/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
299 words
A digital clock comprising: a. two display indicators for visually displaying numerals from 0 thru 9 to indicate minutes and tens of minutes; b. a rotatable units cam for progressively actuating the minutes display indicator to display numerals from 0 thru 9 to indicate minutes; c. a rotatable tens cam spaced from the units cam for progressively actuating the tens of minutes display indicator for displaying numerals to the left of the units numerals in order to display tens of minutes; d. a supporting means for rotatably supporting said units and tens cams on axes generally parallel to each other and spaced from each other; e. a drive lever pivotally mounted on said supporting means between said units and tens cams; f. a pawl lever having a central portion and two side portions, the central portion of said pawl lever being pivotally mounted on said drive lever, said pawl lever having a pawl formed in one of its side portions for engaging the units cam for moving the units cam one increment each minute; g. said pawl lever having a pawl formed in its other side portion for engaging and moving the tens cam an increment every 10 minutes; h. means for normally holding the pawl lever into engagement with the units cam and spaced from the tens cam; i. means for moving said drive lever through one complete cycle of movement each minute for causing a corresponding single incremental movement of the units cam pawl and the units cam every minute; and j. means on the units cam for tilting the pawl lever to engage the pawl on the other side of the pawl lever with the tens cam to permit the drive lever and the pawl lever to move the tens cam one increment every ten minutes.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
299 words
A digital clock comprising: a. two display indicators for visually displaying numerals from 0 thru 9 to indicate minutes and tens of minutes; b. a rotatable units cam for progressively actuating the minutes display indicator to display numerals from 0 thru 9 to indicate minutes; c. a rotatable tens cam spaced from the units cam for progressively actuating the tens of minutes display indicator for displaying numerals to the left of the units numerals in order to display tens of minutes; d. a supporting means for rotatably supporting said units and tens cams on axes generally parallel to each other and spaced from each other; e. a drive lever pivotally mounted on said supporting means between said units and tens cams; f. a pawl lever having a central portion and two side portions, the central portion of said pawl lever being pivotally mounted on said drive lever, said pawl lever having a pawl formed in one of its side portions for engaging the units cam for moving the units cam one increment each minute; g. said pawl lever having a pawl formed in its other side portion for engaging and moving the tens cam an increment every 10 minutes; h. means for normally holding the pawl lever into engagement with the units cam and spaced from the tens cam; i. means for moving said drive lever through one complete cycle of movement each minute for causing a corresponding single incremental movement of the units cam pawl and the units cam every minute; and j. means on the units cam for tilting the pawl lever to engage the pawl on the other side of the pawl lever with the tens cam to permit the drive lever and the pawl lever to move the tens cam one increment every ten minutes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
A digital clock as defined in claim 1 wherein said pawl lever is counterweighted with more weight in the vicinity of the pawl which engages the units cam for constantly urging the pawl lever into contact with the units cam.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
217 words
A digital clock as defined in claim 1 wherein the units cam has 10 teeth corresponding to the numerals from 0 thru 9 for cooperating with the pawl to permIt the units cam to be driven through 10 increments, the teeth corresponding to numerals 1 thru 9 being relatively low in height so that when the pawl lever is in engagement with any one of said relatively low teeth the counterweighted pawl lever pivots the tens pawl above the tens cam to thereby prevent the pawl lever from actuating the tens cam whenever the units pawl is in engagement with a tooth corresponding to numerals 1 thru 9, the tooth on the units cam corresponding to numeral 0 being substantially higher than the teeth corresponding to numerals 1 thru 9 to pivot the pawl lever against the force of the counterweight to move the tens pawl into engagement with the tens cam whenever the pawl lever is in engagement with the high tooth of the units cam so that when the pawl lever is in engagement with said high tooth of the units cam with the tens pawl in engagement with the tens cam actuation of the drive lever causes actuation of the pawl lever to simultaneously move the units cam and the tens cam one increment.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
195 words
A digital clock comprising: a. two display indicators for visually displaying two numerals from 0 thru 9 to indicate minutes and tens of minutes; b. a rotatable units member for progressively actuating the minutes display indicator to display numerals from 0 thru 9 to indicate minutes; c. a rotatable tens member spaced from the units member for progressively actuating the tens of minutes display indicator for displaying numerals to the left of the units numerals in order to display tens of minutes; d. a units time set sprocket connected to said rotatable units member for rotation therewith; e. a tens time set sprocket connected to said tens member for rotation therewith; and f. an axially movable and rotatable time set gear positioned between said units time set sprocket and said tens time set sprocket, said time set gear being axially movable inwardly to engage the tens time set sprocket in order to set the tens of minutes display indicator to the appropriate time of day, and said time set gear being axially movable outwardly to engage said units time set sprocket to rotate and set the units display indicator to the appropriate time of day.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
195 words
A digital clock comprising: a. two display indicators for visually displaying two numerals from 0 thru 9 to indicate minutes and tens of minutes; b. a rotatable units member for progressively actuating the minutes display indicator to display numerals from 0 thru 9 to indicate minutes; c. a rotatable tens member spaced from the units member for progressively actuating the tens of minutes display indicator for displaying numerals to the left of the units numerals in order to display tens of minutes; d. a units time set sprocket connected to said rotatable units member for rotation therewith; e. a tens time set sprocket connected to said tens member for rotation therewith; and f. an axially movable and rotatable time set gear positioned between said units time set sprocket and said tens time set sprocket, said time set gear being axially movable inwardly to engage the tens time set sprocket in order to set the tens of minutes display indicator to the appropriate time of day, and said time set gear being axially movable outwardly to engage said units time set sprocket to rotate and set the units display indicator to the appropriate time of day.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
184 words
A digital clock comprising: a. three display indicators for visually displaying three numerals from 0 thru 9 to indicate minutes, tens of minutes and hours; b. a rotatable units member for progressively actuating the minutes display indicator to display numerals from 0 thru 9 to indicate minutes; c. a rotatable tens member spaced from the rotatable units member for progressively actuating the tens of minutes display indicator for displaying numerals to the left of the units numerals in order to display tens of minutes; d. a rotatable hours member spaced from the units and tens rotatable members for progressively actuating the hours display indicator for displaying numerals to the left of the units and tens of units numerals in order to display hours; e. a geneva driver connected to said tens of minutes member; and f. a geneva gear positioned between said geneva driver and said hour member for imparting an intermittent rapid motion to said hours member to move the hours member one increment for every six incremental movements of the tens member to thereby move the hours member one increment each hour.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
184 words
A digital clock comprising: a. three display indicators for visually displaying three numerals from 0 thru 9 to indicate minutes, tens of minutes and hours; b. a rotatable units member for progressively actuating the minutes display indicator to display numerals from 0 thru 9 to indicate minutes; c. a rotatable tens member spaced from the rotatable units member for progressively actuating the tens of minutes display indicator for displaying numerals to the left of the units numerals in order to display tens of minutes; d. a rotatable hours member spaced from the units and tens rotatable members for progressively actuating the hours display indicator for displaying numerals to the left of the units and tens of units numerals in order to display hours; e. a geneva driver connected to said tens of minutes member; and f. a geneva gear positioned between said geneva driver and said hour member for imparting an intermittent rapid motion to said hours member to move the hours member one increment for every six incremental movements of the tens member to thereby move the hours member one increment each hour.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
45 words
A digital clock as defined in claim 5 wherein an axially movable and rotatable time set gear and a tens time set member are operatively connected to each other for selectively rotating the geneva driver for setting the tens of minutes and hours display indicators.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
A digital clock as defined in claim 6 wherein the tens time set member includes a plurality of teeth integrally formed with said geneva driver.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
173 words
A digital clock comprising: a. three display indicators for visually displaying three numerals from 0 thru 9 to indicate minuTes, tens of minutes and hours; b. a display indicator for visually displaying a numeral 1 to indicate tens of hours; c. a rotatable units member for progressively actuating the minutes display indicator to display numerals from 0 thru 9 to indicate minutes; d. a rotatable tens member spaced from the rotatable units member for progressively actuating the tens of minutes display indicator for displaying numerals to the left of the units numerals in order to display tens of minutes; e. a rotatable hours member spaced from the units and tens rotatable members for progressively actuating the hours display indicator for displaying numerals to the left of the units and tens of units numerals in order to display hours; and f. said rotatable hours member including a cam surface for actuating said tens of hours display indicator to display a numeral 1 during the 10, 11 and 12 o''clock positions of the digital clock.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
173 words
A digital clock comprising: a. three display indicators for visually displaying three numerals from 0 thru 9 to indicate minuTes, tens of minutes and hours; b. a display indicator for visually displaying a numeral 1 to indicate tens of hours; c. a rotatable units member for progressively actuating the minutes display indicator to display numerals from 0 thru 9 to indicate minutes; d. a rotatable tens member spaced from the rotatable units member for progressively actuating the tens of minutes display indicator for displaying numerals to the left of the units numerals in order to display tens of minutes; e. a rotatable hours member spaced from the units and tens rotatable members for progressively actuating the hours display indicator for displaying numerals to the left of the units and tens of units numerals in order to display hours; and f. said rotatable hours member including a cam surface for actuating said tens of hours display indicator to display a numeral 1 during the 10, 11 and 12 o''clock positions of the digital clock.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
99 words
A digital clock as defined in claim 8 wherein said rotatable hours member is in the general form of a circular disc having a front face surface, a rear face surface, and a circumferential peripheral surface, a cam track formed in the front surface of said disc for actuating one portion of the hours display indicator, a cam track formed in the rear surface of said disc for actuating another portion of said hours display indicator and a cam surface formed on the circumferential peripheral surface of said hours member for actuating the tens of hours numeral display indicator.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
41 words
A digital clock as defined in claim 8 wherein an axially movable and rotatable time set gear and a tens time set member are operatively connected to each other for setting the tens of minutes, hours, and tens of hours indicators.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-03-19 | 1976-09-18 | 1977-03-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-03-19 | 1980-09-18 | 1981-03-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-03-19 | 1984-09-18 | 1985-03-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |