Battery driven clock with a self-regulating escapement system and a plastics material housing

Claim 2

A battery driven clock, comprising: a clock housing having an outer side facing forwardly of said clock; within said housing is a capsule for containing and for supporTing clockwork parts; said capsule having a rear wall away from said housing outer side and a front wall toward said housing outer side; said capsule front wall having at least one shaft supporting opening passing therethrough, said shaft supporting opening being of sufficient length to support a shaft; a clock hand supporting and operating shaft passing through said shaft supporting opening and freely passing with clearance through said housing outer side; means carried in said shaft supporting opening for supporting said clock hand supporting shaft and serving as the sole support for that said shaft; a clock hand carried on said shaft and positioned forwardly of said housing outer side and adapted to be moved past said housing outer side; a clockwork mechanism in said housing connected with said shaft to rotate it.

Claim 3

The battery driven clock of claim 1, wherein said capsule front wall has a first portion through which said shaft supporting opening passes; said front wall first portion being spaced a first distance from said housing outer side, defining a cavity between said front wall and said housing outer side.

Claim 4

The battery driven clock of claim 2, wherein adjacent to and supported by said capsule are: a compartment for a battery for operating said clockwork parts, and connection means between said battery and said clockwork parts for energizing the latter; and a compartment for an alarm means which is connected with and operable by said clockwork parts.

Claim 5

The battery driven clock of claim 2, wherein said means carried in said shaft supporting opening of said capsule front wall for supporting said shaft comprises a sleeve with an exterior width of the width of said shaft supporting opening; said sleeve being located and supported in said shaft supporting opening; said sleeve having an opening therethrough that is dimensioned wider than said shaft, and which has at least one section narrowed to the width of said shaft and said shaft passes through and is journalled in and supported by the said narrowed sleeve section.

Claim 6

The battery driven clock of claim 2, further comprising an exterior plate positioned between said capsule front wall and said housing outer side and being positioned and shaped to close said cavity; first fastening means fastening said capsule to said plate; said plate having a second fastening means receiving opening therein communicating into said cavity; second fastening means passing through said second fastening means receiving opening and fastening said housing outer side and said housing to said plate.

Claim 7

The battery driven clock of claim 5, wherein said second fastening means has a flange thereon which engages and presses against the forwardly facing said outer side of said housing when said second fastening means is in place and presses said housing against said plate; said second fastening means receiving opening in said plate being female screw threaded and said second fastening means having its periphery correspondingly screw threaded, whereby said second fastening means is screwed tightly into said second fastening means receiving opening of said plate.

Claim 8

The battery driven clock of claim 6 wherein said second fastening means is hollow and includes a clock hand shaft opening therethrough; said clock hand supporting shaft projecting through said second fastening means clock hand shaft opening and said clock hand supporting shaft being dimensioned so as to be smaller than that said clock hand shaft opening, thereby to pass through that said opening with clearance.

Claim 9

The battery driven clock of claim 7, wherein said means carried in said shaft supporting opening of said capsule front wall for supporting said shaft comprises a sleeve with an exterior width of the width of said shaft supporting opening; said sleeve being located and supported in said shaft supporting opening; said sleeve having an opening therethrough that is dimensioned wider than said shaft, and has at least one section narrowed to the width of said shaft and said shaft passes through and is journalled in and supported by that said narrowed sleeve section; said sleeve being of a length such that is passes through said second fastening means receiving opening of said plate; passing around the periphery of said sleeve and through said second fastening means receiving opening of said plate and being supported by said sleeve is a respective tube each for supporting and operating a respective clock hand connected thereto which moves over said housing outer side; said clockwork mechanism also being connected with said tubes for operating the respective said hands; said sleeve and said tubes being dimensioned narrower than said second fastening means receiving opening to pass therethrough with clearance.

Claim 10

The battery driven clock of claim 5, wherein said plate includes an upwardly directed lug that has an opening therethrough, such that said lug can serve as a supporting means for said clock.

Claim 11

The battery driven clock of claim 5, wherein said clockwork parts in said housing include wheels for driving said clock hands; a plurality of clockwork parts supporting shafts in said housing and passing through respective said support openings in said capsule front wall first position which said support openings each carry means which support the respective said shaft; said shafts being for supporting said wheels, said wheels being positioned on and journalled upon said supporting shafts in said housing; one said supporting shaft comprises said clock hand supporting shaft.

Claim 12

The battery driven clock of claim 5, wherein said clockwork parts include wheels positioned on and journalled on said clock hand supporting shaft; said wheels being located in said capsule between said front and said rear walls and also being located in said cavity.

Claim 13

The battery driven clock of claim 8, wherein there is an exteriormost said tube around said sleeve; secured to said exteriormost tube and located between and spaced from both said plate and said capsule front wall first portion is a spring supporting abutment element wheel means; a disc spring having an opening therethrough through which passes said exteriormost tube and shaped such that one of the periphery of said spring and the central portion thereof at said exteriormost tube is spring biased to press against said abutment element wheel means and the other of said periphery and said central portion presses against said plate, thereby to secure said tubes in said housing.