Device for rewinding and/or immobilizing a marine chronometer

Abstract

A marine chronometer includes a clock mounted on a support, for example mounted so that it can be inclined with respect to the support using a gimbal mounting, the clock including, inside a case, a mechanical clock movement driven by a barrel, and the clock also including a rewinding control member engaged with a rewinding geartrain for rewinding the barrel. The rewinding control member includes a rewinding control geartrain positioned on the outside of the clock, secured to a spindle passing through a wall of the case via a bearing, the through-spindle being engaged with the rewinding geartrain.

Claims

1. A marine chronometer, comprising: a clock mounted on a support so that the clock is configured to be inclined with respect to the support by means of a gimbal mounting, the clock comprising, inside a case, a mechanical clock movement driven by a barrel, the clock also comprising a rewinding control member engaged with a rewinding geartrain for rewinding the barrel, wherein the rewinding control member comprises a rewinding control geartrain positioned on the outside of the clock, secured to a spindle passing through a wall of the case via a bearing, the spindle being engaged with the rewinding geartrain, and wherein the chronometer further comprises a coupling means comprising a coupling geartrain, the coupling means configured to move between: a coupling position where the rewinding control member of the clock is mechanically coupled to the coupling means, and a rest position where the rewinding control member is independent of the coupling means.

2. The chronometer according to claim 1, wherein the bearing comprises, on an interior wall, at least one groove in which a seal is housed.

3. The chronometer according to claim 1, wherein: the rewinding control geartrain comprises a flange and a plurality of teeth cut into an underside face of the flange of the rewinding control geartrain, and the coupling geartrain comprises a flange and a plurality of teeth cut into a top face of the coupling geartrain flange and arranged in such a way that the coupling geartrain is configured to drive rotation of the rewinding control geartrain when the coupling means is in the coupling position.

4. The chronometer according to claim 1, wherein the coupling means further comprises a retaining spindle and a lifting mechanism for sliding the coupling geartrain along the retaining spindle between the coupling position and the rest position.

5. The chronometer according to claim 1, wherein the rewinding control member and the coupling means are positioned under the case in such a way that, when the coupling means is in the coupling position, the clock is resting on the coupling means.

6. The chronometer according to claim 1, further comprising a rewinding means comprising a rotation mechanism for driving rotation of the coupling means.

7. The chronometer according to claim 6, wherein the rewinding means also comprises a release mechanism configured to isolate the coupling means from the rotation mechanism when the barrel has reached a rewound position.

8. The chronometer according to claim 7, wherein the coupling means comprises a connecting geartrain, the rotation mechanism comprises: a starting spindle comprising a free end configured to accept a manual drive device including one of a key, a crank, a crown, or an electrically assisted drive device, a drive member comprising a geartrain in mesh with the connecting geartrain and a claw-coupling pinion, the coupling means being mounted and configured to rotate on the starting spindle, and a drive pinion that complements the claw-coupling pinion and is kept in mesh with the claw-coupling pinion by an elastic return means, and the claw-coupling pinion, the drive pinion, and the elastic return means together form the release mechanism of the rewinding means.

9. The chronometer according to claim 1, wherein sealing conditions of the bearing are the same in the rest position and the coupling position.

10. The chronometer according to claim 4, wherein the lifting mechanism includes a lever configured to be manually actuated to drive the coupling geartrain between the rest position and the coupling position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) The invention will be better understood, and further features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent in the light of the following description of exemplary embodiments of a chronometer according to the invention. These examples are given nonlimitingly. The description is to be read in conjunction with the attached drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the chronometer,

(3) FIG. 2 is a view in section of the essential elements of a chronometer according to the invention, with the rewinding means in the rewinding position and the casing removed, and

(4) FIGS. 3-5 are perspective or sectional views of the essential elements of a chronometer according to the invention, with the coupling means in the rest position and the casing removed.

DESCRIPTION OF ONE EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

(5) As stated previously, the invention relates to a marine chronometer comprising a clock 10 mounted on a support 30. In FIG. 1, the clock is mounted such that it can be inclined with respect to the support by means of a gimbal mounting and is installed in a casing 1. In the example depicted, the clock 10 comprises a case 11 in the form of a portion of a sphere, inside which case there is housed a conventional mechanical clock movement of the clock of which the drive means, which are known, are formed by a barrel B in mesh with a rewinding geartrain Ba. The case 11 is sealed closed in the conventional way by a crystal under which are positioned a dial and hands (FIG. 1) as well as the clock movement. The gimbal mounting of the clock 10, which are also known per se, are depicted simply in the form of a mounting ring 12; the mechanical connections between the ring 12 and the support 30 are not detailed, in order to keep the figures clear.

(6) The clock according to the invention also comprises a rewinding control member 13 comprising a rewinding control geartrain 14 positioned outside the clock. According to the embodiment depicted, the rewinding control geartrain 14 comprises a flange 14a and a plurality of teeth 14b cut into an underside face of the flange 14 of the rewinding control geartrain. The geartrain 14 is secured to a spindle 15 passing through a wall of the case 11 via a bearing 11a, and the through-spindle 15 is in mesh with the rewinding geartrain (Ba) of the barrel. In the example depicted, the bearing 11a comprises, on an interior wall, two grooves in which two 0 ring seals 11b are housed to complete the sealing of the case 11 at the spindle 15.

(7) The chronometer according to the invention also comprises a coupling means 20 comprising a coupling geartrain 21 able to move between: a coupling position in which the rewinding control geartrain 14 of the clock and the coupling geartrain are mechanically coupled and a rest position in which the rewinding control geartrain 14 is independent of the rewinding means.

(8) According to the embodiment depicted, the coupling geartrain 21 comprises a flange 21a and a plurality of teeth 21b cut into a top face of the flange 21a of the coupling geartrain 21 and arranged in such a way that the coupling geartrain 21 can rotationally drive the rewinding control geartrain 14 (mechanical claw coupling) when the coupling geartrain is the rewinding position. The coupling means 20 also comprises a retaining spindle 22 and a lifting mechanism 30 in order to slide the coupling geartrain 21 along the retaining spindle 22 between the coupling position and the rest position.

(9) In the example depicted, the rewinding control member 13 and the coupling means 20 are positioned underneath the clock case so that when the coupling geartrain is in the coupling position, the clock rests on the drive member 20.

(10) In the example depicted, the lifting mechanism 30 is of the scissors type (FIGS. 3-4), capable of being moved manually by a user using a lever 33. The mechanism 30 here comprises four pairs of links (FIGS. 2-4). Each pair of links comprises two links 34, 35 combined in a scissors arrangement and the pairs of links are connected in pairs. One link 34 comprises a foot end articulated by a pivot connection to the support 30 and a head end articulated by a pivot connection to a head end of an associated link 35; the said associated link 35 also comprises a foot end articulated mechanically by a pivot connection 35a to the connecting tube 21a of the cradle and to a foot end of another link 35 of a pair of associated links. The lever 33 for its part in the example depicted has two sides and a substantially T-shape; a free end of a long side of the lever forms a handle 37; the two ends 36a, 36b of the short side 38 form end stops and are a decorative element; one end stop 36a for the rest position and the other end stop 36b for the retaining and/or rewinding position. At rest, each pair of links 34, 35 forms a closed scissors (FIGS. 3-4). Pulling/turning the handle 37 of the lever causes the pairs of links to open up simultaneously, driving the geartrain 21 translationally in the direction of the retaining spindle 22 into the retaining position; the rewinding control member 13 then presses against the drive member 20 comprising the geartrain 21 and the clock therefore no longer merely rests on the gimbal mounting and is thus immobilized.

(11) In the figures, the coupling means 20 comprises a connecting geartrain 22a; the rewinding means for its part comprises a mechanism for rotationally driving the coupling means 20 and a disengagement mechanism designed to isolate the coupling means 20 from the rotational-drive mechanism when the barrel has reached a rewound position. The rotational mechanism 40 depicted in FIG. 5 comprises: a motion-application spindle 41, of which a free end 41a is designed to accept a manual-drive device such as a key, a crank, a knob, . . . or an electrically assisted drive device, a drive member 43 comprising a geartrain 43a in mesh with the connecting geartrain 22a and a claw-coupling pinion 43b, the said drive member 43 being mounted with the ability to rotate on the motion-application spindle 41, a disengagement pinion 45 to complement the claw-coupling pinion 43a and kept in mesh with the claw-coupling pinion 43b by an elastic return means 46; the claw-coupling pinion 43b, the disengagement pinion 45 and the elastic return means 46 together form the disengagement mechanism for disengaging the rewinding means.

(12) The means for rewinding the chronometer according to the embodiment depicted in the figures is used as follows. In the rest position (FIGS. 3-4), the drive member 20 rests on the support 30 and is distant from the clock; the rewinding control member 13 of the clock and the drive member 20 are distant from one another such that there is no mechanical coupling between them; the clock is thus free to move on the gimbal mounting.

(13) When the user pulls on the handle 37 of the lever 33, the drive member 20 is raised by the lifting mechanism 30; when the driving geartrain 21 of the member 20 comes into contact with the rewinding control member 13 of the clock, and more specifically with the rewinding control geartrain 14, the geartrain 21 causes the geartrain 14 and the clock to pivot into the rewinding position in which the axis of the geartrain 21 and the axis of the geartrain 14 of the clock are aligned. Mechanical coupling between the geartrain 21 and the geartrain 14 is at a maximum, and the clock rests on the geartrain 21 such that the gimbal mounting is relieved of the weight of the clock. The clock is thus immobilized on the coupling means 20, for example so that it can be transported or rewound.

(14) Moreover, because the connecting geartrain 22a is in mesh with the driving geartrain 43a, the geartrain 21 is in mesh with the coupling geartrain 43a which means that turning a key at the free end 41a of the spindle 41 causes the coupling geartrain 43a to rotate and this in turn drives the rotation of the connecting geartrain 22a, the retaining spindle 22 and the driving geartrain 21. In turn, the driving geartrain 21 drives the rotation of the rewinding control member 13 through mechanical coupling, making it possible to rewind the barrel of the clock.

(15) In the example which has just been described a scissors-type mechanism is used to raise and lower the drive means 20, but it must be clearly understood that in alternative forms, other types of lifting mechanism can be envisaged; by way of example, provision could be made for a mechanism of the simple knee-joint type or with two links, or even a mechanism of the knee-press type or even a system involving jacks, for example telescopic or non-telescopic screw jacks. Such mechanisms are notably described on pages 144 and 145 of the work entitled Des Mcanismes Elmentaires [Elementary Mechanisms] published by Decoopman, ISBN No. 97823650027 which are incorporated herein by reference.

LIST OF PARTS

(16) 1 Support 10 Clock B Barrel Ba Barrel rewinding geartrain 11 Case 11a Bearing 11b Seals 12 Mounting 13 Rewinding control member 14 Rewinding control member geartrain 14a Flange 14b Teeth of the control member geartrain 15 Through-spindle 20 Coupling means 21 Coupling geartrain 21b Teeth of the coupling geartrain 21a Flange 22 Retaining spindle 22a Connecting geartrain 30 Lifting mechanism 33 Lever 34, 35 Links of a pair of links forming scissors 35a Mechanical connection between two links 35 37 Handle of lever 33 38 Short side of lever 36a, 36b Ends forming end stops 40 Mechanism for rotationally driving the coupling means 20 41 Motion-application spindle 41a Free end of 41 43 Drive member 43a Geartrain 43b Claw-coupling pinion 45 Disengagement pinion 46 Elastic return means