EP0408513A1 - Device for fitting pointers on a clockwork-movement - Google Patents

Abstract

The device comprises a frame (1 to 6) on which is mounted a carriage (7) sliding horizontally and carrying three mandrels (8, 9, 10) movable vertically for gripping the seconds, minutes and hours hands respectively. The device also includes means for positioning and locking the carriage in a first position in which the mandrels are located above the needles to be gripped and in three other successive positions in which the mandrels are respectively opposite the axes of the movement (36 ).

Description

The present invention relates to a device for setting the hands on a watch movement.

For the fitting of the needles, a bracket is still used today on the plate from which a fitting is provided for positioning the movement. The needle is placed on its axis, respectively its barrel by means of tweezers, after which the needle is driven on its axis by a hunting tool mounted on the stem. Not only are these operations delicate and tedious, but, given the small size of the needles, a large number of needles are damaged or destroyed during these manipulations. When driving the needle on its axis, a large number of movements are also put out of use.

The object of the invention is to provide a setting device enabling this setting to be made safely and quickly, without delicate handling and without risk of destruction of the needles or of the movement.

The device according to the invention is characterized in that it comprises a carriage mounted to slide horizontally on a frame and carrying at least two mandrels sliding vertically and provided with return springs in the high position, these mandrels being shaped to grip the needles by their eyelet, means for supporting and positioning the needles to be placed, means for supporting and positioning the movement to receive the needles, means for automatically locking the carriage in determined positions, ie a position in which the mandrels are opposite the needles to be entered and successive positions in which the mandrels are successively and respectively opposite the axes of the movement which must receive the needles, and means for unlocking the carriage.

To place the hour hand, the minute hand and the second hand, a carriage carrying three mandrels is used. In the first locked position of the carriage, the user need only press on the three mandrels so that they each grip their needle. The user then unlocks the carriage so that he can move it in the direction of movement. The carriage then locks automatically in a first position, in which the mandrel carrying the hour hand is exactly above the barrel intended to receive the hour hand. The operator then just has to press the mandrel again to put the hour hand in place. The operator then actuates the means for unlocking the carriage so as to release it and allow it to be moved a little further in the same direction. The carriage locks again automatically in a new position in which the second mandrel carrying the minute hand is opposite the minute axis. The operation is repeated one last time for the positioning of the second hand. The operator then unlocks the carriage a little longer so as to pass the two adjacent locking positions, then he returns the carriage to its initial position where it again automatically locks above the support and needle positioning means. to enter new needles.

The device can be easily actuated automatically in synchronization with means for advancing a strip carrying the needles to be placed and a strip carrying the movements, in order to carry out an automatic installation for laying needles.

• La figure 1 est une vue en élévation, de face, du dispositif de posage.
• La figure 2 est une vue partielle, de dos, de ce dispositif.
• La figure 3 est une vue de détail en coupe selon III-­III de la figure 2.
• La figure 4 est une vue en coupe axiale à travers la partie inférieure du mandrin de l'aiguille des minutes après saisie de cette aiguille.
• La figure 5 représente le même mandrin lors du posage de l'aiguille des minutes.

The accompanying drawing shows, by way of example, an embodiment of the invention.

• Figure 1 is an elevational front view of the setting device.
• Figure 2 is a partial rear view of this device.
• FIG. 3 is a detail view in section along III-III of FIG. 2.
• Figure 4 is an axial sectional view through the lower part of the mandrel of the minute hand after gripping this hand.
• FIG. 5 represents the same mandrel during the fitting of the minute hand.

The device shown in Figure 1 comprises a frame consisting of a plate 1 provided with two columns 2 and 3 carrying a cross 4 and two parallel cylindrical bars 5 and 6 between the plate 1 and the cross 4. On the bars 5 and 6 is mounted a carriage 7 by means of two axial ball bearings. The carriage 7 carries three parallel vertical mandrels 8, 9 and 10. These mandrels are also located in a vertical plane parallel to the axes of the bars 5 and 6. These mandrels are identical in their upper part. They understand a nut 11 and a spring 12 working in compression between the nut 11 and the top of the carriage 7. The nut can be eliminated in a series execution, the spring 12 then working between the head 13 of the mandrel and the carriage 7. The mandrels can slide freely in bores of the carriage 7.

Near its left end, the plate 1 carries a means for supporting and positioning the hands constituted by a plate 14 having a hole at each of the three locations provided for receiving the eyelet of the hour hand, respectively the hand of the minutes and the second hand. The role of these holes will be explained later. On the right, the plate 1 carries a support and positioning means 15 for the movement to receive the hands.

The device further comprises means for positioning and automatic locking of the carriage in certain positions. These positioning and locking means are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. They consist, on the one hand, of a vertical sliding finger 16 mounted on the carriage 7 and pushed upwards by a spring 17. The positioning means and locking consist on the other hand of conical recesses 18 provided in the underside of the cross 4, recesses in which can penetrate the finger 16 under the thrust of the spring 17 to position and lock the carriage 7 in this position. Between the recesses 18, the end of the finger 16 slides on the cross-member 4 during the movement of the carriage. The device further comprises unlocking means constituted by a lever 19 articulated at the rear of the cross-member 4 at two points around a horizontal axis 20 and extending above the cross-member 4, over the entire length of this crosses. This lever 19 rests on the heads 21 of vertical pushers 22 sliding freely in holes 23 opening into the recesses 18. Each pushbutton 22 is held in its high position by a spring 24 working in compression between a countersink provided in the crosspiece 4 and the head 21 of the pusher. The springs 24 therefore also hold the lever 19 in the oblique position shown in FIG. 3. The recesses 18 and the pushers 22 are four in number, at the positions designated A, B, C and D in FIG. 1. Pressing the lever 19 lowers all of the pushers 22, the finger 16 being pushed out of its recess 18, unlocking the carriage 7.

The mandrels are shown in Figures 4 and 5. They are produced in an almost identical manner. The mandrel shown is that used for fitting the minute hand. This mandrel comprises a cylindrical body 25 sliding in the bore of the carriage 7. This body 25 has a bore 26 containing a spring 27 and in which slides a pin 28. At the lower end of the body 25 is fixed a tubular part 29 having a conical part 29a and an inner bearing 30 against which abuts a bearing 31 of the spindle 28, the lower part 32 therefore has a smaller diameter than the sliding part in the bore 26. At rest, when the bearing 31 of the pin is in abutment against the bearing 30, the end of the part 32 protrudes at the end of the part 29. This protruding part is slightly conical and has an average diameter corresponding to the diameter of the eyelet of the needle minutes 33. The part 32 also has an axial blind hole 34, for the axis 35 of the seconds hand. In Figure 4 there is also partially shown a slack vement 36 whose cannon 37 of the cannon wheel has already received the 38 hour hand.

It should also be added that the carriage 7 is practically in abutment against columns 2 and 3 when it is locked in positions A and D, so that when it comes into abutment against one or the other of the columns, the locking finger 16 can engage in the corresponding recess 18 so as to exactly position the carriage in its locked position.

The setting device is used as follows:

The carriage 7 having come into abutment against the column 2, it is positioned and locked in position A. In this position, the operator presses simultaneously on the three mandrels 8, 9 and 10. The pins 28 of these mandrels 8, 9 and 10 respectively enter the second hand, the minute hand and the hour hand. The penetration force of the pins 28 into the needles is given by the springs 27. The mandrels 8, 9 and 10 are then released and return to the position shown in FIG. 4. The operator then presses on the unlocking lever 19 and pushes the carriage 7 to the right, that is to say in the direction of the movement support 15. As soon as the carriage 7 moves, the operator releases the unlocking lever 19. When the finger 16 of the carriage arrives opposite from the hollow 18 of position B, the carriage 7 is again locked and positioned. This position is shown in phantom 7 ′. In this position, the mandrel 10 is located exactly above the axes of the movement 36. The user then presses on the head of this mandrel 10, the pin of which has a hole blind similar to the blind hole 34 of Figure 4 but of a larger diameter to allow the penetration of the axis 39 of the minute hand. The hour hand 38 is driven out of its barrel 37 by the mandrel, the spindle 28 being pushed back inside the mandrel. Figures 4 and 5 show the mandrel used for fitting the minute hand, this fitting of the minute hand will therefore be described in more detail.

With the hour hand 38 placed, the operator briefly presses the unlocking lever 19 and slightly pushes the carriage 7 towards the column 3. The finger 16 of the carriage then locks in position C, the carriage being in position 7˝. In this position, the mandrel 9 is exactly above the axis of movement as shown in FIG. 4. The operator then presses on the mandrel. The end of the part 32 of the spindle abuts on the end of the axis 39 of the minute hand of the movement and the axis 35 of the second hands enters the blind hole 34. The body 25 of the mandrel continues to descend and the end of the conical part 29a drives the needle 33 on its axis 39. The operator then releases the mandrel 9, briefly presses the unlocking lever 19 and pushes the carriage 7 into abutment against the column 3 The lever 19 being released, the finger 16 positions and locks the carriage 7 in the position 7′˝, in which the mandrel 8 carrying the second hand takes the position of the mandrel 9 shown in FIG. 4. The operator presses on the mandrel 8 for fitting the seconds hand, then it presses the unlocking lever 19 until the carriage is approximately in the middle of the frame. When the carriage 7 comes into abutment against the column 2, it is automatically repositioned and locked in position A. The mandrels are then ready to pick a new set of needles.

The device lends itself particularly well to mechanical actuation, in particular pneumatic, taking into account the means of positioning and automatic locking. It can be integrated into a fully automatic needle fitting system. In this case, the support 14 is replaced by a strip moving step by step under the mandrels. Likewise, the support for the movement is replaced by a strip which brings the movements under the mandrels step by step and successively. The different operations can be controlled and synchronized by simple means.

The invention is of course susceptible of numerous variants, both with regard to the guiding of the carriages, the positioning and locking means, the unlocking means, the number of mandrels, etc.

Claims (5)

1. Device for fitting the hands on a watch movement, characterized in that it comprises a carriage (7) mounted to slide horizontally on a frame (1 to 6) and carrying at least two mandrels (8, 9, 10 ) sliding vertically and provided with springs (12) for returning to the high position, these mandrels being shaped to grip the needles by their eyelet, means (14) for supporting and positioning the needles to be placed, means (15) for supporting and positioning the movement to receive the needles, means (16, 18) for positioning and automatically locking the carriage in determined positions (A, B, C, D), ie a position (A) in which the mandrels are opposite the needles to be gripped and successive positions (B, C, D) in which the mandrels are successively and respectively opposite the axes of the movement to receive the needles, and means (19, 22) for unlocking the carriage. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that each mandrel consists of a tubular body (25) in which is mounted a retractable sliding pin (28) pushed by a spring (27) and whose end (32 ), slightly conical, has an average diameter corresponding to the eyelet of the hand to be grasped, the pins intended for fitting the minute and hour hands having an axial clearance hole (34). 3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the means for positioning and automatic locking of the carriage are constituted a finger (16) mounted on a spring on the carriage and cooperating with recesses (18) for positioning on the frame and that the unlocking means consist of pushers (22) fitted with return springs (24), mounted in face of each recess and a lever (19) for actuating the pushers extending along the frame, a pressure on the lever having the effect of pushing the locking finger out of the recess it occupies. 4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the carriage (7) is mounted on two cylindrical bars (5, 6) by means of axial ball bearings. 5. Automatic installation for fitting needles on watch movements, comprising a device according to claim 1, characterized in that the needles to be placed are positioned on a moving strip, that the movements also run in a strip and that unlocking of the carriage, its movement and the actuation of the mandrels are controlled automatically and actuated mechanically, electrically or pneumatically.

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