GB2328040A

GB2328040A - Perpetual calendar

Info

Publication number: GB2328040A
Application number: GB9816581A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Agib Ahmed Abdel Rahman El
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-07-31
Filing date: 1998-07-31
Publication date: 1999-02-10
Anticipated expiration: 2018-07-31
Also published as: GB2328040B; GB9816581D0

Abstract

A rotary calendar device (C1) is provided which comprises relatively positionable sectors each containing data including sectors for the month (M) years (Y), dates of the month (DM) and day of the week (DW). The calendar device is in the form of concentric discs (d2, d3) which rotate about their common axis. The various data sectors are contained in concentric circles on the discs, that is the four data as above M, Y, DW, DM together with century data (C), the concentric circles being divided into seven day sectors. In one arrangement all the circles are on the same side of the discs (d2, d3) while in another arrangement the circles are divided between the two sides of the discs (d2, d3). The calendar device displays the whole calendar of any month of any year if the sector of the month is placed in line with the sector of the year.

Description

"Calendar Device" (Aìbs Calendar) The present invention relates to a calendar device and in particular to serve as a millennia month calendar. So called perpetual calendars are known which enable the same calendar device to be used for a considerable number of years (in contrast to the conventional calendar which becomes redundant at the end of the year it represents). However, these previous perpetual calendars have been somewhat difficult to set, and a more serious disadvantage has been that for a particular setting only one date can be read. It is the principal object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate these disadvantages.

Invention and Function The present invention provides a rotary calendar device which displays the calendar of any month of any year if the sector of the month is placed in line with the sector of the year. There are different models of the devices which give readings for different ranges in time: 10 years, the 20th century, the 20the and 21st centuries, and perpetual.

Therefore, according to the present invention there is provided a calendar device capable of presenting the calendar of a month in respect of a number of years comprising first and second relatively rotatable members, each member being divided into sectors receiving selected calendar data including data on the year, the month, the date of the month and the day of the week and preferably also the century, the arrangement being such that when the sector of a selected month is placed opposite or in line with the sector of a selected year, for a setting position the whole calendar for that month can be read from the device.

Preferably, said first and second members are in the form of discs.

The calendar data can be arranged appropriately in disc portions7 for example, in an annular array of curved strip portions or in segments of a circle. In particular, one of said discs with a smaller diameter can overlie the other disc, with the two discs having a common central axis of rotation.

Preferably, the device includes a first series of sectors comprising seven sectors in all each for a day of the week, and the other calendar data is located in a plurality of other series of sectors each also seven in number, whereby in a said setting position the day of the week in successive firstseries sectors will align with the appropriate date of the month in a sector aligned with the first series sector.

In one preferred embodiment only one surface (the upper) of both the discs carries the calendar data, while in an alternative embodiment both the upper and lower surfaces carry calendar data.

Preferably, a third disc is present overlying the bottom surface of the first disc, said third disc being rotatably coupled to the second disc which overlies the top surface of the first disc. In this arrangement for example, the bottom surface of the first disc can have sectors with year data while said third disc has sectors with the month data, the first discs upper surface and the second disc on the other hand have sectors carrying respectively data on the dates of the month and the days of the week whereby the calendar array for a month is established at the first discs upper surface by adjustment of the third disc to provide an appropriate setting position of the month relative to the year sector on the first discs lower surface.

In yet a further preferred embodiment, a calendar data representing year arrays is positioned on a further member relatively movable both to calendar data on centuries and the dates of the month, whereby as a preliminary the calendar device can be set for a particular century by setting said further member so that the year No. 1 is aligned with a selected century, all the other years will then be at their correct position.

The months of January and February in leap years are set in different positions than those for use with ordinary years.

In an alternative embodiment, a calendar device in accordance with the present invention is of cylindrical form comprising a series of co-axial discs relatively rotatable about a common longitudinal axis, the peripheral surface of each of these discs being divided into sectors carrying appropriate calendar data. Analogous to the previous embodiments each of the cylindrical discs preferably has seven sectors on its periphery with one of the discs carrying a day of the week in a respective sector of the seven.

Additionally, said sectors of said one disc carry the months. The calendar device in accordance with the present invention can provide calendar presentations in respect of a selected period of years e.g. ten, or indeed for a greater year period e.g. for a century or centuries. Also, tables can be provided to extend the shorter period calendar device to handle a greater span of years, and centuries covering past eras of the Julian calendar, and past and future eras of the Gregorian calendar.

Thus the present invention provides a rotary calendar device which displays the calendar of any month of any year if the sector of the month is placed in line with the sector of the year. The device can give direct readings for the 20'h and 21st centuries. This of course is sufficient for all practical needs, however other models of the device can give readings in any other century through simple adjustments. A preferred setting is intended for launching at the advent of the 21 sit century.

De.criition of Ezem viary Embodiments of the Invention The exemplary embodiments to be described show a calendar device which consists of concentric discs which can rotate around their common centre. In one arrangement, all the circles are on the same side of the discs.

In another arrangement the circles are divided into the two sides of the discs. In the circles of rings there are written the five items of any date: the century, the year, the month, the date of the month and the day of the week.

The concentric circles are divided into seven sectors i.e. as many as the number of days of the week. The figures indicating the different items of the calendar are arranged in these sectors according to certain mathematical arrays as shown diagramatically in figures 1 to 4.

Different models can be designed to serve as month calendars through different arrangements of the discs carrying these arrays of the five items of the calendar. Figures 5 to 11 show practical examples of these possible models or embodiments.

The embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is simply a diagram showing the days of the week (DW) data sectors and also the dates of the month (DM) data sectors; Fig. 2 is a similar diagram to Fig. 1 showing the month (M) data sectors; Fig. 3 is a diagram of the year (y) data sectors (or arrays); Fig. 4 is a diagram displaying the century (C) arrays, all (Figs.

1 to 4) as can be applied in practical embodiments of calendars in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 5 shows a top view of a calendar device in accordance with a first practical embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 6A shows a similar view of the main disc of a further embodiment; Fig. 6B shows a top view of the upper disc to be rotatably mounted on the main disc of Fig. 6; Fig. 6C shows the assembled calendar device of Figs. 6A and 6B at a calendar setting position; Fig. 7 shows a plan view of a calendar device according to another embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 7A shows a side view of the device of Fig. 7 through section A-A; Figs 8A and 8B show top and bottom views respectively of yet another embodiment; Fig. 9 shows a side view of the Figs. 8A/8B device through section B-B; Figs. 10A and 10B show similar views to Figs 8A/8B of a further embodiment; Figs. 10C shows a sectional side view of the device of Figs.

1 OA/ 10B.

Fig. 11A shows a pictorial view of a further embodiment of the present invention utilising a cylinder with a surface of the cylinder 4unrolled to illustrate the calendar data sectors; Fig. 11B shows in greater detail part of the data material as applied to several of the cylinder parts of Fig. 11A; Fig. 11 C shows an adjustment to the calendar of Fig. 1 1A in schematic side view.

Fig. 12 shows a table detailing the position of the years in the 20th and 21St centuries usable with the above devices; and Fig. 13 is a table of the similar years and centuries for a Gregorian and Julian calendar.

In all the embodiments of the invention now described, there are five main components (data) used in the calendar presentation. These are as follows with the symbol used for convenience indicated.

1) Months - M 2) Years -Y 3) Dates of the month - DM 4) Days of the week - DW 5) Centuries - C The exemplary embodiments show a calendar device 1 which consists of two concentric discs 2, 3 which can rotate around their common centre.

Circles are present with calendar data and in one arrangement all the circles are on the same side of the discs. In another arrangement the four circles (i.e. per 1-4 above) are divided: a pair on each side of the discs. In the four circles there are written the four items of any date: the year (Y), the month (M), the date of the month (DM) and the day of the week (DW). An arrangement is made to include centuries (C) for embodiments where readings are needed for more than the two centuries. The concentric circles are divided into seven sectors, i.e. as many as the number of days of the week. The figures indicating the different items of the calendar are arranged in these sectors according to certain mathematical arrays. These arrays can be in seven different arrangements according to the relative positioning of the fixed parts. Any calendar device can only be in one of seven arrangements because of the nature of the calendar being based on a seven day week.

The figures indicating the different items of the calendar are arranged in these seven sectors according to certain mathematical arrays as shown diagramatically in Figs 1 to 4.

In Fig 4, for the centuries array C, RG equals the remainder when dividing the century in the Gregorian calendar by 4, while RJ equals the remainder when dividing the century in the Julian calendar by 7.

Different practical models can be designed to serve as month calendars through different arrangement of the discs carrying these arrays of the five items of the calendar. Figures 5 to 11 show examples of possible models or embodiments.

These models are presented in the attached drawings as follows:1. MODELS (A1) and (A2: for ten years (or other ranges) Figs. 5, 6A and 6B.

2. MODEL (B): for the 20" century Fig. 7 3. MODEL (C): for the 20th and 21St centuries Fig. 8A and 8B.

(This model is double sided).

Fig. 9 shows a sectional elevation of a suitable construction for the model C calendar.

4. MODEL (Di): the Millennia calendar (Perpetual) Figs 10A & 10B MODEL (D2): the Millennia calendar (Perpetual) Figs 11A & 1 1B Cylindrical Model Models At and A2 can be used for other ranges and for all centuries, by looking up the position of the year from tables in Figs. 12 or 13.

In all of the practical embodiments shown in Figs 5 to 11, the various sectors of the five calendar items are arranged as follows: Months (M):- sectors 1S1 to 1S7 Years (Y):- sectors 2S1 to 2S7 Dates of the months (DM):- sectors 3S1 to 3S7 Days of the week (DW):- sectors 4Sl to 4S7 Centuries (C):- sectors 5S1 to 5S7 Fig. 5 shows a single sided calendar device 1 (model At) for a ten year spread. In particular a base disc d2 carries at a peripheral part the sectors 2S1 to 2S7 for the years (Y), and at a central part the days of the week (DW) sectors 4S1 to 4S7 while an overlying concentric disc d3 relatively rotable to disc d2 carries the month (M) sectors 1S1 to 1S7 and also the dates of the month (DM) sectors 3S1 to 3S7. Additionally the very extreme periphery of the disc d2 carries letters from A to G denoting the positions of the years.

Also the disc d3 has apertures or clear parts a5 for viewing the days of the week (DW) on disc d2. However, the calendar can be used for other years by consulting the tables shown in Figs. 12 and 13. In particular, for a year outside the range indicated in the calendar model A1 the year is identified in table 12 or 13 and also the sector i.e. from sectors A to G in that table (for example the year 2006 is in sector "G" in Fig. 12), and the calendar can then be set via that sector of the sectors A to G on the outer periphery of disc d2. Also, in Fig. 13, the year 6 under the 21St century is in sector 'G'.

For use in leap years, the January and February months shown encircled, i.e. (1) (2) are to be used.

The calendar device (model A2) of Figs. 6A-6C has the year (Y) sectors 2S1 and 2S7 inwardly positioned on the disc d2, and the overlying disc d3 has apertures or transparent portions a5 (seven in all) for viewing of the year sectors so enabling setting of the calendar device. The DM sectors are adjacent the DW sectors on the disc d3. The model A2 also is shown for a ten year period (1995 - 2005), but the position in other years can again be obtained from the tables of Figs. 12 and 13 exactly in the manner explained for model A1.

Fig. 7 and 7A show a single sided calendar device (model B) for the 20th century (1901 - 2000) with disc d3 rotatably overlying disc d2. Figs.

8A, 8B and Fig. 9 present a double sided calendar device 1 (model C) utilising a relatively thick disc construction (see Fig. 9). The disc d3 in this example comprises an assembly of two disc parts 3A and 3B which are coupled to rotate in unison and relative to disc d2. The presentation in the upper surface of the device in discs d2 and 3A corresponds to data presented in the Figs. 1 - 4 and the lower surface (on discs d2 and 3B) has the year Y and month M arrays. The model C calendar is intended for the 20'h and 21St centuries, the spread of years Y shown in fact covering 1985 2015. For other years in the 20th century 28 should be added to obtain the equivalent year in the shown range. For other years in the 21 sot century, 28 should be subtracted to obtain the equivalent in the shown range. Every 28 years the calendar repeats itself within any century or across leap centuries.

Of course a year spread as that shown i.e. 1985-2015 should be adequate for normal purposes, but the facility is available as above explained to have the calendar device usable for a calendar presentation in respect of a much earlier (or future) period.

The embodiment (model D,) shown in Figs. 10A to 10C represent a Millennia calendar device and has a somewhat different construction from the previous embodiments. Thus referring to Fig. 10C, a calendar device C1, again includes a main disc d2 and a disc d3 comprising coupled disc parts 3A, 3B rotatable relative to the disc d2, but in this case there is a further disc d6 on the lower surface of disc d2, the disc d6 being rotatable about the central axis AA as is the combined disc d3 so as to rotate relative to the disc d2 which can be maintained stationary.

The presentation on the upper surface of disc d2 and on disc part 3A includes the dates of the month and week day arrays DM, DW (per Fig. 1).

The month array M is contained on the disc part 3B (i.e. on the bottom side of the device) but in this case the year array Y is arranged on the disc d6 so as to be viewed from the bottom side along with the month array M on disc part 3B. The peripheral part of the lower surface of the disc d2 outwardly from the disc d6 contains the data pertinent to centuries (c) as shown in Fig.

10B.

In this embodiment (model D1) the June sector (ref. 6 of the month array M) on disc part 3B should be exactly opposite the Saturday sector on the weekday array DW on disc part 3A in the front side of the calendar device C1. Also, the centuries sector C (3, 10, 17J, etc.) in the bottom side of disc d2 should be exactly opposite the dates of the month DM sector on the front (top) surface of the device (dates 6, 13, 20, 27 sector).

Figs 11A and 1 1B show a calendar device (model D2) in accordance with the present invention in the form of a cylinder c7. Again, month (M), year (Y), dates of month (DM), days of week (DW) and centuries (C) arrays are present and arranged in respective sectors, but in this case the sectors comprise axial strips or columns on the surface of the cylinder c7. Fig 1 1A shows (per arrow D) the arrays unfurled to lie on a fiat surface for ease of understanding but normally the arrays wrap the cylinder c7. Fig. 11B details the content of the portions L'C'D'K' and K'D'E'J' to overlie cylindrical sections of the cylinder i.e. at 6A (LCDK) and 6B (KDEJ) respectively, the portion L'C'D'K' being rotatable relative to the portion K'D'E'J'. The model D2 device is generally analogous in function to the previous disc form embodiments of the present invention. A possible and relatively simple construction would be to have the calendar data prepared on flat sheets as shown and cut as appropriate, placed in a ring condition then slipped over a fixed cylinder part so as to occupy the specified locations as shown in Fig.

11A. In this arrangement parts that have to rotate e.g. the M and DW arrays and also the Y arrays can be loosely fitted on the cylinder for rotation whilst parts that can be stationary can be adhered to the cylinder.

Alternatively, the data could be present on rings carried by a base cylinder.

In the modification shown in Fig. 11C, the dates of the month part DM (per ABCL of Fig. 11A) and the centuries part C (per JEFI of Fig. 11A) are fixedly carried at the top and bottom ends of an inner cylinder part IC, while the days of the week DW and Months (M) (per Fig. 11 B) are located on cylinder portion CP1 and years Y (per Fig. 11B) are located on a separate cylinder portions CP2, the portions CP1 and CP2 being both rotatable and axially movable relative to the inner cylinder part IC with cylinder portion CP2 normally overlying the centuries C on the inner cylinder IC.

Consequently, as a preliminary, the cylinder portions CPI, CP2 can be raised to reveal the centuries C whence cylinder portion CP2 can be rotated for selection of the century as described later for model D2, and then the portions CP1 CP2 can be lowered covering the centuries, but revealing the DM sectors on cylinder IC so enabling the whole calendar for a selected month to be presented exactly as described later for D2. An indexing device could be provided to enable the portion CP2 (with years Y) to be locked in the desired position (relative to the centuries) after the initial adjustment. The embodiments of Fig 1 1A to 1 1C could be adapted advantageously as a desk mounted container for pencils etc., and for this purpose the inner cylinder IC could be mounted on a suitable base B as shown in Fig. 11 C.

DIRECTIONS FOR USE:1. Models A1, A2, B and C (figures 5, 6A, 6B, 7, 8A and 8B) (a) Place the sector (lSl etc. ) of the Month in line with that (2Sl etc.) of the year.

(b) The calendar of the whole month is then displayed in the sectors (4S,) showing the days of the week and the sectors (3S) showing the dates (3S,) of the month, (for Models C these will be on the Front-side) An example is shown in Fig. 6C. Thus the device is set for July 1998 where the M sector with r' (i.e. July) is placed opposite 498' of the year sector.

An example is shown in Fig. 6C. Thus the device is set for July 1998 where the M sector with 7' (i.e. July) is placed opposite '98' of the year sector.

Therefore, as can be seen, the calendar reads from the start (B) of '1' on the DM sectors opposite Wednesday of the DW sectors through to the end (L) of 31 on the DM sectors opposite Friday on the DW sectors. The month is read by looking round on the DM sectors from sector to sector. The numerals on each DM sector increase by an increment of 7 (i.e. per a week) so that each DM sector represents the same weekday for the full month.

2. Model (Dl): directions for use (refer to figures (10A) and (10B)) (a) Place the sector of the year (01), on the Back-side of the device, in line with the sector of the Century (C).

(b) Still using the Back-side place the Month sector in line with the sector of the year you wish to use.

(c) The calendar of the whole month is then displayed in the Frontside of the device.

3. Model (D2): Cylindrical Model: Directions for use (Refer to Figs (11A) and (11B)) (a) Place the sector of the year (01) in line with that of the Century.

(b) Place the Month sector in line with the sector of the year you wish to use.

(c) The calendar of the whole month is then displayed in the sectors showing the days of the week and the dates of the months.

4. (a) For January and February in Leap year use the bracketed months (1) and (2). The bracketed No. (100) is to be used for centuries ending with Leap years i.e. years divisible by 4 in the Julian Calendar and by 400 in the Gregorian Calendar e.g. 1600 or 2000.

(b) The letter J in the figures for Julian Centuries: 20J, 19J, 18J, 17J, 16J is to differentiate them from the parallel Gregorian Centuries.

5. The unique characteristics of this calendar as compared with other designs of Perpetual calendars, is that it is a Perpetual Month Calendar, displaying the calendar of the whole month, and not one date as is known of former designs of Perpetual calendars.

The calendar can be used as desk or wall calendar and as a perpetual calendar, with no need to obtain a new calendar at the advent of every year.

Further modifications are of course possible.

Claims

1. Calendar device capable of presenting the calendar of a month in respect of a number of years comprising first and second relatively rotatable members, each member being divided into sectors receiving selected calendar data including data on the year, the month, the date of the month and the day of the week, the arrangement being such that when a selected month is placed in alignment with a selected year, for a setting position the calendar for that month can be read from the device.

2. A calendar device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second members are in the form of discs.

3. A calendar device as claimed in claim 1, wherein calendar data is arranged on discs in an annular array of curved strip portions or in segments of a circle.

4. A calendar device as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein one of said discs with a smaller diameter overlies the other disc, with the two discs having a common central axis of rotation.

5. A calendar device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein, the device includes a first series of sectors comprising seven sectors in all each for a day of the week, and the other calendar data is located in a plurality of other series of sectors each also seven in number, wherein in a said setting position the day of the week in successive firstseries sectors will align with the appropriate date of the month in a sector aligned with the first series sector.

6. A calendar device as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein only one surface (the upper) of both the discs carries the calendar date.

7. A calendar device as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4 wherein, both the upper and lower surfaces of at least one of the discs carries calendar data.

8. A calendar device as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein, a third disc is present overlying the bottom surface of the first disc, said third disc being rotatably coupled to the second disc which overlies the top surface of the first disc.

9. A calendar device as claimed in claim 8, wherein, the bottom surface of the first disc has sectors with year data while said third disc has sectors with the month data, the first discs upper surface and the second disc having sectors carrying respectively data on the dates of the month and the days of the week whereby the calendar array for a month is established at the upper surface of the first and second discs, by adjustment of the third disc to provide an appropriate setting position relative to a sector on the first discs lower surface i.e. when aligning the section of that specific month with the sector of the specific year.

10. A calendar device as claimed in the bottom surface of the first disc carried sectors with centuries array and, wherein a calendar date representing year arrays is positioned on a further member relatively movable both to calendar data on centuries and the dates of the month, whereby as a preliminary the calendar device can be set for a particular century by setting the sector of the first year of the century in this years array in alignment with that of the particular century in the century array.

11. A calendar device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the months January and February in leap years are set in different positions from those for use with ordinary years.

12. A calendar device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device is of cylindrical form comprising three coaxial cylinders, one stationary and the other two slipped onto it so that they relatively rotate around it.

13. A calendar device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the periphery of the stationary cylinder is divided into two parts, one part carrying the dates of the month, while the other part carries the centuries, all this calendar data being arrayed in seven columns.

14. A calendar device as claimed in claim 12 or 13, wherein for the two rotatable cylinders one carries the days of the week and the date of the months , and the other carries the years of the century, so that to set the years part in the correct position the column of the year No. 1 is aligned with the column of the applicable century, then when the column of the month is aligned with that of a year, then the calendar of the whole month is displayed in the parts carrying the dates of the month and the days of the week.

15. A calendar device as claimed in claim 14, wherein said one cylinder is also axially movable on said other cylinder, the arrangement being such that in a normal operating position of the device he century column axe covered by said one cylinder whilst movement of an axial said one cylinder can reveal the century columns for setting the year part in said correct position.

16. A calendar device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Fig. 5, Fig. 6A-6C, Figs. 7 and 7A, Figs. 8A, 8B and Fig. 9, Figs 10A-10C, or Figs. 11A-11C, of the accompanying drawings.