Abstract: An alarm setting mechanism for an analog timepiece of the type having a minute hand, an hour hand and an alarm device responsive to switch actuations. A minute setting ring and a coaxial hour setting ring are both rotatably mounted in the timepiece and include a minute alarm marker and an hour alarm marker. Both rings have crown gears coupled to a drive pinion arranged to rotate the two rings at a ratio of 12:1 to set the hour and minute markers. This is preferably accomplished using a spur tooth gear on the minute setting ring and a Geneva drive for the hour ring. A first switch is actuated in response to passage of the hour hand contacting the hour marker and a second switch is actuated in response to passage at the minute hand in close proximity to the minute marker. The alarm setting mechanism has a separate crown which is detented in three positions.

Abstract: An improved movement for a three hand quartz analog timepiece having a frame, a stepping motor with the motor pinion adapted to step once per second, and a plurality of coaxial output members rotatably mounted in the frame including a spindle for driving a "seconds" hand and having a toothed seconds wheel driven by a two-pin rotor pinion, a two-pin reduction drive pinion connected to the spindle, a coaxial sleeve having a toothed minutes wheel and a coaxial sleeves having a toothed hours wheel. The improvement comprises a dual reduction gear assembly with a single shaft rotatably mounted in the frame having a toothed third wheel driven by the reduction drive pinion and having a first reduction pinion and a second reduction pinion directly driving the hours and minutes wheel, respectively, from the same shaft. The first reduction pinion is the two-pin type and the second reduction pinion is a spur gear.

Abstract: An electronic wristwatch includes an electronic circuit such as a lead frame with extending conductive strips providing a first battery contact terminal and switch contact terminal for operating and setting the wristwatch. A multipurpose switch actuator makes continuous electrical contact between the wristwatch battery and the first contact terminal, and makes selective switching contact with the second contact terminal when actuated by a push-pull detented stem. The stem is removable when twisted using a tool so as to unseat the detent spring, so that it can be pulled from the watch frame, and is also reinsertable without disassembling the watch. The switch actuator serves various other functions, including spring biasing of the stem detent and holding the electronic circuit lead frame in the watch frame.

Abstract: A wristwatch movement has a Lavet stepping motor directly driving a center wheel attached to the minute hand. The frame plate of the movement is of non-magnetic plastic material with recesses locating the pole shoes of two stator members of the stepping motor. An integral plastic cylindrical wall extends from the recess. The stepping motor rotor is rotatably supported within the wall by a journal at one end in the frame plate and at the other end by a cap. The stator pole faces are accurately spaced from the rotor by the wall and held in place by deforming plastic material against the stator pieces toward the wall.

Abstract: A wristwatch movement has a Lavet stepping motor directly driving a toothed center wheel by means of a drive pinion which is an integral part of the stepping motor rotor. The rotor comprises a bipolar permanent magnet member and a plastic rotor body molded around the central part of the magnet member to surround it. The rotor body defines a pair of driving pins oriented at a preselected angle with respect to the axis of magnetization. The rotor body also includes journals supporting it for rotation within the stator opening of the stepping motor.

Abstract: An improvement in a water resistant seal for a watch case with a bezel having a peripheral wall and a lens having a peripheral edge. The wall has an inwardly protruding flange and the lens edge has an outwardly protruding flange, the flanges being diagonally offset from one another. An elastomeric gasket of L-shaped cross section is clamped between the lens and the bezel. The gasket has an upstanding leg deformed in opposite lateral directions, by the flanges with a shearing force across the gasket leg, and is dimensioned to provide clearances which allow for manufacturing variations in size of the lens and bezel, while still maintaining a water resistant seal.

Abstract: A movement for a two-hand quartz analog watch driven by a Lavet-type stepping motor has a minute hand on a shaft driven by a large center wheel overlapping the energy cell. The center wheel has 60 radial slots directly engaging and driven by the stepping motor rotor through a pair of diametrically opposed driving pins disposed in adjacent radial slots of the center wheel. The driving circuit steps the rotor 180 degrees once each minute. A reduction gear drives the hour hand mounted on a center pinion.

Abstract: An electronic circuit board of very thin construction for a wristwatch employs a printed circuit board of insulating material with punched apertures for receiving and locating circuit components, such as capacitors, transistors and integrated circuits, which are of substantially the same thickness as the printed circuit board. A thin metallic conductive backplate is also provided with apertures and with bridging portions supporting the circuit components. Tabs on the backplate or on similar conductive clips for supporting circuit elements may be bent upward and extended through the circuit board apertures for making solder connections to discrete components or to conductive pads on the upper side of the printed circuit board. The backplate includes tabs for other purposes such as holding the backplate to the printed circuit board, making battery connections, providing switch terminals, and retaining the module under spring tension in the case.

Abstract: A blood pressure measurement instrument controlled by a microprocessor has an inflatable cuff, a pump for inflating the cuff, an acoustic sensor and amplifier for processing auscultatory sounds and supplying signals to a microcomputer, a display for displaying blood pressure, and pressure sensor for measuring air pressure in the cuff and supplying signals to the microprocessor. The invention comprises an improved air bleed rate controller for providing a linearized bleed slope reference signal which is compared to an actual cuff pressure signal from the cuff pressure transducer, to control a variable opening bleed valve. The reference signal is applied at the initiation of the bleed control phase through a logic circuit from the microcomputer and a time delay switch. Additional logic provides a bleed valve override signal for closing the valve during the pumping phase and providing dumping of cuff pressure on the completion of blood pressure measurement.

Abstract: A crown switch actuator in a solid state analog wristwatch rotates in either direction and is movable axially. The actuator stem has a flat portion which rotatably operates a rocker contact spring against contact pads on a printed circuit board to alternately close first and second switches. The rocker contact spring also detents the switch actuator in one of two axial positions and retains the crown actuator in the watch case. Third and fourth switches are alternately closed by axial movement of the crown actuator stem. In a first detented axial position, the third switch is closed. In a second detected axial position, the third and fourth switches are open. In a third axial position, the fourth switch is closed. An extension arm on the detent rocker contact spring provides for releasing the crown actuator from the watch case.

Abstract: A water-resistant shaped case construction for a wristwatch with a bell-shaped molded crystal with a central viewing portion and a depending wall forming part of the case including an integral pendant for the stem, a stainless steel bezel shell clamping a sealing gasket between the rim of the crystal wall and the caseback by a snap-fit attachment between the bezel and the case back. The improvements include a shoulder on the crystal wall cooperating with the rim of the caseback to control the clamping action on the gasket.

Abstract: A thin movement for a stepping motor watch employs a single frame member a peripheral front frame portion surrounding and connected to a back frame portion and stepping motor stator, affixed to the frame member, pins fixed in the back frame portion and stepping motor stator, gear members including the stepping motor rotor and gear train driving the watch hands rotatably mounted on said pins, a dial for the timepiece supported on the front frame portion, the dial serving to control axial movement of the gear members on the pins. Only two layers of gear members are required in the space between the back frame portion and the dial.

Abstract: A quartz analog watch has a disc with a minute hand thereon driven directly at its periphery by the rotor of a stepping motor. A single intermediate gear and pinion assembly performs a gear reduction to drive a conventional hour hand rotatably mounted on a center spindle which also supports the minute disc. The stepping motor watch internal components, including battery, stepping motor, intermediate gear assembly and integrated circuit are all partially hidden beneath the minute disc. A special watch crystal functions also as a top frame member controlling "endshake" of the movement members in conjunction with the caseback. A special metal clip provides a push button contact for electrically setting the watch and also holds the intermediate gear assembly in place.

Abstract: A lever actuated by a manual pushbutton for advancing the date ring of a calendar watch so as to correct for months having less than 31 days. A special date change lever incorporates a tab actuated by the pushbutton, a first integral spring portion for biasing the lever to a normal rest position, a second integral spring portion for biasing an arm with a tab against the teeth of the date ring for advancing the date ring.

Abstract: A stepping motor driven by a time-based electrical driving signal periodically rotates an overhung gear train directly driving the hour and minute hands mounted on a main arbor. The arbor is rotatably mounted in two spaced journals in a single tapered bearing hole in the frame. An intermediate arbor is similarly journaled. The gear train is assembled from only one side of the timepiece. The main arbor, center gear assembly, hands and dial are all added as a subassembly.

Abstract: A timepiece comprises a case and a back cover with improved snap-fitting means for releasably fastening the cover to the case. The back cover includes as improved snap-fitting means a peripheral engagement surface of noncircular, multilobal cross-section having a lobal diameter selected in relation to the diameter of a circular engagement surface on the case such that said surfaces are in snap-fit relation only at multiple, spaced locations, rather than along their entire peripheries, whereby the engagement surface of the back cover can flex elastically between the spaced contact locations and thus facilitate removal and attachment of the back cover by snap-fitting.

Abstract: In an automatic winding mechanism for a wristwatch, the motion of the oscillating off-center rotor is transmitted to a ratchet wheel which drives a planetary reduction gear winding the mainspring, by means of an improved single piece rocking arm. The rocking arm is made from a single stamping and includes spring loaded pawls, tabs to support it in place, and a spring clip retaining the off-center rotor in its bushing.

Abstract: An electric alarm timepiece includes an alarm switch and alarm time set device wherein the alarm ringing circuit is closed when the hour hand contacts an alarm set indicator/switch contact extending above the tip of the hour hand. The outer portion or tip of the hour hand is guided by a formed ridge on an alarm set insulator ring and moves about the inner periphery of the insulator ring, thereby assuring proper contact closure with the alarm set indicator/switch contact. The alarm set indicator/switch contact is mounted at one end to a rotatable crystal and is rotatable therewith for purposes of setting. The crystal is rotatably mounted on the timepiece housing by means of a slip ring which provides spring pressure against the crystal to thereby hold the crystal in rotatable engagement with a face plate or the housing member and provides function under spring pressure from the slip ring contacts to enable electrical connection between the alarm set indicator/switch contact and the internal alarm circuitry.

Abstract: A clockwork device for driving a hypodermic syringe comprises a device for holding a syringe and automatically injecting predetermined amounts of fluid into a patient at a controlled rate over a period of time. The device comprises a clockwork mechanism, a syringe coupled thereto and an exterior housing containing the various components. The clockwork mechanism is mounted parallel to the overall length of the syringe within the housing to minimize the size of the device. A two-way releasable clutch is utilized to connect the clockwork mechanism to the syringe driving mechanism for ease of retracting or advancing the driving mechanism.

Abstract: A three position detent arrangement for facilitating axial positioning of the rotatable stem of a wristwatch in order to enable the wearer to locate the proper axial position. Frusto-conical surfaces of selectively different included angles are employed to provide steep and shallow slopes for the detent spring, so that the steeper slopes require relatively higher force to move from the intermediate position to either end position. This enables the operator to locate any of the three positions with assurance.