US3032651A - Wrist carried radio set - Google Patents

Description

May 1, 1962 Filed June 16, 1958 J. GISIGER-STHLl ET AL WRIST CARRIED RADIO SET 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENToRs Josef isger-$nh and Hemz Benn /gma LM Atti/s.

May l, 1962 J. GlslGER-STHLI ETAL 3,032,651

WRIST CARRIED RADIO SET s sheets-sheet 2 Filed June 16, 1958 FIG."

HGH

IN VEN TORS Josef isiger-Stnli and Hemz Benn BYP May l, 1962 J. GaslGl-:R-sTHLl ET AL 3,032,651

WRIST CARRIED RADIO SET S Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 16, 1958 A INVENToRs Josef isiger-Sthl and Heinz Benn flfs,

l May 1, 1962 Je. GlslGER-STHLl ETAL 3,032,651

` WRIST CARRIED RADIO SET Filed June 16, 1958 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VEN TORS Josef isiger-Sthli and Heinz Benn y ,mM

Auf.

May 1 1962 .1.G1slGr-:R-sTHL1 ETAL I 3,032,651

WRIST CARRIED RADIO SET 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 16, 1958 IIIIIII FIGJG \\\r (111 (so K1111 s1 1 INVENTORS Josef isiger-Shli and Heinz Benn s y t a y bs,

. Filed June 16, 1958 May 1, 1962 J. GlslGER-sTHLl ET AL 3,032,651

WRIST CARRIED RADIO SET 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 'I9 j' ,IMP fi i/ gg, J I8 INVENTORS anser isiger-srnli ann Heinz enn May 1, 1962 J. GlslGER-STHL: ET AL 3,032,651

WRIST CARRIED RADIO SET 8 sheets-sheet 7 Filed June 16, 1958 nana ' FIGZO -INVENTORS Josef isiger-Sthli and Heinz Benn Miel May 1, 1962 J GlSIGER-STHLI ET.AL

WRIST CARRIED RADIO SET S Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed June 16, 1.958

United States Patent O 3,032,651 WRIST CARRIED RADIO SET Josef Gisiger-Sthli, Selzach, Solothurn, Switzerland, and Heinz Benn, Frutigen, Leischen, Switzerland Filed June 16, 1958, Ser. No. 742,197 Claims priority, application Switzerland July 2, 1957 6 Claims. (Cl. Z50- 14) This invention relates to a portable radio set which may comprise a radio receiver only or a circuit that may alternatively be used as a radio receiver or a radio transmittcr.

Portable radio receivers have always been designed as separate appliances, whereof the circuit elements have been housed in smal-l cases having extensible antennas, ring antennas or ferrite antennas. Radio sets of this kind cannot easily be carried along because the person carrying such radio sets is hindered by the rather voluminous casing. Further, the appearance of such radio sets is often not very aesthetic, and the radio sets are easily damaged by moisture, pressure and shocks.

Other very small radio sets are known, which may be carried in a pocket and which are designed for receiving signals of a local radio transmitter, for instance in a staff locator installation. However, this radio set is still a sepf arate device requiring a minimum additional space and care in its handling. v

It is a rst object of this invention to obtain a portable radio set which cannot be recognized as being a radio set, this being of particular importance for military and police purposes, and which may be carried without requiring additional space and without hindering in any way. ln accordance with this invention this is broadly accomplished in that all parts of the radio set including its antenna are accommodated in components of a portable watch such as a pocket watch or a wrist watch, whereby only members serving for operation of the radio set, such as a tuning crown or a crown for volume control visibly project from the said components of the portable watch, the design and appearance of the radio set being consequently similar to the design and appearance of a portable watch. The invention relates to any small watch that can be carried by a person, such as a wrist watch or a pocket watch. It is possible, without the scope of this invention, to provide a watch casing comprising no timepiece but only the elements of the radio set, whereby it is possible to provide a dial and mock-up hands in order to imitate the external appearance of a watch.

However, it is a particular object of this invention to provide a radio set having the design and appearance of a portable watch and comprising the elements of the radio set as well as the ordinary timepiece for actuating the hands. A particular ditliculty arises in this case due to lack of space in the watch casing which is usually completely lled by the timepiece thereby leaving no space for the elements of the radio set.

Therefore, a specific object of this invention resides in providing the space required for housing the elements of the radio set in a watch without noticeably altering the appearance of the watch and without requiring excessive dimensions of the watch. This may be accomplished by using a timepiece having a shape differing substantially from the shape of the watch casing, it being possible to use a timepiece of substantially circular shape in a rectangular watch casing or in a circular watch casing having greater diameter than the timepiece. The timepiece may also be eccentrically accommodated in the watch casing in order to provide space for the elements of the radio set at the side of the timepiece. Further, it is possible to attach a pair of hollow supporting clips on opposite sides of the watch casing per se, voluminous components of lCf the radio set being located in such hollow supporting clips. It is a further object to accommodate the elements of the radio set and particularly its loud speaker, tuning coils and other voluminous parts thereof in the small space available in a usual portable watch. It is Well known that the volume available in a watch casing of usual size is in the order of up to 2 cm.3 and therefore particular diiculties arise in accommodating all parts of the radio set, for instance of a radio receiver, in this space, because the usual timepiece has also to be located in this space.

Since, with this invention, all parts of the radio set, except for the antenna which may preferably be located in arm bands of the watch, and the timepiece are protected in the watch casing, the radio setvmay be water-tight and shock-proof in the manner of usual Water-tight and shockproof watches, and therefore the radio set may always be carried for swimming or any other sport and for any activity whatever without being damaged and without hindering the person carrying it in the least.

Embodiments of the radio set according to this invention are shown bp way of example in the attached drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a bottom view of the rst embodiment, partially in section, with the bottom of the casing removed,

FIG. 2 is a top view of the iirst embodiment on a smaller scale,

FIGS. 3 to 7 are sectional views taken along lines III-III, lV-IV, V--V, VI-VI and VII- VII respec- .tively in FIG. l and FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram of the electrical equipment of the lirst embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the second embodiment,

FIG. 10 is a side view of the second embodiment with its supporting clips in longitudinal section,

FIGS. ll and 12 are sections along lines XI-Xl and XII-XII respectively of FIG. 10,

IFIG. 13 is a bottom view of the second embodiment with the bottom of the casing removed and other parts illustrated in section,

FIGS. 14 and l5 are sections along lines XIV-XIV and XV--XV respectively in FIG. 13,

FIG. 16 is a section along line XVI- XVI of FIG. 14,

FIG. 17 shows the second embodiment applied to a charging device, partially in section and FIG. 18 is a circuit diagram of the second embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a side view of the third embodiment, partially in section,

FIG. 20 is a longitudinal section of the watch casing of the third embodiment,

FIG. 2l is a section on line XXI- XM of FIG. 12,

FIG. 22 is a bottom View of a carrier of plastic material for the third embodiment,

FIGS. 23 and 24 are sectional views of a rst and second actuating crown of the third embodiment respectively,

FIG. 25 is a section along line XXV-XXV in FIG. 24, and

FIG. 26 is a partial diagrammatic illustration of the electric circuit of the third embodiment.

The radio set shown in FIGS. 1 8 has the'external design and appearance of a wrist watch comprising a cas` ing having a case band 1 and a back 2 tightly screwed into the case band, a crystal 3, an hour hand 4, a minute hand 5, a dial 6 and two actuating crowns 7 and 8. By means of pins 10 having spring loaded ends 11 two portions 12 of an arm band are attached to the lugs 9 of the case band 1. A support 13 of plastic material such as polyethylene polyester or the like and having recesses adapted to receive the active parts of the device is inserted into the watch case. A timepiece 14 of relatively small size is eccentrically inserted adjacent the one outer wall of the support 13, a crown S being provided by means of which the timepiece may be actuated in the usual manner. The rotation of the hour cannon of the timepiece 1-4 is transmitted by means of an intermediate gear 16 to a wheel 17 mounted on a tube 13 pivoted in the center of the watch. The rotation of the minute shaft 19 of the timepiece 14 is transmitted by means of an intermediate gear 20 to a wheel 21 mounted on a tube carrying the minute hand 5. The intermediate gears 16 and Ztl, the

hands -4 and 5 with the tubes to which they are attached and the driving wheels 17 and 21 are mounted on a plate 24 fixed on the timepiece 14. A loud speaker 22 is mounted at a place approximately diametrically opposite the timepiece 14. Due to this relative arrangement'of the timepiece and of the loud speaker a maximum of space is available for each of these parts and further space is obtained between the timepiece and the loud speaker for other smaller components of the radio set.

The inner end of the stem of crown 7 is connected to a flexible shaft 25 and carries a collar 26 having an annular groove 27. A pin 28 of a switch lever 29 pivotably mounted in a substantially rectangular recess of the support 13 by means of a screw, engages the groove 27. The end of the switch lever 29 opposite the pin 26 carries a contact piece 30 adapted to cooperate with stationary contact pieces 31. As is best seen from FIGS. 1 and 5 electric connections 32 and 33 respectively are made to the switch lever 29 or more exactly to its mounting screw and to the stationary contacts 31 respectively, the contact members 29 and 31 forming a wave-band or frequency band selector adapted to be brought into three distinct positions by axial displacement of the crown 7. As shown in FIG. 8 the wires 33 are connected to tappings of a tuning coil 34 of the radio receiver. Coil 34 and an antenna coupling coil 35 are arranged in the ring space formed below the membrane 23 of the loud speaker.

A disc 36 is attached to the end of the flexible shaft 25 remote of the crown 7, disc 36 being rotatably engaged in -a slot 37 of support 13 in such a way that axial displacement of the disc 36 is prevented. In order to prevent upward motion of the disc 36 in the slot 37 a plate 3S is tightly pressed into the slot 37. Disc 36 has an actuating tongue 39 engaging in the manner of a screw driver a slot 40 of the actuating spindle 41 of a tuning condenser 42. Further recesses of the support 13 surrounding the tuning condenser 42 are adapted to receive a crystal diode 43, a condenser 44 and a resistor 45. The circuit elements 42 to 45 are interconnected with each other and with the further circuit elements of the radio receiver by means of connecting lugs 46 and as diagrammatically shown in FIG. 8. Most of the wiring of the receiver is arranged in the flat space 54 formed between the support 13 and an insulating plate 13.

As shown in FIG. 4 portions 12 of the arm band comprise a relatively thin intermediate layer, for instance of a plastic material, into which the meander-shaped antenna wire 47 is imbedded, and two outer covering or insulating layers 48, made for instance of leather or a suitable plastic material, all the layers being sewed or welded together along their rim portions so that the antenna wire 47 is well insulated and protected between layers 48. The one end of each antenna wire is soldered to one of the pins 10 at 49. The ends 11 of the pins 10 are mounted in sleeves 50 of an insulating material, for instance a plastic material, one of the pair of sleeves adapted to receive the ends of one pin 10 being clad with a metal sleeve 51. Insulated antenna connect-ions are provided from the sleeves 51 through bores 52 of the lugs 9 and through a groove 53 (best seen in FIG. 6) of the case band 1 to the antenna coupling coil 35, where both antenna portions are connected to each other. Preferably identical antenna portions are inserted into both portions 1'2 of the arm band, such antenna portions` being adapted to operate as a dipole i antenna during short wave reception, and as an ordinary antenna during medium wave or long wave reception.

A battery 55 for feeding transistors may be provided below the timepiece 14. Such transistors may be inserted into the support 13 and allow amplification of weak signals and therefore reception of remote emitters.

Above the membrane of the loud speaker 22 the dial 6 has openings 56 through which the sound waves from the loud speaker are transmitted into the hollow space enclosed between the dial and the crystal of the watch, this hollow space forming a resonant cavity.

Manipulation and operation of the radio set shown in FIGS. 1 to 8 and described above are as follows:

By means of the crown S the timepiece 14 may be wound up and the watch hands may be adjusted when the crown S is pulled out. For tuning to a desired emitter the crown 7 is first moved into the axial position corresponding to the wave band to which the emitter to be received belongs. The crown 7 is now turned, its rotation being transmitted to the spindle 4t) of the tuning condenser 42 through the flexible shaft 25 and the tongue 39, whereby a relative axial displacement between the spindle 40 and the tongue 39 is possible, the resonant frequency of the oscillating circuit 34, 42 being thereby changed until the desired emitter is received and may be heard on the loud speaker 22. While local emitters may be heard with normal position of the arm, remote and relatively weak emitters may be heard when the wrist Watch is brought near the ear or is applied against the ear. The high frequency signal received by the antenna is transmitted from the antenna wires 47 through pins 10, the ends 11 thereof, the sleeves 51 and the antenna lines to the coupling coil 35. Operation of the radio receiver per se is well known to anyone skilled in the art and does not need further explanation. When no reception is desired the receiver is tuned to a frequency at which no radio signals are transmitted, preferably in the long-wave band.

A scale indicating the receiving frequency or some of the most important emitters that can be received by means of the radio set may be provided on or may cooperate with the tuning crown 7 for facilitating tuning in of the receiver to desired emitters. It is also possible to provide a further hand operatively connected to the tuning crown 7 and running on a scale of the dial 6, in-

f' dicating receiving frequencies or wave length and names of the most important emitters.

One particular diiculty encountered with this invention is the problem of accommodating a first class timepiece and a radio set in a usual watch casing of reasonable size, particularly when the radio set has amplifying elements, such as transistors, and batteries for feeding such amplifying elements. A further difficulty arises due to the fact that the extremely sensitive mechanism of the timepiece has to be protected against aggressive chemicals, particultarly volatile constituents of the liquids contained in the batteries or the electrolytic condensers.

Therefore, it is a particular object of this invention to provide for sufficient space allowing accommodation of a first class timepiece and all parts of the radio set and to accommodate parts of the radio set containing -aggressive liquids, particularly `the batteries thereof, in a space remote from the space containing the timepiece. In accordance with this invention this is possible by pivotably attaching to a wrist-watch casing of usual shape and size a pair of hollow supporting clips, such supporting clips being continuously maintained in contacting relation with the wrist by spring action, and parts of the radio set being accommodated in the hollow spaces of the supporting clips. Preferably, parts of the radio set requiring much space, such as one or more loud speakers, batteries and antennas are accommodated in the supporting clips. In order not to change the design and appearance of the watch by this accommodation of parts thereof in the supporting clips of a wrist watch, the crown or crowns for actuating the radio set are accommodated exclusively on the watch casing.

FIGURES 4 to 26 of the attached drawings show, by way of example, a second and third embodiment of the radio set according to this invention and having hollow supporting clips of the type mentioned before.

The second embodiment shown in FIGS. 9 to 18 has a rectangular watch casing 60 comprising a back 61 fixed to the case band, a time piece 63 and dilerent parts of the radio set being inserted into a support 62 of plastic material held in the watch casing. The Watch hands 64 are accommodated between the dial 65 and the crystal 66. The watch case has lateral extensions 67 and two supporting clips 69 and 70 respectively are pivotably attached to such extensions by means of pivot pins 68. The supporting clips 69 and 70 have each a mantle 71 and 72 respectively, having a shape as seen particularly in FIGS. 9 and l0 and enclosing a hollow space tapring from the end attached to the watch casing towards the free end of the supporting clips.

A support 73 of plastic material or another suitable insulating material is inserted into the hollow space of the supporting clip 69, a loud speaker 74 and a ferrite antenna 75 having a winding 76 being imbedded into the support 73. A similar support 77 is held in the hollow space of the mantle 72 of the supporting clip 70, the support 77 containing a number of accumulator elements 78 connected in series with each other. As shown in the wiring diagram of FIG. 18 the one end terminal of the series connection of the accumulator elements 78 may be connected to the mass of the radio set, that is to the mantles 71 and 72 of the supporting clips. The other terminal of the battery formed by the accumulator elements 78 is connected to an insulated contact 80, this contact being accessible through an opening of the mantle 72 for a purpose explained later on. Supports 73 and 77 are maintained in the position shown in FIG. 10 by the one end of coil springs 81 accommodated on the pivot pins 68, the other ends of such springs being applied Vagainst the side Walls of the Watch case 60. It is a further purpose of springs 81 to transmit a turning moment to each of the supporting clips in a manner that such clips tend to execute a rotating motion towards each other, the

clips being thereby pressed against the wrist of a person carrying the radio set.

A lirst crown 82 provided on the watch case 60 serves for winding up and adjusting the timepiece in the usual manner. A second crown 83 is connected to a potentiometer shaft 84 by means of a snap coupling as it is usual for water-tight crowns. A resilient potentiometer contact-arm 85 is pressed against a collar 87 of the potentiometer shaft by a pressure spring 86, the free end of the contact-arm 85 being thereby maintained in contact Ywith the semi-circular resistance element 88 of the potentiometer. One end only of the resistance element 88 is connected to a terminal.

The radio set has a further actuating crown 89 connected to a spindle 90 by means of a snap coupling. The spindle 90 serves for actuating a slide member 91 carrying a high frequncy core 92. The core 92 is displaceable in an insulating tube 93 carrying a tuning coil 94 having tappings and a feed-back coil 45. By displacement of the core 92 the inductivity of coil 94 and consequently the receiving frequency may be changed within predetermined limits for selecting the desired emitter. As shown in FIG. 14 an offset pointer or hand 96 is attached to the slide member 91, this pointer projecting through a slit to the upper side of the dial 65 where it runs along a scale 97.

A contact lever 98 is pivoted on a screw 99 at the side of spindle 90 and of slide member 91. The one arm 100 of the contact lever 98 projects into the path of the slide member 91, the latter maintaining the contact lever 98 'in its open position as illustrated whenever the slide mem- Yber 91 is in its lower end position as illustrated in FIG.

13. When, however, the slide member 91 is moved to the right in FIG. 13 it releases the arm 100 of contact lever 98, the latter being thereby turned in counterclockwise direction by a spring attached to its arm 100, into engagement with a contact screw 102. Parts 98 and 102 form the main switch 97 of the radio set, and the latter may be switched off and on by shifting the slide member 91 into the end position shown in FIG. 13 or by moving the slide member out of this end-position respectively.

FIG. 18 diagrammatically illustrates the electric equipment of the radio set. The radio set comprises an ordinary transistor receiver of which only the parts being of particular importance in connection with this invention will be described in detail. From the tapping of coil 94 the signal received is transmitted through a condenser 103 to a high frequency transistor 104, the signal ampliiied in transistor 104 being fed through a condenser 105 and a crystal diode 106 to the input of an audio frequency amplifier. The audio-frequency amplifier has two preliminary amplifying stages 107 and 108 and a power ampliier 109 feeding the loud speaker. The output signal of the high-frequency amplilier 104 is fed back through the potentiometer 85, 88 to the feed-back coupling coil 95, the power output of the radio set being adjustable by varying the resistance value of the potentiometer and consequently by varying the feed-back ratio.

The circuit elements shown in FIG. 18, such as resis-A tors, condensers, coils and transistors, of which a great number is not particularly designated in the drawings, are imbedded in recesses of the support 62, and the terminals of such circuit elements are connected to one common printed circuit 110 covering the recesses of the support 62. The printed circuit 110 is insulated from the back 61 of the watch casing 60 by means of an insulating foil 111. The wiring interconnecting the printed circuit 110 and the circuit elements accommodated in the supporting clips 69 and 70 passes through openings 112 of the side walls of the watch case `60, such openings being sealed by plastic material or the like in order to obtain watertight closure of the Watch case 60.

Near the ferrite antenna 75 the mantle 71 of the supporting clip 69 has oblong openings 113 allowing passage of the radio waves to the ferrite antenna, and openings S allowing passage of sound waves are provided in the same mantle above the loud speaker 74. Similar openings 113' and S respectively are provided on the other clip 70 for the sake of symmetry.

For charging the battery 78 of the radio set a charging apparatus as shown in FIG. 17 is preferably used, this apparatus being adapted for connection to the mains through a cable 114 and a main switch 115. The apparatus has a base 116 carrying a hollow column 117 of oblong cross section and imitating the wrist of a human hand, and a flange 118. The radio set may be put onto the base of the charging apparatus in the position shown in FIG. 17, whereby a first contact 119 of the charging apparatus contacts the mantle of the supporting clip 70, that is the mass of the radio set, whereas a second, resilient contact 120' of the charging apparatus contacts the contact piece 80 of the radio set. When the charging apparatus is switched on the charging current flows through contacts 120 and 80, the battery, the closed switch 79, the mass of the radio set and through contact 119 back to the charging apparatus. Since the main switch 79 of the radio set has to be closed the radio set is continuously on operation during recharging of its battery. If this is not desired, a further contact 80 similar to the contact 80, cooperating With a contact similar to contact 120 of the charging apparatus and insulated from the mass of the radio set has to be provided on the latter.

The radio set shown in FIGS. 9 to 18 may be operated as follows:

By means of crown 82 the timepiece may be Wound up and the hands may be adjusted. For setting the radio receiver to operation the crown l89 is turned ina direction causing shitting of the slide member 91 to the right in FIG. 13 whereby the switch 79 is automatically closed in the manner set out above. By proper adjustment of the slide member 91 and of the core 92 respectively by means of the crown 39 the desired emitter may be tuned in. The power output of the radio set may be adjusted to the desired value in the manner already explained above, by turning the crown 33.

The radio set shown in FIGS. 9 to 18 may only be used as a radio receiver. However, it is often desired to use the same radio set as an emitter or alternatively as a receiver or an emitter. Such a radio setl which may be changed over from receiver to emitter operation is shown in FIGS. 19 to 26 of the attached drawings, similar parts of the radio set being similarly designated as in FIGS. 9 to 18.

The Watch case 6i) has a removable back 121. The timepiece 63 which may be actuated by means of crown 82 is accommodated in a support 122 of an insulating material, preferably a plastic material, inserted between the back 121 and the dial 65 of the watch. The ferrite antenna 75 is accommodated in the support 73 of the clip 69. The loud speaker 74 is accommodated together with the accumulator elements 78 in the supporting clip 7i). The clip 69 further comprises a complete transistor radio receiving and emitting apparatus 123 comprising all the circuit elements shown in the circuit diagram of FIG. 18 except the loud speaker, the antenna and the battery, and further comprises the additional circuit elements in its input and output stages as shown in the circuit diagram of FIG. 26. The radio set shown in FIGS. 19 to 26 further substantially difters from the one shown in FIG. 18 in that the oscillating circuit consisting of the tapped coil 124 and the condenser 125 has no dispiaceable core and no other tuning means, this oscillating circuit being tuned to a fixed frequency.

A metal reel 126 is rotatably mounted in the support 122 and outside the timepiece 63. A resetting spring 127 continuously acts onto the reel 126 thereby tending to turn the reel into the rest position shown in FIGS. and 21, for which rest position a wire-shaped antenna 128 is completely wound onto the reel. The inner end of the antenna wire 128 is connected to the metallic reel 125 whereas the outer end of the antenna wire is attached to `a crown 129. In its rest position shown in FIG. 23 the crown 129 engages a hollow or recessed crown 1311, the bore of the latter having a conical tapering 131 and a shoulder 132. With its shoulder 132 the crown 129 engages a relatively Wide groove 133 of a part 134 of insulating material, a flange 135 of part 134 engaging the one of two notches of a locking spring 136 (FIG. 21). A pressure spring 137 is inserted between part 134 and crown 130, this pressure spring tending to shift the crown 13u outwardly relatively to the part 134. Segmentshaped wedges 138 are inserted between the conically tapered portion 131 of the crown 13th and the antenna wire 123. A contact screw 139 is xed in the part 134, contact screw 139 being adapted for cooperation with a contact screw 149 in a manner described later on. In order to maintain the correct coaxial position of contact screws 139 and 140, rotation of the part 134 is prevented by its cam 134 engaging a slot of support 122.

A Contact lever 141 is mounted on a pivot screw 142 in a hollow space formed below the timepiece 63, this contact lever, due to its own spring action, being applied with its free end 143 against a part attached to the reel 125. The contact lever 141 carries a small contact spring 144 of which the free end cooperates with a toothed switch-operating wheel 145 fixed for instance on the downwardly extended second shaft 145 of the timepiece 63. The contact spring 144 is adapted for cooperation with a contact 147.

The radio set has a further crown 143 by which the contact arm 150 of a potentiometer having a resistance element 151 may be actuated through a shaft 149. Contact arm 151) is mounted on a shaft portion 152 having rectangular cross section whereby relative rotation between the shaft and the contact arm is prevented, and the contact arm is continuously maintained in engagement with the resistance e1em;nt 151 by a pressure spring 153. The pressure spring 153 the one end of which is anchored on a xed portion of part 122 simultaneously serves for maintaining the shaft in its outer axial rest p0- sition shown in FIG. 24, in which rest position a pair of contacts 154 and 155 are opened. As seen in FIG. 25 the contact arm 151i of the potentiometer, when turned off the resistance element 1.51 of the potentiometer into a free space 155, may axially be displaced inwardiy beyond the plane of the resistance element thereby allowing an axial displacement of the shaft 149 by pressure onto the crown 143 to such an extent that contacts 154 and 155 are closed.

As shown in FIG. 26 the potentiometer 159, 151 is connected between the output circuit of the high-frequency transistor 194 and the feed-back coil 95. A fixed resistor 157 may be connected in paraliel to the potentiometer 150, 151 either by closure of contacts 144 and 147 or by closure of contacts 154 and 155. The resistance Value of resistor 157 is so chosen that the highfrequency amplifier becomes unstable and oscillates in the manner of a high-frequency emitter as long as resisor 157 is put into circuit, this oscillator or emitter op* eration being independent of the position and resistance4 value of the potentiometer 159, 151. The one trminal of an inductor 153 is connected to a point between resistor 157 and switch contacts 144 and Y154, the other terminal of this inductor being connected through a condenser 159 to the output circuit of the power amplier 109. Therefore, whenever the one of contacts 144 or 154 is closed, a feed-back path is established from the power stage 1G19 through the condenser 159, the inductor 153 the closed switch 154 or 144 and the crystal diode 106 to the rst audio frequency amplifier 107 shown in FIG. 18 but not shown in FIG. 26. The feed-back circuit elements 158 and 159 are so dimensioned that the audio-frequency amplifier becomes unstable and oscillates at a suitable audio frequency whenever the feedback circuit 153, 159 is operative. Y

The radio set shown in FIGS. 19 to 26 may be used as follows:

When the crown is pulled out its shoulder 132 carries along the part 134, whereby lthe flange of the latter changes from the inner to the outer notch of the rest spring 136. Contacts 139 and 141i are closed by this axial displacement of part 134 and the amplierS are connected to the battery 7S. An emitter operating at the resonant frequency of the oscillating circuit 124, 125 may be received in exactly the same manner as described above in connection with the second embodiment of the invention. The power output may be adjusted by changing the resistance value of potentiometer 150, 151 as above described for the second embodiment of the invention. The radio set may be shut down by inward pressure onto the crown 139, whereby the flange 135 of part 134 is again changed over into the inner notch of rest spring 135 and contacts 139 and 141i are opend thereby disconnecting the amplifiers from their power sources 78.

The radio set may be used as an emitter when the crown 129 is pulled out and the antenna wire 123 is wound oif its reel 126. In this case the reel 126 is turned in counterclockwise direction as seen in FIG. 22 so that the contact lever 141 s changed over by frictional engagement of its end 143 with the said reel position from its rest position indicated in pointed lines into the operating position shown in full lines, for which operating position of the contact lever 141 the contact spring 144 is periodically pressed against the fixedcontact 147 during a relatively short period of maximum spacing from the axis of the wheel 145, due to the continuous rotation of wheel and to the periodical displacement of contact spring 144 under the action of the teeth of wheel 145. During the closed periods of contacts 144 and 147 the above mentioned feed-back circuits are operative so that the high-frequency amplifier 104 becomes operative as a high frequency emitter and the audio-frequency amplifier becomes operative as an audio-frequency oscillator. Since the audio-frequency signal is applied to the collector of the high-frequency transistor 104 through the closed switch 144, 147 and the suitably dimensioned condenser 105 the high-frequency oscillation set up in the circuit of transistor 104 is amplitude modulated in accordance with the audio-frequency oscillation set up in the audio-frequency amplifier. From the hot end of the feed-back coil 95 the high-frequency signal is fed to the reel 126 and to the antenna wire 128 respectively from which latter the modulated carrier is emitted and may be received by a suitable receiver. The wedges 138 allowing easy extension of the antenna wire prevent retraction of the extended antenna by lthe continuously acting resetting spring 127 acting onto the reel 126. Since the time piece does not stop running the contact spring 144 is periodically spaced from its counter contact 147 whereby the said feed-back circuits are broken. Therefore the emitter is periodically set to operation or shut down so that a dashed or dotted, periodically interrupted signal is emitted.

In this form the radio set may preferably be used as a distress signal emitter. The operating frequency of the emitter may be adjusted to an international distress signal frequency. The emitter may be set to operation in a very simple manner by pulling out the crown 130 by a small amount and by completely pulling out the crown 129 with the antenna 12S, and therefore no complicated operations are required to be carried out by the person carrying the apparatus. In order to further simplify manipulation ofthe device the crowns 129 and 130 may frictionally engage each other to such a degree that the crown 130 is automatically pulled out into its on-position when the crown 129 and the antenna 128 are pulled out.

However, the radio set may also be used as a combined receiver-transmitter for instance in a staff locator installation or in a duplex telegraphy-system. During use for these latter purposes it is not desired that the emitter be periodically operated by the timepiece and the switch operating wheel 145 respectively, this pulsewise operation being only of interest during use of the emitter as a distress emitter for facilitating detection of the emitter by receiving stations tuned to the distress frequency. Therefore the pulse contact 144 must be rendered inoperative, this being for instance possible by allowing the extended antenna 128 to move back by a small distance. This may be accomplished by inward displacement of crown 130 against the action of spring 137 and without carrying along the part 134 until the inner faces of the wedges 138 abut against the outer end face 134 of part 134 and are lifted olf the conical surface 131 of the crown 130. Thereby the radial inward pressure of the wedges against the antenna wire is removed and the antenna is pulled back by a small distance, whereafter the crown 130 is released into its outer position in which the wedges 138 are lifted off the face 134' and are again firmly clamped against the antenna thereby preventing further inward motion of the latter. During the forementioned partial inward motion of the antenna the reel 126 is turned back by a sufficient angle for returning the contact lever into its off-position shown in pointed lines in FIG. 22. By these means the pulse contact 144 is unabled and it is possible to operate the emitter as desired by inward pressure against the crown 148. However, it is required to turn the crown 148 to its emitting position for which the contact arm of the potentiometer has left the end of the resistance element 151 and may now be closed by inward pressure against crown 148 whereby the emitter is operated in the manner described above. The emitted signal may be received by a similar radio set in receiving position. Therefore, it is possible to form a duplex telegraphy system with two similar radio sets of the type shown in FIGS. 19 to 26. When the radio sets involved in the duplex system are at a little distance from each other satisfactory communication may be obtained without extension of the antenna wires 128 since the high frequency signal is partially transmitted to and emitted by the ferrite antenna 75.

For completely retracting the wire antenna 128 the crown 130 is depressed as described above whereby the clamping effect of wedges 138 is cancelled and the antenna wire is pulled back by the resetting spring 127.

Of course different circuit elements may be omitted in the radio set disclosed in FIGS. 19 to 26 in order to obtain a somewhat simpler device. For instance, when the radio set is to be adapted for exclusive use as a distresscall emitter, switches 144 and 154 in the feedback circuits may be omitted andthe pulse switch 144, 147 may take the place of main switch 139, 140. Similarly the potentiometer 150, 151 and the relatively complicated twincrown 129, 130 may be omitted and a relatively simple crown only adapted for extension of the antenna wire 128 may be used. On extension of the antenna wire the main switch would be closed thereby causing continuous operation of the emitter. ln such a simplified emitter no provision must be made for resetting the extensible antenna because the batteries would be exhausted at the end of one single operating period of the emitter so that the emitter would need repair after each use. Such a complete simplified distress-signal emitter and the required batteries may completely be accommodated in the supporting clips 69 and 70 of the radio set so that the watch case would only have to take up the usual timepiece. This similarly applies for all embodiments of the radio set, that is, the electrical equipment of the radio set may completely be accommodated in the supporting clips independently of the purpose and construction of the radio set.

When the device may be adapted for local wireless intercommunication, for instance for a staff locating systern or a duplex telegraphy or telephony system, the eX- tensible antenna 128 and the parts required in connection therewith may completely be omitted, provided that sufiicient emitting power is obtained with the ferrite antenna 75.

On the other hand the radio set may be equipped with further elements so that it may be used as a speechmodulated emitter, whereby the loud speaker 74 may be used as a microphone, the audio-frequency amplifier 107 to 109 may be used as a microphone amplifier and the high-frequency amplifier 104 may be used as a speechmodulated emitter.

The supports 73 and 77 may be sealed in a manner that the complete radio set is fully water-tight.

Preferably two loud speakers may be used whereof the one allows perfect reproduction of low frequencies whereas the other allows perfect reproduction of high audio frequencies. It was further found that due to the extremely small size of the radio set having the external appearance of a watch and due to the perfect sound refiection on the metallic walls of the watch, extremely high acoustic overall efficiency of the device is obtained. It is one of the most surprising facts and advantages of this invention, that in spite of the very small dimensions and the extremely small acoustic power available the eiiiciency of the radio set according to this invention is very high.

What we claim is:

1. A radio set comprising a wrist watch casing, a pair of hollow supporting clips symmetrically and pivotably attached to the said casing, a plurality of radio set cornponents located in the said casing and in the said hollow clips, and conductive means electrically connecting the components in said casing and the components in said hollow clips, the said components including a loud speakll er, a current source and an antenna located in the said hollow clips.

2. A radio set comprising a wrist watch casing, a pair of hollow supporting clips symmetrically and pivotably attached to the said casing, a plurality of radio set components located in the said casing and in said hollow clips, conductive means electrically connecting the cornponents in said casing and the components in said hollow clips, and a timepiece having a dial and hands in said casing, the said components including at least two different radio set components located in said hollow clips.

3. A radio set comprising a wrist watch casing, a pair of hollow supporting clips symmetrically and pivotably attached to the said casing, a plurality of radio set components located in the said casing and in said hollow clips, conductive means electrically connecting [the components in said casing and the components in said hollow clips, and a timepiece in said casing, the said components located in the clips including at least a loud speaker.

4. A radio set comprising a wrist watch casing, a pair of hollow supporting clips symmetrically and pivotably attached to the said casing, a plurality of radio set components located in the said casing and in said hollow clips, and conductive means electrically connecting the components in said casing and the components in said hollow clips, the said components including at least two 12 different radio set vcomponents located in said hollow clips.

5. A radio set according to claim 1, the said clips comprising a metallic mantle enclosing a hollow space tapering from the attachment of the clips towards the free end thereof, carriers of insulating material being inserted into the said hollow spaces and components of the radio set being inserted into the said carriers.

6. A radio set according to claim 5, comprising a loud speaker and an antenna located in the said hollow spaces, the said metallic mantle having apertures near the said loud speaker and near the said antenna, the said apertures allowing passage of the sound and radio waves respectively.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENT Sv 2,101,033 Mashbir et al. Dec. 7, 1937 2,255,897 Rehori et al Sept. 16, 1941 2,553,089 Holder May l5, 1951 2,554,270 Rosenberg May 22, 1951 OTHER REFERENCES Richmond Times Dispatch, January 20, 1946, Dick Tracy Wrist Radio,

Washington Star, March 19, 1954, article entitled: Armys New'Wrist Radio.

Images