An intermittent motion mechanism comprises a pair of ratchet wheels mounted in side-by-side relationship for rotary movement independently of each other. One of the ratchet wheels is provided with an extra deep tooth space between two of its ratchet teeth and this ratchet wheel is intermittently rotated by a reciprocatory feeding ratchet to cyclically advance same through a series of angular increments to a position wherein the extra deep tooth space moves into alignment with one of the tooth spaces existing between the ratchet teeth of the other ratchet wheel. When the extra deep tooth space is aligned with the other tooth space in this manner, either the aforesaid feeding ratchet or another feeding pawl engages with both ratchet wheels and angularly advances them in unison through one angular increment.

A display device is provided containing a transparent or translucent panel having a display on the front or back of said panel, illuminating means mounted back of said panel to cause light to be transmitted around or through said display, and a plurality of discs mounted for rotation in front of said illuminating means to the rear of said panel and to one side of said display, said discs having radial light transmitting sections and means to cause the rotation of said discs, preferably a clock mechanism, to produce a flashing radial light.

A clock mechanism including a fixed ring defining an inner annular surface and an outer annular surface. An hours disc is disposed to roll against one of the surfaces so as to traverse the full annular extent thereof once every twelve hours. A minute disc is disposed to roll against the other of the annular surfaces so as to traverse the full annular extent thereof once every hour. In the illustrated embodiment, the discs define planet gears, with the hours planet gear being driven by an hours sun gear so as to roll against the inner ring gear of the fixed ring. The minutes disc defines a planet gear driven by an outer ring gear to roll against the outer minute sun gear defined by the outer annular surface of the fixed ring. The fixed ring may be provided with suitable indicia to define a chapter ring.

Pawl mechanisms for showing or indicating measurements of various orders of magnitude (e.g. seconds, minutes and hours) for applications such as for example electric clocks. Two basic embodiments are disclosed, the first (FIGS. 1-11) comprising a shift pawl working in conjunction with notched wheels and having pawl lugs extending therefrom in a number equal to that of the notched wheels and being staggered in depth with respect to one another. The notched wheels have both standard and extra-deep notches along their periphery, the frequency of occurrence of the latter being related to the magnitude relationship of the next upper order of magnitude (e.g. every 60th notch in the seconds there being 60 seconds in a minute wheel). Thus, as the lug of the pawl used for one given order of magnitude engages into the extra-deep notch of the wheel in conjunction with which it works and moves lower, the lug on the pawl used for the next upper order of magnitude engages the notced wheel with which it operates in such a way as to move it forward by one division. In a second embodiment (FIGS. 12-18), use is made of a plurality of pawls in a number equal to that of the notched wheels in conjunction with which they work. Each of the notch wheels (except for the highest order magnitude wheel) is provided with a pawl engaging cam profile which is made as an auxiliary cylindrical surface concentrically formed with the periphery of the notched wheel and is provided with a number of depressions related to the jump to the next upper order of magnitude. When the pawl element engages a depression, and is thereby allowed to move further downward, the pawl element also then engages the notched wheel of the next upper order of magnitude, moving it forward one division. In a first design (FIGS. 14-16), the concentric cylindrical surface is raised above the notched surfaces of the wheel and the lugs are of equal length; while in a second version (FIGS. 17 and 18) the concentric cylindrical surface is below the notched surface and the lugs are staggered in length.

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.