CLOCK MECHANISM SPIRAL SPRING Russian patent published in 2023 - IPC G04B17/06 C22C30/00 C22C27/04 C22F1/18 

FIELD: clock.

SUBSTANCE: present invention relates to a helical spring intended for installation on the balance of a clock mechanism. The spiral spring designed to be mounted on the balance of a watch movement is made of an alloy consisting of: Nb, Ti and at least one element selected from Zr and Hf; optionally at least one element selected from W and Mo; possibly traces of other elements selected from O, H, C, Ta, Fe, N, Ni, Si, Cu, Al. The alloy is characterized by the following content in wt.%: the content of Nb is from more than 45 to 85%, the total content of Ti, Zr and Hf is 16 to 55%, and the total content of Zr and Hf is 10 to 25%, the content of W and Mo respectively is 0 to 2.5%, the content of each of these elements, selected from O, H, C, Ta, Fe, N, Ni, Si, Cu, Al, is 0 to 1600 ppm, whereas the sum these trace elements is less than or equal to 0.3 wt.%. A method for manufacturing a helical spring intended for installation on the balance of a clock mechanism includes, in succession, the step of providing a workpiece from at least a ternary alloy of the specified composition, the step of hardening said workpiece in the beta phase region, so that titanium from the specified alloy is in the form of a solid solution with niobium in the beta phase, zirconium and/or hafnium are also in the form of a solid solution, a step in which said alloy is subjected to a series of successive deformations with an intermediate heat treatment, a winding step to form a helical spring, and a final heat treatment step.

EFFECT: alloy has high elastic limit and modulus of elasticity, as well as a practically zero temperature coefficient of elasticity in the usual temperature range of wrist watch use, which will ensure the maintenance of chronometric characteristics regardless of temperature fluctuations when using watches comprising a spiral spring made from the claimed alloy.

13 cl, 1 tbl