Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1891-12-14
AN ELECTRIC TOWN CLOCK.
A Description of Timepiece That Is
Really Unique and Interesting.

A Description of a Timepiece That Is
Really Unique and Interesting.
The first tower clock actuated by
electricity in the United States is in
successful operation in the court house
in Los Angeles, Cal. This pioneer
timepiece, that is commonly termed
1.-THE big clock, " might be called in DO.
tanical parlance II composite, for It is
in reality four clocks, as each dial in the
tower is supplied with its own separate
apparatus, operated by wires from the
main battery. There are also sixteen
smaller clocks located in various parts
of the building, and these twenty
clocks beat time together without tick
ing, but with instantaneous precision.
The regulator which does the time
keeping is n large eight day clock that
differs from an ordinary regulator only
in being provided with two insulated
wires, and when it's second hand com
pletes its round it comes in contact
with platinum point, wlsch instanta
neOus touch tla,lCs II lnC:nCntary cleo
tric circuit by means oi he wires. the
fash commuA,e;;t .lE VIII all the other
clocks, and clc.i ooays the teleSraphic
mandate by pointing a new minute.
The source of the electricity for all
this automatic whispering is found in
batteries that are located in one of the
tower rooms, where two separate install
lations, each containing 211 cells are
in a cabinet together. Only one of the
two sets is however required at a time
the other is simply for use in case of
an emergency, and it is but the work of
an instant to connect the whole appa-
ratus with the unused battery by sim
ply turning the handle of a compound
switch. The clocks need not lose a
minute in the change, for the switch
ing can be accomplished between the
electric flashes. Among the interesting
parts'Of the ingenious mechanism is a
relay through which all the electric
currents pass.
This relay has at one end an arma-
ture and magnet similar to but larger
than those seen in u common tele-
graphic sOrnder The lever OF the mag
net works u shaft that causes eighteen
brass fingers to vibrate. When the
fingers fall they complete the electric
current in eighteen wires that run to
the twenty dials-cOnnectiOn being as
simultaneously broken when the fingers
are raised. Ocular proof of the pres
sence of electricity is given in green
sparks on the tips of the brass points
when the connection is broken.
Many persons climb the extra flights
of stairs above the battery room and
only pause in the section of the tower
where the four great dials are placed.
The gigantic hands of rolled steel each
weigh forty pounds and are to be seen
dimly through the translucent glass of
the dials that are about sixteen feet in
diameter. The shaft that carries the !
hands pierces the center of the disk |
where it is connected with large arm
allure with an attachment of brass cog |
wheels.
Each flash over the wires leading |
from the battery room whirls through |
the big spool Of wire in the armature,
magnetizes the soft iron core and shield, |
swings a ratchet lever, gives Il turn to |
the brass cog wheels, and thus causes |
the minute hand outside to swing along |
nearly ten inches We go down to the |
outside world POO feet below and |
when we turn to look up once more at
the minute hand we understand that |
its seeming short steps each announce
that down in the heart of the great |
building the tiny, trembling second
hand of the regulator has just com
pleted another delicate cycle and
marked the flight of another minute
Cor. Springfield Republican.