Evening star., 1938-05-01
At0n,ized Time Deuice Brings
Honor to NdvdI Inventors
Paul Sollenberger and
Capt. Hell,Ueg Receive
LOngstreth Medal.

A device that divides time into q
ttousandth Of second and auto
matically broadcasts 1t to the world
every hour has brought to its inven-
tors. Capt. Frederick Hellweg, U. s. N.
retired, superintendent Of the Naval
Observatory. and his assistant. Paul
Sollenberger, the Edward Longstreth
Medal Of the Franklin Institute at
Philadelphia, the Associated Press re-
ported yesterday.
Given for encouragement of inven-
ton, the medal recognizes the Hellweg-
Sollenberger devices, which increases
the accuracy Of radio time signals"
The device is located in the time serv-
Ice room at the observatory.
Looking like a square-shap ped clock,
1t was invented in 1881 by Capt. He'll
veg. The captain and Mr.. Sollen-
berger made the plans for 1t and it
was constructed by the mechanics at
the observatory. On May 7, 1884, the
device was placed in commission. So
perfectly has 1t operated that it has
run continuously since, the captain
said yesterday.
To protect the Government, Capt.
Hellweg suggested to the Navy De-
partment that the device be patented,
and this was done. Mr. Sollenberger
receiving half interest. The super
intendent conceived the idea, he said,
while sitting in his office one evening.
Has Triple Personality.
Capt. Hellweg described the inven-
ton as possessing triple personality.
1t is an oscillator- controlled electrical
clock. maintains uniform time with
very great accuracy. automatically
flashes signal and then takes charge
OF the time broadcast.
A glass plate, about the size of an
ordinary dinner plate. is attached to
the spindle and the edge of the plate
etched with 1000 marks, each repre-
senting the thousandth of a second.
1t takes one second for the glass plate
TO revolve. A neon light flashes with
the beat of the clock, enabling the
scientists to synchronize this time
piece With the master clock kept in
the vault.
perlscope gives the reading COM
pared with the running of the side
real clock. Five minutes before every
hour the device becomes an electrical
robot, so that it flashes a signal to
radio central in the Office of Naval
communications at the Navy DEPART
ment. The man on watch there throws
switch and this puts the invention
IN command of the broadcast over the
naval radio time system at Arling-
ton, Va.
In the lower compartment is the
reproducing mechanism that broad
casts the entire time signal program.
After making the zero hour signal the
apparatus cuts off. remains silent for
55 minutes and reproduces the signal
doing this "a hours a day 365 days
year, without personal supervision.
Time and Man Power Saved.
Previously, the superintendent said,
1t was necessary to have an astrono-
rner on duty and it took II minutes
to prepare for the time signal and it
was possible to send out only six sig
mails day. Now, with the new appa-
ratus, five or six seconds. once a day,
suflces to check up, and an hourly
service is sent out.
Where before there was an average
error Of four one-hundredths of a Sec
ond, now the error is IL one-thou.
sandths Of a second, Capt. Hellweg
said. Scientists from England, China
and elsewhere have come here to see
the device, which has created wide
interest in learned circles.
But this is just the beginning, Capt.
Hellweg declared. new device has
Just been completed with money pro-
cured from the Navy Department, and
1t possesses jeweled bearings and the
finest material has hean incornnrated