An Improved Automatic Check Recorder or Tell-tale Clock.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 17th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 21st Sept., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Automatic Check Recorder or Tell-tale Clock.
I GEORGE MITCHELL of Sewan, Sarun, Bengal, India, at present residing at
Bankhead, Dalswinton in the County of Dumfries N.B. Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
may be
In carrying out my Invention I employ a revolving drum or frame which
fixed in either a horizontal or vertical position and made to revolve by clockclock or
other mechanism. In, on, or affixed to the above mentioned drum or framework are
such a number of spaces divisions pins or other means of containing or supporting
tickets or checks as may be necessary to represent any given intervals of time.
have say forty eight divisions each representing a quarter of an hour. These divisions
in the revolving drum or framework pass a slit or opening in the outer casing through
which checks or tickets can be passed into or dropped from at any regular or
irregular period of time. On the framework the spaces or divisions are marked as
representing the period of time corresponding to the time indicated on the dial of the
clock; working and, in connection with the mechanism a slide or shoot is employed
to ensure the check or ticket falling into the space or division on the drum during any
part of the fixed period of time the mouth of the shoot being carried forward and over
the space or division by means of projections on the drum or framework.
My improved recorder worked as a tell-tale clock to show that night watchmen, in
mills, factories, press houses or offices etc., have done their duty in going their rounds
regularly is carried out as follows:-
When two recorders are used I place them at any suitable distance apart and in
such a position that the watchman in going from one recorder to the other has to pass
through the most important part of the mill or offices to be guarded against fire or
robbery.
One of the recorders drops a ticket from the revolving drum or framework every
quarter, half, three-quarters, or hour as may be arranged by placing the checks or
tickets in the division or on the peg representing the quarter, half, three-quarters,
hour, or desired period of time.
As an illustration, say at half past eleven the first recorder drops a ticket stamped
11-30, the watchman being supposed to be there to receive it and if he is allowed
half a hour to go his rounds he must reach the second recorder before twelve o'clock
and drop the check or ticket through the slit or opening in its outer casing, the check
or ticket, of course, falling into the division passing the slit at the time thus recording
if the watchman was up to time.
The outer casing of the recorder and mechanism being locked it is impossible for
the watchman to manipulate or interfere with the checks or tickets to suit his time
and only the manager or person entrusted by him to have access to the keys can
arrange times and read the records of how the watchman performed his duty.
My invention worked say for example in an indigo factory varies insomuch that
only one receiving recorder is necessary, it being only required to know the exact
hour at which the steeping vats were opened i.e. the liquor run off from the steeping
to the beating vats which is done by opening pins on the bottom level of the steeping
vat or in many cases flat valves and allowing the liquor to run out from the higher
into the lower vat.
The vats must be opened at stated times which are at irregular intervals and nearly
always during the night. During the day before the water is let into the steeping vat
the manager or some one deputed by him to do so, attaches by means of a spring hook
or some such convenient arrangement, a brass ticket on to the inside of the pin or

page_text: valve with the number of the vat stamped on it; the vat is afterwards "loaded" and
"watered" in the usual way and when the vat is opened during the night the man
who opens the vat removes the check or ticket from the pin or valve and drops it into
the clock thus recording, the time at which the steeping vat was opened. Any number
of vats can thus be recorded in the same way.
Dated this 28th day of November 1888.
H. B. BARLOW,
A'gent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Automatic Check Recorder or Tell-tale Clock.
I, GEORGE MITCHELL, of Sewan, Sarun, Bengal India, at present residing at
Bankhead, Dalswinton, in the County of Dumfries, N.B. Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be particularly
described and ascertained and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
In carrying out my invention I employ a revolving drum or frame which may be
fixed in either a horizontal or vertical position and made to revolve by clockwork or
other mechanism. In, on, or affixed to the above mentioned drum or framework are
such a number of spaces divisions pins or other means of containing or supporting
tickets or checks as may be necessary to represent any given intervals of time. I
have say forty eight divisions each representing a quarter of an hour. These divisions
in the revolving drum or frame work pass a slit or opening in the outer casing
through which checks or tickets can be passed into or dropped from at any regular or
irregular period of time. On the framework the spaces or divisions are marked as
representing the period of time corresponding to the time indicated on the dial of the
clock; working and in connection with the mechanism a slide or shoot is employed to
ensure the check or ticket falling into the space or division on the drum during any
part of the fixed period of time the mouth of the shoot being carried forward and over
the space or division by means of projections on the drum or framework.
And in order that my invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings reference being had to the
figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved' automatic check recorder or
tell-tale clock and Fig. 2 is a plan of the revolving drum or frame.
The Drawing Figure 1 shows the interior of the casing a of my improved
recorder or tell-tale clock and the back of the dial or clock face b; c, c¹ designate
two of the dial motion wheels d'the pendulum and e the hour wheel. A worm not
shown is secured to and révolves with the hour wheel e and drives a worm wheel f
fixed on a spindle g on which is also fixed a spur wheel h gearing into a spur wheel i
fixed on the shaft of the revolving drum or frame k shown also in the plan Fig. 2.
The gearing in this instance is so arranged that the frame kinakes one complete
revolution in every twelve hours. In the upper face of the frame k'are forty eight
slots or openings below each of which is a box or casing so that the frame kis
divided into forty eight separate compartments each of which comes in its turn during
the revolution of the frame k under a slot a¹ in the casing a. Below the slot a¹
and inside the casing a is pivoted at m¹ a shoot m guided by which a ticket or
check may be dropped into the box k² at that time below the slot a¹.
As the frame k in this particular instance is divided into forty eight compartments k²
and is arranged to make one complete revolution in every twelve hours it follows
that each slot k¹ and box k takes a quarter of an hour in passing' beneath the
slot a consequently to enable a ticket or check to be dropped through the slot a¹
and shoot m into the corresponding box at any time during any quarter of an
hour there are forty eight inclined projections on the face of the drum k and
each of these in turn keeps the mouth of the shoot mover and carries it forward
الي

page_text: until at the expiration of the said period of a quarter of an hour the projection
leaving the shoot m allows the latter to fall back on its pivots mi¹ and hang over
the next box k³ being carried forward for quarter of an hour by the next projection k³,
as described.
The recorder shown and above described is arranged to receive checks or tickets
during periods of fifteen minutes but it will be readily understood that the period
may be varied and that by very slight structural alterations the apparatus can be
arranged to deliver checks or equivalents at every quarter of an hour or other
desired period.
My improved recorder worked as a tell-tale clock to show that night watchmen,
in mills, factories, press houses, or offices etc., have done their duty in going their
rounds regularly is carried out as follows:
11
When two recorders are used I place them at any suitable distance apart and
in such a position that the watchman in going from one recorder to the other has
to pass through the most important part of the mill or offices to be guarded against
fire or robbery.
One of the recorders drops a ticket from the revolving drum or framework every
quarter, half, three-quarters, or hour as may be arranged by placing the checks or
tickets in the division or on the peg representing the quarter, half, three-quarters,
hour, or desired period of time.
As an illustration, say at half past eleven the first recorder drops a ticket stamped
11-30, the watchman being supposed to be there to receive it and if he is allowed
half an hour to go his rounds he must reach the second recorder before twelve
o'clock and drop the check or ticket through the slit or opening a¹ in its outer casing,
the check or ticket, of course, eventually falling into the division ** passing the
slit at the time thus recording if the watchman was up to time.
The outer casing of the recorder and mechanism being locked it is impossible
for the watchman to manipulate or interfere with the checks or tickets to suit his
time and only the manager or person entrusted by him to have access to the keys
can arrange times and read the records of how the watchman performed his duty.
My invention worked say for example in an indigo factory varies insomuch that
only one receiving recorder is necessary, it being only required to know the exact
hour at which the steeping vats were opened i.e. the liquor run off from the
steeping to the beating vats which is done by opening pins on the bottom level of
the steeping vat or in many cases flap valves and allowing the liquor to run out
from the higher into the lower vat.
The vats must be opened at stated times which are at irregular intervals and
nearly always during the night. During the day before the water is let into the
steeping vat the manager or some one deputed by him to do so, attaches by means
of a spring hook or some such convenient arrangement, a brass ticket on to the
inside of the pin or valve with the number of the vat stamped on it; the vat is
afterwards "loaded" and "watered" in the usual way and when the vat is opened
during the night the man who opens the vat removes the check or ticket from the
pin or valve and drops it into the clock thus recording the time at which the
steeping vat was opened. Any number of vats can thus be recorded in the same way.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In an automatic recorder the arrangement use and application of a revolving
drum or frame such as k contained within a suitable casing and combined with a
clock work mechanism and dial substantially in the manner and for the purposes
described and as illustrated by the accompanying Drawing.
2. The combination with the revolving drum or frame k divided into compart-
ments and provided with projections k³, of the pivoted shoot m substantially as
herein set forth for the purpose specified.

page_text: 3. The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting my improved
automatic recorder or tell-tale clock substantially as and for the purposes indicated.
Dated this 16th day of Annet 1889
H. B. BARLOW,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agent for Applicant.