IMPROVEMENTS IN TELL-TALE CLOCKS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Mantell Pratt, of Holly Cross,
Wargrave, Berkshire, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN TELL-TALE CLOCKS."
Sealed the 27th January 1871, and dated the 3rd August 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Mantell Pratt
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 3rd August 1870.
I, FREDERICK MANTELL PRATT, of Holly Cross, Wargrave, Berkshire,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
" IMPROVEMENTS IN TELL-TALE CLOCKS," to be as follows:-
The improvements consist in the application to an ordinary clock of a
cylinder or drum driven by the mechanism of the clock, the cylinder or
drum is covered with a sheet of paper which is attached to it by spring
clips or by other means capable of allowing the sheet of paper to be easily
taken off the cylinder or drum and a fresh piece of paper substituted. The
sheet of paper is divided longitudinally into hours, and parts of hours,
and also crosswise into as many divisions as there are places to be visited

page_text: by the watchman. Each cross division has a corresponding marker,
which indicates by the puncture or impression it makes on the paper
the time the watchman visits the place connected with that marker.
The marker may be actuated by wires and levers or by electro-magnetic
- apparatus or by other means.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters. Patent,
filed by the said Frederick Mantell Pratt in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 1st February 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
MANTELL PRATT, of Holly Cross, Wargrave, Berkshire, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Frederick Mantell Pratt, Her special
licence, that I, the said Frederick Mantell Pratt, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Frederick Mantell Pratt,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for " IMPROVEMENTS
IN TELL-TALE CLOCKS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Frederick Mantell Pratt, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Frederick Mantell Pratt, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying

page_text: Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say) :-
The improvements consist in the application to an ordinary clock of
a cylinder or drum driven by the mechanism of the clock, the cylinder
5 or drum is covered with a sheet of paper which is attached to it by spring
clips or by other means capable of allowing the sheet of paper to be easily
taken off the cylinder or drum and a fresh piece of paper substituted.
The sheet of paper is divided longitudinally into hours, and parts of
hours, and also crosswise into as many divisions as there are places to be
visited by the watchman. Each cross division has a corresponding
marker which indicates by the puncture or impression it makes upon the
paper the time the watchman visits the place connected with that
marker. The markers may be actuated by electro-magnetic apparatus or
by levers and wires or by other means.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily.
carried into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings, which represent two modes of performing my Invention;
but I wish it to be understood that I do not intend to limit myself to
the details given as they may be considerably varied and modified.
Figure 1 is a front elevation, and Figure 2, a vertical section of a clock
with the improvements attached showing how the markers may be
actuated by electro-magnets.
a is an ordinary clock from off the train of wheelwork of which is
driven the upright spindle b, on the upper end of which is a small
pinion c gearing into a toothed wheel d, which makes one revolution for
every revolution of the hour hand of the clock, this wheel d has a long
socket journal on its under side which is carried by the bearing e. The
socket journal of the wheel d receives the lower end of the spindle of the
cylinder on which is fixed the piece of paper divided as shewn at
Figure 10. The rotary motion of the wheel d is transmitted to the
cylinder by a pin g, fixed in the wheel d and fitting easily into a hole
in the lower end of the cylinder. The upper end of the spindle on which
the cylinder is fixed has a fine screw cut upon it which works in a nut
or screwed bearing h, by this means the cylinder is raised and a fresh
portion is brought opposite to the markers j at every revolution of the
cylinder should it be desired not to change the registering paper every
day. When it is desired to change the registering paper every day, the
screw on the cylinder spindle and the screwed bearing may be dispensed

page_text: with, and the cylinder may be attached to the wheel d without the long
socket journal and pin g. When it is required to replace the registering
paper by a new one, the cap i is raised and the bearing hand cylinder f
can be lifted out. The paper is secured to the cylinder by spring clips
by adhesive substances or by other suitable means.
The enlarged views Figures 3 and 4 shew more clearly the markers j,
constructed for being actuated by electro-magnetism. The electro-
magnet k on being brought into action by the watchman completing the
current by pressing the actuating knob at the corresponding station
attracts the armature 7, which gives a vibrating motion to the marker j,
the motion of the latter punctures the registering paper on the
cylinder. Beneath the paper the surface of the cylinder is covered with
a soft material that the point of the marker may make a fair hole in the
paper and yet not receive any injury itself from the cylinder.
Figure 5 is a vertical section of the tell-tale clock with the markers
constructed to be worked by levers and wires; the mechanism for driving
the cylinder is in this case similar to the arrangement already described
in the Figures 1 and 2. . The method of actuating the markers is shewn
more fully in Figures 6 and 7. An upright rod m carries all the markers
on which each is separately free to move, each marker is always kept in
contact with an upright bar n, by means of a spring o fastened to the
same barn, the purpose of this spring is to give a rapid return motion to
the marker after it has been suddenly liberated by the actuating catch p.
It will be seen on reference to Figure 7 that these levers are variously
bent aside, so that the wire of each lever may not become entangled by
the wires of the neighbouring ones.
Figure 9 shews a portion of one of the registering papers arranged for.
a day's use, and for shewing the hours only.
Figure 10 shews a similar portion of one of the papers arranged for seven
days' use and ruled to shew the hours and quarters of hours. Instead
of removing the cylinder for the purpose of putting in a fresh registering
paper the cylinder may be driven by the wheel d by a friction spring, so
that it can be readily turned round without disturbing the action of the
clock, and the paper may then be put on from a door at the back part of
the clock. Instead of points being used to mark the registering paper,
transfer paper may be placed under the registering paper and figures or
letters used for the markers.

page_text: And having now described the nature of my said Invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim the
cylinder fin combination with the registering paper and markers j for
the
purpose of registering the time that a watchman visits certain places
or performs certain duties, and the general arrangements and com-
binations of parts, substantially as herein-before described and shewn in
the accompanying Drawings
·
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Mantell Pratt, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this First day of February, in the-
year of our Lord. One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
FREDERICK MANTELL PRATT. (L.S.)