Improved Apparatus for Turning Gas or other Taps or Cocks by Clockwork.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 10th June, 1896-Accepted, 12th Sept.. 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Turning Gas or other Taps or Cocks by
Clockwork.
We, FRANK SIMON SMITH and JOHN HENRY SMITH, both of 27 Queen
Street, Derby in the County of Derby, Clockmakers, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of our invention is to provide an apparatus of a simple construction
for operating gas or other taps or cocks by clockwork at appointed times, our
invention being more especially applicable to turning the gas on and off in
connection with the illuminated dials of public clocks, which particular application
thereof is herein described and illustrated.
Referring to the sheet of drawings forming a part of this specification :
Figure is a side elevation shewing the application of our invention to the
purpose hereinbefore stated.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
The small wheel A represents the centre wheel in a clock which revolves once
an hour and in carrying out our said invention we arrange a large toothed wheel B to
gear with A and revolve once in twenty-four hours, in the rim of the wheel B are
drilled or otherwise formed any desired number of holes C, say for the sake of
illustration forty-eight, each hole thus representing half an hour of time, movable
screw or other pegs D are screwed or otherwise secured in the said holes C
according to the time it is desired to turn the tap on and off.
As the wheel B revolves the holes are arranged to pass the four armed piece or
cam E and thus when a hole arrives with a peg in it the spindle F is moved
one quarter of a revolution so opening the tap G and the next peg which comes in
contact with an arm of the cam E will turn the plug of the tap another quarter of
a revolution and close the tap.
For the sake of illustration the holes in the rim of the wheel B are numbered
on the drawing according to the hours of the day they represent, and four pegs
are shewn inserted therein from which it will be seen that the gas would be turned
on between the hours of 5 and 7 in the morning and between 5 and 11 in the
evening.
The tap H is a bye pass for allowing a small supply of gas to pass to the burners
which would burn as a small light during the time the main supply was turned off
at the tap G.
The connections between the spindle F and the tap G may be of any reasonable
and convenient length and may take any desired direction by introducing suitable
gearing such as bevil wheels on universal joints.
The centre of the four armed piece E might be placed outside the rim of the
wheel B if desired, but will be found to be more efficient in the position shewn.
It will be evident that our invention may be applied to other purposes thau
turning gas taps such for example as operating water or steam taps at given times.
Any other convenient number of holes might be made in the wheel B
according to the divisions of time required, for example between the hours of
9 a.m. and 3 p.m. it is possible that such holes would not be required at all for
some purposes.
The cam E may if desired be provided with more than four arms if it is desired
to vary the supply of gas or liquid, but for general purposes the arrangement shewn
will be found most useful.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
The improved means of operating gas and other taps or cocks from the centre or
other wheel of a clock, consisting of a large gear wheel B whose rim is formed with
holes C adapted to receive movable plugs or pegs D, in combination with a cam or
armed piece E which through the medium of a spindle and suitable connections turns
the tap G substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this 9th dor of June 1896
W. SWINDELL,
Imperial Chambers, Albert Street, Derby,
Agent for the Applicants.
W. SWINDELL,
Imperial Chambers, Albert Street, Derby,
Agent for the Applicants.