Year: 1886

page_text: WHO
I, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN of 67 Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, a communication to me
from abroad by Carlos Merritt Barnes, Merchant, and Niles Edmond Baker,
Inventor, both of Enosburgh Falls, Franklin Co., Vermont, United States, and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to an improvement in electric call and fire alarms, and
it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices that will be
more fully set forth hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings:
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus embodying the improvements, a portion
of the disk of the switch being removed, and the circuits being traced.
Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same.
Fig. 3 is an elevation of a modification of the invention.
The invention relates more especially to that class of electrical alarms which are
employed in hotels, steamboats, etc, for awaking or calling the guests and the
object of the invention is to provide an apparatus by means of which a guest in
any room in the hotel may be aroused at any time that he desires, automatically,
and by means of which all the guests in all the rooms of the hotel may be aroused
simultaneously, in the event of a fire.
In the drawings :—
A represents the enclosing case, B the clock, and C the switch. For convenience
of reference the switch levers, rotating disk, switch table and their immediately
connected parts are collectively called the "switch." The clock may consist of
any ordinary time-piece, a marine clock in which there is a balance wheel and
hair spring being preferable. The enclosing case is provided with a hinged cover B¹

page_text: having circular openings covered by panes of glass, through which to disclose the.
face of the clock and the disk of the switch.
D represents a hollow standard secured to the bottom of the case, near one end
thereof. Mounted on this standard, and connected electrically therewith, is a
circular disk E having on its under side a spindle e that enters the hollow standard.
A set screw el passes through one side of the standard and enters an annular groove
made in the spindle. This enables the disk to be freely rotated on the standard.
The disk is provided with peripheral spur teeth a, and at its centre is a dial bon
which are inscribed a series of figures, from one to twelve, arranged radially
around the centre of the disk and corresponding with the twelve hours represented
on the dial of the clock. From these numbers radiate rows of openings c the said
openings in each row corresponding in number to the rooms in the hotel and are
numbered to correspond with the said rooms. There are twelve of these rows of
openings c, arranged radially around the disk and corresponding with the twelve
hours.
Midway between the rows of openings c are similar rows of openings & corre-
sponding to the half hours, and between the said rows of openings d´and c are
radial rows of openings f, corresponding to the quarter hours.
As herein shown there are but four openings in each radial row, but it will be
understood that in practice there will be as many openings in each row as there
are guest chambers in the house.
The disk E and the standard D are made of brass or other suitable electrical
conducting material.
L.
F represents a disk which corresponds in size and shape with the disk E and is
also provided with peripheral spur teeth. This disk F is geared to the sleeve or
arbor carrying the hour hand of the clock, so that the disk is rotated thereby, and
at the same rate of speed.
A pinion G is mounted on a standard between the disks E and F, and meshes
therewith.
From the foregoing it will be understood that the disk E is geared to the clock
in such a manner as to be rotated thereby and caused to complete a revolution
every twelve hours.
H represents a block under the disk E. On this block are pivoted a number of
switch levers I, corresponding in number to the openings in each radial row in the
switch disk. These switch levers are each provided with a spring K to keep them
normally out of contact with the contact points L, and the switch levers are also
each provided with a tappet arm M, made of conducting material and connected
electrically with the switch levers.
On the bottom of the enclosing case are secured a series of contact springs N,
corresponding in number to the switches, and each contact spring is connected to a
contact point L by a wire O.
In Fig. 1; 1, 2, 3 and 4 represent a series of four ordinary electric call bells, one
of which is placed in each guest chamber in the house. These call bells are
connected in circuit with the contact springs N and with one pole of a battery P
by means of wires R.
S represents a switch arm, which is pivoted on the bottom of the enclosing case,
and has a button or handle at its free end. The play of this switch arm is
limited by stops T and U.
i
V represents a wire which is connected to the remaining pole of the battery and
to the switch arm S and the standard D. W represents switch pins which are
adapted to be inserted in the radial arms of openings in the rotating switch disk.
Z represents a pointer at the upper side of the disk E by means of which the
latter may be set so as to correspond with the hour hand of the clock.
The operation of the invention is as follows:-
-:
The switch arm S is normally in contact with the stop T and is thereby dis-
connected from the contact spring. The spring-actuated switch levers I are also

page_text: normally out of contact with the points L; so that the call bells 1, 2, 3 and 4 are
connected in open circuit with the battery and the disk E. We will suppose that
a guest in No 2 desires to be aroused at 4 o'clock. In order to do this a switch
pin is inserted in opening No 2 of the row c corresponding with the hour 4 of the
dial b. When the clock indicates the fourth hour, the disk E will have been
rotated so as to cause the pin W to come in contact with the tappet arm of the
switch lever in the circuit including the call bell 2 thus closing the said switch
lever against its contact point L, and closing the circuit when the call bell 2 will
be sounded, as will be very readily understood.
The rows of openings & and ƒ enable guests to be called on the half or quarter
hours.
In order to arouse all the guests at the same time, in the event of a fire, the
switch arm S is closed against the stops U and is thus brought in contact with all
the contact springs N thereby causing the electric current from the battery to flow
through the wire V to the switch arm S, from thence through the contact springs N
and the wires R to all the call bells and from thence back to the battery, thus
causing an alarm to be sounded in every guest chamber in the house.
Instead of connecting the disk E with the clock by the means bereinbefore
described, a sprocket wheel s may be secured to the hand arbor of the clock, and
a similar wheel t secured to the centre of the disk E, and an endless chain u
employed to connect the said sprocket wheels 8 and t, as shown in Fig. 3.
It will be obvious that more or less numbers and holes may be employed on the
disk E, as desired, or in accordance with the number of rooms that are provided
with alarm bells, and that when each room is provided with a bell the rows on the
disk E will each contain but one number and one pin hole corresponding there-
with; but the rows are to be arranged radially around the centre of the disk, and
the same number of rows employed, whether they contain more or less numbers
and holes.
In the event that it is desired to provide the disk E with additional numbers
and pin holes, when more rooms are added to the hotel or additional call bells
introduced, such numbers and pin holes may be formed, as at Y, arrange radially,
but out of line with the radial rows of openings c, d, f.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. The combination with the clock mechanism, of the disk E actuated thereby,
and adapted to rotate in unison with the hour hand of the clock, the battery and
the call bells connected in open circuit, the switches to close the said circuits and
sound either of the bells, and the switch pins adapted to be inserted in openings
in the disk and strike the switches to close the latter as the disk rotates, sub-
stantially as described.
2. The combination of the rotating disk E having the radial rows of numbered
openings corresponding to the hours, the battery and the call bells connected in
open circuit, the switches to close the said circuits and sound either of the bells,
the switch pins adapted to be inserted in the openings in the disk and close the
switches as the disk rotates, and the pointer, substantially as described.
3. The combination of the rotating disk E having the radial rows of openings,
and the numbered dial to indicate hours, co-incident with the rows of openings,
the battery and the call bells connected in open circuit, the switches to close the
said circuits and sound either of the bells, the switch pins adapted to be inserted
in the openings in the disk and close the circuits as the disk rotates, and the
pointer, substantially as described.
4. The combination with the battery, the call bells connected therewith in open
cirenit, the switches to close the circuits, and the rotating disk having the pins to
close the switches, and the switch aim S adapted to shunt the bell circuits into

page_text: connection with the battery simultaneously, whereby all the bells will be sounded
at once, for the purpose set forth, substantially as described.
5. In an alarm mechanism of the character described the spring actuated switch
levers having the tappet arms, in combination with the movable disk having the
pins to strike the said arms and operate the switches, substantially as described.
Dated this 4th day of Santambar 1906 -
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