Mechanism for Cutting Off Gas or Electric Current at any desired Time.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 20th June, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 19th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 2nd May, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Mechanism for Cutting Off Gas or Electric Current at any desired
Time.
1, THOMAS JOSEPH PHIPPS, of 13 Alexandra Villas, St. Alban's Road,
Watford, in the County of Hertford, Watchmaker and Jeweller, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
I employ an ordinary clock having an ordinary train of alarum wheels. Upon
the arbor of the great wheel of this train of wheels I affix a wheel or barrel
around which a cord can be wound. Another arbor of this train driven by the
great wheel is as usual impeded from turning by an arm or preferably one or
other of two opposite arms upon it coming against a pin stop except at the time
at which the pin is moved out of the way by the going of the clock. When the
stop pin is in position to prevent the turning of this train of wheels and the cord
is pulled
on the spring which is to revolve the main wheel is wound up as the cord
is drawn off from the barrel a pawl and ratchet wheel arrangement being provided
to allow the barrel and its spindle to turn in the direction without the great
wheel turning with it. When the stop pin is withdrawn the train of wheels is
revolved by the spring and the cord is again wound up on to the barrel and is made
either to turn a gas tap to shut off gas from a burner or to shift the moveable
part of an electric switch to cut off electric current.
The alarum movement I use is one in which as in some alarum movements
heretofore made the wheel which serves to hold the pin stop in acting position
and which is driven from and at the same speed as the hour hand spindle is
outside the frame which carries the trains of clock work wheels. The pin stop is
made to pass through a hole in the front plate of the frame and to be pressed by
a spring towards the boss of the wheel driven from the hour hand spindle. This
wheel is free to turn around and slide along the spindle upon which it is mounted,
it is pressed outwards along the spindle by the action of the spring above
mentioned and made to bear against a disc fixed on the spindle at its front end-
the disc has a notch cut in its rear face and on the front face of the wheel is a
ratchet-like tooth which bears against the rear face of the disc until such time
as by the turning of the wheel the tooth comes opposite to the notch-the wheel
is then free to be pressed outwards by the action of the spring and the spring
draws the pin stop out of action.
The spindle which carries the disc also carries the ordinary indicator hand by
the aid of which the position of the notch in the disc is known so that by turning
the spindle upon which the disc is fixed it can be moved into position for causing the
alarum train of wheels to be liberated at any desired time.
For causing the cord as it is wound up on to the barrel as above mentioned to
shut off gas I attach the end of the cord to an arm extending from the movable
part of a tap. The conical plug I make the fixed portion of the tap and secure
it by an arm extending at a right angle from its larger end to the exterior of the
clock casing. The plug has a passage formed into but not quite through it from
this end and by a gas supply pipe the passage is supplied with gas. The passage
terminates in a branch passage which passes out through the plug's conical side.
The outer shell which fits over the conical plug is made to be the movable portion
of the tap and can be turned around the plug.

page_text: In the shell is a passage extending into it from one point in its interior coned
surface to an orifice at its end where the shell surrounds the smaller end of the
fixed coned plug. When the shell is turned into such a position that the inner
end of the passage in it comes opposite to the end of the branch passage in the
plug gas can therefore pass through the passage in the shell. A short tube with
an end disc upon it is fixed to the smaller end of the plug-the face of the disc
is made to fit against a flat face on the end of the shell. A passage is formed
from the interior of this tube to the face of the disc in such position that the
passage in the shell comes opposite to it at the time when the passage in the shell
is open to the supply of gas-gas therefore can then pass to the short tube and
from it can be conveyed to the gas burner or burners.
The shell has an arm extending from it to which the cord is attached as above
mentioned. When the arm is turned into position to turn on gas for the burner
to be lighted it draws the cord off from the barrel on which it is wound and winds
up the spring of the alarum movement. When the alarum movement is set free
it draws back the arm and turns off the gas. The cord is led through a fixed
guide eye as it comes from the barrel so that it may be drawn to and fro with
little friction.
T
1007
Mechanism for Cutting Off Gas or Electric Current at any desired
Time.
I, THOMAS JOSEPH PHIPPS of 13 Alexandra Villas, St. Alban's Road,
Watford, in the County of Hertford, Watchmaker and Jeweller, 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-
I employ an ordinary clock having an ordinary train of alarum wheels. Upon
the arbor of the great wheel of this train of wheels 1 affix a wheel or barrel
around which a cord can be wound. Another arbor of this train driven by the
great wheel is as usual impeded from turning by an arm or preferably one or other
of two opposite arms upon it coming against a pin stop except at the time at
which the pin is moved out of the way by the going of the clock. When the
stop pin is in position to prevent the turning of this train of wheels and the cord
is pulled on the spring which is to revolve the main wheel is wound up as the
cord is drawn off from the barrel or pawl and ratchet wheel, arrangement being
provided to allow the barrel and its spindle to turn in the direction without the
great wheel turning with it. When the stop pin is withdrawn the train of wheels
is revolved by the spring and the cord is again wound up on to the barrel and is
made either to turn a gas tap to shut off gas from a burner or to shift the
moveable part of an electric switch to cut off electric current.
The alarum movement I prefer to use is one in which as in some alarum
movements heretofore made the wheel which serves to hold the pin stop in acting
position and which is driven from and at the same speed as the hour hand spindle
is outside the frame which carries the train of clockwork wheels.
The drawing annexed shews an example of mechanism constructed according
to my invention. The arrangement shewn is adapted for cutting off a supply
of gas.
Figure 1 is a face view of the mechanism.
Figure 2 is a face view of the clock work withdrawn from the clock case.
Figure 3 is a plan view of the same.
This is an underside of the cow ton

page_text: Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of the tap.
The other views shew the parts of the tap separately.
A is the clock face, B is the tap. B' is an arm extending from it and C is a
cord extending from the arm through a guide eye A3 in the casing A¹ to a
barrel D fast on the arbor of the great wheel E of the ordinary alarum movement..
F is a coiled spring for driving this arbor. G is a ratchet wheel fast on the arbor..
H is a pawl carried by the wheel E engaging with the ratchet wheel. The teeth.
of the ratchet wheel are cut in such a direction that when the cord is pulled upon
and the barrel thereby turned and the spring wound up-the barrel and its arbor
are free to turn without the wheel E turning with them but when the arbor is.
revolved in the opposite direction by the action of the spring the wheel E has to
turn with it. 1 is a pinion on an arbor I driven from the wheel E, on it are
arms 12, one or other of which comes against a pin stop J when the stop is in
acting position. The pin stop J' extends backwards from the spring J-this
spring bears against the back of a wheel K whilst on the front of this wheel is a.
ratchet like tooth K. The wheel K is as shewn in Figure 2 geared with the-
hour hand spindle M and revolves at the same speed, it is free to turn around
and slide along its spindle L. The spring presses the wheel outwards along its.
spindle and causes the tooth K¹ on the face of the wheel to bear against the
back of a disc L¹ which is fast on the front end of the spindle L. L² is a notch.
cut in the rear face of the disc L. When by the turning of the wheel K the
tooth K is brought opposite to the notch L³ the wheel is pressed outwards by the
spring and the spring draws the pin stop out of the way of the arms 12 so allowing
the arbor I and barrel D to be revolved and the cord thereby wound up and the
tap turned into its shut off position. The act of turning the tap into its open.
position winds up the spring and puts it in readiness for again winding up the-
cord on to the barrel and shutting off the tap when the clock allows it to do so.
The spindle I which carries the disc L' also carries the ordinary indicator
hand M by the aid of which the position of the notch L2 in the disc L¹ is known
so that by turning the spindle L' upon which the disc is fixed it can be moved
into position for causing the alarum train of wheels to be liberated at any desired
time.
The tap I form preferably in the way shewn at Figure 5. Its conical plug N.
I make the fixed portion of the tap and secure it by an arm extending at a right
angle from its larger end to the exterior of the clock casing as shewn in Figure 1..
The plug has a passage formed into but not quite through it from this end and
by a gas supply pipe the passage is supplied with gas. The passage terminates
in a branch passage O which passes out through the plug's conical side. The
outer shell P which fits over the conical plug is made to be the moveable portion.
of the tap and can be turned around the plug.
In the shell is a passage extending to an orifice P¹ at its end where the shell
surrounds the smaller end of the fixed coned plug. A short tube R with an end
disc R¹ upon it is fixed to the smaller end of the plug by a screw S and the face
of the disc is made to fit against a flat face on the end of the shell.. A passage R2.
is formed from the interior of this tube to the face of the disc in such position.
that the passage P¹ in the shell can be brought opposite to it to allow gas to
pass to the short tube R and from it can be conveyed to the gas burner or
burners.
Other suitable construction of tap may be used in place of that shewn in the
drawing. It is also evident that in place of the cord being connected to the arm
of a tap for shutting off gas it may be connected to a switch lever for cutting off
electric current or to other mechanism.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inveu-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what [
claim is :-
1. The combination of a clock and barrel having a cord extending from it-a.

page_text: spring acting to turn the barrel in a direction to wind up the cord and stop
mechanism which normally keeps the barrel from being turned by the spring but
which goes out of action when the clock liberates it at any set time substantially
as described.
2. The combination of the clock-the barrel-the cord extending from it the
spring acting to turn the barrel in a direction to wind up the cord-the toothed
wheel loose on the barrel axis-the pawl and ratchet wheel for causing the toothed
wheel to turn with the axis when the barrel is revolved in the direction to wind
up cord the pinion gearing with the toothed wheel-the arms extending from its
axis the pin stop which normally comes in the way of the arms and keeps the
pinion from being revolved and the spring tending to draw back this pin out of
the way of the arms when the clock allows it to do so.
3. The construction of mechanism for cutting off gas or electric current
substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the drawing annexed.
Dated this 16th day of March 1896.
T. J. PHIPPS.