Improvements in Time Indicators for use in connection with a Telephonic Service.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Oct., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 23rd July, 1900-Accepted, 6th Oct., 1900
Improvements in Time Indicators for use in connection with a
Telephonic Service.
I, ROBERT WILLIAM JOHN SUTHERLAND, of Cheyne Villa, Caerphilly, in the
County of Glamorgan, Chartering Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in time indicators for use in connection
with a telephonic service, for indicating the exact time a telephone is in actual
use, in order that the user can see how this time is progressing during the
engagement of the instruments.
It is customary for telephonic inter-communication over long distances such
for instance as what are known as "trunk calls," that is, across country from
one town or city to another, as distinguished from across the same town or
city in which both the calling-user and the called-user are situated, to be paid
for by time, and for the time per call to be limited to a few minutes. This
method of regulating the use of the lines, works admirably on the whole, but
disputes frequently occur between the users and the telephone company as to
the exact time the instruments are engaged. Hitherto as far as my knowledge
goes there has been no special device for indicating and checking the exact
time the instruments have been engaged, and showing the user how the time
is progressing during the period of their use.
The object of this invention is to provide a time indicating and checking
device or appliance which can be attached to, and work in conjuncton with,
any ordinary clock or watch movement or other form of time-piece, and which
will indicate the exact number of minutes, seconds, or other division of time
that may be necessary for checking the time during which the telephone is in
actual use.
Thus in my invention mechanical devices such as make up any ordinary watch
or clock movement are employed, and to these I add a special device and indi-
cating hand or pointer. The said hand or pointer may be fixed as a centre-
seconds hand on the central main spindle, or it may be fixed on a special spindle
apart from the main spindle as an ordinary seconds-hand; the number of minutes
or other predetermined sub-divisions of time being marked upon a circle on
the dial. This circle is preferably sub-divided into six equal parts representing
one minute each, and the hand is so timed as to take six minutes to traverse
the entire circle or make one revolution, and then it is automatically stopped
at the zero point by any suitable stop or arresting device.
The spindle of the wheel which drives the spindle on which the escape wheel
is fixed, is provided with an additional pinion with which is geared a toothed
wheel. Upon the face of this latter wheel is fixed a wheel having mitred teeth
cut entirely around its periphery or instead thereof, these gear wheels might
be formed integral with the mitre-wheel. To gear with this mitre-wheel is
another similar mitre-wheel; both these wheels being preferably provided with
teeth of very fine pitch in order that any motion of the one when they are in

page_text: gear may be transmitted to the other without loss of time, and the number
of teeth in each is the same. Instead of these fine teeth the periphery of one
or both of the wheels may be provided with rubber bands or may be smooth
or simply milled or roughened and so converted into friction gears.
These mitre-wheels are not arranged at a right or other angle as mitre or
bevel wheels generally are, but are arranged so as to be in one and the same
plane and in such manner that the smaller diameter of the one wheel is
adjacent to the larger diameter of the other.
The spindle of the second mitre-wheel in the form now under description,
corresponds to that of the seconds-hand of an ordinary clock or watch, that is
to say, not a centre-seconds spindle but a separate spindle outside or eccentric
to that carrying the hour and minute hands. This spindle is provided with a
hand or
pointer which works over the six-minutes or special circle on the dial
or face of the clock. The circle in question is divided and sub-divided according
to the predetermined time limit allowed for the use of the telephone. For
instance it may be divided into six equal divisions, each representing one minute
as before stated.
Normally the two mitre-wheels are held out of engagement with each
other by means of one or more springs, although one of them, the driver, is
always in engagement with the clock train; and in order to bring the driven
one into engagement with the driver, the spindle bearing the driven mitre-
wheel may be provided with an annular groove and one end of a pivoted lever
forked so as to embrace the groove, so that any movement of the said lever will
carry forwards or backwards, as the case may be, the said spindle longitudinally
in its bearings and consequently the driven mitre-wheel which is fast on this
spindle; thus the driven mitre-wheel may be brought into engagement with
the driving one by merely turning the said lever on its pivot. A convenient
method of turning said lever on its pivot is to pivot another lever beneath the
tail end of it, one end of this latter lever catching behind the tail end of the upper
or first-mentioned lever and the other or lower end of the second lever beyond
its pivot having a projection or stem which projects through the casing of the
apparatus and bears at its extremity a pressel or push-button, so that on pressing
the said push-button, the lever connected thereto is pushed backward at its
lower end and consequently forward at its upper end, which being behind the
tail end of the upper lever, brings this tail end forward, consequently throwing
its upper end backwards, which in turn pulls the spindle bearing the driven
mitre-wheel, thus bringing the said wheel into engagement with the driving
mitre wheel, when instantly the six minutes or other predetermined period of
time commences to be indicated by the revolution of the hand fixed on the
spindle of the driven mitre-wheel, over the special circle on the clock-face.
Now, as the mitre-wheels are brought into gear by pressure on the press
button against the contra action of springs, the latter would return the pressel
levers and consequently again throw the wheels out of gear on the pressure being
released, which would of course be undesirable as the mitre-wheels must be
kept in gear during the full six minutes or other predetermined period of time,
so in order to obviate this, some suitable means is provided whereby the driven
mitre-wheel is simultaneously released from its zero stop and prevented from
returning. This may be effected by providing the driven mitre-wheel with a
notch into which normally a pin or tongue on the bearing bracket of said wheel pro-
jects, so that on the said mitre-wheel being pushed into gear with the other wheel,
the said notch is drawn away and released from the said pin or tongue stop,
and as the driven-mitre wheel commences to revolve immediately it is brought
into gear, it carries the said notch out of alignment with the tongue, and thus
the latter is prevented from again entering the notch and the wheel is held
in gear until a complete revolution has been made, when the notch and tongue
again come into alignment, and the wheel springs back bringing the groove
over the tongue, thus again locking the said driven-mitre-wheel as desired.

page_text: It must be understood that the construction above described is only one
method of carrying out my invention when applied to the movement of an
ordinary drum clock, and that this construction may be varied in many details
without departing from the spirit of or exceeding the scope of the invention:
for example the mechanism for driving the indicating hand can be composed of
any train or series of wheels, and geared in any manner according to the speed
of the master driving-wheel, and the period of time required to be indicated.
Again the stop mechanism may be any well-known or suitable device.
The operation is obvious: On the calling-user getting the information that he
is through to the called-user, he (the calling-user) presses the button of his
time indicator, whereupon the mitre-wheels are thrown into gear and the time.
commences to count against him. He can see during the whole time the progress
of the indicating hand, and thus is assisted in bringing his conversation to a
close with the expiration of the time allowed.
In applying my invention to a watch which can be carried in the pocket, the
mechanism would be substantially as described above, but necessarily somewhat
modified in shape and size to suit the restricted space.
When the indicating hand is situated as a centre-seconds hand, the mitre-
wheels can be located on the same spindle, which latter may be lengthened to
afford room for them all.
Dated the 20th day of October 1800
PHILLIPS & LEIGH.
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Time Indicators for use in connection with a
Telephonic Service.
I, ROBERT WILLIAM JOHN SUTHERLAND, of Cheyne Villa, Caerphilly, in the
County of Glamorgan, England, Clerk, 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in time indicators for use in connection
with a telephonic service, for indicating the exact time a telephone is in actua!
use, in order that the user can see how this time is progressing during the
engagement of the instruments.
It is customary for telephonic inter-communication over long distances such
for instance as what are known as trunk calls that is, across country from
one town or city to another as distinguished from across the same town or
city in which both the calling user and the called user are situated, to be paid
for by time, and for the time per call to be limited to a few minutes. This
method of regulating the use of the lines works admirably on the whole, but
disputes frequently occur between the users and the telephone company as to
the exact time the instruments are engaged. Hitherto as far as my knowledge
goes there has been no special device for indicating and checking the exact
time the instruments have been engaged and shewing the users how the time
is progressing during the period of their use.
The object of this invention is to provide a time indicating and checking
device or appliance which can be attached to, and work in conjuncton with,
any ordinary clock or watch movement or other form of time piece, and which
will indicate the exact number of minutes, seconds or other division of time
that may be necessary during which the telephone is in actual use. Thus

page_text: In my invention mechanical devices such as make up any ordinary watch, clock
or other timepiece movement are employed, and to these I add a special device and
indicating hand or pointer. The said hand or pointer may be fixed as a centre-
seconds hand on the central main spindle, or it may be fixed on a special spindle
apart from the main spindle as an ordinary seconds hand; the number of minutes
or other predetermined sub-divisions of time being marked upon a circle on
the dial. This circle is preferably sub-divided into six equal parts representing
one minute each, and the hand is so timed or geared as to take six minutes to
traverse the entire circle or make one revolution, and then it is automatically
stopped at the zero point by any suitable stop or arresting device.
I will now proceed to describe my invention in detail reference being had
to the accompanying drawings which illustrate that modification of it wherein
the indicating hand is fastened on a special spindle apart from the central main
spindle. In these drawings-
Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved time indicator; part of the
glass window being broken away to shew the novel mechanism.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure 1; part of the case being broken away
to shew the mechanism within.
Figure 3 is a front elevation of my improved time indicator complete with
indicating hand which latter is not seen in Figure 1 because it comes away
with the glass.
Figure 4 is a detail in side elevation of the special bevel wheel shewing the
slot in same and the end of the bracket bearing the projection or tongue which
engages therein to stop the indicating hand at the end of each revolution.
Figure 5 is a vertical section of Figure 4 taken on the line 5-5.
In these drawings the motive power is supplied by a coiled spring, this being
the preferable device, but of course weights or other sources of power may
be employed to operate the mechanism if desired. A is the case containing all
the mechanism, only part of the ordinary time-recording mechanism is shewn.
B is the motive-power spring. C is the main spindle. D is the wheel which
is mounted loosely on the main spindle and the sleeve of which carries the
hour hand. This wheel forms part of the train and is driven in the usual manner.
E is the spindle of the wheel which drives the spindle bearing the escape wheel.
So far the arrangement is the same as in any ordinary timepiece; the novel
mechanism consisting of the following:
The spindle of the wheel which drives the spindle on which the escape wheel
is fixed, is provided with an additional pinion, marked a, with which is geared
a toothed wheel b. Upon the face of this latter wheel is fixed a wheel c having
mitred teeth cut entirely around its periphery, or instead thereof the said gear
wheel might be formed integral with the mitre wheel c. Gearing with this
mitre wheel is another similar mitre wheel d both these wheels being preferably
provided with teeth of very fine pitch in order that any motion of the one when
they are brought into engagement may be transmitted to the other without loss
of time. The number of teeth in each of these wheels is practically the same.
Instead of these fine teeth the periphery of one or both of the wheels may be
provided with rougher bands or may be smooth or simply milled or roughened
and so converted into friction gear.
These mitre wheels are not arranged at a right or other angle as mitre or
bevel wheels generally are, but are arranged so as to lie in substantially one
and the same plane, and in such manner that when brought into gear the
smaller diameter of the one wheel is adjacent to the larger diameter of the other
as shewn in Figures 1 and 2.
The spindle of the mitre wheel corresponds to that of the seconds hand
of an ordinary clock or watch, that is to say not a centre-seconds spindle but
a separate spindle mounted outside or eccentric to that carrying the hour and
minute hands. This spindle e is provided with a hand or pointer f (shewn in
Figures 2 and 3) which works over the six minute or special circle
on the

page_text: dial or face of the timepiece. The circle in question is divided and if necessary
sub-divided according to the pre-determined time limit allowed for the use of
the telephone. For instance it may be divided into six equal divisions as before
stated and as shewn in Figure 3.
Normally the two mitre-wheels and d are held out of engagement with
each other by means of one or more springs although one of them, the driver e
is always in engagement with the pinion a which is driven by one of the
wheels of the train, and in order to bring the driven one into engagement
with the driver the spindle e bearing the driven mitre wheel & may be provided
with an annular groove or bearing pins e, and one end of a spring i forked at
its end to embrace this groove or bear against the pins el so that any move-
ment of the said spring will give a longitudinal movement forwards or back-
wards as the case may be in its bearings to the said spindle and consequently
impart a similar movement to the mitre wheel & fast thereon. Thus the driven
mitre wheel may be brought into engagement with the driving one c by
merely pressing backward the said spring in a backward direction.
A con-
venient method of thus pressing backward the said spring is to pivot a lever
such as a short distance beneath the said spring, the upper end of this lever
catching behind the tail end of an upper or second pivoted lever having its
upper end bent at or about a right angle therewith and which is normally
pressed forward by a spring keeping the nose of the lever just out of
contact with the spring i, the other or lower end of the lever having a pro-
jection or stem which projects through the case of the apparatus and bears
at its free extremity a pressel or push-button m normally kept forward by a
spring so that on pressing the said push-button the lever connected
thereto is pushed backward at its lower end, and consequently forward
at its upper end, which being behind the tail end of the upper lever brings
this tail end forward and consequently throws the nose on its upper end
backward against the spring thereby moving the spindle e bearing the driven
mitre wheel & with it, and thus bringing the said wheel into engagement with
the driving mitre wheel c when instantly the rotary movement of c is imparted
to d and the six minutes or other predetermined period of time commences
to be indicated by the revolution of the hand or pointer fixed on the spindle
of the driven mitre wheel over the special circle g on the dial.
Now, as the mitre wheels c and d are brought into gear by pressure on the
push-button, against the contra-action of a spring or springs on the said
pressure being released the springs would return the pressel levers & and i, and
consequently the spring i will again throw the wheels and / out of gear,
which would of course be undesirable, as the mitre wheels must be kept in
gear during the full six minutes or other predetermined period of time, so in
order to obviate this, some suitable means is provided whereby the driven mitre
wheel is simultaneously released from its zero stop and prevented from
returning. This may be effected by providing the driven mitre wheel d with
a notch or groove (see Figures 4 and 5) into which normally a pin or tongue o
on the bearing bracket of said wheel projects, so that on the said mitre
wheel d being brought into gear with the other mitre wheel the said notch
is drawn away from the pin or tongue o, and thus releases the said pin or
tongue, and as the driven mitre wheel commences to revolve immediately it
is brought into gear it carries the said notch out of alignment with the
tongue and thus the latter is prevented from again entering the notch, and
the wheel held in gear until a complete revolution has been made, when
the notch and tongue o will again be in alignment, and the spring i will
cause wheel d to spring back bringing the groove over the tongue », thus
again locking the said driven mitre wheel d as desired.
It must be understood that the construction above described is only one
method of carrying out my invention as applied to the movement of an ordinary
spring-motor timepiece, and that this construction may be varied in many

page_text: details without departing from the spirit of or exceeding the scope of the inven-
tion. For example, the mechanism for driving the indicating hand f can be
composed of any train or series of wheels and these may be geared in any
manner according to the speed of the master driving wheel and the period of
time. Again, the stop mechanism may be any well known or suitable device.
The operation or use is obvious: On the calling-user of the telephone getting
the information that he is through to the called-user, he, the calling-user,
presses the button of his time indicator, whereupon the mitre wheel dis
thrown into gear with the other mitre wheel and the time commences to
count against him, the indicating hand f shewing its progress.
He can
during the whole time the progress of the indicating hand and thus is assisted
in bringing his conversation to a close with the expiration of the time allowed.
The finger is only kept for an instant on the push-button, as the wheel d
immediately turns and so prevents the tongue from again entering the notch n
until a complete revolution has been made.
•
see
In applying my invention to a watch which can be carried in the pocket, the
mechanism would be substantially as described above but necessarily somewhat
modified in shape and size to suit the restricted space.
When the indicating hand f is fixed on the main spindle as a centre-seconds
hand the mitre wheels can be located on the same spindle, which latter may
be lengthened to afford room for them.
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. A time-indicator for use in connection with a telephonic service, consisting
of the combination with an ordinary timepiece or time-indicating mechanism,
of bevil gearing connecting the motor-train with the seconds-hand spindle
adapted to communicate any desired speed to said spindle, the special indicating
hand fast on said spindle, the special divided circle on the general dial traversed
by said hand, the spring keeping the gearing of the indicating-hand normally
out of gear with the motor-train, the combination of levers and press-button
for bringing said gear into engagement at will, and the device for maintaining
the said gear during a given time and automatically disengaging the gear
on the completion of that time consisting in the aforesaid spring, the notch
in the sleeve of the indicating-hand gear and the tongue on the bracket which
supports said wheel adapted to engage said notch at each revolution of the
indicating hand, as described.
2. In a time-indicator for use in connection with a telephonic service, the
combination with time-indicating mechanism of the spring for keeping the
gearing of the indicating-hand spindle normally out of engagement with
the motor-train, the combination of levers and press-button for bringing said
gear into engagement at will, and the device for maintaining the said gear
during a given time and automatically disengaging the gear on the completion
of that time consisting in the notch in the sleeve of the indicating-hand gear
wheel, and a tongue on the bracket which supports said wheel adapted to engage
said notch at each revolution of the indicating-hand, as described.
Data do of L.... 1000
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.