Improvements in Automatic Time-keeping Apparatus for Registering the Time Worked by Employees in Factories, Offices, and other Places.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 20th May, 1887
Complete Left, 20th Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 6th Apr., 1888
Improvements in Automatic Time-keeping Apparatus for Registering
the Time Worked by Employees in Factories, Offices, and other
Places.
I, GEORGE WILLIAM PARKES, of Oatlands, Offerton Lane, Stockport, in the
County of Chester, Engine Packing Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
my said invention to be as follows :-
The object of my invention is threefold namely :-
1st. To ascertain the time that each of the workpeople arrive at the office or works
to commence his or her labour for the day, and the time they severally return to
resume work after meals.
2nd. To prevent all possibility of disputes or mistakes, by causing each of the hands
to present his or her time tablet or card to the register which marks thereon the time
they severally return to work.
3rd. To save the wages of an ordinary time-keeper who is always liable to error.
The apparatus comprising my invention is attached to a strongly made correct
going office or other clock, and is so combined therewith that the working of the
clock controls and regulates the register, which being in connection, always keeps
concurrent time.
To this end it consists of a horizontal spindle whereon are concentrically placed a
short distance apart, two discs, the peripherys whereof carry the figures of the register,
one of such discs for indicating and marking the minutes is, by suitable intermediate
mechanical appliances, connected with or otherwise controlled by the movements of
the spindle which carries the minute hand of the clock, and the other disc registers
and marks the hours.
The movements of the discs are in some apparatus made continuous, whilst in other
cases they are made to move intermittently and suddenly, the minute disc being
ready for registering at any time during a succession of intervals or rests of five
minutes each, which in many establishments in the time of grace allowed to those of
the hands who, living at a distance or from other cause, happen to be late. The
hour disc moves forward one hour, simultaneously with every complete revolution of
the minute disc.

page_text: The apparatus, which also comprises an inking appliance for supplying by means
of a traversing roller or other contrivance, any suitable marking ink to the registering
figures on the discs is, together with the clock securely closed and kept under lock
and key, so that it cannot be tampered with, the only means of communication with
the interior being through a thin slot or opening formed in a movable slide or ticket
holder, wherein severally in rotation the hands as they arrive insert or press in their
ticket or time card-By means of a lever or other contrivance operated by the hand
whose ticket is in the holder and about to be marked, the traversing inking roller or
appliance is caused to pass beneath and press against the the underside or edge of the
discs, and leave a sufficient quantity of ink on the registering figures to mark the
current interval of time on the ticket in the holder, which by a further movement of
the lever is then raised and pressed against the figures of the register, and by this
means is marked with the current time or interval indicated by the clock. By the
action of the lever a bell is also struck every time the register is operated.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Time-keeping Apparatus for Registering
the Time Worked by Employees in Factories, Offices, and other
Places.
I GEORGE WILLIAM PARKES of Oaklands, Offerton Lane, Stockport, in the
County of Chester, Engine Packing Manufacturer, 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 :-
The object of my invention is threefold, namely―
1st. To ascertain the time that each of the work people arrives at the office or works
to commence his or her labour for the day, and the time they severally return to resume
work after meals and otherwise.
2nd. To prevent all possibility of disputes or mistakes, by causing each of the
hands to present his or her time-ticket to the register, which marks thereon the time
they severally return to work.
3rd. To save the wages of an ordinary time-keeper who is always liable to error.
The apparatus comprising my invention is attached to or connected with a strongly
made correct going office or other clock, and is so combined therewith that the
working of the clock controls and regulates the register, which always keeps con-
current time.
To this end it consists of a horizontal spindle or spindles whereon are concentrically
mounted a short distance apart, two discs, the peripheries whereof carry the figures
of the register, one of such discs for indicating and marking the minutes, and the
other disc registers and marks the hours.
The movements of the discs are intermittent and sudden, the minute disc being
ready for registering at any time during a succession of intervals or rests of five
minutes each, which in many establishments is the time of grace allowed to those of
the hands who, living at a distance or from some other cause, happen to be late. The
hour disc moves one division representing an hour, simultaneously with every
completion of a revolution of the minute disc.
The apparatus, which also comprises an inking appliance for supplying by means
of a traversing roller or other contrivance, any suitable marking ink to the registering
figures on the discs is, together with the clock, securely closed and kept under lock
and key, so that it cannot be tampered with, the only means of communication with
the interior being through a thin slot or opening, through which severally in rotation
the hands as they arrive, insert or press in one or other end of their ticket or time
card. By means of a lever operated by the person whose ticket is in the opening
and about to be marked, the traversing inking roller is by cam or side levers caused
to pass to and fro beneath, so as to touch and slightly press the underside or edge of
the discs and leave a sufficient quantity of ink on the registering figures to mark the
current interval of time on the ticket which, by a further movement of the lever, is

page_text: raised and pressed against the figures at the underside of the discs, and by this
means the ticket is marked with the current time or interval correspondingly indicated
by the clock. By the action of the lever, a bell is struck every time the register
is operated.
Two sheets of drawings accompany this Specification. On Sheet 1, Fig. 1 exhibits
a front view of the interior of the apparatus, and Fig. 2 a side view partly in section.
Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, and 6ª show details to be referred to. On Sheet 2, Fig. 7 shows a
plan of the lower part of the apparatus. Fig. 8 a plan of the upper part.
Figs. 9, 10, details, and Figs. 11 and 12 show the two sides of a ticket filled
with the printed register of the time worked on the several days comprising a
week's marking of the apparatus. Fig. 13, is a ticket folded, and Fig. 14, shows the
ticket in a pocket case.
C
In Fig. 1, Sheet 1;-A marks the fixed framework of the apparatus-B marks
the minute disc, which is furnished with figures that print or mark the minutes, and b
shows a small ratchet wheel that actuates the disc B. C denotes the hour disc which
by means of the ratchet wheel c and the pendant pawl D, is caused to move one
division after every complete revolution of the minute disc B. C¹ indicates the place
for the date stamp, and shows the axes respectively of the discs and ratchets which,
to ensure motion free from friction, are mounted rectilineally between centres. The
pendant pawl D hangs down in front of the ratchets b, and c, from the fore end of a
weighted lever marked E, (see Figs. 3 and 4), its weighted back end being slowly
raised by the gradual increasing diameter of the revolving cam F (Fig. 6) which
obtains motion from the clockwork by means of F¹ that marks an endless chain and
pulley fixed on the spindle that carries the cam F which is timed to revolve once every
five minutes of time. So soon as the highest point of the cam F has passed under the
weight of the lever E, the latter suddenly falls down the radial line of the cam on to
its smallest diameter, which raises the opposite end of the lever, and the pawl D then
acts upon the serrated teeth of the ratchets, moving the minute disc one division or
five minutes forward concurrent with the time at that moment indicated by the clock.
There is one divisional notch of the ratchet b, that completes the hours. This notch
marked b¹ is made deeper than the rest, so that when the free end of the pawl D
enters this notch and is raised, it catches hold of the point of one of the teeth of the
ratchet c which causes the hour disc C to move and mark or indicate one hour further
in advance, and so on, the hour disc C being moved one division or hour every
complete revolution of the minute disc B. G and G mark two fricton levers which
by the springs 9, 9, are caused to press upon and hold the discs B and C, whilst they
mark or print the tickets, the friction being removed immediately afterwards by the
forked rod G' the lower end whereof is bent (see Fig. 6) so that its lateral projecting
piece G shall be pressed down by the axis or spindle R when after the impression is
made on the ticket the spindle descends. H marks the inking roller, on the axis
whereof are loosely mounted two antifriction bowls marked h, one on each end.
These bowls traverse to-and-fro in the horizontally fixed side guides I, and by this
means a correct level motion of the inking roller is secured-see Fig. 2 j marks a safety
plate fixed to the front end of the ticket surface K, the upper half of this plate
blocks the opening in the door of the apparatus when the ticket surface is down, and
the lower half when it is raised. A slotted opening marked J is made in the safety
plate, coincident with the level of the top of the ticket surface, and through this
opening the work people insert that end of their ticket which they wish to be marked
with the register. The ticket surface K, seen in Figs. 1, 2, and 9, 10, is furnished
with an adjustable stop piece marked k, the position whereof is regulated by the
screw, the fore end of which is made square so that it may easily be turned by a
watch or clock key, the screw being held in place by the point of the small screw
which in Fig. 9 is seen to enter the annular groove in the small pulley which is
fixed on or forms an enlarged back end to the screw k¹. The ticket surface has also
fixed to its back end two carrier arius marked Q. It is horizontally fixed upon the
vertical slide L which, by means of the hand lever M and the antifriction bowl m is
moved up and down in the guide L' which forms a portion of the fixed framework of

page_text: the apparatus. On the ends of the spindle R which (see Figs. 1 and 2, and 9 and 10)
is carried by the bosses at the lower ends of the carrier arms Q are loosely mounted
and marked N, two bowls, one at each end, and these bowls when the ticket surface
is raised, traverse the cam path in the lower section of the side levers O, and by
this means
the inking roller H is caused to pass quickly across the apparatus
beneath the marking discs B and C and leave sufficient ink on the letters to mark or
print the tickets respectively when they are pressed up against them. The downward
motion of the ticket surface is effected by its own weight, as soon as the pressure on
the handle of the hand lever M is relaxed. S marks the lock which safeguards the
apparatus. T denotes the bell which is struck after each marking operation, and t
marks the parts that operate the bell hammer t¹. V and V (Figs. 11, 12,) show the
two sides or surfaces of a card that contains the markings of a week's work.
Fig. 13 shows a card folded, and W marks a small pocket case in which the folded
case is placed.
The tickets remain in possession of the workmen during the current week excepting
at such times as they may be required by the wages clerk for entering in the wages
book the number of hours worked by the several workpeople, to be calculated
according to the registered markings on their tickets respectively. These tickets
may afterwards be kept for future reference.
Having now clearly described and ascertained the nature and object of my
invention, and the manner in which it is to be performed, what I claim as my
invention consists in:
First I claim the construction and use of registering apparatus which shall
move in concert with time indicated by a correct going clock during the working
hours of the day, and be capable of marking or printing on the time tickets of
workmen the time they return to commence work in the early morn, the times
they return after the intervals allowed for breakfast and dinner respectively, and
after other times of rest.
Second I claim the provision and use of apparatus whereby each working
hand may cause his or her time ticket to be marked or printed with figures
denoting the times of return to work in the morning, after meals, or otherwise, as
herein described.
Third I claim the form and manner of folding the time tickets and so printing
them with the figures of the register that they contain the whole of the markings
made upon them respectively during a week's work as herein described.
GEO. DOWNING,
Agent for Applicant.