Year: 1886

page_text: I, ROBERT FROST, of 8 Cazenove Road, in the County of Middlesex, Baker, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to that class of clocks known as alarums, which set a bell
in motion at any given time to which they may be set, to awaken a sleeper, and it
is designed, in addition to or in place of the mechanical bell now usually employed,
and which only runs for a limited time, to combine with the clock and alarum
movement an electric bell, either with or without the mechanically struck bell,
which shall at the same time be set in operation and continue to ring until the
sleeper stops it, by breaking an electrical circuit.
In the present system of alarums, either the movement of a wheel parallel to its
axis, carrying a snail, sets the mechanical alarum in motion; or, to throw the
mechanical gear into action, a lever is allowed to drop into a recess upon the
periphery of a disc on the axis of any suitable wheel. Now, upon the arbor of
the said snail, I may mount a contact piece, and in front of this contact piece is the
terminal of a wire, leading to any suitable battery, the other wire therefrom being
connected to any part of the framework of the clock. Upon the drop of the wheel
at the head of the snail, when the mechanical bell is set in motion, contact is
made either by the said contact piece or through the snail itself touching the wire
terminal, and circuit is established through an electro magnet operating an electric
bell, and this is set in operation continuously, until the sleeper rises, and breaks the
circuit by a suitable switch provided at any part of the circuit, though suitably
upon the box containing the bell.
Similarly, if the mechanical, motion of the alarum be set in operation by the.
drop of a lever into a recess, or by any other mechanical movement, the essence of
my invention is that I utilize such movement, or any suitable co-incident contact,
to close the circuit through the electrical bell.
T
1007
FELL & WILDING,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, ROBERT FROST, of 8 Cazenove Road, in the County of Middlesex, Baker, 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:
My invention relates to that class of clocks known as alarums which set a bell
in motion at any given time at which they may be set to awaken a sleeper, and it
is designed, in addition to, or in place of the mechanical bell now usually employed,
and which only runs for a limited time, to combine with the clock and alarum
movement an electric bell, which shall at the same time be set in operation and
continue to ring until the sleeper rises and stops it by breaking an electrical
circuit.
In order that my invention may be the better understood, I now proceed to
describe the same in relation to the drawings hereunto annexed, reference being
had to the letters and figures marked thereon. Like letters refer to like parts
throughout the drawings.
Figure 1 is a perspective elevation of my improved alarum.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of my electrical contact on the alarum movement of
the clock.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the same.
Figure 4 is a detail front elevation of plug, closing electrical circuit, to place
apparatus ready for operation.
Figure 5 is a sectional plan of the same.
A is the alarum clock surmounted by the usual mechanically struck bell B.
This clock may be of any known type, and is shown conveniently mounted on the
battery case C, carrying the well known electrical bell D, the plug E enabling the
user at any time to break the electrical circuit, and thus throw the electrical bell
out of action.
In the present system of alarums, either the movements of a wheel parallel to its
axis and carrying a snail, sets the mechanical alarum in motion, or, to throw the
mechanical gear into action, a lever is allowed to drop into a recess upon the
periphery of a disc on the axis of any suitable wheel.
In figures 2 and 3, F is the arbor of an ordinary alarum clock, carrying a wheel
and snail G. This arbor is set in the usual way, so that as the wheel and snail G
revolve slowly, the surface of the snail, pressed against a pin ġ in the stationary
arbor F, is allowed to move forward parallel to its axis F, by reason of the inclined
surface of the snail being always pressed home on the stationary pin by the
spring H behind the wheel G. This, so far, is the usual movement of any alarum
clock, releasing the detent for the movement to the mechanically struck bell, but
I utilise this movement to make electrical contact through the body of the wheel
with a contact strip K, connected to one terminal k of my electrical battery. The
other terminal k is connected to the frame in electrical communication with the
wheel G. The electrical circuit is thus completed when the wheel G advances

page_text: upon its axis sufficiently to make electrical contact with the contact strip K. The
movement of the snail wheel (or any equivalent movement of a lever or other part
should the alarum be otherwise constructed) may make such electrical contact in
any equivalent and convenient manner.
By the contact, so effected, a circuit is established through an electro magnet of
the usual type, conveniently contained in the box L, which, operating upon the
hammer 1, rings the bell D, which is thus set in continuous operation until the
sleeper rises and breaks the circuit in any convenient way.
This may be effected by a switch or by a plug E (shown in detail in figures 4
and 5) interposed in the electrical circuit and by the withdrawal of which the
circuit is broken.
Similarly, if the mechanical motion of the alarum be set in operation by the drop
of a lever into a recess, or by any other equivalent mechanical movement, the
essence of my invention is that I utilise such movement or any suitable co-incident
contact to close the circuit through the electrical bell.
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:-
1st The construction of an alarum, in which the movement of the usual
mechanism, whatever it may be, provided to set in action a mechanical bell, is
utilised to effect any suitable electrical contact to close an electrical circuit through
an electrically operated bell, substantially as described.
2nd In such an alarum, the combination of the snail wheel, the spring and the
electrical contact pieces, to close the electrical circuit, operating an electrical bell,
substantially as described.
3rd In such an alarum the interposition of a plug E or any equivalent switch in
the electrical circuit by which the breaking of the circuit may be conveniently
under the control of the user, substantially as described.
FELL & WILDING,
Agents for the Applicant.