IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC CLOCKS NOT REQUIRING WINDING UP "
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Solomon Schisgall of St Petersburg in the Empire of
Russia for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC CLOCKS NOT
REQUIRING WINDING UP
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Solomon Schisgall at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th October 1883.
SOLOMON SCHISGALL of St-Petersburg, in the Empire of Russia, "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ELECTRIC CLOCKS NOT REQUIRING WINDING UP
"
This invention relates to electric clocks and is designed to provide a clock of this
character differing from all others existing; by reason of the simplicity of the
mechanism which puts the hands in motion and of the fact that the said clock
is maintained in action by means of a galvanic current passing through an
electro-magnet.
The mechanism for putting the hands in motion consists of two wheels viz, an
upper and a lower one. The lower one is the seconds wheel, and the other the
minute wheel. Each of these wheels is provided with sixty inclined or ratchet
teeth, one of these wheels having its teeth inclined in a direction opposite to that
in which they are inclined in the other. To the face of the lower wheel is fixed a
projecting pin which, at every turn of this wheel, moves the minute wheel to tho
extent of one tooth.
There are two straight springs having triangular heads at their free end, which
heads press against the teeth of the wheels.
The shape of these heads is such that when either wheel is rotating the end of
the corresponding spring is first lifted up by a tooth of the wheel and thereupon
leaps over the tooth and compels the wheel to move on in the same direction to
half the distance between the teeth.
The seconds wheel is put in motion by a lever having at one end a spring
hereinafter termed the lever spring, the left side of which is insulated by a piece of
glass or in some other manner. This lever is arranged to be attracted by an
electro-magnet, but shortly before reaching this electro-magnet the said lever-
TDA71

page_text: spring presses against a regulating screw which is placed in such a position, that
when the lever is oscillating the spring touches one of the teeth of the seconds
wheel, and the moment when the straight spring, herein before mentioned, loaps
over the next tooth of this wheel the lever-spring is instantaneously stopped by
the end of the said screw.
On the prolongation of the lever a half second pendulum is suspended by a
flexible spring; this pendulum is connected with the lower arm of the lever by
a pin fixed to this lever and freely passing through a slot in the pendulum,
The entire mechanism is secured to a wooden board or support and enclosed
within a case having a glass front as usual. On the axle of the minute wheel is
secured an ordinary set of pinions serving to put the hour hand in motion. In the
casing of the clock, or at some other convenient place, I provide a galvanic battery.
In most cases two elements of Leclanche's system are sufficient. One conducting
wire is connected with the lever; the other with ono end of the electro magnet.
The other end of this electro-magnet is connected with the metallic support of the
axle of the seconds wheel.
When the pendulum is in a vertical position the clock is at rest and the end of
the lever-spring out of contact with the teeth of the seconds wheel; thus the
current is interrupted and the electro-magnet does not attract the lever. But
when the pendulum is moved slightly to the left, the lever-spring touchos a tooth
of the seconds wheel and closes the circuit, in consequence whereof the electro-
magnet is magnetized and attracts the lever, which turns the seconds wheel
sufficiently to permit the end of the straight spring connected therewith to leap
over the corresponding tooth, whereupon the lever is instantly stopped by the
regulating screw. In the mean time the spring compels the wheel to move on as
described above, in consequence whereof the contact between the wheel and the
spring is suspended and the circuit again interrupted, the electro-magnet is
demagnetized and the pendulum makes two motions right and left freely, by
inertia.
By the pendulum's motion to the right the conditions undergo no alteration
because the left side of the lever spring being insulated, will not close the circuit
oven in case the spring were to touch the teeth of the seconds wheel; but when the
pendulum is moving to the left (i.e. when the spring is inclining to the right) the
metallic surface of the spring once more meets a tooth of the wheel and again
closes the circuit, so that the electro-magnet is magnetized anew and attracts again
the lever, which turning the seconds wheel, compels the head of the straight spring
to leap over the next tooth and to move the wheel further on in order to suspend
the contact between this wheel and the lever spring: in consequence, the electro-
magnet is again magnetized and so on. Thus the lever receives from the
electro-magnet impulses whose force is partly spent in helping the end of the
straight spring over the teeth of the wheel and partly transmitted by means of
the pin to the pendulum and maintains its oscillating motion. When the end
of the screw is placed so as to touch the lever spring at a vertical position of the
pendulum a motion of the latter to the right will interrupt the circuit which will
close again as soon as the lever-spring leaps over and catches the next tooth (on
the left).
The power of the galvanic battery must be superior to the power required to
complete saturation of the electro-magnet in order that, even when the battery
power is diminished, the magnetic force of the electro-magnet be not reduced and
sufficient to keep the clock correctly going.
For increasing the duration of the clock's motion a commutator may be set on
the axle of the seconds wheel and is designed to connect the above described
clock-work alternately with two batteries.
⚫. The commutator consists of two metallic semi-circles connected with each other by
a wooden or other insulating cross-piece so that the two semi-circles form together
a completo circle cut through in two places. In combination with this commutator

page_text: there are three springs, two of which press always on the opposite semi-circles
whilst the other passes on one or the other of these semi-circles. The anodo of
one galvanic battery is connected with one of the springs and the anode of the
other battery is connected with another while the two cathodes of both batteries
are connected with the lover. The third spring is connected with one end of the
electro-magnet whose other end is connected as aforesaid with the seconds wheel.
It will bo readily understood that when this wheel is turning, together with
the commutator, the batteries will act alternately each for 15 seconds; small
interruptions in the action of these batteries during the passage of the springs
over the spaces between the ends of the semi-circles have no influence upon the
regular movement of the clock's mechanism, as the pendulum continues to oscillate
for some seconds even when not acted upon by the electro-magnet.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Solomon Schisgall in the Patent Office on the 80th April 1884.
SOLOMON SCHISGALL, of St Petersburg, in the Empire of Russia " IMPROVE
MENTS IN ELECTRIC CLOCKS NOT REQUIRING WINDING UP
"
This invention relates to electric clocks and is designed to provide a clock of this 5
character differing from all others existing by reason of the simplicity of the
mechanism which puts the hands in motion, and of the fact that the said clock
is maintained in action by means of a galvanic current passing through an
electro-magnet
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a front view of the main mechanism of a clock constructed according
to this invention
Figure 2 is a side view of the same
1
Figure 3 illustrates the action of the springs on the teeth of the toothed wheels
Figure 4 is a diagram showing the construction and illustrating the operation of 1
a commutator serving to economically utilize the power of the battery elements.
The mechanism for putting the hands in motion consists of two wheels A and B
the lower of which is the seconds wheel and the other the minute wheel. Each of
these wheels is provided with sixty inclined or ratchet teeth, the teeth of one wheel
being inclined in an opposite direction to those of the other wheel, as shewn in 2
Figure 1. To the face of the wheel A is fixed a projecting pin a which at every
turn of this wheel A moves the minuto wheel B to the extent of one tooth.
CC indicate two springs having heads c at their free ends, which heads press
against the teeth of the wheels A and B.
The shape of these heads is such that when either wheel A or B is rotating, the 2
end of the corresponding spring C is first lifted up by a tooth of the wheel and
then springs over the said tooth compelling the said wheel to move on until the
spring head occupies the central point between two teoth, as clearly shown in
Figure 3.
The seconds wheel A is rotated by the lever D having at one end a spring & the 3
left side of which is insulated by a piece of glass or in some other suitable manner.
The lever D is arranged to be attracted by an electro-magnet E, but shortly before
reaching the said electro-magnet the said spring d presses against the regulating
screw c which is placed in such a position, that, when the lever D is oscillating, the
spring & touches one of the teeth of the wheel A and at the moment when the
spring C leaps over the next tooth of this wheel (Figure 3) the spring d is instantly
stopped by the end of the said screw 6.
On the prolongation of the lever D the half second pendulum F is suspended by
the flexible spring f; this pendulum is connected with the lower arm of the lever D
by the pin g fixed to the said lever and freely passing through the slot h in the 4
pendulum.
The entire mechanism is secured to a wooden board or support G and enclosed
within a case having a glass front as usual. On the axle of the minute wheel B is
secured an ordinary set of pinions serving to put the hour hand in motion The
hands, and the dial-plato whereon they move, are not shown in the drawings for
the reason that these parts in no way differ from those commonly used.
In the casing of the clock, or at some other convenient place is a galvanic
battery H (in most cases two elements of Leclanché's system are sufficient); one
conducting wire is connected with the lever D; the other with one end of the wire

page_text: of the electro magnet E; the other end of the wire of the said electro magnet is
connected with the metallic support of the axle of the wheel A.
When the pendulum F is in a vertical position (Figure 1) the clock is at rest,
and the end of the spring d is out of contact with the teeth of the wheel A thus
the current is interrupted and the electro-magnet E does not attract the lever D,
but when the pendulum is moved slightly to the left the spring & touches a tooth
of the wheel A and closes the circuit, in consequence whereof the electro-magnet E
is magnetized and attracts the lever D which turns the wheel A sufficiently to
permit the end of the spring C to leap over the corresponding tooth whereupon the
lever D is instantly stopped by the screw e. In the mean time the spring C
compels the wheel A to move on as above described, in consequence whereof the
contact between the wheel and the spring & is suspended and the circuit again
interrupted, the clectro magnet E is demagnatized, and the pendulum F makes two
motions (right and left) freely, by inertia
By the pendulum's motion to the right, the conditions undergo no alteration
because the left side of the spring d boing insulated will not close the circuit even
in case the spring were to touch the teeth of the seconds wheel A; but when the
pendulum F is moving to the left (i,e when the spring & is inclining to the right)
the metallic surface of the spring d once more meets a tooth of the wheel A and
again closes the circuit, so that the electro-magnet E is magnetized anew and again
attracts the lever D, which, turning the wheel A, compels the head c of the spring C
to leap over the next tooth and to move the wheel A further on in order to suspend
the contact between this wheel and the spring d; in consequence whereof the
electro-magnet E is again magnetized, and so on. Thus the lever D receives from
the electro-magnet E impulses whose energy is partly utilized in assisting the end of
the spring C over the teeth of the wheel A, and partly transmitted by means of the
ping to the pendulum F to maintain its oscillating motion. When the end, of the
screw e is placed so as to touch the spring dat a vertical position of the pendulum
a motion of the latter to the right will interrupt the circuit which will close again
as soon as the spring d leaps over and catches the next tooth (on the left). The
clock thus moves continuously in one direction.
The power of the galvanic battery must be superior to the power required to
completely saturate the electro-magnet E, in order that, even when the battery
power is diminished, the magnetic force of the electro-magnet E is not reduced but
is sufficient to keep the clock in proper action. For increasing the duration of the
clock's motion a commutator, shown in Figure 4, may be set on the axle of the
seconds wheel and is designed to connect the above described clock-work alternately
with two batteries H H.
The commutator consists of two metallic semi circles I, J connected with each
other by a wooden or other insulating cross-piece K, so that the two semi-circles
form togother a complete circle cut through in two places.
In combination with this commutator there are three springs ik and 2 of which
the springs i and k press constantly on the opposite semi-circles I and J, whilst
the spring presses on one or the other of these semi-circles. The anode of the
one galvanic battery H is connected with the spring i, and the Anode of the other
battery His connected with the spring k while the two Cathodes of both
batteries H and H' are connected with the lever D (Figure 1). The third spring
is connected with one end of the wire of the electro-magnet E, the other end being
connected, as aforesaid, with the wheel A. It will be readily understood that
when this wheel is turning together with the commutator, the batteries H and H¹
will act alternately, each for 15 seconds; sinall interruptions in the action of these
batteries during the passage of the springs over the spaces between the ends of tho
semi-circles I and J, have no influence upon the regular movement of the clock
mechanism as the pendulum continues to oscillate for some seconds even when not
acted upon by the electro-magnet E.
The details of the construction herein before described may be considerably
modified without departing from the nature of this invention

page_text: Having thus fully described my said invention and the manner of performing the
same I wish it understood that I claim
First An electric clock not requiring to be wound and wherein the oscillation of
the pendulum is produced by the action of an electro-magnet alternately magnetized
and demagnetized automatically by the action of the clock-work
Second The combination of the clectro-magnet with a lever or armature
connected with the pendulum and terminating in a tooth which, through the
oscillations of the pendulum, is alternately brought into contact with, and moved
out of contact with, the teeth of the seconds wheel.
Third The combination, in an electric clock, of the ratchet wheels with springs 1
terminating in heads so shaped that when one of the wheels is turned the distance
of half a tooth by the action of tho electro-magnet, tho head of the corresponding
spring leaps over the said tooth, and pressing against the same compels the wheel
to move on for the distance of another half tooth
Fourth The combination of the wheels of the electric clock with a commutator 1
consisting of two insulated semi-circles and serving to more economically utilizė
the power of the galvanic batteries or elements
Fifth The combination of the electro-magnet with a battery of greater power
than that required to completely saturate the electro-magnet in order to maintain
continually sufficient magnetism in the electro-magnet
In witness whereof I the said Solomon Schisgell [sic] have hereunto set my hand
and seal this third-day of March in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and eighty four.