Improvements in or relating to the Regulation or Winding of Clocks from a Central Clock Station.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Aug., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 2nd May, 1894-Accepted, 2nd June, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Regulation or Winding of
Clocks from a Central Clock Station.
I, Dr. ADOLF FRANKE, of Spandauer Brücke III Berlin, C., in the Empire of
Germany, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The arrangement described hereinafter relates to central stations for regulating
clocks connected in series each clock being provided with a complete and
independent movement and being regulated at certain intervals by means of an
electric current from the central station.
In order to reduce to a minimum the working expenses it is advantageous to
connect a great number of clocks by means of branch conductors to a single circuit.
The arrangement is so devised that the clocks are not in constant connection
with the main line and each clock at certain time and just before the moment
at which the clock is to be regulated switches on automatically an electro-magnet
which latter is again switched off after the clock has been regulated. Each of
the clocks in the series is regulated at a different time and in that manner the
current from the controlling station passes through one clock only at a time.
We will assume that 40 clocks are connected to the central clock station
from which they are to be regulated each one separately every two hours.
Each branch clock is provided with a special wheel which makes one revolution
in every two hours and is arranged in such a manner as to make contact once
during that time for about 1 or minutes and to switch an electro-magnetic device
into circuit. The said wheels are all in a different position relatively to the
hands of the clock and are so regulated as to close the circuit alternately at
intervals of 3 minutes. The central clock makes 40 contacts during the two hours,
each of which synchronizes with one of the branch clocks.
The arrangement as proposed by the present invention has many great advantages
as compared with the systems hitherto in use, one of which advantages is that the.
current from the main station is not divided and is only used in one clock at a time
so that a proportionately weak current is sufficient for the work and therefore the
whole installation will be much cheaper.
Not the least in importance is the feature of the present arrangement to enable
a proper control of all the clocks to be kept at the main clock station.
The regulating mechanism of the clocks can either be arranged to operate either
at the beginning of the current coming from the central station or upon the
interruption of the said current. In the first case the circuit is closed at the central
station in certain predetermined intervals of time (every 3 minutes according to
the example chosen) the current acting at once on the smallest deviation of the
clock from the exact time as one of the branch clocks at that moment is in electrical
connection with the main circuit. The interruption of the circuit comes inthis case
from the branch clock and not from the main clock; the disconnection occurring
after a certain lapse of time.
-
It will therefore be easy at the central station to follow the time of disconnection
of any clock and to ascertain whether the clock is going and set right or whether
it is still wrong on account of the regulating mechanism not having acted.
The central station may be provided with a special apparatus to be operated by
the central clock for registering the times when the current passes through the
line and by this means it can always be ascertained whether the whole series of
clocks is working or whether any of them are going wrong or are stopped altogether
as in this case the current for regulating the wrong-going clock can either not have
D07

page_text: passed at all at the moment required or its interruption does not occur at the right
time.
A very simple controlling device would be a galvanoscope connected to the line
at the central station so as to enable the attendant to note at what times a current
passes through the circuit. If desired, an ordinary chronograph might be used as
a registering apparatus so as to mark with one style or pencil on a paper slip the
time of contacts with the central clock while the other style or pencil marks the
time of the current.
A very simple means for this purpose consists in a continuous paper slip moved by
the central clock at a constant speed, the armature lever being adapted to mark on
the paper slip whenever a current passes through the circuit.
As before mentioned the device may be also adapted to come into operation
through the interruption of the electric current in the line. In this case the circuit
will first be closed in the central clock and afterwards in the branch clock and in
observing the time at which the current passes it will be easy to judge whether the
branch clock under observation has been keeping correct time. Here also it would
be easy to make use of an automatic registering device at the central station so as
to enable the attendant at any moment to ascertain whether any irregularities occur
or have occurred in the system.
The registering device not only shows that at some time or other an irregularity
in the system has occurred but the attendant can see at once which clock has caused
the irregularity as of course the time for regulating each clock is known to him.
Each of the clocks connected to the whole series is provided with an apparatus
in which the current from the central station passes through a coil provided with an
iron core which when a current passes through the coil, is drawn into the latter.
When not attracted by a current the iron core rests on a valve seat and closes the
hydraulic pressure pipe but as soon as the iron core moves away from the seat the
water passes through the pipes and thereby sucks the air in from an air conduit.
As soon as the current is again interrupted at the central station the core falls on
the seat and closes the water inlet and the atmospheric air enters to pass into the
air conduit.
The alternate vacuum and refilling in the air conduit is used here as a means for
regulating the clocks.
The power derived by this arrangement is strong enough not only to set the clocks
but also to wind the clocks up, a further advantage being that it enables several
other clocks in the same building to be connected to the conduit for the purpose of
regulating and winding them, thereby enabling this electrical regulating system for
clocks to regulate and to wind a very large number of clocks.
Dated this 14th day of August 1893.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Of London, Nottingham, Liverpool, and Manchester.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Regulation or Winding of
Clocks from a Central Clock Station.
1, Dr. ADOLF FRANKE, of Spandauer Brücke II Berlin, C., in the Empire of
Germany, 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:-
The arrangement described hereinafter relates to central stations for regulating
clocks, connected in series each clock being provided with a complete and
independent movement and being regulated at certain intervals by means of an
electric current from the central station.
In order to reduce to a minimum the working expenses it is advantageous to

page_text: connect a great number of clocks by means of branch conductors to a single
circuit. The arrangement is so devised that the clocks are not in constant
connection with the main line and each clock at a certain time and just before the
moment at which the clock is to be regulated switches on automatically an electro-
magnet which latter is again switched off after the clock has been regulated.
Each of the clocks in the series is regulated at a different time and in that manner
the current from the controlling station passes through one clock only at a time.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a diagrammatical view of the general
arrangement shewing the connections between the main line and the branches.
We will assume that 40 clocks are connected to the central clock station from
which they are to be regulated each one separately every two hours.
Each branch clock is provided with a special wheel which makes one revolution
in every two hours and is arranged in such a manner as to make contact once
during that time for about 1 or 2 minutes and to switch an electro-magnetic device
into circuit. The said wheels are all in a different position relatively to the hands
of the clock and are so regulated as to close the circuit alternately at intervals of
3 minutes. The central clock makes 40 contacts during the two hours, each of
which synchronises with one of the branch clocks.
The arrangement as proposed by the present invention has many great
advantages as compared with the systems hitherto in use, one of which advantages
is that the current from the main station is not divided and is only used in one
clock at a time so that a proportionately weak current is sufficient for the work
and therefore the whole installation will be much cheaper.
Not the least in importance is the feature of the present arrangement to enable
a proper control of all the clocks to be kept at the main clock station.
The regulating mechanism of the clocks can either be arranged to operate
either at the beginning of the current coming from the central station or upon the
interruption of the said current. In the first case the circuit is closed at the central
station in certain predetermined intervals of time (every 3 minutes according to
the example chosen) the current acting at once on the smallest deviation of the
clock from the exact time as one of the branch-clocks at that moment is in electrical
connection with the main circuit. The interruption of the circuit comes in this
case from the branch-clock and not from the main clock, the disconnection occurring :
after a certain lapse of time.
It will therefore be easy at the central station to follow the time of disconnection
of any clock and to ascertain whether the clock is going and set right or whether
it is still wrong on account of the regulating mechanism not having acted.
The central station may be provided with a special apparatus to be operated by
the central clock for registering the times when the current passes through the
line and by this means it can always be ascertained whether the whole series of
clocks is working or whether any of them are going wrong or are stopped
altogether as in this case the current for regulating the wrong-going clock can
either not have passed at all at the moment required or its interruption does not
occur at the right time.
A very simple controlling device would be a galvanoscope connected to the line
at the central station so as to enable the attendant to note at what times a current
passes through the circuit. If desired an ordinary chronograph might be used as
a registering apparatus so as to mark with one style or pencil on a paper slip the
time of contacts with the central clock, while the other style or pencil marks the
time of the current.
The drawing indicates a very simple means for this purpose which consists in
a continuous paper slip moved by the central clock at a constant speed, the
armature lever being adapted to mark on the paper slip whenever a current passes
through the circuit.
As before mentioned the device may be also adapted to come into operation
through the interruption of the electric current in the line. In this case the circuit
will first be closed in the central clock and afterwards in the branch-clock and in
:
:
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page_text: observing the time at which the current passes it will be easy to judge whether the
branch-clock under observation has been keeping correct time. Here also it would
be easy to make use of an automatic registering device at the central station so as
to enable the attendant at any moment to ascertain whether any irregularities
occur or have occurred in the system.
The registering device not only shows that at some time or other an irregularity
in the system has occurred but the attendant can see at once which clock has
caused the irregularity as of course the time for regulating each clock is known
to him.
A very practical arrangement for operating the regulating mechanism is shown
in Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings, Figure 3 being a detail drawn
to an enlarged scale.
Each of the clocks connected to the whole series is provided with an apparatus
as shown in Figure 2 in which the current from the central station passes through
a coil m provided with an iron core q which when a current passes through the
coil, is drawn into the latter.
When not attracted by a current the iron core rests on the valve seat o and
closes the hydraulic pressure pipe but as soon as the iron core moves away from
the seat o the water passes from through the pipes z and thereby sucks the air
in from the air conduit p. As soon as the current is again interrupted at the
central station the core q falls on the seat o and closes the water-inlet and the
atmospheric air enters at z to pass into the air-conduit p.
The alternate vacuum and refilling in the air conduit is used here as a means for
regulating the clocks.
The power derived by this arrangement is strong enough not only to set the
clocks but also to wind the clocks up, a further advantage being that it enables
several other clocks in the same building to be connected to the conduit for the
purpose of regulating and winding them, thereby enabling this electrical regulating
system for clocks to regulate and to wind a very large number of clocks.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;-
1. The arrangement of a central clock system in which all the branch-clocks
are provided with an independent clock movement which is regulated at definite
intervals from the central clock station by means of an electric current in such a
manner that each clock just before it is to be regulated switches an electro-
magnetic regulating device into the circuit which device is again switched off
shortly after the setting of the clock each clock being regulated at a different
time so that the electric current from the central station only regulates one clock
.at a time.
2. In a system for central clock stations as set forth in Claim 1 the employment
of a device at the central station for observing or for automatically registering
the times when the electric currents start and cease for the purpose of controlling
all the branch-clocks from the central station and of detecting any irregularities
.connected therewith.
3. In conjunction with the mechanism of the clocks forming a system as set
forth in Claim 1 the employment in connection with each clock for the purpose
of operating the regulating mechanism of a solenoid m the iron core q of which
opens a water-pressure-pipe l z each time the circuit is established and produces
thereby a vacuum in the air conduit p the vacuum being destroyed as soon as the
current becomes interrupted and being the means for operating the regulating
mechanism.
Dated this 2nd day of May 1894.