IMPROVEMENTS IN CHIMNEY AND OTHER CLOCKS FOR THE PURPOSES OF ALARM
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Gedge, of No. 11, Wellington
Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CHIMNEY AND OTHER CLOCKS FOR THE
PURPOSES OF ALARM."--A communication from abroad by Augustc
Pasquier, of Château-Gontier (Mayenne), France, Clockmaker.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward
Gedge at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 25th January 1873.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CHIMNEY AND OTHER CLOCKS FOR
THE PURPOSES OF ALARM," a communication to me from abroad by Auguste
Pasquier, of Château-Gontier (Mayenne), France, Clockmaker, to be as
follows:-

page_text: To the movements of chimney and picture clocks are added,—
1º. A tube A soldered to the hour wheel B of the movement and fitted
to the socket of the hour hand without friction thercon; its length
should bring it level with the dial of the clock.
2°. A "snail" or eccentric C having a single notch D forming pulley
around it is set on the tube A against the hour wheel B; in the centre
of the snail is a pin or projection E on face of the notch D.
3°. A small alarm dial F, figured by twelfths, is placed under the hour
hand against the principal dial of the clock; to this small dial Fis
soldered a tube G, set on the tube A; at the end of this tube G is a
small notch H opposite the figure 12 (of alarm dial); this notch gears
with the small pin E of the snail, and consequently the snail is connected
with the alarm dial plate F in order that in turning the alarm dial to
change the alarm hour the snail turns in the same manner. An arrow
on the alarm dial indicates that it is to be turned to the right.
The mode of putting it into operation is very simple and the effect is
certain.
Supposing the No. 12 of the small alarm dial ☞ to be turned on the
principal dial opposito noon (12) the two hands also at this moment at
noon (12) the alarm would strike because the snail has its notch opposite
the number 12 of the alarm dial; at cach twelve hours (noon and mid-
night) the alarm will strike because the snail and the alarm dial turn
with and in the same manner as the wheel of the hour hand.
To change the hour at which it may be desired to rise or be awakened
the effect is equally certain inasmuch as the hands and the small dial
being at mid-day (12) the alarm runs down at that moment; if the alarm
dial is turned to the right, say to 6 o'clock, that is to say, the No. 12 of
the alarm dial downwards opposite the number 6 of the principal dial
the fig. 6 of the alarm dial will at noon always be under the hour hand
which should not be deranged; then when the clock shall have travelled
or run on during six hours the alarm will run down because the notch
of the snail will bave reached noon on the principal dial, and so on for
any desired hour by always placing the number of the small alarm dial
under the hour hand.
4°. A detent J fixed to the main plate of the clock on a scrow or
11
11
11
LA

page_text: this detent will fall every 12 hours into the notch D of the snail. In tho
middle of this detent is fixed a silk cord, and at the end of this silk a
ring I for the more easy removal of the weight.
5°. To the ring I is suspended a weight L by a screw hook M screwing
into the head of the weight L; this screw serves to fix and adjust the
distance which the weight should fall in running down to sufficiently
fill the arm of the hammer which acts as stop to the wheelwork set on
the base or stand, and further, to avoid making unnecessary knots in the
silk to bring it to the proper length; thus the length of the silk cord is
such as to keep the weight suspended without its touching the detent O
when the detent J is on the snail, but before falling into the notch D;
under the weight is fixed a pin N serving to keep the weight always on
the head of the detent spring O.
The independent alarm is fixed on the stand, or on a plate at the
base or bottom of the clock; it is composed of,-
1°. A barrel arbor P, composed of its cover, its spindle, and a spring,
the bottom of the arbor extending about ½½ of an inch beyond the cover,
this extension being cut in form of a cog wheel; against this bottom of
the arbor is fitted a large escapement wheel Q; this wheel has a round
headed screw at its centre at the side of the plate so that the wheel may
turn more truly and steadily on the spindle of the barrel arbor; this
screw also regulates the play between the arbor and the plate; at the
side of the arbor there is fixed to the wheel a ratchet and its spring R
working on the ratchet of the arbor.
2°. On the side of the cover is the pulley S with its draw cord; this
pulley also turns on the spindle of the barrel arbor, and like the escape-
ment wheel has a round headed screw on the side of the plate. This
pulley having to turn like the barrel arbor because it has to wind up the
spring has only on the side of the arbor a pin screwed to the pulley
touching the ring of the arbor. The hook of the arbor extending
upwards forms stop to the pulley pin which carries the arber with it in
the winding up.
3°. These three wheels are fixed between two plates in form of
carriage or slide; this carriage or slide is of a single piece. Two plates
raised on supports on cach side have a flat extension at one end on
which to place the detent spring O. The arbor shaft not having to

page_text: .
turn is of flat squares at both ends. The supports or bearings are notched
to correspond with the squares and are traversed by two pins only.
4°. An anchor X with its hammer forming escapement to the large
wheel Q; it is fixed between the two supports of the carriage or plates
by a movable bridge at the side of the escapement, firstly, because the
two plates being immovable it would be necessary to bend or distort
them to frame the anchor, also to approach or retire the escapement.
5°. On the axle of the anchor is fixed a small detent arm Z.
6°. A spring detent O fixed on the extension of the carriage plate; at
the end of this spring is a hole to receive the pin N of the weight.
When the weight is suspended by the snail the small arm Z acts as a
stop at the end of the spring detent O because this latter is raised;
when the weight falls the spring detent O lowers with the weight, then
the small arm Z is disengaged and the alarm works. On the detent O
is fixed a bent rod K which serves when it is desired to add music.
By these improvements a morning alarm is attached to a clock, which
alarm is rapidly set at night and strikes exactly at the hour indicated by
the clock without deranging its correct time keeping movements.
upon
1
1
To combine music with the alarm it is only necessary to fix the
stand or base plate by a couple of screws any musical movement with 20
pulley and driving cord, bringing the fly wheel near the point of the
rod K. The fall of the weight will start the music as well as the alarm
by pulling the two cords.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Gedge in the Great Seal Patent 2
Office on the 24th July 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD GEDGE, of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 30
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-

page_text: cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Edward Gedge,
Her special licence that I, the said William Edward Gedge, my
exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Edward Gedge, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, usc, excrcise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CHIMNEY AND OTHER CLOCKS FOR
THE PURPOSES OF ALARM," a communication to me from abroad by Augusto
Pasquier, of Château-Gontier (Mayenne), France, Clockmaker, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Gedge, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Gedge, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawing, upon which is shown a clock embodying this
Invention and various detached parts thereof :-
To the movements of chimney and picture clocks are added,―
1°. A tube A soldered to the hour wheel B of the movement and fitted
to the socket of the hour hand without friction thereon; its length
should bring it level with the dial of the clock.
2º. A snail or eccentric C having a single notch D forming pulley
around it is set on the tube A against the hour wheel B; in the centre
of the snail is a pin or projection E on face of the notch D.
3°. A small alarm dial F, figured by twelfths, is placed under the
hour hand against the principal dial of the clock; to this small dial F is
soldered a tube G set on the tube A; at the end of this tube G is a
sinall notch H opposite the figure 12 (of alarm dial). This notch gears
with the small pin E of the snail, and consequently the snail is connected
with the alarm dial plate F in order that in turning the alarm dial to

page_text: www
on the alarm dial indicates that it is to be turned to the right.
The mode of putting it into operation is very simple and the effect is
certain.
Supposing the No. 12 of the small alarm dial F to be turned on the
principal dial opposite noon (12) the two hands also at this moment nt
noon (12) the alarm would strike because the snail has its notch opposite
the number 12 of the alarm dial; at cach twelve hours (noon and mid-
night) the alarm will striko because the snail and the alarm dial turn
with and in the same manner as the wheel of the hour hand.
To change the hour at which it may be desired to rise or be awakened
the effect is equally certain, inasmuch as the hands and the small dial
being at mid-day (12) the alarm runs down at that moment; if the
alarm dial is turned to the right, say to 6 o'clock, that is to say the
No. 12 of the alarm dial downwards opposite the number 6 of the
principal dial, the figure 6 of the alarm dial will at noon always be
under the hour hand, which should not be disarranged, then when the
clock shall have travelled or run on during six hours the alarm will run
down because the notch of the snail will have reached noon on the
principal dial; and so on for any desired hour by always placing the
number of the small alarm dial under the hour hand.
4°. A detent J fixed to the main plate of the clock on a screw or pivot,
the other end of which extends on to the pulley of the snail C; this
detent will fall every 12 hours into the notch D of the snail. In the
middle of this detent is fixed a silk cord, and at the end of this silk a
ring I for the more easy removal of the weight.
5. To the ring I is suspended a weight L by a screw hook M
screwing into the head of the weight L; this scrow serves to fix
and adjust the distance which the weight should fall in running down to
sufficiently free the arm of the hammer which acts as stop to the wheel-
work set on the base or stand, and further; to avoid making unnecessary
knots in the silk to bring it to the proper length; thus the length of the
silk cord is such as to keep the weight suspended without its touching the
detent O when the detent J is on the snail but before falling into
the notch D; under the weight is fixed a pin N serving to keep the
weight always on the head of the detent spring O.

page_text: The independent alarm is fixed on the stand, or on a plate at the base
or bottom of the clock; it is composed of,―
1°. A barrel arbor P composed of its cover, its spindle, and a spring,
the bottom of the arbor extending about th of an inch beyond the
cover, this extension being cut in form of a cog wheel; against this
bottom of the arbor is fitted a large escapement wheel Q; this wheel has
a round licaded screw at its centre at the side of the plate so that the
wheel may turn more truly and steadily on the spindle of the barrel
arbor; this screw also regulates the play between the barrel arbor and
the plate; at the side of the arbor there is fixed to the wheel a ratchet
and its spring R, working on the ratchet of the arbor.
2°. On the side of the cover is the pulley S with its draw cord; this
pulley also turns on the spindle of the barrel arbor, and like the escape-
ment wheel has a round headed screw on the side of the plate. This
pulley having to turn like the barrel arbor, because it has to wind up the
spring, has only on the side of the arbor a pin T screwed to the pulley
touching the ring of the arbor. The hook of the arbor extending
upwards forms stop to the pulley pin which carries the arbor with it in
the winding up.
3°. These three wheels are fixed between two plates in form of
carriage or slide; this carriage or slide is of a single piece. Two plates
raised on supports on cach side have a flat extension at one end on which
to place the detent spring O. The arbor shaft not having to turn is of
flat squares at both ends.
The supports or bearings are notched to
correspond with the squares, and are traversed by two pins only.
4°. An anchor X with its hammer forming escapement to the large
wheel Q; it is fixed between the two supports of the carriage or plates
by a movable bridge at the side of the escapement, firstly, because the
two plates being immovable it would be necessary to bend or distort
them to frame the anchor, also to approach or retire the escapement.
5. On the axle of the anchor is fixed a small detent arm Z.
6°. A spring detent O fixed on the extension of the carriage plate; at
the end of this spring is a hole to receive the pin N of the weight. When
the weight is suspended by the snail the small arm Z acts as a stop at
the end of the spring detent O because this latter is raised; when the
weight falls the spring detent O lowers with the weight, then the small

page_text: arm Z is disengaged and the alarm works. On the detent O is fixed a
bent rod K which serves when it is desired to add music.
By these improvements a morning alarm is attached to a clock, which
alarm is rapidly set at night and strikes exactly at the hour indicated by
the clock without deranging its correct timekeeping movements.
To combine music with the alarm it is only necessary to fix upon the
stand or base plate by a couple of screws any musical movement with
pulley and driving cord, bringing the fly wheel near the point of the
rod K. The fall of the weight will start the music as well as the alarm
by pulling the two cords.
This independent alarm movement placed upon the stand was originally
constructed with an additional wheel and pinion, but this was unnecessary,
and by suppressing this wheel the manufacture of two pallet plates is
dispensed with, and the shape of the carriage is more simple and less
costly. The draw pulley is best placed within the clock frame; the
detent spring O is better straight than curved; and it is preferred to
solder the tube G to the dial F rather than to the snail, but the effect is
the same in either case.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Gedge, have here-
unto set my hand and scal. this Twenty-fourth day of July. in the