Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Mar.. 1886.
Complete Left, 8th Dec., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 1st Apr., 1887.
[Communicated from abroad by LAURENT STANISLAS NAUDIN and PAUL FLORENTIN
NAUDIN, both of Rouen, in the Republic of France, Machinists.]
L, WILLIAM HENRY BECK of 115 Cannon Street in the City of London, Consulting
Engineer and Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The watchman's indicators at present in use possess a defect which generally causes
them to be ultimately abandoned, namely, that when placed in the hands of persons
interested in hiding their own negligence or absence from duty, such indicators can
be easily falsified, and their indications cannot be relied upon. The object of the
present invention is to obviate these defects, and the improvements comprising it are
of the following character.
A magneto-electric bobbin, similar to those employed in electric bells for example,
has a soft iron armature capable of oscillating on its fulcrum; a spring withdraws
the armature from the bobbin when the electric current is not passing. This arma-
ture terininates at its lower end in a rod bent into the form of a bayonet, on one of
the angles of which rests one end of a lever. This lever is shaped so as to form a tooth
which bears against a cam on the end of an arbor of axis which receives a rotary
motion from a spiral spring. The other end of the said arbor or axis carries an
eccentric to which is connected a rod terminating in a carriage moving freely on a
slide. This carriage carries a pencil the end of which rests on a drum rotated by
clockwork which at the same time shows the hour on a dial or face.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
When the current passes in the bobbin the armature is attracted, the bent rod at its
end is moved backwards, the lever moves so as to disengage its tooth from the cam
on the axis, the latter is then caused to rotate by the spiral spring, and the eccentric
on the axis moves its rod and carriage, with the pencil on it, so that the latter marks
a visible line on a sheet of paper fixed round the drum.

page_text: The said sheet of paper is ruled with 24 lines indicating the 24 hours of the day
and night. Each hour line comes, when the apparatus is properly adjusted, below the
pencil at the precise moment when the corresponding hour is marked on the clock dial.
Therefore, every time a signal or indication is made, the apparatus causes the pencil to
make a mark on the sheet of paper, and the precise instant when the signal or indica-
tion was made is thereby indicated and registered. The sheet of paper may be shifted
or changed every day, or at the end of a number of days, each day being indicated by
a line ruled on the paper at right angles to the hour lines, the pencil being moved
cach day so as to correspond to a fresh day line.
It will be seen that this is a registering apparatus which may be placed in any suit-
able place, as in the managers office for example, or any place where it cannot be
tampered with. The signalling or indicating button is placed within reach of the
person whose presence or attention to duty it is desired to overlook or check and is
connected to the registering apparatus by means of a wire. Several buttons can be
fixed at various parts of the same manufactory, or other establishment or place where
it is desired to check the vigilance or presence of watchmen, or others, and the time
of each signal or indication will be faithfully registered by the apparatus, and the
manager, or other officer, can verify with certainty by reference to the paper whether
cach person has been at his post or not.
If required electric bells may be added to the registering apparatus so as to indicate
audibly the arrival or registration of each signal.
The necessary movement of the part corresponding to the armature of the electro
magnetic bobbin, that is to say, the part which releases the toothed lever may be
obtained by the pressure of water, air, or gas, or by any other suitable agency capable
of acting upon such part from a distance."
Dated this 15th day of Ma 1000

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Watchman's Indicator or Tell-tale.
1, WILLIAM HENRY BECK, of 115 Cannon Street, in the City of London, Consulting
Engineer, and Patent Agent, 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, reference being had to the accompanying sheet of
drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon that is to say :-
The watchman's indicators, at present in use, possess a defect which generally
causes them to be ultimately abandoned, namely, that when placed in the hands of
persons interested in hiding their own negligence, or absence from duty, such indi-
cators can be easily falsified, and their indications cannot therefore be relied upon.
The object of the present invention is to obviate these defects, and the improvements
comprising it are illustrated in Figure I of the drawing hereto annexed.
A magneto-electric bobbin B, similar to those employed in electric bells for example,
has a soft iron armature T, capable of oscillating on its point of attachment A. A
spring withdraws this armature from the bobbin when the electric current is not
passing. This armature T terminates at its lower end in a rod C bent into the form of
a bayonet on one of the angles of which rests one end of a lever D turning on its
fulcrum at E. This lever D is shaped so as to form a tooth e which is acted on as
hereafter described, by a cam H on the end of an arbor or axis which receives a
rotary motion from a spiral spring. This part of the apparatus is hidden by the
frame plate M M¹, but its arrangement will be readily understood, being such as
is often employed in optical and physical apparatus. The axis also carries an
arm e the end of which is turned at right angles and bears when the parts of the
apparatus are in their normal positions against a pin e² on the back of the lever D.
The other end of the said arbor or axis carries an eccentric to which is connected a
rod I terminating in a carriage j moving freely on a slide K. This carriage; carries
a pencil L the end of which rests at o on a drum, the axis X Y of which is rotated
by clockwork N which at the same time indicates the time on a dial or face P.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
When an electric current passes in the bobbin B, the armature T is attracted, the
bent rod C at its end is drawn clear of the lever D which then falls so as to disengage
the pine from the end of the arm e¹ the cam H is thereby liberated, and with its axis
is then caused to rotate by the spiral spring, and the eccentric on the axis moves its
rod I and carriage with the pencil L. During the rotation of the axis h and cam H
the rod I has time to make several backward and forward movements which cause the
pencil L to mark a very visible line on a sheet of paper fixed round the drum.
The said sheet of paper, shown at Figure 2, is ruled with 24 lines,, indicating the
24 hours of the day and night. Each of these hour lines comes, when the apparatus
is properly adjusted, below the pencil Lat the precise moment when the corresponding
hour is marked on the clock dial. Therefore every time a signal or indication is made,
the apparatus causes the pencil to make a mark on the sheet of paper, and the precise
instant, when the signal or indication was made, is thereby indicated and registered.

page_text: The sheet of paper may be changed every day, or at the end of every seven days, for
example, each day being indicated by a line ruled on the paper at right angles to the
hour lines, the pencil being moved each day so as to correspond to a fresh day line,
that is to say in the example shown in Figure 1. the pencil would be moved each day
one seventh of the distance from a to b.
As the cam H revolves it raises the lever D by the tooth e again into the position
shown in the drawing and if the electric current has ceased to pass through the
bobbin B, the armature T is drawn back by its spring and the part C thereof is again
brought under the end of the lever D and the end of the arm e' comes against the pin
on the lever D in readiness for another operation.
e2
It will be seen that this is a registering apparatus which may be placed in any suit-
able position, as in the manager's office for example, or at any place where it cannot
be tampered with. The signalling or indicating button is placed within reach of the
person whose presence or attention to duty it is desired to overlook or check, and is
connected to the registering apparatus by means of an electric wire.
The night watchman, for example, may have instructions to press the button every
quarter of an hour. Every time he does so, the fact is registered in the apparatus, and
the next morning the manager will be able to verify, with certainty, whether his orders
have been carried out faithfully or not. Several buttons can be fixed at various parts
of the same manufactory, or other establishment, or place, where it is desired to check
the vigilance, or presence, of watchmen, or others; and the time of each signal, or
indication, will be faithfully registered by the apparatus; and the manager, or other
officer, can verify, with certainty, by reference to the paper, whether each person has
been at his post or not.
The registering apparatus is, of course, placed in a box to protect it from dust, or
accident, and, if required, electric bells may be added to the registering apparatus, so
as to indicate audibly the arrival, or registration, of each signal.
The necessary movement of the part T is, by preference, effected by means of
electricity, but it is obvious that the movement of that part, that is to say the part
which releases the toothed lever D may be obtained by the pressure of water, air or
gas, or by any other suitable agency capable of acting upon such part from a
distance.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
The new or improved indicator or tell-tale constructed and operating substantially
as hereinbefore described, and illustrated in the drawings hereto annexed.
Dated this 8th day of December 1886