Improvements in Alarm Clocks.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by Gottlieb OffnER, of Marbach on the Necker,
Wurtemberg, Germany, Engineer.]
Improvements in Alarm Clocks.
I HUGH DONALD FITZPATRICK of 70 Wellington Street, Glasgow, Registered
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 :--
Alarm clocks as hitherto made have the drawback that the alarm mechanism
always comes into action within the space of twelve hours from the time of winding
up the clock and it is impossible to adjust the mechanism so as to cause an alarm to
be sounded after a longer period of time has elapsed.
Thus, for example, with the present clocks, if the alarm mechanism is wound up
at, say ten p.m., it is impossible to get the alarm to strike at eleven o'clock the
following morning, as the alarm will go off at eleven p.m., that is, only one hour
from the time of winding up. To overcome this difficulty, the alarm has to be
wound up at eleven pan., in order to get it to strike at cleven' a.m. the next
morning.
This invention has for its object to overcome this difficulty by making the clock
with an indicator actuated by the clockwork and by having a face with twenty-four
divisions, instead of twelve, as heretofore.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood, I have here-
unto appended an explanatory-sheet of drawings, whereon:-
Figs. 1 and 2 are views of the clockwork and alarm mechanisms.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 shows the clock dial.
Figs. 5 and 6 are views of different arrangements of clockwork and alarm
mechanisins.
Fig. 7 is a part plan view.
Fig. 8 is a front view.
Referring to Figs. 1 to 4. These views show the new alarm clock, as constructed
with a separate dial, having twenty-four divisions, for the alarm indicator, whilst
the hands of the clock turn round on a dial with the usual twelve hour-divisions.
The spring A (Fig. 1) actuates the wheel A, which has fifty-four cogs on it
and which meshes with the ten-cogged pinion a. On the spindle of the pinion a, a
wheel B, having 54 cogs, is fitted, which gears with the small six-cogged pinion c
carried on the same spindle as the wheel C, having forty cogs. The wheel C
engages with the pinion d, having six cogs, which is fitted on the same spindle as
the wheel D. The wheel D has 40 cogs and gears with the pinion on the
same spindle as the wheel P which has fifteen ratchet teeth, and moves the anchor
escapement L', and through the anchor the balance wheel D.
The spindle of the wheel B, which passes through the cover plate E, has fitted
on it the large hand of the clock, which, as usual, makes a full turn every hour.
A small wheel e, with twelve teeth, is fitted on the spindle of the wheel B and in
front of the cover plate E. This wheel e engages with a wheel F, having thirty-
six teeth. On the spindle of the wheel F, the pinion with ten teeth, is fitted. The
pinion engages with the wheel g, which is loose on the spindle of the wheel B.
The hour hand is fitted on the sleeve of the wheel g, and completes its revolution
once in twelve hours.
The pinion also gears with the wheel G, having eighty teeth, and which is
provided with a sleeve ', on which the hour-hand h (Fig. 4) is fitted. This hand h
indicates on the dial H and completes its revolution ence in twenty-four hours.

page_text: Jhrough the sleeve of the wheel G, passes a spindle, on which the alarm
indicator I, is fixed.
The divisions on the dial H are so arranged that opposite to the number twelve
at the top there is likewise the number twelve at the bottom. The other figures
also. are arranged opposite one another, as shown.
The wheel G, with its appurtenances, overcomes the drawback, hereinbefore
mentioned as incidental to the old form of clocks.
In the present clocks, if the alarm hand was put at, say 6 o'clock, on its dial, as
soon as the clock also indicates 6 o'clock, the wheel corresponding to the wheel G,
is actuated by a spring and the hammer of the alarm is put in action.
With my improved clock the actuating spring i is arranged in front of the
wheel G and the wheel revolves inside the spring, see Figs. 2 and 3.
Now, if the hand comes to 6 o'clock in the morning, or, as is shown at Fig. 4,
to 7.30 p.m., then the wheel G is moved inwards by the spring i and the hammer
is released, so as to sound an alarm.
The indicator I is firmly fixed to the spindle k, so that the indicator may be set,
if desired, by turning the spindle k, which, as will be seen, protrudes from the back
of the case.
The dial H, besides having on it the 24 hours, has also wording to indicate the
divisions of the day and night. Thus the upper figure 12 is at mid-day, the
lower 12 at mid-night. The side figures at morning and evening respectively. It
is necessary to have these indications on the dial, so that any one may know at a
glance, how to turn the indicator, so that the alarm shall strike at the proper time.
With this arrangement, supposing the alarm was, at 12 night, set for 1 o'clock,
the alarm would sound at 1 o'clock in the afternoon and not at 1 o'clock at night.
But, again, if the alarm had, after 1 o'clock at night,, been set for 1 o'clock, it
would ring at 1 p.m. mid-day.
The arrangement Figs. 5 to 8, is different from the previous one in so far as the
alarm indicator and the hands of the clock, turn on the same dial, which has
twenty-four divisions.
The clockwork is the same as before, except that the pinion wheel e, having
twelve cogs (see Figs. 2 and 6), on the spindle of which is fitted the large hand,
drives the wheel F (Fig. 6), having forty-eight teeth, and also the pinion, which
is on its spindle. The pinion drives the wheel g, having sixty teeth.
The small hand is fitted on the wheel g, and it makes one revolution in twenty-
four hours. The wheel has a sleeve, which is fitted on the same spindle as the
wheel a.
The hollow spindle or sleeve of the wheel and also the spindle of
wheel a, pass through the boss of the alarm indicator I, as shown at Fig. 7.
The wheel G shown in the arrangement Figs. 1 to 4, is not used in this
arrangement.
$
In this form of the alarm clock, only one dial is used, which is similar to the
small dial, Fig. 4.
Now, supposing the alarm is set, say for 2 o'clock in the afternoon, immediately
the hour hand coincides with it, the central spindle, with its wheels, is thrown
forward. There is a notch on the spindle, as in the first arrangement (Fig. 3),
and there is also a peg on the wheel g. As soon, therefore, as both the hands and
with them the notch and peg, come together, the whole can be moved along the
notch and the spring (Fig. 7) will press forward the wheel a, so that the alarm
spring is free to move. The spring prevents the alarm indicator from moving
forward..
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 1
claim is :-
1. An alarm clock having, besides the usual dial, an extra dial with a double set
of figures to represent the 24 hours, the hours being so arranged that the same
figures are opposite each other, and having clockwork, so arranged that the alarm

page_text: is struck only once in the 24 hours, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with
reference to Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings annexed.
2. The modified arrangement of alarm clock, having but a single dial, substantially
as hereinbefore set forth with reference to Figs. 5 to 8 of the drawings annexed.
Dated this 13th day of January 1892.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow.