Improvements in Alarum Clocks.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 20th July, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 20th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 29th May, 1897
Improvements in Alarum Clocks.
We, THOMAS GIBSON POOLE, of Middlesborough, in the County of York,
Watchmaker and Jeweller, and ABEL PICKARD, of Brotton, in the same county,
Platelayer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in the alarum mechanism of that class of
alarum clocks, wherein it is not necessary to reset the alarum train after each
sounding of the alarum by rewinding the spring actuating such traiu, the resetting
being effected by a simple mechanical operation; and the main objects of the said
invention are to simplify the design and construction of the arrangements for
releasing the alarum train, and for resetting the same after each sounding.
An alarum mechanism arranged according to our invention is constructed and
acts, substantially as follows.
A lever pivoted horizontally at one end to any convenient part of the clock
frame, has two notches formed in its free end, adapted to engage with a pin fixed
in the side of a cam on the alarum dial. This cam, which is on the hour hand
arbor, necessarily makes a complete revolution in every twelve hours. During the
first revolution the aforesaid pin engages with the upper of the two notches in the
end of the lever, and raises the said lever a certain distance, while by means of a
short arm on the lever this motion raises a pivoted wire, or arm, to which is jointed
a horizontal wire, or rod projecting through the clock case, with a knob or other
suitable device on the end, so that the said wire and knob are pushed outwards.
The lever is retained in the position to which it has been raised, by a friction, or
other suitable device, and during the revolution of the cam in the second twelve
hours, the piu, by engagement with the next notch in the lever, raises the said lever
still further, which has the effect of moving a wire or detent from contact with
a pin on the fly, or other suitable arbor of the alarum train. This arbor is then
free to make a partial revolution, until stopped by the pin coming in contact with
a wire or detent affixed to a lever, the free end of which rests upon the cam
aforesaid.
When a notch in this cam comes under the end of this lever, the said lever is
free to fall and liberate the alarum train, at the time previously set on the dial.
The hammers continue to strike in the ordinary way, until stopped by pushing in
the aforesaid knob, which has the effect of moving forward the first mentioned wire
or detent into its previous position, to make contact with the pin on the fly arbor,
and so stop the alarum train. The notched lever is also pushed down and the
mechanism is then ready to automatically repeat the above described cycle of
operations, during the next twenty-four hours.
Our invention is mainly intended to apply to clocks arranged to go for eight
days, as the alarum will then sound each day at the required time, without any
otber attention than the pushing in of the knob, as before described, each day and
winding of the spring, or springs once in the week.
.
1000

page_text: Improvements in Alarum Clocks.
We, THOMAS GIBSON POOLE, of Middlesbrough, in the County of York,
Watchmaker and Jeweller, and ABEL PICKARD, of Brotton, in the same county,
Platelayer, 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 :-
Our invention relates to improvements in the alarum mechanism of that class of
alarum clocks, wherein it is not necessary to reset the alarum train, after each
sounding of the alarum, by rewinding the spring actuating such train, the resetting
being effected by a simple mechanical operation, and the main objects of the said
invention are to simplify the design and construction of the arrangement for
releasing the alarum train and for resting the same after each sounding.
The accompanying sheet of drawings represents an alarum mechanism, arranged
and constructed substantially in accordance with our invention, and acting as
hereinafter described.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the said mechanism,
Fig. 2 is a detached view of a cam on the hour hand arbor,
Fig. 3 is a detached elevation, and
Fig. 4 is a plan of a lever forming part of the mechanism.
Similar letters of reference denote similar parts throughout.
The going train, part of the frame, outer case and alarum bell, or gong, are
omitted from the drawing, for the sake of clearness.
A is a lever (shewn detached in Figs. 3 and 4) pivoted at B to any convenient
part of the clock frame. It has two notches C and D formed in its free end, and
adapted to engage with a pin E fixed in the side of a cam F on the alarum dia! H.
The said cam, which is shewn detached in Fig. 2, is on the hour hand arbor J, and
therefore necessarily makes a complete revolution once in every twelve hours.
During the first revolution the pin E engages with the upper notch C in the end of
the lever A, and raises the said lever a certain distance.
The effect of this movement is that a short arm K, projecting horizontally from
the lever A, comes in contact with and partly raises an arm L pivoted to the
frame at M. A horizontal rod N, projecting through the clock case, and with a
knob N', or other suitable device on the end outside the case, is jointed to the
arm L at O, so that the upward movement of the said arm pushes out the said rod
and knob. The lever A is retained in the position to which it has been raised by
a friction, or other suitable device, adjusted so that it just prevents the lever falling,
without causing sufficient friction to impede the going of the clock.
During the revolution of the cam F in the second twelve hours, the pin E
engages with the lower notch D in the lever A, and raises the said lever still
higher.
This has the effect of pushing out the rod N to its full extent, and causing the
arm L to move the bent rod, or detent P, which is pivoted at M, so that its free
end moves out of contact with a pin Q on the fly R, or other suitable arbor of the
alarum train. This arbor is then free to make a partial revolution, until stopped
by the pin Q coming in contact with a deteut S on the vertical rod T, which rests
upon, or is jointed to an arm or lever V, pivoted at W and having its free end
resting upon the cam F.
When the notch X in the said cam comes under the end of the arm V, the said
arm falls and removes the detent S from contact with the pin Q, and so liberates
the alarum train at the time previously set on the dial H. The hammers YY,
continue to strike in the ordinary way until stopped by pushing in the rod N, by

page_text: means of its knob N'. When this rod is pushed in, the arm L is thereby pushed
down, which has the effect of allowing the rod P to fall, so that its end comes in
contact with the pin Q and stops the alarum train, and the arm L also pushes
down the lever A, by means of its projecting arm K, so that the mechanism is reset,
and is ready to automatically repeat the above described cycle of operations at the
end of the next twenty-four hours.
The rod T is afterwards raised to its former position by the rotation of the
cam F.
Our invention is mainly intended to apply to clocks arranged to go for eight
days, as the alarum will then sound each day at the required time, without any
other attention than the pushing in of the knob N', as before described, each day,
and the winding of the springs once a week; provided that the alarum aud going
springs be so relatively proportioned that the former spring can operate for a
sufficient length of time once every twenty-four hours, without running down before
the latter spring, and that the alarum be stopped, as described, after commencing
to sound, within a reasonable time.
The apparatus shewn in the above described drawing, is given as an illustration
of our invention, but we wish it to be understood that we do not confine ourselves
to the precise arrangement therein set forth, provided that in all cases the essential
features of our invention be retained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim, is :-
In an alarum clock of the class described, a lever with two notches C, D in its
free end, and a projecting arm K, in combination with a pin E on the cam F, so
arranged, that the revolution of the said pin around the hour hand arbor J, lifts
the said lever by two successive movements in the twenty-four hours, thereby
pushing out the resetting rod N and removing the detent P from contact with the
pin Q on the arbor R, while the subsequent pushing in of the rod N returus the
lever A to its former position, substantially as and for the purposes herein
set forth.
Dated the 20th day of April 1897
AMBROSE MYALL,
2 Lancaster Place, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.