Improvements in and relating to Striking Clocks.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Striking Clocks.
I, JACOB FELLHEIMER, of Furtwangen, in the Grand-Duchy of Baden, German
Empire, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to a striking clock which marks the hours, as well as the
quarters of the hours, on the expiration of every minute. The purpose of this
arrangement is to enable the owner of the clock to know the time at night without
the use of a match or candle, and to convince himself of the correctness of a counting
by waiting one minute only and then counting the marks a second time. The clappers
producing the marks do not act upon gongs but against walls of the casing of the
clock, so that the marks are soft and cannot be perceived as a disturbing noise.
A particular feature of my improved clock resides in the absence of a special wheel-work
i.e. spring-work for operating the marking-device, that is to say, in employing the
spring of the clock-work proper for the actuation of the said device. The main feature
of the whole construction consists, however, in arranging marking-devices of the kind
hereinlefo.e mentioned, or combining thein with, so-called marine-striking-clocks of
A criem system, which require winding-up every day.
The shaft a (Figures 1 & 2) which is driven from the wheel-work of the clock
carries the cog-wheel . The shaft a is that which is provided with the second-hand,
(not shown), and which therefore performs a rotation in a minute. The cog-wheel a¹
is in gear with a cog-wheel el (Figures 1-3) of similar size, which is arranged upon the
shaft c, and is provided with 12 pins e. The lengths of the latter are different, and
said pins serve for operating the clapper 2 the marks of which indicate the hours. To
adjust the clapper according to the number of marks to Le given, the shaft i
(Figures 1 & 2) carrying the clapper-wire may be displaced in its longitudinal
direction, so that the pin (Figure 2) of said shaft may be acted on either side by
only one (the longest) of the pins 2 or by two or more of them. If the pin 3 is
operated by only the longest of the pins e the clapper picduces, of course, one
mark only, but if the shaft i is displaced to such an extent that the pin lies close to
the cog-wheel &, then all the pins e act upon the pin 23, and there are thus 12 marks
produced by the clapper i².
The adjustment of the shaft i according to the time, or according to the number of
marks to be given respectively, is effected by the mediation of a lever o (Fig. 2)
which is secured to a shaft o' (Figure 1) held by the bearing-pins 203 (Figure 2).
The upper end of the lever o takes between the lower end of the clapper-wire i¹ and a
pin (Figures 1 & 2) also secured to the shaft i. The shaft o' holding the lever o is,
furthermore, provided with a lever o' which extends in horizontal direction, and bears
against the lower side of an eccentric u (Figures 1 & 2) which is fixed to the shaft u².
The eccentric u is turned one time in 12 hours, or performs of a rotation in one
hour respectively; therefore, the position of the levers of o, and consequently the
position of the shaft i with its pin 3, is dependant on the position of the eccentric u,
or of the position of the hands of the clock respectively. The back projecting end of
the shaft carries a wheel u2 (Figures 1 & 2) which is provided with recesses u³; the

page_text: projections remaining between, or formed by, said recesses are concave shape, as
distinctly shown in Fig. 1. The recesses u³ co-operate with a pin r (Figure 1) which
is fixed to an eccentric arranged upon the shaft 2. The latter performs a rotation
in an hour, and the pin r whilst thus caused to revolve takes into a recess of the
wheel u², and causes the latter to make t of a rotation, as already mentioned.
In order to hinder the wheel from inaking any undue movement during the
time of its not being actuated by the pin r the shaft 2 is provided with a disc 3
situated in the same plane as the wheel u2, and of such a size that its periphery
corresponds with the concave portion of the adjacent part of the said wheel. A semi-
circular recess provided in the rim of the disc 3 serves to receive the pointed
projections situated at the two sides of the recess that just co-operates with the
pin .
The eccentric consists of 4 portions of different radii, and serves for operating
a lever 8 (Figure 1) by the mediation of a pin & fixed to the lower end of said lever.
The upper end of the latter is furnished with a sector & which extends obliquely to
the plane of said lever, as distinctly to be seen in Figure 3. The sector 8 takes
into a suitably arranged slit of a shaft x (Figs. 1 & 3) which may be longitudinally
displaced, and which holds the clapper by the mediation of the clapper-wire z¹.
The clapper marks the quarters of the hours, and is consequently not actuated
when an hour is completed. The clapper z is actuated by means of 3 pins a²
(Figures 1 & 3) that are fixed to the cog-wheel a¹, and the lengths of which are
different in the same manner as was the case with the pins e above described. The
pins a act upon a lever 22 (Figures 1 & 3) which is fixed to the shaft x.
The co-operation of the pins a² and the lever 22 occurs in exactly the same way
as the co-operation of the pins e' of the cog-wheel el and the pin of the shaft i,
that is to say, the number of actuations is dependant on the position of the shaft x,
and the position of this latter is dependant on the position of the eccentric ¹.
Supposed, the pin s¹ of the lever & bear against the portion with the shortest radius
of the eccentric the position of the shaft and the lever z2 will be such that
even the longest of the pins a² cannot reach the lever z2; the position just mentioned
exists during the first quarter of every hour, because then no quarters are to be
marked. When, however, the first quarter has been completed, then the eccentric
has so far been turned that the lever 2 is brought into the way of the longest of
the pins a², and the clapper z will, therefore, produce a mark. The marks of the
clapper are given instantly after the marks of the clapper 12, and the marks of
both clappers are given at or near to the expiration of every minute, as is obvious
from the cog-wheels a¹ and e¹ being in gear with each other.
Dated this 28th day of November 1896
JACOB FELLHEIMER,
By Geo. Thos. Hyde,
No. 1, Broad Street Buildings, Liverpool Street, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.
I, JACOB FELLHEIMER, of Furtwangen, in the Grand-Duchy of Baden, German
Empire, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this my invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to a striking clock which marks the hours, as well as the
quarters of the hours, on the expiration of every minute. The purpose of this

page_text: 0
Arrangement is to enable the owner of the clock to know the time at night
without the use of a match or candle, and to convince himself of the correctness of
a counting by waiting one minute only and then counting the marks a second time.
The clappers producing the marks d not act upon gongs but against walls of the
casing of the clock, so that the marks are soft an i cannot be perceived as a disturbing
noise. A particular feature of my improved clock resides in the absence of a special
wheel-work ie. spring-work for operating the marking-device, that is to say, in
employing the spring of the clock-work proper for the actuation of said device. The
main feature of the whole construction consists, however, in arranging marking-
devices of the kind afore mentioned at, or combining them with, so-called marine-
striking-clocks of American system, which require winding-up every day.
The shaft. a (Figures 1 & 2) which is driven from the wheel work of the clock
carries the cog-wheel a'. The shaft a is that which is provided with the second hand,
(not shown), and which therefore performs a rotation in a minute. The cog-wheel a'
is in gear with a cog-wheel e' (Figures 1-3) of similar size, which is arranged upon
the shaft e, and is provided with 12 pins e'. The lengths of the latter are different,
and said pins serve for operating the clapper i the marks of which indicate the
hours. To adjust the elapper according to the number of marks to be given, the
shaft (Figures 1 & 2) carrying the clapper-wire may be displaced in its
longitudinal direction, so that the pin 3 (Figure 2) of said shaft may be acted on
either by only one (the longest) of the pins e or by two or more of them. If the
pin is is operated by the longest only of the pins e2 the clapper 2 produces, of course,
one mark only, but if the shaft i is displaced to such an extent that the pin lies
close to the cog-wheel e', then all the pins et nct upon the pin , and there are thus
12 marks produced by the clapper 4.
The adjustment of the shaft i according to the time, or according to the number
of marks to be given respectively, is effected by the mediation of a lever o (Figure 2)
which is secured to a shaft ol (Figure 1) held by the bearing pins oo (Figure 2).
The upper end of the lever o takes between the lower end of the clapper wire i¹ and
a pin (Figures 1 & 2) also secured to the shaft i. The shaft o' holding the lever o
is, furthermore, provided with a lever of which extends in horizontal direction, and
bears against the lower side of an eccentric u (Figures 1 & 2) which is fixed to the
shaft u. The eccentric u is turned once in 12 hours, or performs 1 of a rotation
in one hour respectively; therefore, the position of the levers of o and consequently
the position of the shaft i with its pin , is dependent upon the position of the
eccentric u, or of the position of the hands of the clock respectively. The rearwardly
projecting end of the shaft w carries a wheel u (Figures 1 & 2) which is provided
with recesses u³; the projections remaining between, or formed by, said recesses are
of concave shape as distinctly shown in Figure 1. The recesses u³ co-operate with a
pin r (Figure 1) which is fixed to an eccentric r arranged upon the shaft . The
latter performs a rotation in an hour, and the pin r whilst thus caused to revolve
engages with a recess of the wheel u2, and causes the latter to make of a rotation,
as already mentioned.
In order to hinder the wheel u² from making any undue movement during the
time of its not being actuated by the pin r the shaft 1 is provided with a disk
situated in a plane with the wheel 1, and having such a size that its periphery takes
into the concave portion of the adjacent part of said wheel. A semicircular recess 24
provided in the riin of the disk serves to receive the pointed projections situated at
the two sides of the recess that just co-operates with the pin r.
The eccentric consists of 4 portions of different radii, and serves for operating a
lever (Figure 1) by the mediation of a pin a fixed to the lower end of said lever.
The upper end of the latter is furnished with a sector s which extends obliquely to the
plane of said lever, as distinctly shewn in Figure 3. The sector a takes into a suitably
arranged slit of a shaft x (Figures 1 & 3) which may be displaced longitudinally and
5 which holds the clapper by the mediation of the clapper-wire 2. The clapper is
actuated by means of 3 pins a (Figures 1 & 3) that are fixed to the cog-wheel a', and
the lengths of which vary in the same manner as was the case with the pins e² above

page_text: described. The pins a² act upon a lever z2 (Figures 1 & 3) which is fixed to the
shaft x.
The co-operation of the pins a² and the lever z occurs in exactly the same way as
the co-operation of the pins e2 of the cog-wheel e¹ and the pin 3 of the shaft i, that is
to say, the number of actuations is dependant on the position of the shaft x, and the
position of this latter is dependant on the position of the eccentric. Supposing, the
pin s' of the lever s bears against the portion with the shortest radius of the eccentric r1
the position of the shaft x and the lever 22 will be such that even the longest of the
pins a² cannot reach the lever 22; the position just mentioned exists during the first
quarter of every hour, because then no quarters are to be marked. When, however,
the first quarter has been completed, then the eccentric has so far been turned that
the lever is brought into the way of the longest of the pins a², and the clapper z
will, therefore, produce a mark. The marks of the clapper z are given instantly after
the marks of the clapper, and the marks of both clappers are given at or near to the
expiration of every minute, as is obvious from the cog-wheels a¹ and e' being in gear
with each other.
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 I
claim is :-
1. In a clock adapted to strike the hours as well as the quarters of the same on the
expiration of every minute, the combination with a cog-wheel a¹, the cog-wheel e¹
gearing with said wheel a¹ and having pins e² of constantly varying length, an axle i
carrying the clappers 22 and a pin 23 adapted to be operated by said pins e², a lever
o 03 adapted to displace the axle i and an eccentric u, substantially and for the purpose
as described.
2. In a clock adapted to strike the hours as well as the quarters of the same, as
characterized in Claim 1, the combination with the eccentric u and the shaft u' of the
same, of a wheel u² attached to said shaft and having recesses u³ and of concave
segments between each two of said recesses and a disk arranged so as to engage
with either one of said concave segments and having a recess adapted to receive
the projections located at the two sides of either of said recesses u³, and a disk ¹
located behind the disk 3, and having a pin r arranged in front of said recess 24 and
adapted to engage with either of said recesses u³, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
3. In a clock adapted to strike the hours as well as the quarters of the same, as
characterized in Claim 1, the combination with the eccentric u, the wheel u², the
disk and the eccentric 7, of a double-armed lever & having at one end a pin s'
adapted to he operated by said eccentric and having at its other end a segment s²
hent or arranged obliquely with regard to the plane of said lever and an axle x
carrying the clapper z 21 as well as an arm 22, said axle having an oblique groove q
gearing with said segment s and the cog-wheel a, having pins a² adapted to actuate
said arm 22, substantially as described and shown in the drawing.
Dated this 3rd day of August 1897.
JACOB FELLHEIMER,
By Geo. Thos. Hyde,
1, Broad Street Buildings, Liverpool Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.