Improvements in Clocks or Time Keepers.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 24th July, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 24th Apr., 1891-Accepted, 24th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Clocks or Time Keepers.
I, GIOVANNI CINQUEMANI, of 32 Cottolengo, Turin, in the Kingdom of Italy,
Canon of Cattanisetta, in Sicily, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
:-
The invention has for its object improvements in clocks or time keepers, and
relates to a simple arrangement and construction of parts whereby accuracy of
operation is obtained by the maintenance of a constant or equal force to give rotary
motion to the scape wheel.
In carrying my invention into effect I pass around a drum, pulley, or carrier,
fixed or formed on the spindle of the scape wheel, an endless band or chain, provided
with pockets or receptacles at certain distances to receive balls, preferably of metal,
which are individually supplied thereto and discharged therefrom at regular
intervals of time in the following manner.
The said pockets or receptacles are so constructed as to be capable of holding the
balls on the descending side of the endless chain or band, until they arrive one by
one at the bottom thereof, where they are automatically discharged therefrom into
a channel for use as hereinafter described.
The said pockets are preferably constructed in such manner as to automatically
open out for reception of the balls as they arrive to the descending side of the
endless band or chain, and to close on the return or rising side thereof. The scape
wheel is allowed to escape tooth by tooth by means of a pallet lever connected with
a pendulum, or by any other convenient arrangement.
The
The balls supplied to the scape wheel operating chain or band are primarily con-
tained in the pockets of another endless band or chain, which passes over a drum
or pulley on an axis, to which power is applied to rotate the same, by means of a
weight or weights, spring, water power, or other suitable motive force.
pockets or receptacles of this primary endless band or chain receive the balls,
which are received and retained therein on the rising side thereof, and are auto-
matically discharged therefrom when they arrive at a certain position on the
descending side, where they are received into a trough or channel, which conducts
them into position to enable them to run when permitted into the pockets of the
scape wheel operating band or chain. The drum or pulley of the primary chain
or band, or its axis, is provided with means whereby it is held stationary by a
detent, until, on the fall of a ball from the scape wheel operating chain or band,
an arm from said detent is acted upon by said ball so as to cause said detent to
release the drum or pulley and permit the latter to perform a portion of a revolution,
thereby discharging a fresh ball from the primary chain or band, which ball is held
by another arm from the detent until again released by the fall of a ball from the
scape wheel operating chain or band. A convenient arrangement of the parts is
such that at each quarter of an hour a ball is released from and supplied to each
band or chain, and the parts are so arranged that as a ball is discharged from the
scape wheel band or chain, a new one is immediately supplied thereto, whereby a
constant force is applied to the same. The balls falling from the scape wheel
band or chain are conducted by suitable troughs or channels to the pockets on
the rising side of the primary chain or band, and if desired they may be caused
in their descent to strike the hour and quarters.
For this latter purpose I adopt the following arrangement. Around the main
drum or pulley is an endless band or chain provided with openings and with ledges
projecting from one side thereof at the bottom of such boles to receive the balls as
they fall from the channel below the scape wheel operating chain. The said

page_text: ledges and the chain or band carrying them, pass through a vertical channel, into
the top of which the falling ball is conducted and thence delivered to one of said
ledges and conducted, thereby through the adjacent hole. The ball is thence
delivered to one or other of three contrary inclined troughs or channels, at the
lower end of each of which is a bell or gong, which will be sounded by said ball.
The holes in the endless band or chain and the three inclined troughs are so
arranged that at the first quarter past the hour, the ball will be delivered to the
lowest of said troughs and will consequently sound only one bell, thereby indicating
one quarter, and at the second quarter it will be delivered to the intermediate or
second trough and will sound two bells, and so on. There is a fourth trough below
said three troughs to receive the ball therefrom, and deliver it to a trough which
conducts it to another vertical channel, through which part of another endless band
or chain, employed for indicating the hours passes; this latter band or chain is also
provided with holes and ledges and is arranged to pass twelve contrary inclined
troughs or channels, at the ends of which are bells. The ball will be received on
to the ledge of the chain or band within the vertical channel, and will be delivered
through the adjacent hole on to one or other of the said twelve troughs, according
to the position of the said hole, by which means the hour will be sounded. The
said hour band or chain is passed over a drum, wheel, or carrier, which is rotated
from the main drum or from its axle by a star wheel, or by other suitable
mechanism. From the lowermost of said twelve inclined troughs, the ball is con-
ducted to the empty pocket or receptacle of the primary band or chain below the
lowest filled one.
The hour of the day may be visibly indicated by the pocket of the hour band or
chain, or a mark thereon, being seen through an opening or openings in the clock
face, along the edge of which the numbers of the hours are indicated. The minutes
are indicated in a similar manner by an endless band or chain showing through an
aperture or apertures marked with the numbers of minutes in an hour, said last
mentioned band or chain having a suitable mark thereon and being operated by
pegs on the axle of the scape wheel or by other suitable carrier fixed thereon.
Other carriers on the axle of the hour drum may carry other endless bands or
chains suitably numbered and lettered to indicate through suitable apertures the
day of the week, the date of the month, and the day of the lunar month, whilst one
of the bands or chains around the main drum or pulley may be marked so as to
indicate through another aperture, the number of quarters past the hour.
In the above described clock, the indications are exhibited through vertical
perforations in the clock face, but if desired the clock can be provided with a
circular face.
Instead of sounding the bells by causing the balls to pass through holes in the
chains or bands, the latter may carry projections to act upon one or other of a
number of hinged ledges, which normally are at the exterior of the vertical
channels, but which can, when pressed, enter said channels, and so conduct the ball
to the required inclined trough.
In order to indicate the time on a circular dial, I employ the following arrange-
ment; the seconds hand is mounted on the end of the scape wheel axle; the said
axle has on it, studs or other means to give motion to an endless band or chain,
which passes partly around and supports and gives motion to, a ring, which carries
the minute hand, and the axle of the main drum or pulley has fixed thereon, the
hour hand. The minute hand ring is thus free from contact with the hour hand
axle.
To enable the time to be sounded or repeated at any moment, I use a supplemental
smaller ball, which is normally retained on a ledge attached to a cord and working
within a vertical channel; the said cord passes around a roller rotated by another
cord, or is otherwise operated so as to raise such ledge and ball to the top of the
said vertical chanuel, where it is delivered to the trough conducting the other balls
to the vertical channel leading to the three inclined- troughs employed. in sounding
the quarter hours; the said supplemental ball then follows the course. of the

page_text: ordinary balls, and after having traversed all the inclined channels, passes through
an opening in the lowermost channel whence it is conducted to the aforesaid ledge,
instead of being conducted to the pocket of the primary chain or band.
Dated this 24th day of July 1890.
GIOVANNI CINQUEMANI.
By Harris & Mills,
uthampton Buildings, London, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Clocks or Time Keepers.
I, GIOVANNI CINQUEMANI, of 32 Cottolengo, Turin, in the Kingdom of Italy,
Canon of Caltanisetta in Sicily, 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 :-
The invention has for its object improvements in clocks or time keepers, and
relates to a simple arrangement and construction of parts whereby accuracy of
operation is obtained by the maintenance of a constant or equal force to give rotary
motion to the scape wheel.
In carrying my invention into effect I pass around a drum, pulley, or carrier,
fixed or formed on the spindle of the scape wheel, an endless band or chain
provided with pockets or receptacles at certain distances to receive balls preferably
of metal, which are individually supplied thereto and discharged therefrom at
regular intervals of time in the following manner.
The said pockets or receptacles are so constructed as to be capable of holding the
balls on the descending side of the endless chain or band until they arrive one by
one at the bottom thereof, where they are automatically discharged therefrom into
a channel for use as hereinafter described.
The said pockets are preferably constructed in such manner as to automatically
open out for reception of the balls as they arrive to the descending side of the
endless band or chain and to close on the return or rising side thereof. The scape
wheel is allowed to escape tooth by tooth by means of a pallet lever connected with
a pendulum, or by any other convenient arrangement.
The balls supplied to the scape wheel operating chain or band are primarily
contained in the pockets of another endless band or chain which passes over a drum
or pulley on an axis to which power is applied to rotate the same by means of a
weight or weights, spring, water power, or other suitable motive force. The pockets
or receptacles of this primary endless band or chain receive the balls, which are
received and retained therein on the rising side thereof and are automatically
discharged therefrom when they arrive at a certain position on the descending side,
where they are received into a trough or channel which conducts them into position
to enable them to run when permitted into the pockets of the scape wheel operating
band or chain. The drum or pulley of the primary chain or band, or its axis,
is provided with means whereby it is held stationary by a detent, until, on the
fall of a ball from the scape wheel operating chain or band, an arm from said
detent is acted upon by said ball so as to cause said detent to release the drum
or pulley and permit the latter to perform a portion of a revolution, thereby
discharging a fresh ball from the primary chain or band, which ball is held by
another arm from the detent until again released by the fall of a ball from the
scape wheel operating chain or band. A convenient arrangement of the parts is
such that at each quarter of an hour a ball is released from and supplied to each
band or chain, and the parts are so arranged that as a ball is discharged from
the scape wheel band or chain, a new one is immediately supplied thereto, whereby.
a constant force is applied to the same. The balls falling from the scape wheel

page_text: baud or chain are conducted by suitable troughs or channels to the pockets on
the rising side of the primary chain or band, and if desired they may be caused
in their descent to strike the hour and quarters.
For this latter purpose I adopt the following arrangement. Around the main
drum or pulley is an endless band or chain provided with openings and with
ledges projecting from one side thereof at the bottom of such holes to receive
the balls as they fall from the channel below the scape wheel operating chain.
The said ledges and the chain or band carrying them pass through a vertical
channel, into the top of which the falling ball is conducted and thence delivered
to one of said ledges and conducted thereby through the adjacent hole. The ball
is thence delivered to one or other of three contrary inclined troughs or channels,
at the lower end of each of which is a bell or gong, which will be sounded by said
ball. The holes in the endless band or chain and the three inclined troughs are
so arranged that at the first quarter past the hour, the ball will be delivered to the
lowest of said troughs and will consequently sound only one bell, thereby indicating
one quarter, and at the second quarter it will be delivered to the intermediate or
second trough and will sound two bells, and so on. There is a fourth trough below
said three troughs to receive the ball therefrom and deliver it to a trough which
conducts it to another vertical channel, through which part of another endless band
or chain employed for indicating the hours passes; this latter band or chain is
also provided with holes and ledges and is arranged to pass twelve contrary inclined
troughs or channels at the ends of which are bells. The ball will be received on
to the ledge of the chain or band within the vertical channel and will be delivered
through the adjacent hole on to one or other of the said twelve troughs according
to the position of the said hole, by which means the hour will be sounded. The said
hour band or chain is passed over a drum, wheel, or carrier, which is rotated
from the main drum, or from its axle, by a star wheel or by other suitable
mechanism. From the lowermost of said twelve inclined troughs, the ball is
conducted to the empty pocket or receptacle of the primary band or chain below
the lowest filled one.
The hour of the day may be visibly indicated by the pocket of the hour band or
chain, or a mark thereon, being seen through an opening or openings in the clock
face, along the edge of which the numbers of the hours are indicated. The minutes
are indicated in a similar manner by an endless band or chain showing through an
aperture or apertures marked with the numbers of minutes in an hour, said last
mentioned band or chain having a suitable mark thereon and being operated by
pegs on the axle of the scape wheel or by other suitable carrier fixed thereon.
Other carriers on the axle of the hour drum may carry other endless bands or
chains suitably numbered and lettered to indicate through suitable apertures the
day of the week, the date of the month, and the day of the lunar month, whilst
one of the bands or chains around the main drum or pulley may be marked so as
to indicate through another aperture the number of quarters past the hour.
In the above described clock, the indications are exhibited through vertical
perforations in the clock face, but if desired the clock can be provided with a
circular face. Instead of sounding the bells by causing the balls to pass through
holes in the chains or bands, the latter may carry projections to act upon one or other
of a number of a hinged ledges, which normally are at the exterior of the vertical
channels, but which can, when pressed, enter said channels and so conduct the ball
to the required inclined trough.
In order to indicate the time on a circular dial, I employ the following arrange-
ment; the seconds hand is mounted on the end of the scape wheel axle, the said
axle has on it, studs or other means to give motion to an endless band or chain'
which passes partly around and supports and gives motion to a ring, which carries
the minute hand, and the axle of the main drum or pulley has fixed thereon the
hour hand. The minute hand ring is thus free from contact with the hour hand
axle.
To enable the time to be sounded or repeated at any moment, I use a

page_text: These parts I shall now describe with reference to the accompanying drawings,
which are mere explanatory diagrams.
1st. The time apparatus consists of a pendulum and a single scape wheel a,
see Figure 1, on the spindle of which is mounted a drum or pulley, moving
regularly an endless chain or band b furnished with five or more receptacles
or pockets c, c, placed at fixed distances. These pockets are so articulated with the
chain as to remain open on the side on which they receive their load or charge,
while they close on the opposite side. The last two or more open pockets on
the descending side are loaded with metallic balls (as will be described,) the weight
of which, by its uniformity and continuity, acts as a regulator and constrains the
pendulum d to swing uniformly. When a pocket, by the movement of the band b,
arrives at the bottom, it causes the ball 1 to fall into the trough or channel e.
If another ball 3 falls at the same instant into the uppermost pocket, the load
moving the chain or band b, remains constant, and this happens at the moment
of the fall of the lower ball as, this last travelling in the channel e, actuates
the lever arm f, which releases for an instant the remontoir or main driving
power (Figure 2), so that under the action of a weight, it is moved enough
to overturn, at its upper part, a ball, and to prepare the place for receiving, at its
lower part, the fallen ball into the empty pocket. The length of pendulum and of
the chain b may be combined with the number of its pockets in such a manner as to
have a falling ball at every five minutes, or at every quarter of an hour, or at every
hour, etc. In the description hereinafter given, it is intended that the fall of
a ball shall take place at every quarter of an hour.
2nd. The remontoir or main driving power consists essentially of a series of
pockets or receptacles forming an endless chain or band (Figure 2) turning on a
drum i mounted on a spindle or shaft. It is moved by the weight g as soon as
the three armed lever fff" is moved by the falling ball; the arm (Figure 1)
receives the stroke of the falling ball 1; allows the passage of the ball 3 towards
the chain b, and " (Figure 2) permits the drum i to turn one tooth or step, thereby
lifting a pocket of the chain h.
This movement presents a clear pocket or receptacle at the bottom of the
channel to receive the ball as it descends and furnishes a fresh ball above, which
occupies the place abandoned by the ball 3, which has passed on to the chain b.
The same movements are repeated at the fall of the balls 2, 3, etc., which latter will
re-enter the successive lower pockets of the chain, being substituted by those
coming from above in the successive operations.
The endless chain his entirely charged with balls on the rising side, and
is completely empty on the descending side. The weight 9 exceeds a little
the weight of all the rising balls and tends to turn the endless chain and lift the

page_text: balls. But this movement is prevented by the short lever arm which is forked
as an escape of an ordinary watch, against which abuts one of the pins or teeth of
the drum. The stroke of the ball falling at every quarter, displaces the levers and
permits the passage of one of the teeth k while the following, tooth is arrested by
the same escape f
The motive power of the remontoir, instead of being the weight.g (Figure 2,) or
a spring which needs to be wound up from time to time, may be substituted,
especially in tower clocks, by an hydraulic wheel, the buckets of which are
automatically filled and emptied in the interval between the successive falls of the
balls. Figure 3 represents one form of wheel, which may be connected directly
with the same drum i, or it may be connected with it by an endless chain to enable
the water to be protected against freezing and atmospheric changes. A little water
spout regulated by a cock will give a constant flow suitable for the purpose and the
chronologium or clock will with such an arrangement run for a long period without
assistance.
It is to be noted that the balls delivered at the top of the remontoir, instead of
going directly to the time chain b, which would cause a retardation, assume at first
an awaiting position like the ball 3, awaiting the favorable moment for their fall.
In this manner the action exercised on the pendulum and its isochronism is made
constant.
3rd. In the aforesaid arrangement, bells have not been considered, and if the
chronologium is not furnished with them, the ball 1, after the fall from the time
chain, is guided without interruption along the channel e (Figure 1) into
the lower pocket of the remontoir chain h (Figure 2). But if the chronologium is
also required to strike the hours and quarters, I obtain this in two ways, that is to
say, by causing the remontoir to deliver at its top two series of balls, one for the
time and another for the striking, or by causing the same ball 1, after having
moved the time mechanism, and before its rest in the lower part of the remontoir,
to strike the hours on bells, as indicated in Figure 4 of the annexed drawings.
The drum of remontoir gears intermittently with a spindle 7 (Figures 2 and 4)
of another drum, so that this spindle is moved at every fourth movement of the
remontoir, remaining immovable during the three first motions, so that the spindle or
shaft only moves at every hour, and an endless band moving with it and having
hours printed thereon, will indicate the hour through an aperture in the dial. By
causing other endless bands or strips, suitably divided on their faces, to roll nearer
to the centre of the drum, that is, on smaller drums, or ou the same shaft with
a varying number of reduced faces or steps, and taking into consideration its
movement combined with the length to be given to the band or chain, indication of
days, weeks, months, and moon phases, can be obtained, thus forming a complete
calendar clock and also with indication of terms of payment; but this regards more
especially the dial.
Then, the two shafts ¹ and of the remontoir and time apparatus will work as
distributors in order to strike the proper number of signals. On the shaft i,
Figure 2, rolls the endless band m slotted at intervals equal to four spaces of
the ball chain h.
Towards the inside of the band m, the holes or slots are furnished with an
inclined and projecting little trough, Figure 4, so that as this strip passes within the
vertical pipe, it forms there a movable plane rising by a 12 at every mcvement.
The ball falling into the pipe e, Figure 1, passing, by means of inclined planes, to
the pipe n (Figure 4), will meet the said plane or bottom and issue from a hole
of the band m at different heights, according to the position of the movable plane.
If in front of this hole or issue pipe there are twelve inclined little troughs, arranged
in zig-zag order, and at their two sides there are two tubular gongs o, o¹, then,
according to the fall of the ball into either of the troughs, the striking of one, two,
or more, up to twelve, is obtained.
It is easily understood that by an analogous arrangement, the striking of the
quarters may also be obtained,

page_text: It is to be noted that the power of the falling ball could lift one or more hammers
and thus strike the hours. As the ball, striking against the gongs, loses a part of
its force (vis vina) it is necessary to leave a little falling space between the
successive troughs and to give a strong inclination to the end of the trough
receiving the ball, in order to compensate for the loss of force.
4th. The dial may be rectilinear, elliptic, or circular; the first is easily obtained
either by marking the hours and minutes on the dial (Figure 5) at the side of the
vertical aperture and placing a sign or hand on the band which, by its slow
movement, gives the indication, or by marking the hours on the band itself
and reducing the aperture to that of the quarters, or lastly, by making the band
long enough and with the hours in their twelve signs, so that only through the
aperture for the minutes an indication of both is given.
The elliptic dial may be easily understood by the simple inspection of Figure 6,
it being understood that the shaft of the remontoir must be set perpendicularly to
the plane of the dial; all the twenty four hours may be indicated; for instance,
the antemeridian hours on the rising side and the postmeridian ones on the
descending, or vice versu; they may also be indicated through the pockets of the
ball chain of the remontoir, as represented in Figure 7. The circular dial,
Figure 8, may have the hours movable or fixed, and also it may have the hands or
pointers like ordinary watches provided that the shaft of the remontoir be per-
pendicular to the plane of the dial.
If the dial has movable hours, it suffices to enlarge suitably one of the faces of
the remontoir drum and to mark on it the hours which will successively pass behind
the corresponding aperture of the dial. On the contrary, if the bours are fixed
on the dial, the shaft of the drum will move at every quarter, the hand or pointer
mounted on it, as in ordinary watches.
In order to have the indication of the minutes on the circular dial, the scape
wheel a, Figure 1, must also face the dial and be provided with an endless
perforated band geared with pins or teeth fixed on its axis, see Figure 9; this
band carries below a broad but thin ring r also geared to it by pins or teeth, and
the proportion of the number of pins or teeth on the shaft of the scape wheel and
on the ring, may be so combined as to have a turn at every hour.
In
This ring, which is suspended without touching either the shaft of the remontoir
or anything else, bears a hand or pointer, which will mark the minutes.
the same way the scape wheel may give the indication of seconds.
5th. The striking apparatus may be put out of action and silence may be secured
as though the chronologium were mute or without bells. In order to obtain it, it
suffices to have an interruption in the trough that guides the ball falling from the
time chain, so that it shall be diverted from the bells and go directly to the
remontoir. To this end the register or trap placed at the bottom of the pipe e,
Figure 1, is employed, which opens a passage e¹ that leads the ball to the lower
part of the remontoir; by turning the screw its conical point presses the arm e¹ll
and lifts the bottom e, thus opening the channel which otherwise remains closed
when the ball goes to the bells.
The channels through which the balls run are preferably made of longitudinally
corrugated iron, as in Figure 10.
6th. The timing, or the operation of putting the arrows or indicators to the
proper time, as I have already said with reference to the hours and minutes arrow,
is obtained by a key applied to the shaft of the remontoir drum, which, by a clip,
turns or adjusts simultaneously all the parts on which are marked the quarters, the
gear of the hour shaft, the distributor, and the calendar.
Another method for advancing every part of the chronologium by quarters,
consists in furnishing the channel x, which retains the ball 3, with a trap similar to
that described in reference to the silence arrangement; this trap leads the ball 3
or its following one to the channel e independently from its fall from the time
chain b.

page_text: 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 :-
1st. The time movement obtained by the weight, applied to the scape wheel axis,
which weight consists of two or more balls acting in combination with pockets on an
endless band or chain passing around a drum on the scape wheel axis and the
successive reception and discharge of which maintains a constant motive power on
the scape wheel, substantially as described.
2nd. The system of circulation of the balls along the remontoir chain, sub-
stantially as described.
3rd. The manner of attaching the endless bands or chains that control the
indication of the time and the sounding of the bells to the remontoir shaft or
to a suitable shaft connected or geared with the main one, substantially as
described.
4th. The employment of zig-zag inclined planes having each a strong inclination
at their ends to conduct the balls against the bells, substantially as described.
5th. The various methods of operating the distributor in order to regulate
the striking of hours and quarters, substantially as described.
6th. The employment of the force of gravity or of the fall of a ball for
striking directly the hours and quarters or to lift hammers for striking a bell,
substantially as described.
7th. The various methods of arranging the dial for the indication of hours,
minutes, days, moon phases, etc., substantially as described.
8th. The diverting of the ball in order to produce when desired the silence of the
chronologium, substantially as described.
9th. The means for putting the indicators at the proper hour by the employment
of a pointed screw and trap to divert the balls direct from the channel x to the
channel e, substantially as described.
10th. The manner of applying to the remontoir, a water motor instead of
a weight, substantially as described.
11th. In clocks or time keepers, the various improvements, substantially as herein
described.
12th. In clocks or timekeepers, the various arrangements and combinations
of parts, substantially as herein described.
Dated this 24th day of April 1891
GIOVANNI CINQUEMANI.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.