IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR APPLYING AND REGULATING MOTIVE POWER
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR APPLYING AND REGULATING MOTIVE POWER."-A communi-
cation from abroad by Joseph de Susini, Gentleman, of 29, Boulevart
St. Martin, Paris.
Sealed the 19th November 1867, and dated the 31st May 1867.
21
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st May 1867.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, do bereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR APPLYING AND REGULATING MOTIVE POWER," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to utilizing the power produced by the tension of an
elastic cord having a self-acting escapement regulated according to the nature
of the application.
This apparatus is chiefly applicable where but a small amount of power is
required, and especially to give motion to mechanical toys, as for instance,
toy watches. This latter application is represented in the accompanying
Drawing.

page_text: The apparatus consists, 1st, of a lever a, Figure 1, turning on a pivot b fixed
to the case, the lever a is provided at its centre with a projecting part c fixed
thereto, made of some soft material such as leather, india-rubber, cork, or
soft wood.
Secondly, of a cord d composed of india-rubber, and silk, or other elastic
material, or it may be a small spiral spring.
3rdly, of a small spindle e carrying a pulley f at its upper part, which is fixed
thereto, the part c above mentioned being in frictional contact with this pulley,
the pulley and spindle may also be made in one piece.
4thly, of a grooved guide pulley g turning on a pivot fixed to the case, the
elastic cord d passes round this pulley g, and so enables it to be produced of
sufficient length to wind three or four times round the spindle e below the
pulley f, one end of the cord being passed through an orifice in part e and
secured thereto by means of a pin.
5thly, of a cross piece h serving as a guide and support for the spindle
carrying the pulley f, this guide has a hole at its centre in which fits the one
end of the spindle e, being free to turn therein, the squared end of the spindle e
projects above the guide bar on which to mount the hands of the watch, the
lower end of the said spindle e also terminates in a squared part seen in Figure 2,
on which is applied the key for winding the watch. The cross bar h, Figure 3
is secured at each end to the watch case. The parts of the spindle immediately
adjoining the squared ends are slightly shouldered off, and in order that the
spindle may turn with as little friction as possible I apply a small washer of
glove leather slightly greased. All the parts above described forming the watch
movement are enclosed in a case of more or less elegant appearance provided
with a face, the bands being fixed on the squared end of the spindle e which
projects a little above the face, the whole covered with a glass as usual.
order to set the watch in motion the key is applied on the squared end of the
spindle opposite to that carrying the hands, and turned from left to right like an
ordinary watch, as the winding continues the elastic cord becomes wound on
the small spindle e, to which one end of it is attached, while the other is fixed
to the end of the lever a, pulls the latter, and causes the part c of soft leather
fixed to a to bear on the pulley f in proportion to the tension of the india-
rubber cord. After turning the key two, three, or more times it is removed,
when the hands of the watch will move very slowly and regularly by reason of
the part c bearing on the pulley, the pressure on the same decreasing as the
cord becomes unwound.
In
From the foregoing it will be seen that the apparatus constitutes a novel
self-acting mechanism, and although I have only described it with reference to

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 29th November 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Alexander Melville Clark, Her special licence that I, the said
Alexander Melville Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "INPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR APPLYING AND REGULATING
MOTIVE POWER," a communication to me from abroad by Joseph de Susini,
Gentleman, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors or admini-
strators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent."
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, do hereby
declare the nature of the said 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 Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to utilizing the power produced by the tension of an
elastic cord having a self-acting escapement regulated according to the nature
of the application.

page_text: This apparatus is chiefly applicable where but a small amount of power
is required, and especially to give motion to mechanical toys, as for instance,
toy watches. This latter application is represented in the accompanying
Drawing.
The apparatus consists, 1st, of a lever a, Figure 1, turning on a pivot b fixed
to the case, the lever a is provided at its centre with a projecting part c fixed
thereto, made of some soft material, such as leather, india-rubber, cork, soft
wood, or pasteboard.
2ndly, of a cord d composed of india-rubber and silk or other elastic
material, or it may be a small spiral spring.
3rdly, of a small spindle e carrying a pulley f at its upper part, which is
fixed thereto, the part c above mentioned being in frictional contact with
this pulley, the pulley and spindle may also be made in one piece if desired.
4thly, of a grooved guide pulley g turning on a pivot fixed to the case. the
elastic cord d passes round this pulley g and so enables it to be of sutncient
length to wind three or four times round the spindle e below the pulley f, one
of the cords being passed through an orifice in spindle e and secured thereto
by means of a pin.
5thly, of a cross piece serving as a guide and support for the spindle
carrying the pulley f; this guide has a hole at its centre in which fits the one
end of the spindle e so as to be free to turn therein, the squared end of the
spindle e projects above the guide bar on which to mount the hands of the
watch, the lower end of the said spindle e also terminates in a squared part seen
in Figure 2 on which is applied the key for winding the watch. The cross bar h,
Figure 3, is secured at each end to the watch case. The parts of the spindle
immediately adjoining the squared ends are slightly shouldered off, and in
order that the spindle may turn with as little friction as possible I apply a
small washer of glove leather slightly greased. All the parts above described
forming the watch movement are enclosed in a case of more or less elegant
appearance provided with a watch face, the bands being fixed on the squared-
end of the spindle e which projects a little above the face and the whole
covered with a glass as usual. In order to set the watch in motion the key is
applied on the squared end of the spindle opposite to that carrying the hands
and turned from right to left like an ordinary watch, as the winding continues
the elastic cord becomes wound on the small spindle e to which one end of it
is attached, while the other fixed to the end of the lever a pulis the latter and
causes the partc of soft leather fixed to a to bear on the pulley f in proportion
to the tension of the india-rubber cord. After turning the key two, three, or
more times it is removed, when the hands of the watch will move very slowly and

page_text: regularly by reason of the part c bearing on the pulley f, the pressure on the
same decreasing as the cord becomes unwound.
In applying this Invention to toy watches as above described, I also add a
further improvement designed with a view to imitate the ticking of a watch
which is operated by the pulley f.
This arrangement is illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 of the Drawing.
Instead of making the pulley f with a smooth periphery as before, 1 provide
it with very small serrations parallel to its axis of rotation, and fix a flexible
plate or spring i at any suitable point of the watch case, the free end of this
spring being in contact with the teeth or serrations of part f. By this
mens on winding up the pulley f' with a key the spring i will slip over the
teeth and produce a sound similar to that made when winding up a watch
barrel. When on the contrary the pulley f¹ begins to run down slowly the
spring plate i will slip from one tooth to another each instant and produce a
sound resembling the ticking of a watch.
Having described the nature of this Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is, the improved self-acting
mechanism herein described for giving motion to toy watches and other
mechanical toys, and for producing and regulating motion when applied to
other purposes.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
ALLAR
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)