Improvements in and connected with Electrical Apparatus for Recording the Presence of Watchmen, Workmen, or others.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 11th June, 1891-Accepted, 12th Sept., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Electrical Apparatus for
Recording the Presence of Watchmen, Workmen, or others.
WILLIAM LUCAS, 128 Clerkenwell Road London E.C. Electrical Engineer
THOMAS ALEXANDER GARRETT, 128 Clerkenwell Road London E.C. Electrical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide simple and efficient apparatus whereby
a watchman workman or other person can easily show that he himself has been at
a certain place between two prearranged times.
In one form of apparatus according to this invention we make use of the well
known fact that the passage of an electric current through paper which has been
prepared chemically in a suitable manner produces a mark on the paper. Such
paper as has been used in some forms of recording telegraphic apparatus would be
suitable for this purpose. This form of apparatus consists of an electrically
conducting plate on which the chemically prepared paper may be placed and of
an electrically conducting style or pen. The conducting plate and style are
connected with a battery or other source of current during the interval between
two prearranged times so that if during this interval the person touches the paper
with the style the electrical circuit is completed through the paper and he can
write his name on it. The connection and disconnection of the plate or style with
the source of current is effected automatically by means of a clock at the pre-
arranged times so that only between the prearranged times has the person the
current with which to write his name.
If a person is required to make several visits at different times during one
night to the same place it is advisable to take means to deter him from making
more than one signature at one visit. For this purpose we in some cases arrange
the apparatus so that at some of the times at which a visit should be made no
current is supplied and therefore at these times the person cannot make his
signatures and since the electrical connections in the apparatus are so arranged
that they may be easily altered occasionally the person is never certain at any
visit whether he will be able to make and is expected to make any more signatures
during that night.
For the same purpose we sometimes arrange the apparatus so that the signature
may be made through a small opening in a protecting case on paper or other
suitable material which can be moved in one direction only by the person who
signs. An arrangement is made whereby a mark may be made at some times on an
unexposed part of the paper. This mark can only be made between such of the
prearranged times between which a signature should be made as may be previously
determined on.
We sometimes use chemically prepared paper on which a signature can be
produced in the manner hereinbefore described and on which a mark is produced
by a stationary style resting on an unexposed part of the paper whenever a
circuit through it is completed by the movement of the mechanical arrangement
which moves the paper. We sometimes however prefer that the signatures should
be written with an ordinary pen or pencil in which case only that part of the paper
on which the marks are produced requires to be chemically prepared.
In order to entirely dispense with the chemically prepared paper we sometimes
make use of an arrangement whereby the mark can be made mechanically by the
person who signs actuating a punch or pencil or other marking instrument the
arrangement being such that a mark can only be produced when an electric current
is supplied to it. This current is available only between such of the prearranged

page_text: times between which a signature should be made as may be previously
determined on.
In all these forms of apparatus we enclose in any convenient way those parts
which we wish to protect from being damaged or tampered with.
Dated this 12th day of September 1890.
WILLIAM LUCAS.
THOMAS ALEXANDER GARRETT.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Electrical Apparatus for
Recording the Presence of Watchmen, Workmen, or others.
WILLIAM LUCAS 128 Clerkenwell Road, London E.C. Electrical Engineer
THOMAS ALEXANDER GARRETT 128 Clerkenwell Road London E.C. Electrical
Engineer 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 object of this invention is to provide simple and efficient apparatus whereby
a watchman workman or other person can easily show that he himself has been at a
certain place between two prearranged times.
In apparatus made according to this invention we make use of the well known
fact that the passage of an electric current through paper which has been prepared
chemically in a suitable manner produces a mark on the paper. Such paper as has
been used in some forms of recording telegraphic apparatus would be suitable for
this purpose.
According to our invention the apparatus consists of an electrically conducting
plate on which the chemically prepared paper may be placed and of an electrically
conducting style or pen. The conducting plate and style are connected with a
battery or other source of current during the interval between two prearranged
times so that if during this interval the person touches the paper with the style the
electrical circuit is completed through the paper and he can write his name on it.
The connection and disconnection of the plate or style with the source of current is
effected automatically by means of a clock at the prearranged times so that only
between the prearranged times has the person the current with which to write his
name.
If a person is required to make several visits at different times during one night
to the same place it is advisable to take means to deter him from making more than
one signature at one visit. For this purpose we in some cases arrange the apparatus
so that at some of the times at which a visit should be made no current is supplied
and therefore at these times the person cannot make his signatures and since the
electrical connections in the apparatus are so arranged that they may be easily
altered occasionally the person is never certain at any visit whether he will be able
to make and is expected to make any more signatures during that night.
We enclose in any convenient way those parts of the apparatus which we wish to
protect from being damaged or tampered with.
In the form of apparatus which we prefer for workmen or others the conducting
plate on which the prepared paper is placed is made of aluminium and is in
electrical connection with a small brass contact piece which is fixed in such a
position and is of such a size that the end of the hour hand of a clock makes a
rubbing contact with it during the interval allowed to the workmen or others for
making their signatures. The works of the clock and therefore the hour hand are
in electrical connection with the negative or zinc pole of a Leclanchè battery
consisting of four cells, so that during the time that the hour hand is rubbing on
the contact piece the aluminium plate is in electrical connection with the negative
pole of the battery. The style consists of a brass rod one end of which is in

page_text: permanent electrical connection by means of a flexible wire with the positive or
carbon pole of the battery and to the other end is soldered a small platinum tip
with which the signatures are written.
The whole apparatus except the style is enclosed in a conveniently shaped box
provided with a lock and having an aperture in the lid through which the signa-
tures may be made on the prepared paper which lies on the aluminium plate
beneath the aperture.
The aperture is provided with a loose cover to protect the paper.
An opening covered with glass is made in the box through which the face of the
clock can be seen. The flexible wire connected with the style passes through a
small hole in the box.
This form of apparatus is shown in the accompanying drawings of which
Figure 1 is a view from above with the lid of the box thrown open
Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section with the lid closed and
Figure 3 is a front elevation of the clock and contact piece on a larger scale than
the other figures.
Referring to these figures A is the aluminium conducting plate. B the brass
contact piece in electrical connection with A. C the clock the works of which are
in electrical connection with the negative pole of the battery. D the hour hand
which when the contact piece B is fixed in the position shown in Figure 3 will make
contact with it from some time before to some time after nine o'clock. E E E E are
the cells of the Leclanchè battery. F is the brass style one end of which is
connected by means of the flexible wire G through the hole O with the positive
pole of the battery. H is the platinum tip soldered to the other end of F. L the
aperture in the lid through which the signatures can be made on the prepared
paper which lies on the aluminium plate A. The loose cover for this aperture is
not shown in the drawings. N is a hole covered with glass through which the face
of the clock can be seen.
up
We prefer to prepare the paper as follows. The paper having been cut into
sheets of the required size is placed in a saturated or nearly saturated solution in
water of manganese nitrate and is allowed to remain there until it is thoroughly
impregnated with the solution it is then taken out and the surplus liquid removed
by gentle pressure. Manganese nitrate being a deliquescent salt the paper prepared
in this way remains damp under the atmospheric conditions ordinarily prevalent in
the United Kingdom. If paper prepared in this way is allowed to lie upon a brass
plate for some days the brass is corroded and it is difficult to remove the paper.
We have not found this to be the case when the plate is of aluminium.
Sometimes it is convenient to place the part of the apparatus used in writing that
is the paper the conducting plate and the style at a distance from the clock and
battery. If a number of such parts connected together in parallel are placed in
different situations they may all be worked from the same clock and battery.
If the apparatus is to be used for recording the presence of a person who is
required to make several visits at different times during one night to the same
place the clock should be provided with a number of contact pieces so that the
hour hand rubs on them successively at the required times and in order to deter him
from making more than one signature at one visit each contact piece is connected
with the conducting plate or plates if there are a number in parallel by means of
any convenient switch unexposed to view so that the employer by occasionally
moving one or more of the switches may prevent a current being supplied at one
or more of the times at which a visit should be made. The person therefore who
is to sign is never certain at any visit whether he will be able to make and is
expected to make any more signatures during that night.
In all forms of our apparatus we enclose in any convenient way those parts
which we wish to protect from being damaged or tampered with. For example
when the writing part is situated at a distance from the clock and battery as
described above only the clock and battery need be enclosed in a locked case.

page_text: In any form of our apparatus the clock may be placed either between the plate
and battery as described above or between the style and battery.
The paper may be prepared in other ways than that described above it being
necessary that the paper should remain damp and that a mark should be produced
on it by the passage of an electric current through it.
The best materials to use for the conducting plate and tip of the style and to
which poles of the battery these should be respectively attached depend upon what
substances have been used in the preparation of the paper.
There are many well known arrangements whereby a clock is caused to make an
electrical connection for a given time which could be conveniently used in our
invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
In an electrical apparatus for recording the presence of watchmen workmen or
others the combination of a battery or other source of current, an electrically
conducting style, paper so chemically prepared that it will remain damp and that a
mark will be produced on it by the passage of an electric current through it,
a conducting plate on which said paper lies, electrical connections through said
battery between said style and said conducting plate normally broken or incomplete
at one part, and a clock which at prearranged times automatically makes and
breaks electrical connection at said part whereby during the time that this
connection exists and at such time only signatures can be made on the paper by
means of said style substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 11th day of June 1891.
WILLIAM LUCAS.
THOMAS ALEXANDER GARRETT.