Improvements in and relating to Electric Winding-mechanism for Clocks.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Jan, 1805
Complete Specification Left, 25th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 14th Dec., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 25th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 14th Dec.,
1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Electric Winding-mechanism
for Clocks.
I, CAROLUS ARNOLD, of 57 Weidenallee, Hamburg, in the Empire of Germany,
Watch and Clock Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to electric winding-mechanism for clocks.
The electric clocks heretofore used possess the defects that they require too
much power and that they cease to operate in a short time, the former arising
from the use of too complicated a device for transmitting the electric power to the
clockwork, and the latter being due to an imperfect contact device which in a short
time is burnt and oxidized. Numerous attempts have of late been made to obviate
these inconveniences, but they have not met with an actual success, although a
certain progress cannot be denied them.
According to my said invention I construct an electric winding mechanism for
clocks which remedies all these inconveniences, can be regulated very accurately,
and answers all requirements of such mechanism. This object is attained by the
employment of an extremely light weighted lever which acts directly upon the
clock-work and, owing to the practical arrangement of the electromagnet, can
be raised with very weak currents; and by a contact device which is cleaned
automatically and permits of only a momentary closing of the circuit.
The improved winding mechanism comprises a winding-up pulley arranged upon
the shaft of the central wheel of the clockwork and adapted to turn about the
ratchet wheel; from this pulley a chain passes to a weighted lever and a second
chain to a winding-up arm. The weighted lever and winding-up arm are secured
on a shaft upon which is also arranged the armature of an electromagnet. The
latter consists of a horseshoe-shaped core which nearly surrounds the whole
mechanism and is provided with two coils of wire. The armature itself is made of
two parts which are connected with each other, one part being adapted to move
between the poles of the electromagnet, while the other part during the turning
movement of the shaft moves laterally past the poles and increases the attracting
surface. With the shaft of the armature is morcover connected a double arm
which serves for moving the small star having four arms and a disengaging lever.
The former constitutes in combination with an insulated spring the contact device
and is prevented by a spring from making free movements.
The operation of the mechanism is as follows: In one position of the parts of
the mechanism the weight fixed upon the before-mentioned lever by means of one
of the chains and pulley, actuates the clockwork, while the other chain is wound
upon this pulley. At the same time the said shaft and the double arm and
armature are turned so that the disengaging lever which bears upon one of the
contact with an arm of the star and
arms is lowered and the other arm comes
turus the latter. An arm on the star slides at the same time upon the insulated
surface of the contact spring, is cleaned and bends the spring. In a further
downward movement of the said lever the arm of the star slides from the insulated
surface, the spring darts upwards and suddenly closes the circuit. At the same

page_text: moment however the electromagnet begins to act, attracts its armature and moves
the several parts back to the before-mentioned position, one of the two arms raising
the disengaging lever which turns the star, thereby causing the latter to slide
from the contact spring so that the circuit will be interrupted again, while at the
same time the winding-up arm by means of the chains and pulley will raise the
weighted lever so that the operation may begin again.
Accordingly the advantages of the improved winding mechanism consist in the
fact that by the direct action of the weighted lever upon the shaft of the central
wheel, the winding-up weight may be exceedingly small so that for raising the
same very weak electric currents are sufficient, especially as the electromagnet is
extremely powerful, despite the small space it occupies in consequence of the horse-
shoe shape and the enlarged attracting surfaces of the armature, and that moreover
the closing of the circuit is only momentary and the contact device is automatically
cleaned, thereby obviating the liability of the apparatus getting out of action.
As a further advantage may be mentioned that the closing of the circuit takes
place without the least noise and without loss of power, because by the oscillating
armature the striking of the same against the pole will be avoided.
Dated this 1st day of January 1895.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in and relating to Electric Winding-mechanism
for Clocks.
I, CAROLUS ARNOLD, of 57 Weidenallee, Hamburg, in the Empire of Germany,
Watch and Clock Maker, 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 :-
My invention relates to electric winding-mechanism for clocks.
The electric clocks heretofore used possess the defects that they require too
much power and that they cease to operate in a short time, the former arising
from the use of too complicated a device for transmitting the electric power to the
clockwork, and the latter being due to an imperfect contact device which in a short
time is burnt and oxidized. Numerous attempts have of late been made to obviate
these inconveniences, but they have not met with an actual success, although a
certain progress cannot be denied them.
According to my said invention I construct an electric winding mechanism for
clocks which remedies all these inconveniences, can be regulated very accurately,
and answers all requirements of such mechanism. This object is attained by the
employment of an extremely light weighted lever which acts directly upon the
clock-work and, owing to the practical arrangement of the electromagnet, can be
raised with very weak currents; and by a contact device which is cleaned
automatically and permits of only a momentary closing of the circuit.
In order the more clearly to explain this my invention I refer to the accompanying
drawing wherein :—
Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the position of the parts of the winding
mechanism during the period the circuit is closed, and
Figure 2 a similar elevation illustrating the position of the several parts just
before the closing of the circuit takes place.
Fig. 3 is a sectional plan of Fig. 1.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
The improved winding mechanism comprises a winding-up pulley arranged

page_text: upon the shaft a of the central wheel of the clockwork and adapted to turn about
the ratchet wheel; from this pulley 6 a chain c passes to a weighted lever d
and a second chain c¹ to a winding-up arm f. The weighted lever and winding-up
arm are secured on a shaft g upon which is also arranged the armature of
an electromagnet. The latter consists of a horseshoe-shaped core i which nearly
surrounds the whole mechanism and is provided with two coils of wire k. The
armature itself is made of two parts and h¹ which are connected with each
other, one part being adapted to move between the poles of the electromagnet,
while the other part ¹ during the turning movement of the shaft g moves laterally
past the poles and increases the attracting surface. With the shaft g of the
armature hh are moreover connected two arms and o which serve for moving
a small star p having four arms and a disengaging lever q respectively. The
star-wheel P
constitutes in combination with an insulated spring r the contact
device and is prevented by a suitable springs from making free movements.
which
The operation of the mechanism is as follows: In the position of the parts of
the mechanism shown in Figure 1, the weight fixed upon the lever d, by means
of the chains c and pulley b, actuates the clockwork, while the other chain e' is
wound upon this pulley b. At the same time the shaft g and the arms n and o
and armature are turned downward, so that the disengaging lever
bears upon the arm o is lowered and the other arm n comes in contact with an arm
of the star p and turns the latter. That arm of the star p which slides at the
same time upon the insulated surface r¹ of the contact spring, is thereby cleaned
and bends the spring r until all parts of the mechanism have reached the respective
positions shown by Figure 2. In a further downward movement of the lever d
the arm of the star slides from the insulated surface r¹, the spring darts upwards
and suddenly closes the circuit. At the same moment however the electromagnet
begins to act, attracts its armature and moves the several parts back to the
before-mentioned position (Figure 1), the arm o raising the disengaging lever
which turns the star p thereby causing the latter to slide from the contact spring r
so that the circuit will be interrupted again, while at the same time the winding-up
arm by means of the chains c c and pulley b will raise the weighted lever d so
that the operation may begin again.
Accordingly the advantages of the improved winding mechanism consist in the
fact that by the direct action of the weighted lever d upon the shaft a of the
central wheel, the winding-up weight may be exceedingly small so that for raising
the same very weak electric currents are sufficient, especially as the electromagnet
is extremely powerful, despite the small, space it occupies in consequence of the
horseshoe shape and the enlarged attracting surfaces of the armature / h, and that
moreover the closing of the circuit is only momentary and the contact device is
automatically cleaned, thereby obviating the liability of the apparatus getting out
of action. As a further advantage may be mentioned that the closing of the
circuit takes place without the least noise and without loss of power, because by
the oscillating armature the striking of the same against the poles will be avoided.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is-
1. In an electric winding-mechanism for clocks and the like the combination of
a freely oscillating armature, a suitable star-wheel and an insulated spring, the
star-wheel being turned into the contact-position by means of an arm fixed on the
armature-shaft and being brought out of that position after a short contact by
means of a second arm also fixed on the said armature-shaft and a separate
disengaging lever, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2. An electric clock winding mechanism consisting of a winding-up pulley (b)
arranged upon the shaft of the central wheel of the clock work, a chain (c) passing to
a weighted lever (d) and a second chain (c) to a winding-up arm (f), in combination
with an oscillating armature (h) of an electro-magnet, two arms (n, o) connected

page_text: with the armature shaft, a star-wheel (p), an insulated contact spring (r r¹) and a
disengaging lever (q), all operating substantially as set forth.
Dated this 25th day of September 1895.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.