Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 15th Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 20th Jan., 1888
I HENRY BOARDMAN, of 21, Northfield Place, Manningham, in the County of
York, Drysalter, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to improvements in electric alarm clocks for audibly
indicating arbitrary periods of time; and it consists of the combination with a time
piece, or clock, of novel means or arrangements for connecting and breaking the
circuit of one or more electric bells situated at the place or places where it is necessary
the alarm should sound.
A
For this purpose a contact lever is pivotted on a preferably insulated carriage
mounted on the arbor or sleeve supporting the hour hand of the clock. The said
carriage is electrically connected to one of the wires from the battery, exciting the
bell or bells, by a spring clip adapted to enable the carriage and contact lever to
follow the motion of the hour hand of the clock without breaking the current.
switch board or plate formed of wood, or other other nonconductor, is placed in the
vicinity of the path of the contact lever, so as to enable the extremity of said lever
to pass over and come in contact with a series of insulated contact screws or studs
fixed in the switch board, and arranged in the form of a circle or an arc of a circle
struck from the centre of the arbor of the hour hand. The number of contact studs
may be varied, but I preferably arrange them 7.5 degrees apart, they thus correspond
to each quarter of an hour of the clock dial, and as in the ordinary course it is only
necessary for the alarms to be operated during a limited part of the twelve hours, the
number of contact studs may be reduced in many cases to the number required for
that limited period, but it is obvious that the complete circle of studs may be employed
if necessary.
Each of the said contact studs is electrically connected to an insulated metallic
strip marked with distinguishing numbers or signs, and provided with a series of
holes adapted to receive the ends of connecting studs mounted on slide rods or wires
fixed at right angles to the said metallic strips and corresponding in number to the
alarm bells connected to the apparatus, or to the number of times such alarm bells
are required to be rung. The connecting studs are formed to slide along the said
slide rods and are adapted to connect such slide rods, which respectively form part of
the circuit of one of the alarm bells, to any of the metallic strips, thereby enabling

page_text: electrical communication to be established between any one of the alarm bells and the
contact stud, thus each of the bells is rung as the end of the contact lever successively
passes over the contact stud with which it is for the time being electrically connected.
A suitable spring is provided to regulate and equalise the pressure of the contact
lever upon the contact studs or screws.
In some cases I may dispense with the above mentioned slide rods or wires by
employing flexible wire to connect the connecting studs with the circuit wires. And
suitable clips may be used instead of the connecting studs arranged and formed to
clasp the metallic strips which in this case are modified in form.
In order to more accurately guage the time of connection between the contact
lever and the contact screws, a circular ratchet is mounted upon the switch board
concentric with the arbor of the hour hand. The teeth of the said ratchet project
perpendicularly from the switch board and correspond in number to the contact
screws they are also 7.5 degrees pitch. The said teeth engage with the contact lever
and are adapted to alternately connect and break the electrical connection between
the contact lever and contact studs.
It is not essential for the above described apparatus to be enclosed in the clock
case, as it may be separately mounted, and the contact lever connected to and driven
from the clock in any suitable manner.
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Agents.

page_text: drawing forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figuro 1 represents an elevation of a clock or timepiece from which the dial and
hands are removed so as to show my improved apparatus which in this case is
constructed to control six bells in different circuits. Figure 2, is a vertical section of
the foundation board and attachments thereto on which the said apparatus is mounted
Figure 3 is a transverse section of the same through the line a, b in the first figure.
And figure 4 is a view of a detail hereinafter referred to.
A contact lever A is pivoted by a knuckle joint to the carriage or attachment B
mounted on the arbor or sleeve arranged to carry the hour hand of the clock.
A piece of vulcanite I is preferably introduced between the said carriage and the
sleeve for the purpose of insulating such carriage. A spring D bears against the
carriage B and electrically connects such carriage to the terminal E connected to one
of the wires of the battery F, thus enabling the contact lever A to follow the motion
of the hour hand without breaking the connection.
A switch board or plate G formed of wood or other suitable nonconductor is
mounted upon the foundation board H fitted inside the clock case J. The said switch
board is provided with a number of insulated contact studs or screws S arranged in a
circle round the arbor C. The number of such studs may be varied but I preferably
employ forty-eight studs, they thus correspond to each quarter of an hour on the dial,
and as in a many instances it is only necessary for the alarms to be operated during
a limited part of the twelve hours the number of contact studs may be reduced to
those contained in an arc of a circle covering the space of time in which it is desired
the alarms should ring.
A number of insulated metallic strips K secured by the screws V upon the
foundation board H correspond in number and are electrically connected to the
contact screws S by the wires L and are preferably distinguished by being marked
with the time indicated by the position of the contact studs with which they are
connected. A number of holes M corresponding to the number of bells to be rung
are formed in each of the strips K, which holes are adapted to receive the pointed
ends of connecting studs N mounted on the slide rods or wires O pivoted at one end
to the brackets P and held in position at the other end by the hooks Q. The studs N
are arranged to slide along the slide rods O and are adapted to connect such slide
rods, which respectively form part of the circuit of one of the alarm bells, to any of
the metallic strips K, thereby enabling electrical communication to be established
between any one of the alarm bells and the contact studs S, thus each of the bells
is rung as the end of the contact lever passes over the contact stud in electrical
connection with it. In the drawing the bottom slide rod O is omitted to show the
holes M in the strips K.
For the purpose of more accurately determining the time of connection between the
said contact lever and studs and to provide a sudden contact a circular ratchet U is
mounted upon the switch board G concentric with the arbor C and having the same
number of teeth as there are studs S. The shank of the contact lever A bears upon
the teeth T of the ratchet U and whilst such lever is passing over the top of the said
teeth it is raised from contact with the studs but springs at once into contact with the
next stud as soon as a tooth is passed. The said teeth are slightly under cut so as
not to catch the contact lever after it has passed the top of the teeth.
A spring R fixed to the carriage B is provided to regulate and equalise the pressure
of the contact lever upon the studs or screws S. A plan view of the said carriage
lever and spring is separately shown in figure 1. A spring arm fixed to the arbor or
sleeve C may be used instead of this arrangement but I prefer the one described as
it enables the lever A to more readily ride over the teeth T.
The circles marked R¹ to R above the clock are intended to represent the different
rooms in which the alarm bells are situated, and the separate wires W to We pass
from the slide rods to the terminals at the top of the clock and from thence to the
separate rooms, after which they are connected and pass on to the battery F.
It is not essential for the above described apparatus to be contained within the

page_text: clock case as it may be separately mounted and the said contact lever connected to
and driven from the clock in any suitable manner.
In some cases 1 may dispense with the above mentioned slide rods or wires O by
employing flexible wire to connect the studs N with the circuit wires.
It is obvious that the number of bells capable of being operated by the above
described apparatus may be increased or reduced as desired by adding to or decreasing
the number of slide rods O and adjusting the length of the strips K. And that each
bell may be rung as often as required by employing the requisite number of studs N
on the slide rod O connected with such bell.
When the number of bells and consequent number of slide rods O prevent such
slide rods being conveniently contained within the clock case the wires from the
studs S may pass out of the clock case and the strips K and rods O arranged upon
an independent mounting in a convenient position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare what
I claim is:
1. The general construction and arrangement of apparatus adapted to ring one or
more electric alarm bells situated in the same or different circuits, substantially as
herein shown and described.
2. The combination with a clock or timepiece, of a lever or arm A having a
corresponding motion to the hour hand of said clock, a switch board G, metallic
strips K, slide rods O, connecting studs N, and an electric bell or bells in electrical
connection therewith, substantially as herein shown and described.
3. The combination with an electric alarm clock, of a circular ratchet U, substan-
tially as herein shown and described and for the purpose specified.
4. The combination with a clock or timepiece, of an apparatus adapted to ring two
or more electric bells situated in different circuits, substantially as herein shown and
described.
Dated this 14th day of December 1887.
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Agents.