Improvements in Electric Clocks.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Mar., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 8th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 24th Feb., 1894
Improvements in Electric Clocks.
I, JULES CAUDERAY, of 1 Avenue Laumière, Paris, in the Republic of
France, Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object an electric clock of simple and practical
construction. According to this invention I substitute for the weight or spring of
ordinary clocks a battery and an electro magnet which converts the electric energy
into motion.
In ordinary clocks the weight or spring drives a barrel which gives motion to a
train of wheels one of which causes the hands to move. The last wheel set in
motion turns as quickly as the regulating escapement of a pendulum or a balance
wheel allows it. But this last movement possesses the minimum of energy, the
least friction or the slighest variation of the spring influences the working of the
clock.
In my clock on the contrary, the point of application of the impulse of the
electro-magnet is upon a balance wheel and this impulse is given as often as is
necessary to keep the clock in motion, without however the frequency of these
impulses influencing in any way the regularity of the oscillations of the balance
wheel. Moreover this impulse being given to the last moving part, that is to say
upon that which turns most quickly, it follows that the chances of accident in the
advance of the hands are in a great measure diminished.
My clock is shown in the annexed drawings.
Figure 1 is a back elevation, the case being removed.
Figure 2 is a side elevation.
Figure 2× is a
plan.
Figure 3 is a plan of the regulator.
Figures 4 and 5 are respectively an elevation and section of balance wheel
Figures 6 and 7 views of the eccentric.
Figure 8 a plan of the bobbins and the armature of the axis.
These figures are true size except Figures 4 to 7 which are three times the
true size.
I have not shown the batteries in the drawings, they may be of any suitable
kind.
A is the axis of the balance wheel. This axis is mounted on pivots 6 6' fixed to
the pillar plate B. At one end of the axis is a fly a which with the spiral
spring a helps to regulate the movement; a' is a finger serving to regulate the
effect of the spiral spring as in a watch. a³ is a soft iron armature mounted on the
axis a which axis is formed with a longitudinal groove in which is a flat spring a*
(see Figures 4 and 5). This spring has one end secured to the axis and its free
end carries a cam a. which traverses the axis A. a is a bush to which an
eccentric a' is secured. This bush is made fast by means of a screw which allows
of it being given any required position. The eccentric a' has a notch a³.
CC are the bobbins of an electro magnet. They are mounted upon a soft iron
bed c.
The poles of this electro magnet are placed one on each side of the
armature 08
Figures 6 and 7 views of the eccentric.
Figure 8 a plan of the bobbins and the armature of the axis.
These figures are true size except Figures 4 to 7 which are three times the
true size.
I have not shown the batteries in the drawings, they may be of any suitable
kind.
A is the axis of the balance wheel. This axis is mounted on pivots 6 6' fixed to
the pillar plate B. At one end of the axis is a fly a which with the spiral
spring a helps to regulate the movement; a³ is a finger serving to regulate the
effect of the spiral spring as in a watch. a is a soft iron armature mounted on the
axis a which axis is formed with a longitudinal groove in which is a flat spring a*
(see Figures 4 and 5). This spring has one end secured to the axis and its free
end carries a cam a. which traverses the axis A. a is a bush to which an
eccentric a' is secured. This bush is made fast by means of a screw which allows
of it being given any required position. The eccentric a' has a notch a³.
CC are the bobbins of an electro magnet. They are mounted upon a soft iron
bed c.
The poles of this electro magnet are placed one on each side of the
armature 08

page_text: In Figure 3 I have shown in plan the automatic contact regulator for deter-
mining the passing of the current. It is made up of a flat spring D suitably
insulated and mounted upon a support 62 fixed to the pillar plate B. In the middle
of this spring is a fork d also insulated and carrying a tongue d' mounted on a
pivot d².
The free end of this tongue is in rubbing contact with the eccentric a'; d³ is a
small flat spring which bears against the flat portion of the head of the tongue d¹.
The free end of the spring D carries a silver or platinum contact piece d' facing
which is another contact piece do mounted on the support 6*.
F is a ratchet wheel, having sixty teeth, governed by the cam a'. The axis of
this wheel carries the second hand and causes the minute and hour hands to move
by means of the usual train of wheels mounted between the pillar plate B and the
dial plate.
6 65 are the contacts to which the battery wires are connected.
The clock operates as follows.
The current is led in by the wire F for example and passes by the wire f to the
bobbin C, it then returns by the wire f' to the contact d.
When the two contact
pieces d³ d are touching, the current is led along the spring D and arrives at the
bobbin C by the wire f2 from whence it goes out by the wire f³ and the battery
wire F¹.
At this moment the poles of the electro magnet attract the armature a³ which
when the balance wheel is at rest is in the position shown in Figure 8. The
balance wheel begins to oscillate. The eccentric a' which acts upon the regulator D
to cause the pieces d' d³ to make contact and therefore allow the current to, pass,
ceases to exercise any effect when the predetermined amplitude of oscillation has
been obtained, the balance wheel having received the impulse of the electro
magnets continues to oscillaté. When the amplitude diminishes, the eccentric
again acts to re-establish contact between the pieces d' d' and give a new impulse
to the balance.wheel.
The oscillations of the fly wheel a being exactly regulated by the spiral spring a¹
and a double oscillation per second being made it results that the cam a causes the
wheel to advance one of its 60 teeth each second, and the axis of this wheel
carrying the second hand it results that this hand goes round once every minute
and that it indicates the seconds.
An ordinary train of wheels causes the minute and hour hands to advance.
I have only shown in the present description a special form of clock; for my
invention may be applied to all existing clocks and time pieces.
Dated this 8th day of March 1893.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Clocks.
1, JULES CAUDERAY, of 1 Avenue Laumière, Paris, in the Republic of France,
Electrician, 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 :-
This invention has for it's object an electric clock of simple and practical
construction. According to this invention I substitute for the weight or spring of
ordinary clocks a battery and an electro magnet which converts the electric energy
into motion.
In ordinary clocks the weight or spring drives a barrel which gives motion to a
train of wheels one of which causes the hands to move. The last wheel set in

page_text: Figure 8 a plan of the bobbins and the armature of the axis.
These figures are true size except Figures 4 to 7 which are three times the
true size.
I have not shown the batteries in the drawings, they may be of any suitable
kind.
A is the axis of the balance wheel. This axis is mounted on pivots 66' fixed to the
pillar plate B. At one end of the axis is a fly or balance wheel a which with the
spiral spring a helps to regulate the movement; a² is a finger serving to regulate
the effect of the spiral spring as in a watch. a³ is a soft iron armature mounted on
the axis A which axis is formed with a longitudinal groove in which is a flat
spring a (see Figures 4 and 5). This spring has one end secured to the axis and
its free end carries a pin as which passes through the axis A and has an incline at
its end. a is a bush to which an eccentric arc a' is secured. This bush is made
fast by means of a screw which allows of it being given any required position.
The eccentric arc a' has a notch a³.
CC are the bobbins of an electromagnet. They are mounted upon a soft
iron bed c. The poles of this electro magnet are placed one on each side of the
armature a³.
In Figure 3 and to a larger scale in the diagrams 1 to 4 and 1* & 2* I have
shown in plan the automatic contact regulator for determining the passing of the
current. It is made up of a flat spring D suitably insulated and mounted upon a
support fixed to the pillar plate B. In the middle of this spring is a fork d
insulated from the spring and carrying a tongue d' mounted on a pivot d².
The free end of this tongue is normally in rubbing contact with the eccentric
arc a' except in the extreme positions of the balance wheel when the arc passes
beyond the end of the tongue as shown in diagrams 1 & 3. d³ is a small flat spring
which bears against the flat portion of the head of the tongue d' and tends always
to make the tongue assume the position in which it is seen in Figure 3 and
diagrams 1 & 3. The free end of the spring D carries a silver or platinum
contact piece d' facing which is another contact piece №³ mounted
support b³.
on the
E is a ratchet wheel, shown to a larger scale in Fig. 9, having sixty teeth,
governed by the pin a°. The axis of this wheel carries the second hand and causes
the minute and hour hands to move by means of the usual train of wheels mounted
between the pillar plate B and the dial plate.
are the contacts to which the battery wires are connected.
The clock operates as follows:-
The current is led in by the wire F for example and passes by the wire f to the

page_text: bobbin C, it then returns by the wire f¹ to the insulated contact d*. When the
two contact pieces do d' are touching, the current is led along the spring D and
arrives at the bobbin C¹ by the wire f' from whence it goes out by the wire f³ and
the battery wire F¹.
At this moment when as shewn in Figure 8 the balance wheel is past its mid
position the poles of the electro magnet attract the armature as and the attraction
continues until on the completion of the oscillation the circuit is opened. The
eccentric a' which acts upon the regulator D to cause the pieces d d³ to make
contact and therefore allow the current to pass, ceases to exercise any effect when
the predetermined amplitude of oscillation has been obtained, the balance wheel
having received the impulse of the electro magnets continues to oscillate.
the amplitude diminishes, the eccentric again acts to re-establish contact between
the pieces d d and give a new impulse to the balance wheel.
When
The oscillations of the fly wheel a being exactly regulated by the spiral spring a¹
and a double oscillation per second being made it results that the pin as causes the
wheel E to advance one of its 60 teeth each second, and the axis of this wheel
carrying the second hand it results that this hand goes round once every minute
and that it indicates the seconds.
At each oscillation of the axis A the projecting end of the pin a pushes against
one of the teeth of the crown ratchet wheel E and moves it on; then during the
return movement the pin passes the next tooth of the wheel the spring a allowing
the pin to retire to enable it to pass. The teeth of the wheel E are also engaged
by a spring pawl shown in Figure 1 which prevents backward movement.
An ordinary train of wheels causes the minute and hour hands to advance.
It will be understood that so long as the balance wheel a oscillates through an
arc of sufficient amplitude say somewhat more than 180 degrees as shown in
diagrams 1 & 3 the magnets C C³ receive no current but at each oscillation the
shoulders at the extremities of the eccentric arc a pass beyond the end of the
tongue d' thereby allowing the tongue by the action of its spring d³ to assume
momentarily the position in which it is shown in Figure 3. On the return of the
arc a' the shoulder drives the tongue in front of it as shown in diagrams 2 & 4.
Thus the tongue d' is caused to oscillate, it inclines to the right whilst the eccentric
arc a' travels to the right and it inclines to the left when the arc travels to the
left but it causes no movement of the blade D because the extremity of the tongue
is off the face of the arc at the time when it passes over from side to side.
When however the balance wheel a does not oscillate through an arc of sufficient
amplitude the shoulders of the arc do not pass the end of the tongue. When this
happens the extremity of the tongue becomes engaged in the notch as in the face of
the arc a near to its shoulder as shown in diagram 1x and the return movement of
the balance wheel causes the tongue to pass over from side to side whilst its
extremity is held upon the face of the arc in the notch a as shown in diagram 2*,
consequently the blade D is deflected outwards away from the axis A, the electric
circuit is momentarily closed and an impulse is given to the balance wheel.
I have only shown in the present description a special form of clock, for my
invention may be applied to all existing clocks and time pieces.
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. A clock substantially as described which is driven by electro-magnetic
impulses imparted to the axis of a balance wheel and in which this axis by a train
of wheels drives the minute and the hour hands and in which also a regulator
controlled by the balance wheel closes an electric circuit to give the impulse
immediately the oscillation of the balance wheel is no longer of sufficient
amplitude.
2. In an electro-magnetic clock the regulator substantially as described
consisting of the eccentric arc a' on the axis of the balance wheel, the pivotted

page_text: tongue d' with the parts in connection therewith and the contact closing blade D
carrying the said tongue and other parts.
3. A clock substantially as described and illustrated by the annexed drawings.
Dated this 8th day of December 1893.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.