Improvements in Alarm Clocks, applicable also to other Clocks and Time Pieces.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Nov., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 4th July, 1894-Accepted, 8th Sept., 1894
MULTICATION
[Communicated from abroad by EDOUARD VIOLLIER, of 7, Rue de la Tour,
Passy, Paris, France, Gentleman.]
Improvements in Alarm Clocks, applicable also to other Clocks and
Time Pieces.
I, ERNEST DE PASS, of 78, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Fellow of
the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:
This invention relates more particularly to alarm clocks, whereby the ringing, so
disagreeable by reason of its startling a person out of sleep, is replaced by a
musical air; suitable mechanism lighting, at the same time, a candle or a lamp.
For this purpose, I provide mechanism for producing the musical air or musical
striking, and for lighting the lamp or candle, and I actuate the same by a spring
barrel and suitable gearing under the control of a fly-regulator.
A pivotted lever engages with this fly-regulator and prevents it from revolving
until the clock indicates the time for which the regulating hand of the alarm is set,
at which time the lever will, through the medium of a rod controlled by the
regulating band, release the fly-regulator and permit the mechanism to operate.
The musical striking mechanism consists of a cylinder carrying pins adapted to
engage the teeth of a comb, after the manner of an ordinary musical box, and the
rotation of this cylinder produces the musical air.
The lighting of the candle, or lamp, takes place at the moment that the alarm
goes off, and is effected by a match carried in a holder on the end of a movable
spindle. A notched lever restrains this spindle from movement, by engaging
with a finger thereon, until the pin-cylinder commences to revolve, when a finger
on the axis of said cylinder disengages the lever and allows the spindle of the
match holder to turn, which it does under the influence of a spring connected to
its finger.
As the match is carried round by its holder it is ignited by rubbing against a
suitable striking surface fixed to a flexible blade, and is then brought up to the
candle, or lamp, and lights the same.
This lighting arrangement may, however, be modified without departing from the
nature of the invention, but still utilizing the disengagement produced by the alarm
to set musical striking mechanism in motion.
To set the alarm, it is only necessary to wind up the barrel spring, then to bring
the regulator hand to the hour desired, fix a match in the holder, restore the
holder to position, and engage the finger on the holder spindle with notch in
the lever.
The musical box or musical striking mechanism may likewise be applied to time
pieces, clocks, etc., and the alarm may be furnished with ordinary striking
mechanism (without music), the candle or lamp being lighted when the alarm
sounds.
Dated this 3rd day of November 1893

page_text: Improvements in Alarm Clocks, applicable also to other Clocks and.
Time Pieces.
I, ERNEST DE PASS, of 78, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Fellow of
the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents, 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, reference being had to
the accompanying drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say :-
This invention relates more particularly to alarm clocks, whereby the ringing, so
disagreeable in startling a person out of sleep, is replaced by a musical air, and, at
the same time, suitable nechanism lights a candle, or a small lamp.
In order that the invention may be readily understood, I will describe the same
fully with reference to the annexed drawings, in which :-
Fig. 1 is a transverse section of an alarm clock constructed according to this
invention, and
Fig. 2 is a plan thereof, the cover of the case or box having been removed for
greater clearness.
Figs. 3 and 4 represent, respectively, in elevation, and in plan, a modified
construction of the lighting mechanism.
The clockwork mechanism, being the same as in other alarm clocks, is not shown
in the drawings.
The motor mechanism for playing the musical air, and for lighting the candle,
comprises a barrel 1, containing a spring which is wound up by means of the
key 2. The train of wheels 3 transmits the rotary movement, produced by the
unwinding of the spring, to a pin cylinder 4, and to a fly regulator 5.
So long as the alarm is not to work, the rod 7 (controlled by the regulating
hand 6) presses on one end of a lever 8, movable about its axis 9, the other
extremity engaging in one wing of the regulator 5, and preventing it from turning,
and thereby bringing the whole of the mechanism to rest.
When the clock marks the same hour as that indicated by the hand 6, the rod 7
is raised by suitable mechanism and the lever 8 is forced by the spring 10, to
disengage the regulator 5, which immediately commences to revolve, and the
musical air then becomes audible.
The music mechanism comprises the pin cylinder 4 in connection with a comb,
having flexible teeth, 11.
The rotation of the cylinder 4 produces a musical air.
The lighting of the candle, or lamp, is effected at the commencement of the
playing of the musical air.
The lighting mechanism consists essentially of a spindle 12 carrying, at one
extremity, the match holder 13. A spring lever 14, movable about its pivot 15,
bears against a finger 16 mounted upon the axis of the match holder, and a
spring 17 tends to cause this finger to pivot. A second finger, or tappet, 18, is
mounted upon the axis of the cylinder 4, and said tappet, during the rotation of
this cylinder is caused, at a given moment, to move the lever 14, which then
disengages the finger 16, and the spring 17 causes this finger, and hence the match
holder, to make a sharp rotation. A flexible blade 19, covered with glass paper,
or other appropriate material, for striking the match against, is movable about its
pivot 20, and is maintained by a spring 21 in the position indicated in Fig. 2. A
candle (or lamp) 22, is fixed at the side of the alarm.
A match 23 having been introduced into the head 13, so soon as the alarm
commences to work, the finger 18 rotates, thereby moving the lever 14 which

page_text: lisengages the finger 16. The spring 17 then causes the match to perform a
quarter of a revolution to bring it in front of the candle at 23¹.
During this rotation, the head of the match is drawn against the striking surface
on the flexible blade 19, and is ignited, and burns in front of the candle (or lamp),
thereby lighting it.
To set the alarm, it is only necessary to wind up the spring in the barrel 1, then
to bring the hand 6 to the hour desired, fix a match in the head of the holder 13,
bring back this head to the position shown in the drawing, and engage the finger,
or tappet, 16 in the notch in the lever 14.
The lighting mechanism may however, be modified. without departing from the
nature of the invention, as, for example, by the arrangement shown in Figs. 3 and 4.
In this case the candle 1, which is to be lighted by the alarm clock, when the
musical box is set in action, is contained in a tube 2 closed at bottom by a plug 3.
Within this tube is a spiral spring 4 which is constantly pressing the candle
upwards. The socket 5, carrying the match 6, is mounted at the end of a small
axis 7 which is caused to turn in the direction of the arrow 10 (Fig. 4), by a spiral
spring 8, fixed on a barrel 9. Said axis 7 carries a small flexible lever Il projectin
through a slot in the barrel 9. When it is desired to place the mechanism in the
required position, so that it can be released by the alarm clock (as shown in
Figs. 3 and 4), the lever 11 is put into engagement with a fixed catch 12 which
prevents it turning under the action of the spiral spring 8.
A cam 13, on the incline, is mounted upon the axis 14 of the pin barrel of the
musical box, and turns under the end of the lever 11. When the motor mechanism
of this barrel is released by the alarm clock, the axis 14 revolves and the cam 13
passes under the lever 11 and raises it sufficiently to allow it to pass over the fixed
catch 12. The axis 7 is then rendered free to turn under the action of the spiral
spring 8. The match, in its movement of rotation, rubs against the curved
striker 15, which is kept held against it by an antagonistic spiral spring 16 secured
to the axis of rotation 17, and located in a fixed barrel 18. By these means the
match is ignited, and is stopped on coming into contact with the wick of the candle,
which it lights.
It will thus be seen that a person will be awakened gently atothe desired hour,
by a musical air, and that he will then have a light from the automatically lighted
candle, or lamp.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I claim :-
1. An alarm clock, consisting in the combination of a clock with mechanism
playing a musical air, a rubbing surface for matches, and a candle, or lamp, lighting
automatically when the music commences to play, substantially as set forth.
2. The improvements in alarm clocks, applicable also to other clocks and time
pieces, substantially as hereinbefore described and shown with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 4th dor of July 1804