IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRICAL CLOCKS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO BE APPLIED TO OTHER ELECTRICAL INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Inshaw, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRICAL
CLOCKS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO BE APPLIED TO OTHER ELECTRICAL
INSTRUMENTS."
Sealed the 15th November 1867, and dated the 4th June 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Inshaw at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th June
1867.
I, JOHN INSHAW, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ELECTRICAL CLOCKS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO BE APPLIED TO OTHER
ELECTRICAL INSTRUMENTS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of the improvements herein-after described in the
commutators or contact breakers of electrical clocks and other electrical instru-
ments, by which improvements great simplicity in the construction of the said
commutators or contact breakers is effected, and great certainty in their action
secured.
I will describe my Invention in connection with a commutator or contact
breaker of an electrical clock. On the rod of the electrical pendulum of the
clock are two tappets, between which a vertical wire is stationed, the said wire

page_text: being connected with a horizontal slide, so that by the motion of the pendulum
the said tappets acting on the said vertical wire near each end of the stroke
of the said pendulum communicate an intermittent reciprocating motion to the
said slide and effect the interruption and completion of the electrical circuit
as herein-after explained; the said horizontal slide bas near one end of it a
raised portion, which in the traversing motion of the said slide produced
by the pendulum is brought under and into contact with the lower end of a
vertical wire connected with one of the plates or elements from which electricity
is derived; the said slide works in two supports. One of the said supports in
which the slide works is connected with the other of the plates or elements from
which the electricity is derived, and between the said support and the vertical
wire, and connected therewith are the coils which actuate the pendulum of the
clock as well as the coils of any other clocks, the motion of which is regulated
by the pendulum of the first-named or primary clock. By the moving back-
wards and forwards of the slide in the manner described the electrical circuit
is alternately completed and interrupted so as to effect at the required tinies
the magnetisation requisite for moving the pendulum of the primary clock as
well as for working the supplementary clocks. Besides the vertical wire
described, against which the raised portion of the slide works, there is a second
vertical wire having a spring termination situated between the first-named
vertical wire and the support; this spring vertical wire is in electrical com-
munication with the coils of the supplementary clocks. When the slide moves
sufficiently far to bring its raised part in contact with the said spring vertical
wire the current of electricity having a shorter path open to it passes only
through the coils of the supplementary clocks, but is cut off from the pendulum
of the primary clock. Thus if the current of electricity is feeble, and the arc
through which the pendulum of the primary clock vibrates is small, the current
of electricity is made to pass through the coils both of the primary and
supplementary clocks during the whole time that electrical contact is not
interrupted by the commutator or contact breaker. When however the current
of electricity is strong and the arc of vibration of the pendulum is great the range
of motion of the slide is so great as to cause the raised part after it has come
in contact with the first-named vertical wire to immediately pass into contact
with the spring vertical wire. In this case, that is, when the current is strong, the
said current is only made to pass for a very brief time through the coil of the
pendulum of the primary clock, and during the remaining time of the contact
is sent through the coils of the supplementary clocks only; great regularity
is thereby secured in the motion of the pendulum. The slide, together with
the lower ends of the vertical wire, and spring wire, and the supports described

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Inshaw. in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd
December 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
INSHAW, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord. One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Inshaw; Her special licence that I, the said John Inshaw, my
executors, administrators; and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Inshaw, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should. and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRICAL
CLOCKS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO BE APPLIED TO OTHER ELECTRICAL INSTRU-
MENTS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Inshaw,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters.
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Inshaw, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following.
statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention consists of the improvements herein-after described in the
commutators or contact breakers of electrical clocks and other electrical.
instruments, by which improvements great simplicity in the construction of.
the said commutators or contact breakers is effected and great certainty. in.
their action secured.
°
I will describe my Invention in connection with a commutator or contact

page_text: breaker of an electrical clock. On the rod of the electrical pendulum of the
clock are two tappets, between which a vertical wire is situated, the said wire
being connected with a horizontal slide, so that by the motion of the pendulum
the said tappets acting on the said vertical wire near each end of the stroke of
the said pendulum communicate an intermittent reciprocating motion to the
said slide, and effect the interruption and completion of the electrical circuit,
as herein-after explained. The said horizontal slide bas near one end of it a
raised portion, which in the traversing motion of the said slide produced by
the pendulum is brought under and into contact with the lower end of a vertical
wire connected with one of the plates or elements from which electricity is
derived; the said slide works in two supports. One of the said supports in
which the slide works is connected with the other of the plates or elements
from which the electricity is derived, and between the said support and the
vertical wire, and connected therewith, are the coils which actuate the pendulum
of the clock as well as the coils of any other clocks, the motion of which
is regulated by the pendulum of the first-named or primary clock. By
the moving backwards and forwards of. the slide in the manner described the
electrical circuit is alternately completed and interrupted, so, as to effect at
the required times the magnetisation requisite for moving the pendulum of the
primary clock as well as for working the supplementary clocks. Besides the
vertical wire described, against which the raised portion of the slide works,
there is a second vertical wire having a spring termination situated between
the first-named vertical wire and the support. The spring vertical wire is in
electrical communication with the coils of the supplementary clocks. When
the slide moves sufficiently far to bring its raised part in contact with the said
spring vertical wire the current of electricity having a shorter path open to it.
passes only through the coils of the supplementary clocks, but is cut off
from the pendulum of the primary clock; thus, if the current of electricity
is feeble, and the are through which the pendulum of the primary, clock
vibrates is small, the current of electricity is made to pass through the coils
both of the primary and supplementary clocks during the whole time that
electrical contact is not interrupted by the commutator or contact breaker.
When however, the current of electricity is strong and the are of vibration of
the pendulum is great, the range of motion of the slide is so great as, to cause
the raised part after it has come in contact with the first-named vertical wire
to immediately pass into contact with the spring vertical wire. In this case,
that is, when the current is strong, the said current is only made to pass for a
very brief time through the coils of the pendulum of the primary clock, and
during the remaining time of the contact is sent through the coils of the

page_text: supplementary clocks only; great regularity is thereby secured in the motion
of the pendulum. The slide together with the lower ends of the vertical wire
and spring wire and the supports described are immersed in oil or other
liquid non-conductor of electricity, whereby the said parts are both lubricated
and preserved from corrosion.
Having explained the nature of my Invention I will proceed to describe,
with reference to the accompanying Drawing, the manner in which the same
is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in elevation a portion of an electrical clock, the
commutator or contact breaker of which is constructed according to my
Invention.
s is the rod of the pendulum, and t, t, are tappets fixed on the said rod;
g is a vertical wire connected with the slide 9, the said vertical wire g
being situated between the tappets t, t. By the vibration of the pendulum
the tappets t, t, striking against the wire 9' give motion to the said wire and
to the said slide g; by the motion of the pendulum the slide g is made to take
the positions represented in Figures 1 and 3, when the arc of vibration of the
pendulum is small, and when the are of vibration of the pendulum is large
the slide g is made to take the positions represented in Figures 1 and 2, the
positions Figures 1 and 2 being those given to the slide g when the pendulum
moves from left to right, and the position Figure 3 being that given to the
slide when the pendulum moves from right to left. When the slide g is in
the position Figure 3 the electrical current is broken. When the slide 9 is
in the position Figure 1 the electrical current is directed through the coils of
the pendulum as well as through the coils of any supplementary pendulums
connected with the clock, and when the slide g is in the position represented
in Figure 2 the electrical current is directed through the coils of the:
supplementary pendulums only (should there be any) after having been a
short time only directed through the coils of the pendulum of the primary
clock.
In order that the action of the apparatus may be more clearly traced I will
explain the course which the electrical current takes through the said appa-
ratus. The wire a is connected with one pole or element of the voltaic
battery, and the wire e with the other pole or element of the battery. The
said wire a is in electrical communication with the frame 6 and break block c.
The rod d is also in electrical communication with the said block c.
The
wire e is insulated from the frame b, and is in electrical communication with
the wire f. When the slide 9 is in the position represented in Figure 1 the
electrical current passes from the wire a through the frame b, break block c,,

page_text: and vertical wire d, along the slide g, up the vertical wire h to the wire i,
through the coils of the pendulum, and from the said coils to the wire f,.and
from thence through the wire e to the battery. When the electrical current
is powerful the arc of vibration through which the pendulum travels being
greater than when the said current is weak it is desirable to moderate the
action of the said current, and this is effected in the following manner:-
The motion of the pendulum from left to right in this case carries the
slide further than the position represented in Figure 1, bringing it into.
the position represented in Figure 2, in which, Figure 2, it will be seen that
the raised part of the slide g is in contact not only with the vertical wire d..
but with the end of the spring rod k; the current in this case having for a
short time passed through the coils of the primary pendulum is cut off from
the said pendulum immediately the slide g comes in contact with the spring
rod.k; the current now passing from the break block c through the wire d,.up
the spring rod k to the wire f without going through the wire i, the current
consequently is cut off from the pendulum, the said current passing through
the short path open to it. The current in the last-described case either passes
by the wire e direct to the battery, or when other clocks are in communication
with the primary clock through the coils of the said other clocks. When the
slide g is brought into the position represented in Figure 3 by the motion of
the pendulum from right to left the current is interrupted, and the voltaic
battery is consequently shut off from the clock. By the arrangement described
it will be seen that the electrical current only acts on the pendulum during
its motion from right to left, but when desirable the current may be made
also to act on the pendulum during its motion in the contrary direction by a
slide similar to the slide g, and parts connected therewith, being placed on the
right-hand side of the pendulum in addition to that represented on the left-
hand side; or the one slide may be made to act on the pendulum in both its
motions by employing a reverse set of wires for connections and making
additional projections on the slide. u is a trough containing oil or other liquid
non-conductor of electricity, in which the slide g works, and in which the
parts d, h, and k, as well as the guide are immersed. The wire h and spring
rod (Figure 1), and the corresponding parts in the modifications herein-after
described are insulated from the break block c.
Figures 4, 5, and 6 represent a modification of my Invention in which the
slide has a somewhat different form from the slide 9 in Figures 1, 2, and 3.
In the said Figures 4, 5, and 6 the parts d², g, h, k, and correspond to
the parts d, g, h, k, l, respectively in Figures 1, 2, and 3. When the slide g³
of the arrangement, Figures 4, 5, an 1 6, is in the position represented in

page_text: Figure 4 the electrical current is broken; when the slide is in the position
represented in Figure 5 the current passes through d, g, h, and wire i
(see Figure 1) through the coils of the pendulum to the battery; when the
slide gis in the position represented in Figure 6 the current passes through
d, g, up, and through the wire f (see Figure 1) to the battery without
passing through the coils of the pendulum, excepting during the time the
slide g was passing from the position Figure 4 to that Figure 6.
Figures 7, 8, and 9 represent another modification of my Invention. In
the Drawing this modification is represented as adapted for the right-hand
side of the pendulum; the parts marked d, g, h, and in Figures 7, 8,
and 9 correspond respectively with the parts marked d, g, h, and k in Figures
1, 2, and 3; when the slide g³ in the arrangement Figures 7, 8, and 9 is in
the position represented in Figure 7 the current passes by d³, and along g³, up
3, and does not pass through the coils of the pendulum of the primary clock;
when the slide gis in the position represented in Figure 8 the current is
interrupted, and when the slide g³ is in the position represented in Figure 9
the current passes by d, g, and h³, and through the coils of the pendulum.
It will be understood that in all the arrangements represented the slide is
brought into the position in which the current is interrupted by the motion of
the pendulum in one direction, and that by the motion of the pendulum in the
other direction the said slide is brought into the position in which the current
is described as passing through the coils of the pendulum, as well as the
position in which the current is completed without passing through the coils
of the pendulum. It will be further understood that when the slide is brought
into and left at rest (till the return stroke of the pendulum) in the position in
which the current is completed without passing through the coils of the
pendulum the said slide in passing into the said position directed the current
for a short time through the coils of the pendulum.
Commutators or contact breakers constructed according to my Invention
may be applied to other electrical instruments, such as electric telegraphs and
induction coils.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawing, as the same may be varied without departing from the
nature of my Invention; but I claim as my Invention the improvements in
commutators or contact breakers of electrical clocks and other electrical
instruments herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawing, that is to say, arranging or combining the parts of the said com-

page_text: mutators or contact breakers substantially in the several ways described and
illustrated.
Also immersing the parts immediately concerned in making and breaking
contact in a trough or vessel containing oil or other liquid non-conductor of
electricity as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Inshaw, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
JOHN INSHAW. (L.S.)