A Combined Night Light and Time Indicator. also capable of being used as an Alarum.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Apr., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 11th June, 1891-Accepted, 18th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Combined Night Light and Time Indicator. also capable of being
used as an Alarum.
I HENRY BENNETT Inspecting Engineer Middleton Saint George in the
County of Durham do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to the employment of a night light candle as a time indicator,
the said candle to burn from inside a tube with a spring underneath similar to an
ordinary gig lamp candle, a chain or connection is fastened to the top part of the
spring running down within the spring coil and connected to a barrel or pulley
running loose on a shaft fixed in a suitable position, to the barrel or pulley a
pointer or finger will be attached, as the candle burns the said chain will rise with
the spring bringing into action the said pointer or finger, fixed on the said shaft
will be a dial circular or semicircular frosted glass or other transparent material on
which will be a division of time and figures corresponding with the time required to
burn the candle, the candle being at the back of said dial will reflect the position of
the pointer on the said dial indicating the hour or time.
And by applying a catch capable of being affixed to any given point the finger
or chain could release an alarum. thus constitute a combined night light time
indicator and alarum.
L 1
C
HENRY BENNETT.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Combined Night Light and Time Indicator, also capable of being
used as an Alarum.
I HENRY BENNETT of Middleton Saint George in the County of Durham,
Inspecting Engineer 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 the employment of a night light candle as a time
indicator, the said candle to burn from inside a tube with a spring underneath the
candle. A chain or other suitable connection is attached to the upper end of the
spring and passes down within the spring coil; the opposite end of the chain or
other connection being attached to a barrel or pulley running loose on a shaft fixed
in a suitable position. A circular or partly circular disc of frosted glass or of other
translucent material is attached to or near to the end of the fixed shaft, and figures
and marks to indicate hours and parts of hours are marked thereon. To the above
mentioned barrel or pulley a pointer or finger is attached, and the hour and part
hour marks are so made thereon, that the indicator or finger in passing over these,
indicates the corresponding time occupied by the candle in burning and allowing
the coiled spring to move the indicator. The hours are preferably marked, so as
to correspond to the night hours, say from 8 or 9 p.m. to 8 or 9 a.m.
attachment of the disc to the end of the shaft is not rigid, but allows of the disc
being adjusted in position, so that the indicator or finger indicates at the
commencement the time at which the candle is lit, and consequently also afterwards
indicates the correct hour of the night.
The
The indicator or finger is preferably and conveniently situated between the light
and the disc, though it may be situated on the outer side of the disc.

page_text: By applying a catch capable of being affixed at any given point, the indicator or
chain, or the upper part of the coil might readily be arranged to release or throw
into action an alarm or electric bell at any desired interval of time after first
lighting the lamp. The catch is affixed to the tube or stand of the lamp, or to
some convenient part of the disc, according to whether the chain or spring coil, or
the indicator finger is employed to operate on the catch.
And in order that my invention and the manner in which the same is to be
performed may be more readily and clearly understood, reference is given to the
accompanying drawings and to the letters and marks thereon, in which :-
Fig. 1 is a front elevation and Fig. 2 a vertical section at right angles to Fig. 1,
whilst Fig. 3 is a plan looking down upon the top of a combined night light aud
time indicator constructed in accordance with my invention. In all the figures the
same letter indicates the same or corresponding part.
a is the tube supported on the stand and carrying within it the candle c. d is
a coiled spring resting upon the ledge formed within the stand b, and carrying at
its upper end a cap piece to which the end of the above mentioned chain for other
connection is attached.
g is the before mentioned fixed shaft, screwed and rivetted, or otherwise rigidly
fixed to the bracket attached to the tube a. ¡ is the barrel or pulley loosely
mounted on the shaft, and to the outside of which one end of the chain is
attached. is the indicator or finger formed in one piece with or attached to the
barrel or pulley i. k is the coiled spring, one end of which is attached to the barrel
or pulley, and the other end attached to the fixed shaft g. In Fig. 2 the coiled
spring À is attached to the shaft g by means of a disc or bracket m, fitted on a
square portion of the shaft g. The spring is of such a strength, that whilst
readily yielding to the spring d it keeps the connection between the loose barrel or
pulley and the upper end of the spring d tight, preventing any slackness, which
would render the time indication incorrect.
I is a cap over the top of the to the cap-piece 1, and the pins fixed
piece fitting over the top of the tube a, and which is held in place by
means of
near the upper end of the tube a. (see Fig. 4).
n is the disc of frosted glass or other translucent material, fitted loose upon the
shaft but held between two discs or washers (shewn black in section in Fig. 2),
the pressure of which against the disc n is such that whilst preventing any
accidental or inadvertent rotation of the disc, it will allow of the disc being adjusted
(by slightly rotating it in one direction or the other), so that the finger or
indicator points to the time at which the candle is hit.
is a semi-circular guide (curved in cross section), for the purpose of guiding the
chain or other connection, when reversing its direction. To lessen the friction a
guide pulley may be substituted for the guide p.
Fig. 2 shews the candle partially burnt.
My invention operates as follows:-
The cap is removed from the top of the tube a, and the candle c inserted in the
tube a, pushing down the cap of the spring d and compressing the latter. At the
same time the spring draws up the slack of the chain, and rotates the loose
barrel or pulley, and the finger or indicator to the left hand side of the disc n
as viewed in Fig. 1. The cap is then replaced and rotated so that the pins on the
tube a engage in the horizontal parts of the slots in the cap 4, and thereby retain
the latter in position, see Fig. 4. The candle is then lit, and the disc moved
round until the indicator points to the correct time. As the candle burns and
consumes the material of which the candle is made at its upper end, the pressure of
the spring pushes up the candle, keeping its upper end continually in contact with
the underside of the cap f, at the same time drawing up the end of the chain
within the tube a, and rotating the loose pulley or barrel and the indicator j, which
points to the correct time on the disc a.
To cause the apparatus to sound an electric bell, one of the wires may be
attached to a stop adjustable in any desired position on the rim of the disc n, and

page_text: the other wire may be connected to the finger j. so that when the finger reaches the
stop, electrical contact is formed, and the bell is set ringing.
My invention is not materially altered if the finger or indicator is fixed, and the
time dise or dial be rotated from the chain
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1° A combined night-light and time indicator consisting of a candle arranged to
illuminate a transparent or translucent time dial, and to be moved upwards by
means of a spring as it (the candle) is consumed, such movement being employed to
rotate a finger or indicator on the axis of the time dial.
20 A combined night-light and time indicator consisting of a tube a carrying the
candle e, a coiled spring d pressing against the underside of the candle, the
flexible connection to the loose barrel i on the fixed shaft, the finger attached to
the loose barrel i, the transparent or translucent time dial n, and the spring k
connecting the loose barrel i to the fixed shaft y substantially as herein set forth.
3° A combined night-light and time indicator substantially of the construction
herein set forth and illustrated.
4° The use of my combined night-light and time indicator as a means for operating
an alarm or electric bell.
Dated this 6th day of June 1801
J. CLARK JEFFERSON, A.R.S.M., Wh. Sc.,
2, East Parade, Leeds, Agent for Applicant.