An Electrical Timepiece Combined with Installations for the Distribution of Electrical Energy for Lighting and other purposes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 1st May, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 31st Jan., 1891-Accepted, 18th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Electrical Timepiece Combined with Installations for the
Distribution of Electrical Energy for Lighting and other
purposes.
I, FRIEDRICH VON HEFNER-ALTENECK, of W. Hildebrand 'sche Privatstrasse
No. 4, Berlin, Germany, Engincer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a construction of electrical time pieces wherein the
regulating action is effected by means of an electrical current derived from the same
installation that supplies electrical energy to lamps or other apparatus, the
potential of the current supplying the lamps being for this purpose momentarily
decreased or increased at regular intervals of time, whereby the pointers of all the
timepieces connected to the distributing network are adjusted to the correct time.
I will describe the construction of the apparatus for carrying out my said inven-
tion with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 shews a
diagrammatic view of an electrical time piece with two electro-magnets A and B, the
two coils of which are connected to the lighting mains L L parallel to the lamps.
The electromagnet A effects the regulation in the above described manner. Its
armature lever i has a considerable amount of play, and the poles of the
electromagnet are so formed and the withdrawing spring is so proportioned
that the armature lever is held either in a balanced condition, or with slight
pressure against its stop when the normal potential exists in the mains, but is caused
to make an oscillation when the potential momentarily decreases in the lighting
mains.
This oscillation is caused, by means of an arrangement which is generally of
known construction, to effect the adjustment to correct time of the hands of the
time-piece which at the moment are nearly in correct position; this may be
effected, for example by causing a wedge shaped beak on the lever ii to enter
a gap in the wheel of the clockwork, thereby adjusting the hands slightly
forward or backward, as the case may be. If it be desired to arrange the
duration of the decrease of potential so that it shall be without effect on the
movement of the time piece, the beak and the gap in the wheel 7 may be so
arranged that the former shall pass right through the latter, and the beak be made
to yield laterally with spring action when the lever performs the return motion,
which is not limited to any exact time; this arrangement is indicated at Fig. 2.
The decrease of potential, which is made so slight, and at such times as not to
interfere with the action of the lamps or other apparatus, is effected at the lamp
or central station either by the engineer, or automatically by means of a normal
timepiece.
If the supply of current to the lamps is to be interrupted, this must, in order
not to disturb the action of the timepieces, be effected at such a time when either
the movement of the lever i produced thereby effects the correct setting of the
hands, or when the gap in the wheel q or the edges on either side thereof are not
within reach of the beak . It is obvious that a momentary increase of potential
in the lighting mains might be used for the above described adjustment of the
time pieces, but this is not advisable on account of the danger to the glow-lamps
which may be caused thereby.
The ordinary movement of the timepieces may be effected in any known manner;
thus it may also be effected by the electric lighting current, in which case the
following arrangement may be employed.
The second electro magnet B operates with automatic interruption, and is

page_text: thereby made to wind up the spring F by means of the moveable pawl S and
the fixed pawl t. The one end of the spring is connected to the freely rotatable
ratchet wheel o, and the other end to the wheel p of the clockwork. The winding
up is effected on the return motion of the armature by means of the drawing-off
spring. If the spring F is wound up to such an extent that the spring k cannot
further act upon it, the action is stopped until the spring F has become unwound
again to a certain extent. The interrupting contact Cis upon a peculiar double
ended contact lever ee which carries a small iron armature moving in proximity
to the poles of the electro magnet B. When the contact is closed, the magnetic
attraction of the small armature by the poles of the electro magnet will cause
the contact to remain securely closed, but if the contacte is forcibly broken, the
armature is no longer attracted, and the contact lever will remain in the position
into which it has been moved. The opening and closing of the contacte is effected
by the heaks m and a carried by the armature lever h; the distance between the,
beaks determines the motion of the armature lever.
WW are resistances interposed in the leads connecting the timepiece with the
lighting mains.
Dated this 1st day of May 1890.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Electrical Timepiece Combined with Installations for the
Distribution of Electrical Energy for Lighting and other
purposes.
I, FRIEDRICH VON HLFSER-ALTENECK, of W. Hildebrand 'sche Privatstrasse
No. 4, Berlin, Germany, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to an arrangement in conjunction with the construction of
electrical timepieces wherein the regulating action is effected by means of an
electrical current derived from the same installation that supplies electrical energy
to lamps or other apparatus, the potential of the current supplying the lamps
being for this purpose momentarily decreased or increased at regular intervals of
time, whereby the pointers of all the time pieces connected to the distributing
network are adjusted to the correct time.
I will describe the construction of the apparatus for carrying out my said inven-
tion with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 shews a
diagrammatic view of an electrical time piece with two electro-magnets A and B,
the two coils of which are connected to the lighting mains parallel to the
lamps. The electro magnet A effects the regulation in the above described manner
and shall be called the "adjusting electro magnet." Its armature lever ii has a
considerable amount of play, and the poles of the electro magnet are so formed
and the withdrawing spring is so proportioned that the armature lover is held
either in a balanced condition, or with slight pressure ngainst its stop when the
normal potential exists in the maius, but is caused to make an oscillation when the
potential momentarily decreases in the lighting mains.
This oscillation is caused, by means of an arrangement which is generally of
known construction, to effect the adjustment to correct time of the hands of the
time-piece which at the moment are nearly in correct position; this may be effected,
for example by causing a wedge shaped beak on the lever i to enter a gap
in the wheel of the clockwork or between two pins in the same as at Figure 3,
thereby adjusting the hands slightly forward or backward, as the case may be. If
it be desired to arrange the duration of the decrease of potential so that it shall
be of any extent and without effect on the movement of the time piece, the beak b

page_text: and the gap in the wheel 7 may be so arranged that the former shall pass right
through the latter, and the beak be made to yield laterally with spring action when
the lever performs the return motion, which is not limited to any exact time; this
arrangement is indicated in front and side view at Figure 2. The decrease of
potential, which is made so slight, and at such times as not to clash or interfere
with the action of the lamps or other apparatus is effected at the central station
for the light etc. either by the engineer, or automatically by means of a normal
time piece.
If the supply of current to the lamps is to be interrupted, this must in order
not to disturb the action of the time pieces, be effected at such a time when either
the movement of the lever i produced thereby effects the correct setting of the
hands in the same manner as above described with reference to a smaller variation of
current, or when the gap in the wheel 7 and the beak or other devices employed
in lieu hereof are not within reach of each other. It is obvious that a momentary
increase of potential in the lighting mains might be used for the above described
adjustment of the time pieces but this is not advisable on account of the danger to
the glow lamps which may be caused thereby.
In the above described arrangement, the adjusting electro magnet A is con-
tinuously acted upon by the electric current from the lighting mains. Although
this is very much weakened by suitable resistances, yet this arrangement
occasionally causes a considerable waste of electric energy. In order to obvinte
this, I so connect the adjusting electro magnet to the lighting main by means of a
contact which is closed and opened by the clockwork itself, that it is only coupled
up for a comparatively short time, but with the requisite excess of duration
when it is to effect the adjustment.
Assuming for instance, that the clocks shall be adjusted daily at 6 o'clock a.m.:
and an adjustment be allowed within the limits of three minutes on either side of
the correct time, then the contact is closed at each clock by means of a suitable
wheel in the train theroof during the interval of time in which the hands move
from say 8 minutes to six, to 8 ininutes past six. The correct time will con-
sequently certainly fall within this interval, and the variation of current produced
at that precise moment, will consequently find at all the clocks the said contact
closed, and the adjustment will be effected just the same as if the current had
passed continuously through the adjusting electro magnet. A to and fro movement
of the armature lever will of course be also effected at the closing and opening of
the contact, but these will remain without influence upon the position of the hands,
because at those times the devices that act upon the hands are not within reach of
each other, and consequently do not come in contact at the times of such move-
ments of the armature lever. These parts are in addition so arranged, that in
each of the two said end positions of the armature lever, they pass by each other,
and they only effect the adjustment of the hands, on the movement of the armature
lever inside the before mentioned shorter interval of time.
In order to enable the difference in the strength of the current by which the
hands are to be adjusted, as also the current in the adjusting electro magnet itself
to be as low as possible, I adopt the arrangement that the attraction of the
armature is not effected by the adjusting electro magnet itself on the increase of
the currents strength again, but by the clockwork of each clock at the given time,
so that the weakening of the current which has to effect the adjustment of the
hands, need only be sufficient to cause the adjusting electro magnet to drop its
armature and not sufficient to cause the current on again increasing to attract the
armature from its distant position. This arrangement can be combined with the
before described clock contact.
A construction for this purpose is shewn in diagram at Figure 3, the distance
apart of the devices being exaggerated in order to make the arrangement more
clear. The wheels 1, 2, 3 and 4 constitute the clock train or dial-work as with any
ordinary clock.

page_text: which is loose upon the same axis ns the wheels 2 and 3 and which revolves once
in 24 hours.
This wheel 6 carries a tappet D which during the time when the wheel 2 makes
its last revolution before the moment of adjustment of the hands, acts on the arm N
of the armature lever ii, and in thereby turning this in the direction to the right,
causes the armature R to be applied to the pole of the adjusting electro magnet A.
Towards the end of this motion the contact is closed which couples up the
adjusting electro magnet with the lighting main L' L².
Shortly afterwards the tappet D leaves the arm N but the lever i i now remains
in the position into which it has been moved as the armature R will now be held
in the attracted position by the excited maget. This netion is completed before
the passage of the gap over the nose on the lever i takes place.
During this passage the before described weakening of the main current takes
place whereby the hands are to be adjusted. In consequence thereof the adjusting
imagnet releases the armature R. and by its weight either alone or aided by a
spring the armature lever turns to the left, the nose 6 passes through the space /
djusts the hands. The contact e' is thereby again broken, the nose Passes
above the pins of the gap and allows these to pass free underneath.
It will be obvious that every mechanical device by means of which a variation
in the current of an electric light installation can be made to effect the adjust-
ment of the hands of a clock is applicable for the purposes of this invention.
Thu-for example, the clocks can be so arranged that they are always slightly fast
and that the hands, as the time approaches when they are to be correctly adjusted,
are made to come in contact with a projection on the lever ii (or any equivalent
hereof) and thus to have their motion impeded until the fluctuation in the electric
light current takes place, when the said projection leaves the hands free again,
thus causing the slight advance of the hands to be corrected at intervals so that it
cannot increase to a detrimental extent.
The ordinary movement of the timepieces may be effected in any known manner:
thus it may also he effected by the electric lighting current in which case the
following arrangement may be employed.
The second electro magnet B operates with automatic interruption, and is thereby
made to wind up the spring F by means of the moveable pawl S and the fixed
pawl 7. The one end of the spring is connected to the freely rotatable ratchet
wheel o, and the other end to the wheel of the clockwork. The winding up is
effected on the return motion of the armature by means of the drawing off
spring. If the spring F is wound up to such an extent that the spring & cannot
further act upon it, the action is stopped until the spring F has become unwound
again to a certain extent. The interrupting contacte is upon a peculiar double
ended contact lever which carries a small iron armature moving in proximity
to the poles of the electro magnet B. When the contact is closed the magnetic
attraction of the small armature e by the poles of the electro magnet will cause
the contact e to remain securely closed but if the contacte is forcibly broken, the
armature is no longer attracted, and the contact lever will remain in the position
into which it has been moved. The opening and closing of the contact c is effected
by the beaks m and n, carried by the armature lever . The distance between the
beaks determines the motion of the armature lover.
r
WW are resistances interposed in the leads connecting the time piece with
the lighting mains.
In order to lessen the detrimental sparking at the contact on breaking the
circuit employ besides known means, the arrangement shewn in Fig. 4, in which
the parts are lettered the same as the corresponding parts in the previous figures.
The lower projection m of the lever Fig. is replaced by a contact piece m
fixed in an insulated manner on the lever which contact piece comes in contact
with the lever eª e³ shortly before the contact is opened.

page_text: The windings of the remontoire electro magnet B are connected on the one
hand to the one lead of the circuit and to the moveable contact piece m² and on
the other hand to the lever c³ ³ that closes the contacte on the other lead.
Shortly before e is interrupted, a short circuiting of the electro magnet windings
is effected by the contact of m² with c² c³ by which the induction current which
has formed therein is confined to the short circuited windings instead of passing
as a spark at e. On the descent of the lever this short circuiting is broken
again.
The above described invention can be employed with electric light installations
worked either with continuous or with alternating currents but in the latter case
the electro magnets or their equivalents must be so arranged that they will
operate properly with alternating currents, that is to say they must be made with
cores consisting of separate wires or strips.
It is also obvious that the adjusting electro magnet of the clocks may, as in all
other electrical transmissions be worked from the main circuit by means of relays
or transmitters, instead of directly by the circuit such as used frequently to be
employed in electric telegraphy. Such relay would in that case be connected to
the circuit in place of the electro magnet of one or more clocks, and on the
occurrence of the before mentioned variation in the main current would effect the
closing of a contact by which the adjusting electro magnets of one or more clocks
situated in one or more separate circuits would be actuated.
Such an arrangement would be of advantage when many clocks in one and the
same house required to be worked by the electric light installation because the
arrangement of the adjusting electro magnets which are then only worked by
closing and breaking the circuit, are simplified as regards their winding and
regulation.
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. The combination of central installations for electrical clocks, or electrically
regulated clocks with installations for electrical lighting, the transmission of power
&c. in such manner that the electric clocks are operated and regulated, or only
regulated by means of the same source of current and through the same conducting
mains that serve for the electric lamps &c. the regulation of the clocks being
effected by a temporary variation in the potential of the electric lighting current
made to recur at fixed intervals.
2. In the method of regulating clocks by means of a variation of the current in
an electric lighting main, the arrangement whereby the said current by means of
contacts worked by the clock is only passed through the regulating apparatus
during a short period of time, within which the said variation of the current must
take place substantially as described.
3. In apparatus for regulating clocks by a diminution of the current in an
electric lighting main causing such diminution to operate the electro magnet or
other equivalent device for adjusting the hands of the clock so as to release its
armature or other moveable part, while the return motion of the armature is
effected by means of the clockwork, for which purpose the contacts referred to in
Claim 2 may be utilized substantially as described.
4. In electro magnetic contact apparatus, the use of a small piece of iron e
which lies within the range of attraction of an electro magnet with automatic
interruption and by means of which through the magnetic attraction the interrup‐
tion contact when once closed is held in that position, until it is forcibly separated,
thereby terminating the magnetic attraction of the piece e substantially as herein
described.
5. In combination with the piece carrying the contact and piece of soft
iron e referred to in the preceding claim, the use of a contact piece m² on the
armature lever h which comes in contact with the lever c² c³ just before the circuit

page_text: is broken, and which is connected with the conductors and insulated from the
other parts in such a manner that a momentary short circuiting of the windings of
the electro magnet B is effected, in which the induction current is produced, thus
preventing the latter from passing over as a spark at the contact c, substantially as
herein before described with reference to Fig. 4.
Dated this 31st day of January 1891.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.