IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPLICATION OF ELECTRICITY TO CLOCKS, WATCHES, AND OTHER TIMEKEEPERS, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th December 1867. A communication from abroad by Theodore
Auguste Marie Sortais, of Lisieux, France.
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I, CLINTON EDGCUMBE BROOMAN, of the Firm of Robertson, Brooman and
Company, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agents, do
bereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
APPLICATION OF ELECTRICITY TO CLOCKS, WATCHES, AND OTHER TIMEKEEPERS, AND
IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
Electricity has already been applied to clockwork as a motive agent in
substitution for springs and weights, also as a transmitting agent for com-
municating the action of the mechanism of a principal timekeeper to other or
secondary timekeepers composed of a simple minute mechanism.
Now this Invention consists of another application of electricity to time.
keepers with the object of transmitting specially striking signals by taking the
electric movement from the apparent hand of the dial of a clock alarum,
watch, or other chronometrical instrument, and not from a piece concealed or
apart from the clockwork movement. With this object I employ a system
of interrupting organs maintaining open the circuit which sends the current
from a pile to the several striking apparatus and closing the said circuit when

page_text: they are actuated by the hour hand of the primary timekeeper. These
interrupting organs vary in their arrangements according to the description of
timekeeper to which they are to be applied. I proceed to describe several
special applications from which the Invention will be fully understood.
1st. Actuating several Striking Apparatus from a Clock.-The interrupting
organ is composed of a piece of ivory or other insulating material into which two
conductors enter; it is terminated at one end by two elastic arms or branches
of platina, silver, or other inoxidizable metal, and at the other end by two
tubular guides provided with pressure screws. The wire coming from one of
the poles of the pile is fitted in one of the guides in which it is pressed by the
screw, while the other guide receives the wire which returns to the pile after
passing the several striking apparatus. The ivory piece is held in a nipper
which is provided with a screw and is prolonged by a spherical head held in
the jaws of a rod. This constitutes a knee joint which allows the ivory piece
and its arms to be moved into any required direction, while the rod is
free to slide in a horizontal socket projecting from a pillar so that the ivory
piece can be moved forward to the desired point. The arrangement just
described is intended to actuate by means of one clock, and simultaneously
several striking apparatus in different rooms or positions in a building.
Suppose for example there are three of these striking apparatus, each com-
prising a bell or gong, a striker and an electro-magnet with two poles receiving
the two wires of the circuit and a third pole which serves when, instead of a
vibratory striking, only a single strike is desired;. this pole is at the desired
time connected to the pile by a special wire. If it be required that the several
striking apparatus be made to act, say 3 o'clock, the ivory piece is placed so
that the two elastic arms of the interruptor are in relation with the figure III
of the clock face taking care that these arms do not prevent the small hand
continuing its movement up to its passage before them. At the hour indicated
the hand meeting the two arms which are constantly opened and separated draws
them to each other and establishing their contact produces the closing of the
circuit. The current of the pile is then sent into the several striking apparatus
which are immediately caused to strike in their respective rooms. The
elasticity of the arms allows the hand of the clock face to pass and the several
striking apparatus stop to be again put in action as required.
2ndly. Actuating a Striking Apparatus from an Alarum.-In this case the
interruptor consists of a small insulating ivory plate on which a sheet of
platina is applied; this is rivetted to a small oscillating spindle held by collets.
On a projection of this spindle the end of a circular flat spring bears which
acts both horizontally and vertically so as to allow the clock movement to be

page_text: readily placed in its case. The spindle is terminated by a square carrying
a small ivory abutment on which the hour hand acts. The alarum case is
traversed by two conductors which pass to the interior of two insulating sockets
and project in front of the interrupting plate which touches only one of them
when at rest. The two wires from the pile end in two tubes which terminate the
conductors and conduct the electric current, which can only circulate when the
platina sheet touches the two projecting ends of the conductors; this takes
place when the ivory abutment placed opposite the desired hour is met and
pushed by the hand.
3rd. Actuating a Striking Apparatus from a Watch.-The watch is placed
open, face downwards, in a support. On the square pivot of the hands the
barrel of a rod is fitted, the rod being held by arms projecting from a pillar
and being free to turn on its axis when moved by the hands. On this rod a
silk or other thread is attached which passes over a pulley and terminates in
a weight. Below the weight an interruptor is place composed of two elastic
arms similar to those before described. When the weight meets the inter-
ruptor it closes the circuit and consequently actuates the striking mechanism
at the desired time; for this purpose the distance of the weight from the
interruptor should be calculated in relation with the winding of the thread on
the rod. The striking is regulated by turning the rod a number of times
before applying it to the watch, the rod may be formed with a spiral thread
and one turn may represent one hour and so on.
4th. Giving the Indication of the Hours by the Striking Apparatus of a
Clock. By this Invention I can actuate with one primary or principal clock
the striking parts of several apparatus in different rooms which will dispense
with the employment of additional clocks. For this purpose an interruptor is
fitted to the primary clock so as to be actuated by the hammer or striker
which will close the circuit and thus cause the several other striking apparatus
to strike at the hours and half hours or quarters simultaneously with the
primary clock.
This Invention is applicable to transmitting signals on board ship and other