Improvements in Time Indicators for Chess or other Games.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Dec., 1899
2nd Nov
1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Time Indicators for Chess or other Games.
I, SAMUEL WALKER, of 21, South Road, Waterloo, near Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, Watchmaker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide, for use in chess or other games in
which the players move or act alternately, an indicator which shall show at any
instant the difference in time (if any) ocupied by the players in making their
moves.
For this purpose I provide means whereby a hand or indicator driven by any
ordinary clockwork may be allowed to move forward in the usual direction or
caused to move in a reverse direction according to which player is moving or
acting. A convenient construction consists in securing to the minute spindle of
a clock a toothed wheel which gears into an idle wheel carried on a pin on the
frame, a third wheel is secured to a sleeve surrounding the minute spindle and
this wheel rests or is pressed against a disc also secured to the minute spindle so
that such wheel and a hand or indicator attached to the sleeve are carried round
with the minute spindle. To cause the hand to travel in the reverse direction
a fourth wheel is used gearing into the idle wheel and movable on a spindle so
that it can be caused to engage also with the third wheel secured to the sleeve,
which then travels in the reverse direction. Any suitable levers and connections
are provided to be operated by the players alternately to move the fourth wheel
into or out of gear with the third wheel. The teeth of the third and fourth wheels
are preferably bevelled on the edges to obviate any liability to nonengagement.
By the above arrangement if one player takes longer time over his moves than
the owner the hand or indicator is moved to one or other side of zero on a dial
attached to the apparatus. I do not confine myself to the above arrangement of
mechanism as other arrangements may be made for causing the hand to move
in one or other direction.
1000
Improvements in Time indicato
I, SAMUEL WALKER, of 21, South Road, Waterloo, near Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, Watchmaker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in

page_text: what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accompany-
ing drawings:-
1
The object of this invention is to provide for use in chess or other games in
which the players move or act alternately, an indicator which shall show at any
instant the difference in time (if any) occupied by the players in making their
moves.
For the purposes of my invention I provide means whereby a hand or indicator
driven by any ordinary clockwork may be allowed to move forward in the usual
direction or caused to move in a reverse direction according to which player is
moving or acting.
On the drawings Fig. 1 is a plan and Fig. 2 is an end view partly in section
of a convenient construction of appliances in accordance with my invention and
Fig. 3 is an external view of the dial. a is a clock of any convenient kind, say a
spring driven clock, having secured to the minute spindle b thereof a toothed
wheel c which gears into an idle wheel d carried by and free to revolve on a
pin e fixed on the frame of the clock. f is a third wheel secured to a sleeve g
surrounding and free to revolve on the minute spindle 6 the wheel of being free
of the wheel d. The wheel f rests on a disc h also secured to the minute spindle,
or it may be to the wheel c, so that such wheel f and a hand or indicator i attached
to the sleeve g are carried round with the spindle in the ordinary direction
clockwise. The surfaces of the disc h and wheel f in contact may if found neces-
sary be roughened to ensure that the wheel f travels with the disc. To cause
the hand to travel in the reverse direction a fourth wheel j is used gearing into
the idle wheel d and revolving and vertically movable on a spindle k by a
spring acting on the underside of the wheel j so that such wheel can be caused
to engage also with the third wheel f secured to the sleeve g which then with
the hand travels in the reverse direction. m is a lever pivotted at n to the clock
frame and provided with a piece o resting on the wheel j and with two knobs
or pushers pg. When the pusher pis depressed as shown in Fig. 2 by one
player the wheel is out of gear with the wheel f which rests on the disc
revolves directly with the minute spindle. When the pusher q is depressed by
the other player so that the lever m assumes the position shown by dotted lines
the spring raises the wheel so that it gears with the wheel f which then
together with the hand is driven in the reverse direction. r is a spring catch
provided with two recesses s into which the end of the lever m enters so that it is
held securely in either position. Any other convenient arrangements of levers
or mechanism may be used as desired to move the wheel j into or out of gear
alternately with the third wheel f. The teeth of the third wheel f and fourth
wheel jare preferably bevelled on the edges as shown to obviate any liability to
non-engagement. By the above arrangements of mechanism if one player takes
longer time over his moves than the other the hand or indicator i is moved
accordingly to one or other side of zero on the dial t attached to the apparatus.
and
u is a counter of any usual kind and which may be operated from the lever m
by any convenient means so as to record the total number of moves made. An
ordinary clock dial with hands may also be provided if desired and be operated
from the clock a in any suitable way to show the total time taken over the game.
This clock dial may be secured to the face of the apparatus in any suitable position.
I do not confine myself to the above arrangements as it will be obvious that other
modifications of wheels, levers, and connections may be made for causing the
hand to move in one other direction but
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:
4 In tima implication for disse the combination with a clock of a hand

page_text: of indicator and mechanism for causing such hand or indicator to move in either
one or other direction substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Second. In a time indicator for games the combination with a clock of a toothed
wheel secured to a spindle thereof, an idle wheel gearing into the toothed wheel,
a third toothed wheel having a bevelled edge and arranged to be frictionally
driven by the first wheel or by a disc on the spindle, a hand or indicator connected
with the third wheel, a fourth toothed wheel having a bevelled edge and gearing
into the idle wheel and means for moving the fourth wheel into gear also with
the third wheel, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Third. Apparatus constructed and operating substantially as described and as
illustrated by the drawings for the purpose set forth.
Dated this Fourth day of September 1900
W. B. JOHNSON,
4, Clayton Square, Liverpool, Agent.