Improvements in Clocks.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 5th ec.. 1889-Accepted; 11th Jan., 1890
:
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad, by THE NEW HAVEN CLOCK COMPANY, of New Haven,
Connecticut, United States of America.]
Improvements in Clocks.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex 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 :-
This invention relates to an improvement in clocks, the object being to lengthen
the running time of a clock without increasing its motive power, whereby economy
of material, labor and space is secured, as well as increased durability in use, and
whereby a clock of standard pattern may be converted by the addition of one or
more wheels, to run for one, eight, fourteen, or thirty days, or for any other desired
time.
With these ends in view, my invention consists in a clock, having one or more
equalizing wheels interposed between its time train and dial-work, to harmonize the
action of the latter with the beating of the pendulum.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1, represents a view in front elevation of one form which a clock embodying
this invention may assume.
Figure 2, a plan view thereof.
Figure 3, a view in vertical section on line A B of Fig. 1.
Figure 4, a modification showing the use of more than one equalizing-wheel.
As herein shown the clock is provided with a single equalizing wheel A, located
on the outside of the front plate B of the movement-frame, and secured to one end of
an arbor C, which corresponds, in its relation to the time-train D of the clock, to the
center, arbor of an ordinary clock. This equalizing-wheel meshes into the cannon-
pinion E which is mounted upon a stud F secured to the frame-plate B in the
position occupied by the center-arbor of an ordinary clock. The dial-wheel G, the
pinion H whereof and the hour-socket-wheel I, which together with the said cannon-
pinion constitute the dial-work of the clock, are all of ordinary construction, as is also
the time-train, this invention, in the clock shown, being represented solely by the
equalizing wheel A, which is interposed between the time-train and the dial-work.
The function of this wheel, as has been described is to harmonize the action of the
dial-work with the beating of the pendulum, and to compensate for a reduced rate of
speed in the time-train, although it is conceived that clocks may be made under this
invention in which the time-train will have a greater rate of speed than the dial-
work. It is evident that in order to keep correct time the rate of the pendulum
and the rate of the cannon-pinion, and the hour-socket-wheel, must remain in
constant harmony, but it is not necessary that the time-train should harmonize in
its rate of actuation with either the pendulum of the dial-work, provided only that
what variation there may be between the action of the pendulum, the time-train
and the dial-work be accounted for, and it is the object of this invention to provide
for running the time-train much faster or slower than the dial-work, and accounting
for the variation by equalizing mechanism which takes the form of one or more
equalizing wheels. Ordinarily this invention will be applied to the construction of
clocks in which the time-train is run at an abnormally slow rate of speed, whereby
the power of a spring is distributed over a much longer space of time than in any
clock heretofore constructed with a spring of the same power. In clocks so con-
structed it will not do to have the ordinary connection between the time-train and the
lial-work, for in that case the dial-work would not go fast enough to keep correct
ime, but means must be provided to compensate for the slower rate of movement in

page_text: the time-train to equalize the action of the dial-work with the pendulum, an equalizing-
wheel is therefore interposed between the time-train and the dial-work, the number
of leaves in this wheel being proportional to the reduced rate of movement in the
time-train. The slower the rate of rotation in the time-train, the more the equaliza-
tion required to account for it, and this demand may be filled by increasing the size
of the equalizing-wheel, or by employing more than one equalizing-wheel con-
structed under well known principles of gearing.
The modifications shown by Fig. 4 of the drawings show a construction in which
an additional. equalizing-wheel J and pinion K are employed in conjunction with
the equalizing-wheel A shown in the preceding figures.
It will be understood from the foregoing that a clock may be converted to run
for a long or short period of time by increasing or decreasing the length of the pendulum,
and then interposing between its time-train and its dial-work such equalizing mechanism
as will harmonize the action of the pendulum and the dial-work. One clock, therefore,
of standard pattern may be converted for use as a thirty-hour clock, or an eight-day clock,
or a fourteen-day clock, or a thirty-day clock without changing its spring, or without
changing its time-train, by simply changing the length of its pendulum, and interposing
between its time-train and dial-work one or more equalizing wheels as may be demanded
to harmonize the action of the pendulum and the dial-work. Here an important
economy in the manufacture of clocks will be seen, for instead of having all of the
special tools and dies which are required for making each of the different time-keepers
above referred to, under this invention one standard clock may be made and adapted
to run any length of time desired by the simple introduction of one or more ordinary
wheels without any modification or alteration of the clock as an organization.
Under this invention also a clock is enabled to be made adapted to run for a long
period in very compact form, inasmuch as this invention enables the employment of
a small and light spring and a simple train, whereas, heretofore clocks adapted to
run for a long period of time have required large and heavy springs and complicated
time trains. It is to be noted also, that a clock constructed under this invention
is much more durable than clocks as hitherto made, First, because the spring being
light, the tension of the time-train is lightened, and friction reduced, and Second,
because the train runs much slower than the train of an ordinary clock, so that
the surfaces exposed to friction do not come in contact as often.
It is apparent that this invention is applicable to all styles and types of pendulum
clocks, and is not to be understood as limited to any special construction, but as
claiming broadly the use of one or more equalizing-wheels to harmonize the action
of the pendulum with the dial-work of the clock when the time-train is run at a rate
which does not conform to their action.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion an in-what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my Foreign Correspondeats, I wish it understood that I claim :—
A clock having one or more equalizing-wheels interposed between the time-train
and its dial-work to harmonize the action of the latter with the beating of the pen-
dulum, substantially as set forth..
Dated this 5th day of December 1889.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.