in contact, rheotome, or break in Electric Clocks, time keepers or where electricity is employed to actuate time indicators
Year: 1886

page_text: We, JAMES, CASSEY and JOHN FREDERICK DIXON both of 102 Bloomsbury Street
Birmingham in the County of Warwick do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention to be as follows:-
Our invention consists of improvements in contact, rheotome, or break in
Electric Clocks, time keepers or where electricity is employed to actuate time
indicators.
The object of our invention is to preserve or keep good, and clean, the contact
rheotome or break in electric clocks time keepers or time Indicators as aforesaid.
The failure of the contact rheotome, or break is attributable to a thin non-con-
ducting film forming on contact surface. Electric clocks time pieces, time Indicators
have hitherto not been of very general use as they require much attention and are
very unreliable. Now by our improvements they are made of good practical use
to the general public and our clocks will go several years without attention and
will keep superior time and they are of great value in working and controlling a
number of companion Clocks or time Indicators, at a distance to show the exact
time of standard or normal clock. Our improvements are applicable to most forms
of Electric clocks, time pieces or time Indicators by the observance of principles
hereinafter explained.
We will now explain how our improvements may be carried out of break
arrangement contact pieces, metals used for same. Now the motion or rub is
applied necessary for good contact and also the way the current shall flow through
contact pieces. Some of the metals found most suitable to make good contact are
A.
B.
Silver with Gold.
Copper with Steel.
Brass with Steel.
Gold with Gold.
Silver with Silver.
Preferably we take the two former metals which remains about the same in
friction and are therefore not unsuited to good time keeping.
We arrange our contact pieces Silver and steel to act in paraffin or oil, spirits
of wine, turpentine, soap suds, or water in a cup or vessel for the purpose of
Prins G71

page_text: keeping break or contact surface free of oxidation or other non-conducting matter.
Of the before mentioned liquids parafin is preferred. Upon evaporating liquids we
pour oil.
By the motion of pendulum armatures revolving wheel, drum or other mechanical
contrivance we cause silver class A to rub (greater surface than its own rubbing
surface) on steel class B. As a horizontal silver wire rubbing straight up and
down on a perpendicular steel wire.
We desire to lay stress upon the fact that the current circuit must flow from that
part of the break which is rubbed on the small surface to that upon which is the
long rub or rim or in other words connect the wire from the zinc element to the
perpendicular steel wires and that from the copper element to the horizontal silver
wire. This arrangement will keep the contact surfaces clean and impact.
But if the wire (wire here taken as a convenient means of explanation only) that
rubs on greater surface than its own is carried at a different angle that it may
perform the greatest surface rub, after it has had its required first rub, the second
part where it is rubbed will become oxidized or dirty. The oxidized or dirty part
we consider as no contact rub as it will not make good contact only passing the
least current at times therefore is not an impact contact surface.
We do not confine ourselves to the particular mode of making contact in parafin
oil or other non-conducting liquid baving several ways of supplying contact parts
with the required liquid. For example we fix one contact piece above (oil) or
liquid and the other to project from side of pendulum rod that it may dip at every
alternate swing of pendulum to the left and make contact when swinging to the
right, Or a seperate piece may dip in and oil the parts of contact.
revolving drum is used we place a part or the whole in liquid.
When the

page_text: We JAMES CASSEY and JOHN FREDERICK DIXON both of 102 Bloomsbury Street
Birmingham in the County of Warwick do hereby declare the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention consists in improvements in the contact, rheotome or break in
Electric Clocks, time-pieces or where electricity is employed to actuate time indi-
cators namely the application of a liquid with suitable metals for the electricals
contacts in combination with Electric current flowing from and to contact rheotome
or break in a certain way as hereafter explained.
The object of our invention is to preserve or keep good and clean the contact
rheotome or break in electric clocks time-pieces or time-indicators as aforesaid.
The failure of the contact, rheotome or break in attributable to a thin non-
conducting film or other matter forming on electrical contact surface thus preventing
currents passing or flowing.
Electric Clocks time pieces and time indicators have hitherto not been of very
general use as they require too much attention and are very unreliable and our
invention meets this by making them good for more general use.
Our improved contact, rheotome or break as aforesaid is applicable to most forms
of Electric clocks, time pieces or time indicators as aforesaid as electrical gravity
clocks worked by armature and electric magnet.
Clocks with coil and a permanent magnet on bottom of pendulum. Self or
electrical winding Clocks. Also to complete circuit for actuating or controlling
companion clocks or time indicators. The various kinds or mechanism of breaks
or contacts are well known to Electric Clock makers.
Amongst the metals found most suitable to make good electrical contact may be
mentioned the following

page_text: on the other usually one as class A rubbing straight along or up and down the
other about a quarter of an inch with small amount of pressure.
Class A metals we arrange to rub on greater surface than their own rubbing
surface that is on Class B as for instance a horizontal silver wire which is in
class A rubbing straight up and down on a perpendicular Steel-Wire which is
in class B.
We desire to lay stress upon the fact that the current must flow from that part
of break which is rubbed on the smallest surface to that upon which the longest
rub or run or in other words connect the battery wire from the zinc element to
the perpendicular steel wire and that from the copper element of battery to the
horizontal silver wire. This arrangement will keep the contact surface clean and
impact.c
If current should be reversed the contact rheotome or break will fail in a short
time to make electrical contact.
But if the wire or electrical contact surface that rubs on the greater surface than
its own is carried at a different angle so that it may perform the greatest surface
rub after it has had its required first rub, the second part where it is rubbed will
become oxydised or dirty. The oxydised or dirty part we consider is no electrical
contact rub as it will not make good contact only passing the least current at times
therefore it is not an impact contact surface.
If in one contact rheotome or break there are more than two rubbing electrical
contact surfaces arranged that the same circuit may be completed through them
we consider each two rubbing surfaces as a contact rheotome or break complete in
itself.
We do not confine ourselves to the particular mode of making contact in oil
paraffin or other suitable liquid. As we have several ways of supplying contact
parts, with the required liquid for example we fix one contact piece above oil or
other suitable liquid that it may dip at every alternate swing of pendulum to the
left and make contact when swinging to the right or a separate piece may dip in
and oil the parts of contact.
When a revolving drum is used we place the whole in liquid or part which dips
contact or contacts at intervals.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
1st. The combination of Paraffin Oil, Turpentine Spirits of Wine or other similar
non-conducting liquids applied on the aforesaid principles with the metals for
electrical contact as aforesaid and with the electric current flowing from part of
contact rheotome or break which is rubbed on the smalled impact contact surface
to the surface on which is the. long or greatest run or rub on intact contact surface
as and for the purpose herein specified.
2nd. The combination of non-conducting liquid as herein before mentioned with
the metals for electrical contact and with the electric current flowing from the
electric contact rubbing surface which is rubbed on the smallest impact contact
surface to the impact electric.compact rubbing surface on which is the long or
greatest run or rub as and for the purpose herein specified.
1
1000