IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING A PERMANENT RECORD OF THE SPEED OF STEAM OR OTHER ENGINES, WHICH APPARATUS IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO WATCHMEN'S REGISTERS AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT.to John Gratrix, of Preston, in the County of Lancaster,
and Alfred Knight, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Machi
nists, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING
A PERMANENT RECORD OF THE SPEED OF STEAM OR OTHER ENGINES, WHICH
APPARATUS IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO WATCHMEN'S REGISTERS AND OTHER SIMILAR
PURPOSES."
Sealed the 16th December 1856, and dated the 26th June 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Gratrix and Alfred
Knight at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition;
on the 26th June 1856.
We, JOHN GRATRIX, of Preston, in the County of Lancaster, and ALFRED
KNIGHT, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Machinists, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
REGISTERING A PERMANENT RECORD OF THE SPEED OF STEAM OR OTHER ENGINES,
WHICH APPARATUS IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO WATCHMEN'S REGISTERS AND OTHER SIMILAR
PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists of a time-keeper, which carries a dial, making a
revolution in twelve or more hours; the said dial may be made of paper, or
any suitable material which will admit of being distinctly marked by a marker
put in motion at the necessary intervals of time, by a train of wheels in con-
nection with the first or other moving power of steam engines or any machino
or apparatus used for giving motive power.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions: of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Gratrix and Alfred Knight in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 26th December 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
GRATRIX, of Preston, in the County of Lancaster, and ALFRED. KNIGHT; of
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Machinists, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Royal
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give 'and grant'unto.us, the
said John Gratrix and Alfred Knight, Her special licence that we, the said
John Gratrix and Alfred Knight, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said John Gratrix and Alfred Knight, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,
an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING A PERMANENT
RECORD OF THE SPEED OF STEAM OR OTHER ENGINES, WHICH APPARATUS IS ALSO
APPLICABLE TO WATCHMEN'S REGISTERS AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Gratrix and Alfred Knight,
by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand
and seal of one of us, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what-manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Royal Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Gratrix, for and on behalf of
myself and the said Alfred Knight, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly, described and ascertained in and by the following statement (that is
to say)-
The nature of our said Invention relates to an improved self-acting appa-
ratus for registering a permanent record of the speed of steam or other engines,
or any machines or apparatus where it is desirable to ascertain the precise

page_text: amount of work, distance, or speed performed-in any specified interval of time,
and consists of making or constructing a time-keeper, either with or without
the ordinary hands. If we dispense with the hands, we fix a metal-plate on
the centre spindle, and on the said plate we put a dial, made of metallic
paper, and fastened by a washer and thumb screw; the said metallic paper
being capable of receiving a clear strong mark from a metal marker instead of
pencil. If we use the ordinary hands, we work an extra spindle or spindles
by the time-keeper, so that the true time will always be at the point where
the marker acts; the said marker being put in action and caused to mark the
paper dial-at-any-desired or specified time by a train of wheels, similar to the
ordinary clock movements, and is immediately released, so as not to interrupt
the regular motion of the time-keeper; the said train of wheels being con-
nected to the first or other moving power of the engine, machine, or apparatus
required to be registered by any convenient means; or motion may be given to
the revolving dials by the power of a spring in the box, or by a weight acting
on a barrel, as is used in weight movements generally; or when the said self-
acting apparatus is used to register the speed of marine engines, or used in any
case where it is desirable not to change the paper dial every twelve-or twenty-
four hours, we use the metallic paper in the form of a tape or ribbon, with
hours and minutes marked upon it, the said tape passing across the dial-under
the marker, and wound on vertical rollers, or passing through the rollers into
any vessel or receptacle prepared for the purpose; it will be clearly evident
that the tape will be marked by the marker at the required periods of time,
and moved by the same movements as the revolving dial-would be, only. bevil
wheels must be used instead of spur wheels: It may be advantageous in many
cases to reverse the movements, so as to work the dials by the engine or
machine, and the escapement or crank motion by the time-keeper.
The manner in which our said Invention is to be performed will be clearly
understood by reference to the accompanying Drawing, and the letters of
reference thereon.
The said Drawing shews our engine register attached to a time-piece, having
also a watchman's check-clock attached, to shew.how they may be combined
where necessary.
a represents the dial of an ordinary clock, the movement of
which gives motion by means of toothed wheels to the revolving dials b and c,
made of metallic paper or composition, which will shew a clear impression from
a metal marker instead of pencil. And, as already said, when it is desired to
register for lengthened periods, the same motion which caused the dials to
revolve may be made to revolve vertical rollers to carry a tape, or ribbon across
the dial and under the marker, as already described. The markers are shewn

page_text: at d and e, one of which (d) is depressed by the watchman or person in charge
pulling one end of the lever, to which the corresponding marker is attached;
the other marker (e) is acted upon by one or more cams f, made to turn by
the power of a spring in the box 9, or by a weight acting on a barrel, as is
used in weight movements generally, in, conjunction, with a vibrating move-
ment, similar to the striking part of a clock. After the work to be registered
has made a certain number of revolutions, the apparatus being connected
to the moving power of the engine or machine by the shaft h, upon which is
the worm i acting on the worm wheel k, in which is the pin acting upon the
levers m and n, the marker acts on the paper dial, and is released in the ordi-
nary manner, which is afterwards pulled up by the pins p and lever g. The
cams fraise the rod r and one of the levers s, depressing the end to which the
marker e is attached: Any of the well-known striking or releasing arrange
ments may be applied to act upon one or more cams, for the purpose of raising
or depressing the lever to which the marker is attached.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be distinctly understood
that we claim as our Invention, and which, to the best of our knowledge and
belief, has not been hitherto used within this realm, the use and application of
the self-acting apparatus for registering or recording the speed of engines and
machines where a record of speed or work is required; and also the application
or use of the paper or composition known as "metallic paper," for the dials
and tapes thereof, as such self-acting apparatus and the application thereof are
herein described, and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Gratrix, for and on behalf of myself
.and the said Alfred Knight, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this
Twenty-third day-of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-six.
-JOHN GRATRIX: (L.S.)
Signed, sealed and delivered by the within-named
John Gratrix, in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester