IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING ELECTRIC CLOCKS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Treeby Reid, of Exeter, and James Upton
Valentine, of Teignmouth, both in the County of Devon, for an Invention
1
LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Treeby Reid, of Exeter, and James Upton
1
Valentine, of Teignmouth, both in the County of Devon, for an Invention
ΟΙ "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING ELECTRIC CLOCKS.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Treeby Reid
and James Upton Valentine at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents
on the 25th July 1881.
FREDERICK TREEBY REID, of Exeter, and JAMES UPTON VALENTINE, of
Teignmouth, both in the County of Devon. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF ACTING
ELECTRIC CLOCKS."
According to our Invention we make the wheel of ivory with four platinum
contact points, each being in communication with a brass central axis common to
all, the electric circuit being completed by a contact spring; the ivory wheel is
provided with four large ratchet shaped teeth, which revolving once in four
minutes, lift the contact spring, which when free from the tooth falls upon the
platinum point adjacent thereto on the ivory wheel, and thus completing the
circuit; the electro magnet then attracts its armature and sets going a relay
battery for working the dials; this action of the armature throws back a detent,
and thus allowing an ivory hammer to fall on the contact spring, and in this way
to throw the platinum plate into the further ratchet tooth, thus freeing itself
from all the contacts during a period of one minute, the ivory hammer being.
previously lifted into its detent by four pins fixed laterally on the ivory wheel.
When contact is made by the contact spring the electric current also passes
around another electro magnet, attracting another armature, and so winding the
clock by a ratchet arrangement. Very little battery power is required, two or
three cells being under ordinary circumstances sufficient; two extra cells would
work twelve dials. The spring is always pulling at one strength, consequently the
time must be accurate.

page_text: The Invention further consists in an arrangement for setting the time, which is
worked from or is the same circuit as the dial work; for this purpose we provide
an arm having two contact points, one communicating with the dial work, the
other in contact with an electro magnet, but only at certain times; a wheel making
only one revolution in 365 days, the clock being previously rated to time, has as
nany lifting pins as the clock gains minutes in the year, and these pins lift a
hammer, which latter when falling strikes an arm throwing it into contact with
the magnet, where it is kept by a catch until the current is completed and. the
magnet's armature attracted, thus allowing the arm to again form contact with the
dial work; by this means the clock loses one minute for every pin there is on
the wheel.
The winding of the striking part of electric clocks according to our Invention is
worked by the same circuit as winds the going part, and in the same way,
everything being the same as an ordinary going clock, with the exception that
instead of its lifting a hammer lifts a spring, which completes an electric current,
and so by an electro magnet attracts an armature and lifts the hammer; when the
spring is free from the contact of pin wheel the contact is broken, therefore the
hammer falls on the bell, the number of strokes of course corresponding to the rack
or locking plate arrangement.
The dials are worked on the same principle as the winding part. A wheel having
60 ratchet teeth are acted on by an electro magnet and armature; every time the
current is sent around the electro magnet the wheel is made to advance of a
revolution.
We may also use another arrangement for working the dials, viz., a wheel having
60 inverted V shaped teeth, which by the action of an electro magnet throws a
V shaped point upon the wheel, which makes it advance 1 tooth a time, keeping it
there after every stroke by a similar spring above the wheel.
We can also wind and work our clocks by the attraction and repulsion of
permanent steel magnets in place of the armatures as now specified, for which less
battery power would suffice; we may also have a double attraction of the armature
for winding the spring; an under magnet to attract the armature and wind the
spring; also an electro magnet on the top to lift the armature after the under one
has accomplished its work.
Another arrangement for working-the-dial-is-as-follows:---
Supposing the wheel has sixty ratchet shaped teeth is caused to revolve one
tooth per minute through the action of a ratchet hook, the armature being attracted
to the electro magnet, at the same time throwing the arm into the further ratchet
tooth, thus preventing the wheel from working more than one tooth at a time, the
wheel being kept in position by a catch.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed -
by the said Frederick Treeby Reid and James Upton Valentine in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 25th January 1882.
FREDERICK TREEBY REID, of Exeter, and JAMES UPTON VALENTINE, of
Teignmouth, both in the County of Devon. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF ACTING
ELECTRIC CLOCKS."
This Invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying
Drawings. Figure 1 is a back elevation of so much of a self acting electric clock
arrangement constructed according to this Invention, as will be necessary to explain
same; Figure 2 shews the clock train; Figure 3 shews the setting to time
apparatus and dial work; and Figure 4 shews the relay with its respective clock
work; similar letters of reference refer to like parts in all the Figures.
According to this Invention a wheel A is made of ivory or other dia-electric
material with four or five platinum points H, H, five are shewn in the Drawing; all
electrically connected with a brass central axis A' and revolving with the third
wheel A of clock train, the ivory wheel also having a corresponding number of large
insulated ratchet teeth G, which, whilst revolving with the third wheel, lifts in its
turn the contact spring B, when free from the tooth falls upon the platinum point H
adjacent thereto on ivory wheel, and so completing an electric circuit, which
performs the duty of partially winding the clock and setting on a relay and local
battery for working the dials, also for the purpose of throwing the spring B into a
further ratchet tooth N on lower side of contact spring, that being also insulated ;
therefore the ivory wheel is provided with as many contact points and corresponding
ratchet teeth as the number of minutes it takes to complete one revolution. When
contact is made by the contact spring B, the current as well as passing around the
winding electro magnet P, P, passes also around the electro magnet a¹, a¹, Figure 4,
thus attracting its armature b¹, which sets on a relay battery by the points C, C¹,
when an electric current is sent through all the dial electro-magnets and actuates
them, passes also around the electro magnet F, and by attracting its armature
throws the contact spring into its further ratchet tooth N and so breaking the
contact the sudden backward action of the relay battery is prevented by a ratchet
hook c' at the extremity of the arm and armature b¹, b', which engages in the teeth
of a ratchet wheel d¹, which allows of a slow action backwards by a running train
of wheels c¹, e¹, e', thus compensating for any error that may be made by the ivory
wheel contacts.
The winding being performed by the electro magnet P, P, attracting its
armature S, and by the ratchet hook Q engaging in the teeth of the wheel O, on
which is attached a barrel H containing a main spring, the counter ratchet R
performing its duty by keeping the wheel and barrel from making a backward
action when acted upon by the ratchet hook Q; the winding ratchet wheel O has
a number of teeth to correspond with the clock train, so that the spring may be
sufficiently wound and stopped by the power of the battery failing to wind it more
than a certain power, or it may be made to correspond with the clock train in order
to wind up in equal proportion as it runs down.
The Invention further consists of an arrangement for setting the time which is
worked from or is in the same circuit as the dial work; for this purpose are provided
two contact springs f¹, f2, Figure 3, with a long spring or arm J, which by the
falling of the hammer C₁ on the arm J throws the spring J into contact with the
lower spring f; when the dial work current passes it communicates its current to
the electro magnet / (Figure 1), passing also around F for working the contact
points, thus allowing the actuated dials to remain stationary for two minutes, the

page_text: spring being kept in position by the detent L' and pin J', when by the current
passing through the electro magnet K¹ causes the detent and spring to be released
to form its original contacts, its quick action is also governed by a similar clock
work action to the relay parts, the wheel h¹ making only one revolution in 365 days,
therefore an unlimited number of pins can be fixed in that wheel according to the
number of minutes the regulator gains in that time, and so the number of times
the hammer c¹ is lifted and falls on the arm J, therefore it acts as a compensation
for the regulators gaining ratage.
The dial work only consists of a ratchet wheel actuated by an electro-magnets
armature, and by its action drives the wheel one tooth per stroke, having at the
lower end of armature a lever acting as a safety against wind, &c. (together with
its motion work for actuating the hands on dial plate.
This arrangement may be made of 4 or 1 minute action, the whole apparatus of
course corresponding. The striking parts may be actuated similarly to the going
parts, the lifting pins are then made to touch an electric contact spring, which
strikes the bell when the armature of an électro magnet is released from the poles.
Chimes may also be thus actuated.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, we declare that we claim as our "Improvements in Self
Acting Electric Clocks,"
First. The setting of clocks to time without the aid of any wire, but that from the
standard clock, substantially as set forth.
Second. In electric clocks the employment of an ivory or equivalent wheel and
contact points, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Third. In electric clocks the employment of an electro magnet for assisting
or helping the ivory wheel and contact points, and setting on a local battery for
the working the dials in combination with its respective clock work, substantially
as set forth.
Fourth. The combination of parts forming the improved electric clock, substan-
tially as described with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Treeby Reid, for myself and on
behalf of James Upton Valentine, have hereunto set my hand and seal,
this Twenty fourth-day-of-January,-in-the-year-of-our-Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.