Improvements in or relating to Alarm Clocks and the like.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 8th June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 8th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 20th Apr., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Alarm Clocks and the like.
I, FRANK SHARPE of 39 Belmont Grove, Chiswick, in the County of
Middlesex, Watchmaker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows
This invention relates to double release devices applicable for alarm clocks and
the like. Hitherto alarm clocks have been made to give a single alarm only, but
by my present invention I am able to provide two or more alarms with the same
clock at short or long intervals as required; the details of the mechanism would
require to be varied according to the exigencies of the particular application but
the following description will serve to show how the invention may be applied to an
alarm clock of ordinary construction.
I employ a snail or cam formed conveniently as a thick disc with a recess in it
having a sharp fall at one side and a gradual rise to the level of the face of the
suail upon the other. This snail is carried by or connected with one of the wheels
of the clock and is caused to revolve at a suitable speed say once in twelve hours.
Facing this snail or cam disc is an arrangement which may consist of a simple disc
with two or more pins, studs or equivalent projecting from it and facing the cam
disc; these pins are not in the same radial line but are arranged one more or less
behind another according to the distances between the alarms to be given. The
cam disc is fitted free upon the spindle which carries the stud-dise and may be provided
with a boss at its opposite face which bears upon the end of a spring-controlled or
spring detent device so arranged that when it moves a certain distance it lets off one
alarm and when it moves a further distance it lets off the other alarm and so
on if the apparatus be arranged to give more than two alarms. The operation is as
follows:-
As the
The cam disc is revolved by the moving train of wheels of the clock and the
stud-disc is turned to the position which will cause the alarm to go off at the right
time; this may be effected by placing an index hand or equivalent upon the spindle
to which the stud-disc is fixed and upon which the cam disc revolves freely and
turning it over a suitable dial or equivalent as will be readily understood.
cam disc revolves the steep edge of the cam approaches the studs and as soon as its
edge has passed the back edge of the first stud the cam which has formerly been
pressed to its lowest limit slips up as far as the second stud will allow it to go; this
has the effect of so far releasing the alarm detent as to allow the first alarm to go
off. As the cam disc continues to revolve the same operation occurs with regard to
the second stud when the cam disc rises to its full height releasing the second alarm
which then goes off.
It will be easily seen that considerable variations may be made in detail without
departing from the spirit of this invention, for example independent alarm detents
may be employed instead of a single one adapted to control both, or the cam disc
instead of rotating may be the fixture and the other one may rotate. Or again,
instead of employing a disc at all I may employ a simple ring or other form of cam
or snail so arranged that the successive movements are effected. Or again, a wheel
which may form a member of the going-train of the clock may be provided with
two or more pins, projections, steps or equivalent, with which the detents would
engage successively as will be well understood. Or a single detent may be provided
with two or more steps or proiections upon it.

page_text: It will be understood that this invention would be applicable to electrically driven
or controlled alarm devices as well as to ordinary spring alarms tbe step arrangement
being used if necessary for separate contacts.
Dated this 8th day of June 1894.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.
I, FRANK SHARPE, of 39 Belmont Grove, Chiswick, in the County of
Middlesex, Watchmaker, 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 that class of alarm clocks and the like which are adapted
to give two or more alarms at short or long intervals apart as required; the details
of the mechanism would require to be varied according to the exigencies of the
particular application, the following description in reference to the accompanying
drawings serving to show how the invention may be applied to an alarm clock of
ordinary construction.
In these drawings
Fig. 1 is an elevation of sufficient of an alarm clock constructed according to this
invention to illustrate my improvements.
Figure 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is portion of a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.
Figs. 4 and 5 are vertical sections taken respectively on the lines 4-4 and 5-5
of Fig. 2.
Fig. 6 is a view of portion of Fig. 2 as when one alarm has been released and the
other has yet to be released, and
Figs. 7 and 8 represent modifications hereinafter more particularly described.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
These
In carrying my invention into practice as shown in Figs. 1 to 6 of the accompanying
drawings I employ a snail or cam A formed conveniently as a thick disc with
a recess A' Figs. 2 and 5 having a perpendicular surface or step A² at one side and
a gradual rise A³ to the level of the face A' of the snail A at the other side. This
snail A is carried by or connected to say the wheel B of the clock and is caused to
revolve at a suitable speed conveniently once in twelve hours. This snail A. is of
substantially the same construction as the snails ordinarily used for a similar
purpose in existing alarm clocks. Facing this snail or cam disc A. is an arrangement
which may consist of a simple disc C with two or more pins, studs, steps or
equivalent CC2 projecting from it and facing the cam disc A; one or the other of
those pins usually bearing against the face of A when the alarm is set.
pins C Care not in the same radial line but are arranged one more or less behind
the other according to the intervals between the alarms to be given. The cam
disc A and conveniently the toothed wheel B, to which it may be connected, are
loose upon the arbor D on which is rigidly mounted the stud disc C and may be
provided with a boss at its opposite face which bears upon a spring controlled or
spring detent device E, this boss however is not shown in the accompanying
drawings the spring detent device E being so arranged that but very little of its
surface is in actual contact with the surface of the wheel B thereby attaining the
same result namely reducing friction which should be attained by the provision of
the before mentioned boss. The device E is provided with two detents E' E² each
adapted to release a separate alarm mechanism as hereinafter described the
detent E as regards its relation to the releasing arm F with which it is adapted to

page_text: operate in conjunction, is shorter, than the detent appertaining to the arm F'.
When the detent device E is allowed to move outwards a certain distance it.
releases the detent E' from the arm F but still retains the detent E2 in engagement
with the arm F the detent E2 being subsequently disengaged from the arm F¹ when
the detent device is allowed to move outwards to a further extent.
The detent device is conveniently formed of a flat spring E³ the lower ends of
each branch of the fork being secured in any desired manner to the clock movement
plate G and the upper part having outwardly extending arms E to which the
detents E E2 may be secured by soldering or in any other convenient manner.
The spring E' tends constantly to move the detents E' E' out of engagement with
the releasing arms F1 F2 respectively.
The arbor D may be fitted in the usual manner with a head D' and an index or
not, working over the dial to enable the disc C to be adjusted to any desired
position according to the time at which it is desired the alarm should go off and any
desired means such as a cupped spring D2 may be provided to take the thrust as
caused by the spring E3 on the arbor D. The operation is as follows;-
The cam disc A is revolved by the moving train of wheels of the clock in the
usual manner and the stud disc C is turned by means of the knob or head D¹ or in
any other convenient manner to the position which will cause the alarm to go off at
the desired time. As the cam disc A revolves the perpendicular. edge A²
approaches the studs or steps C' C2 and as soon as this edge passes the back edge
of the stud C which up to that time is in contact with the face A', the cam disc
which has formerly been pressed to its rearmost limit slips forward as far as the
second stud C2 will allow; this has the effect of removing the detent E' out of the
path of the arm F so as to release the first alarm mechanism H the hammer H' of
which is caused to strike the gong or bell (not shown in the accompanying drawings)
in the usual way..
As the cam disc A continues to revolve, the perpendicular edge A² passes beyond
the back edge of the stud C2 so that the cam disc A slips still further forward and
thereby disengages the detent E' from the arm F' so that the second alarm
device H is released and its hammer H3 caused to strike the gong or bell; the
interval between these two operations depending upon the distance that one of the
pins C¹ C² is in advance or in the rear of the other.
It will be readily seen that considerable variations may be made in the details of
the before described alarm clock without departing from the spirit of this invention
for example as shown in Fig. 7 the detents E' and E2 instead of being connected
together in the manner indicated in Figs. 1 to 6 may be formed separate from each
other, or the cam dise A instead of rotating and the stud disc C being non-rotating
the cam disc may be non-rotating and the stud disc rotated in any convenient
manner. Again the shape of the disc may be modified for example instead of
forming a complete disc it may be in the form of a ring; or instead of providing it
more studs or
with only one step to operate in conjunction with the two or
steps C etc. it may be provided with two or more such steps to operate in
conjunction with one stud or step C or C2. Again, instead of using two
detents E E² I may arrange the arms F F (or as many more as may be necessary)
adjacent to each other and effect their release at the desired intervals of time by
one and the same detent as indicated for example in Fig. 8.
The two alarm devices H H may be conveniently operated by the same spring
in any of the usual ways; the means for transmitting motion from the spring
barrel to these devices however constitute no part of the present invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;-
C
1. An alarm clock adapted to give two or more successive alarms.
2. The combination with a clock having two alarm devices of mechanism for
releasing said devices in succession.

page_text: 3. In an alarm clock the combination with a snail or cam disc such as A having
one step A² of a stud disc C having two or more pins or studs such as C1 C2 adapted
to be released by the cam disc one after the other substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. In an alarm clock the combination with a snail or cam disc having two or
more steps such as A2 of a stud disc C having one or more pins such as C or C²
adapted to be successively released by the cam disc substantially as described.
5. In an alarm clock the combination with two alarm devices of a spring
such as E two detents E' E' mounted thereon and adapted to release the alarm.
devices_one_after-another-substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
6. In an alarm clock the combination with two alarm devices of a detent such
as E E E Figures 1 to 6 or E Figure or two detents such as E' E' E* E²
Figure 7 adapted to release said devices one after another substantially as described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
7. In an alarm clock the combination of two alarm devices two releasing
arms F F two detents E' E² a detent spring such as E cam disc such as A stud
disc C and two studs or projections such as C1 C2 adapted to operate in succession
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
8. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete succes-
sively-operating alarm-releasing mechanism substantially as described and illustrated
in Figures 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 7th day of March 1894
FRANK SHARPE,
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant.