An Improved Apparatus or Machine for Recording or checking the Time of Workmen, Clerks, Factory Hands, and others.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Sept., 1898-Accepted, 10th Dec., 1898
COMPLETE DIMUITIO
An Improved Apparatus or Machine for Recording or checking the
Time of Workmen, Clerks, Factory Hands, and others.
I, JOHN ALEXANDER WHITEHEAD, Gentleman, of 125, Hill Street, Garnethill,
Glasgow, 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 apparatus or machine for recording or checking
the time of persons coming to and going from their work in workshops and
other places.
The chief feature of the invention is the special arrangement of a key board
with a separate indexd lever. for each person. By operating the levers; punches
or markers are actuated in such manner as to cause perforations or marks to
be made upon a strip of paper which is ruled or marked off with divisions or
lines representing the times at which the persons arrive or depart. Provided in
conjunction with the apparatus is a visible indicator, which, when any one of
the keys is operated indicates, by means of a star or such like, the number of
the key operated so that the person passing into or out of the work at the time
can see that the key with his number thereon is the one that has been operated.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood I have here-
unto appended an explanatory sheet of drawings which shows, by way of example,
one convenient mode of carrying my invention into effect or practice.
On the drawings:
Fig. 1 is a front elevation and Fig. 2 a side elevation of the machine.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the machine with the top of the cover removed and
looking in the direction of the arrow Fig. 2.
Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views.
Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a triple arrangement of the apparatus.
The drawings only show a machine with 10 key levers suitable for recording
the time of 10 workmen but it is to be understood that the machine can be
made larger so as to record the time of 100 workmen or more.
The machine consists of a casing a provided with a floor b arranged at an
angle of about 45°. Fitted within the casing is a cover c which forms the top
of the casing and which is hinged, at d, to the back thereof in such, a manner
as to be capable of being readily lifted up when necessary. The part c is made
one with the cover c the lower part of which is indicated by the dotted line c².
Carried by the side walls of the case c are two rollers f, g. The roller f has
a roll of paper hon it which can be, by the revolving of the roller g, unwound
from the roller f on to the roller g. The paper from the roll. f passes over a
guide roller., then over the upper side of a box j, and on to the roller g. The
upper side of the box j serves as a table upon which the paper is perforated
by means of the punches k arranged in connection with the levers 7. One punch
is provided for each lever which latter is simply arranged to bear upon the upper
end of the punch. Each punch passes through a guide hole in a cross bar m

page_text: and also through a guide hole in a cross bar n. A spiral spring is arranged
around each punch and bears, at its upper end, against the upper enlarged end
of the punch, and, at its lower end, against the bar n. Holes are made in the
table or top of the box j corresponding to the punches so that when the latter
descend and perforate the paper they enter these holes and the punched out
parts fall down into the box j from which they can subsequently be removed.
The levers which are fulcrumed upon the spindle e are, preferably, arranged
beside one another in the manner shown at Fig. 3.
Arranged below each key lever is a bell crank lever o which is fulcrumed
upon the spindle p extending from side to side of the case.
Each bell crank
lever has a projection 9 on its underside against which a plate spring bears
in such manner as to normally force up the long arm of the bell crank and also
retain the short arm in the position shown at Fig. 2, i.e., with its upper end
bearing against the bottom of the key lever.
At the end of the long arm of each bell crank is a disc or equivalent s having
a red star or other suitable mark on the back thereof. Whenever any one of
the key levers is depressed the star on the disc of the corresponding indicating
lever is shown through a glass window at the back of the machine. This
window may be divided into triangular spaces by means of a zig-zag division
line as shown clearly at Fig. 4. The triangular spaces are numbered with corre-
sponding numbers to the key levers as also shown at Fig. 4. In this figure
stars are indicated at Figs. 1 and 6 thereby indicating that the levers 1 and 6
have been depressed.
The paper on which the records are made is preferably divided into longitudinal
columns corresponding to the number of the key levers and with cross columns
of different colours, or bands of different colours, representing intervals of time:
thus a black column or band may indicate the proper time for the workmen to
arrive (say six a.m.); the adjacent, say, red, column or band may indicate an
interval of 5 minutes late; the next adjacent, say, blue, column may indicate
an interval of 10 minutes late; and the next adjacent, say, yellow, column
may indicate an interval of 15 minutes late. According as the perforations
appear in one or other of these columns so the time of the workmen is recorded.
This is indicated at Fig. 5 where the circles y indicate the perforations.
The modus operandi is as follows:-
When the workmen begin to arrive, say, at 6 o'clock in the morning, the
time keeper, who has previously revolved the paper band into the proper position
by means of the wheel handle u so that the black column is directly under the
punches, operates the key levers according to the numbers of the workmen and
as each key lever is depressed not only is a perforation made in the paper band,
but the number of the key depressed is indicated in the window by the disc s of
the corresponding lever o, so that the workmen can see that their numbers have
been recorded. After the lapse of an interval, say 5 minutes, the paper band is
moved so as to bring the next adjacent, red, column under the punches and
the perforations in this column indicate the workmen who have entered 5 minutes
late. After the lapse of a further interval, say 10 minutes, the band is again
shifted so as to bring the next column under the punches and the perforations
in this column indicate the workmen who have entered 10 minutes late; and
80 on. The paper bands are preferably made of such length as to record a
week's attendances. By lifting up the cover and turning it on its hinge d
the paper band and the rollers are exposed so that access is given for the purpose
of changing the paper band.
At each depression of a key lever the corresponding punch and lever o are
actuated and the punch lever o and key lever are, immediately the pressure on
the key is relieved, retracted by means of the spring and the spiral spring k
arranged round the punch.
If so desired where the time of a large number of persons is to be recorded
three or other number of machines may be arranged one above the other as

page_text: indicated at Fig. 6 and each machine would be hinged to the back of a frame a¹
so that it could be lifted up for the purpose of giving access to each paper band.
Each machine could be made to record the time of say 100 workmen.
If so desired the roller g may be revolved by means of any well known and
suitable clock work mechanism such as is generally used for indicators and
recorders.
..
Instead of perforating the paper band marks, letters, or figures may be
impressed or printed upon the paper. When marks are to be embossed suitable
punch dies instead of perforating punches would be used and when marks are
to be printed suitable type blocks arranged in the same manner as the perforating
punches and adapted to strike on a travelling ink ribbon passed over the paper
would be employed.
The mechanism can be altered or modified in its details of construction without
departing from the principle of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I consider novel and desire to claim is: -
1. A machine for recording time characterised by a number of indexed levers,
one for each person, arranged in the form of a key board and capable of operating
suitable devices, such as punches or markers, so as to perforate or mark a record-
ing strip of paper, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination with the mechanism claimed in Claim 1 of indicating
levers operated by the indexed levers each of said indicating levers having a dise
or equivalent suitably marked whereby, when an indexed lever is operated, a
visible indication can be given, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with the mechanism claimed in Claim 1 of the recording
strip provided with longitudinal columns one for each person whose time is to
be recorded and cross columns or bands of different colours representing intervals
of time and in or on which the perforations or marks are made, substantially
as set forth.
4. The construction or arrangement and combination of parts of the machine
substantially as herein before described with reference to the drawings annexed.
Dated this 23rd day of September 1898.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
100, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.