Improvements in Electric Alarm Apparatus.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 20th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 24th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Alarm Apparatus.
I, WALTER WHITEHEAD of Farsley near Leeds in the County of York,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to construct apparatus in connection with alarm
clocks so that the movement of the winding up part of the alarm when in operation
brings into action an electric bell, which continues to sound until the electric switch
is thrown off.
In these improvements the electric bell, motor, and battery are of ordinary
construction, and the alarm clock also is of ordinary construction, but in a suitable
position on the clock. I attach the negative and positive electrodes or poles, each
of which are connected to the battery, but may be brought in contact by a rotating
lever on the alarm clock, acting as it revolves upon a lever of non-conducting
material, this lever of non-conducting material disconnects the poles or electrodes,
but on being removed from between them by the movement of the rotating arm on
the alarm action, the non-conducting lever is withdrawn, the two poles thus
immediately become connected and set in motion an electric bell actuated by a
small motor.
A suitable switch is employed whereby the electric bell is thrown out of action.
Dated this 27th day of February 1891
J. W. HARDING,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Alarm Apparatus.
I, WALTER WHITEHEAD of Farsley near Leeds, in the County of York
Engineer 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 :-
The object of my invention is to construct apparatus in connection with alarm
clocks, in such a manner that the movement of the winding up part of the alarm
when in operation brings into action an electric bell, which continues to sound until
an electric switch is thrown off, thus breaking the electric circuit.
In order that my invention may be understood I will proceed to describe same
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of my apparatus,
Figure 2 is a back view of-the-alarm.action, and
Figure 3 a plan of alarm action with bell removed.
A is the mechanical alarm apparatus on the clock B, both of which may be of
ordinary construction.
The battery which is of ordinary construction is contained in the case C, on the
face of which case C is fitted an electric bell of any suitable pattern. The zinc
electrode D is connected with the terminal E and the carbon electrode F to the
terminal G. I provide a strip of non-conducting material R on the upper side of
the clock, which is held down by the terminals G and H. A strip of conducting
material L lies on the strip R of non-conducting material, and is held down thereto
by the terminal G. This strip L is about half the length of the non-conducting
material R, so as to reach about the centre of the upper part of the clock B. On
the opposite side of the clock to the conducting strip L is another strip of conducting

page_text: material M which is held down by the terminal H, and bent up as shown so as to
form a spring and having a tendency to keep down on the other conducting strip L,
thus forming an electrical connection between the two terminals G and H. The
terminal His connected to the point K, which point K can be switched on or off as
desired with the terminal J by means of the switch S.
The terminals J and E are connected with the electric bell. P is an arm
employed for winding up the mechanical alarm, and O is the lever fulcrummed
at O, the upper arm of which lever isjointed or otherwise connected to a lever N
of non-conducting material fulcrummed on the bell support A'.
The action of the apparatus is. as follows:-
The mechanical alarm is first wound up, the arm P being left upwards. The
lever is then turned on its fulcrum till it is in the position shown in Figure 2 viz.:
with its lower arm resting against the fulcrum of the arm P. This action of moving
the lever has moved the lever N (which is of non-conducting material) between
the strips L and M, thus keeping them apart. The dial is then set to the time
required for the alarm to be effected. Immediately on the mechanical alarm being
set in action, the arm P begins to rotate until it comes in contact with the lower
arm of the lever O, which turns the said lever on its fulcrum, causing the upper
end of the lever O to move the lever N, which is withdrawn from between the strips L
and M, allowing the strip M to come down onto the strip L and complete the
electrical circuit.
In this manner although the mechanical alarm will soon run down, the electric
alarm will continue to ring until the switch S is disconnected and placed in the
position shown in dotted lines..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. In electric alarm apparatus, a mechanical alarm clock in combination with an
electric battery and bell, together with a switch S, all arranged and acting substan-
tially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. In electric alarm apparatus, the combination of a mechanical alarm clock with
the arm P, lever O, lever N, and strips L and M, together with an electric battery
and bell, substantially as set forth.
3. In electric alarm apparatus the combination of the electric battery and bell,
together with a mechanical alarm clock all substantially as described with reference
to the accompanying drawings together with any mere modification or modifications
,thereof.
Dated this 20th day of November 1891
W. WHITEHEAD,
By Brewer & Son,
Agents.