Improvements in Apparatus or Devices for Giving Electrical Time Alarms,
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 6th July, 1899-Accepted; 2nd Sept., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus or Devices for Giving Electrical Time
Alarms,
We, WILHELM HAUSMANN, of Konigshutte, Merchant, and HERMANN RITTER,
of Kattowitz, Watch Maker, both in Upper Silesia, in the German Empire,, 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 apparatus or devices by means of which signals can
be given at predetermined times in any room or place or in any number of rooms
or places simultaneously. These devices consist essentially of a clock, two switch
or contact tables connected respectively to the clock and to the rooms or places
where the alarm has to be sounded, a battery or the like, bells or similar alarm
instruments, and plugs or similar contacts for joining the two contact tables
together.
The apparatus hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings is adapted for giving signals at intervals of ten minutes in any one
or more of fifty rooms or places.
Figure 1 illustrates diagrammatically the complete apparatus with the necessary
contacts for two rooms filled in.
Figure 2 shews the clock in vertical cross section.
Figure 3 shews parts of the room contact table and the time contact table in
section, illustrating the plugs and wires by means of which the two may be con-
nected together.
a is the clock, the hour finger b of which carries a small roller, bowl or the
like c. Upon the face of the clock is a ring d divided into a convenient number
of parts or furnished with a convenient number of openings for the partial
passage therethrough and projection therefrom of a number of movable contact
pins e. In the example illustrated the ring has seventy two openings each of
which has a suitable contact pin, and this number permits of an alarm being
given every ten minutes.
Each contact pin is forced forward by a suitable spring until the roller or other
part on the hour finger comes into contact with it and presses it down so as to
make metallic contact with a ring or plate f which is common to all the contacts
and is connected by a wire & to one of the poles of a battery or other source of
electricity . Each of the contact pins e is connected by a wire g to one of a
number of rings or collars upon the time contact board or table h. These rings
or collars are arranged in rows in one direction for the hours, and in rows in a
direction at right angles for the minutes, and each contact pin is connected to
that ring or collar which is in a position upon the table corresponding to the
time at which the pin will be depressed by the hour hand. Thus, in the example
shown, the pin which will be depressed when the clock shows 12.40 is connected
to that collar which is under 40 in the row opposite to the number 12.
A wire from the other pole of the battery is connected to one terminal each of
a number of bells or similar alarm devices m arranged at the requires points,

page_text: and the other terminals of the bells, are connected by wires with their own
numbered rings upon the room contact table' o. Two bells are shown, Nos. 41
and 8, and, as will be seen, each is connected to a similarly numbered, ring or
collar upon the table:
Suitable contact plugs are connected together in pairs by flexible wire or the
like g, so that one plug of a pair may be placed within a ring or collar upon
the room contact table and the other within a ring or collar upon the time con-
tact table. It is evident then that when the time indicated by the connected
ring upon the time table is reached, the alarm which is in contact with the
connected ring upon the room table will be sounded. Two or more contact plugs
may be arranged in each of the rings upon either table so that the alarm may be
repeated at any desired intervals or so that at any predetermined time any
number of the rooms may be simultaneously alarmed!
With the contacts arranged as shown in the diagram rooms 41 and 8 would both
be alarmed when the clock indicated 12.40.
In order to permit of the multiple connection the plugs p may be formed as
hollow cones so that they fit into one another as well as into the rings upon the
tables.
The heads of the contact pins e may be so proportioned and arranged that
the alarm may be continued for any desired time, say, for example, five minutes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said.
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:—
1. Apparatus or devices for giving electrical time alarms; consisting of a
clock, a number of contact pins arranged to be depressed by the hour hand of
the clock, a contact table connected with the clock contacts, a contact table, con-
nected with the bells or similar alarms, plugs or contacts which are connected
together in pairs so as to join the two contact tables together, and a battery or
other source of electricity the poles of which are connected respectively to the
alarm devices and to a common contact ring or plate upon the clock, all con-
structed arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described and as
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
2. Apparatus or devices for giving electrical time alarms, constructed and
arranged substantially as herein before described and as illustrated by the accom-
panying drawings.
3. In an electrical time alarm apparatus of the type described, contact plugs
consisting of hollow cones connected together in pairs, substantially as and for
the purpose herein before described and as illustrated by the accompanying draw-
ings.
D
11
1
P
1000