IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO THE WORKING, REGULATING, AND WINDING UP OF CLOCKS, CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR CONTROLLING A SERIES OF CLOCKS BY PNEUMATIC POWER
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Fun of Haseltine, Lako,
& Co, Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
" IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO THE WORKING, REGULATING, AND WINDING
UP OF CLOCKS, CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR CONTROLLING A SERIES OF CLOCKS
BY PNEUMATIC POWER" A communication from abroad by Victor Popp,
Einest Resch, and Charles Albert Mayıhofer, as representatives of the
Gesellschaft zum Betriebe Pneumatischer Uhien," of Vienna, Austria
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th February 1877.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Fim of Haseltine, Lake, & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London "IMPROVIMENTS RELATING TO THE WORKING,
REGULATING, AND WINDING UP OF CLOCKS, CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR CON-
TROLLING A SERIES OF CLOCKS BY PNEUMATIC POWER." A communication from
abroad by Victor Popp, Ernest Resch, and Charles Albert Mayıhofer, as repiesen-
tatives of the "Gesellschaft zuin Betuebe Pneumatischer Uhien," of Vienna,
Austria
These improvements consist chiefly in the use of pneumatic power for working
clocks, and relate, firstly, to means for enabling a number of clocks to be set into and
kept in regular and isochronous motion by pneumatic power, secondly, to pneu-
matic and mechanical devices for winding up clocks, and, thirdly, to inechanical
and electrical devices for ensuring constant certainty as to the correct and
undisturbed action of the clock movement
The main clock which communicates its motion to a number of secondary clocks
by pneumatic means is provided with an arrangement of mechanical devices which
raise and then suddenly drop a lever twice every minute The first time the lever
drops it sets in action for a short period a fly and a weight, whereby a train of
wheels is caused to move a crank iod connected with a three-way cock of a pipo
communicating at one end with a vessel containing compressed air and at the other
end with the secondary clocks, whilst the thud passage of the cock communicates

page_text: with an exhaust pipe The said lever is then raised and drops the second time
It then again sets in motion a train of wheels by which however the said crank rod
15 moved in the contrary direction, thus closing the said three-way cock
When
the three-way cock is opened, compressed au passes to the secondary clocks, when
it is closed, the communication is shut off, and the pipe leading to the secondary
clocks 1s put into cominunication with the exhaust pipe
The three-way cock is provided with a hand level, so that should anything occur
to necessitate a rapair of the main clock the three-way cock may be opened and
shut by hand every minute
The secondary clocks are provided with an an cylinder communicating with the
above-mentioned an pipe
When the compressed air enters the air cylinder the
piston 1od of the piston in this cylinder moves the minute hand of the clock by
means of toothed wheels and pawls
The movements of the main clock are automatically wound up by pneumatic
means This is effected in the following manner -Each time that compressed air
is passed into the pipes leading to the secondary clocks, a portion of this air is con-
ducted into cylinders, the pistons of which are connected with levers operating the
winding mechanisms
The main clock may be provided with an automatic electric device for indicating
when the weights have nearly run down. A folk carrying a contact spring is so
arranged that in such a case the contact spring will be pressed down and an electric
circuit closed, giving any desired signal
The intermediate an vessel from which the compressed air is conducted to the
clocks is supplied with this compressed air from the main air reservoir by automatic
ineans
The automatic apparatus for effecting this is constructed as follows —A float
resting in mercury carries two cylindrical valves which move vertically in a
tube communicating at the bottom with the mercury receptacle which again com-
municates with the intermediate an vessel The upper part of the tube communi-
cates with the main air cservon and at a place a little lower down with the inter-
mediate air vessel As long as the noi mal pressure is maintained in the intermediate
an vessel the tube iemains closed, but when it falls the float sinks and with it the
valves, thus opening the communication between the main air reservoir and the
intermediate air vossel
In order to diy the air completely, a vessel containing a basket of chloride of
calcium may be used.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
tho said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th
August 1877
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London "IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO THE WORKING,
REGULATING, AND WINDING UP OF CLOCKS, CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR CON-
TROLLING A SERIES OF CLOCKS BY PNEUMATIC POWER" A communication from
abroad by Victor Popp, Ernest Resch, and Charles Albert Mayrhofer, as represen-
tatives of the "Gesellschaft zum Betriebo Pneumatischer Uhien," of Vienna,
Austria.
These improvements consist essentially in the use of pneumatic power for work-
ing clocks, and relates, firstly, to means for enabling a number of clocks to bo set
into and kept in iegular and isochronous motion by pneumatic power, secondly, to
pneumatic and mechanical devices for winding up clocks, and, thudly, to mechanical
and electrical devices for ensuring constant certainty as to the correct and
undisturbed movement of the clockwork.

page_text: The main clock which communicates its motion to a number of secondary clocks
by pneumatic means is provided with an arrangement of mechanical devices, which
twice in a minute raise and then suddenly drop a lever The first time this lever
diops it sets in action for a short period a fly and a going weight, whereby a train
of wheels is caused to move. a crank 1od connected with a thice-way cock of a pipe
communicating at one end with a vessel containing compressed an, and at the other
end with the pipe leading to the secondary clocks, whilst the third passage of the
cock communicates with an exhaust pipe The said lever is then raised and diops
the second time
It then agam sots in motion a train by which the said crank 1iod
18 moved in the contiary direction, thus closing the said three-way cock or valve
When the three-way cock on valve is opened, compressed an passes to the secondary
clocks, when it is closed, this communication is stopped, and the pipe leading to the
secondary clocks is put into communication with the exhaust pipe
The secondary clocks are provided with an au cylinder communicating with the
aforesaid air pipe
When the compressed air enters the an cylinder the piston 10d
of the piston in this cylinder moves the minute hand of the clock by means of
toothed wheels and pawls
The winding up of the main clock is automatically effected by pneumatic means
and in the following manner -Each time that compressed air is passed into the
pipes leading to the secondary clocks, a portion of this an 1s conducted into
cylinders, the pistons of which are connected with levers operating the winding
mechanismı
The main clock may be provided with an automatic electric device for indicating
when the weights have nearly run down A fork cauying a contact spring may
be so aanged that in such a case the contact spring will be pressed down and an
electric circuit closed for giving any desired signal
Figures 1 and 2 show two different arrangements of pipes and cocks for con-
ducting the compressed air from a receiver to the clock work and for permitting the
escape of air
Figures 3, 4, and 3 are views from behind from the side, and from the front of a
secondary clock to be employed as above described
Figures 6 and 7 are elevations of those parts of the aforesaid main clock by which
the automatic opening and closing of the three-way cock on valve at regular
intervals, the automatic winding up of the main clock, and an automatic aların in
case of the works running down are effected
In Figure 1, A is the pipe leading to the secondary clocks, B is the pipe leading
to a reser von contuning compressed an, C is the exhaust pipe, D is a three-way
cock or valve moved at regulai intervals by any automatic mechanism
It will be
evident that the cock or valve may be set either so that the pipe A will communi-
cate with the pipe B, in which case the compressed air will fill the pipes, or so
that the pipe B will communicate with the pipe C, in which case the compressed
air will escape from the pipes
Figure 2 illustrates an arrangement to be used in case the automatic apparatus
for opening and shutting the three-way cock or valve ) should be out of order,
F and G are three-way cocks or valves which may be set so as to close the com-
munication of the pipes A and B with the pipe E and open it to the pipe H, H;
D' is a three-way cock or valve to be worked by hand, C₁ is an exhaust pipe
It is evident that without departing from the substance of this Invention, a slide
valve or other suitable valve may be used instead of a three-way cock
In Figures 3 and 4 are shown suitable modes of working one of a series of clocks
by pneumatic power The pipe L is in communication with the pipe A, shown in
Figures 1 and 2
When compressed air is present in the pipe L, the piston N is
raised, and the piston rod M acting on the lever O noves the pawl P, thus pushing
the ratchet minute wheel Q the distance of one tooth, and thus moving the minute

page_text: hand the space of one minute A pin on the lever O engaging in the slit S prevents
the lever and pawl being raised too high R is a pawl for preventing the wheel Q
fiom moving in the wrong direction The axis of the wheel Q caries the minute
hand and is connected in the usual manner by gearing with the axis of the hour
hand When the compressed an is allowed to escape, the piston N sinks and is
then roady for being raised again
Without departing from the substance of this Invention, a float swimming in
mercury, or a flexible diaphragm may be used instead of the piston N
The automatic arrangement for causing the three-way cock or valve to be opened
and closed at regular intervals by means of the main clock may be constructed, as
shewn in Figure 6 On the axle of the escape wheel of the main clock is fixed a
can S with projections a, a¹ On this cam, which rotates once a minuto round its
axis, rests the prism b of the diop lever T, which drops twice a minute on account of
the two above-mentioned projections a, a¹. On the axle of the drop lever is fixed
the fork U with two steel tangles c and c¹, on which alternately rests the prisın d
, of the releasing lever V When the main clock is going, and the prisın 6 of the
drop lever T, which rests on the cam S, has attained the highest point of the first
projection a, the releasing lever V, or rather its pulism d, loses its support on the
tangle c and drops off, the stop w of the fly W which was resting on the aim X
is then fiec, and a going weight and tiam of wheels is set in motion, one of which
wheels is provided with a crank connected with a crank rod for moving the three-
way cock or valve The arrangement is such that as soon as the wheel connected
with the crank 1od has made a semi-revolution of 180 degrees, the pinion provided
with the wipei e will have made an entue revolution, and this wiper e will have
raised again the releasing lever V, so that its pusm & will est on one of the two
triangles, and thus stop the going weight with its train of wheels When the
above-mentioned wheel makes its first semi-revolution, it will have drawn the clank
10d back and have thus caused the three-way cock or valve connected thereto to
open the communication between the reservou of compressed au and the pipes
Icading to the clocks, and when the said wheel makes its second seini-ievolution it
will have pushed the crank 10d forward, and have thus caused the three-way cock
01 valve to close the communication of the pipes with the reservou of compressed
air, and to open their communication with the exhaust pipe
The cylinder shewn in Figure 7, is in communication with the pipe which
supplies the secondary clocks with compressed an, and therefore whenever the com-
pressed an is admitted into or allowed to escape from the said pipe, it also passes
into or out of the cylinder f When the compressed au enters the cylinder f,
the piston g and 10d are raised, and by means of the pawl gearing into the
toothed wheel pushes the said wheel a certain distance, and thus automatically
aises the weight k hanging on the chain o, and so winds up the main clock.
Should this winding mechanism come out of action, and the weight k sink and the
weight 11se so far that the latter touches the fork m, the 1od n will be raised, and
being connected with a contact spring for closing an electric circuit, may thus cause
an alarm to be given
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
Fust A clock worked by compressed air acting on it at regulai intervals, as
above described
Second In a clock, the combination of a ratchet wheel with a pawl set in action
at regular intervals by compressed an, as above described
Third In an aliangement for working clocks by means of compressed air, tho
combination of the au pipes, the exhaust pipe C, and the cock or valve D, as above
described
Fourth In an arrangement for working clocks by means of compressed air, the
combination of the au pipes, the exhaust pipe C₁, and the cocks 01 valves D¹, F, and
G, as above described.

page_text: Fifth The combination of the minute hand, the ratchet wheel, the pawl and
piston, or equivalent devices, as above described and for the purpose specified
Sixth The construction and arrangement of parts for winding up the aforesaid
main clock, as above described.
Seventh The construction and arrangement of parts for regulating and con-
trolling the working of clocks by compressed air, as above described
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
W. ROB. LAKE. (L.S.)