AN IMPROVED UNIVERSAL TIMEPIECE OR GEOGRAPHICAL CLOCK
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
UNIVERSAL TIMEPIECE OR GEOGRAPHICAL CLOCK." A communication from
abroad by William Asro Cates, of Union, in the County of Union, and State
of Oregon, United States of America.
Sealed the 24th April 1878, and dated the 27th December 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION loft by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th December 1877.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middle-
sex, Patent Agent. "AN IMPROVED UNIVERSAL TIMEPIECE OR GEOGRAPHICAL
CLOCK." [A communication from abroad by William Asro Cates, of Union, in the
County of Union, and State of Oregon, United States of America.]
The object of this Invention is to furnish an improved timepiece for the purpose
of readily ascertaining the time at any place on the earth, and also for teaching
geography by clockwork in schools, as thereby the different countries and their
relative location to each other, together with the revolution of the earth on its axis
are fully understood and impressed on the mind.
The Invention consists of a clock with a dial, which is so subdivided as to
indicate the twenty-four hours of the day, and arranged with a revolving face
plate, having a map of the earth on a polar projection, the face plate being placed on
the hub of the hour hand.
A loosely moving and graduated index hand is placed on the hub of the hour
wheel for indicating the time and geographical location of any place on the surface
of the earth.
The clock train is of the usual construction, but as the dial is not numbered in
the customary manner, from one to twelve (but divided into twenty-four parts,
and numbered from one to twelve a.m., and from one to twelve p.m., so that there
will be no confusion in noting time in the usual manner). To have the hands corre-
spond to this dial it is necessary to make a change in the motion of the hour hand

page_text: by decreasing the speed of the same one-half, which is accomplished by a change in
the dimensions of the train of gear wheels, while the speed of the minute hand
remains unchanged.
Inside of the numbered dial is a disk-shaped face plate, which is attached to the
hub of the hour hand, but so that it may be moved independently of the same if
desired. This face plate is provided with a map of the world on a polar projection,
in such a manner that the center of the map represents the south pole and the
margin the north pole. The equator and degrees of northern and southern
latitude are indicated by circles concentric to the south pole. The face plate is
divided by radial lines into twenty-four parts, each of fifteen degrees of longitude,
which may be reckoned from Greenwich, Washington, or any other place, as
desired. The general outlines of the earth are of course very much distorted, but
as the prominent cities and places are entered in correct geographical position,
according to the longitudes and latitudes, the difference in time, and their relative
geographical positions to each may readily and correctly be ascertained. The face
plate revolves with the hub of the hour hand, but may also be moved thereon so
that the hour hand may be set to any desired longitude in order to mark the
time.
For teaching geography in schools the dials and the map of the world on the face
plate are executed on a larger scale, and all the political divisions represented
thereon. The map has the advantage that it shews to the pupil the connection of
the continents and the location of the different countries in clearer manner than
when the northern and southern or eastern and western hemispheres are dis-
connected. As the map revolves with the hour hand it is also illustrative of the
revolution of the earth on its axis, which it impresses, together with the difference
of time at different points of the earth, more clearly to the mind of the pupil, so
that he is desirous of learning more about the earth.
An index hand is placed on the hub of the hour wheel, and made to turn readily
thereon. It is graduated with the degrees of latitude running from zero at the
center to ninety degrees at both ends, so as to indicate thereby the degrees of
northern and southern latitude.
To find the time at any place on the earth the index hand is either moved
forward or backward to the desired place. Then if the number of degrees pass the
hour to which it points be multiplied by four the product will be the number of
minutes past the hour indicated; the index hand serves at the same time to indicate
the longitude and latitude of the place, the one by the graduation of the face plate
to which it points, the other by the graduation of the index hand.
The clock train is wound up by a stationary or detachable winding shaft or key
that works by a fixed pinion a bevel wheel attached to the winding shaft, so that
the clock may be wound at any time from the side instead of from the face. The
key or shaft is extended to the outside of the clock, and provided with a thumb
piece for taking hold of the same. This style of winding up the clock train and
striking gear is more convenient when large dials and maps are used, and the shaft
which serves as a key merely lengthened to suit the size of the timepiece. Thus an
ornamental and useful timepiece for schools and other purposes that indicates the
correct time at any point of the earth, and gives a general knowledge of geography
is provided at a comparatively low cost on account of its simple construction.
The face plate may also be so divided as to be used in twelve-hour clocks, in
which case however only one hundred and eighty degrees of longitude may be
covered on the map of the face plate, which may be reckoned ninety degrees enst
and west of the meridian of Washington so as to cover the principal business.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th June 1878.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middle-
sex, Patent Agent. "AN IMPROVED UNIVERSAL TIMEPIECE OR GEOGRAPHICAL
CLOCK." A communication from abroad by William Asro Cates, of Union, in the
County of Union, and State of Oregon, United States of America.
The object of this Invention is to furnish an improved timepiece for the purpose
of readily ascertaining the time at any place on the earth, and also for teaching
geography by clockwork in schools, as thereby the different countries and their
relative location to each other, together with the revolution of the earth on its axis,
are fully understood and impressed on the mind.
The Invention consists of a clock with a dial, which is so subdivided as to
indicate the twenty-four hours of the day, and arranged with a revolving face
plate, having a map of the earth on a polar projection, the face plate being placed
on the hub of the hour hand.
A loosely moving and graduated index hand is placed on the hub of the hour
wheel for indicating the time and geographical location of any place on the surface
of the earth.
In the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 represents a front view of the improved
universal timepiece, and Figure 2 a front view of the same with dial and face plate
detached.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
A represents a clock train of the usual construction, and D the dial of the same,
which is not numbered in the customary manner, from one to twelve, but divided
into twenty-four parts, and numbered from one to twelve a.m., and from one to
twelve p.m., so that there will be no confusion in noting time in the usual manner.
To have the hands correspond to this dial it is necessary to make a change in the
motion of the hour hand by decreasing the speed of the same one half, which is
accomplished by a change in the dimensions of the train of gear wheels, while the
speed of the minute hand remains unchanged.
Inside of the numbered dial B is a disc-shaped face plate C, which is attached to
the hub of the hour hand, but so that it may be moved independently of the same
if desired. The face plate C is provided with a map of the world on a polar pro-
jection in such a manner that the centre of the map represents the south pole and
the margin the north pole. The equator and degrees of northern and southern
latitude are indicated by circles concentric to the south pole. The face plate is
divided by radial lines into twenty-four parts, each of fifteen degrees of longitude,
which may be reckoned from Greenwich, Washington, or any other place, as
desired. The general outlines of the earth are of course very much distorted, but
as the prominent cities and places are entered in correct geographical position,
according to the longitudes and latitudes, the difference in time and their relative
geographical positions to each may readily and correctly be ascertained. The face
plate Crevolves with the hub of the hour hand, but may also be moved thereon,
so that the hour hand may be set to any desired longitude in order to mark the
time.
For teaching geography in schools the dials and the map of the world on the face
plate are executed on a larger scale, and all the political divisions represented
thereon. The map has the advantage that it shows to the pupil the connection of
the continents and the location of the different countries in a clearer manner than
when the northern and southern or eastern and western hemispheres are discon-
nected. As the map revolves with the hour hand it is also illustrative of the
revolution of the earth on its axis, which it impresses, together with the difference
of time at different points of the earth, more clearly to the mind of the pupil, so
that he is desirous of learning more about the earth.

page_text: An index hand D is placed on the hub of the hour wheel, and made to turn
readily thereon. It is graduated with the degrees of latitude running from zero at
the centre to ninety degrees at both ends, so as to indicate thereby the degrees of
northern and southern latitude.
To find the time at any place on the earth the index hand is either moved
forward or backward to the desired place. Then if the number of degrees past the
hour to which it points be multiplied by four the product will be the number of
minutes past the hour indicated. The index hand serves at the same time to
indicate the longitude and latitude of the place, the one by the graduation of the
face plate to which it points, the other by the graduation of the index hand.
The clock train is wound up by a stationary or detachable winding shaft or
key E that works by a fixed pinion a bevel wheel El attached to the winding
shaft, so that the clock may be wound at any time from the side instead of from
the face. The key or shaft is extended to the outside of the clock, and provided
with a thumb piece for taking hold of the same. This style of winding up the
clock train and striking gear is more convenient when large dials and maps are
used, and the shaft which serves as a key merely lengthened to suit the size of the
timepiece. Thus an ornamental and useful timepiece for schools and other purposes
that indicates the correct time at any point of the earth and gives a general
knowledge of geography is provided at a comparatively low cost, on account of its
simple construction.
The face plate may also be so divided as to be used in twelve-hour clocks, in
which case however only 180° of longitude may be covered on the map of the face
plate, which may be reckoned 90° east and west of the meridian of Greenwich or
Washington so as to cover the principal business places.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, a universal timepiece, whose
panoramic map or face plate revolves, is divided into twenty-four hours, as well as
three hundred and sixty degrees, and is provided with an index adjustable on
the hub of hour wheel independently of hour hand, as and for the purpose
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)