A MACHINE, APPARATUS, OR METHOD FOR ASCERTAINING THE ATTENDANCE TO DUTY OF ANY WATCHMAN, WORKMAN, OR OTHER PERSON, WHICH MACHINE, APPARATUS, OR METHOD IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1827

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
KNIGHT, of Birmingham, Clock Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Twenty-eighth day of April, One thousand eight
hundred and twenty-seven, in the eighth year of His reign, did, for Himself,
His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry Knight,
His especial licence, that I, the said Henry Knight, my exors, adiñors, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Knight, my exors, adiñors, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and
the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "A MACHINE, APPARATUS,
OR METHOD FOR ASCERTAINING THE ATTENDANCE TO DUTY OF ANY WATCHMAN,
WORKMAN, OR OTHER PERSON, WHICH MACHINE, APPARATUS, OR METHOD IS ALSO
APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso, obliging me, the said Henry Knight, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and scal particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of
my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to
cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said

page_text: in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being there-
unto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Henry Knight, do declare the nature of my said Invention to consist in
a method of registering the time of attendance to duty by watch men,
workmen, or other persons, such registries to be made either upon paper or
any other material suitable for preserving, or upon slate, paper, or any other
material from which such registry may conveniently be effaced, and the same
material again used for the like purpose; and in further compliance with the
said proviso, I describe and set forth the nature of the machine or apparatus
by which I effect the same, and also the manner of using it, by means of the
annexed Drawings and the following description thereof:-
Fig. 1 represents a front view of one of my said machines or apparatus;
Fig. 2, a side view, and Fig. 3, a plan of the upper part of the same,
wherein the same parts are denoted by the same letters. A is a dial carried
round by an axis passing through its centre and which makes one entire
revolution in twelve hours, or any other more suitable time, but in the one here
described in twelve hours. This dial is divided into twelve equal parts, which are
marked accordingly, and those hour divisions are again subdivided for showing
such smaller portions of time as may be necessary; B is a dial similar to the
above but as much smaller as to prevent the figures of the other dial being
concealed by it, and as this is the dial upon which in general the registry is to
be made this dial is made either of paper, slate, or any other suitable material
according as the registry is wished to be a permanent one or one that may
easily be effaced; C is a circular plate placed over the smaller dial to keep it
in the proper place, and the whole is connected by means of the screwed
nut D; E is the instrument for marking the dial, and which also serves as an
index to point out at all times the time of day or night; F is a plate at the
back of the before-mentioned dials, and protects the interior of the machine
from dust, &c.; G is the part to which the marker E is attached; H is a joint,
by means of which the part G is attached to that part marked I; I is a forked
On each side of the centres
lever, turning on the axis J, J, shewn in Fig. 3.
of motion of this lever are made holes, as shewn in the Drawing, for the
purpose of attaching thereto wires or other means of communication, which,
being drawn in the required direction, gives motion to the marker E. K is a
spring, attached to the lever I, Fig. 2, and pressing against a projecting part
of the piece G; L is a helical spring, for the purpose of restoring the lever I
its proper position after the mark is made on the dial; M is the axis of a
to

page_text: wheel making a revolution in the required time, by any of the means employed
for such purposes in clockwork, but which, as I do not lay claim to any
Invention in that part of the machine, it is not necessary for me here to
describe it. When the lever I is drawn in such a direction as to bring the
marker in contact with the dial the resistance of the dial causes the piece G
to which the marker is attached to turn on the joints H, and consequently the
marker will describe on the dial a straight line with a force proportionate to
the strength of the spring K, and at the instant of time shown by the dial.
In cases where it would be deemed sufficient, a simple puncture or perforation
of the dial may be made without a joint in the position H, and when the
register is not required to be preserved, but to be effaced, I make the dial A
of such materials as may serve to receive the mark or registry, and thereby
render a second dial unnecessary. For the marker I use a pencil, pen, or stile
of any kind, suitable to my purposes, but as it obviates the trouble and
difficulty of pointing and adjusting I prefer, when a permanent mark is
required, a small wheel or roller turning loose upon an axis, as shewn in Figs.
1 and 2, which makes an indented line impression or mark upon the dial B,
similar to the edge of this roller, using a fresh dial for every day or night,
which, being dated, may be referred to or compared with any other when
necessary. Whatsoever may be the situation of the machine, the lever I may
be put in motion at a distance from it by means of wires, lines, and cranks, or
any of the methods used for communicating motion; when, however, it is
required to be acted upon from an exposed situation, as the public streets, I
make use of the following means, see Fig. 4, which represents a portion of
the wall or corresponding part of a building-N is an axis passing through
the wall, to the inner end of which may be attached either a pulley or a lever
0, as shewn in the Figure, which communicates with the crank or lever
leading to the lever I of the machine. The other end of the axis passes into
a socket P, attached to the outside of the wall, and this end of the axis is so
shaped as to require a corresponding key to turn it, and thereby give motion
to the lever O. The pattern or figure of the keys may be made of various
shapes. Qis a hanging plate or cover to the key hole; R is a collar for the
inner end of the axis to work in.
I make also one machine shew the attendance of several persons, by attaching
to it as many of these last-mentioned parts, Fig. 4, with a key to each, so
varied in shape that one shall not answer the purpose of another, and having
several concentric circles described upon the dial on which the registry is to
be made, by varying the sizes of the pulley or lever 0, I cause marks or

page_text: registry's of different lengths to be made upon the dial, and the concentric
circle to which the mark extends shews which key has been used to make
it. By one clock or timepiece movement I give motion to any convenient
number of dials, to each of which a distinct marker is also applied.
Although I have hitherto described my said Invention as being appli-
cable to flat circular dials, yet by means of a toothed wheel and rack, or
other contrivance, I can also apply it to straight or right lines, divided surfaces,
whether of paper, slate, or other fit and proper material, and whether carried
horizontally, vertically, or in any other direction. I can also adapt it to
registering or marking upon paper or other proper materials affixed upon
the surface of a revolving cylinder; but in general I prefer to apply it to the
flat circular divided surfaces in the manner shewn by the said Drawings, and
as here described. I can also employ a polygonal revolving body, having seven
sides to correspond with the days of the week, and covered with paper, divided
in the manner above described, and to be carried along either horizontally or
vertically, each side remaining unchanged for a day or night, and then being
shifted either by the machinery or by hand, so as to contain the register of a
week, and thus to avoid the necessity of so frequently changing the papers.
Another purpose to which this Invention may be applied is the ascertaining
the velocity of or work done by any machine or engine in a given time. This
I effect by attaching one dial and marker to a timepiece movement, as
already described, and causing another dial conveniently situated to receive its
motion from the machine or engine, which dial, being divided into a suitable
number of equal parts, and furnished also with a marker, shews when the
respective markers are acted upon, the quantity of work done by the machine
or engine in the corresponding portion of time shewn by the dials attached to
the timepiece.
It may also be used to register the time of commencing or concluding
any chemical or other operations, or of any change taking place without
occasioning any material interruption to the persons engaged.
I do not confine myself to any particular size in making any of the parts
described; but make them of such dimensions as may be most convenient.
I also use any suitable material or materials in the construction of my said
machines or apparatus.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Knight, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty-seven.
HENRY
(L.S.) KNIGHT.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-sixth day of October,
in the year of our Lord 1827, the aforesaid Henry Knight came before our
said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-seventh day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and twenty-seven.