IMPROVEMENTS IN CLOCKS AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH FOR SETTING OR REGULATING THE SAME
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake of the firm of Haseltine Lake
& Co Patent Agents Southampton Buildings London, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CLOCKS AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
FOR SETTING OR REGULATING THE SAME" A communication to him from
abroad by Robert Wheeler Willson, of New Haven, Connecticut, United
States of America, Astronomer.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at
the Ollice of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th July 1882.
"
"
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London IMPROVEMENTS IN CLOCKS AND APPARATUS
SAME [A com.
munication to him from abroad by Robert Wheeler Willson, of New Haven,
Connecticut, United States of America, Astronomer.]
CONNECTED THEREWITH FOR SETTING OR REGULATING THE
This Invention relates to clock movements, and its object is to set the pointers or
hands to the true time at some predetermined instant, by means of an electric
current, or by an impulse through some other medium, from a regulating clock, or
some distant point from which the impulse may be sent to the clock at such
predetermined time, and to simplify and cheapen the mechanism so that it may be
applied to the cheaper class of clock movements. It consists essentially in
combining with a time movement, mechanism in connection with an electric circuit
or other equivalent medium for transmitting an impulse, whereby the time
movement is deprived at a predetermined instant of its control over the hands of
the clock, and mechanism to impart a movement to the said hands independently of
the clock movement, so that should the clock be too slow or too fast, the hands or
pointers will by such mechanism, and at such predetermined instant, be brought to
the true time, as hereinafter described.
"
I will describe the said invention as applied to a clock movement known as the
Howard movement The minute pointer wheel runs loosely upon the centre
"

page_text: shaft and is formed at its outer end for the attachment of the minute pointer in
the usual manner. According to this invention between the minute wheel and the
front plate a circular friction plate is arranged to bear upon the back of the said
wheel by means of a spring attached to the centre-shaft so as to revolve with it
and press the friction plate against the said wheel producing sufficient friction to
cause the said wheel to be rotated by the centre-shaft. The said friction plate is
connected with a lever one end of which is attached to the said front plate the
other end extending beyond the edge of the said plate. If the said lever is
depressed, that is to say, moved toward the front plate, it compresses the spring and
takes the friction plate out of contact with the aforesaid wheel whereby the power
of the clock movement to turn the pointers is removed, but when the lever is free
the said spring presses the friction plate against the wheel and the pointers operate
in the usual manner.
•
On the hub of the wheel I make a flat side on which a spring arm bears, the
friction of this spring arm is not sufficient to interfere with the proper working of
the clock when the friction plate is applied to the aforesaid wheel, but when the
friction is removed by the depression of the said lever as before described, then if
the flat surface on the hub, has come within the influence of the said spring arm,
the power of that spring arm will turn the hub until the flat side coincides with
the corresponding surface of the said spring arm. The flat surface of the hub and
the spring arm are arranged at the point where the setting is to be produced, say
at twelve o'clock; as a means for operating the aforesaid lever I provide a magnet,
and a corresponding armature on the said lever. When the electric circuit is closed
at the predetermined time, say twelve o'clock, the armature will be brought into
contact with the magnet, and thereby depress the lever; but as before stated this
movement of the lever may be given by any other suitable impulse.
While I prefer the frictional connections between the centre-shaft and the time
or minute wheel, there may be a positive connection such as a clutch which will
be disengaged by the depression of the lever, this however is not suitable for
general use, because it will be difficult to adjust the pointers independently of the
said lever.
Instead of applying the engaging and disengaging device to the time wheel, it
may be applied at any suitable point or part of the movement, it only being
essential that the impulse imparted through the electric current or otherwise, shall
release the wheel upon which is the fat bub or cam like surface to be operated
upon by the said spring arm.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th January 1883.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co., Patent
Agents, Southampton, Buildings, London, IMPROVEMENTS
"
אן
CLOCKS AND
APPARATUN CONNECTED THEREWITH FOR SETTING OR REGULATING THE SAME.”
A communication to me from abroad by Robert Wheeler Willson, of New Haven,
Connecticut, United States of America, Astronomer,
some.
This invention relates to clock-movements, and its object is to set the pointers
or hands to the true time at some predetermined instant, by means of an electric
current, or by an impulse through some other medium, from a regulating clock, or
distant point from which the impulse may be transmitted to the clock
to be, set at such predetermined time; and to simplify and cheapen the mechanism
so that it may be applied to the cheaper class of clock-movements. The said
invention consists essentially in combining with a time-movement mechanism in
connection with an electric circuit, or other equivalent medium for transmitting an
impulse, whereby the power may be taken from the minute or time wheel, at a
predetermined instant, and mechanism to impart a movement to the time-wheel
independently of the clock-movement, so that, should the clock be too slow or too
fast, the pointers will by such mechanism, and at such predetermined instant, be
brought to the true time, as more fully hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a front view of mechanism embodying my invention.
Figure 2. is a sectional view through the time-wheel, and
Figure 3 is a front view of the friction-plate and lever, the time-wheel being
removed.
The clock-movement represented in the drawing is that known as the "Howard
movement; " A represents the minute pointer wheel, which runs loosely upon the
central shaft B, and is formed at its outer end for the attachment of the minute
pointer, in the usual manner. Between the minute-wheel A and the front plate C,
a friction-plate D, is arranged to bear upon the back of the wheel A. by means of a
spring a. The said spring is attached to the central shaft B so as to revolve with
it, and presses the plate D against the wheel A, producing sufficient friction to cause
the wheel A to turn with the said central shaft. The friction-plate D is arranged
in a lever E, one end b of which is attached to the front plate C; the other end
extends beyond the edge of the plate as shown. If the lever E be depressed, that
is to say, moved toward the plate C, as indicated by dotted lines Figure 2, it
compresses the spring a, and takes the friction-plate D out of contact with the
wheel A whereby the power of the clock-movement to turn the pointes is removed,
but when the lever E is free, the said spring presses the friction-plate D against
the wheel A and the jointers again operate in the usual manner.
On the hub of the wheel A I make a flat sidde d as shown in Figure 1, and on
this hub a spring arm F bears; the pressure of this spring arm is not sufficient to
interfere with the proper working of the clock when the friction-plate is in contact
with the wheel A, but when the friction-plate is removed by the depression of the
lever E as above described, then, if the flat surface d on the hub of the wheel A has
come within the influence of the spring-arm F, the pressure of the said spring arm
will turn the said wheel until the Hat side d of the hub coincides with the
corresponding surface of the spring-arm F.
The flat surface of the hub and the spring-arm are arranged at the point where
the setting of the haud or pointer is to be performed, say at twelve o'clock;

page_text: assuming that at twelve o'clock true time the clock be too slow, as indicated by
the line H, and the flat surface d of the hub be in a corresponding position
relatively to the spring arın F as shown in Figure 1, then the lever E is depressed,
thereby removing the friction-plate which engaged the wheel A with the central
shaft, and leaving the said wheel free to turn under the influence of the spring-
arm F, whereby the flat surface d of the hub is instantly moved so as to coincide
with the corresponding surface of the said spring-arm and turn the pointer to the
twelve o'clock position, as indicated by the line I, Figure 1.
As a means for operating the lever E, I sometimes provide a magnet L, with a
corresponding armature P on the said lever. When the electric circuit is closed at
the predetermined time, the armature will be brought into contact with the magnet,
and thereby depress the lever as indicated by dotted lines Figure 2, but as
above stated, this movement may be imparted to the lever by any other suitable
impulse.
Although I prefer the frictional connection between the central shaft and the
time or minute wheel, there may be a positive connection such as a clutch, which
will be disengaged by the depression of the lever E; this however is not suitable
for general use, because it will be difficult to adjust the pointers independently of
the said lever.
Instead of applying the engaging and disengaging device to the time-wheel, it
may be applied at any suitable point or part of the movement, it only being
essential that the impulse imparted by an electric current or otherwise, shall
release the time-wheel upon which is the flat hub or cam-like surface to be operated
upon.
Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me by my
foreign Correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim.
First. The combination, with a clock-movement, of mechanism for causing the
time-wheel to be engaged with, or disengaged from, the time-movement, the said
mechanism being arranged in an electric or other impulse-transmitting circuit, and
mechanism for turning the time-wheel independently of the time-movement when
the said time-wheel is disengaged therefrom, substantially as described, and for the
purpose specified.
Second. In a clock-movement, the combination of a frictional device arranged
to operate upon the time-wheel and communicate the power of the movement to
the said wheel, a lever in connection with the said frictional device operated by
mechanisin placed in an electric or other impulse-transinitting circuit, the said time-
wheel being constructed with a flat or cam-like hub, and a spring-arm to bear upon
the said hub, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Third. In a clock movement, the combination of the friction-plate D, the spring a,
the lever E, the time-wheel A constructed with the cam-like hub d, and a spring-
arm F, the said lever E being operated by mechanism arranged in an electric or
other impulse-transmitting circuit, substantially as described.
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Twenty seventh day of January in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty three.