IMPROVE- MENTS IN CLOCKS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Gay Newton Alleyne, of the Butterley Iron
Works, Alfreton, in the County of Derby, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CLOCKS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Gay Newton Alleyne
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st July 1867.
I, JOHN GAY NEWTON ALLEYNE, of the Butterley Iron Works, Alfreton, in
the County of Derby, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CLOCKS," to be as follows:-
One part of my Invention bas reference to an improved escapement con-
sisting of the combination of a pin wheel with a gravity escapement, whereby
great accuracy of action and economy in the requisite motive force is attained.
For this purpose in one arrangement the pallets are fixed to two arms hung
upon pin centres situated close together, the pallets being however made to
act at diametrically opposite points of the pin wheel, and the working surfaces
thereof are formed as arcs of circles struck from the points of suspension. The

page_text: The
arms are continued below beyond the pallets, where they are bent at an angle
so as to cross each other, and they are provided at their ends with weights
which are in contact with the pendulum situated between the two.
pendulum at every beat consequently imparts to one of the arms an outward
motion, and therefore to the pallets an inward motion towards the centre of
the pin wheel, until the edge of the sloping side surface of the pallet is brought
to the edge of the pin, when the further motion of the pallet is effected by the
impetus imparted by the pin wheel. The return motion of the weighted arm
of the pallet through the distance that the pin wheel acted upon it imparts
the necessary impulse to the pendulum. Adjustable studs or stops are pro-
vided, against which the pallet arms rest when these have completed their
inward motion, and consequently when the pallets have completed their
outward motion so as to regulate accurately the distance which the pallets
require to be moved by the pendulum before they are acted on by the pin
wheel.
In another arrangement I do not cross the pallet arms but cause them to
act upon the pendulum on the same side as their respective pallets, so that
these latter receive an outward instead of an inward motion; also, in place of
causing the pallets to act on opposite sides of the pin wheel they may in some
cases be made to act both on the same side thereof, one below the other, in a
similar manner to the dead beat pin wheel escapement. Instead of imparting
the impulse from the gravity arms or weights to the pendulum rod I prefer to
impart it to the pendulum bob itself, when the general arrangement of the
clock will admit of such construction. In cases where it is necessary to
increase the clock weight for the purpose of driving the hands and dial work
of the clock in all descriptions of weather, and when the impulse from the pin
wheel is imparted to the pallets and gravity arms much more rapidly than the
pendulum can follow them, I place a spring to check the arms to prevent
them being driven too far in advance of the pendulum and falling back upon
it with a blow.
Another part of my Invention has reference to the cams of the striking
mechanism of clocks. In order to impart to the working surfaces of these
the requisite durability they have been formed of separate pieces of steel fixed
on the cams, whereby these are rendered very expensive.
Now my present improvement consists in affording the requisite hardness
to such working surfaces of the cams, as also to those of ratchet wheels for
clocks, by making them of chilled cast iron in one piece with the body of the cam
or ratchet wheel, which is effected by introducing "chills" of the requisite form

page_text: into the mould of the cam or ratchet wheel in the same well-known manner
in which such chills have been already employed in making other objects of.
cast iron.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Gay Newton Alleyne in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 31st December 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN GAY
NEWTON ALLEYNE, of the Butterley Iron Works, Alfreton, in the County of
Derby, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of July, in the year of our Lord. One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Gay Newton Alleyne, Her special licence that I, the said John Gay
Newton Alleyne, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Gay Newton Alleyne, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CLOCKS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Gay Newton Alleyne, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Gay Newton Alleyne, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
One part of my Invention has reference to an improved escapement
consisting of the combination of a pin wheel with a gravity escapement,
whereby great accuracy of action and economy in the requisite motive force

page_text: is attained. For this purpose in one arrangement the pallets are fixed to two
arms hung upon pin centres situated close together, the pallets being however
made to act at diametrically opposite points of the piu wheel, and the working
surfaces thereof are formed as arcs of circles struck from the points of sus-
pension. The arms are continued below beyond the pallets, where they are
bent at an angle so as to cross each other, and they are provided at their ends
with weights, which are in contact with the pendulum situated between the
two. The pendulum at every beat consequently imparts to one of the arms
an outward motion, and therefore to the pallets an inward motion towards
the centre of the pin wheel until the edge of the sloping side surface of the
pallet is brought to the edge of pin, when the further motion of the pallet is
effected by the impetus imparted by the pin wheel. The return motion of the
weighted arm of the pallet through the distance that the pin wheel acted upon
it imparts the necessary impulse to the pendulum. Adjustable studs or stops
are provided, against which the pallet arms rest when these bave completed
the inward motion, and consequently when the pallets have completed their
outward motion so as to regulate accurately the distance which the pallets
require to be moved by the pendulum before they are acted on by the pin
wheel.
In another arrangement I do not cross the pallet arms, but cause them to
act upon the pendulum on the same side as their respective pallets, so that
the latter receive an outward instead of an inward motion; also in place of
causing the pallets to act on opposite sides of the pin wheel they may in some
cases be made to act both on the same side thereof, one below the other, in a
similar manner to the dead beat pin wheel escapement. Instead of imparting
the impulse from the gravity arms or weights to the pendulum rod I prefer to
impart it to the pendulum bob itself when the general arrangement of the
clock will admit of such construction. In cases where it is necessary to
increase the clock weight for the purpose of driving the hands and dial work
of the clock in all descriptions of weather, and when the impulse from the pin
wheel is imparted to the pallets and gravity arms much more rapidly than the
pendulum can follow them, I place a spring to check the arms to prevent
their being driven too far in advance of the pendulum and falling back upon
it with a blow.
Another part of my Invention has reference to the cams of the striking
mechanism of clocks. In order to impart to the working surfaces of these the
requisite durability they have been formed of separate pieces of steel fixed on
the cams, whereby they are rendered very expensive.

page_text: Now my present improvement consists in affording the requisite hardness
to such working surfaces of the cams, as also to those of ratchet wheels for
clocks, by making them of chilled cast iron in one piece with the body of the
cam or ratchet wheel, which is effected by introducing "chills" of the requisite
form into the mould of the cam or ratchet wheel in the same well-known
manner in which such chills have been already employed in making other
objects of cast iron.
On the accompanying Drawings are shown various arrangements of my
before-described improved escapement. Similar letters of reference indicate
similar parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 on Sheet I. shews a front elevation, and Figure 2 shews a side
elevation of one arrangement. A, A¹, are the pallet arms or levers suspended
between pin centres at a, a', as shown at Figure 2, and carrying the pallets
B, B', situated on opposite sides of the pin escapement wheel C. The acting
surfaces of these pallets, namely, the upper surface of B and the under surface
of B (the escapement wheel being made to revolve in the direction of the
arrow) are formed as ares of circles struck from centres corresponding with
the points of suspension a, a', of the levers; these levers are continued below
the pallets, where they are bent at an angle so as to cross each other, as shown,
the lower ends being provided with spindles E carrying rollers e, which rest
against the opposite sides of the pendulum rod F. For convenience of con-
struction the levers A, A¹, are made of two separate parts, the lower part
being fixed to the upper part by screws at a, as seen more clearly at Figure 2.
By the crossing of the levers it will be seen that motion is imparted to their
pallets by the pendulum in an inward direction towards the centre of the 'scape
wheel C; the pins of the latter are formed semicircular, by preference with
the upper part of the curved surface cut flat, as shown, so as to give more
clearance and to work with a flat face against the pallets B, B¹. The side
surfaces of these pallets are formed inclined, so that when through the inward
motion of the pallet the edge of such inclined surface is brought to the edge
of the curved surface of the pin D, the latter slides against the former, thereby
imparting the requisite impulse to the lever for actuating the pendulum. In
cases where the clock weights are so heavy that the impulse pins in actuating
the levers would drive them too far in advance of the pendulum, and thus
cause them in falling back to impart a blow or too great an impulse thereto;
springs G, G, are employed pressing against the rollers e to check such motion
of the levers. For regulating the exact relative position of the pallets B to
the pins D at the end of the return motion adjustable stops H, H', are applied,

page_text: carried in slots in the bracket I, against which stops the levers A, A', rest or
the return motion until motion is again imparted to them by the pendulum.
The imparting of too great an impulse through excessive clock weights may
also be prevented by forming the impulse pins as shown at Figure 3, instead
of with a rounded impulse surface, and by making the side surface of the
pallets of such a hollow curved form, as shown, that even a very great pressure
from the pin wheel will not drive them away from the pendulum.
Figure 4 shows a front elevation of another arrangement, in which the
pallet levers A are arranged and actuated in a similar manner to that before
described, the impulse pins being however formed with entirely rounded
working surfaces, instead of partially flat as before. Also the position of both
the levers is regulated by one single stop H placed in a central position, and
the check springs G, G', are applied at the upper ends of the levers in place
of at the lower ends. If required these springs may be applied both at the
upper and at the lower ends of the levers.
Figure 5 shows a front elevation of an arrangement in which the pallet
levers A, A¹, are suspended from pin centres a vertically over the acting pins,
and are not crossed as previously described; they are also made to act upon
the pendulum bob F¹ instead of upon the rod. In this arrangement the
impulse imparted to the levers by the pin wheel C is consequently in an out-
ward direction. H, H', are the adjustable stops as before. Figure 6 shows
a Diagram of the same vertical system of suspension for the pallet levers, but
with the lower ends of the levers crossed so as to receive an inward motion
from the pendulum bob; Figure 7 shows the same system with the levers
actuating the pendulum rod F instead of the bob. G, G¹, are check springs
as before. Figure 8 shows a Diagram of an arrangement in which the pallet
levers A, A, are situated, both on the same side of the scape wheel C, the
pallets B, B, being arranged one below the other in a similar manner to the
pallets of dead beat pin wheel escapements. The impulse is here imparted
to the pendulum rod F; at Figure 9 the same arrangement is shown with the
impulse imparted to the pendulum bob F¹ by the levers A, A¹.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and it what manner
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details of construction of my improved escapement, as
shown on the accompanying Drawings, as these may be variously modified
without departing from the nature of my Invention, nor do I claim such
details of construction as novel when taken separate and apart from their
combination for the purposes of my Invention; but what I claim is,―

page_text: First, the application to clocks of a combined pin wheel and gravity
escapement arranged and operating, substantially as herein-before described,
with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
Second, constructing the cams and ratchet wheels for clocks with the
working surfaces' formed of chilled cast iron, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Gay Newton Alleyne, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
J. G. N. ALLEYNE. (L.S.)