An Electric Motor designed to Drive Continuously any Clockwork or Time-keeping Mechanism.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 17th Feb., 1894
-
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Electric Motor designed to Drive Continuously any Clockwork
or Time-keeping Mechanism.
1 JAMES PARKIN of 27 Sandhill, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Watchmaker and Jeweller,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The apparatus herein described and shown in the accompanying drawing is
designed for the purpose of driving continuously any ordinary clockwork or
timepiece in place of the usual mainspring or weight.
For the purpose of illustrating this method Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively plan
and elevation drawings showing an ordinary timepiece movement fitted with this
driving arrangement.
The main or driving wheel is removed and on the lengthened arbour of the
centre wheel is fixed the ratchet wheel K. This ratchet wheel is actuated by the
click H, carried by the lever I. The spring T presses on lever I forcing it with
the armature N away from the poles of the electro-magnet U. The force of this
spring, transmitted through the lever I and click H to wheel K, must be sufficient
to give the requisite power to drive the clock. The electric contacts come into
action when the ratchet wheel K has revolved through a space equal to one of its
teeth.
A momentary current then passes through the electro-magnet causing it to
attract the armature thus replacing the lever I into its former position and its
click on to another tooth of the ratchet wheel K. The contact arrangement
consists of springs C, E, bracketted on the plate L and placed at right angles to
each other their points are set so as to press together. Spring C carries a
platinum point F. A is a block of insulating material bearing a terminal B, and
metallic piece D faced with platinum at the part on which point F falls when the
end of spring is forced outwards. A projection G in the form of a stout wire
Two pins on
bent at right angles, so as to clear the spring E, is fixed to lever I.
this wire projection work between the points of the springs C, E, as the lever
moves. These pins are so adjusted that when the lever I (actuated by the spring
and regulated by the going of the clock) has driven the ratchet wheel through a
space equal to one tooth the point of spring E is forced by one of the pins from
under the point of spring C, and C falls inwards, bringing its contact point F on
the platinum facing of the metal piece D. The circuit is thus completed through
the electro-magnet, and the armature with its lever I is drawn to the poles. The
other pin on projection G lifts the spring C out of electric contact and allows the
point of the spring E to fall inwards so as to keep C out of contact until the lever I
has once more travelled through the required space. The pin which actuates
spring C is so adjusted that the armature is drawn almost in contact with the poles
of the electro-magnet before the circuit is broken.
In Fig. 2 an elevation is given showing the clock train with pendulum fork.
Lever I is not continued up the back of movement in order that the position of
ratchet wheel K may be better seen.
In Fig. 1 the electric energy from a battery of small cells, or other source of
energy, passes by way of the terminal R, (which is insulated from the plate P),
through the windings of the electro-magnet U, from thence to the metal plate
at M, and through the pillars and plate to contact spring C and platinum point F
to the metal D and insulated terminal B, and thence to other pole of battery.

page_text: The number of contacts may be regulated by the number of teeth in the ratchet
wheel K-
:--20 to 50 teeth is a fair number. In an ordinary timepiece movement
20 teeth would give a contact every 3 minutes. The duration of contact is
exceedingly short, and very little electrical energy is used.
If desired the ratchet wheel K may be loose on the centre arbour, and fitted
with maintaining power spring and detent click as in ordinary clockwork. The
action of lever I in replacing click on the teeth of the ratchet wheel is so
momentary that the use of maintaining power is not necessary to ensure the correct
working of the mechanism of the timepiece.
The invention has been designed specially to make the electricity meter invented
by Prof. Aron a non winding instrument. The meter referred to consists of two
ordinary clock movements driven in the usual way by mainsprings which require
frequent winding as in ordinary clocks. It can be also applied to other forms of
electricity meter in which clockwork driven by a mainspring or weight is used.
The inventor however claims its application to all forms of clock mechanism driven
in the ordinary way by springs or weights.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The general construction and arrangement of the apparatus for the purpose
specified, substantially as described and shown.
Dated this 7th day of December 1893.
JAMES PARKIN.