IMPROVEMENTS IN CHIMING CLOCKS
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 CHIMING CLOCKS" A communication to him from
abroad by Joseph Lindauer, of the City and State of New York United
States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th October 1882.
"
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & C°, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, "IMPROVEMENTS IN CHIMING CLOCKS [A com-
munication to him from abroad by Joseph Lindauer, of the City and State of
New York United States of America.]
Heretofore clock movements containing a set of chimes for the quarter hours
have had the chimes mechanism connected with a separate mainspring and train
wheels.
My invention consists partly in combining the chimes and hour striking
mechanism with one and the same mainspring and train of wheels, thereby
constructing the clock movement with two, instead of three, main springs and
attendant mechanism and thereby relieving the general construction of the
movement of a number of wheels and pinions and parts.immediately connected
therewith.
So combining the chimes and hour striking mechanism brings the former under
the same relations as the latter so that should the clock hands be turned in
a backward direction past any one or more of the quarter hours or very rapidly
forward past the quarter hours or during the operation of the chimes the normal
condition of the two sets of mechanism will be alike preserved; that of the chimes
being protected from injury as efficiently as is the hour striking mechanism in the
present most approved construction of French or English clock movements.
When the hands are turned in a backward direction or forward as above stated,
in existing constructions of clock movements containing chimes mechanism, the

page_text: hour striking mechanism is not affected thereby, but the chimes mechanism is
disarranged to such an extent that it must be readjusted at considerable trouble and
expense before the quarter hour chimes will be again indicated correctly.
It is not necessary to refer in detail to the train of wheels connected with the
main-spring for the running of the clock, or to the train of wheels connected with
the main spring for operating the hour striking mechanism, except so far as any
part of such train may be modified in its arrangements or mode of operation by
reason of the combination and operation therewith of the chimes operating
mechanism; such two sets of mechanism being well known.
I will first describe how the chimes mechanism is connected to the train of
wheels of the hour striking mechanism, and how such chimes are operated every
quarter hour.
I provide a four quarter cliime snail on an axle secured between the front pillar-
plate and a bridge. This snail receives motion by reason of the gearing of a cog
wheel rigidly attached to its back on the same axle with a cog wheel on the axle
of the centre or minute hand shaft; these two cog wheels contain an equal number
of cogs so that one revolution of the contre shaft will give one revolution of this
snail cog-wheel on its axis. At the rear surface of this snail and its cog wheel, are
four pins projecting at equal distances on such surface, except that the fourth pin
corresponding to the deepest depression on the snail is at a slightly greater radius
from the centre of the snail than the other three, for the purpose of enabling the
hour striking mechanism to be let off immediately after the fourth and last
quarter hour has been chimed in manner as hereinafter explained. The lower arm
of a V-shaped detent rests upon these pins, and in such a manner that the rotation
of the snail will, at each one of four intervals, raise such arm and thus clevate an
upper arm of the detent, To this upper arm is connected a small plate projecting
through a slot in the front pillar plate, and which serves to arrest, for a brief
interval, by contact with a pin on the delay wheel of the train the movement of
the said train, until the segmental rack determining the number of quarter chimes
which are to be rung has assumed its proper relative position. The complete let
off of the train so temporarily arrested is accomplished by a pin on the said upper
arm of the detent projecting under a lever and raising the said lever so that its
shaft will operate the bent end of a wire thereby removing such bent end away
from one of the pins on the locking wheel of the train. By the time the lower arm
of the detent becomes slightly depressed by the moving away of a pin the said
small plate passes out of the path of the pin, on the delay wheel, and the train of
wheels commences to move again. This interval of delay has given time for a
segmental rack to operate, which has been relensed by the raising of a spur on the
lever out of contact with the ratchet teeth on such rack. One arm of a spring
then causes the said rack to fly forward until a second lever comes into contact
with the periphery of the snail bringing the said spur inmediately above the space
between the two ratchet teeth, which determines the extent of traverse back of the
said rack, during the operation of the train for the quarter chimes then about to be
rung, and which traverse is always governed by the portion of the snail with
which the second lever comes into contact.
As the minute hand moves a little forward the lower arm of the detent becomes
depressed and the spur drops down between two ratchet teeth, the train then
moving off a revolving dog on the end of the stop wheel shaft projecting through
the pillar plate, and, with a knife edge engaging with one of the teeth of the suid
rack moves one tooth at each revolution of the wheel, the said spur of the lever
slipping over and detaining such tooth so moved at each of such revolutions until
all of the ratchet teeth have been so operated upon, and the said spur drops below
the front end of the last tooth of the rack so rotated, which also causes the bent
end of the wire to drop against one of the pins of the locking wheel the said
lver and the wire being attached to the same shaft, and the movement of the train
is arrested.
Just before the moving off of the train at every quarter, the chimes mechanism

page_text: is brought into operation therewith, and so kept until the chimes have finished
striking when such mechanism passes out of contact; and, at every fourth
quarter, after such passing out of contact the hour striking mechanism is
immediately brought into contact with the train for the striking of the hour.
The chimes mechanism is brought into contact as follows; that is to say, a sliding
shaft extends through the rear pillar plate, and between the back surface of such
plate and a bridge is placed a cylindrical barrel having pins arranged suitably on
its periphery for the chimes required, and having vertical levers beneath, attached
at their lower ends to the chimes bell hammers, the upper ends being left free to
be operated upon by the pins on the said barrel in its revolution. The other end
of the said sliding shaft extends through the front pillar plate, and between the
front surface of such plate and a second bridge is a bevelled faced swinging block
the front end of the said sliding shaft impinging against the said bevelled block
which is pivotted between the inner cheek of the second bridge and the front
pillar plate. The rear end of the rack after the quarter hour has been chimed
presses against the rear of this bevelled faced block and partially rotates it on its
pivots, and thereby gives a sliding movement to the sliding shaft sufficient to clear
the pins on the barrel from contact with the series of levers attached to the chimes
bell hammers, so that the striking mechanisin inay proceed to operate if the fourth
quarter hour has been chimed.
This striking mechanism is thus brought into contact with the train. Imme
diately above the sliding shaft carrying the chimes barrel is another shaft which
partakes of the same lateral sliding motion by reason of the curved edge of the
segmental disc attached to the second sliding shaft engaging with an annular recess
in the first sliding shaft.
While the bevelled swinging block is not acted on by the rack a spring at the
rear end of the first sliding shaft will press the said shaft forward, and by means
of the said segmental disc also carry forward at the same time the second sliding
shaft and a projecting pin out of the way of the pins on the strike wheel. As
soon however as the bevelled face of the swinging block acts on the front end of
the first sliding shaft the second sliding shaft will also be moved along, and its pin
brought into contact with the pins on the strike wheel and the latter shaft will be
thereby reciprocated and a second pin projecting therefrom caused to trip a flat
plate on the hammer shaft and thereby reciprocate the said hammer shaft and cause
the hammer to strike the required number of blows on the bell to indicate the hour.
To determine the number of blows to be given by this hammer a snail is placed
concentric with and fast to the sleeve of the hour hand cog wheel; this snail
determines the throw of the rack lever of the second segmental rack having a
common centre with the chimes rack. The second segmental rack has also its
corresponding lever and spur at a common centre with the chimes lever and spur
of the latter.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent. filed by
I
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th April 1883.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CHIMING CLOCKS"
A com-
munication to me from abroad by Joseph Lindauer, of the city and state of
New York, United States of America.
Heretofore clock movements containing a set of chimes for the quarter hours
have had the chimes-mechanism connected with a separate mainspring and train
of wheels.
This invention consists partly in combining the chimes and hour striking
mechanism with one and the same mainspring and train of wheels, thereby
constructing the clock movement with two, instead of three, mainsprings and
attendant mechanism,' and relieving the general construction of the movement
of a number of wheels and pinions and parts immediately connected therewith.
So combining the chimes and hour striking mechanism brings the former under
the same relations as the latter, so that should the clock handa be turned in a
backward direction past any one or more of the quarter hours, or very rapidly
forward past the quarter hours, or during the operation of the chimes, the normal
condition of the two sets of mechanism will be alike preserved, that of the chimes
being protected from injury as efficiently as is the hour striking mechanism in the
present most approved construction of French, or English clock movements.
When the hands are turned in a backward direction or forward as above stated,
in existing constructions of clock movements containing chimes mechanism, the
hour striking mechanism is not affected thereby, but the chimes mechanism is
disarranged to such an extent that it must be re-adjusted at considerable trouble
and expense before the quarter hour chimes will be again indicated correctly.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a view of the mechanism for controlling the action of the chimes
and hour striking hammers carried on the outside of the front pillar plate of the
movement.
Figure 2 is a detached view of a part of the said chimes controlling mechanism,
giving the position of such mechanism at the time of the shifting of the shaft on
which is the chimes barrel in order to bring into position the hour striking
mechanism.
Figure 3 is a vertical side view of the movement, showing the manner in which
the chimes and hour striking mechanism are combined together on the one train of
wheels and mainspring, the chimes mechanism being operated by the train at one of
the quarter hours.
Figure 4 is a detached view of the principal mechanism connected with the
chimes barrel shaft in its position as seen in Figure 3, namely to chime one of the
quarter hours.
Figure 5 is a detached view looking in the same direction as in Figure 3 and
giving the position of the parts after the chimes barrel shaft has shifted at the
fourth quarter hour, thereby throwing the chimes mechanism hammer levers out of
contact with the pins on the periphery of the chimes barrel and bringing into
contact with the pins on the strike wheel a lever of the strike hammer shaft for
the purpose of operating the said hammer in indicating the hour.
Figure 6 is a sectional elovation of the movement shown in figure 1.
It is not necessary to refer in detail to the train of wheels connected with the

page_text: main spring for the running of the clock, or to the train of wheels connected
with the main spring for operating the hour striking mechanism, except so far
as any part of such train may be modified in its arrangements or mode of
operation by reason of the combination and operation therewith of the chimes.
operating mechanism; such two sets of mechanism being well known.
I will first describe how the chimes mechanism is connected to the train of
wheels of the hour striking mechanism, and how such chimes are operated every
quarter hour.
1 is a four quarter chime snail on an axle secured between the front pillar plate
and a bridge. This snail receives motion by reason of the engagement of a gear-
wheel, rigidly attached to its back on the same axle, with a gear-wheel on the axle
of the centre or minute hand shaft. These two gear-wheels contain an equal
number of cogs, so that one revolution of the centre shaft will give one revolution
of this snail gear-wheel on its axis. At the rear surface of this snail and its
gear-wheel are four pins 2, 2, 2, 2, projecting at equal distances on such surface,
except that the fourth pin corresponding to the deepest depression on the snail is.at
'a slightly greater radius from the centre of the snail than the other three, for the
purpose of enabling the bour striking mechanism to be operated immediately after
the fourth and last quarter hour has been chimed as hereinafter explained.
3 is a lower arm of a V-shaped detent resting upon the pins 2, in such a manner,
'that the rotation of the snail will at each one of four intervals raise such arm and
thus elevate also the upper arm 4, of the detent. To this upper arm, 4, is connected
a small plate, 5; projecting through a slot, 6, in the front pillar plate, and which
serves to arrest for a brief interval by contact with a pin, 7, on the delay wheel, 8,
of the train, the movement of the said train, until the segmental rack determining
the number of quarter chimes which are to be rung has assumed its proper relative
position as hereinafter. indicated. The complete let off of the train so temporarily
arrested is accomplished by a pin 9, on the upper arm, 4, of the detent, projecting
under the lever, 10, and raising the said lever so that its shaft will operate the bent
end of a wire, 11, thereby removing such bent end away from one of the pins on the
locking wheel, 12, of the train. By the time the lower arm, 3, of the detent becomes
slightly depressed by the moving away of the pin, 2, in contact with it, the plate 5,
passes out of the path of the pin, 7, on the delay wheel, and the train of wheels
commences to move again. This interval of delay has given time for the operation
of the segmental rack, 13, which has been released by the raising of the spur 14 on
the lever 10 out of contact with the ratchet teeth on such rack; one arm of the
divided spring a then causes the rack 13 to fly forward until the lever 15 rigidly
affixed to the bottom and pivoted end of the rack 13 comes into contact with the
periphery of the snail 1 bringing the spur 14 immediately above the space between
the two ratchet teeth, which determines the extent of backward traverse of the
rack 13 during the operation of the train for the quarter chimes then about to be
rung, and which traverse is always governed by the portion of the snail with
which the lever 15 comes into contact
As the minute hand moves a little forward the arm 3 of the detent becomes
depressed and the spur 14 drops down between two ratchet teeth the train then
moving off, the revolving dog 16 on the end of the stop wheel shaft projecting
through the pillar plate and with a knife edge engaging with one of the teeth of
the rack 13 moves one tooth at each revolution of the wheel, the said spur 14 of the
lever slipping over and detaining such tooth so moved at each of such revolutions
until all the ratchet teeth have been so operated upon when the said spur drops
below the front end of the last tooth of the rack 13 so rotated, which also causes
the bent end of the wire 11 to drop against one of the pins of the locking wheel 12,
the lever 10 and the wire 11 being attached to the same shaft, whereby the
movement of the train is arrested.
Just before the moving of the train at every quarter the chimes mechanism is
brought into operation therewith, and so kept until the chimes have finished
striking, when such mechanism passes out of contact, and, at every fourth quarter,

page_text: after such passing out of contact, the hour striking mechanism is immediately
brought into contact with the train for the striking of the hour.
The chimes mechanism is brought into contact as follows that is to say, a sliding
shaft 17 extends through the rear pillar plate and between the back surface of
such plate and a bridge 18 is placed a cylindrical barrel 19 having pins 20
suitably arranged on its periphery for the chimes required, and having vertical
levers 21 beneath attached at their lower ends to the chimes bell hammers, the
upper pins being left free to be operated upon by the pins on the said barrel 19
in its revolution. The other end of the sliding shaft 17 extends through the front
pillar, plate; and between the front surface of such plate and a bridge 22 is a
bevelled faced swinging block 23, the front end of the shaft 17 impinging against
the said bevelled block which is pivotted between the inner cheek of the bridge
and the front pillar plate. The rear end of the rack 13 after the quarter hour lias
been chimed presses against the rear of this bevelled faced block and partially
rotates it on its pivots, thereby giving a sliding movement to the shaft 17 sufficient
to clear the lines of pins 20 on the barrel, from contact with the series of lovers 21
attached to the chines bell hammers so that the striking mechanism may proceed
to operate if the fourth quarter hour has been chimed. This striking mechanism
is thus brought into contact with the train. Immediately above the shaft 17
carrying the chimes barrel is a shaft 24 which partakes of the same lateral sliding
motion by reason of the curved edge of the segmental disc 25 attached to the
shaft 24 engaging with the annular recess 26 in the shaft 17.
While the block 23 is not acted on by the rack 13 the spring 27 at the rear end
of the shaft 17 will press the said shaft forward, and by means of the segmental
dise 25 also carry forward at the same time the shaft, 24 and the projecting pin 28
out of the way of the pins on the strike wheel 29. As soon however as the
bevelled face of the block 23 acts on the front end of the shaft 17 the shaft 24
will also be moved along and its strike pin 28 brought into contact with the pins
on the strike wheel 29 whereby the latter shaft will be reciprocated and a second
pin 30 projecting therefrom caused to trip the flat plate 31 on the hammer shaft 32
and thereby reciprocate the said hammer shaft and cause the hammer to strike the
required number of blows on the bell, to indicate the hour. To determine the
number of blows to be given by this hammer a snail 33 is placed concentric with, and
fast to, the sleeve of the hour hand gear-wheel. This snail determines the throw of
the rack lever 34 of the second segmental rack 35 having a common centre with
the chimes rack 13, the rack 35 which has also its corresponding lever 36 and
spur 37 at a common centre with the chimes lever 10 and spur 14 of the latter,
has sixteen teeth and it will be scon from what has been before stated that while
the chimes are ringing, the striking mechanism is virtually disconnected from the
train, the racks being so timed by their respective snails that after the spur 14
drops down below the front end of the rack 13 at the end of the chimes for the
fourth quarter, the hour striking mechanism will begin to operate and continue
until the spur 37 of the lever 36 also drops down in front of the teeth of the
rack 35 when the hent end of the wire 11 will arrest the train by striking
against one of the pins of the locking wheel 12. A projection 38 on the outer end
of the lever 10 rides up against a projection 39 on the outer end of the lever 36 and
serves to cause the lever 10 to operate the shaft, carrying the bent wire into contact
with the pins of the locking wheel, through such levor 30 by reason of lover 10
being loose on such shaft: so that after the lever 10 has ceased to operato at the
fourth quarter hour for the chimes mechanism it will drop down and the lever 36
will then proceed to operate and register with its spur 37 on the segmental
rack 35 the strokes of the bell hammer; such lever being rigidly connected to the
end of the shaft 17.
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 claiin.
First. The combination of hour striking mechanism and chimes mechanism

page_text: adapted to strike at the full hour and at each quarter, operated by a single train
and main spring, substantially as described.
Second. The combination of the segmental rack 13 with the bevel faced block 23,
the chimes barrel shaft 17, and the spring 27, all arranged to shift the said shaft
after the ringing of the chimes, substantially as described.
Third. The combination of the segmental rack 13 with the bevel faced block 23,
the chimes barrel shaft 17, the spring 27, and the shaft 24 carrying the pin 28, all
arranged to bring into operation with the train successively the chimes and the
hour striking mechanism, substantially as described.
Fourth. The combination of the snails 1 and 33, the segmental racks 13 and 35,
and their attached snail levers 15 and 34, the levers 10 and 36 and their
attached spurs 14 and 37, and the revolving dog 16, with the bevel faced block,
the chimes barrel shaft 17, the spring 27, and the shaft 24 carrying the pin-28,
all arranged to bring into operation with the train the chimes mechanism at every
quarter hour and the chimes and hour striking mechanism successively at every
full hour, substantially as described.
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake have hereunto set my
hand and seal this third day of April in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.
WM. ROBT. LAKE (L.S.)