AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR REGULATING AND WINDING UP CLOCKS OR TIME-PIECES BY THE TRANSMISSION OF PNEUMATIC OR SIMILAR POWER
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR REGULATING AND WINDING
UP CLOCKS OR TIME-PIECES BY THE TRANSMISSION OF PNEUMATIC OR SIMILAR
POWER." A communication from abroad by the "Compagnie Générale des
Horloges Pneumatiques," of Paris, France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd May 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
"AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS
Southampton Buildings, London.
THE TRANS-
FOR REGULATING AND WINDING UP CLOCKS OR TIME-PIECES BY
MISSION OF PNEUMATIC OR SIMILAR POWER." [A communication from abroad by
the "Compagnie Générale des Horloges Pneumatiques," of Paris, France.]
The pneumatic system heretofore employed for the distribution of the correct
time necessitates the use of clocks or time-pieces of special construction, and as
these time pieces or clocks are not provided with any motive power independent
of the mechanism put in motion by the compressed air, it follows that if by reason
of some unforseen circumstance the transmission ceases the time-piece or clock
stops. On the other hand, ordinary time-pieces or clocks are always irregular in
their movement, and consequently seldom denote the correct time. The regulation
of clocks by means of electricity has been resorted to, but up to the present none
of the trials have furnished the desired results.
According to this Invention however mechanical means are employed by which
ordinary clocks or time-pieces are wound up whilst going, and set to the right
time either every half or every quarter of an hour, or at any other desired intervals.
This improved mechanism is operated by a rod receiving its motion either from
a piston or from bellows operated by compressed air or other suitable transmitting
agent. The said mechanism comprises a series of levers, some of which act on the
minute wheel-work, and others on the winding-up wheels. In the following
description I have included three arrangements of the said Invention applicable
to pneumatic transmission.
According to the first arrangement of the said Invention I place upon the shaft

page_text: of the main wheel which acts upon the minute wheel-work of the clock a pulley
hereinafter termed the first pulley over which an endless chain passes. This chain
also passes under a second pulley provided with a link or strap to which is
suspended the driving weight of the clock. The said chain passes from the second
pulley over a third pulley, and then beneath a fourth pulley provided with a link
or strap to which is suspended a weight for stretching the chain, which in
returning to the first pulley is passed over or traverses two suitably arranged
guide pulleys. A Vaucanson or similar chain is preferably employed, in which case
the first and third pulleys are toothed to allow the said chain to act more efficiently.
Upon the axis or spindle of the third pulley is fixed a ratchet wheel, upon the
teeth of which acts a pawl carried by a lever capablo of turning at one of its
extremities upon the spindle of the aforesaid ratchet wheel, and jointed at its other
extremity to a connecting rod attached to a piston working in a cylinder which is
in communication with the pneumatic system.
Every minute or at any other suitable interval of time the air forced into the
pneumatic air pipe enters the aforesaid cylinder, raises the piston, and by means of
the connecting rod operates the lever carrying the pawl. The said lover through
the pawl is thus caused to move the ratchet wheel the distance of one tooth, 80
that the toothed third wheel or pulley on the shaft of the said ratchet wheel
is partially revolved, and consequently draws with it the chain, thereby raising the
clock-weight. A suitable pawl maintains the ratchet wheel in the position into
which it is brought by the said lever.
From the above description it will be readily understood that by this intermittent
movement the clock is kept wound up, and the driving weight is always maintained
at the upper part of its travel, so that if the communication of the clock with the
pneumatic system is interrupted, it will continue to go for a certain time until the
communication is again established.
According to the second arrangement of the said Invention by which the setting
is effected every hour, the wheel which carries the minute hand and which through
three toothed wheels imparts movement to the hour, and gears with a wheel
provided with a plate disc or wheel having notches at its periphery. As the minute
hand travels too fast or too slow, the uppermost of the notches in the disc presents
itself more or less out of line with a ratchet detent carried by a lever pivotted or
turning upon a spindle or axis, and operated by a connecting rod hinged to a piston
working in the cylinder communicating with the pneumatic system.
At the proper moment compressed air is forced into the said cylinder and raises
the piston, which through the connecting rod acts upon the pivotted lever causing
the ratchet-detent to enter the notch in the disc immediately underneath it. By
reason of the inclination of the sides of the said notch, the detent entering the
same causes the disc to conform to the movement of the said detent, so that the
wheel carrying the said disc attains its proper position, and restores the wheel and
the minute hand carried thereby to a position corresponding with the exact time.
When it is desired to set or regulate the time every half hour, the diameter of the
wheel carrying the notched disc is made double that of the wheel carrying the
minute hand, and the said disc is provided with four notches. By varying
the proportions of the said wheel carrying the notched disc, the wheel carrying the
minute hand and the number of the notches in the said disc, the clock or timepiece
may be set at any determined intervals of time.
According to a modification of the above-described arrangement for setting
clocks hourly, I arrange upon the axis or pivot of the minute hand a plate or disc
provided with two cam surfaces upon its periphery, and with two pins or studs
diametrically opposite each other and projecting therefrom laterally. Should the
clock provided with this arrangement be slow, the said projecting studs will be
slightly to the right or to the left of a vertical line drawn through the axis of the
disc. At the proper time compressed air is forced into the air duct in communi-
cation with a cylinder and raises the piston, which piston through a connecting rod
jointed to a lever forces up a pawl-shaped piece attached to the same, and causes a

page_text: rod to slide in suitable guides. A tooth or pawl at the extremity of the said rod
comes into contact with one of the aforesaid studs, and causes the plate or disc
to which they are attached to revolve, the latter being arrested when in a proper
position by the aforesaid pawl-shaped piece. If the clock is fast instead of slow
the pawl-shaped piece will cause the plate or disc. to revolve, and the detent tooth
or pawl on the rod will arrest the latter in the position required. Two screws are
arranged to limit the travel of the lever jointed to the connecting rod, and prevent
any movement of the same beyond the desired distance.
I will now proceed to describe the third arrangement of my Invention, whereby
I provide mechanism for simultaneously winding up and setting or regulating an
ordinary house-clock or timepiece. For this purpose I fix upon the pivot of the
wheel which carries the minute band a plate or disc provided with two notches
diametrically opposite each other. When compressed air enters the cylinder of the
apparatus it acts upon a lever carrying a pawl, which actuates a wheel provided
with thirty teeth. The axis of this wheel carries a lever furnished with a projecting
stud or pin which at each revolution of the toothed wheel, that is to say, every
half-hour comes into contact with one end of a pivotted lever furnished at its
other extremity with a tooth or projection, which then enters one of the aforesaid
notches above it, and sliding upon the sides of the said notch partially revolves
the plate or disc in which they are formed, and thus sets the minute hand in the
position corresponding to the correct time.
The said pawl-carrying lever is also provided with another pawl acting upon a
ratchet wheel, which by means of a pinion and toothed wheel operates the spring
box or barrel and winds up the main spring of the time-piece.
In some cases I employ another lever provided with a pawl and operated by a
piston in a second cylinder to act upon a ratchet wheel to effect the winding up of
the striking mechanism of a time-piece.

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
3rd November 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS
FOR REGULATING AND WINDING UP CLOCKS OR TIME-PIECES BY THE TRANS-
MISSION OF PNEUMATIC OR SIMILAR POWER." A communication from abroad by
the "Compagnie Générale des Horloges Pneumatiques," of Paris, France.
The pneumatic system heretofore employed for distributing knowledge of the
correct time necessitates the use of clocks or time-pieces of special construction, and
as these clocks or time-pieces are not provided with any motive power independent
of the mechanism put in motion by the compressed air, it follows that if by reason
of some unforseen circumstance the transmission of power ceases the timepiece or
clock stops.
On the other hand ordinary time-pieces or clocks are always irregular
in their movement, and consequently seldom denote the correct time. Attempts
have been made to regulate clocks by means of electricity, but as yet the desired
result has not been attained.
This Invention relates to mechanism by means of which ordinay clocks are
rewound whilst they are going, and are set to the correct time either at each half-
hour, or at each quarter of an hour, or at any convenient regular intervals.
This mechanism is actuated by a rod which receives movement either from a
piston or a bellows actuated by compressed air, or by any suitable gearing. It
consists of a series of levers acting some upon the minute-wheel-work, and others
upon à train of wheel-work for effecting the rewinding of the clock.
The application of this Invention to the pneumatic transmission of power is
hereinafter described in three forms or modifications which are illustrated in the
accompanying Drawing.
In Figure 1 which is an elevation partly in section is shown a clock worked by
a weight, and rewound by pneumatic power.
The main-wheel A acting upon the minute-mechanism of the clock carries on its
axle a pulley B over which the endless chain C passes. This chain passes under a
second pulley D which carries a link or stirrup E whereon is suspended by a hook
or other convenient means the main or driving weight of the clock. The aforesaid
chain C then passes over the pulley F and under the pulley G, carrying the
link or stirrup H upon which is suspended a weight whereby the chain C is
stretched, and said chain then returns to the pulley B passing over and under the
guide-pulleys I and I' respectively; I prefer to use a "Vaucanson" chain, and in
this case the pulleys F, B, are provided with teeth to facilitate the action of the
chain C. Upon the axle of the pulley F is fixed a ratchet-wheel J upon whose
teeth a pawl K acts, which pawl is carried by a lever L, one end of which is free
to rotate upon the axle O of the ratchet-wheel J, its other end being jointed to a
rod M, whereby the said lever is connected with a piston M³ fitted to work in a
cylinder M² which communicates with the pneumatic apparatus.
Every minute or at other suitable regular intervals of time the air forced into
the pneumatic conduit enters the cylinder M², raises the piston M¹, and by means
of the connecting-rod M acts upon the lever L. This lever L moves the aforesaid
ratchet-wheel one tooth forward, so that the toothed wheel F mounted on the same
axle receives a rotative movement, and consequently carries the chain C with it,
and thus rewinds or relifts the driving or main weight of the clock. A pawl or
catch N retains the ratchet-wheel J in the position into which it is brought by the
lever L and pawl K.
In consequence of the above described intermittent movement, the clock is

page_text: continually rewound and the main weight is always in the upper part of its course,
so that should the communication between the clock and the pneumatic system be
interrupted, the former will continue to go for a certain time, which will generally
be sufficiently long to allow the communication to be re-established.
Figure 2 is a front view of an arrangement of clock-work which is set or
regulated every half hour, and
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the same.
The wheel P which carries the minute-hand and which by means of the wheels
P1, P2, and P³, imparts motion to the hour-hand gears with a wheel Q, which
carries a disc R with a number of notches or indentations R¹.
When the minute-hand is either slow or fast, the centre-line of that one of the
aforesaid notches R¹ which occupies the highest position will form a more or less
acute angle with the finger or detent S, carried by the lever S¹ fulcrummed on an
axle 0¹, and actuated by a connecting-rod or bar T which is jointed to the piston T¹
reciprocating in the cylinder T.
At suitable intervals compressed air is admitted into the cylinder T2 whereby the
piston T¹ is raised. The said piston acting upon the rod T operates the lever S',
which presses the detent or finger S into that notch or indentation R' of the disc R
which is passing under it. The oblique or bevelled sides of this indentation force
the disc R to participate in the movement of the finger S, and the wheel Q
participating in the rotation of the disc R moves the wheel P, and thereby sets the
minute-hand to point to the correct time.
In the clock represented in these Figures the diameter of the wheel Q is twice
that of the wheel P, and the disc R having four indentations R¹ the clock is set at
every half hour. It is obvious however that by varying the relative size of the
two wheels, or the number of the indentations, or both, the clock may be caused to
be set or regulated at any convenient intervals of time.
Figure 4 is a front view, and
Figure 5 a side view of another device for setting or regulating clocks according
to this Invention.
Upon the axle which carries the minute-hand is fixed a plate or disc U, the
periphery of which forms two cams or teeth. On this disc are fixed two studs U¹
and U in diametrically opposite positions to its cams or teeth, and these studs
project from the face of the said disc.
At
When a clock which is provided with this mechanism is slow, the studs U'
and U2 will be one slightly to the right, and the other slightly to the left of a
vertical line supposed to be drawn through the axis of the plate or disc U.
the proper moment compressed air is admitted into the cylinder V, the piston V₁
in the said cylinder is raised, and the connecting rod or bar V2 by means of a
lever X to which it is jointed presses upon the pawl-shaped piece X', and causes
the rod X to slide in its guides X³. A finger or detent Y carried by the said
rod X² bears upon one of the studs U1, U2, and consequently rotates the plate U,
the movement of which is limited by the pawl-shaped piece X¹. Should however
the clock be fast instead of slow, the pawl X¹ would rotate the plate or disc in an
inverse direction, and the finger Y on the arm X' would prevent the disc being
rotated too much. Two screws or studs Z, Z¹, serve as stops for the lever X and
prevent its movement exceeding the required extent.
Figure 6 is an elevation, and
Figure 7 is a plan partly in section of a modification of this Invention to be used
especially for rewinding and regulating ordinary house-clocks.
According to this modification I mount upon the axle a which carries the
minute-hand a disc b having two notches e directly opposite to each other. When
compressed air is admitted into the cylinder of this mechanism (substantially in
the manner above specified with reference to the first two forms of this Invention),
the lever d is actuated. This lever carries a pawl e which gears with a wheel f
which has thirty teeth. Upon the axle of this wheel is mounted the lever g from
which a stud / projects. At every revolution of the wheel f, that is to say, at each

page_text: half hour, the stud h presses against the end of the lever i which is fulcrummed on
the axle j, and is furnished at its other end with a finger k. The latter enters that
one of the notches c which is above it, and sliding on the edges of this notch or
indentation moves the disc b, and consequently sets the minute hand to point to
the correct time.
The aforesaid lever d also carries a second pawl e¹ shown in dotted lines in
Figure 6, which pawl acts upon a ratchet-wheel f¹, which by means of a pinion
and a toothed wheel acts upon the barrel and winds the main-spring of the clock.
In some cases I employ a second lever d' provided with a pawl and actuated by
the rod m of a second piston of the same kind as those above specified, so as to
operate the ratchet-wheel n which rewinds the striking-mechanism of the clock.
In all the forms of the above described mechanism pistons are used for actuating
the same, but it is evident that bellows or the like may be employed for actuating
the main-levers of such mechanism by means of connecting rods or bars, or
equivalent, devices.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I do not confine myself to the precise details of construction above specified
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, as these may be varied without
departure from the principle of my Invention, and I claim,―
The method of periodically rewinding and setting or regulating simultaneously
or separately clocks or time-pieces (substantially of ordinary construction) by the
transmission of pneumatic or similar motive power, and by mechanisın constructed
substantially as illustrated in the accompanying Drawing and operating as set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
W. ROB. LAKE. (L.S.)