Improvements in Chiming Apparatus Connected with and Set in Action by a Clock.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Jan., 1887
Complete Left, 13th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 15th Nov., 1887
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Chiming Apparatus Connected with and Set in
Action by a Clock.
1 JOHN HARRINGTON of the Enamel and Cradle Spring Works, Coventry in the
County of Warwick, Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
The invention relates to the employment of electrical apparatus for operating the
hammers of chiming mechanism, such mechanisin being set in action at given periods,
when the hand of a clock completes an electric circuit.
In carrying my invention into effect I employ a number of haminers placed in
position to strike bells, tubes or other musical sounding means and 1 connect such
hammers to armatures which on the circuit being completed are drawn, one by one to
their magnets thereby giving motion to the hammers. According to one arrangement
I employ an automatic electrical switch for conveying the current in succession to
different contacts connected with the hammer magnets and I give motion to such
switch by means of a magnet operating an armature connected with a driver which
acts upon a ratchet wheel carrying the switch lever.
The switch lever is provided at one end with contact for completing the circuit with
a battery and at the other with another contact which effects electrical contact with
the contacts connected to the hammer magnets. The action of the electrical switch
is regulated by the clock pendulum which in its motion effects electrical connection
between two contacts carried by a lever armature which so long as the hand of the
clock maintains the completion of the circuit, is drawn towards a magnet so as to
bring said contacts within the path of the pendulum. Batteries and suitable
connections are employed to convey the required currents to the various parts of the
apparatus.
The automatic switch may be so arranged in combination with suitable striking
apparatus as to cause a different set of chimes to be sounded at each quarter of an
our or it may be otherwise arranged.
The clock may be in any desired position and the chiming apparatus which is enclosed
n a suitable case or cabinet may be either near or at a considerable distance from the
lock.

page_text: I have described the above arrangement of apparatus by way of example only as
electrical apparatus may be arranged in a variety of ways so as to cause the chiming
apparatus to act whenever the hand of a clock completes the electric circuit.
By my invention I produce a cheap arrangement of chiming apparatus as I
dispense with the complicated and costly train of gearing ordinarily employed for
such purpose.
JOHN HARRINGTON.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings,
Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Chiming Apparatus Connected with and Set in
Action by a Clock.
I, JOHN HARRINGTON of the Enamel and Cradle Spring Works, Coventry, in the
County of Warwick, Manufacturer, 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 invention relates to the employment of electrical apparatus for operating the
hammers of chiming mechanism, such mechanism being set in action at given periods
when the hand of a clock completes an electric circuit.
And in order that my said invention may he clearly understood and readily carried
into effect I will describe the same by reference to the accompanying drawing which
is a diagram of one form of apparatus by which my invention may be carried into
effect.
I employ a number of hammers a, placed in position to strike bells, tubes or other
musical sounding means which in the drawing I have represented as my patent
tubular gongs A. The hammer levers a' are mounted at, and are capable of move-
ment from, the point a², and they are provided with armatures at a³ which on the
electric circuit being completed are drawn, one by one, to their magnets in any
desired order thereby giving motion to the hammers a.
According to the arrangement represented in the diagram I employ an automatic
electrical switch C for conveying the current in succession to different contact pieces d
connected to the hammer magnets b. Such automatic switch consists of segmental

page_text: contact pieces c, c², c², of varying lengths fixed to an insulated frame in the centre
of which is mounted a ratchet wheel to which is fixed a cross bar e provided at its
ends with spring or brush contacts, c, c³, one of which (c) makes contact with the
fixed segmental contact pieces c², c², c³, c in succession for the purpose of completing
the circuit with a battery, and the other (c) makes contact with the insulated contact
pieces d connected by wires d' with the electro-magnets b. I give motion to such
switch cross bar c by means of an electro magnet e operating an armature el connected
with a driver which acts upon the ratchet wheel carrying the switch lever or
cross bar e.
The action of the electrical switch is regulated by the clock pendulum g which in its
motion effects electrical connection between two insulated platinum foil contacts h³, h³,
carried by a lever armature h, mounted on a centre or axis at h¹ which so long as the
hand of the clock maintains the completion of the circuit, is drawn towards a magnet i
50 as to bring said contacts h³, h³ within the path of the lower end of the pendulum g.
Batterics j, k, and suitable connections are employed to convey the required
currents to and from the various parts of the apparatus.
The automatic switch as represented in the diagram is arranged to cause a
different set of chimes to be sounded at each quarter of an hour. Thus for instance,
the apparatus may be caused to sound for the first quarter of an hour the notes B, A,
G, D for the second quarter of an hour the notes G, B, A, D, and G, A, B, G; for
the third quarter of an hour the notes, B, G, A, D,-D, A, B, G, and B, A, G, D ;
and at the hour G, B, A, D,-G, A, B, G,--B, G, A, D--and D, A, B, G.
The apparatus may however be arranged to cause other combinations of notes to
be sounded.
In the drawing the capital letters next the contact pieces d and under the tubes
indicate the musical sounds or notes of the chines.
*
>
The face of the clock is represented as provided with eight contact pieces at m, m
those at the quarters (m) are connected to the conductors around the clock shown by
the full lines and the intermediate contact pieces (m*) are connected to the
conductors around the clock shown by the dotted lines n
I will now describe the directions taken by the currents and the order of motions
of the above described apparatus.
1st. When the minute hand makes contact at the quarter with a contact piece m
the current starts from the battery j at x up to the segmental contact piece c¹, thence
through conductor carried by the automatic switch bar co to and along the conductor n¹,
following the direction of the arrow shown in full lines to the conductor n and thenco
to the contact piece m at Figure 3 on the clock dial, it then passes through the hand
and by the conductor o to the magneti which under the influence of the current draws
down one end of the armature lever the other end of which lifts up the insulated
foil contacts h³, h³, so as to place them in the path of the pendulum; the current then
passes from the magnet i and conductor p back to the battery j at.
2nd. The pendulum at each oscillation causes the foil contacts h², h³, to touch each
other, thereby starting the current from terminal of battery k along the conductor q,
shown by dotted lines to the foil contact ², thence to the foil contact /³, through
the conductor r to the magnet e which by attracting the armature e¹ moves the switch
bare forward, the distance of one tooth of the ratchet wheel c³, the current finally
passes from the electro magnet e by the conductors back to the battery kat z.
3rd. The automatic switch bar e turning round the distance of one tooth at a time
makes and breaks contact with the contact pieces which causes currents to pass
through different hammer magnets b and thereby actuate the hammers a which by
striking the gongs A in desired order play the chimes at the quarter hours
respectively.
4th. The automatic switch by making contact sends current from battery lat
through conductor t to magnet b required to actuate the hammer a to strike particular
tube, thence to a contact piece d through conductor on switch bar ce following the
direction of the arrow shown by dotted lines, back by the conductor to the
battery lat z.

page_text: 5th. The automatic switch bar having moved the number of teeth required to make
the necessary connections to play a complete set of quarter chimes moves the distance
of one more tooth and then breaks contact with contact piece, c¹, c², c³ or c¹ thus
causing magnet i to release the armature lever and therefore by lowering the foil
contacts h2, h3 out of the path of the pendulum g causes motion of switch to cease
entirely and all contacts are then disconnected.
6th. The hand of the clock makes contact at m* between the quarters causing the
magnet e to attract the armature e¹ and thereby cause the switch bar c' to move the
distance of one tooth thus placing the switch bar contact c' in contact with the leading
end of one of the segmental pieces c¹, c², c³, or c and the contact piece c the distance
of one tooth further in a space between the contact pieces d and leaving everything
in readiness for the next quarter which will be, as far as order of motions is concerned,
similar to that before described.
The course of the current in the last mentioned case is precisely the same as that
described with respect to the second set of motions and currents with the exception
that instead of going through h³, h³ it passes through the hand and dial contact, along
the dotted conductor to r and thence to the battery.
The clock may be in any desired position and the chiming apparatus, which is
enclosed in a suitable case or cabinet may he either near to or at a considerable
distance from the clock.
I have described the above arrangement of apparatus by way of example only as
electrical apparatus may be arranged in a variety of ways so as to cause the chiming
apparatus to act whenever the hand of a clock completes the electric circuit.
By my invention I produce a cheap arrangement of chiming apparatus as I dispense
with the complicated and costly train of gearing ordinarily employed for such
purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
The employment of electrical apparatus in connection with a clock for operating the
hammers of chiming mechanism substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated this 12th dose of Datalia- 1007
JOHN HARRINGTON.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings,
Agents.