Improvements in Time Checking and Registering Apparatus.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Apr., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 28th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 23rd Mar., 185
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Time Checking and Registering Apparatus.
CHARLES MILES of 6 Wells Road Totterdown in the City and County of
Bristol Engineer, FREDERICK KING and WILLIAM PHILLIPS MENDHAM both
of The Western Electrical Works Narrow Wine Street and Fairfax Street in the
City and County of Bristol, Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
Our invention relates to an improved time checking or registering apparatus,
specially designed for checking and registering the arrival or departure or both
of employés to be governed by a clock or any time keeping apparatus which may
be actuated either by means of electricity or by mechanical movements as an
automatic time check or for any purpose where an automatic register is required,
the principles of which are as follows. We construct a desk or box of any
desired form, size or material having a slot or signing space whereby the employe
or any person may sign on arrival or departure, directly underneath said cover
we place two or more reels or drums in such a position that when a roll of paper
or any suitable material is wound on the said reels or drums the paper shall be
close beneath the slot or signing space and extend the whole or part of the length
of box and in such a position that a signature or any matter can be easily written
on the paper or other suitable material through the before mentioned slot, the
action of the paper would be to unroll from one reel and roll on to another.
To obtain the necessary automatic motion we attach to the feeding roll spindle
a ratchet or toothed wheel and in the required position we place a push knob the
shank of which passes through the said box, which knob when pressed engages and
actuates, either directly or by means of a small lever, the wheel thus causing the
paper or other material to wind round the said reel sufficient to remove the
signature or any matter that may be written, beyond the area of the slot, thus
leaving the space clear for the next person to sign.
For use with our automatic signature electrical time check or register we employ
a clock or any time keeping apparatus fitted with suitable contacts that shall close
a circuit at the required time and convey a current of electricity to an electro
magnet. Attached to a suitable part of the frame or box we hinge or otherwise
suitably fix a pawl which is so placed that it shall fall by its own gravity or is
held by a spring in such a position that it shall drop into the teeth of said ratchet
or into a toothed wheel provided on the spindle of the said reel or drum, we then
place the electro magnet so that when the clock or other mechanism closes the
circuit the said magnet shall attract and hold the pawl clear of the ratchet or
toothed wheel thus allowing the knob or press button to actuate the ratchet and
advance the paper or other material the required distance by winding it on the
reel; this action may be repeated during the time the clock or other mechanism
is in circuit, but the moment the circuit is broken by the said clock the pawl is
released and engages the ratchet or toothed wheel, preventing any motion being
imparted by the press knob until the clock or mechanism, in again closing the
circuit, causes the wheel to be again released by the magnet attracting the said
pawl, or we use a lever having a pawl lying in the teeth of the ratchet wheel
which lever is extended sufficiently to be under the influence of an electro magnet
so that while the said clock or mechanism is in circuit the current is brought to a
press button which when pressed completes the circuit causing the magnet to attract

page_text: the lever and actuate the roll as before mentioned during the time the said clock.or
mechanism is in contact, but when the time has expired the current from the clock
ceases to flow to the press button thus leaving the magnet unaffected by contact
by said button until the clock or mechanism again closes the circuit.
We may so arrange the electric contacts that the circuit is kept continually
closed and only opened when the apparatus is to be used as a mechanical signature
tine check we employ the same principles as herein described namely the advance
of the paper or other material by means of a ratchet wheel attached to or in gear
with a reel or drum but in place of a magnet we use a disc, cam lever, or other
suitable means attached to the hand motion or gear of a time keeping mechanism
that shall release the before mentioned pawl and give a free action to the press knob
or button during the time required. In the cover or sides of case desk or box we
insert glass or other suitable material of a transparent nature that shall show the
signatures that have been taken as they pass beyond the slot.
Dis 07th dae of A 1901
CHARLES MILES.
FREDERICK KING.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS MENDHAM.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Time Checking and Registering Apparatus.
We, CHARLES MILES, of Tavistock Road, Totterdown, Bristol, Engineer, and
FREDERICK KING and WILLIAM PHILLIPS MENDHAM, of The Western Electrical
Works, Narrow Wine Street, Bristol, Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of this. invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to bo
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to new or improved time checking and registering apparatus,
to enable employees to record their arrival or departure by signing their names on
a sheet or roll of paper during the time that certain parts of the mechanism are
liberated by a clock or other means for controlling them, the motive power being
conveyed from the clock or timekeeper by electrical or other suitable mechanical
arrangements.
In many factories, workshops, and warehouses, the arrival of the workpeople is
recorded by the use of metal discs or tickets which are suspended, or inserted
through a slot into a box provided for the purpose during the prescribed time, but
for clerks, foremen, warehousemen, and the like, the practice usually adopted is
the signature in an attendance book; in many cases the objection is ruised that the
book is frequently removed before or after the proper time, according to the caprice
of the person in charge; the object of this invention is to provide a means that
will automatically control the provision of spaces for signature during a stipulated
time, and then interpose a check which will prevent any signatures being recorded
after the expiration of that time.
To carry our invention into effect, we provide a box, conveniently shaped like a
portable desk, in which a roll of paper is wound on a drum and extended over a
transverse support which is directly under a slot or aperture in the lid of the box,
and forms a firm tablet on which the paper may rest during the time of recording
the signatures; the paper is continued to another drum which is actuated by a pawl
engaging in a ratchet or toothed wheel at the end of the drum, the pawl is con-
nected by a lever to a handle or knob on the outside of the box, so that every time
the knob is pressed, the drum will be advanced a notch, and bring a portion of the
paper from one drum to the other, a suitable stop or check being provided which
will prevent the operation of the mechanism except at such times as the check is
removed.

page_text: The accompanying sheet of drawings fully illustrates a suitable means for
carrying our invention into effect, and the following detailed description has
reference thereto.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a box or desk in which the various appliances
for rotating and regulating the advance of the paper are placed;
Fig. 2 is a plan of the upper part or outside of the desk, showing the knob for
actuating the drums, an aperture or slot through which the signature is written,
and a glass panel, which is conveniently inserted so that the most recent signatures
may be visible;
.
Fig. 3 is a plan of the interior of the desk, showing the various mechanical
appliances. In practice it may be found desirable to place two or more sets of the
appliances side by side in the same box, and
Fig. 4 is a transverse section (on an enlarged scale) of a box holding two
sets, one for "
early" and the other for, "late" arrivals, as will be hereinafter
explained.
A is the box or desk to contain the various mechanical appliances; B is a knob
surmounting a rod, by which the parts are actuated; C is a glass panel inserted
in the lid of the box; D is an aperture in the lid, through which the signature is
recorded; E is a drum containing a roll of paper F, this paper is continued over
tension rods to a transverse batten or support G, which is placed under the
aperture or slot D, and forms a desk on which the paper rests while the signature
is written; from here, the paper is continued over other tension rods to the
drum H on one end of which is a ratchet or toothed wheel , held in its forward
position by a pawl and spring as shown, the rod of the push knob B rests on one
end of a lever 1, which is conveniently pivotted on the spindle of the drum H, and
thus every time the knob B is pressed, the wheel will be rotated a short distance,
and the paper will be brought forward over the desk G: the size of the teeth
on the ratchet wheel and the action of the pawl thereon, being so regulated that
each time the knob is pressed, the paper will be sufficiently advanced for a fresh
signature to be recorded, or arrangements may be made that two taps on the knob
are necessary for a sufficient advance of the paper.
From the foregoing description it would appear that the knob may be pressed
and signatures recorded as long as any paper is left on the drum E, but in order
that the mechanism may be only used at the prescribed times, we attach a pawl K
with a stop as shown in Fig. 4, weighted and balanced so that when in its normal
position, the shoulder will be just below the lever I and prevent the knob from
depressing it, as shown in the drawing: to allow the mechanism to be operated,
we provide electro-magnets L and attach them in close proximity to the pawl K ;
the magnets are connected in any suitable manner to a clock or other timekeeper
and battery, and at a few minutes before the hour for the arrival of the
employées, the clock will complete the electric circuit, and the magnet will attract.
the pawl, and remove the shoulder from the range of the lever I, as shown on the
right of the drawing, K', which will permit the knob to be pressed and
signatures recorded as already described; when the prescribed time has elapsed,
the contact mechanism of the clock will break the circuit, and the pawl
will immediately fall into its normal position, and prevent any further depression
of the lever by the knob. When it is considered desirable to keep a record of
late attendances, a duplicate set of appliances may be set in the box side by side,
as indicated in Fig. 4, one set being labelled on the outside "EARLY" and the
other "LATE," and then when the clock breaks the circuit to the first set, the
contact is made with the "late set, which is continued for a prescribed time,
during which any late arrivals would sign on the late sheet, while those coming
after that time has expired would be unable to sign their names.
"
The foregoing description relates to a suitable method of operating the mechanism
and to a check or stop for regulating the time during which it can be used, an
electric current being conveyed thereto by contact pieces on a clock, but any
suitable mechanical means may be adopted to be actuated by the .clock, or bell

page_text: wires may be attached to the stop and connected to a pull in the manager's or
time-keeper's office, the essential feature of the invention being the provision of
an autograph receiver that can only be used at certain prescribed times, the
regulation of which is beyond the control of those who sign their names.
Mechanical equivalents may be employed to produce similar results to those
described, e.g. the lid of the box may be hinged, so that the appliance may be set
in motion by the pressure of the lid, and a metal slide may be made to work in a
groove over the slot, which is withdrawn during the time allowed for the
signatures, and instead of a roll of paper, a sheet may be attached to the drum, so
that each days attendances may be taken on a separate sheet, or the drum may be
placed directly under the slot, and the paper receive the signatures while resting on
the drum.
If electrical appliances are provided, the receiver can be placed at any distance
from the controlling clock, and any number of boxes may be put in the circuit,
operated simultaneously by the clock; and similarly, mechanical means may
simultaneously operate the checks or stops.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The construction of a new or improved time-checking apparatus which
provides a space sufficient for the reception of one signature at a time, the sheet
or roll of paper being advanced by the person signing, either before or after
affixing his signature, substantially as herein described, and set forth in the
accompanying drawings.
2. In combination with time checking and recording apparatus as herein
described, the insertion of a stop block, which in its normal condition prevents
the operation of the apparatus, the said stop block being connected by electrical
or suitable mechanical appliances to a clock or time keeper, which will liberate it
at a prescribed time for the purpose of the signatures being recorded, and restore
the said block to its position, when the time has expired, substantially as and for
the purposes herein set forth and described, and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 28th day of January 1895.
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