Improvements in and relating to Pneumatic Clocks.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 25th June, 1898
[Communicated from abroad by AUGUSTUS LOUIS HAUL, of 1329, Dunning Street,
Chicago, Illinois, United States of America, Mechanic.]
Improvements in and relating to Pneumatic Clocks.
I, DAVID YOUNG, Patent Agent, of the Firm of D. Young & Co., of 11 and 12,
Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., 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:-
My invention has for its object the production of a pneumatic clock system,
that is say, a system wherein a master clock or motor operates through a system
of tubes or pipes to convey air-impulses to subordinate clocks at any desired points,
the air-impulses acting to move the subordinate clocks uniformly with the main
clock or motor. Heretofore, in the operation of systems of this general class, it
has been difficult and sometimes impossible to insure a uniform pressure for any
considerable length of time in the system. This I accomplish by my present
invention, which consists essentially in the provision of means for admitting air
to and from the system independent of the air-impulsing mechanism. The inven-
tion will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.
In the drawings,
Figure 1 is more or less of a diagrammatic view showing the mechanism in side
elevation.
Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, some of the parts
having been rotated through an angle of 180 degrees as compared with Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an elevation in the direction of arrow 3 Figure 1.
Clock mechanisms are so well known at the present time that I will but briefly
describe the parts of the old mechanism used in connection with my improvement.
A shown in dotted lines (Figure 1) represents any suitable drum driven from any
suitable source of power, such for instance, as a spring, a gravity weight or any
other form of power that may be desired. This drum drives the pinion A' which
through the pinion A² revolves the shaft A³, the latter revolving the gear A'
which latter meshes with the pinion A³. The pinion A³ revolves the shaft A which
in turn revolves the gear A thereon and this gear A7 meshing with the pinion A8
revolves the shaft B. These parts which I have just described, I will hereinafter
term the motor. It is by the revolution of this shaft B driven as just explained
that the main impulsing mechanisms are operated. This shaft is journalled in
the main frame pieces A shown in Figure 2 but removed from Figure 1. On
the end of the shaft B is a crank arm B¹. Pivoted from any suitable point of
support as at c is a lever C shaped with two arms C C and with another upwardly
extending arm C. D) is a pitman connecting the arm with the crank arm B₁
so that a revolution of the crank arm B¹ acts to tilt the lever C. E E are what
constitute the main impulsing mechanisms. In my present application I have
shown each one consisting of what is termed bellows mechanism so well known
in the art to which this invention pertains, as a means for creating impulses that
they need no further description. I would however have it understood at this
point that my invention contemplates any other form of impulsing mechanism. I

page_text: sustained from any convenient point is a larger cylinder M³ having an open upper
end, the cylinder M² loosely fitting within the cylinder M³ and capable of move-
ment up and down therein. Extending up from the bottom of the cylinder M³
is a pipe M having its end terminating within the cylinder M². The cylinder M³
is filled with any suitable fluid, preferably mercury, so that when the
cylinder M2 is in its lower position its mouth is sealed, but when in its upper
position the outer air has free access to the cylinder M and consequently to the
pipe M. This pipe M extends to and taps the main service pipe E³ extending
from the impulsing mechanism. Of course the lever H³ is provided with a valve
mechanism similar to that which I have just described and the main service pipe
connected with one main impulsing mechanism E is tapped by the pipe M from
one valve mechanism which I will letter X while the main service pipe from the
other impulsing mechanism E' is tapped by the other valve mechanism which I
will letter X. It is obvious that instead of the particular form of liquid valve
mechanism which I have herein described, I might use any other form of valve
but I prefer the form shown. Located on the shaft B are two cams N N' dis-
posed on opposite sides of the shaft and also disposed to register with the
respective arms H on the levers H H³, so that a revolution of the shaft B will
cause the cam N N¹, as the case may be, to strike the arm H on its respective
lever H H and tilt the latter so as to throw the cylinder M³ to its lower or sealed
position. Pivoted to an arm g³ on the lever G³ is an arm g³ having on its end a
projection g. The outer end of the arm g³ is sustained and guided by the
pins gg. On the face of the gear Fare two projections P P¹ disposed at
opposite points with respect to the shaft and adapted successively to come into
contact with the projection gt on the arm g³ and move the latter longitudinally
and thus tilt the lever G2 for the purpose hereinafter explained.
I will now describe the operation of the mechanism. The parts are so arranged
that the shaft J will revolve a half revolution every minute, although of course
it is obvious that the action of the parts might be arranged to take place at other
predetermined intervals. In my present mechanism however we will assume that
an impulse takes place every minute. It should be remembered that in the
present mechanism there are two sets of impulsing mechanisms and two sets of
valves, and that when the air in the service pipe connected with the mechanism E
is being compressed and an impulse created thereby, the air in the mechanism E¹
is being relieved of pressure by the upward movement of the bellows and an
impulse created by such action. Normally the lever H' is held in the position
shown in Figure 1 by the pawl 2 coming into contact with the shaft J, but as
the notch turns around until it registers with the pawl h2 the latter is relieved
and the weight * tilts the lever H and pulls up the cylinder M thus opening
the service pipe to the outer air. This tilting movement of the lever H¹ has
carried the arm h away from the pawl G* on the lever G2 and allowed the
weight G³ to tilt the lever G2 and thus carry the arm G¹ away from the end of
the lever F. As before explained this lever F3 is connected up with the shaft B
so that when the arm G¹ clears the lever 13 the shaft B is permitted to rotate,
being driven by the motor as before explained. As soon as the shaft B commences
to rotate, it carries the cam N1 against the arm H on the lever H3 and as the
shaft B continues to rotate, the cam quickly tilts the lever so that its cylinder M²
is carried down into the cylinder M³ and the service pipe thus closed to the
external air while the pawl h³ engages the shaft J and holds the lever in its
tilted position. The same revolution of the shaft B has revolved the crank arm B¹
and, through the pitman D, has tilted the lever C and thus caused a movement of
the main impulsing mechanism and sent an impulse through the service pipe.
In my present mechanism it is designed that the lever F3 should revolve four times
before it is again stopped. After, say the third revolution, one of the projections P
or PI has reached the end of the lever g³ and pressing against it, moves it from
the position shown by dotted lines, to the position shown by full lines. This
movement tilts the arm G¹ back to the position shown in Figure 1 so that at the

page_text: While I have shown each valve connected with its respective service pipe, yet
it is obvious that each might be connected with its system at other points and still,
come within the scope of my invention.
It is also obvious that numerous other details of the construction might be
altered without departing from the spirit of the invention which consists essentially
in the production of means independent of the impulsing mechanism for govern-
ing the admission of air to and from the system.
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: :-
1. In a pneumatic clock system, the combination with the air-impulsing mechanism
and mechanism for operating the same, of mechanism for governing the admission
of air to and from the system, independent of the air-impulsing mechanism, sub-
stantially as described.
2. In a pneumatic clock system, the combination of an impulsing mechanism
and mechanism for operating the same, a service-pipe, and means independent of
the impulsing mechanism for governing the admission of air to and from the
service-pipe, substantially as described.
3. In a pneumatic clock system, the combination of an impulsing mechanism
and mechanism for operating the same, a service-pipe and means independent of
the impulsing mechanism for opening the service-pipe to the external air, sub-
stantially as described.
4. In a pneumatic clock system, the combination of an impulsing mechanism
and mechanism for operating the same, a service-pipe, and a valve independent of
the impulsing mechanism for governing the admission of the air to and from the
service-pipe, substantially as described.
5. In a pneumatic clock system, the combination of an impulsing mechanism and
mechanism for operating the same, a service-pipe and a valve independent of the
impulsing mechanism for opening the service pipe to the external air, substan-
tially as described.
6. In a pneumatic clock system, the combination of a motor, an impulsing
mechanism operated thereby, a service-pipe connected with the impulsing
mechanism, a lever adapted to open and close communication between the service-
pipe and the external air, means whereby said motor may move the lever in one
direction and a time mechanism working independent of the motor controlling
the movement of the lever in the opposite direction, substantially as described.
7. In a pneumatic clock system, the combination of a motor, an impulsing
mechanism operated thereby, a service-pipe connected with the impulsing
mechanism, means for governing admission of air to and from the service-pipe
independent of the impulsing mechanism, and means between the motor and said
governing means for closing the admission of air to the service-pipe before the
movement of the impulsing mechanism to create an impulse, substantially as
described.
8. In a pneumatic clock system, the combination of a motor, an impulsing
mechanism operated thereby, a service-pipe connected with the impulsing
mechanism, a valve for governing admission of air to and from the service-pipe
independent of the impulsing mechanism, and means between the motor and valve
for closing the valve before the impulse is started by the impulsing mechanism,
substantially as described.
9. In a pneumatic clock system, the combination of the motor, an impulsing
mechanism operated thereby, a service-pipe connected with the impulsing
mechanism, means for governing admission of air to and from the service-pipe
independent of the impulsing mechanism, and a time-mechanism adapted to release
said governing mechanism and allow it to open the service-pipe, substantially as
described.
10. In a pneumatic clock system, the combination of a motor, an impulsing