Improvements in or relating to Watchmen's Time Cheoking Apparatus.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 6th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 6th Jan., 1897
Improvements in or relating to Watchmen's Time Cheoking
Apparatus.
A communication from VICTOR CHIRON, of 67 Rue de Paris, Brest, in the
Republic of Frauce.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The present invention is founded on the combination of a special system of
producing a record, with a clockwork, which records the hours when the watchman
passed, upon a sheet or strip of paper, or a dial, which makes only one revolution
during the time that the small hand of a clock makes two revolutions.
The special system of producing a record consists of a pencil, fixed behind a rod,
to which rod the watchman in his rounds gives a to-and-fro movement, tracing a
line on a sheet of paper at the time of the round, checking in this manner the
exactitude of the man's service.
The clock work is enclosed in a case, as usual; the recording apparatus with
its movable pencil is fixed on the inside of the walls of the case either at the
bottom forming a hinged cover, or at the side according to the shape of the sheet
for records.
The case of the clock is continued for several centimeters backwards. The
wheel of the drum by the aid of intermediate toothed wheels causes the small hand
of the clock to make one revolution in twelve hours.
But the same wheel engages also with a pinion and transmits to a dial, through
suitable wheels, a movement calculated in such manner that one of these wheels,
behind which is fixed a dial, makes one revolution in twenty-four hours, whilst
the small hand of the clock makes two revolutions during the same time.
This recording dial is held against the face of the wheel which carries it by a
nut.
The face of the boss of that wheel is provided with two pins placed side by
side, against which pins the dial is pressed and which perforate it in such manner
that it should be impossible to change the position of the dial with fraudulent
inteut after it is once put in place, without escaping detection.
The recording dial, making one revolution in twenty-four hours, allows the whole
day to be checked without touching the dial. The periphery of the dial is sub-
divided into twenty-four parts marked twice twelve hours. It is provided with radial
lines corresponding to hours, half hours etc. A pencil placed in front and resting
on paper, traces a curve during the time that the dial is revolving; the pencil being
fixed, this curve will be a circle. If the paper dial is placed in conformity with
the hour shown by the clock-which is done by placing the dial so as to have that
hour just opposite to a zero point, marked on the case the radial lines will corre-
spond to the existing hour, and every deviation given to the pencil will record the
exact hour when this deviation has been made.

page_text: It will therefore be sufficient for the watchman to give the pencil any movement
in order to record his passage, and this mark will show the exact hour when he
passed.
When he is on duty he will make this movement now in one direction and then in
another; the pencil will trace a broken circle, and the relation of this breakage
with the hours will show the exactitude of his service.
In short, the aim of the apparatus is;-
1. To record not only the passage but also the return.
2. To record simultaneous passage of several persons constituting the watch.
3. To check the man in charge who by handling the apparatus at prescribed
intervals will have to show that he has been really watching.
4. To be able to utilise the same recording dials for several days without having
to replace it.
5. To provide a check for 24 hours.
The pencil is carried by a movable rod, to which could be given a to-and-fro
movement, either by means of a screw, or by a tooth rack or by an eccentric. The
continuity of the described curve will therefore be interrupted; the mark left by
the peneil on paper will be simply a short straight line, if the backward movement
of the to-and-fro movement follows immediately after the forward movement; it
will be an are of a circle of a greater or less diameter, if only movement in one
direction had taken place, and a second movement in the opposite direction, some
time afterwards, will bring the pencil on to the first position.
By telling the watchman to raise the pencil to the extent of one notch when be
passes and to lower it to the extent of one notch when he returns, my correspondent
is enabled to check the time between his passage and return. It is possible also by
these means to check the passage of different watchmen one after another.
And
as a revolution of the dial corresponds to twenty-four hours, the curve described
being represented by a circle of a greater or less diameter according to the distance
of the pencil from the centre, it will be possible by moving the pencil a certain
amount every day to make it describe another circle of a different diameter, the
breakages of which circles will be the means for checking the day when the pencil
was moved.
The mechanism for the to-and-fro movement of the pencil comprises a plate
fixed on the interior to the cover of the case, a screw turning freely in a bearing
along which screw moves a pencil holder forming a nut. By turning the screw,
the pencil is raised or lowered and traces the breakages of circle, which have been
mentioned above. In order to produce this movement, the controller has a small
handle, which he fixes on the upper part of the screw threaded bolt, which is made
square and stands out of the case. In order to limit the movement and to produce
a to-and-fro movement, a stop-pin is fixed on the case near the screw threaded bolt,
against which strikes a rod, so that the watchman can never turn the screw more
than once in either direction; he will produce in that way the desired to-and-fro
movement, by turning it once in one and then in the opposite direction.
Instead of a screw threaded bolt could be used any other system such as for
instauce a toothed rack with a small wheel, eccentric and the like, producing a
to-and-fro movement and also instead of a dial can be placed on its spindle a roll
of paper which would unwind itself, or a drum covered with paper.
Dated this 6th day of January 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Apparatus.
A communication from VICTOR CHIRON, of 67, Rue de Paris, Brest, in the
Republic of France.
I ALFRED JULIUS BOULT late of 323 High Holborn now of 111 Hatton Garden,
in the County of Middlesex Chartered Patent Agent, 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 present invention consists in the combination of a special system of marking
with a clock movement; indicating the time or times at which the man on duty
passed being indicated on a sheet of paper, band or dial, which makes but one
revolution while the small hand of the clock makes two revolutions.
The special apparatus for producing a record consists of a pencil fixed upon
a stem to which the man on duty gives a to and fro movement in his rounds thereby
making on the sheet a mark at the time of the round, thus checking the exactness
of his duty.
Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings represent the apparatus with the marking
sheet in the form of a dial divided into two sets of twelve hours each.
The clock movement is as usual enclosed in a box A. The marking apparatus
with its movable pencil is secured inside to the cover of the box, either at the
bottom, or at the side according to the kind of marking sheet used.
Fig. 1 shows the driving wheels of the mechanisin in elevation.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the mechanism,
Fig. 3 is a view of the marking apparatus,
Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the same,
Fig. 5 is a view of the marking dial.
A is the box or case containing the clock, B is the spring barrel, by means of
which the wheel C causes the small hand of the clock-to make one revolution in
twelve hours by the intermediate gearing not shown in the drawing. The same
wheel C also engages with wheel D on a spindle D1 and rotates the dial E, by
means of the intermediate wheels F and G the gearing being so arranged that the
wheel G upon which the dial E is fixed makes one revolution in twenty four hours
during which time the small hand of the clock makes two revolutions.
The dial E is secured to the front of the wheel G by a nut H.
The front of this wheel is provided with two screws or projections I J on to
which the dial is forced before the nut H is applied and which mark the marking
dial in a way that it cannot be fraudulently displaced without detection when once
it has been placed in position.
The face of the dial is subdivided into 24 spaces of 2 sets of 12 hours each. It is
provided with radial lines or indications corresponding to the hours, half hours and
quarters.
A pencil placed opposite and pressing on the paper dial traces a curve during the
rotation of the dial.
If the pencil is not moved the curve produced will form a circle. If the paper
dial is carefully placed in accordance with the clock, which is effected by placing.
the dial so that the correct hour is opposite the fixed mark below the pencil on the
box or casing the radial lines will correspond with each hour and all deviations
produced by moving the pencil will mark the exact hour at which the deviations
were produced.

page_text: It is therefore sufficient for the man on duty to make a movement of the pencil
to indicate on the dial his passage, or presence, and this mark will show the exact
hour at which he passed.
For night watches he may make this movement sometimes one way and sometimes
another the pencil will mark a broken or uneven circle, and it is the relation of
these breaks with the hours which will indicate and check the next performance of
his duty.
In short the aim of this apparatus is
1. To mark not only the passage but the return also of the watchman.
2. To mark the simultaneous passage of several watchmen, constituting the
watch.
3. To check a watchman who by means of the apparatus will effect a proof that
he has been on duty during the preseribed time.
4. To be able to employ the same recording dial for several days without being
obliged to replace it.
5. To furnish a check for 24 hours.
The pencil is carried by a movable stem by which can be produced a to-and-fro
movement either by means of a screw or by an hook or an eccentric.
In instructing the man on duty to raise the pencil one notch on his going away,
and to lower it a noteh on his return, the time between his leaving and returning
can be controlled.
The passage of several watchmen can be controlled in this way.
And as one revolution of the dial corresponds to 24 hours, the described curve
being represented by a circle more or less large according to the distance of the
pencil from the centre, in moving the pencil a certain distance each day, it could
be made to trace another circle of different diameter, of which the breaks would
represent the checking of the day in which this displacement had been made.
In the drawing hereto annexed the mechanism for the to-and-fro movement of
the pencil is represented by Figures, 3 & 4, M is a slip of wood attached to the
inner side of the lid of the easing and provided with a narrow opening S for the
movement and adjustment of the marker.
N is a screw turning freely in the bearings O O.
Upon this screw the pencil-holder P is placed Q being the pencil.
By turning the screw the pencil is raised or lowered and traces the breaks in the
circle to which I have already referred.
To perform this movement the apparatus is provided with a batton or small
handle fixed to the upper end of the screwed stem, cut square and projecting out of
the casing.
To limit the movement and produce the to-and-fro movement a stop is fixed to or
formed on the box, by the side of the screwed stem against which a projection R or
the arm of the handle strikes, so that the man on duty can never force the screw to
make more than one revolution backwards or forwards.
He thus performs the to-and-fro movement desired in turning once in one
direction and once in another. In place of a screwed spindle a hook with a small
wheel or an eccentric giving a to-and-fro movement may be employed or in place
of the dial a roll of paper can be drawn across the path of the pencil, or a rotating
drum covered with paper may be employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what
I claim is
1. The controlling or checking apparatus for watchmen and others consisting in
a clock movement causing a divided dial or the like or drum to revolve in
combination with a marking instrument carried in the casing and moved by the
watchmen whereby the continuous lines produced by the marking instrument on the
dial will be broken or irregular, and thus indicate the hour of his passage or
performance of his duty substantially as described.

page_text: 2. In a time checking apparatus a register dial or drum, operated by the clock
mechanism which makes one revolution while the small hand of the clock makes two
revolutions as described.
3. In a time checking apparatus a pencil holder or marker attached to the
casing mounted upon a screwed spindle or equivalent whereby an up or down
movement is produced so that the marker indicates on a dial or drum the passage
of the watchman or performance of his duty substantially as described.
Dated this 30th day of September 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.