IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TIMEKEEPERS, AND TV LOGARITA
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Thomas Loseby, of Gerrard Street,
Islington, in the County of Middlesex, Horologist, for the In-
vention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TIMEKEEPERS,
AND TV LOGARITA"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Thomas
Loseby at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 9th December 1852.
I, EDWARD THOMAS LOSEBY, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TIMEKEEPERS,
AND IN CASES TO BE APPLIED THERETO," to be as follows:-
This Invention refers to certain means to be employed in clocks
or timekeepers for compensating for the effect produced upon them
by changes of temperature, and (when pendulums are used) for the
difference in the time of the pendulum's vibration between long and
short arcs of oscillation. The Invention refers also to cases for
enclosing pendulum clocks, and likewise to a mode of regulating
the time of turret clocks by astronomical clocks thus compensated.
In constructing a compensation balance for chronometers, it is

page_text: required to remove a defect which causes a chronometer to gain in
the intermediate températures, when perfectly adjusted for the ex-
tremes, on account of the balance spring losing elastic force at
an accumulating rate over the effect produced by the compound
lamine of the balance. This defect I remove by applying to the
balance. curved tubes, containing mercury or.other fluid, in addition
to the ordinary compensation, the tubes being arranged in such a
position as to cause the 'mercury, on expanding by an increase
of temperature, to approach the centre of the balance at an accu-
mulating rate, corresponding to the law of alteration in the elastic
force of the spring.
When using mercury as applied to a pendulum, I find it de-
sirable to pack the ends of the vessel containing the mercury; and
for this purpose I apply stuffing boxes at both ends of the vessel,
into which hollow plugs, that allow of the passage through them of
the pendulum rod, are screwed, and by that means the mercury is
prevented from escaping from the vessel.
In order to remove the difference in the time of the pendulum's
vibration between long and short arcs of oscillation, I cause a pin,
projecting from an arm affixed to the pendulum rod, to move in the
coil of a compensating spring, secured by a clamp, or otherwise, to
any convenient adjacent fixed point; and, as the pendulum vibrates,
this pin will draw the spring into an elliptical form, while the re-
action of the spring will give the required impulse to the pendulum.
In regulating the time of turret clocks by the aid of astronomical
clocks, I attach to the arbor of the fourth wheel a detent lever, the
extremity of which rests upon the fifth wheel arbor, which is
recessed to form a bearing for the detent.
The fifth wheel has a
portion of its teeth removed, and one of its arms carries an adjust-
able weight. The opposite end of the fifth wheel arbor to that on
which the detent rests carries a second detent, which rests against
the scape wheel arbor of the small astronomical clock; that arbor
being recessed at opposite sides, to form bearing surfaces to the
forked end of the second detent lever. The action of the apparatus
is as follows: - Once a minute, as the seconds hand of the small
-

page_text: clock arrives at 60, one notch in the scape arbor allows the forked
detent to pass, which, being liberated, permits the weight of the
fifth wheel to give that wheel an axial motion, and so liberate the
other detent lever; at the same time it causes the teeth of the fifth
wheel to fall into gear with those of the fourth wheel. The detent
of the turret clock being free, the large train and hands are set in
motion, regulated by the ordinary fly, whilst the fifth wheel is carried
round until it arrives at the part where the teeth are wanting, when
the weight causes the wheel again to fall out of gear with the fourth
wheel, and the forked detent to rest against the scape arbor. The
train continues to move until the first-mentioned detent has made
one revolution, and again assumes its quiescent position on the cir-
cular part of the fourth arbor. During this time the large hands
will have moved through a space denoting one minute, and they
will then remain stationary until again released by the small clock,
when the like action will be repeated.
To prevent the forked detent from falling on to the flat part of
the scape arbor, instead of the circular part, it is made with two
prongs or arms, "the second of which projects from the detent in
advance of the other, which retains the detent until the discharging
notch in the scape arbor has moved half-way round, when it escapes
through a notch cut on the opposite side. No pendulum or escape-
ment is required for the large train, the power of which is merely
employed to drive the hands, and let off the striking and quarters,
the time being entirely regulated by the small clock.
Instead of the present mode of mounting pendulum clocks, I
propose to support them on a bracket, which is also to carry the
casc. This case I make by preference of glass, with a hemi-
spherical end; but it may be more convenient to make the lower
end to open, in order to regulate the pendulum.
To afford facility for winding up the clock without opening
the case, a pinion is substituted for the ordinary key, which, de-
scending through the bracket from the outside, acts in a contrite
wheel on the front of the barrel, the pinion being so arranged that
it can be thrown out of gear when not in use.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Thomas Loseby in the Great Scal
Patent Office on the 9th June 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
EDWARD THOMAS LOSEBY, of Gerrard Street, Islington, in the
County of Middlesex, Horologist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Edward Thomas Loseby,
Her special license that I, the said Edward Thomas Loseby, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Edward Thomas Loseby, my executors, administrators, and as-
signs, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF TIMEKEEPERS, AND IN CASES TO BE APPLIED THERETO,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward
Thomas Loseby, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
scal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent.
"
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Thomas Loseby, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what man-
ner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and Figures
inarked thereon (that is to say): -
This Invention of improvements in the construction of time-

page_text: keepers refers, firstly, to that part of chronometers, watches, and
clocks called the compensation balance, the object being to remove a
defect in the ordinary compensation, which causes the chronometer
to gain in intermediate temperatures, when perfectly adjusted for
the extremes, on account of the balance spring losing elastic force
at an accumulating rate over the effect produced by the compound
lamina of the balance. This defect I remove by applying to the
balance curved tubes containing mercury or other fluid, in addi-
tion to the ordinary compensation, the tubes being arranged in
such a position as to cause the mercury, on expanding by an in-
crease of temperature, to approach the centre of the balance at an
accumulating rate corresponding to the law of alteration in the
elastic force of the spring.
In the accompanying Drawing, this novel mode of compensation
is shewn in plan view at Fig. 1, and in side elevation at Fig.
2, in both of which the same letters refer to similar parts. A, is
the bar of the balance; B, B, is the compound rim of the balance;
C, C, are timing screws, and D, D, are weights for adjusting the
ordinary compensation. E, E, are the supplementary compensation
tubes; F, F, and G, G, are fittings for attaching the tubes to the
balance, which are secured by the screws H, H. I, I, are screws
connecting the parts F, and G, together; they also allow the in-
clination of the tubes to be adjusted. The action of this improve-
ment will be better understood by reference to the Diagram,
Fig. 3, where the line a, represents the diameter of the balance,
and b, its circumference; c, the curve of the tube, tending from the
bulb g, to the centre d, of the balance e, are circles concentric with
the centre d, and dividing the line representing the tube into
equal parts, corresponding to the position of the mercury in equal
increments of temperature. f, are lines radiating from the centre,
showing the different inclination of each division of the tube to the
radii of the balance. The progressional increase of motion in the
column towards the centre, and consequently its effect on the mo-
ment of inertia of the balance, is shewn on the radius nearest the
bulb, where it is crossed by the segments c.

page_text: The second improvement has reference to such timekeepers as
are furnished with a pendulum, the object sought being to re-
move the difference in the time of the pendulum's vibration be
tween long and short arcs of oscillation. This is accomplished by
adding a compensation, which increases its effect on the pendulum,
at the same accumulating rate as the increase in the length of the
arc of vibration retards it, and thereby causes the long and short
arcs to be performed in the same time. The mode of carrying out
this improvement is shown in front elevation at Fig. 4, and in side
clevation at Fig. 5, in both of which the same letters refer to the
saine parts. A, is the pendulum rod; B, is the compensating
spring, supported by a clamp C, which is carried by a box G; D, is
a slide on the pendulum rod, carrying the bar E, which is secured
in any required position by the screw F. The box G, has a glass
in front, for the purpose of protecting the spring B, from injury; and
it is attached to a rod H, at the back, descending from the seat
board of the clock casc, and secured at any height by the binding
screw I. A pin J, projects from the bar E, which, as the pendulum
vibrates, draws the spring into an elliptical form. When this
improvement is employed in turret and other large clocks, the box
containing the spring is secured to any convenient part of the clock
or building.
-
The third part of the Invention refers to an improvement in the
mercurial pendulum, whereby the following objects are achieved
(viz.): Firmness of construction and portability, the necessity
for removing the mercury from the mercury vessel being avoided,
while, at the same time, the mercury is preserved from oxidation
and dust. The improvement consists in packing the ends of the
vessel containing the mercury, as shown in sectional elevation at
Fig. 6, where A, is the pendulum rod; B, a glass cylinder con-
taining the mercury; C, C, are stuffing boxes, into which the
plugs D, are screwed; E, is a regulating nut, working on the
threaded end F, of the pendulum rod; G, G, are small plugs fitted
with screws, cemented into the cylinder B, their use being to
afford facility for adding or removing mercury; I, I, is the packing,

page_text: and J, the arc scale, which is read off by a vernier K, attached to
the pendulum rod A.
The fourth improvement is intended to enable an ordinary
sized astronomical clock to regulate the movements of the largest
turret clock, without the intervention of electricity.
The method of effecting this is shown at Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10,
where the same letters refer to the same parts throughout.
Fig. 7, is an elevation of the improvement seen from the back,
and Fig. 8, a side view, in both of which the framework of the.
large wheels is omitted, to show the other parts more distinctly. A,
is the third wheel of the large clock train, which, together with the
centre wheel and barrel, not shown here, will not differ from the
ordinary construction; B, is the fourth wheel, in the pinion of
which A, acts; C, is a fly and pinion, driven by the wheel B, and
provided with the usual click work and means for altering the fans;
D, is a detent or arm, fixed upon the fourth wheel arbor, and resting
against the fifth arbor, the bearing part of which is reduced to
a semi-cylinder. The-fifth wheel E, has a portion of its teeth re-
moved, and one of its arms is furnished with a weight F, which is
capable of adjustment thereon. The opposite end of the fifth wheel
arbor to that against which the detent bears, passes through the
case G, containing the small clock shown at Fig. 8, and it is
pivoted to the back plate thereof. This arbor carries a second
detent H, which is forked at its bearing end, and rests against the
escape wheel arbor I, of the small clock; at the part where it is sup-
ported by the cock J, the arbor is reduced in two places to a semi-
cylinder (in cross section), as shown in the enlarged view, Fig. 9.
Fig. 10, is a view of the detent H, similarly enlarged, to shew the
fork, &c. more plainly.
The frames and pendulum are suspended from a bracket K,
projecting from the clock case. The back of the case and the
bracket are composed of iron, cast in one piece. The other works
of the small clock being of the ordinary construction, they are
omitted here. The large barrel and centre wheel arbors, also not
shown in the Drawing, may be made, as usual, much longer than

page_text: the third and fourth arbors, and the case containing the small clock
may be supported by fixing it against the frame containing the
large wheels, or otherwise, as the building may necessitate.
The action of this arrangement of machinery will be as follows:-
Once a minute, as the seconds hand of the small clock arrives at 60,
one notch in the escape arbor allows the detent H, to pass, which,
being liberated, permits the weight F, to turn the fifth wheel, and
so liberate the other detent D; and at the same time the teeth of
the fifth wheel will fall into gear with those of the fourth wheel B.
The detent D, being now free, the large train and hands will be set
in motion by means of the pendent weights in connection therewith,
and the motion will be regulated by the fly C; at the same time the
fifth wheel E, will be driven round by the rotation of the wheel B;
but, when that part of the wheel E, which is devoid of teeth, comes
opposite the wheel B, the weight F, will cause the wheel E, to fall
out of gear with the wheel B, and the detent H, will rest against the
escape arbor as before. The large train will continue to move
until the detent D, has made one revolution, and rests in its former
position on the round part of the fourth arbor; and during this
time the large hands will have moved forward over a space on the
dial equal to one minute; they will then remain stationary until
again released by the action of the small clock.
To prevent the detent H, when (brought up again by the ro-
tation of the wheel E), into contact with the arbor I, from falling
on to the flat or notched part of the escape arbor I, instead of
the round part, it is forked, as above stated, and has one prong
set in advance of the other. The arbor I, is also provided with two
notches at different parts of its circunference, to allow of the prongs
escaping past the arbor in succession. When the second prong has
passed its discharging notch in the escape arbor, the detent H, will
be free to move round, and take up a position on the opposite side
of the arbor I, as before.
No pendulum or escapement is required for the large train, the
power of which is merely employed to drive the hands and let off

page_text: the striking and quarters, the time being entirely regulated by the
small clock.
The fifth improvement consists in substituting a case of a kind
shown in side elevation at Fig. 11, for those generally employed
for clocks.
In this Figure, A, is a bracket made of any suitable material,
but represented in the Drawing as being composed of iron cast in
one piece. From this is suspended the clock, the pendulum, and
the body of the case; the latter, B, consisting, by preference, of a
glass cylinder with an hemispherical end (which will probably be
the cheapest and most simple form, where the body is made entirely
of glass) having an opening in it to allow of the regulation of the
pendulum. C, is a ring of metal, or other material, cemented to
the upper end of the cylinder, and has the edge turned outward, to
afford a firm bearing. It is employed to, connect the body of the
case B, with the bracket A, by means of screws or other fastenings.
To afford facility for winding up the clock without opening the
case, a pinion is substituted for the ordinary key, which passes
through the bracket from the outside, and acts in a contrite
wheel fixed on the front of the barrel. The pinion is arranged so
that it can be thrown out of gear when not in use.
This improvement is chiefly intended to protect the clock from
rust, dust, &c., and is more particularly adapted for observatories
and other exposed situations; but, as the case can easily be rendered
air tight, it may be advantageously employed when experimenting
on the vibration of pendulums in vacuo, and also when adjusting
the compensation of pendulums for heat and cold. In the latter
instance, the clock, enclosed in its case, is placed in a second cylin-
der over the other, a space being left between them for water,
to be heated by a lamp at the bottom.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be under-
stood, that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I
claim, as of my Invention,―

page_text: Firstly, the application to the balance of bent tubes containing
mercury, or other fluid, for the purpose above set forth.
Secondly, I claim the application of the compensation above de-
scribed to pendulums, to meet the variations in the rate of the pen-
dulum due to the increase and diminution in the arc of vibration.
Thirdly, I claim the construction of mercurial pendulums as
above described.
Fourthly, I claim the regulating the action of turret or other
large clocks by incans of an astronomical or other small clock
brought into mechanical connection therewith. And I claim parti-
cularly the detent arrangement above described for regulating the
action of turret and other large clocks.
And, lastly, I claim the enclosing of clocks in the manner above
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Thomas Loseby, have
hereunto set my hand and scal, the Ninth day of Junc, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
three.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
E. T. LOSEBY. (L.S.)