IMPROVEMENTS IN COUNTING, INDICATING, AND SIGNALLING : PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION TO
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Sofus Emil Holten, of Gracechurch Street, in
the City of London, and Frederic Henry Varley, of Mildmay
Park Works, Stoke Newington, in the County of Middlesex, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COUNTING, INDICATING, AND SIGNALLING
:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Sofus Emil Holten and
Frederic Henry Varley at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 16th July 1873.
We, SOFUS EMIL HOLTEN, of Gracechurch Street, in the City of
London, and FREDERIC HENRY VARLEY, of Mildmay Park Works,
Stoke Newington, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS. IN COUNTING, INDICATING,
AND SIGNALLING APPARATUS, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO HOROLOGICAL INSTRUMENTS,"
to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists in mechanism or apparatus for counting and
indicating for a certain number of hours or days the number of strokes

page_text: may also be applied for signalling purposes on railways or other places,
and that either close by or "at a distance from the machinery, all as
hereafter described.
The mechanism consists of a drum or cylinder or spirally spun disc,
round which or upon the face of which a card is fixed. The indications
are marked on the card by a pencil, punch, or pointer, and may easily
be taken off, filed, or bound and replaced by another as required.
In one modification of our apparatus the cylinder or drum is made to
revolve with and simultaneously to move longitudinally along a spindle.
These movements are accomplished by clockwork and clectric or electro-
magnetic or magnetic power appliances. This part of the Invention
may be carried out as follows:-We provide an armature acted upon by
an electro-magnet, receiving a current from an electric battery. The
outer end of this armaturé is provided with a pencil or pointer or other
marking instrument, which through the wire connection between the
instrument and the machine or engine, the strokes or revolutions of
which are to be counted or indicated, makes a mark for each stroke or
for a certain number of strokes on the aforesaid card or paper strip,
which is divided into spaces representing hours or other convenient
spaces of time.
According to another modification, and in order to conveniently
indicate or count for the space of several days or even for lengthened
periods of time, as will be hereafter explained, we fix a card on a disc,
which is cut, or spun, or pressed out of a plate of metal so as to be
formed with a volute, groove with several turns near the edge. This
disc is made to revolve by clockwork as described with reference to the
cylinder in the first modification of our Invention. The paper, card, or
disc is divided off radially into spaces representing days or hours or parts
of same.. At each attraction (represented by a certain number of strokes
of the engine) the armature pushes a punch or pointer through or
against the card, being opposite some part of the volute groove. A
small wheel or pulley is made to follow the course of the volute groove,
and the punch is made to travel similarly in a radial direction towards
or from the centre of the disc. The punch is kept from contact with
the paper disc by means of a spring, except when impelled against it by
i the armature as described.

page_text: According to another modification we attach a card round a narrow
or short drum, which is made to revolve by clockwork, but does not
travel longitudinally. The card is divided into spaces representing, say
24 hours; or in order to indicate for longer periods we employ a con-
tinuous strip of paper, which is wound off one roller and on to another.
The face of the drum may have time indications and hands, thus doing
service as an ordinary timepiece.
.
In order to ensure accuracy and to enable the indications to be made
conveniently at a distance from the engine or machinery we prefer to
use a clock of the following description :-It is fitted with a pendulum
having one or two secondary or auxiliary pendulums. Each of the
secondary pendulums is counterpoised, and in its vertical or middle
position comes in contact with the end of an arm forming an armature
for an electro-magnet, thereby causing the secondary pendulum to be
thrown out to one side. The circuit is broken by the main pendulum
swinging against the bob of the secondary pendulum, raising it from the
contact point on the arm of the armature, which is released by gravity
or pulled back by a spring, leaving the weight or impulse alone of the
bob of the secondary pendulum to maintain the oscillations of the main
pendulum through an arc of sufficient magnitude, at the same time
affording a means for accelerating the speed of the pendulum as
required.
We prefer to compensate the pendulum for variations due to
temperature.
To utilize the circuits the clockwork may be driven by means of a
current of one polarity, and the marks or indications made by means of
an indicator actuated by a current of the opposite polarity.
Clocks constructed according to this Invention may also be applied to
O SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Sofus Emil Holten and Frederic Henry Varley in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th January 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, Sofus

page_text: FREDERIC HENRY VARLEY, of Mildmay Park Works, Stoke Newing-
ton, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant.unto us, the said Sofus Emil Holten and Frederic Henry
Varley, Her special licence that we, the said Sofus Emil Holten and
Frederic Henry Varley, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said Sofus Emil Holten and Frederic Henry
Varley, our exécutors, administrators, and assigns, 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 COUNTING, INDICATING, AND SIGNALLING APPARATUS, PARTLY
APPLICABLE TO HOROLOGICAL INSTRUMENTS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Sofus Emil Holten and Frederick Henry Varley,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our, or one of our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 we, the said Sofus Emil Holten and Frederic
Henry Varley, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had
to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters of reference marked
thereon, that is to say :-
Our Invention consists in mechanism or apparatus for counting and
indicating for a certain number of hours or days the number of strokes
or revolutions or recurring changes of revolving or other machinery, and
may also be applied for signalling purposes on railways or other places
and that either close by or at a distance from the machinery, all as
hereafter described.

page_text: The mechanism consists of a drum or cylinder spirally spun disc
round which, or upon the face of which, a card is fixed; the indications*
are marked on this card by a pencil, punch, or pointer, and may easily
be taken off, filed, or bound, and replaced by another as required.
1
In one modification of our apparatus the cylinder or drum is made to
revolve with and simultaneously to move longitudinally along a spindle.
These movements are accomplished by clockwork and electric or electro-
magnetic or magnetic power appliances. This part of the Invention
may be carried out as follows:-We provide an armature acted upon by
an electro-magnet receiving a current from an electric battery. The
outer end of this armature is provided with a pencil or pointer or other
marking instrument, which, through the wire connection between the
instrument and the machine or engine, the strokes or revolutions of
which are to be counted or indicated makes a mark for each stroke or for
a certain number of strokes on the aforesaid card or paper strip, which
is divided into spaces representing hours or other convenient spaces of
time.
According to another modification, and in order to conveniently
indicate or count for the space of several days or even for lengthened
periods of time, as will be hereafter explained, we fix a card on a disc
which is cut or spun or pressed out of a plate of metal, so as to be formed
with a volute groove with several turns near the edge; this disc is made
to revolve by clockwork as described with reference to the cylinder in
the first modification of our Invention, the paper card or disc is divided
off radially into spaces representing days or hours or parts of same.. At
each attraction (represented by a certain number of strokes of the engine)
the armature pushes a punch or pointer through or against the card,
being opposite some part of the volute groove; a small wheel or pulley
is made to follow the course of the volute groove, and the punch is made
to travel similarly in a radial direction towards or from the centre of the
disc. The punch is kept from contact with the paper disc by means of
a spring, except when impelled against it by the armature as described.
According to another modification we attach a card round a narrow or
short drum, which is made to revolve by clockwork, but does not travel
longitudinally.. The card is divided into spaces representing, say, 24
hours. Or in order to indicate for longer periods we employ a con-
tinuous strip of paper which is wound off one roller and on to another.
.

page_text: The face of the drum may have time indications and hands, thus doing
service as an ordinary timepiece.
In order to ensure accuracy, and to enable the indications to be made
conveniently at a distance from the engine or machinery, we prefer to
use a clock of the following description:-It is fitted with a pendulum
having one or two secondary or auxiliary pendulums. Each of the
secondary pendulums is counterpoised, and in its vertical or middle
position comes in contact with the end of an arm forming an armature
for an electro-magnet, thereby causing the secondary pendulum to be
thrown out to one side, the circuit is broken by the main pendulum
swinging against the bob of the secondary pendulum, raising it from
the contact point on the arm of the armature, which is released by
gravity or pulled back by a spring, leaving the weight or impulse alone
of the bob of the secondary pendulum to maintain the oscillations of the
main pendulum through an arc of sufficient magnitude, at the same
time affording a means for accelerating the speed of the pendulum aș
required.
We prefer to compensate the pendulum for variations due
temperature.
To utilize the circuits the clockwork may be driven by means of a
current of one polarity, and the marks or indications made by means of
an indicator actuated by a current of the opposite polarity.
Clocks constructed according to this Invention may also be applied to
other purposes.
Fig. 1 shews a modification of our apparatus; the cylinder or drum C
is driven by means of clockwork communicated through the pinion P,
the lower end W has a spiral thread or screw cut upon it, so that on
rotating in the direction shewn by the arrow the cylinder or drum is
made to move longitudinally along the spindle. Over the cylinder or
drum C we place a paper cylinder which is to receive the indicated
diagram; these cylinders of paper are ruled with vertical lines, and
divide it into twenty-four equal parts corresponding to the hours of the
day with their relative and convenient subdivision.
When using
ordinary clockwork to impart motion to the cylinder or drum C we
prefer to employ a seven or fourteen day clock with the dial work
altered, so as to give one complete revolution of the hand in the twenty-
four hours,

page_text: The motion communicated to the cylinder or drum C may be effected
by connecting it in direct line with the long spindle of the hour wheel.
of clock, as the cylinder or drum C may be placed alongside the dial
of the clock and the motion communicated to the cylinder or drum C
aforesaid by means of wheel gearing. This portion of the arrangement.
is so obvious that it is not necessary to shew it in Drawing; E is
an electro-magnet mounted on the frame F carrying the standard S,
with the marking point M, which slides freely through the tee shaped
head J of the standard S, and held back a short distance from the
surface of the paper by the spring T. On a current of electricity
passing through the electro-magnets the armature A is attracted and
drives the marking point M forward by means of the lever a causing
the point to indent or perforate the paper falling back to its original
position on the cessation of the electric current. We employ this to
record the number of revolutions, strokes, or recurring changes in
machinery, as follows:- We place on the rotary shaft an eccentric or
cam, which eccentric or cam on the completion of a revolution is made
to close or complete the contact of an electric battery with one of the
wires of the electro-magnet E, the other pole of the battery being
connected to the other wire of the electro-magnet, as shewn by+and-
positive and negative signs; the positive being connected direct and the
negative connected to a cam or device which opens and closes the circuit
with the other pole of battery. The cylinder or drum rotary moving,
at the same time longitudinally passing one division every hour, the
indicating point M making an indentation or a perforated hole for every
revolution of the shaft, thus if the shaft to which the apparatus for
opening or closing the circuit is attached, makes twenty-four revolutions
in the hour twenty-four punctures will be made in the space corre-
sponding to the hour, and according as the speed of the shaft varies so
will the number of perforations. On the completion of 'one revolution
of the cylinder or drum C, i. e. in twenty-four hours, each division will
shew the variation of speed from hour to hour, if any, by the number
of perforations between each division, and will continue to do so for
any number of days that the clock is set to, and should there be a
stoppage from break downs or other causes the duration of such
stoppage will be indicated by the blank space on the paper. Fifty
indications per hour being the maximun number generally required
to be recorded, each of these may be made to correspond with one
hundred or one thousand revolutions of the main shaft, which is effected

page_text: arrangement, as set forth, the drum may be formed with a spiral
groove, and the T shaped head J be made to raise and fall, so as to
follow with its pointer in or along the said groove in a manner similar
to that which shall be presently described with reference to Figs.
2 and 3.
Figs. 2 and 3 shew another arrangement for recording speeds, in
which the diagram employed is a flat disc of paper; in this arrangement
we attach to the clockwork a broad ring C, which is affixed to the
spindle or wheel of the clock generally employed to carry the hour
hand; this disc has volute grooves cut on both sides, as shewn by D
in Figs. 2 and 3. The number of grooves corresponds with the day for
which the clock is set to run, namely, a seven day clock would have
seven grooves, a fourteen day clock fourteen grooves, and so on. By
this arrangement the paper, card, or disc is divided off radially into
spaces representing days or hours, or parts of the same at each attraction
representing a certain number of strokes of the engine or revolutions
of the machinery; the armature A pushes the punch or pointer M
through or against the paper, card, or disc, being opposite some portion
of the volute groove, as shewn in Fig. 3; this is effected through the
travelling gear H, Figs. 2 and 3, which is arranged to follow the volute
grooves by means of the rollers R, R, pressed in front of the paper by
the spring S₁ forcing the arm K which carries the corresponding
roller R, which rests in the volute groove at the back of the disc;
between the two rollers R, R, is placed a small cylinder, through the
axis of which passes the punch or pointer M; this punch or pointer
is held back or lifted from the surface of the paper by the spring S
pressing against the stop Q attached to punch or pointer M aforesaid;
the indications are marked in the same manner as in the previously
described arrangement. But the pointer M produces its indications
on the face of the disc, as shewn by the dotted lines Fig. 2, the lower
portion of the travelling gear H slides freely through the socket or
guide G and travels radially from the inner volute to the outer edge of
the disc in seven or more days, according to the number of grooves in
the disc.

page_text: When the series of indications are completed, requiring a fresh paper
disc or card, the travelling gear H is lowered by pressing in an upward
direction the lever which is affixed to the arm K, forcing the roller R¹
out of the groove, allowing the travelling gear H to descend still further
into the socket or guide G; this leaves the'dial clear for removing the
indicated disc and putting a fresh one in its place which is held on to
the ring containing the volute grooves by means of a spring ring or
clips or other suitable devices attached thereto, this arrangement is not
shewn in drawing. To start the arrangement to continue indicating, the
travelling gear H is raised, the lever being pressed upwards at the
same time so as to allow the roller R¹ to return to the starting point, i.e.,
the inner volute in the position shewn in Fig. 3, when it will continue
to work as heretofore described on rewinding up the clock.
In either of the foregoing arrangements we sometimes prefer to
substitute a marking pointer made of blacklead or metallic lead, or a
substance known as solid ink, or a cylinder disc or rod of any suitable
marking substance which is impelled or pressed against the paper when-
ever a current of electricity passes through the magnet.
The employment of the travelling gear is equally suitable to the first
described arrangement whenever it is found desirable not to employ
longitudinal motion to the cylinder or drum as aforesaid.
According to another modification we attach a card round a narrow or
short drum which is made to revolve by clockwork but does not travel
longitudinally. The card is divided into spaces, say twenty-four hours,
or in order to indicate for longer periods of time we employ a continuous
slip of paper which is wound from one roller to the other. The face may
have time indications and hands, thus doing the service of an ordinary
timepiece; this applies to all the previously described arrangements.
We prefer to employ the volute groove and travelling gear as described
as being the most convenient method for indicating in continuous series,
but concentric circles or grooves may be turned on the face of the disc
or the periphery of the drum; by this arrangement we have to employ
a step motion for raising or lowering the marker from one circle to the
other on the completion of each circular record, or the travelling gear
may be raised or lowered by means of screws or wheel work to trace a
continuous series of spirals on the periphery of the drum or volutes on
the face of the disc.

page_text: In order to ensure accuracy and to enable the indications to be made
conveniently at a distance from the engine or machinery, we prefer to
use a clock of the following description as shewn in Fig. 4.
Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of a secondary pendulum with appendages;
and Fig. 5ª is a side view of the armature for the same. The clock U is
fitted with a pendulum P, having one or two secondary or auxiliary
pendulums d, d. Each of the secondary pendulums is counterpoised by
the weight W, and in its vertical or middle position comes in contact
with the end a¹¹ of an arm a³, forming an armature for an electro-
magnet e, thereby causing the secondary pendulum d to be thrown out
to one side from the position shewn in dotted lines to that shewn in full
lines, as the current is communicated through the insulated bracket C
and pendulum rod d through the contact a" to the bracket B, to which
is connected one wire of the electro-magnet e, the other wire of which
passes to the coil of the electro-magnet escapement E, Fig. 6, closing
the circuit through both the electro-magnets and impelling the escape-
ment of the clock, one tooth forward holding the secondary pendulum to
one side, as shewn in full lines in Fig. 5, on the pendulum P swinging
against the friction roller F which is fixed to the bob of the secondary
pendulum d, the secondary pendulum is raised off the contact a¹¹ and
breaks the circuit, when the spring S pulls the armature a¹ off against
the stop K, as shewn in dotted lines, the secondary pendulum then
descends, communicating its impulse to the main pendulum P until the
secondary pendulum d arrives at the vertical position, when it comes in
contact with a", again closing the circuit, and the armature being
attracted by the electro-magnet e raises the secondary pendulum & into
the position, as shewn in full lines in Fig. 5, at the same time giving
another impulse to the clock escapement and so on.
Fig. 4 shews the pendulum P as having swung to the right hand
secondary pendulum d and broken the contact at a", the armature being
pulled back, as shewn in Drawing; in this position the secondary
pendulum & gives its impulse to pendulum P; the left hand secondary
pendulum d is represented as having made contact with d¹ prior to its
being raised by the arm a¹; in this way we employ the electric current to
raise the secondary pendulum and use gravity only to keep up the
oscillations of the pendulum P, and utilize the electric currents for the
purpose of mechanically driving the clockwork whereby variations in
the strength of the current do not influence the rate of oscillation of the

page_text: pendulum P, and the regular propulsion of the clockwork is controlled
by the periodic making and breaking of the circuit by the secondary
pendulum falling against or being raised off the contacts a".
•
The secondary pendulums d are further compensated for temperature
and rate of oscillation so as to give a uniform and unvarying impulse.
It this arrangement it is not necessary that the indicating portion of the
clock be near the pendulum, but it may be placed at any convenient
distance from the pendulum and connected by the necessary wires.
The arrangement of pendulums as above set forth may obviously be
applied for other purposes than the one here named, thus for instance it
may be applied to ordinary clocks or timepicces.
A secondary instrument or relay may be employed for sending positive
(or negative) currents for controlling the time indications, and the
opposite negative (or positive) electricity for indicating speed or number
of recurring changes or motions.
And having now set forth the nature of this Invention, and fully
described some mechanisms or apparatus for counting and indicating for
a certain number of hours or days the number of strokes or revolutions
or recurring changes of revolving or other machinery by which we are
-able to indicate the speeds close to the machinery, or at any distance
from the same by means of electric contacts effected through the
movements or revolution of machinery or parts thereof which are
arranged to open and close the electric current at each revolution or
given number of revolutions or recurrent changes (without however
claiming any special mode of making contacts by rotary or other
machinery), and having set forth some means of systematically
registering the number of contacts so produced so that from time to
time a correct estimate may be obtained of the work done or doing for
any portion of time, whether it be the rotation of a shaft, the number of
strokes of an engine or machine, or the movement of a turnstile or tell-
tale applied to any existing indicating apparatus to shew during what
portion of the 24 hours. the greatest amount of, or movement, or work
done has taken place, we declare that we claim,—
Firstly. The combination of a rotating drum or disc, and a stationary
or sliding pointer or marker, in such manner that the pointer shall
make its marks or indentations or perforations in a spiral screw or

page_text: volute, or radially increasing or decreasing direction on the drum or disc,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Secondly. The travelling gear for the marker described with reference
to Figs. 2 and 3.
Thirdly. The general combination and arrangement of the drum or
disc, the pointer or marker, and the armature and electro-magnet, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Fourthly. The pendulum and secondary pendulum or pendulums,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Sofus Emil Holten, for myself, and
on behalf of the said Frederic Henry Varley, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.