Improvements in and connected with Clocks.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Clocks.
LORENZO DRESCHI of No. 9 Jervis Road Lillie Road Fulham London S.W.
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
A. 24-hour musical clock which has the horological figures marked thereon in
two sections of 12-hours each, and also four of the principal elements of music
marked on the face or dial. At the cardinal points of the said dial there are four
openings exposing to view the corresponding sections of an inner revolving dial
which indicate by musical and horological figures the approach of each hour, and
strikes accordingly.
The one section appearing through the upper opening is that that shows and
represent the proper hour; while the others three sections appearing through the
collateral openings are intended for demonstrative purpose only. All the musical
signs, notes, and keys appear written in a proceeding order by 5th to 5th on
the revolving dial; while the horological figures appear by their numeral order
also written on the same revolving dial and are placed there over the notes or
sounds to which they are purposely combined.
At 12 o'clock "mid-day "the enharmonic change will appear on the revolving
dial as shown through the openings of the face of the clock.
The revolving dial is mechanically connected with; and receives the motive power
from the whole mechanism of an ordinary clock, more particularly from that part
which rules the minutes hand or index so that when the same hand has completed
its revolution in 60 minutes; the revolving dial is bound to shift a 24th part of its
circumference and consequently to expose a new series of sections through the said
openings, at the same time the striking system strikes the notes on bells, gongs,
combs or on any other sonorous instruments as to produce the two sounds according
to the notes and hour shown through the upper opening. The sounds themselves
are tuned on the diapason numbered and appointed by the musical authority of
that place in which this system is intend for.
As a time teller this novelty claims all the advantages of an ordinary clock; and
by the combination and connection with musical-elements it forms the means for
training the ear in sounds, so that in course of time a person will be able to
distinguish by the sounds the different notes in all the scales and keys known and
named in theory and practice of music as they appear in turn and strike at the
beginning of, and are intended for each hour throughout the day and night.
The conjunction of the two "musical and horological" systems so combined and
performing as stated in this specification is what forms the invention.
Dated this 18th day of September 1895.

page_text: Improvements in and connected with Clocks.
LORENZO DRESCHI 26, Chesson Road West Kensington (late of 9 Jervis Road,
Lillie Road, Fulham) London W. 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 :-
This invention which relates to clocks will be best understood by reference to the
accompanying drawings in which :-
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of as much of one of my improved clocks as is
necessary to illustrate my invention.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a face view of the revolving dial.
Figs. 4 and 5 are two elevations and Fig. 6 is a plan showing the mechanism for
intermittently operating the revolving dial.
Fig. 7, Fig. 8, Fig. 9 and Fig. 10, each consisting of two elevations taken at
right angles to each other, represent various detached portions of the inechanism
hereinafter fully described.
Like letters of reference represent like parts throughout the several figures of
the drawings.
•
In carrying my invention into practice I provide a 24 hour clock the dial A of
which has the horological figures a marked thereon in two sections each of twelve
hours as shown in Fig. 1.
There are also marked on the dial A four of the principal elements of music as
at a', for example the musical alphabet or the seven notes may be depicted in the
upper left hand part, the septeclavis or the seven clefs in the upper right hand
part, the stave in the lower right hand part, and the accidental signs or the five
signs of alterations of sounds in the lower left hand part, all
in Fig. 1.
as shown
At the cardinal points of the dial A, which is: a fixture, and separating the
inscriptions a' from each other, there are four openings or wickets a' through which
are visible the various markings or inscriptions 6 on the revolving dial B mounted
at the back of the stationary dial A. The dial B is moved through one twenty-
fourth of a revolution at each operation and its face is divided up into twenty-four
segments, which bear distinctive musical inscriptions or signs b, and the horological
figures denoting the hours, these various inscriptions and figures being in turn
presented at the before mentioned wicket a*.
The particular inscription 6 on the dial B which at any time appears at the
uppermost of the wicket a' is that which indicates the hour, and the notes which
are sounded when that hour is entered upon; the other inscriptions & appearing
at the three other or lower wickets a³, are intended to serve merely for demonstrative
purposes.
All the musical signs, notes and keys or inscriptions b, are depicted on the
revolving dial B in an order proceeding by fifths, while the figures 6' denoting
the hours are in proper numerical order, and are situated over or outside of the
said musical inscriptions, one special musical inscription being apportioned to each
hour.
The revolving dial B is mounted concentrically with, but otherwise independently
of the dial A, and is supported in any convenient manner which will allow of
its rotating freely when operated at the beginning or termination of each hour.
The means shown in the drawings for intermittently rotating the dial B, consist
of a toothed pinion e rigidly secured upon the minute arbor c', Fig. 6, engaging
with a spur wheel d of twice the diameter of the pinion c, and carrying two
diametrically opposite tappets which alternately come into contact with the

page_text: inner end of, and operate a lever e. This levere is rigidly secured to a short
shaft E which is journalled in brackets e¹ secured to the plate F which is connected
by pillars f, to the movement frame G, and by pillars f¹ to the stationary dial A ;
the clock movement, which is supported in the frame G, constitutes no part of my
invention, and is therefore omitted from the drawings.
The inner end of the lever e is free to oscillate at the back of the plate F, at the
front of which plate is free to oscillate a lever arm e' which, like the lever e, is
rigidly secured to the shaft E.
On the lever arm is mounted a pawl e which, by its own weight (or by a
spring) no rmally occupies the position, relatively to the arme, in which it is
shown in full lines in Fig. 5, the weighted end or tail of the said pawl, when the
latter is in said normal position, resting on a stop pin et projecting from the arm e³.
The pawl is free to turn upon the pivot pin e as indicated in dotted lines in
connection with the "full-line" position of the lever arm in Fig. 5, this being
the position relatively assumed by the said pawl during the upward movement of
the lever arme. The pawl e³ is adapted to engage with a ratchet wheel 63 rigidly
secured, by a hollow boss 6, to the back of the revolving dial B. With the
ratchet wheel 63, which is provided with twenty-four teeth engages a spring
controlled detent H provided with an anti-friction roller h, to retain the said
ratchet wheel b³, and consequently the revolving dial B, in position, until by the
engagement of the pawl, e, during its descent with the ratchet wheel, the said
revolving dial is positively rotated. The movement of the lever arm e' and
consequently that of the lever e is limited by the stop pins f projecting forward
from the plate F into the path of the arm e; the motion thus allowed is sufficient,
at each operation to allow the ratchet wheel b³ to be moved to the extent of one
tooth and consequently to move the dial B one twenty-fourth of a revolution
so as to remove the inscriptions b then or last exposed at the wickets a', away from
the latter and bring the immediately succeeding inscription b up to the said
'wickets.
The two extreme positions of the lever e and lever arm are indicated in Figs. 4
and 5 in respectively full, and dot-and-dash, lines.
The spur pinion c, rotating with the minute arbor c¹ and minute-hand & Figs. 1
and 2 makes one revolution per hour, and the wheel & therefore makes only half a
revolution during the same time so that the two tappets & alternately operate on
the lever e at alternate hours, the function of each tappet alternately being, shortly
before the termination of hour, to move the lever e from the position in which it is
shown in full lines in Figs. 4 and 5 to that in which it is shown in dot-and-dash
lines, and then leave it free so that it may be caused to re-assume its "full line"
position at the termination of the bour as hereinafter explained.
The outer end of the lever e is provided with a perforation e, or two or more
such perforations, to admit of the attachment thereto of one end of a cord or
equivalent I which passes over a pulley i mounted in a bracket i¹ secured to the
upper part of the clock case, of which latter only small portions are represented in
the drawings; the opposite end of the cord I is secured to the upper end of a rod
or bar J, and, at an intermediate part of the said cord, a weight is provided,
which has constantly the tendency to raise the outer end of the lever e.
The bar J is adapted to release the musical box mechanism K which, except as
regards this said bar and the parts immediately co-operating with it, may be of
any ordinary construction. On the shaft k of the pin-cylinder k¹, I secure a disc L,
shown apart in Fig. 7, the edge of which is provided with a number of recesses 1;
in the drawings there are twelve such recesses shown.
On the face of the disc L there are provided a series of pins / corresponding in
number to the number of recesses 1. On the frame of the musical box mechanism
I pivot a two armed lever M (see particularly Fig. 9) the arm m of which is
adapted to engage with the before mentioned pins A, and the other arm m¹ of
which, is provided with a hook or shoulder m² adapted to engage with a pin n³
I carried by the arm n of a two armed lever N which, besides appearing in Figs. 1

page_text: and 2 is also shown detached from the other parts of the mechanism, in Fig. 10
The lever arm n is provided with a projection or tooth n adapted to engage with
the before mentioned recesses l, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and this arm is
also provided with a pin n' for a purpose hereinafter described.
The arm n' of the lever N may have a weight n³ connected to it, and is adapted
to arrest the operation of the musical-box mechanism by projecting into the path
of a brake arm or lever O frictionally mounted on the spindle o' of the fly O which,
as is usual controls the working of the musical box K.
The bar J is slotted at j, so that it is free to slide on the two studs ³ by which
it is connnected to the frame k² and it is also provided with a plate or projection j',
(see particularly Figs. 2 and 8) for engaging with the before mentioned pin n', and
with a pin or projection for engaging with the brake arm o.
m³ is a coiled spring which always tends to press the lever arm m¹ forward
against the pin n³, of the lever arm n, and no is a similar spring which always tends
to press the last named lever arm downwards into the position in which the tooth n³
of the said arm is in engagement with one of the recesses l, and the arm n¹ is in
engagement with the brake arm o.
The musical box mechanism K and the before described release mechanism
thereof are shown in their normal condition, as they would be at the time indicated
by the clock in Fig. 1, when however the clock advances so far as to bring the
then lower tappet d' against the lever e, this latter, by the further progress of the
clock, is gradually moved from the position shown in full lines, to that indicated in
Figs. 4 and 5 in dot-and-dash lines.
During this operation the pawl is passed upwards over one tooth of the
ratchet wheel 3, and, through the cord I, the weight is raised and the bar J
also, whereby the plate by pressing against the più n raises the lever N so as to
disengage the tooth n from the recessed disc L and the lever arm n' from the
brake arm o which, as soon as this occurs, commences to rotate but is immediately
thereafter stopped by the pin which at this juncture is raised into the path of
the said brake arm o.
When the pin n³, during the ascent of the lever N, is raised above the hook m²
of the lever M the latter is pressed forward by its spring m³, and the said hook
passes beneath the pin n². All this occurs before the end of the hour is reached ;
immediately that time is reached the tappet d', which up to that time has supported
the lever e in the position indicated in dot-and-dash lines, leaves the said lever,
which, under the influence of the weight, immediately returns to its normal
position (indicated in full lines) this same operation causing the revolving dial B,
through the lever arm e³, pawl and ratchet wheel 63, to be moved one twenty-
fourth of a revolution and also allowing the bar J to descend by its own weight.
The pin is thus moved out of the path of the brake arm o, so that the musical-
box mechanisin, having then nothing to retard it, operates, and the notes or chords
appropriated to the particular hour sounded. During this part of the operation
the tooth n is held out of contact with the disc L by the hook m2 engaging the
pin n³, when however, by the rotation of the disc L the next succeeding pin
bears against and moves the lever arm m, the hook m² is disengaged from the pin n²
and the tooth n³ is caused to bear on the periphery of the disc L until the next
succeeding recess is presented to it at which juncture the tooth n³ enters the said
recess and simultaneously therewith the lever arm n¹ intercepts the path of the
brake arm o whereby the musical-box mechanism is rendered inoperative and
retained so until again released in the manner previously described.
The brake-arm o is frictionally fitted on the fly-spindle o' so as not to check the
mechanism too abruptly.
At each onward movement of the dial B, a new series of the inscriptions thereon
is presented at the wickets a².
At 12 o'clock, midnight, the notes exposed through the uppermost of the wickets a³
are Do or C natural and La or A natural.
At 12 o'clock, mid-day, there appears at the uppermost of the wickets a* the

page_text: inscription Fig. 3 consisting of double and different notes, altered to their
greatest degree, whose sounds perfectly correspond with those struck or given at
midnight. From this point the musical system, by means of the enharmonic
change, proceeds by the before mentioned nominal order of 5th to 5th with the
usual order of the horological system.
The notes or sounds should be tuned according to the standard pitch of the
country in which the apparatus is employed.
The before described device combines with all the advantages of an ordinary
clock the further advantage of being capable of automatically sounding or
presenting all the notes, tones and keys known in the theory and practice of music,
so that the ear will be trained to identify or recoguise the various notes and in
time those hearing the sounds will be able to distinguish the different hours by the
notes respectively appropriated to them, without rendering it necessary to count
the strokes or sounds as in existing clocks, in which latter there are 156 strokes
given in the twenty four hours whereas in my improved system only 48 are
given.
The hour hand c³ is made in the form of a frame, as shown in Fig. 1, so that
it will not obscure any portion of the inscription b at the time that the clock
strikes.
Instead of using musical-box arrangements hereinbefore described and shown in
the drawings, I may employ any other means for producing a similar result, bells,
gongs, or other sonorous devices if desired being employed for emitting the
necessary sounds.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
(1) The improvements in and connected with clocks substantially as hereinbefore
described and for the purposes set forth.
(2) The combination of a clock with a musical apparatus by which certain pre-
arranged notes or chords are sounded at certain pre-determined times and so that
each hour may be recognized by its appropriate notes or chord and the ears of
persons using it may be trained to recognize the said notes substantially as herein-
before described.
(3) The apparatus hereinbefore described and represented in the drawings by
which certain pre-arranged notes are sounded at the completion of each hour and
the characters representing the same exhibited on the face of the clock substantially
as and for the purposes set forth.
(4) A clock striking musical notes and chords in which the hours are indicated
by the emission of musical sounds arranged in the order and sequence herein-
before described and shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.
DL: 10th day of May 1806
LORENZO DRESCHI.