An Improved Apparatus for Starting and Timing Races.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 17th Sept., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 17th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 13th Mar., 1897
An Improved Apparatus for Starting and Timing Races.
1, WILLIAM NICOL, of Invercargill, Otago, in the Colony of New Zealand,
Watchmaker, 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 reference to apparatus employed for automatically signalling
the time at which a competitor or competitors must start in a race, and for
accurately timing the same, and has for its object to provide an apparatus which
shall signal the time of departure for a number of competitors in a handicapped
race.
In constructing an apparatus to perform this object of my invention I employ
an ordinary clock movement adapted to my requirements of having a centre
seconds hand beating dead seconds and stop work, also a striking train adapted to
strike the bell once and then relock; and a battery and electro magnet; the
whole being in a compact form preferably placed together and secured within a
box to be portable and handy to operate.
In order that my invention may be fully understood by one skilled in the art to
which it appertains, and readily carried into effect I will now proceed to describe
the same in detail with the aid of the accompanying sheets of drawings, reference
being made to the figures and letters marked thereon which are similar for similar
parts throughout the views.
Figure is a view of a clock dial with a special attachment to the seconds
hand.
Figure 2 is a view of the bell and hammer with stops for operating the same.
Figure 3 is a view with the dial removed of the clock movement and stop work
attachments.
Figure 4 is a view of a striking movement electric battery and electro maguet,
the bell and hammer being shewn by dotted lines.
Figure 5 is a view of part of the striking train with the upper plate removed.
Figure 6 is a side view of the same.
Figure 7 is a view of a stop for ringing the bell at any desired time by hand.
Figure 8 is a view of a switch for breaking and making the electric circuit.
Figure 9 is a view of the point of a seconds hand with a special contact making
attachment on a large scale.
In Figure 3 (a) represents an ordinary dead beat lever clock movement, such as
is made by the Ansonia Clock Company of the United States of America, to
which have adapted a centre seconds hand (a'), and motion work (a 2) for the

page_text: minute and hour hands. The clock may be instantaneously stopped by pressing
button (a 3), when lever (a 4) and spring (a 5) will assume the position shewn by
dotted lines, and there he held by check spring (a 6) and pin (a 7). To start the
clock button, (a 8) is pressed to bring the lever to the upright position as shewn.
In leaving the balance (a 9), spring (a 5) which is made preferably of a piece of
watch mainspring, has a dragging or wiping action and this I regard as an essential
feature of my invention as it ensures the instantaneous starting of the clock. The
pressure of spring (a 5) upon the balance is sufficient to revolve the latter a portion
of a revolution, when lever (a 4) is withdrawn, and ensure the unlocking of the
pallets from the scape wheel.
Referring to Figures 4, 5 & 6, the striking movement (b) has an arbour (6') for
hammer (62), which hammer has a detent (63) for the purpose of engaging with
lifting pins (64) on wheel (65). Upon the arbour (61) of wheel (67) is fixed a
snail or
cam (68) which operates with pin (69) on lever (610), and upon
wheel (611) is fixed pin (612) to engage with the returned end of lever (10).
Link (613) is pivotally connected to armature (c) of electro magnet (c).
When a current is passed from battery (2) through the magnet (c), the
armature (c) is attached and lever (6 10) withdrawn to release pin (612) and thus
liberate the train and operate the hammer to strike bell (j).
An enlarged view of the point of seconds hand (a) is shewn in Figure 9. Near
the end of the hand I attach a socket (a 10) into which I insert a fine spring (a 11)
and secure the same by pin or wedge (a 12). Spring (a 11) is made preferably
of watch hairspring and is so fine that, as it rubs past or wipes pins (a 13)
Figure 7, inserted in holes (a 14) in the dial (a 15) Figure 1, the clock will not be
stopped.
The action of my invention and the operation of the same is as follows,
Pins (a 13) Figure 7, having been placed in such holes (a 14) as shall give the
required times for starting and handicapping, the clock is started by pressing
button (a 8). The seconds hand will now revolve and upon spring (a 11) touching
any pin (a 13) the following electric circuit will be closed-From battery (c2)
Figure 4, along wire (c 3) to contact (d) and by staple (d) to contact (d2) thence
through wire (4) to the movement (a) and seconds hand (a'), through pin (a 13)
Figure 7, to the dial, Figure 1, which is insulated from the movement (a) and the
boss of the seconds hand, to contact (f) Figure 1, wire (c5) and contact (g),
through switch (g) to contact (92), along wire (c 6) Figure 4, to electro magnet (c)
and returning to battery (c2) by wire (c 7). The current in passing through the
electro maguet (c) will have attracted its armature (e) during the time that
spring (a 11) on the seconds hand has been in contact with pin (a 13), and the train
is so set that the hammer is lifted ready to strike each time the striking train has
stopped. This position of the lifting pin (64) upon detent (63) is shewn in
Figure 4. The fly (b 14) in the same figure retards the striking train sufficiently
long to allow spring (a 11) on the seconds hand to pass beyond pin (a 13) aud
break the electric circuit, when armature (c) will be liberated and return to the
position shewn in Figure 4 by the operation of its spring (c 8). The apparatus is
then in its original condition and ready to operate upon the next contact being
made between spring (a 11) and any pin (a 13). Should the armature, however,
be liberated too soon to permit pin (64) taking its proper position upon detent (63)
before the striking train stops, the pin (69) in lever (6 10) will fall upon the
circular portion of the periphery of snail or cam (68), and thus the returned end of
lever (610) will be prevented from engaging with and retaining pin (612) on
wheel (611) to stop the clock. Upon the snail continuing to revolve, pin (64)
will fall into the depressions in the same, when pin (612) will be engaged by
lever (6 10) and the train stopped. With this arrangement it will be found that
pin (64) takes up its proper position on detent (63) when the train stops.
Switch (4) Figure 2, is operated by pressing button (h) and is used when it is
required to ring the bell independently of the clockwork. A side view of this
switch is shewn in Figure 7.

page_text: The circuit which it closes is through the following parts,-From the battery (c2),
Figure 1, through wire (e3), contact (d) staple (d'), contact (d2), wire (c4),
movement (a), wire (c9) Figure 1, contact (2), switch (h), wire (c5) and
thence to battery as previously described when referring to the seconds hand
circuit.
Switch (g), Figure 1, is provided for breaking the circuit to prevent the bell
being rung either by switch (4) or by the seconds hand, and is operated as required
by depressing button (93) to make contact, and (94) to break contact. Å side
view of this switch is shewn in Figure 8.
Staple (d) is provided where battery (c2) is sufficiently powerful, but where the
help of another battery is required I take out this staple and insert the wires of
another battery or batteries.
The dial (a 15) with its bezel (a 17) and bell (j) are preferably supported above
the clockwork upon a board (a 16) and the whole apparatus is enclosed in suitable
box (k).
I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the exact details
hereinbefore mentioned as these may be modified in several ways without departing
from the spirit of my invention, as for example the different pieces of mechanism
may be separated and the dial fixed at one part of a race course and the bell at
another.
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. In an apparatus for timing and starting races, a lever carrying a spring to
stop and start the revolution of the balance wheel, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth herein.
2. In an apparatus for timing and starting races, a seconds hand provided with
a spring to form contact with pins inserted in holes in the dial to complete an
electric circuit, substantially as and for the purposes set forth herein.
3. In an apparatus for timing and starting races, a striking train arranged to
strike a bell once during the contact of the spring on the seconds hand, with a pin
inserted in the dial, substantially as and for the purposes set forth herein.
4. In an apparatus for timing and starting races, the combination of a clock
movement having a seconds hand provided with a contact spring with a dial having
holes and contact pins, substantially as and for the purposes set forth herein.
5. In an apparatus for timing and starting races, the combination of a clock
movement, seconds hand, and dial, with a striking train which will strike a bell
once and then relock, substantially as and for the purposes set forth herein.
6. In an apparatus for timing and starting races, in combination, a clock
movement, seconds hand, and dial, and a striking train operated by an electric
battery or batteries and an electro magnet to strike the bell once and then relock,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth herein.
7. An apparatus for timing and starting races, constructed, arranged and
operating, substantially as and for the purposes set forth herein and illustrated on
the accompanying drawings.
For the
pplicant,
GEDGE & FEENY,
60 Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Chartered Patent Agents.