IMPROVEMENTS IN INDICATING TIME BY TIMEKEEPERS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Tomlinson Bousfield, of Loughborough Park,
Brixton, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN INDICATING TIME BY TIMEKEEPERS."-A communication from abroad
by Otto Peez, residing at Mainz.
Sealed the 13th December 1867, and dated the 17th June 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Tomlinson
Bousfield at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 17th June 1867.
I, GEORGE TOMLINSON BOUSFIELD, of Loughborough Park, Brixton, in the
County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN INDICATING TIME BY TIMEKEEPERS," to be as follows:-
These improvements in indicating time by timekeepers consist in causing
them constantly to emit automatically a succession of varying sounds, by
counting which and observing intervals of variation the time or an approxi-
mation to the time indicated on the dial may be at any time ascertained, and
which may be made to indicate the last hour only, or the last hour and
quarters, or still more minute subdivision of time. It is preferred to effect
this by employing the sound called the tick, and producing variations therein
automatically by bringing different escape wheels into gear with the palettes,
each so constructed as to give certain numbers of ordinarily loud and intervals
of less loud ticks according to the time to be indicated; but it may also be

page_text: effected by producing a series of other distinct sounds. It is preferred to
make the sounds so slight as to be scarcely observable, excepting when listened
for, but this may also be varied at pleasure.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Tomlinson Bousfield in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 17th December 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
TOMLINSON BOUSFIELD, of Loughborough Park, Brixton, in the County of
Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, Her special licence that I, the said
George Tomlinson Bousfield, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, my executors, admi-
nistrators, 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 INDICATING TIME BY TIMEKEEPERS," a com-
munication to me from abroad by Otto Peez, a person resident at Mainz, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield,
any executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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 per-
formed, 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 George Tomlinson Bousfield, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
These improvements in indicating time by timekeepers consist in causing
them constantly to emit automatically a succession of varying sounds by
counting which and observing intervals of variation the time or an approxi-

page_text: mation to the time indicated on the dial may be at any time ascertained, and
which may be made to indicate the last hour only, or the last hour and
quarters, or still more minute subdivision of time. It is preferred to effect
this by employing the sound called the tick, and producing variations therein
automatically by bringing different escape wheels into gear with the palettes,
each so constructed as to give certain numbers of ordinarily loud and intervals
of less loud ticks, according to the time to be indicated; but it may also be
effected by producing a series of other distinct sounds. It is preferred to make
the sounds so slight as to be scarcely observable, excepting when listened for,
but this may also be varied at pleasure.
And in order that the said Invention may be most fully understood, and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
The Drawing marked No. 1 exhibits a method of producing variation of
sound in the tick by the movement of the palettes along the palette spindle.
The letters refer to the same parts in Figures 1 and 2.
A, A, an escape wheel, B, B, the palettes, and C, C, a snail revolving once
in 12 hours. The revolution of the snail C, C, actuates the lever D, and by it
the weigh bar E, the forked lever F, and the palettes which move on a keyed
shaft, so that the movement of the snail causes the movement of the palettes.
The palettes are provided with springs, as shown, to reduce the beat of the
escape wheel teeth, and thereby reduce the loudness of the tick. The teeth of
the escape wheels are of two widths, as shown at G and H. The palette J
has a spring of its whole width, the spring of the other palette K is narrow;
by this means all the ticks produced by the palette J are comparatively silent,
and all those produced by wide teeth on the palette K are equally silent, but
ticks produced by narrow teeth on the palette K (the teeth being so arranged
as to miss the spring) are more loud. On the escape wheel 1 there is one
narrow tooth only, all the others being wide; on No. 2 there are two narrow
teeth, on No. 3 three narrow teeth, and so on up to 12; thus according to the
position of the palettes on the palette spindle will be the number of loud ticks
produced by each revolution of the escape wheel, and if the snail be divided
into twelve parts and set so as to move the palettes over all the 12 wheels in 12
successive hours corresponding time will be indicated. The spring L serves to
bring back the whole arrangement to the starting point at one o'clock. The
snail should be on the hour hand wheel.
In Drawing No. 2 is shown an, instance of an arrangement for producing

page_text: other sounds distinct from the tick, so as at very short intervals to indicate
an approximation to the time: The same letters refer to the same parts in
the two views shown in Figures 1 and 2..
A is a bell which serves also as the pendulum weight; and B is a small
button suspended by a fine thread from the lever C; C is actuated by the snail
on the escape wheel D by means of the lever E, and the position of the point of
the lever E on the line F; G is regulated by the snail H revolving once in 12
hours. The part I, J, slides upon the weigh bar K on a key. According to
the position of the snail H is the position of the lever E, and the snail D liſting
that lever moves the weigh bar and brings the button into such a position as
to be struck by the bell each beat of the pendulum. The snail D is made of
such a width at different parts as to hold up the lever E for one beat of the
pendulum only, or for any number of beats up to 12. The snail H is so set
as to enable the sliding piece I, J, to fall to the point G at one o'clock.
These arrangements are capable of great variation, the pendulum, for
instance, may carry the button, and the bell may be fixed, and a guard may
be allowed to fall between them and to remain for a certain number of beats,
and then to be removed again, and this may be done by crank or other move-
ments; also 2 bells may be used, one to indicate the hours and the other
the quarters.
I do not confine myself to the particular details of the arrangement of
mechanism shown in the Drawings; but what I claim as the Invention is
causing the constant indication of time by sound, substantially in the manner
indicated.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of December, in the
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
year of
GEO. T. BOUSFIELD. (L.S.)