NEW OR IMPROVED MEANS, APPARATUS, OR APPLIANCES FOR UTILISING CLOCKS, CLOCKWORK, OR TIMEKEEPING MOVEMENTS, SO AS TO PUT THE SAME IN COMMUNICATION WITH DISTANT BUILDINGS, ROOMS, SHIPS, MINES, OR PLACES."
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Edward Pritchett, of 39, Lombard Street, in the
City of London, Architect, for the Invention of "NEW OR IMPROVED
MEANS, APPARATUS, OR APPLIANCES FOR UTILISING CLOCKS, CLOCKWORK, OR
TIMEKEEPING MOVEMENTS, SO AS TO PUT THE SAME IN COMMUNICATION WITH
DISTANT BUILDINGS, ROOMS, SHIPS, MINES, OR PLACES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Edward Pritchett
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th September 1876.
GEORGE EDWARD PRITCHETT, of 39, Lombard Street, in the City of London,
Architect. "NEW OR IMPROVED MEANS, APPARATUS, OR APPLIANCES FOR
UTILISING CLOCKS, CLOCKWORK, OR TIMEKEEPING MOVEMENTS, SO AS TO PUT THE
SAME IN COMMUNICATION WITH DISTANT BUILDINGS, ROOMS, SHIPS, MINES, OR
PLACES."
This Invention comprises means or methods of attaching wires, springs, or other
conducting substances to the mechanism of clockwork at any point or points, and
from thence to electric batteries or magnets.
It follows that when the said clockwork is put in motion, and contact is made
thereby with the said wires, springs, or other conducting substances, batteries or
magnets aforesaid, by attaching a wire or wires or other conducting substances
coming from one pole of a battery or batteries to the framework of a clock or clocks,
or electro-magnet or magnets, and wire or wires or other conducting substances
coming from the other pole of a battery or batteries, so as to be acted upon by
coming in contact with an electro-magnet or magnets, hammers, pendulums, or
other moving portions of clockwork, clocks can be regulated to time, and any bells,
indicators, alarums, or any such appliances placed in the circuit will ring or be
otherwise acted upon at any distances from the said clockwork.
It will be readily understood that in any modifications the same principle will be

page_text: adhered to, and that the disposition of the component parts of the apparatus will be
as nearly as possible similar. And for example, take a clock fitted in one room of a
building, and the time denoted by which being required in another room at a
distance, the appliances referred to in this Specification will cause a bell or bells or
indicators to be acted upon, and thus the necessity for having other clocks in the
rooms, or buildings, ships, mines, and places will be obviated.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Edward Pritchett in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th March 1877.
"
GEORGE EDWARD PRITCHETT, late of 39, Lombard Street, in the City of London,
Architect, but now of Bishop Stortford, in the County of Herts. "NEW OR
IMPROVED MEANS, APPARATUS, OR APPLIANCES FOR UTILIZING CLOCKS, CLOCK-
WORK, OR TIMEKEEPING MOVEMENTS, SO AS TO PUT THE SAME IN COMMUNICATION
WITH DISTANT BUILDINGS, ROOMS, SHIPS, MINES, OR PLACES.".
This Invention comprises means or methods of attaching wires, springs, or other
-conducting substances and suitable connector instruments to the mechanism of clock-
work at any point or points, and from thence to electric batteries or magnets, clerks
bells, and indicators or tableaux.
It follows that when the said clockwork is put in motion, and contact is made
thereby with the said wires, springs, or other conducting substances and connector
instruments, batteries or magnets, clerks' bells, and indicators aforesaid, by attaching
a wire or wires or other conducting substances coming from one pole of a battery
or batteries to the framework or other portions of a clock or clocks or to electro-
magnet or magnets, and by attaching wire or wires or other conducting substances
coming from the other pole of a battery or batteries, so as by connector instruments,
to be acted upon by coming in contact with an electro-magnet or magnets, hammers,
pendulums, or other moving portions of clockwork, clocks can be regulated to time
by means of a standard clock, which is thus made to give concurrent action to other
clocks or clockwork, thus utilizing the same for making communications for
timekeeping purposes from one standard clock or clockwork arrangements to
distant buildings, rooms, ships, mines, or places automatically or otherwise, and thus
any bells, indicators, alarums, or any such appliances placed in the circuit will ring
or be otherwise acted upon at any distances from the said clockwork.
It will be readily understood that in any modifications the same principle will be
adhered to, and that the disposition of the component parts of the apparatus will be as
nearly as possible similar. And by my Invention a clock fitted in one room of a build-
ing, and the time denoted by which being required in another room at a distance, the
appliances referred to in this Specification will cause a bell or bells or indicators to
be acted upon, and thus the necessity for having other clocks in the rooms, or
buildings, ships, mines, and places will in a greet degree be obviated. The said
clock or series of clocks, or dials, or indicators, or bells to be observed and acted upon
may be at any distance or position away from any observatory standard or re-
gulating clock or clocks or connectors, as aforesaid; for instance in buildings, rooms,
.ships, mines, or places, railway stations, and signalmen's cabins or termini, &c.,
and put into communication with them by telegraphic wires, postal or otherwise,
either underground, or above ground, or submarine.
For the new adaptations aforesaid, one mode 1 adopt is to form and manufacture
V shaped boxes of such forms and dimensions as may be selected or required, and
from them a rod or rods having on their lower part and inverted 1. In close
proximity to these V's and I's will be fixed a soft iron electro-magnet or magnets
surrounded with coils of insulated wire on bobbins or otherwise of such size and

page_text: power as may be required to work V's and I's connected with a clock or dial or
series of them, as shewn in Drawing No. 1.
When the electricity aforesaid passes through the coils "a, a," of the electro-magnet
or magnets the inverted piece on the rod or rods a is pushed up towards b, b, and
the Vascends with it towards c, as also a reversing notion and cross piece d if
required with an inverted A attached, as shewn. The face of the clock or clocks or
dials will be cut vertically to admit of the reversing motion or cross piece passing
through to and working the inverted A's, or this cross piece & can be carried by a
rod above the face or faces of the clock or clocks or dials and an electro-magnet
placed there to be acted upon, as aforesaid, as is most convenient.
It follows that the hand or hands of the clock or clocks or dials to be acted upon,
when either at fast or slow by one, two, three, or more minutes, or at a losing or
gaining rate, will upon the closing of the electric circuit or power aforesaid be
instantly regulated or set to time by being pushed to the correct spot through the
movement of V or A caused by the action of the magnetic power, also that a single
stroke or trembler electric bell connected with or placed in the circuit will ring and
give notice of the regulation to time; this bell may or may not be acted upon or
fixed or supplied. The same process will be adapted to any portions of the hour
circle of the clock or clocks or dials as required. The same regulation to time will
be effected by cutting the face of the clock, clocks, or dials longitudinally and
acting upon the hands from the right or left by levers in connection with electro-
magnets or powers aforesaid, but I prefer the first method named, as the clock faces
are less interfered with. The mechanism of the clocks will not be affected in cithor
caso.
Another or a further portion of my Invention, which is illustrated by Drawing
No. 2, relates to regulating a clock, clocks, or dials by adapting new means for.
continuing the arbor or spindle of the minute hand of the clock or clocks or dials to
be regulated beyond the frame of the clock, clocks, or dials, or by carrying it to the
back or front of the clock, clocks, or dials, as the construction of the clock, clocks,
or dials admits of, and attaching thereto a polygonal shaped star D or other figure,
and by pivotting or hinging angular pallets e, e, of suitable dimensions, connected
with segmental arms or rods ff, which will rise or fall as required. Above or in
close or suitable proximity to these pallets will be fixed an electro-magnet G, as
shewn in the Drawing. It follows that D being connected with the arbor or spindle
carrying the minute or other selected hand revolves and turns with this hand. At
such moment or second as may be determined upon, the pallets e, e, are drawn or
pushed upwards to G by the sources generating electricity, either automatically or
by a connector instrument or regulating clock, and the hand combined with the
star D is instantaneously regulated or set to true mean Greenwich or other time by
the partial rotation of the star D. This regulation to time can be effected as
frequently as the points on the star D are produced and the sources generating
electricity and other powers already referred to are applied. The star D may be
placed inside or outside the clock cases and frames of clocks, as may be governed by
the construction of the clock, or clocks, or dials, or series of them, and bells
connected or placed in the currrent will ring as required.
Another or further portion of my Invention (which is illustrated by Drawing
No. 3) relates to " utilizing clocks, clockwork, and time keeping movements" for
regulating clocks and dials by adopting new means for continuing the arbor or
spindle of the minute hand of the clocks or dials to be regulated to time beyond the
frame of the clock, clocks, or dials, or to the back or front of the clock cases, and
attaching thereto a keeper or bar or bars of iron or magnetised steel (H) working or
moving in close proximity to an electro-magnet in a soft iron frame, with coils of
insulated wire or bobbins or otherwise, as described in the first or previous portion
of my Specification (illustrated by Drawings No. 1 and No. 3).
It follows that as soon as the sources generating electricity aforesaid pass from
a standard or regulating clock or connector instrument through the coils of the

page_text: electro-magnet aforesaid it will draw or push the keeper (H) into a vertical or other
required position, and the hands of the clock or clocks or dials to be acted upon will
be regulated and set to truc time unerringly and instantaneously at any distance away
from the standard or regulating clock or connector or connecting agency, and a bell
or bells or indicators introduced into or connected with the circuit will be acted
upon as required at the same moment (as shewn on Drawing No. 3 and 4).
A further new adaptation of my Invention (illustrated by Drawing No. 4) is
accomplished by continuing the arbor or spindle above described, and fixing on to it
a moving hand or spring (I) having a small wheel or spring (J) inserted near one
end, and made it revolve round a circle with the action of the clock or clocks or
dials, the pressure of the spring I on the circle being regulated as required. At
intervals or at the quarters a fine piece or pieces of metal is or are inserted into and
made flush with this circle; for instance, one piece of metal at the first quarter, two
pieces of metal at the second quarter, progressing in number according to the
requirements (as shown by Drawing No. 4).
It follows that as the small wheel (J) by the revolving of the rod or spring (I)
aforesaid by the action of the clockwork passes each of these pieces of metal, which
will be connected with the sources generating electricity aforesaid, bells or indicators
or a series of them introduced into the circuit will ring or be acted upon as required,
as shewn on Drawing No. IV.
--Another-or further portion of my Invention (illustrated by Drawing No. 5) relates
to utilizing clocks, dials, and time-keeping movements as follows:-This new
adaptation is effected by continuing the arbor or spindle of the minute hand of the
clock, clocks, or dials to be regulated to time to the back or front of them, as afore-
said, and attaching a disc of metal or other substance (L) of such dimensions as
may be required, and fixing on it projecting pins or arms L" so placed that they
will raise the rod (M) by the arbor M" fixed on to it to the several required
levels or heights. This rod (M) will also have projecting arbors M" to catch the pin
or pins or wheels N" on a second disc (N) of ebonite or other substance. This
rod (M) will also have attached to its lower end a disc "O," or oblong piece of tale or
metal or other substance immersed in a vessel or tube O of quicksilver or oil or
other selected fluid; this disc 0" will be perforated or pierced so as to admit of the
quicksilver, oil, or other substance passing through it slowly. It follows that when
the arbor or armatures M¹¹ on the rod (M) escapes from the pins L¹¹ on the disc L
the rod M when sufficiently weighted will sink slowly through the vessel of quick-
silver, oil, or other fluid, taking down with it the disc N by causing it to revolve
more or less. This disc N will be partly immersed in a bath of quicksilver, the
specific gravity of the quicksilver keeping the disc N close up against the non-
conducting side of the bath P, and covering a metallic and conducting substance Q
behind the disc N. Notches or holes are cut in this disc N, and as
partly revolves
by the sinking of the rod (M) already alluded to it discloses through the notches or
holes the conducting substance (Q) to the action and contact of the quicksilver or
other conducting fluid. At another convenient point in this bath a wire or other
conducting substance (R) is brought in contact with the quicksilver or fluid, as
shewn in Drawing No. 5.
It follows that when the disc N revolves and discloses the conducting substance
alluded to to the quicksilver or fluid indicators and a bell or bells introduced into
the electric circuit generated or produced by the sources of electricity alluded to
will act & throw out figures, and ring once, twice, or as many separate times as the
notches or holes in the disc N are prepared for, according to the height the rod M
is raised by the disc L and contacts made by disc L as shewn, and at such intervals
of time as may be required or settled according to the flow of the quicksilver or
other fluid through the hole or holes in the disc 0₁ and size of the notches or holes
in disc L, and which will be regulated as to distance and size as required, as shewn
in Drawing No. 5. Or a vertical rod working in a tube or box of quicksilver or
other conducting fluid pierced with holes so as to cover or uncover the conducting

page_text: substance behind N can be employed for the purpose of ringing in repetition as
required. Also, that an indicator or indicators, or tableaux, connected with the
sources generating the electric current aforesaid at any distances from a standard or
regulating clock or connector instruments already alluded to, will upon the closing
of the electric current by the sinking of the rod M and partial revolving of the
disc N or the rod alluded to, will throw out numbers or writing on indicators
denoting the quarters, either the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th quarters of the hour, or such
minute intervals of time as may be required, and will ring a bell or bells at the
quarters or hour, as required. This cadence of the rod M is effected by the position
of the pins L on the disc (L) acting more or less upon the rod (M) already described
(and as shewn in Drawing No. 5).
Another or further portion of my Invention (illustrated by Drawing No. 6) relates
to the new adaptation of "springs R, or other conducting substances," to the frame-
work or cases of a clock, clocks, or dials; so that when the hammer or hammers of a
striking clock, clocks, or dials or other appliances are being thrown back to strike
the bell or spiral volute, or for the special purpose of making contact, they come in
contact with said springs R or conducting substances aforesaid.
It follows that when wire or wires or other conducting substances coming from
the poles of the sources generating electricity aforesaid is or are connected with
the aforesaid springs or other conducting substance and wire or wires and other
conducting substances are connected with the other pole, the sources generating
electricity is or are connected with the aforesaid hammer, bell, or volute, or any
selected portion of the clockwork, and a single stroke or trembler bell is placed in
the circuit, the said bell or bells will ring as often as the clock or clocks strike or
the clockwork is put in motion, and will denote the number of the hour or otherwise
in any buildings, rooms, mines, ships, or places far or near, automatically. The
ringing and iudicating the number of the hour or otherwise can also be effected
by modifying and adapting the same principle to any non-striking clock as
alluded to.
Another or further portion of my Invention, which will be readily understood
after careful perusal of the following statements & what has been already stated,
and by reference to the illustrative Drawings herein-before referred to, relates to the
new adaptation of the aforesaid electric contacts with springs, hammers, bells,
special appliances, or other portions of a clock, clocks, dials and time-keeping
movements for the purpose of reversing the figures or numbers thrown out on
indicators or tableaux as aforesaid, so as to make them retire or be ready for re-use
as required. This new adaptation is effected by automatic movements by placing
the reversing gear of the indicators or tableaux in connection with the aforesaid
striking or with moving clockwork. This new adaptation can or will be applied to
all indicators or tableaux which throw out numbers, figures, or names, in use in
buildings, rooms, ships, mines, or places, which will be acted upon automatically
and thus prevent the necessity for servants or other persons to push in a button or
other appliances to effect the retirement of the numbers or figures when thrown
out. This action can be effected as often during the day or hour as may be required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed or carried out in practice, I hereby
declare that I lay no claim to the Invention for the construction of the herein-hefore
described indicators or tableaux, but I claim the Invention of the combination of the
battery in the building or house, ships, mines, or other places, so as to connect same
with a clock or time-keeping movements, substantially as herein-before described,
so as to cause the figures, numbers, or writing thrown out on indicators or tableaux
to retire automatically. Also, I do not claim the sources for generating electricity,
whether electro-magnetic or magneto-electric, or the electro-magnets or keepers, or
magnetised steel, but do claim the novel means or combinations for regulating any
clock or series of clocks to concurrent mean time upon the action of a single signal,
and for the novel means or combinations for utilizing clockwork or time-keeping.

page_text: movements, so as to put the same in communication with clocks, bells, and indicators
in distant buildings, rooms, ships, mines, or places, substantially as same is herein-
before set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Edward Pritchett, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
G. E. PRITCHETT. (L.S.)
Witness,
T. MORGAN,
Secretary,
Inventor's Patentright Association, Ld.,
21, Cockspur Street,
Charing Cross, S.W.