NEW AND IMPROVED METHOD OR PRINCIPLE OF A PORTABLE ALARUM, TO BE ATTACHED TO AND DETACHED FROM CLOCKS AND WATCHES, AND WHICH MAY BE REGULATED TO TAKE EFFECT AT ANY GIVEN PERIOD OF TIME
Year: 1823

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
GoSSAGE, of Leamington Priors, in the County of Warwick, Chemist and
Druggist, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Eleventh day of February, in
the fourth year of His reign, did give and grant unto me, the said Williamı
Gossage, my exors, admors, and assigns, His special licence, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that I, the said William Gossage, my exors, adñiors,
and assigns, during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within that part of His said Majesty's
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, His Dominion
of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my "NEW AND IMPROVED METHOD
OR PRINCIPLE OF A PORTABLE ALARUM, TO BE ATTACHED TO AND DETACHED FROM
CLOCKS AND WATCHES, AND WHICH MAY BE REGULATED TO TAKE EFFECT AT ANY
GIVEN PERIOD OF TIME;" in which Letters Patent there is contained a proviso,
obliging me, the said William Gossage, under my hand and seal, to cause a
particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be enrolled in His Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within two calendar months next and immedlately after the date of
the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, relation being thereuto
had; will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Gossage, do hereby describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Invention, that the plan thereof drawn on the margin of these Presents is
composed of the following parts and particulars, and will explain and illustrate
the principle of my said Invention, that is to say :-
Figure 1 is an external view of my alarum; A is a box with or without
holes pierced in its sides. This box divides into two parts, to the upper part
or lid the upper frame plate is attached, and to the bottom of the lower part
the bell is fixed. B is a pipe with a square orifice, this serves to connect a
watch with the alarum, by inserting it in the wind-up hole of the watch, and
causing the square arbor of the watch to enter the pipe; C is a hole in the
top of the box for shewing the dial; from one of its sides a point projects for
an index to the dial; D is a prong for receiving and keeping steady the
pendant of the watch when connected with the alarum; it moves along a
slit in the top of the box, and has a hinge at D, to allow of its being laid
flat. This prong is not absolutely necessary to the alarum. e, f, g, aro
screws connecting the upper frame-plate A, A, Figure 3, with the top of
the box; E is a hole through which the main spring of the alarum is
wound up.
Figure 2 is a horizontal view of the internal parts of the alarum. The lid
of the box and the upper frame plate being removed to shew distinctly the
arrangement of the wheels, &c. A is a spring barrell, having teeth cut along
its edge, which come in contract with and act upon the teeth of the pinion;
B, B, is a pinion, having a wheel C fixed on its arbor; C is a wheel with teeth
cut along its edge, acting upon a pinion D, D; and F, a toothed wheel and
pinion, similar to B and C; the teeth of E act upon the fly pinion. F, F, a
pinion, with a fly G fixed on its arbor.
On inspecting the Figure 2, it will be seen that as the spring in the barrell
A, after winding up, gives a rotary motion to the barrell; this is communicated
by the teeth of the barrell to the pinion B, and by means of the other wheels
and pinions till it reaches the fly G. The power of the motion, when com-
municated to the fly, is so much reduced that by the detent H coming in
contact with the fly G, the latter is immediately stopped. H is the detent
fixed on an upright arbor, one of its ends comes in contact with a hoop on the
wheel J, whilst the other end, by its coming within the circle in which the fly
revolves, prevents its revolution; but when, by the motion of the wheel J, the
part of the hoop which has a portion cut away from it comes opposite to the
end H of the detent; this end, impelled by a spring, falls into the aperture in
the hoop, and by this motion the other end is removed from contact with the fly,

page_text: and no longer stops its revolution. U is a small spring acting upon the end H
of the detent, and causing it to press upon the hoop of the wheel J. J, K,
are two wheels furnished with teeth, and so situated that any motion given to
the one is, by its teeth, communicated to the other. A little within the teeth of
the wheel J, a circular hoop is fixed, having in one part of its circumference a
portion cut away. On the arbor of the wheel J, which projects beyond the
upper frame plate A, A, Figure 3, the dial is fixed, and on the arbor of the
wheel K, which also projects beyond the upper frame plate, the pipe B, Figure
1, is occasionally fixed. The number of teeth these wheels are to have may be
varied according to circumstances, but the number which I find most generally
applicable are twenty teeth for the wheel K, and forty-eight teeth for the
wheel J, or any other numbers in the same relative proportion; the number
of teeth on the spring barrell A, and on the wheels and pinions B, C, D, E,
and F, may be varied according to circumstances; and I do not confine myself
to any particular number of wheels and pinions, or teeth on them, but make
use of more or less as I think requisite; my object in employing a train of
wheels and pinions being to reduce the power of the spring, so that when it is
communicated to the fly, it may be readily governed by the detent, and at the
same time to regulate the motion of the wheels that it may not be too
rapid or too slow. The number of wheels and pinions which I generally
employ is shewn in Figure 2, and the number of teeth which I generally give
them are the following:-The spring barrell A has sixty teeth; the pinion B;
six teeth; the wheel C, sixty teeth; the pinion D, six teeth; the wheel E, fifty-
four teeth; and the pinion F, six teeth.
M is a toothed wheel fixed on an upright arbor, and so situated as to bo
acted on by the teeth of the barrell A; on the same arbor the pin wheel L is
fixed, this wheel has eight or more or less pins projecting from its surface.
N, O, is a hammer fixed on an upright arbor P, this hammer is so placed with
respect to the pin wheel L, that as this revolves each pin comes in contact
with the tail O of the hammer, and moves it along with it. In the arbor of
the hammer, near its lower part, a small pin is fixed, which, during the motion
communicated by the pin wheel to the hammer, presses against a spring Q,
but when, by the progressive revolution of the pin wheel L, the tail of the
hammer N, O, is liberated, the spring Q, by its reaction upon the pin, causes
the hammer head to strike against the bell T, T, and by the repetition of these
actions caused by the revolution of the pin wheel, a succession of blows is pro-
duced. Qis a spring so placed as to be pressed against by the pin in the
hammer arbor; S is a small spring fixed to the pillar K, which, by its reaction
after being struck against by the hammer, removes it from touching the bell.

page_text: The arrangement of the wheels L and M, and the number of teeth on M, may
be varied at pleasure, but I generally give eighteen teeth to M, and place it
under the pin wheel, and cause the pins to project from the upper surface of
the wheel L.
The arbors of the before-mentioned wheels, pinions, &c., are kept in their
proper position by working in pivot holes in two plates, which are connected
together by pillars, the lower plate is seen in Figure 2, marked W, W, and the
possition of the pillars is shewn by the letters R, R, R; the upper plate is
marked A, A, in Figure 3, the ends of the pillars are seen coming through it,
marked R, R, R. The dark circle, marked T, T, Figure 2, shews the situation
of the bell, and the circle marked X, X, shews the box; a section of the bell is
given, Figure 16. A is the bottom of the box A, Figure 1; B is a stud
fixed to it (shewn plainer, Figure 17); through the bottom of the bell a hole
is made sufficiently large to admit the smaller part of the stud B. This stud is
fitted with a screw, and when this is driven down into it, its head presses upon
the bell and keeps it firmly in its position. Figure 17 is the stud and screw
B, Figure 16; B, the stud, and D, the screw.
-
:
When the alarum is put together, the frame plates being fastened to the
top of the box, A, Figure 1, hang in the bell, but the bell is of such size that
no part of the frame plates touches it.
Figure 3 is a view of the upper frame plate, with the lid of the box taken
off to shew the dial, &c. A, A, the upper frame plate; B, the dial, fixed on the
arbor of the wheel J,. Figure 2; K is the square arbor of the wheel K,
Figure 2, on which the pipe B, Figure 8 and Figure 18, is occasionally fixed;
G. is the ratchet wheel and click to prevent the main spring from recoiling;
D, D, D, are small pillars or supports fixed on the top of the upper. frame
plate, and tapped for receiving the screws e, f, g, Figure 1, which connect the
upper frame plate with the lid of the box; R, R, R, are the pillars which
connect the two frame plates together by means of pins, which pass through
their ends; the upper frame plate is kept firmly in its place.
Figure 4 is the spring barrell A, Figure. 2, which is. of the kind called a
going barrell; G is the arbor on which it turns, the upper end is made square
for a key to wind up the spring; A is the barrell in which the spring is
inclosed. The spring is fastened to the barrell, arbor in the usual way, and
also fastened to the barrell at A; the barrell is not fixed to the arbor,. but
turns round upon it, thus, when the spring is wound up, by its reaction it
causes the barrell to revolve upon its arbor, and the motion is communicated
to the other pinions and wheels.
Figure 5 shews the counting wheel, which regulates the number of turns

page_text: the spring should be wound up. A is the bottom plate of the spring barrell
through which the arbor passes; on this arbor a wheel with one tooth B is
fixed; G is a wheel of five, or more or less, teeth, according to the length of
the spring; each time the arbor is turned in winding up, the single tooth of B
moves the wheel G the distance of one of its teeth, until it comes in contact
with one of the teeth of G, which is larger than the others, and prevents its
being turned further. I do not confine myself to the foregoing construction
of the barrell, as the same eflect may be produced by fixing a toothed wheel
on the barrell arbor, and having the barrell fixed to one of the frame plates,
thus causing the arbor to revolve (carrying the affixed wheel with it)
instead of the barrell; nor do I pretend to any originality of Invention in
either of these constructions of the barrell, as they are both in common use
for other purposes.
Figure 6 is the wheel and pinion B, C, Figure 2 (and the same may also
serve for the wheel, and pinion D, E); G is the wheel, with teeth cut along its
circumference; B is the pinion. Figure 7 is the fly and its pinion. F and G,
Figure 2; G, the fly; F, the pinion. The fly may be made either flat or
rather round in the middle.
Figure 12 is the detent H, Figure 2; H, the detent; I, the arbor on
which it is fixed. Figure 15 is the detent spring U, Figure 2; T is the
shoulder by which it is attached to the lower frame plate; U, the spring, with
its end turned up to make it press against the detent. It is obvious that this
spring may be constructed in several different ways, so as to produce a similar
effect; therefore I do not confine myself to this construction of the detent
spring, but make it of any form, which will cause the end of the detent to fall
into the hole in the hoop of wheel J.
The construction of the detent may also be variously modified by having,
instead of a hoop on the wheel J, Figure 2, a blank wheel placed near the
upper end of its arbor, and having the fly not quite so deep; the detent may
be fixed on a horizontal arbor, and be made to stop the fly by falling upon it
perpendicularly, and to liberate it by the opposite end falling into a hole in
the blank wheel on J, Figure 2. But the first described construction I
greatly prefer. Figure 11 is the wheel J, Figure 2; A, the arbor; J, the
toothed wheel; B, the hoop, fixed a little nearer the arbor than the teeth,
with part of its circumference cut away.
Figure 10 is the wheel K, Figure 2; L, the wheel, with teeth; K, the
arbor, the upper end of which, after passing through the upper frame plate, is
squar'd for the reception of the small tube B, Figure 1.
Figure 9 is the hammer N, O, Figure 2; N, O, the hammer; P, the arbor

page_text: on which it is fixed; R, the pin in the arbor, which presses against the
spring Q, Figure 2. Figure 14 is the spring Q, Figure 2; Q, the spring;
R, the shoulder by which it is attached to the lower frame plate.
Figure 8 is the pin which L, Figure 2; L, the wheel, with pins in it; and
M, the toothed wheel, which is driven by the spring barrell; a wheel having
ratchet teeth cut alog its edge may be substituted for the pin wheel, with the
same effect, by fixing it on the arbor of M. In this case the shape of the
hammer's tail must be so altered as to cause it to be acted upon by the ratchet
teeth; or instead of having a hammer such as has been described, either one
or two hammers may be fixed on an upright arbor, and on the same arbor
a pair of pallets may be so fixed as to take into the ratchet teeth of the wheel.
Thus, as the wheel revolves it will act upon the pallets, and cause the arbor
to vibrate, carrying the hammer or hammers with it, and striking single or
double blows against the bell according to the number of hammers employed.
The shape of the hammer which I use when I employ the pin wheel (and
I greatly prefer this to any of the other construction) is given in Figures 2
and 9.
Figure 18 is the small pipe B, Figure 2, which being placed on the arbor
of K, Figure 2, serves to connect it with a watch. These tubes are made
round externally, but have a square aperture through them, similar to that of
a watch key; they are made of various sizes, so as to fit different watches, and
being moveable may be readily changed.
Having now described the construction of the alarum, I will proceed to its
mode of action. When the mainspring is wound up it is only prevented from
setting in motion the wheels with which it is connected by the action of the
detent on the fly, but in a certain situation (when the detent falls into the
hole in the hoop on J, Figure 2) it is no longer an obsticle to it. When this
is the case the barrell is driven round by the spring, and its motion is com-
municated to the wheels and pinions, and also to the pin wheel, and by this to
the hammer, which, by its acting on the bell, produces the effect of an alarum.
The regulation of the time when this shall take place is made by the wheels J
and K and the dial. The relative number of teeth on these wheels is so
proportioned that when a watch is connected with K (in the manner already
described), the motion communicated by the watch to the wheel K, and by it
to the wheel J, causes the latter to make a revolution once in twelve hours.
The wheel J is therefore furnished with a dial on its arbor, having the twelve
hours marked upon it, and this dial is so fixed that when the index G;
Figure 1, points to twelve, the end of the detent falls into the hole in the hoop
on wheel J, and liberates the fly. But the Figure 1 is 1 of the circum-

page_text: ference of the dial from Figure 12, therefore when this Figure is brought to
the index it will be one hour before the 12 comes to the index again, and
therefore one hour before the alarum goes off, and so on for the other Figures.
Thus, by considering the number of hours which are to elapse before the
alarum is intended to go off, and bringing this number on the dial to the
index point, and connecting a watch with the pipe B, Figure 1, it may be
regulated to take effect at any required hour.
The foregoing description of my alarum applied to those which I intend for
watches; when they are to be attached to clocks the following alterations will
be necessary:-The various parts of the alarum must be all made larger than
when intended for watches. The pipe B, Figure 1, must be of sufficient size
to admit the wind-up square of the clock. The prong D, Figure 1, will be
unnecessary. The alarum must be held in connection with the clock by
means of a strap passing round it.and the head of the clock, or by any other
sufficient means. The number of teeth on the wheels K and J, Figure 2,
must be regulated according to the mode of going of the clock. For those
clocks which have fusees (and consequently the square arbors by which they
are wound up) turning completely round once in four hours, the number of
teeth on the wheel K, Figure 2, must be in proportion to those on J, as four
to twelve. Thus, if K. have 20 teeth, I should have 60 teeth, or any other
numbers in the same relative proportions. In the same manner, the number
of teeth for K and J may be detirmined for clocks whose fusees have a
different motion to the above, by paying attention to the following rule:-Let
the number of teeth on the wheel K to those on I be as the number of the
hours required by the fusee of the clock to perform a complete revolution is to
the number 12. This being done, the alarum for clocks is to be set exactly
in the same way that has been described for watches. The application of this
alarum to clocks is attended with some inconvenience, as it is necessary to take
off the hands of the clock, otherwise when these come in contact with the pipe
of the alarum the going of the clock will be stopped, but these hands are
readily replaced.
And I declare that my said new principle or Invention may be made of
silver, copper, brass, steel, iron, or any other metal or composition of metals.
It now remains that I should state what I claim as my Invention:-
I do not claim any originality in the construction of the wheels, pinions,
hammer, or detent of the alarum, nor yet of their application to the purposes
of an alarum; but I claim as original the construction of a portable alarum,
which may be attached to and detached from different clocks and watches, and

page_text: the construction of which is effected in the manner and with the variations
which I have described.
And I particularly claim as original the construction and application of the
tube B, Figure 2, which enables me to connect the alarum with different
clocks and watches.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Gossage, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the
day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty-three..