Improvements in Tell-tales or Checking Devices for Watchmen, Workmen, Servants, and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Feb., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 6th Nov., 1899-Accepted, 9th Dec., 189}
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tell-tales or Checking Devices for Watchmen,
Workmen, Servants, and the like.
I, WILLIAM JOHN BEARD, of 11, Tynemouth Road, South Tottenham, London,
N., Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in tell-tales or checking devices more
particularly intended for use by watchmen, the object of this invention being to
provide a light portable device designed to be carried about by the watchman,
and within which he records the time any building, station or like is visited by
him.
L
in carrying my invention into practical effect, I provide an outer case of suit-
able form and within which is arranged the ordinary mechanism of a small clock.
I further arrange within this case a metal cylinder or drum having flanges and
suitably connected with the mechanism of the clock in such a manner as to make
one complete revolution every 12 hours. This may be effected, by supporting the
drum or cylinder on the underside by means of a boss with which it is furnished
resting on the hour hand of the clock, a groove being formed in the said boss
of a suitable width so as to fit over the said hour hand and by this means the
drum or cylinder is caused to revolve with the hand of the clock. The top side
of the drum or cylinder may be supported by a hinged cross bar furnished with
a pin in the centre designed to take into a hole in the centre of the drum, and
this cross bar is supported upon each side by an upright firmly fixed to the front
plate of the clock.
The outer surface of the drum or cylinder is covered with a suitable yielding
material such as felt, india-rubber or the like, and upon this covered surface or
periphery of the drum, graduated paper slips are mounted and secured in place
in any convenient and suitable manner such for instance as by the ends of the
said graduated slip taking over small pins projecting slightly from the drum, each
slip being sufficiently long to embrace the circumference of the drum or cylinder
and at the same time to allow the ends to slightly overlap.
The width of each slip is equal to the width of the drum or cylinder between
the flanges and is divided by longitudinal parallel lines into any required number
of parts or divisions, while it is further divided by parallel vertical lines pre-
ferably arranged a distance apart corresponding to the distance the drum or
cylinder will travel in each quarter of an hour of time, these divisions being
marked with the hours corresponding to the clock, in any convenient and suitable
manner.
The case containing the whole of the mechanism is closed by a suitable hinged
lid and locked, while slots are formed in the side of the case directly opposite
the spaces on the width of the slip arranged around the outer periphery of the
drum or cylinder, the number of slots or openings in the side of the case corre-
sponding to the number of longitudinal parts or divisions into which the slip is
divided.
I further provide a number of keys or stamps each having a figure, letter or

page_text: sign formed at its extremity which serves to identify the building or station it is
intended to indicate, a separate stamp or key being provided for each building or
station to be visited by the watchman.
Each key or stamp is firmly fixed by means of a chain or in any other con-
venient and suitable manner, in any suitable part of its respective building or
station, the keys or stamps being marked respectively, where figures are employed,
from 1 to 99, while where there are more than 99 stations to be visited, the further
keys or stamps may be marked A1, A2, etc. etc., so as to avoid, where possible, the
use of more than two letters or figures upon one stamp.
Upon the outside of the case suitable guides are formed so that each stamp or
key can only be inserted in one particular slot of the series of slots in the said
outer case.
For the purpose of allowing an indelible impression to be made upon the slip, a
suitable ink pad may be arranged upon the outside of the case, so that the watch-
man by inking the extremity of the key fixed to each station he visits and insert-
ing it in its respective slot, records the number of the building upon the paper
slip while the position of said slip at the time the impression is made indicates
the time it was visited.
A stop may be formed on each key to prevent any undue pressure upon the sur-
face of the paper slip.
Improvements in Tell-tales or Checking Devices for Watchmen,
Workmen, Servants, and the like.
I, WILLIAM JOHN BEARD, of 11, Tynemouth Road, South Tottenham, London,
N., Gentleman 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 relates to improvements in tell-tales or checking devices more
particularly intended for use by watchmen, the object of this invention being to
provide a light portable device designed to be carried about by the watchman,
and within which he records the time any building, station or the like is visited by
him,
In order that this invention may be fully understood, I will now proceed to
describe same with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a plan of the drum or case designed to contain the mechanism with
the cover or lid removed.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the device illustrating the essential parts
of this invention.
Fig. 3 is a side view of the removable drum hereinafter referred to, and Fig. 4
is a detail view illustrating the method of supporting the drum at the top.
Fig. 5 is a plan of one of the paper slips used in connection with the device.
and
Fig. 6 is a series of diagrammatic views illustrating a series of keys or stamps
also employed in connection with the device.
In carrying my invention into practical effect, 1 preferably provide an outer

page_text: cylindrical case within the lower space 6 of which I arrange the ordinary
mechanism of a small clock, which is not shown in the drawings. I further
arrange within the upper part of the case a a metal cylinder or drum c having
flanges d and suitably connected with the mechanism of the clock in such a manner
as to make one complete revolution every 12 hours. This may be effected by
supporting the drum or cylinder c upon the under side by means of a central
boss e which rests upon the hour hand f of the clock, a groove e¹ being formed
in the said boss of a sufficient width to drop over the stem of the said hour hand,
and by this means the drum or cylinder is caused to revolve with the hand of
the clock. The drum or cylinder c is supported at the top by a pin g¹ which
takes into a corresponding hole or perforation at the top of the boss e, the
pin g being carried by a cross bar y hinged at one side to an upright h, bolted
to the top plate y, of the clock mechanism, and engaging at the other side with a
spring catch 2 arranged in connection with a second upright likewise bolted
to the top plate y of the clock, by means of an indented plate or catch & carried by
the extremity of the cross bar g, a small spiral spring being arranged within a
recess in the upright and designed to come against the underside of the catch i,
to render the fixing of the cross bar g more secure, and it will thus be readily
seen that by drawing back the spring catch, the cross bar y can be raised and the
drum or cylinder e removed.
The outer surface of the drum or cylinder e is covered with any suitable soft,
yielding material j such as felt, india-rubber, or the like, and upon this covered
surface or periphery of the drum or cylinder, graduated paper slips (Fig. 5) are
mounted or secured preferably by means of small projecting pins kk taking through
the overlapping ends of the said slip which is of a sufficient length as to embrace
the circumference of the drum or cylinder and at the same time to allow the
ends to slightly overlap. The width of each slip is equal to the width of the drum
or cylinder e between the flanges d, and is divided by longitudinal parallel lines
into any required number of parts or divisions, preferably seven, while it is further
divided by parallel vertical lines into twelve parts or divisions each corresponding
to one hour of time, and these divisions are further sub-divided by parallel verti-
cal lines into four parts, each part corresponding to the distance the drum or
cylinder will travel in each quarter of an hour of time, the hour divisions
being marked from six to twelve and one to six which represents the usual hours
at which a watchman is engaged, but the spaces may represent other times or
periods of time as required.
The clock is provided with a dial o which need necessarily only represent the
hours, and before the device is given to the watchman for use, upon each occa-
sion, the clock is set to the required time and the paper slip carried by the drum
or cylinder thus arranged to correspond with the hours indicated by the hand
of the clock.
C
The case containing the whole of the mechanism is preferably closed by means
of a hinged lid / designed to be secured by a lock arranged at 1 (Fig. 1) while
within a thickened part of the side of the case a slots m are formed corresponding
in number and position to the longitudinal divisions of the paper slip (Fig. 5)
carried by the drum or cylinder c.
A number of keys or stamps q (Fig. 6) are provided, each of which is furnished
with a projecting arm or pin ' furnished at its extremity with a letter sign,
figure, or figures, serving to identify the building or station within which it is
located, each key or stamp being firmly secured by means of a chain or in any
other convenient manner within each separate building or station. The keys or
stamps are preferably marked with numerals from 1 to 99, and where more
than 99 points or stations have to be visited the further keys or stamps are pre-
ferably marked with a single numeral and a single letter such as A', A², A³, etc.
so as to employ only two signs or symbols upon each key or stamp.
Upon the outside of the case a guides a are formed so arranged as to just admit
the stem of the keys, while as shown (Fig. 6) the arms or pins project at

page_text: different points from the stems q, so that whereas the pin or arm of the key or
stamp can only be passed through the top slot m, the pin or arm of the key or
stamp 2 can only be passed through the second slot, while the pin or arm of the
key or stamp 7 can only be passed through the bottom slot m. In this manner
the key or stamp 1 can only make an impression upon the top longitudinal divi-
sion of the paper slip, the key or stamp 2 marking only in the second longitudinal
division, the key or stamp 3 marking only in the third longitudinal division, and
to on, the key or stamp 7 marking only in the seventh or bottom longitudinal
division of the paper slip.
The keys or stamps are marked upon one side with a notch or recess to
indicate to the watchman which is the uppermost side of the key when being
inserted through the slots in the device, while the said stamps or keys are made
in consecutive series of seven, or in such other numbers as to correspond with the
number of longitudinal parts or spaces into which the paper slip is divided.
For the purpose of allowing an indelible impression to be made upon the
paper slip, the extremities of the arms or pins of the keys or stamps q may be
arranged to pierce the paper, or a suitable inking pad p may be arranged in a
small box p carried by the lid or in any other convenient position upon the out-
side of the case, so that the watchman by inking the extremity of the arm or
pin of each key or stamp fixed to the various stations he visits, and inserting each
key or stamp into the slot designed to receive it and formed in the side of the case a
as aforesaid, records upon the paper slip carried by the travelling drum e the
number or symbol identifying the building or station, while the position of such
figure or symbol upon the said slip indicates the time at which the building was
visited and the impression made.
Any suitable clockwork mechanism may be employed having a spindle or hand
revolving once every 12 hours, while for convenience in winding the clock, the
winding spindle t may be brought through the centre of the face as shown, so that
it may be wound up from the front, but this constitutes no part of the present
invention, and no claim is made for it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1/. The new or improved tell-tale or checking device comprising a revolvable
drum c arranged in connection with suitable clockwork mechanism so as to make
one complete revolution in 12 hours and designed to carry upon its outer peri-
phery, which is furnished with a covering of suitable soft material such as j, a
graduated or divided paper slip as shown at Fig. 6, the whole being arranged
with a closed case a, furnished in a thickened portion of the side with slots
or openings such as m and upon its outer surface with guides nn, the whole
arranged and operated in combination with consecutive series of keys or stamps
such as q, substantially as herein described and shown, and for the purposes
specified.
2. The method of and means for marking with or without colour or ink, a
figure, letter, symbol, or sign upon a strip of paper, and recording also time at
which the impression was made, substantially as herein described and shown with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
3/. In a tell-tale or watchman's check such as above claimed, the combination
of slots such as m formed in the side of the enclosing case, and guides such as n
formed on the outside thereof, with consecutive series of keys or stamps such as q.
furnished with arms or pins such as projecting at different points in the stems
or shoulders q, substantially as herein described and shown and for the purposes
specified.
4/. In a tell-tale or watchman's check such as above claimed, the arrangement
of an inking pad. p. within a box such as p¹ and closed by a suitable cover,

page_text: arranged preferably upon the lid of the case b, or in any other convenient and
suitable position in the said case, substantially as set forth.
5/. In a tell-tale or watchman's check such as above claimed, the covering of
the outer periphery of the revolvable drum c with suitable soft material such as j
to facilitate the marking upon the paper slip which is arranged upon its surface,
by the keys or stamps g, substantially as set forth.
F. G. CASSELL,
(Of Cassell & Co.),
22, Glasshouse Street, Regent Street, London, W.
Agent for the Applicant.
F. G. CASSELL,
(Of Cassell & Co.),
22, Glasshouse Street, Regent Street, London, W.
Agent for the Applicant.