An Improved Apparatus for Electrically Winding Up a Driving Spring.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Dec., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 31st Aug., 1895-Accepted, 26th Oct.,
1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Electrically Winding Up a Driving
Spring.
I, HERMANN ARON of No. 6 Lützow-Strasse, Berlin; W., in the Empire of
Germany, Privy Counsellor to the Government, Dr. Philos. and Professor; do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
My invention relates to an improved apparatus för electrically winding up a
driving spring, such for instance as employed to drive a clock work or train of
wheels.
The apparatus of my invention principally consists of an electro-magnet, the
armature of which is connected to a contact-device for instantaneously closing and
interrupting a circuit, which contact-device, in combination with a click and
ratchet-mechanism, constitutes a spring barrel.
In carrying this invention into practice, I provide an electro-magnet, the poles
of which, at their inner sides, are hollowed out to allow an armature of the magnet
to freely swing on its spindle hetween said poles and in close proximity to the
same. This armature is loosely mounted on its said spindle, and carries attached
to one of its sides a click engaging a ratchet wheel,. fixed on the same spindle.
Another click engaging the said ratchet-wheel prevents the same from being turned
in the opposite direction. On the inner side of the armature, a recess is formed, io.
which is placed a spring, one end of which is secured to the armature, and the
other end to a journal-box secured to the frame of the electro-magnet. If the
armature swings in the opposite direction, to the finger of the dial, the spring is
wound up and can only lose its tension by turning the armature in the direction
of the said finger. This rotary motion of the armature is transmitted to the
spindle by means of the first named click, and ratchet-wheel, and from the said
spindle the clock or wheel-work, or other device to be driven receives motion by
means of suitable gearing or other transmission mechanism. As soon as the
armature has reached the end of its throw, the spring will have lost its tension and
consequently, must be wound up again, which is performed by the armature
swinging in the opposite direction as before described. This winding up motion of
the armature is caused by an electric current which magnetizes the iron of the
electro-magnet and thereby attracts the armature. When the said armature has
been attracted and swung over, the circuit must be broken, in order to release the
armature and allow its being swung back again, which motion is imparted to the
armature by the spring, which has been wound up during the previous throw of
the armature in the opposite direction.
The circuit is automatically closed and interrupted at the moment required by
means of a device actuated through the reciprocating motion of the armature.
This make and break device consists of a pin, working with ample play within a
suitably pivoted fork, said fork having one arm of insulating material' and the
other arm of conducting material. By means of a spring, one end' of which is
secured to the fork, above its centre of motion, while the other end' is secured to
the frame, below the centre of motion, the said fork is held at one or other position
of an unstable equilibrium.
The current actuating the armature flows the following way. It enters and flows
through the coil of the electro-magnet, then on to the frame and armature and to

page_text: the contact pin from whence it passes into the conducting branch of the fork, an
insulated bracket carrying the said fork, and then returns through a wire to the
source of electricity. When the current passes, the electro-magnet attracts its
armature, and while the said armature is swinging towards the coil, the conducting
branch of the fork is, first held by the spring, at one side of the unstable
equilibrium and in contact with the pin. The fork is drawn into the position of
unstable equilibrium and as soon as the armature turns farther on, the said fork
will at once be swung by the spring, to the other side of its unstable equilibrium,
whereby the pin comes to rest against the insulated arm of the fork. The circuit,
thereby, is broken, the attraction of the electro-magnet on the armature instantly
ceases, and as the spring has been wound up by the previous motion of the armature,
the latter is now free for being returned by the tension of the said spring, as
described before. As soon as the armature approaches the end of its throw, the
fork again passes its point of equilibrium and is swung to the other side by the
spring, whereby the conducting branch is again brought into contact with the pin
and the movement is renewed, as before.
Dated this 20th day of December 1894.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Electrically Winding Up a Driving
Spring.
I, HERMANN ARON, of No. 6, Lützow-Strasse, Berlin, W., in the Empire of
Germany, Privy Counsellor to the Government, Dr. Philos., and Professor, 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 an improved apparatus for electrically winding up
driving springs, such for instance as employed for driving a clock-work or a train
of wheels or the wheel work of apparatus for recording or measuring electric
currents, generally called "electricity-meters."
The object of my invention is to automatically and electrically wind up a driving
spring every time when it has spent or nearly spent its driving power. For this
purpose I employ the combination of an armature, preferably of a freely swinging
armature moving before the poles of a magnet, with a tilting tension or spring
device, preferably of the kind employed for instantly closing a circuit in the
distribution of electrical energy or a similar device by which a tilting motion is
obtained to one or the other side of the variable position of a spring in tension.
The armature is connected with one pole of a source of electricity and the tilting
tension device is connected with the other pole of said source, the combination of
the said armature and tilting device constituting a device for instantaneously
closing a circuit. The armature seizes the tilting device, and, making contact,
reverses the same, the contact being made at that point where the two moving
parts bear against each other.
By means of this novel combination, 1 obtain three technical advantages which
are of importance for the driving mechanism of clock-work.
First, by means of said combination, the swinging armature is able to develop
its true quality and full effect, which consists in being allowed to perform an
extensive throw. This feature is of great advantage for clock-work, as, by virtue
thereof, the operation of winding up is less frequently repeated. Where the throw
of the armature is extensive, the time, during which the contact is performed,

page_text: must be proportionally long. To obtain this, both sides of the contact device are
moving while making contact. By employing a freely swinging armature, this
arrangement is particularly advantageous, because in this case, where the armature
and tilting device are in gear with each other and make contact by bearing
against each other, the extensive angular motion of both is utilised to reciprocally
assist or complete the motion of each other.
The second advantage of this contact device consists in that both sides, though
bearing against each other for a comparatively long time, only continue to slide
and simultaneously to roll on each other for a short distance. I thereby not only
avoid the considerable frictional resistance which is greatly objectionable for the
mechanism, and, besides, absorbs too much of the driving power, but I further
obtain that during the movement of both sides of the contact device the bearing
or contact points continually change, whereby the wear and tear of the contact
points is considerably reduced and a greater reliability established for the contact
to be closed.
The third advantage of the said device consists in that the contact is closed at
another point than where it is interrupted. This feature is of utmost importance
for electrical clock-work, because sparking arises where the circuit is broken,
burning or oxidising the metal at the point in use. Now, if the contact is to be
closed at the same point where it is broken, it will soon be liable to fail, in which
case the clock-work would not be wound up and, accordingly, would stop. This,
however, will not occur, if, by the aid of this improved device, the contact,
returning from the other side by the way of a circular motion, is closed at
another point. By the two qualities last described the contact device of my
invention particularly differs from those which hitherto have been used in apparatus
for distributing electrical energy, the contacts, in such apparatus, are simply
sliding contacts and the circuit is closed at the same point where it is interrupted.
Contact devices of the latter-kind might best be termed oscillating contacts, while
the circuit closer of my invention should be termed a rotating contact.
Though the circuit closer employed to distribute electrical energy in general
much resembles that of my present invention, yet, to answer the different purpose,
it has been so changed as to constitute a distinct device. In the case of a circuit
closer in an apparatus for distributing electrical energy, the power of the arm of
man is sufficient to overcome a strong friction and, thereby, to secure the contact.
The conditions in that case are widely different from those which must be taken
into account for the purpose of electrically winding up a driving spring, the
contact device, accordingly, must, in the latter case, work in a different manner
and constitute a different part of the working mechanism.
To make my invention more fully understood, I will proceed to describe the same
with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus for electrically winding up driving
springs, and
Figure 2 is a sectional front elevation of the same.
a is an electro-magnet, the poles of which, at their inner sides, are hollowed out
to allow the armature b of the magnet to freely swing between said poles and in
elose proximity to the same on a spindle c. The said armature b is loosely mounted
on the spindle c and carries attached to one of its sides a click d engaging a ratchet
wheel e fixed on the said spindle. Another click f engaging the said ratchet
wheel prevents the same from being turned in the opposite direction. Within the
rear side of the armature b, a recess is formed, as shown in Figure 2, in which
recess is placed a spring 9, one end of which is secured to the armature b and the
other end to a journal-box secured to the frame of the electro-magnet. If the
armature, Figure 1, swings in a direction contrary to that of the finger of the dial,
the spring is wound up and can only lose its tension by turning the armature in
the direction of the said finger. This rotary motion of the armature b is
From
transmitted to the spindle e by means of the click d and ratchet-wheel e.
the said axis c, the clock or wheel-work or other device to be driven receives

page_text: motion by means of suitable gearing or other transmission mechanism. As soon
as the armature has reached the end of its throw, the spring g will have lost its
tension and, consequently, must he wound up again, which is performed by the
armature swinging in the opposite direction, as before described. This winding up
motion of the armature bis caused by an electric current which magnetises the
iron of the electro-magnet and thereby attracts the armature b. When the said
armature has been attracted and swung to the left from the position shown in
Figure 1, the circuit must be broken in order to release the armature and allow of
its being swung again into the position shown in Figure 1 which motion is imparted
to the armature by the spring 9, which had been wound up during the previous
throw of the armature in the opposite direction.
The circuit is automatically closed and broken at the moment required by means
of a device actuated through the reciprocating motion of the armature. This
make and break-device consists of a pin h working with ample play within a fork
pivoted as at i, said fork having one arm & of insulating material and another
arm of conducting material. By means of a spring m one end of which is
secured to the fork, as at n, above the centre of motion, while the other end is
secured to the frame as at o below the centre of motion, the said fork is held at
one or other position of an unstable equilibrium. In the drawings the armature is
represented in the position when the spring has been wound off. The carrent
actuating the armature flows the following way: It enters into the coil of the
electro-magnet as at p and flows through the coil g thence through the frame and
armature b to the contact pin h and passes into the conducting arm of the fork
and through an insulated bracket carrying the said fork, and then returns through
wire r to the source of electricity. When the current passes, the electro-magnet
attracts its armature b, and while the said armature is swinging towards the coil; the
conducting branch 1, of the fork is first held by the spring m at one side of the
unstable equilibrium and in contact with the pin h till the three points n, i, o, are
placed in a straight line. Taking this position, the fork is in a condition of unstable
equilibrium, and as soon as the armature turns further on, the said fork will at
once be swung by the spring m to the one side of the unstable equilibrium,
whereby the pin h comes into contact with the insulated branch k. The circuit
thereby is broken, the attraction of the electro-magnet on the armature instantly
ceases, and as the spring g has been wound up by the previous motion of the
armature, the latter is now free for being returned by the tension of the said
spring g, as described before. As soon as the armature approaches the end of its
throw, the fork again passes its point of equilibrium and is swung to the other side
by the spring m, whereby the conducting branch is again brought into contact
with the pin h, and the play is renewed as before.
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 :-
An apparatus for electrically winding up springs, consisting of an armature and
a tilting tension device, the armature being connected to one pole and the tilting
tension device to the other pole of a source of electricity in such a manner that
the combination of the armature and tilting device constitutes an instantaneous
circuit-closer, substantially as and for the purpose described.
.Lני.
1
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.