Improvements in Repeating Clocks or Watches.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Dec., 1892-Accepted, 13th May, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Repeating Clocks or Watches.
A communication from STEPHEN WILLCOCK, of 461, Queen Street West, of
the City of Toronto, County of York and Province of Ontario, Canada,
Inventor.
I ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex
M.I. Mech. E. and Chartered Patent Agent 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in the striking mechanism of repeating
clocks or watches, and the object of the invention is to construct the mechanism so
that the rack, the gathering pin or tumbler and the stop lever or dog, now
commonly used in repeating clocks may be dispensed with, and it consists,
essentially, of an ordinary count wheel geared to the striking mechanism of the
clock, a snail geared to the hands' axle and arranged in connection with mechanism
to release the count wheel by the starting of the striking mechanism and of
mechanism arranged in connection with the snail, to stop the striking mechanism;
substantially as hereinafter more particularly explained.
Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the mechanism of the clock with the
improvement attached.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the striking mechanism of the clock from the
opposite side to that shown in Fig. 1.
Figure 3 is a detail showing the mechanism by which the movement of the hands
may be made to repeat the hour last given.
Figure 4 shows an equivalent arrangement of the mechanism for stopping the
striking mechanism.
In the drawing A represents an ordinary count wheel suitably journalled on a
pin C projecting from the face of the clock frame B, the count wheel deriving
motion through the pinion D, from the striking mechanism of the clock.
E is a plate loosely journalled on the pin C and projecting towards the periphery
of the count wheel A.
F is a light bar loosely held to the plate E by the heads of the screws a which
screws pass through a slot b made in the bar F.
G is a pin projecting through the bar F so that on one side it will engage with
the teeth of the count wheel A and on the other side rest upon the curved finger H,
fixed to the spindle I, of the locking arm J.
K is a spring arranged as indicated to act upon a pin L projecting from the face
of the bar F. The tension of this spring K holds the pin G in mesh with the
teeth in the count wheel A.
M is a finger fixed to and projecting from the pivotted or journalled plate E.
N is a finger projecting from the finger M over the snail O. This snail is made
in the usual manner with twelve steps to represent the twelve hours into which the
day is divided, and is geared as indicated to the hands' axle or spindle P so
that at each revolution of the hands' axle P the snail O is moved the distance of
one step. As the snail is commonly used in repeating clocks, its purpose is well
understood so that it is not necessary in this Specification to give an elaborate
description of its use or operation. Suffice it to say that it is arranged in con-
nection with the hands' axle in such a manner that the movement of the hour
hand to any particular numeral on the face of the clock brings the particular step
in the snail representing that numeral opposite to the particular part of the
mechanism by which the number of the strokes represented by that numeral is

page_text: regulated. For instance in the drawing is shown the snail O with its fourth step
counting from the highest point in this snail immediately below the pin N the
movement of which regulates the stroke.
When the striking mechanism is put into operation in the usual manner by the
minute hand reaching the striking point on the clock, the locking arms' spindle I
is rocked on its pivot and as the curved finger H is fixed to the said spindle I, the
said curved finger H is raised so as to come in contact with the pin G and push the
said pin clear of the teeth in the wheel A, thereby releasing the plate E which by
the action of the spring K₁ is caused to fall until its motion is arrested by the
pin N, coming in contact with the snail O.
As the rocking of the spindle 1, is merely momentary the curved finger H drops
away immediately from the pin G and permits the said pin to re-engage with the
teeth of the then revolving count-wheel A, thereby locking the plate E, to the
said count-wheel which continues to revolve until the pin Q projecting from
the plate E comes in contact with the end of the curved finger H so as to raise
the said curved finger H and thereby rock the spindle I, so as to throw the locking
arm J, in position to stop the striking mechanism.
In Fig. 4 is shown an alternative arrangement of the mechanism by which the
striking mechanism is stopped by the dropping instead of the raising of the finger H.
In this arrangement the bar F is pivotted on the plate E at m instead of being
held loosely to the said plate by means of the heads of the screws a. When the
striking mechanism is to be stopped, the finger H drops by the pin Qcoming
opposite to a wide notch Q¹ made in the finger H thus bringing the arm J in
position to stop the striking mechanism, which action is much quicker than the
upward movement caused by the pin Q coming in contact with the enlarged end
of the curved finger H.
The arm M in Fig. 4 is shown connected to a different part of the plate E,
where it may be more readily adjusted.
When the pin N is rising on the twelve o'clock step of the snail and the hands
are revolved, some means must be provided to allow the pin N to pass the straight
part n.
In Fig. 1 the arm M is shown of thin spring metal and in Fig. 4 the snail is
provided with an arrangement similar to that in the hands' axle P which is fully
described further on in the Specification.
In one case, the spring of the arm M allows the pin N, to pass behind the snail
till it rises to its normal position above the snail and in the other the forward
movement of the snail answers the same purpose.
It will be readily understood from the foregoing description that the striking
mechanism is stopped by the dropping of the curved finger H. If this finger
either purposely or accidentally should be prevented from falling the striking
mechanism will continue in motion and the count wheel A, will carry the plate E,
round with it past its normal stopping point, thus throwing the mechanism out of
proper relation.
To obviate this difficulty a slanting piece F¹, is placed in the path
of the pin G, so that if the said pin moves past its normal stopping point, it will
come into contact with the piece F', and will be lifted out of the notch in the
count wheel in which it is lying. When the said pin is released, the plate E, will
be drawn back by the spring K', the distance of one tooth.
motion is prevented as the pin G, is again thrown into engagement with the count
wheel, immediately it is withdrawn from contact with the piece by the action of
the spring K.
Further backward
The above action is repeated every time the pin G, comes in contact with the
piece F', which will happen continuously till the finger H, is free to drop when the
notch Qis above the pin Q. Thus damage to the mechanism is obviated if
the finger H, be prevented from falling at the proper time.
There are various ways of putting the striking mechanism into motion. One
plan is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and another plan in Fig. 3.
In Figs. 1 and 2 is shown a spindle R carried in a suitable bracket S. The

page_text: upper end of the spindle R should project through the clock case and have a
suitable button formed on it.
A finger T is fixed to the spindle R and projects over a lever U projecting from
the spindle I.
A spring V, is placed between the finger T and bottom of the bracket S, so as
to support the said finger in its normal position above the lever U and to carry
it back into that position after it has been pressed down to strike the lever U and
by rocking the spindle I, put the striking motion into action, as already described.
In Fig. 3 is shown another plan by which the striking mechanism is put into
action by the movement of the minute hand to indicate the last hour struck. In
this figure will be seen a sleeve W loosely journalled on the minute hands' axle P,
but prevented from revolving thereon by a pin X projecting from the said axle
and fitting into a V shaped notch Y made in the end of the sleeve W as indicated;
a spring Z which is behind the sleeve W holds the said sleeve so that the pin X
shall fit into the notch Y. A finger d extends from the sleeve W in the path of
the wire e. This wire is fixed to the rock-shaft f from which the wire g projects the
latter wire being in the path of the locking arm J.
In order to find out what hour has been struck last, the minute hand is moved
back past the twelve o'clock numeral on the face of the clock, which movement
carries the sleeve back with the hands' axle P until the finger d on the sleeve W,
comes in contact with the curved end of the wire e which action holds the
sleeve W and as the hands' axle P continues to revolve the pin X by acting
against the side of the V-shaped notch Y forces the sleeve W back against its
spring until the finger d is carried clear of the wire e when the spring immediately
forces the sleeve W back into its initial position with the finger d behind the
wire e.
By bringing the minute hand back to the twelve o'clock numeral, the finger d
strikes the wire e so as to rock the shaft f moving the wire 9 until it strikes the
locking arm; thereby starting the striking mechanism of the clock.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A count wheel geared to the striking mechanism of a clock a snail geared to
the hands' axle and arranged in connection with mechanism to release the count
wheel by the starting of the striking mechanism, and of mechanism arranged in
connection with the snail to stop the striking mechanism substantially as and for
the purpose specified.
2. A count wheel geared to the striking mechanism of a clock a snail geared to
the hands' axle in combination with a plate loosely journalled on the journal of the
count wheel a bar loosely held to the said plate and provided with a pin to engage
with the teeth of the count wheel and of a finger fixed to and extending from the
spindle of the locking arm substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3. A count wheel geared to the striking mechanism of a clock a snail geared to
the hands' axle a plate loosely journalled on the journal of the count wheel and
provided with a finger having a pin projecting from it in the path of the snail, in
combination with a pin projecting from the journalled plate in the path of the
curved finger fixed to the spindle of the locking arm; substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
4. A count wheel A geared to the striking mechanism of the clock a journalled
plate E having an arm F loosely connected to it a pin G projecting through the
bar F and engaging with the teeth in the count wheel A a pin L projecting from
the face of the bar F in combination with a spring K and curved finger H
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
5. The combination with a sleeve loosely journalled on the hands' axle P and
having a V-shaped notch made in one end of it and a spring located behind it to
hold the sleeve in mesh with the V-shaped notch a finger extending from the sleeve

page_text: to a point in the path of a wire and of mechanism to connect the said wire to the
locking arm J substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 13th day of December 1892.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Of London, Liverpool, Manchester, and Nottingham,
Agents for the Applicant.