Improvements in Electric Clocks.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 16th May, 1891
Improvements in Electric Clocks.
I WILLIAM SOULE SCALES of Everett, in the State of Massachusetts one of
the United States of America, Merchant 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 has for its object to improve the construction of electric clocks.
The invention consists in the combination with a clock train, a step-by-step
driving mechanism therefor, an electro-magnet and its armature that operates or
causes the operation of said driving mechanism, of a regulating member for said
clock which also operates or causes the operation of said driving mechanism in
case the armature of the electro magnet fails.
Also in an electric clock, a train, a step-by-step driving mechanism therefor, an
electro-magnet and its armature that actuates the said driving mechanism, a
regulating member for the train which actuates said driving mechanism in case
the armature fails, combined with a propeller for said regulating member and a
circuit closer for the electro-magnet, moved in one direction by the regulating
member and in the other direction by the armature.
The train may be of any suitable construction, and for the step-by-step driving
mechanism, I shall prefer to employ a ratchet wheel secured to one of the shafts
of the train and means for pushing it ahead step-by-step actuated by the armature
of the electro-magnet, but it has been found unreliable to depend entirely on the
said armature for the accomplishment of this result as occasionally said armature
fails to respond to the impulses, or to move sufficiently to in turn move the ratchet
wheel, and hence I have so constructed the parts that the pendulum or other
regulating member of the clock will effect this result in case the armature fails.
A propeller is provided for the pendulum which is located in juxtaposition to
the armature, or it may be the armature lever, so as to be struck and moved by
said lever a short distance as it is retracted to accumulate a certain amount of power
which is to be expended in giving an impetus to the pendulum.
The circuit of the electro-magnet is opened and closed by a circuit closer, which
is closed by the pendulum when moved in one direction, and which is broken during
the return movement of the pendulum.
It is designed that the retractile force of the armature shall be sufficient to move
the pendulum propeller from its normal position of rest a short distance to thereby
accumulate a certain amount of force, and that the pendulum when moving in one
direction will close the circuit of the electro-magnet, and at or about the same
time will engage the propeller, so that the armature will be at once attracted and
will no longer hold the propeller, and the accumulated force thereof will be given
to the pendulum, and also that as the pendulum returns or moves in the opposite
direction, it will leave the propeller in its normal position of rest and at or about
the same time will open the circuit so that the armature retracting will again move
the propeller from its normal position of rest a short distance, to again accumulate
a force which is to be expended on the pendulum.
Fig. 1 shows in front elevation an electric clock embodying this invention.
Fig. 2 a side view of the clock shown in Fig. 1 and
Fig. 3 a detail showing a portion of the pendulum, the step-by-step driving
mechanism, propeller for the pendulum, and circuit closer.
The main frame-work A of the clock may be of any suitable or usual construction
to support the operating parts.
The driving train consists of a ratchet toothed wheel a secured to a shaft a' bearing
a pinion a² which meshes with a toothed wheel a³ secured to a shaft a carrying a

page_text: pinion which engages a toothed wheel a secured to a shaft a' carrying the
iminute-hand a³.
A sleeve a is mounted on the shaft a which carries a friction-plate a¹ engaging a
disk having secured to it a pinion a¹³ which engages a toothed wheel secured
to a shaft carrying a pinion a which engages a toothed wheel a secured to a
sleeve a to which is attached the hour-hand a¹.
A back stop or click a is secured to the frame which is in engagement with the
ratchet wheel a to prevent retrograde movement thereof.
In lieu of this particular form of train any other suitable construction or
arrangement may be employed.
An electro-magnet see Fig. 1 is employed, the armature of which is pivoted
at and is provided with a retractile weight 3, or it may be a spring, but for
delicate adjustment I prefer to employ a weight.
The armature, as herein represented, has secured to it a short arm having at
its upper end a pawl which engages the ratchet toothed wheel a to drive the
train.
.
The arm has a suitable limiting stop of any suitable kind to limit the
attractive movement of the armature.
The regulator herein represented, consists of a pendulume of any usual or suitable
construction suspended from a short arm or bar e secured to the frame-work.
A pawl carrying block or arm is secured to a rod or shaft c³ to which is
attached an arm having a bifurcated end which engages the pendulum rod c,
so that as the pendulum swings to and fro the pawl carrying arm will be moved
simultaneously with it.
The pawl carrying arm e² as herein represented consists of two pieces of metal
secured together and separated at their lower ends, at which point a cross bar or pin
is secured which carries a pawl which is adapted to engage the ratchet wheel a on
the shaft a', and, as herein represented, it rests by gravity on the upper side of the
pawl and is designed to move the said ratchet forward one tooth providing
the pawl fails to operate, as it is designed that they both shall operate indepen-
dently and successively on the same tooth at each movement.
A propeller is provided for the pendulum, it compensating for the loss by friction
and impediments, said propeller being herein shown as a block d pivoted at d¹ to the
frame-work and carrying a suitable weight preferably adjustable.
the
The propeller has at its lower end a bent arm d³ which is adapted to bear against
upper end of the arm 4 on the armature, or it may be the armature itself.
A circuit closer is provided for the electro-magnet b, one member of which, as 2,
is carried by the propeller, it being arranged on block d, and the other member of
which, as 3, is carried by the pawl carrying arm ², or it may be on the pendulum
rod direct.
The clock is started by giving proper movement to the pendulum, and with the
pendulum in its position of rest the parts will be represented as in Fig. 1.
As the pendulum is swung in the direction of the arrow, or toward the left, the
pawl carrying arm will be moved until the contact 3 closes on the contact 2, and
by the inertia given to it, will lift the said propeller a short distance toward
the left.
The moment the contacts 2, 3, close, the electro-magnet is energized and its
armature is attracted, the pawl moving the ratchet wheel a forward one tooth,
and at the same time relieving the propeller of the weight or pressure of the
retractile force of the armature.
The pendulum then swings in the opposite direction, as indicated by the
arrow 4 thereon, and is assisted in such movement by the weight of the propeller
bearing on the pawl carrying arm, and said propeller continues to bear on said arm
and assist the pendulum in its movement until the bent arm strikes the upper
end of the arm when its movement is checked and the pendulum continues its
movement unassisted.
The moment the propeller is thus stopped, the pendulum moving on causes the

page_text: contact 3, to separate from the contact 2, thereby opening the circuit and permitting
the armature to retract.
The retractive force of the armature is greater than the weight of the propeller
and hence carries the propeller back with it into the full line position, shown in
Fig. 1, there holding it until the pendulum returns again, engages the propeller
in the manner first described, and closes the circuit.
Hence it will be seen that by means of the retractive force of the armature, the
propeller is lifted to accumulate a force which is expended on the pendulum, and
furthermore that the ratchet wheel is moved by the armature of the electro-magnet,
but if the armature should occasionally fail to respond for one or more impulses,
the pendulum swinging by its own momentum will operate said ratchet wheel,
and prevent loss of registration of time, it being understood however that should
the electro-magnet permanently fail the pendulum itself will not however drive
the train but a very short time.
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 In an electric clock, a step-by-step train,. a driving pawl, and an electro-
maguet and its armature that moves said driving pawl, a pendulum or equivalent,
and driving pawl moved by it, a propeller, and a circuit closer, substantially as
described.
2: In an electric clock, a train, a driving pawl, and electro-magnet, and its
armature that moves said driving pawl, a pendulum, and a propeller therefor
located in juxta position to the armature and pendulum, to be moved by the former
to accumulate a force which is given to the latter, and a circuit closer for the
circuit of said electro-magnet, one of the members of which is carried by the
pendulum and the other by the propeller, and a driving pawl also moved by said
pendulum, substantially as described.
3-In an an electric clock, a train, a step-by-step driving mechanism therefor, an
electro-magnet and its armature that controls the operation of said driving
mechanism, combined with a regulating member for the clock that also controls the
operation of said driving mechanism, independent of the electro-magnet, substan-
tially as described.
-
4 In an electric clock, a train, a step-by-step driving mechanism therefor, an
electro-magnet and its armature that operates or causes operation of said driving
mechanism, combined with a regulating member for the train which operates or
causes operation of said driving mechanism in case the armature of the electro-
magnet fails, substantially as described.
5-In an electric clock, a train, a step-by-step driving mechanism therefor, an
electro-magnet and its armature that actuates said driving mechanism, a regulating
member for the train which actuates said driving mechanism in case the armature
fails, combined with a propeller for said regulating member, and a circuit closer for
the electro-magnet moved in one direction by the regulating member and in the
other direction by the armature, substantially as described.
Dotal the 2nd day of Monah 1801
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.