A BINNACLE TIME PIECE OR TIME KEEPER
Year: 1812

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MORRIS.
TOBIAS, of Wapping, in the County of Middlesex, Watch Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great.
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Sixteenth day of July,
in the fifty-second year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the said.
Morris Tobias, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, His especial licence, full
power,
sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Morris Tobias, my.
exors, adñiors, and assigns, should and lawfully might, during the term of
years therein mentioned, make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "A BINNACLE
TIME PIECE OR TIME KEEPER;" in which said Letters Patent there is con-
tained a proviso that if I, the said Morris Tobias, shall not particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner,
the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties
and advantages whatsoever thereby granted, shall utterly cease, determine,
and become void, as in and by the same, relation being thereunto had, may
more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, 1, the said
Morris Tobias, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, are particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and the following description
thereof, that is to say:-
The annexed Drawing, Figure 1, represents my binnacle time keeper com-
plete. My Invention is intended to supercede the use of sand glasses used on
board ships, and is described as follows, viz:-In so calculating the train of the
movement and motion, and so contriving, graduating, and numbering the dial,
as to divide time in the same manner as seamen and mariners usually do at sea
by means of a half-hour sand glass and bell, for the purpose of regulating
their several watches on deck and in the manner in which I have contrived
the case, and fitted the said time keeper into it, to answer several purposes
in regard to winding up and securing it from injury by wet, and for con-
veniently and securely attaching it to or fixing it into the binnacle, all which
I describe and explain as follows:-
The manner in which I have contrived the dial of my binnacle time keeper
represented by the annexed Drawing, Fig. 1, will appear by inspection of the
said Drawing, and by the following explanation. The said dial consists of
or contains three graduated circles, about which two hands or indices move.
The first or longest index refers to the outer or largest circle, and completes
a revolution round it from the figure 30 to 30 every half hour or 30 minutes,
which said circle is divided into 30 equal parts, answering to minutes, and is
numbered as follows:-5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30; this index moves gradually like
that of other time keepers. The second index refers to the middle circle, and
moves round it every 12 hours; this circle is divided into 24 equal parts,
answering to half hours or bells, and is numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8; 1, 2,
3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. In some of my time keepers I cause
this index to move gradually like the index or hand of other time keepers, and
in others I cause it to skip or start like the day-of-month hand-in a clock or a
watch, from one division to another, making a half-hour move or start every
time the first-or-minute hand makes a revolution, and arrives at the 30
minutes. The means by which I cause the half hour or bell index to move
or start from one division to another is well known to clock and watch makers,
therefore requires no description. The inner circle is divided into twelve
equal parts answering to hours, and is dotted and numbered II., IV., VI., VIII.,
X., XII. The second index refers to the circle also, and points out the hour
of the day or night, so that my said time keeper shews the hour and minute
of the day, the number of the several watches on deck as they succeed cach

page_text: other, and the number of bells or staff hours as they pass in each watch. till
it is finished, with a farther sub-division of each half hour or bell into minutes,
all which divisions of time appear at one view by inspection of the dial. My
said binnacle time keeper therefore answers the several purposes of a watch,
a half-hour sand glass, and a bell, with less trouble and more truth. The
same time keeper is usually made to run from 24 to 30 hours with once
winding up, but may be calculated to any other time more or less; it is fitted
into a mahogany case commonly of a square form; as appears by the Drawing,
Fig. 1, but is occasionally varied in form and dimensions according to cir-
cumstances, and the situation in which it is to be placed. It winds up at the.
back, and is made to turn round in the case for that purpose on two pivots
or centers, at A and B; it is provided with proper fastenings of brass, secured
to the mahogany or outer case at C and D, by the purpose of fixing it to or
into the binnacle. I make some of my time keepers on a larger construction,
dividing the second or middle circle into 48 half hours or bells; in these the
first index moves round every half hour; and the second index every 24
hours; this time keeper is provided with a third index shewing seconds, for
the purpose of finding the errors of the 28 and 14 seconds sand glasses used
to ascertain the rate of the ship's sailing; its dial is represented by the annexed
Drawing, Fig. 2. I also make some of my time keepers to strike the several
bells in each watch, as practised in His Majesty's Navy by the ship's bell on
board; the means by which I cause this time keeper to strike as above said.
are well-known to musical clock makers, as also repeating motion makers,
and does not form a part of my Invention. The train of the movement of
ny binnacle time keeper is as follows, viz.-The center wheel, 60 teeth, the
third wheel 50 teeth, with pinion of 10, countrite or contrite wheel 50 teeth,
with pinion of 8, ballance wheel pinion of 7, great wheel 65 teeth, and pinion
of 10 in center wheel, ballance wheel 15 teeth, the great wheel to have two
clicks, but one may answer the purpose. The train of the motion of my
binnacle time keeper is as follows, viz.-The cannon pinion 36 teeth, minute
wheel 36 teeth, with a pin to cause the half hour or bell wheel to move or
skip once in every half hour or bell. The teeth of both these wheels are
cut down and rounded in the usual mode of cutting teeth. The half hour
or bell wheel has cut in it 24 star teeth, to cause the index or half hour hand
on the dial to inove or skip every half hour or bell, but the wheel may be
cut in any way which will cause the pin to act in the half-hour wheel. To
steady the half hour or bell wheel, I apply a round nib or click screwed on
to act free, and fall or drop into the teeth every time the pin moves the half-
hour wheel; this is done by the application of a spring to press it into the

page_text: space of the teeth in the half-hour or bell wheel, like unto a, clock or watch
shewing the day of the mouth, and is, as I have before observed, well under-
by clock and watch makers. Another train of the motion which causes the
hálf-hour bell index to move gradually like the index or hour hand of all
other time keepers I cause to be made as follows viz.-Cannon pinion 18
teeth, minute wheel 72 teeth with a pinion of 12, and the half-hour or bell
wheel 72 teeth. I likewise make a binnacle time keeper on a smaller-
construction, dividing the dial into 8 half hour or bells, and is numbered as
follows: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, with five strokes or dots between each two
figures, each dot or stroke, and a diamond over each figure, shewing 5 minutes
each, meaning 30 minutes or a half hour or bell from one division to
another. This time keeper is provided with one indice or hand, and completes.
its revolution from figure 8 to figure 8 every four hours or seaman's watch on
deck.. This small time keeper is made to run from 24 to 30 hours, but may
be calculated to any other time more or less, and may be made to shew the
minutes by putting a minute wheel and minute hand; it may also be made
to strike the different watches on deck. This time keeper is represented by
the annexed Drawing Fig. 3. The trains of this movement and motions, like
all other time keepers, may be varied by applying a finer or courser number,
producing a quicker or a slower train or motion, still maintaining the
revolutions of the indices on the dial as before mentioned. The escapement
is vertical, but any escapement now in use may be applied to my Patent
binnacle time keeper.
In witness whereof, I, the said Morris Tobias, have hereunto set my
Land and seal, this Fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord