IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CHECKING OR INDICATING THE PERIODICAL ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE OF EMPLOYEES AND IN CLOCKWORK MECHANISM FOR ACTUATING PARTS OF SUCH APPARATUS
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Maberly Llewellin at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th April 1882.
WILLIAM MABERLY LLEWELLIN Engineer of Bristol in the county of Gloucester-
shire “IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CHECKING OR INDICATING THE
PERIODICAL ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE OF EMPLOYEES AND IN CLOCKWORK
MECHANISM FOR ACTUATING PARTS OF SUCH APPARATUS
"
This Invention relates to apparatus for checking or indicating the periodical
arrival and departure of employees and to clockwork mechanism for actuating the
moving or rotating parts of such apparatus and it is a further development of the
Invention for which Letters Patent were granted to the present applicant bearing
date the 7th day of June A.D. 1881 Number 2472:
One improvement under this Invention consists in providing the checking
apparatus with a shoot or shoots so projecting that employees leaving or entering
the place of their employment by another apartment or on the other side of a wall
or partition from that at which the apparatus is situated may pass their checks into
the machine.
Under another improvement and in order that any number of checks may be
passed in at one time the machine is provided with an open circular hopper.
Another improvement consists in supporting the central spindle by which the
moving parts of the apparatus are actuated in roller bearings the axes of the rollers
being fixed or carried in a collar surrounding the spindle; or in apparatus of that
class for which Letters patent were granted to John Adams bearing date the
11th day of July A.D. 1855 Number 1554 and wherein the shoot rotates over a
stationary box for holding the checks, in lieu of supporting the spindle of the shoot
on the box itself, a bridge is introduced extending across the top of the box into
which the lower end of the spindle is stepped thereby enabling the box to be
withdrawn at pleasure.
The check box is or may be made curved or dished inwards on the bottom in
order that the checks deposited in its several compartments may have a tendency

page_text: to roll or move outwards towards the circumference and in cases where the check
boxes rotate and where it is desired to have checks taken at a number of times
during the day an improvement consists in hinging the bottom so that it shall
open downwards. The bottom of the box or of each compartment in it is secured
with a catch which coming in contact with a fixed key releases the bottom and
allows the checks to drop down into another and lower compartment. By this
means sinaller boxes may be used.
When moving check boxes are used another improvement consists in placing
one box above another or others and in making the uppermost box without a
bottom and with larger divisions or compartments in it which taper downwards
and direct the checks into the smaller divisions of the box or boxes underneath it.
Another improvement consists in the employment of a tier of two or more check
boxes so arranged that the topmost second and third or more boxes shall have each
one compartment corresponding with the others and communicating with the
lowermost box. The lowermost box only moves and thus the checks passed into
the apparatus will drop through the compartments in the superposed boxes into
the compartiments of the lowermost box. So soon as all the compartments in the
lowermost box shall in rotation have been brought under the false divisions of the
superposed boxes tho said under box is disconnected from the actuating mechanism
and remains stationary whilst the box immediately above it is now connected to
the actuating mechanism and revolving recoives checks into its several compartments
in the same manner as the under box. As soon as the second lowest box has
completed its revolution it is disconnected and the hox above it connected to tho
actunting spindle and so on until the uppermost box in the tier is reached.
The check box may also be subdivided into a number of boxes sectors of the
circumference of the circular box so that these "sector boxes" may be removed
without removing the larger box which is so pivotted that it can be turned
round and the sector boxes drawn out.
Another improvement consists in employing a rotating vertical or inclined circular
box divided into a series of compartments the depth of which extends from the
periphery inwards to a point about halfway to the centro of the circle. The shoot
or shoots through which the checks are passed deliver them into those compartments
either at their parts nearest to the centre or periphery. As the box is rotated tho
checks are dropped into another shoot, flexible or hinged if desired, and by which
the checks are deposited into compartments away from the vertical or inclined
box which compartments may be made to move by the same clockwork.
The compartiments of the vertical or inclined rotating box inay be self closing
at certain parts of the revolution so as to retain the checks passed into them.
With reference to the apparatus described in the specification filed in persuance
of the aforesaid Letters Patent granted to me for checking the periodical arrival
and departure of managers foremen and others in charge an improvement embraced
by this Invention consists in coiling the roll of paper on a drum attached to a spindle
revolving in a vertical, horizontal or inclined plane and which spindle has also
another drum fixed on it as and for the purpose hereinafter set forth. From the
first drum the paper passes over another drum secured on the actuating spindle of
the apparatus and from thence it is passed partially round a third drum in the
circumference of which spikes or pins are fixed for the purpose of marking the paper
and also of assisting in pulling it round. The last mentioned drum is placed near
the aperture in the casing through which the foremen or others sign their names
and it is geared with and receives motion from the actuating spindle by toothed or
friction wheels or their equivalents. The paper after passing round the spiked drum
may either fall into a space below or it may be coiled on the second drum on the
first mentioned spindle.
Guide or couch rollers covered with felt or equivalent material are also provided
in conjunction with the spiked drum in order to conduct the paper to and from the
said drum and to afford a resisting medium to the spikes in entering the papor.
Another alternative arrangement for this part of the apparatus consists in

page_text: winding the paper on a drum and thence passing it over a larger drum operated
by the actuating spindle. Upon leaving the second drum the paper is coiled upon
a third drum which by means of a weight, spring or their equivalent exercises a
tension upon it. The larger or second druin is set with pins or teeth to draw the
paper in the required direction and the said pins may perferate the paper and
indicate the times when it is exposed for signature.
Another part of this Invention relates to the "check boards" described in my
said previous specification.
Instead of the boards falling or sliding downwards as therein described they aro
under this Invention counterweighted and the weight, being at certain times
released by a detent and allowed to fall, causes the board to riso or move upwards
and the falling of the weight may also sound a gong, boll, whistle or other signal
to intimate that the checks may now be taken off by the workpeople. After the
proper time for removing the checks has expired a shutter or door is by a similar
arrangement raised to cover the board and a signal may also at that time be
sounded.
The detents are released and the signal sounded either by a spring or lever
operated by a screw or worm fixed on the actuating spindle of the machine.
The check boards may also be arranged in circular form and revolve so that
parts of them may be hidden behind a screen somewhat as set forth with reference
to the foremens checking arrangement under my said previous Letters patent.
Another part of this Invention relates to improvements in the clockwork
mechanism by which the moving parts of the apparatus are actuated, and it consists
in the employment of a barrel similar to the barrel of a musical box and which
turns round once in each hour. The barrel is divided circumferentially and
equally into 12, or 24 or any other desired multiple of these spaces. In the division
lines projecting pins are placed corresponding to certain times in each hour.
A sliding bar is used kept in tension by a weight and actuated by a
"snail" which "pumps" the discharging "tail" at each hour there being 12, 2+ or
any other desired number of steps in the snail. A "step" is made when the
"tail" is wanted to be taken out of the way and another falling step brings the
"tail" on to another row of pins and so on until the last step is arrived at.
"
"
“
"
cam or
The pin of the arm that falls upon the "snail" passes under the "snail” and
pumps" a lever for the remaining parts to bring the lover which actuates the
lifting "tail" to the top of the "snail" again.
An alternative method consists in dispensing with the barrel and substituting a
chain or other flexible equivalent, but preferably a chain with 720 or other
convenient number of links. Each link corresponds to a minute or other period of
time and has two holes and in the link corresponding to a certain minute in each
hour a projecting pin is placed which coming against raises the discharging lever
and so actuates the registering arrangement. The chain passes over a pulley and
revolves once every hour or other period of time as may be desired.
Another alternative arrangement consists in substituting a screw with 24 or
other number of threads in lieu of the barrel. Projecting pins are placed either on
the top or bottom of the thread thus doing away with the "snail" in front.
To obviate the use of bevil wheels to communicate the motion to the registering
parts of the apparatus, a lover, actuated by a pin, cam, eccentric or their equivalent,
is used which lever operates a ratchet and wheel arrangement underneath. Or an
endless chain, cord or band may be used and passed over a pulley actuated by
the clock.
The vertical direction is changed into a horizontal direction by guide or idle
pulleys and the chain or cord is thence passed round a horizontal wheel on the
spindle actuating the registering parts of the apparatus.
It is also proposed to use one "winding" with one spring for discharging work
and for going, a toothed wheel being fixed to the inner and another similar wheel
to the outer end of the spring. A modification of this arrangement may also be
applied to the "fusec"

page_text: Two three or more checking machines may be actuated from one clock by means
of an endless band, connecting rods, cranks or eccentrics or a combination of any
or all of them and by means of this arrangement constructions of checking
apparatus not embraced by this or my previous Invention may be actuated alono
or in combination with my checking apparatus.
The doors for affording access to the interior of the apparatus aro, instead of
being hinged as formerly, preferably made to slide in grooves.