IMPROVEMENTS IN ALARUMS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Houchin, junior, of Bridport Place, New
North Road, Hoxton, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ALARUMS."
Sealed the 4th August 1857, and dated the 18th February 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Houchin, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 13th
February 1857.
I, RICHARD HOUCHIN, junior, of Bridport Place, New North Road, Hoxton,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN ALARUMS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in alarums. For these
purposes the box or case to which the alarum is applied is hollow, and, by
preference, is cylindrical on the interior. The fly or rotating vanes of the
alarum is placed on an axis in the centre of this box or case in such manner
that a stop or detent passed through any part of the circumference will retain
the fly from rotating till the detent or stop has been withdrawn. The detent
or stop may have attached to it any number of wires or cords, the other ends
of which may be so put in connection with windows or doors, drawers, or other
other
instrument of a house, that on any drawer or window, or drawer or
instrument being opened or moved, the detent may be drawn out and thus set
free the alarum, which will continue to sound till the detent or stop is again

page_text: introduced or the spring run down. The spring and bell are placed above the
top or cover of the case, and the spring and mechanism of the alarum are
arranged under the bell. On a plate or cover of the box or case above mentioned
are affixed several uprights or posts, on which is fixed a circular plate, and a
suitable spring is placed and fixed on a suitable upright in the centre, and
under such plate on the central barrel of the spring is fixed a cog wheel, which
gives motion to a pinion on an axis parallel with the central axis of the spring;
on this axis is a cog wheel, which gives motion to a pinion on the axis of the
flyer or vanes. The cog wheel on the central barrel of the spring also gives
motion by studs or projections to the tail of the hammer lever. The bell is
inverted and screwed or fixed over these parts, and the hammer is arranged to
strike the bell on its inner surface.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions. of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Houchin, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th August 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
HOUCHIN, junior, of Bridport Place, New North Road, Hoxton, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Richard Houchin, Her special licence that I, the said Richard
Houchin, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Richard Houchin, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term. therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ALARUMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Richard Houchin, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent Oflice within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that J, the said Richard Houchin, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in alarums. For these
purposes the box or case to which the alarum is applied is hollow, and, by
preference, is cylindrical on the interior. The fly or rotating vanes of the
alarum is placed on an axis in the centre of this box or case in such manner
that a stop or detent passed through any part of the circumference will retain
the fly from rotating till the detent or stop has been withdrawn. The detent
or stop may have attached to it any number of wires or cords, the other ends
of which may be so put in connection with windows or doors, drawers, or other
instrument of a house, that on any door or window, or drawer or other instru-
ment being opened or moved, the detent may be drawn out and thus set free
the alarum, which will continue to sound till the detent or stop is again intro-
duced or the spring run down. The spring and bell are placed above the top
or cover of the case, and the spring and mechanism of the alarum are arranged
under the bell. On a plate or cover of the box or case above mentioned are
affixed several uprights or posts, on which is fixed a circular plate, and a suit-
able spring is placed and fixed on a suitable upright in the centre, and under
such plate on the central barrel of the spring is fixed a cog wheel, which
gives motion to a pinion on an axis parallel with the central axis of the spring;
on this axis is a cog wheel, which gives motion to a pinion on the axis of tho
flyer or vanes. The cog wheel on the central barrel of the spring also gives
motion by studs or projections to the tail of the hammer lever. The bell is
inverted and screwed or fixed over these parts, and the hammer is arranged to
strike the bell on its inner surface.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto
annexed.
เ
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a vertical section, and Figure 2 a plan, in section, of an
alarum constructed according to my Invention. a, a, is a hollow cylindrical
box or case, in which the fly or rotating vanes b, b, revolve; c is a detent or
stop, which passes through the circumference of the case into a position to
retain the fly from rotating until withdrawn by a cord or wire c', any number
of which may be attached to the stop c, and conducted to different parts of a
house or other building, and be put in connection with windows or doors.
igur
JOWS &
a pran, in section, or
alarum constructed according to my Invention. a, a, is a hollow cylindrical
box or case, in which the fly or rotating vanes b, b, revolve; c is a detent or
stop, which passes through the circumference of the case into a position to
retain the fly from rotating until withdrawn by a cord or wire c', any number
of which may be attached to the stop c, and conducted to different parts of a
house or other building, and be put in connection with windows or doors.

page_text: 'drawers, or other instruments, which on being opened or moved will draw out
the stop or detent c, and thus set the alarum in motion. d is a plate fixed to
the upper part of the box or case a. The plate d is connected to the plate e
by the uprights or posts f; and 7 is an axis turning in suitable bearings formed
in the centre of the plates d and e. To the axis g one end of the spiral spring h
'is connected, the other end being fixed to one of the uprights f. Motion is
given to the axis g to wind up the spring by the handle g', and by which the
älarum can be carried. On the axis g is fixed the disc g and ratchet wheel i,
into the teeth of which the click or pall is constantly pressed by the spring .
"The click or pall is carried by the toothed wheel j, which is free to turn on
the axis g. The toothed wheel j when driven by the ratchet and click i gives
motion to the toothed pinion k; fixed on the axis ¹, on the lower end of which
is fixed the toothed wheel k², which takes into and drives the toothed pinion 7,
'fixed on the axis of the fly or rotating vanes b, which will thus receive motion
by the action of the spring h on the axis g. m is a tappet wheel fixed on the
wheel j, the projections m¹ of which in their revolution act on the tail of the
hammer lever o, which is drawn back by a spring so as to strike the inverted
bell n on its inner circumference. The bell n is supported on the central axis,
and covers the spring and mechanism of the alarum, as shown.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to any
of the mechanical parts separately, nor do I confine myself to the details; but
what I claim is the combination herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Houchin, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of August in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE.
RICHARD HOUCHIN. (L.S.)