IMPROVEMENTS IN OR PERTAINING TO CLOCKS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, FERDINAND ARNOLD LUDWIG DE GRUYTER of Amsterdam in the Kingdom
of the Netherlands, Merchant do hereby declare the nature of said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR PERTAINING TO CLOCKS " 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 the class of clocks known as "year-clocks" and having
rotating pendulums and its object is the construction of a clock in which both the
motion and the striking gear will continue in action for about 600 days with only
one winding-up. To this end the striking disc, designed to act both at the hours
and the half hours, is divided and driven in such a manner that it only makes one
revolution in 24 hours, instead of two, as in existing clocks. The motion gear is
driven by a spring and a train of wheels so arranged that the spring casing will
not make an excessive number of revolutions during the time the clock is intended
'to run without re-winding. One turn of the casing in 75.57 days, or eight
revolutions in 604.56 days is a convenient arrangement-The striking gear is also
driven by a spring and a train of wheels. On the third motion arbor is fixed the
striking disc, which is provided with 24 circumferential notches or serrations into
which a pawl drops, when raised and released by the minute wheel. The striking
mechanism is released' 48 times in 24 hours, and since the disc is provided with
notches or serrations in such a manner that the pawl drops in 48 times the disc
has only to make. one revolution in 24 hours.
.
On the fourth motion arbor is a pin wheel with 16 pins which operate the
hammer to strike the bell, and this arbor is so geared that it gives 180 beats for
one revolution of the disc-The fifth motion arbor carries a pin wheel with two
pins, one of which meets the pawl when the latter drops into a notch, on the disc,
and so stops the striking mechanism. The seventh arbor carries a fan or fly.
The whole gearing is so designed that the spring case will make eight revolutions
in 609.44 days.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved clock with striking arrangement.
Fig. 2 is a back view.
.
Fig. 3 is an inside view of the motion and striking gear, and
Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the motion-gear.
C

page_text: The motion gear shewn in the drawing in Fig. 3 consists of the spring casing a
with 110 teeth, the first gear wheel b with 66 teeth driven by the pinion c with
16 teeth and a wheel train arranged as follows. Pinion e with 12 teeth, gear
wheel d with 64 teeth gearing into pinion g with 10 teeth; wheelf with 60 teeth,
driving pinion with eight teeth; wheel with 96 teeth, gearing with pinion m
with eight teeth which latter is fixed to the same shaft as the escapement wheel Z
with 20 teeth. This wheel acts alternately on the escapement k.
According to these numbers the spring casing a makes one revolution for every
75.57 days or eight revolutions in 604.56 days of the clock.
The striking gear, connected to the motion gear, consists of the spring casing a 1
having 110 teeth and gearing into a pinion c³ of twelve teeth on the same shaft
with the first wheel b. This wheel gears into the pinion e¹ with twelve teeth
fixed to same arbor as the wheel d¹ with 90 teeth. This latter by means of a
pinion g¹ with eight teeth drives the pin-wheel f¹ with 64 teeth and 16 pins fixed
on the face. With the teeth on the circumference the wheel f¹ drives a pinion i
of eight teeth and the pawl wheel h' on the same shaft with 48 teeth gearing into
the pinion m¹ having eight teeth and fixed to same shaft as the wheel with
56 teeth which through the pinion n with seven teeth drives the fan σ
On the shaft of the second large wheel d' of the striking gear is fixed, as
shewn in Fig. 1, the striking disc u; it is not as hitherto provided with twelve
serrations or notches on its circumference for the pawl p to drop into thereby
producing 90 strokes, but it is provided with twice twelve notches so that it gives
180 strokes.
The pawl p. drops into the notches on the disc u and is lifted twice every hour
by the minute wheel. As soon as the pawl is again released from the lifting
action of a pin fixed on the wheel and drops back, the striking mechanism is set
in operation.
By means of the minute wheel, the striking mechanism is therefore released
48 times in 24 hours, and since the disc u is provided with notches on the
circumference in such a manner, that the pawl drops in 48 times, the disc w has
only to make one revolution in 24 hours.
By means of the second large wheel and an increased number of teeth in the
other wheels it is possible as hereafter shewn to maintain the striking mechanism
in operation for 600 days with only one winding up.
The second gear wheel d¹ is provided, as already mentioned, with 90 teeth and
gears with the pinion g¹ with eight teeth attached to the pin wheel f¹ the 16 pins
of which operate the hammer spindle and the hammer r¹ causing the latter to
strike upon the bell 8 (see Figs. 1 and 2).
For each tooth in the gear wheel & there are therefore two beats of the hammer
against the bell, or for the 90 teeth 180 beats, the number required for the clock
in 24 hours.
The pin-wheel f¹ is provided with 16 pins and its pinion g¹ has eight teeth,
there are therefore 2 pins for every tooth and since the 64 teeth of the pin
wheel f¹ gear into the eight teeth of the pinion of the pawl wheel h¹, there are
four teeth for each beat on the bell
64
2x8
Figs. 1 and 8.
The pawl wheel h' is provided with two disengaging pins, so that for each half
revolution, one pin operates the pawl p, stopping the striking mechanism, as soon
as the pawl p. drops into one of the notches in the disc u.
The eight toothed pinion m³ of the fan-driving wheel & makes three revolutions
for every stroke of the hammer, while the wheel with 56 teeth drives by means
of the pinion n the fan o the latter making 24 revolutions for each.
From the above explanation it will be seen that the spring casing a¹ makes but
one revolution in 76.18 days causing the clock to strike for 609.44 days by making
8 revolutions.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
In a year clock having a rotating pendulum :-'
1. The use of a striking disc, such as u, having 24 serrations or notches in its
circumference and acting in combination with a pawl p. and gearing so arranged
that 180 strokes are made on the bell for one revolution of the said disc substantially
as described.
2. The use in combination of the striking disc u, the pawl p, the wheel d³, the
pin wheel f¹, the pawl wheel h¹, the fan driving wheel A, and the fan o, substantially
as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated.
3. A clock with rotating pendulum motion and striking gear, the whole arranged
to require winding up not oftener than once in a year substantially as hereinabove
described and illustrated.