AN IMPROVED TELL-TALE CLOCK
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jacob Frengley, of the Firm of Frengley,
Brothers, of Dublin, Ireland, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
TELL-TALE CLOCK."
Sealed the 15th February 1870, and dated the 24th August 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jacob Frengley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th August 1869.
I, JACOB FRENGLEY, of the Firm of Frengley, Brothers, of Dublin,
Ireland, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED TELL-TALE CLOCK," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to an improved arrangement of tell-tale clock
chiefly designed for use in prisons and other establishments where, for
instance, it is desired to record the precise hour at which each round has
been made by a warder or other person.
The improvement consists in the use of a dial of paper or other
suitable material rotated by the mechanism of the clock in combination
with a perforator operated by hand by the warder or other person, by

page_text: means of which the time of the visit is recorded on the paper or other
dial. This dial is attached by means of a central screw clamp or
otherwise to a disc of the same size mounted on the clock face, and
provided with a spindle passing through the same mounted in bearings
in the plates carrying the clock mechanism. This spindle is provided
with a spur wheel, which gears with a similar wheel keyed on the axis of
the small or hour hand, so that the paper or other dial will be rotated
by the clock in conformity with the motion of the hour hand. The
circumference of this small paper or other dial is figured or lettered
similar to the dial plate of an ordinary clock, and together with the
perforator or marker before mentioned is securely enclosed within the
glass of the clock case, so that all attempts to tamper with the tell-tale
are prevented. The perforator employed for making the desired
indications on the small paper dial projects through the clock dial, and
may be operated by hand in any suitable manner either by means of a
cord connected to a spring lever, on the end of which the perforator is
mounted, or a push piece and knob projecting through the clock case
may be employed for the purpose of depressing the lever and causing
the perforator to penetrate or otherwise mark the circumference of the
paper or other dial and, thus indicate thereon the hour at which the visit
was made. In order to prevent error it is necessary to renew the paper or
other dial every day, or oftener if required. In adjusting the fresh
dial its correct position in relation to that of the hour hand is found
by making a mark thereon coincide with a projection on the dial
carrier. In order that the motion of the clock may not be arrested
should the perforator remain in contact with the paper dial either by
reason of its spring failing to return to its position or from other cause
I prefer to make it blade-shaped so as to enable it to cut its way through
the paper disc without impeding the motion thereof.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Jacob Frengley, Her special licence
that I, the said Jacob Frengley, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Jacob Frengley, 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 "AN IMPROVED
TELL-TALE CLOCK," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Jacob Frengley, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Jacob Frengley, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon.(that is
to say):-
My Invention relates to an improved arrangement of tell-tale clock
chiefly designed for use in prisons and other establishments where, for
instance, it is desired to record the precise hour at which each round has
been made by a warder or other person.
The improvement consists in the use of a dial of paper or other suitable
material rotated by the mechanism of the clock in combination with
a perforator operated by hand by the warder or other person, by means
of which the time of the visit is recorded on the paper or other dial.
This dial is attached by means of a central screw or otherwise to a diso
of the same size mounted on the clock face and provided with a spindle
passing through the same mounted in bearings in the plates carrying

page_text: the clock mechanism. This spindle is provided with a spur wheel,
which gears with a similar wheel keyed on the axis of the small or
hour hand, so that the paper or other dial will be rotated by the clock
in conformity with the motion of the hour hand. The circumference
of this small paper or other dial is figured or lettered similar to the dial
plate of an ordinary clock, and together with the perforator or marker
before mentioned is securely enclosed within the glass of the clock case,
so that all attempts to tamper with the tell-tale are prevented. The
perforator employed for making the desired indications on the small
paper dial projects through the clock dial, and may be operated by hand
in any suitable manner either by means of a cord connected to a
spring lever, on the end of which the perforator is mounted, or a push
piece and knob projecting through the clock case may be employed for
the purpose of depressing the lever and causing the perforator to
penetrate or otherwise mark the circumference of the paper or other dial,
and thus indicate thereon the hour at which the visit was made. In
order to prevent error it is necessary to renew the paper or other dial
every day, or oftener if required. In adjusting the fresh dial its correct
position in relation to that of the hour hand is found by making a mark
thereon coincide with a projection on the dial carrier. In order that
the motion of the clock may not be arrested should the perforator
remain in contact with the paper dial either by reason of its spring
failing to return it to position or from other cause I prefer to make it
blade-shaped so as to enable it to cut its way through the paper dial
without impeding the motion thereof.
rea
tell-tale arrangement; Figure 2 is a central vertical section of the same;
Figures 3 and 4 are detail views of the perforator and dial on an enlarged
scale.
a is the paper or other dial on which the time of the warder's visit is
to be recorded. This dial is figured, as shown, and is attached to a
disc b by the aid of a central screw clamp c or by other means. The
disc 6 is carried on the end of a spindle passing through the clock face d
and supported in bearings in the plates e carrying the clock mechanism;
fis the spur wheel keyed on said spindle and gearing with wheel g of
༡

page_text: the same diameter keyed on the axis of the hour hand, with which dial
a is thus rotated; h is the perforator, by the aid of which the paper or
other rotating dial a is pierced in the position (in reference to the
numerals marked thereon) corresponding to the hour indicated by the
hands of the clock. This perforator is carried on a stem i passing
through the clock face and sliding in bearings in the plates e, said
stem being squared to prevent any lateral displacement of the
perforator . The perforator is operated by the warder depressing a
knob and push piece k jointed to a spring 1, or it may be a lever bearing
on the stem i, as seen, or if desired the clock may be suspended out of
reach and the perforator operated by a cord and lever, as shown in red
lines, or in any other suitable manner, a spiral or other spring being
provided on stem i if required to return the perforator to position.
A groove m is formed in the surface of the disc 6 beneath the paper dial,
as seen in Figures 3 and 4, to receive the point of the perforator and
prevent its coming in contact with said disc when piercing the paper,
as shown in red lines. In order that the action of the clock may not
be suspended should the perforator remain transfixed in the dial a from
any cause, I make the end with a cutting edge as shown in Figure 4
so as to enable it to cut its way through the paper dial without opposing
sufficient resistance to impede its motion. Instead of the perforator
projecting in front of the paper dial it may be placed behind the disc b,
and brought forward instead of being depressed to pierce the dial.
When renewing the paper dial the correct position for the fresh dial in
relation to that of the hour hand may be found by making a pin o on
the disc b coincide with a suitable mark on the dial for the purpose.
The tell-tale arrangement is enclosed within the glass n of the clock
case, so that although it may be readily inspected it is impossible that
it can be tampered with in any way. If desired instead of placing the
perforator and dial in front of the clock face, the said tell-tale arrange-
ment may be exhibited at a glazed opening at the side of the clock, the
spindle of the disc b being operated by the hour hand spindle as before
by means of bevel or other suitable gearing. The dial and perforator
may be applied to various kinds of clocks and timepieces.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention
to be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the
combination and arrangement of parts constituting the improved tell-tale

page_text: apparatus to be applied to clocks, as herein-before described and illus-
trated in the Drawings annexed, or any mere modification of the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jacob Frengley, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of February, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
JACOB FRENGLEY. (L.s.)