IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND IN APPARATUS FOR GIVING ALARM AND OTHER SIGNALS
Year: 1884

page_text: I GEORGE NOBES of N° 27 Dudley Grove Harrow Road in the County of
Middlesex Plumber do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND IN APPARATUS FOR GIVING ALARM AND OTHER
SIGNALS to be as follows:-
The object of my improvements is to supply alarm clockwork of a superior
construction and so arranged and fitted as to indicate very distinctly the entrance
of thieves or other improper persons into houses and also to be fitted to prison doors
for the purpose hereinafter mentioned.
I construct the clockwork with a spring which can be wound up by a key A
Geneva stop is fitted to prevent its being over-wound and also to regulate the period
during which the bell is to be rung The spring drives ordinary wheelwork and an
escape wheel actuates two pallets, on the axis of which pallets a hammer is fitted
which vibrates and strikes a bell fitted inside the clock case.
In fitting my said invention to doors and windows in order to prevent improper
entry into houses and other places I make the hammer of an elongated form one
end of which projects through a hole in the case as it rises to strike the hell, and
this protrusion of the hammer is prevented from occuring when the door or window
is shut and secure either by the lintel of the door the frame of the sash or by
suitably formed metallic projections which cover the hole in the case and thereby
hold the hammer still There is also provided a sliding catch which prevents the
action of the clockwork from taking place when it is desirable to open the door or
window for ordinary and legitimate purposes This slide stops the vibration of the
pallets although the spring may be fully wound up. When it is desired to set the
alarm the slide is moved away from the pallet, and thereupon the improper opening
of the door or window will set the clock work in motion, and the bell will continue
to sound until the Geneva stop puts and end to its action.
In fitting the apparatus to the inside of a window, I fit a metallic plate in such a
mauner that when all is secure, it covers the hole in the case and prevents the
hammer from working but if the window should be improperly opened the plate
not only uncovers the hole and allows the clockwork full play, but also falls out of
line with the hole, and thus allows the bell to continue to sound although the

page_text: window may be (hastily or otherwise) closed again, and thus a momentary opening
of the window is at once detected.
An internal indicator or hand is sometimes fitted to indicate when the spring is
wound up.
In fitting my said apparatus to prison doors, and the doors of cells, it is fitted
outside the door and is only accessible to the prisoner by means of a small button
or plug by pressing which the prisoner can cause the bell to ring, but it cannot ring
longer than the time for which it is wound up, and such winding up is performed
by the Warders from the outside of the door When the plug is pressed it releases
a pin which (until then) keeps the works at rest. There are two indicators to the
apparatus on prison cell doors; one to indicate whether the spring is wound up or
partially so and the other indicator is a small semaphore which falls to a horizontal
position at the time the button is pressed and so remains until the Warder raises it
to a vertical position ready for future action.
My said invention is also applicable to my domestic fire escape for which I have
obtained Letters Patent dated 2nd May 1883 N° 2238 and my said invention is
applicable to many other positions and uses.

page_text: I GEORGE NOBES of 27 Dudley Grove Harrow Road in the County of Middlesex
Plumber do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
METHOD OF AND IN APPARATUS FOR GIVING ALARM AND OTHER SIGNALS and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:—
The object of my invention is to construct clockwork alarms in a superior
manner and so arranged and fitted as to indicate very distinctly the entrance of
thieves or other improper persons into houses and also to be fitted to prison doors
for the purpose hereinafter mentioned.
I construct the clockwork with a spring which can be wound up with a key-
A Geneva stop is fitted to prevent its being overwound and also to regulate the
period during which the bell is to be sounded The spring drives ordinary
wheelwork and the escape wheel actuates two pallets, on the axis or on
extension of an arm of which pallets a hammer is fitted which vibrates and strikes
a bell fitted inside the clock case for that purpose.
an
In fitting my said invention to doors and windows in order to prevent improper
entry into houses and other places I make the hammer of an elongated form, one
end of which projects through a hole in the case as it rises to strike the bell and
this protrusion of the hammer is prevented from occurring when the door or
window is shut and secure either by the lintel of the door, the frame of the sash or
by suitably formed metallic projections which cover the hole in the case and
thereby hold the hammer still-There is also provided a sliding catch which
prevents the action of the clockwork from taking place when it is desirable to
open the door or window for ordinary and legitimate purposes
This slide stops
the vibration of the pallets and hammer although the spring may at the same time
be fully wound up. When it is desired to set the alarm the slide is moved away
from the pallet or the hammer and thereupon the improper opening of the door or
window removes the hindrance to the motion of the clockwork and the bell
immediately commences and continues to sound until the Geneva stop puts an end
to its action.
In fitting the apparatus to the inside of a window I place a metallic plate in
such a manner that when all is secure it covers the hole in the case and prevents
the hammer from working but if the window should be improperly opened the
plate not only uncovers the hole and allows the clockwork full play but also falls
out of line with the hole and thus allows the bell to continue to sound although the
window may be (hastily or otherwise) closed again and thus a momentary opening
of the window is at once detected.
An external indicator or band is sometimes fitted to indicate when the spring is
wound up.
In fitting my said apparatus to prison doors, and the doors of cells, it is fitted
outside the door and is only accessible to the prisoner by means of a small button
or plug by pressing which the prisoner can cause the bell to ring but it cannot ring
longer than the time for which it is wound up, and such winding up is performed
by the Warders from the outside of the door When the plug is pressed it releases
a pin which (until then) keeps the works at rest There are two indicators to the
apparatus on prison cell doors; one to indicate whether the spring is wound up or
partially so and the other indicator is a small semaphore which falls to a horizontal
position at the time the button is pressed and so remains until the Warder raises
it to a vertical position ready for future action.

page_text: My said invention is also applicable to my domestic fire escape for which I have
obtained Letters Patent dated 2nd May 1883 N° 2238 and my said invention is
applicable to many other positions and uses.
And in order that my said invention may be fully understood reference is
hereby made to the accompanying drawings in which similar letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts..
Fig. 1 shews one mode of the application of my invention to an ordinary door.
Figs 2 and 3 a method of applying the same to a window and Figs. 4 5 and 6
shew its application to the door of a prison cell.
a is the door b the case containing the alarm apparatus c is the winding axle to
the spring-d is an indicator to show how far the spring is wound, e is a thumb
slide to stop the action-f is a hole in the case through which the back of the
hammer g protrudes. In this form of the application of my invention the adoption
of any means which will prevent the hammer g from protruding through the hole f
will thereby stop the action and prevent the bell from being sounded and the
removal of such means therefore allows the bell to be struck in rapid succession.
In Fig 1. the stoppage of the motion of the hammer is effected by the contact of
the hammer with the lintel of the door Or the same may be effected by means of
a projecting plate attached to the lintel—Or the Alarm apparatus may be fitted to
the side of the door or may be mortised into the door or into any part of the door.
frame-In each of which cases the closing of the door stops the vibration of the
hammer and the action of the wheels and spring.
The action may also be stopped by sliding the thumb slide e, which also prevents
the hammer and works from running.
When it is desired to set the alarm, the key is applied to the axle of the spring
to wind it up, the door is then closed, and the slide e is disengaged-The door then
cannot be opened without the striking of the bell taking place and alarming the
inmates.
In Fig 2 the plate / is fitted to stop the running of the works This plate is
attached to the sash stile i by a single screw in such a manner that when the
window is opened the plate falls on one side as shewn in Fig 3 and if the window
is again closed the inclined position of the plate h prevents it from operating as a
stop, and the alarm bell continues to sound and alarm the inmates.
The apparatus may be inserted in a mortise in the window or in the frame if
preferred when the mero closing of the window will suspend the action of the
Alarm.
In fitting the Invention to the doors of prison cells, the apparatus is placed on
the outside of the door, or, if preferred, it may be mortised in the door. The only
access which the prisoner has to the alarm is by means of a button, or rod m
which he can press with his finger or thumb. When this is done the action of the
alarm is set free the semaphore q (Fig 5) falls and the bell is sounded. The
semaphore cannot be raised again by the prisoner; and the semaphore indicates to
the Warder the particular cell requiring attention, even after the bell has ceased to
sound.
Fig 4 is a sectional view of so much of the apparatus as is necessary to explain
its action with the aid of Figs 5 & 6 a is the door b the alarm m is a rod the
inside end of which (m¹) may be pressed by the Prisoner. When so pressed (as in
Fig 6) it moves the spring n-This impinges against and raises the attachment o
to the latch p. This latch, when down, retains the semaphore q in its place, as
shewn in Fig 5. But when the rod is pressed inwards, as in Fig 6, the latch pis
raised the semaphore is released and at once falls to the position shewn in Fig 6-
The semaphore cannot be raised again from the inside but remains down to indicate
the particular door to the attendant.
The Spring n is fitted with a pin This pin keeps the hammer of the alarm
from vibrating when in the position shewn in Figs 4 & 5 But when n is moved
to the position shewn in Fig 6 the hammer is thereby released from the pin rand.

page_text: the bell is sounded so long as m¹ is pressed inward and when m² is no longer
pressed the bell ceases but the semaphore remains projecting as in Fig 6.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that I do
not confine myself to the exact details herein described as the same may be varied
without departing from the principle of my invention and what I claim is :-
1. The method and means of setting alarm clock work whereby the same is
prevented from operating until the necessity arises for the alarm to be sounded,
substantially as and for the purposes herein before described and shewn on the
drawings.
2 The combination and arrangement of mechanism as shewn on the drawings,
for giving alarm and other signals for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.
Dated 1st October 1881
GEO. DOWNING,
Agent for the Applicant.