Apparatus for Indicating the Absolute Time and Hour Zone Time, Corresponding to the Mean Time at any Given Point of the Globe.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Jan., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 1st Oct., 1890-Accepted, 1st Nov., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Indicating the Absolute Time and Hour Zone Time,
Corresponding to the Mean Time at any Given Point of the
Globe.
I, EMIL PLECHAWSKI, of 19, Mariengasse, Ober Döbling, near Vienna, in the
Empire of Austria, Railway Official, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
―
This invention has for its object to enable the absolute time and hour-zone time,
corresponding to a given mean time at any given point of the globe, to be found in an
easy and simple manner.
According to the invention, the purpose in view is attained by providing a map of
the world, on Mercator's projection, with a meridional division from 15° to 15° East
and West of Greenwich, and by adapting this map to be moved along a scale running
in the direction West to East and divided into twenty-four parts each corresponding
in breadth to that of an hour zone, the divisional lines being marked from West
to East with the Figures 0, 1, 2, 23, 24, while the meridians, distant
from each other 15°, are similarly marked in the opposite direction viz. 24, 23
2, 1, 0.
Now, supposing that the divisional lines marked with 9 and 24 correspond to mid-
night while the divisional line 12 corresponds to noon, the absolute time corresponding
to a given mean time at any given point of the globe will be indicated by the designa-
tion of that meridian which coincides with the divisional line 12 of the scale when the
meridian of the point in question is set to the chosen time.
By preference, the apparatus is so arranged that the figures marked on the
meridians of the map move beneath the scale which is provided at its noonday
divisional line with an aperture through which the figures indicating the absolute time
to be ascertained are visible.
In order to facilitate the management of the apparatus two maps of the world may
be so connected together as to form an endless apron, movable round two cylinders.
Either cylinder may be driven by a clockwork at such a speed that the meridians
travel in one hour from one divisional line of the scale to the next; in this case the
apparatus would be an absolute time clock.
•
The hour zones, which are 15° of longitude broad and for which in certain cases the
time of the mean meridian is true for the whole zone, are shewn on the maps by lines
passing midway between the meridians already mentioned; thus the hour zone of
Greenwich is situated between 71° East and 7° West.
Upon the scale, the Figures I, II, III, etc., by which the hours are
indicated on ordinary twelve-hour clocks, may be placed by the side of the
Figures 13, 14, 15, 16, etc. .; and the hours from midnight to six of
the morning may be distinguished by the words "After Midnight," the hours
from six to noon by "Forenoon," the hours from noon to six of the evening
by "Afternoon," and the rest by "Before Midnight." When the apparatus is
mounted within a box or frame, the portions of the frame corresponding to night-
hours may be glazed with stained glass plates covering the right hand and left hand
quarters of the visible portion of the endless apron map.
According to a modification of the arrangement above described, the edge of the
map is provided with teeth or projections in gear with a toothed wheel, the axis of
which is journaled in the said scale and carries a, hand surrounded by a suitable dial
upon which the absolute time is indicated by the hand.
Dated this 3rd day of January 1890.
WART

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Indicating the Absolute Time and Hour Zone Time,
Corresponding to the Mean Time at any Given Point of the
Globe.
I, EMIL PLECHAWSKI, of 19, Mariengasse, Ober Dobling, near Vienna, in the
Empire of Austria, Railway Official, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
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 time-pieces, and it has for its object to provide means for
determining, in a simple manner, the absolute time and hour zone time corresponding
to a given mean time of any given point of the globe.
According to the invention, a map of the world on Mercator's projection, having
meridians at intervals of 15° of longitude east and west of Greenwich, is so combined
with a scale running from west to cast that each can be shifted relatively to the other
in order to make any meridian coincide with any divisional line of the scale. The
distance between two successive divisional lines of the scale is made equal to that
between two successive meridians of the map and while the twenty-five divisional
lines of the scale are marked from left to right with the Figures 24, 1, 2, . . . . 22,
23, 24, the twenty-five meridians of the map are marked with these figures in the reverse
direction. Either two maps or two scales may be so connected with each other as to
form an endless apron mounted on two cylinders, either of which is adapted to be
rotated and the driving mechanism, which may be clockwork, may be geared with a
pivoted pointer indicating the absolute time on a suitable dial.
In order to make the invention perfectly understood, the same is hereinafter fully
described with reference to the annexed sheet of drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a top face view of an apparatus embodying the invention and com-
prising two maps formed into an endless apron, a crank handle for driving one
of the cylinders, and a glazed casing within which the whole is enclosed.
Figure 2 is a sectional front elevation of the apparatus.
Figure 3 represents a map of the world, prepared for use in the apparatus.
Referring to Figure 3, it will be seen that the meridian of Greenwich
relatively to which absolute time is generally indicated, is situated at the middle of
the map and is rendered conspicuous by a thicker line. Also the meridians
distant from the meridian of Greenwich 15°, 30°, 45°
east and west, and
which pass through points of the globe, the mean time of which differs from that
of Greenwich 1, 2, 3 . . hours, are represented by thicker lines.
At the top
ends of these meridians are marked the longitudes from Greenwich in degrees and
the time difference in hours, this difference being positive east, and negative west,
of Greenwich. In order, also, to shew on the map the nature of the so-called
hour zones, the meridians falling in the middle between the 15th, 30th, 45th,
degrees of longitude, represented by thicker lines, are likewise rendered
more conspicuous either by lines of another color or by dotted lines, as shewn.
The stripe comprised between two such dotted meridians, for instance between
7° west, and 7° east, of Greenwich or between 71° and 221° east of Greenwich,
etc., is called an hour zone, and, for certain purposes in railway-traffic, the mean
time of the middle meridian of such a zone is considered as the time of the whole
zone. On the lower margin of the map the Figure 12 is marked beneath the
meridian of the absolute time. At right, and at left, from this figure the lower ends
of the meridians 15° apart are marked with the differences between the said number 12
and the positive and negative differences of time indicated at the top ends of the
meridians, thus forming the series of Figures 24, 1, 2, 3, . . . 22, 23, 24, running
from right to left at the lower margin of the map.
The map so prepared is combined with a scale a Figure 1, in such a manner that
either part may be slid along the other in the direction parallel to the equator.
According to the division of a day into twenty-four hours, the said scale is divided

page_text: into twenty-four parts and the distance between two successive divisional lines is
equal to that of two meridians 15° apart. In the succession from left to right,
the twenty-five divisional lines are marked 24, 1, 2, 3, 22, 23, 24, and more-
66
وو
over the figures from 13 to 24 may have indicated at their side the figures used for
designating these hours in common clocks. For the sake of more clearness, the left-
hand quarter of the scale, corresponding to the hours from midnight to six of the
morning, may be provided with the common designation "After midnight,' the
following quarter, comprising the hours from six a.m. to noon, with the designation
Forenoon," the time from noon to six p.m. with "Afternoon," and the rest with
Before midnight; moreover the portions of the scale a corresponding to night
hours may be made of material of another color. The scale a is, by preference, so
arranged that it covers the series of Figures 24, 23, 3, 2, 1, 24, printed or
written on the lower margin of the map, and in its middle, viz. below the divisional
line 12, the said scal is provide.! with an aperture & through which any of the numbers
on the margin of the map can be caused to appear. The number which is visible in
the aperture 6 indicates the mean time of the meridian of Greenwich, corresponding
to the given position of the map relatively to the hour scale a and this time is
the absolute time of the globe; at once the mean time and hour zone time of any
chosen point of the globe corresponding to the indicated absolute time may be
read off.
•
In order to admit of the relative displacement of the map and scale in a limited
space without partial obstruction of the view of either part, two maps or two
scales are united to form an endless apron mounted on cylinders and adapted to
be moved along the corresponding stationary part. Figures 1 and 2 shew two
maps united to form together an endless apron e which is stretched over two
cylinders d d mounted with a flat casing f. To the casing f is secured the
scale a provided with the slot b. The trunnions of the cylinder d rest in fixed bearings
while those of the trunnions of cylinder d' are adjustable in order to admit of the
endless apron c being stretched. The cylinder d may be provided with a crank
and handle for operating it, or it may have either of its trunnions geared with
clock work timed to impart such a speed to the cylinder d that a meridian will be
caused to travel, in one hour, through the space between two divisional lines.
Those portions of the top side aperture of the frame or casing of which corre
spond to night hours of the hour scale a may be glazed with stained glass plates h,
as indicated by the hatched surfaces in Figure 1. As will be readily understood,
these glass plates / cover those portions of the map which are set to night hours.
Instead of providing the scale a with the said slot 6 through which the figure
indicating the absolute time is visible, the shaft of the cylinder d may be geared with
a shaft carrying a pointer by which the absolute time is indicated on a dial the cir-
cumference of which is divided into twenty-four parts and the divisional lines of
which are marked 1, 2, . . . 23, 24.
It is obvious that a greater or less number of meridians and sub-divisional
lines may be provided according to the scale on which the apparatus is constructed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;
1st. The combination, with a map of the world on Mercator's projection having
traced thereon the first meridian and other meridians from 15° to 15° and the first
meridian designated with the number 12 while the meridians shewn east of the same
are designated with the numbers 11, 10, . . . 2, 1, 24, and the meridians
west of the same with 13, 14, . 23, 24, of a scale extending in the direction
west to east of the map and provided with twenty-five divisional lines, the
distances between which are equal to those between two successive meridians of
the map and which are designated from left to right with the numbers 24, 23, 22
3, 2, 1, 24; the said map and scale being adapted to be displaced relatively to

page_text: each other in the direction parallel to the equator, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
2nd. The combination, with a map of the world on Mercator's projection having
traced thereon meridians from 15° to 15° and the first meridian marked with the
number 12 while the meridians cast and west of the same are marked with 11, 10
2, 1; 24, and 13, 14, . . . 23, 24, respectively, of a scale extending in the
direction east to west of the map and provided with twenty-five divisional lines,
the distances of which are equal to those of the meridians and which are marked from
left to right 24, 23,
2, 1, 24, and a duplicate of either of the two constituent
parts, this duplicate forming with its counterpart an endless apron mounted on
journaled cylinders adapted to be rotated, substantially as, and for the purpose
described.
3rd. The combination with a map of the world on Mercator's projection having
the described meridional division figured as described, of a scale extending in the east
to west direction of the map and presenting the described divisional lines and figures,
a duplicate of either of the aforesaid two constituent parts, this duplicate forming with
its counterpart an endless apron mounted on two journaled cylinders, and clockwork
so geared with either cylinder as to cause any divisional line of the endless apron to
travel in one hour through the space between two divisional lines of the stationary
part, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4th. The combination, with a map of the world on Mercator's projection having its
described meridional division figured as described, of a scale extending in the direction
of the parallels of the map and presenting the described divisional lines and figures,
a duplicate of either of the two aforesaid constituent parts, this duplicate forming with
its counterpart an endless apron mounted on two journaled cylinders, means for
rotating the same, a dial and pointer, and a suitable transmitting gear between either
cylinder and the pointer, the said gear being adapted to cause the pointer or hand to
turn through an angle of 15° while any divisional line of the endless apron travels
through the space between two divisional lines of the stationary part, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 1st day of Octahan 1800
EMIL PLECHAWSKI.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.