An Improved Electric-alarm Device for Clocks.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd May, 1800
Complete Specification Left, 9th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 20th Sept.,
1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Electric-alarm Device for Clocks.
I, ROBERT SCHMITZ 35 Forest Street Cleveland, County of Cuyahoga and State of
Ohio, United States of America, Inventor do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows :-
The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved electric attachment
to clocks, by means of which alarms can be automatically sounded in different rooms
or apartments or buildings at different times, which device can be adjusted for any
desired room or apartment and to sound the alarm at any desired time.
The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts and details, as
will be described hereinafter.
The entire apparatus is contained in a wooden casing which also contains a
clock of any well-known construction. In said casing a transverse shaft is fixed on
which are loosely mounted as many levers as may be necessary. On a shaft, parallel
with the shaft aforesaid are mounted as many cam-wheels as there are levers afore-
mentioned, each cam-wheel being provided with a notch.
One-third of the circumference of each cum-wheel is divided into as many equal
parts, as there are levers aforesaid.
The several cam-wheels are fixed on one of the shafts, and is so arranged that
one of the notches of each can-wheel is one subdivision in advance of the other.
These subdivisions each correspond to half an hour of time, and consequently each
successive cam will release its lever one-half hour later than the preceding cam. One
end of each lever is connected with a spring which pulls it upward and to each lever
an upwardly projecting guided rod is pivoted, which carries on its upper end a head
of insulating inaterial, upon which rests the free end of a contact-spring connected by
a screw, with an angle-strip. The several angle-strips are connected by screws with
corresponding switch-strips on the front of the casing. The spring is provided with a
platinum contact-piece, and a like platinum piece is provided above each piece and on
an angle-piece which is connected by screws, with the plate on the face of the casing.
This plate is connected by a wire with the battery a switch being arranged in said
wire for cutting out the instruments.
The outer end of the shaft carrying the cam-wheels is provided with a squared
head to permit of applying a key, by means of which the said shaft and the
cam-wheels thereon can be rotated and adjusted by turning to the right.
A pointer on the outer end of the cam-wheel shaft moves over a small dial, and
indicates for which time that cam-wheel is set that operates the alarm first, and as the
others are set for half an hour later it is an easy matter to ascertain for what time the
several cams are adjusted or set.
A ratchet wheel is secured on the cam-wheel shaft, and is engaged by two spring-
pawls on the cog-wheel which is operated by gearing from the hour-wheel of the
clock, so that said wheel makes one revolution every twenty-four hours. On each
switch plate a number of spring binding-posts are provided which serve for receiving
the ends of wires which lead to the different rooms. In each room an alarm-bell and
a switch are provided to permit of disconnecting the apparatus.
A switch board is provided, with which the several wires are connected, to facilitate
making connections.
The operation is as follows: If, for example the cam-wheel shaft is so adjusted that
the alarm-bells connected with the first right-hand switch plate are operated at six
o'clock, the bells connected with the next strip, will be operated at half-past six o'clock,
and the next following at seven o'clock, and so on. The wires leading to the rooms

page_text: are connected with the corresponding swith-plates according to the time at which the
alarms are to be sounded in each rocin. The cog-wheel, the ratchet-whel, and the
cam-wheel shaft are rotated to the right, and as the open end of the first lover arrives
at a notch of its corresponding cam, it drops into the same, permitting the spring to
throw up the other end whereby the push rod presses the contact-piere on the free
end of the other spring against the contact-piece and closes the circuit between the
plate and the corresponding plate. Thereby all the alarm-bells connected with the
said first switch-plate nro sounded. After half an hour the same operation is repeated
on the second cam-wheel, and all the bells connected with the second switch-plate
are sounded and so on.
The above-described apparatus is operated automatically, and will be found to be
of great service in hotels, boarding-schools, and in institutions where a number of
persons are to be awakened at certain times by means of alarm-bells.
Dated this 3rd day of May 1890.
ROBERT SCHMITZ.
By his Agent,
F. W. Barker.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Electric-alarm Device for Clocks.
I, ROBERT SCHMITZ, of 35 Forest Street, Cleveland, County of Cuyahoga and State
of Ohio, United States of America, Inventor, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to provide a now and improve electric attachment to
clocks, by means of which alarms can be automatically sounded in different rooms or
apartments or buildings at different times, which device can be adjusted for any
desired room or apartment and to sound the alarm at any desired time.
The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts and details, as
will be fully described hereinafter, and finally pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a face view of my improved electric-alarm attachment for clocks,
showing a diagram of the connections, parts being broken out.
Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a clock provided with my improved
aların attachment.
Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line z z, Fig. 2.
Fig. 3 is a side view of one of the cam wheels.
Fig. 3B is an edge view of the same.
Fig. 4 is a face view of the switch-plates and switch.
Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the same.
Fig. 6 is a side and edge view of the spring binding post.
Fig. 7 shows detail sectional views of the contact-piece on the connecting-wires.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
The entire apparatus is contained in the wooden casing A, which also contains a
clock of any well known construction. In said casing the transverse shaft B is
fisod, on which are loosely mounted as many levers C as may be necessary-in this
case eight. On the shaft D parallel with the shaft B, are mounted as many cam-
wheels E as there are levers C, cach cam-wheel being provided with a notch F³.
One-third of the circumference of each cam-wheel is divided into as many equal
parts a as there are levers C. The several can-wheels E are fixed on the shaft D
and so arranged that the notch E of each cam-wheel is one subdivision a in
advance of the other. These subdivisions each correspond to half an hour of time,
and consequently oach successivo cam will release its lever Cone-half hour later than
the preceding cam. One end of each lever C is connected with a spring C³,
which

page_text: pulls its upward, and to each lever an upwardly-projecting guided rod F is pivoted,
which carries on its upper end a head F' of insulating material, upon which rests
the free end of a contact-spring G connected by a screw G with an angle-strip G².
The several angle-strips G are connected by screws G³ with corresponding switch-
strips H on the front of the casing. The spring G is provided with a platinum
contact piece and a like platinum piece is provided above each piece g and on an
angle-piece 1, which is connected by screws with the plate I on the face of the
casing. The plate [* is connected by a wire J with the battery J, a switch J² being
arranged in said wire J for cutting out the instruments. The outer end of the shaft D
is provided with a squared head D₁, to permit of applying a key, by means of which
the shaft D and the cam-wheels E thereon can be rotated and adjusted by turning to
the right A pointer K on the outer end of the shaft D moves over a small dial L,
and indicates for which time that cam-wheel is set that operates the alarm first, and
as the others are set for half an hour later it is an easy matter to ascertain for what
time the several cams E are adjusted or set.
A ratchet-wheel M is secured on the shaft D, and is engaged by two spring-
pawls N on the cog-wheel O, which is operated by gearing P from the hour wheel
of the clock, so that said wheel O makes one revolution every twenty-four hours.
On each switch-plate H a number of spring binding-posts are provided, which
serve for receiving the ends of wires R, which lead to the different rooms.
In each
room an alarm-bell S and a switch S₁ are provided to permit of disconnecting the
apparatus.
Wis a switch-board with which the several wires are connected, to facilitate making
connections.
The operation is as follows: If, for example, the shaft D is so adjusted that the
alarm-bells connected with the first right-hand switch-plate H are operated at six
o'clock, the bells connected with the next strip will be operated at half-past six o'clock,
and the next following at seven o'clock, and so on. The wires leading to the rooms
are connected with the corresponding switch-plates according to the time at which
the alarms are to be sounded in each room. The cog-wheel O, the ratchet-wheel M,
and the shaft D are rotated to the right, and as the open end of the first lever
arrives at the notch E' of its corresponding cam E it drops into the same, permitting
the spring to throw up the other end, whereby the push-rod F presses the contact
piece g on the free end of the spring G against the contact piece g and closes the
circuit between the plate 12 and the corresponding plate H. Thereby all the alarm-
bells connected with the said first switch-plate H are sounded. After half an hour
the same operation is repeated on the second cam-wheel and all the bells connected
with the second switch plate are sounded, and so on.
The above described apparatus is operated automatically, and will be found to be
of great service in hotels, boarding-schools, and in institutions where a number of
persons are to be awakened at certain times by means of alarm-bells.
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 what
I claim is :-
1. The combination, with a clock movement, of a shaft driven by said clock-
movement, a series of cam-wheels on said shaft, a series of electric-circuit closers
operated by said cam-wheels, switch-plates connected with the circuit-closers, and
electric alarm-bells connected with the switch-plates, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination, with a clock-movement, of a shaft driven by said movement,
a series of cams in different positions on said shaft, a series of circuit-closers operated
by the cams, switch-plates connected with the circuit-closers, and electric bells
connected with the switch-plates, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination, with a clock movement. of a shaft driven by said movement,
a series of cams on said shaft, a series of circuit closers operated by the cams, switch-
plates connected with the circuit-closers, electric bells connected with the switch-

page_text: plates, a hand on one end of said shaft, and a dial over which the hand can rotate,
substantially as set forth.
4. The combination, with a clock movement, of a shaft driven by said movement, a
series of cams mounted on said shaft, a series of pivoted levers, of which each has
one end rested on the cam, a push-rod on each lever, contact-springs on which the
push-rods can act, switch-plates connected with the contact-springs, and electric-
alarm-bells connected with the switch-platos, substantially as set forth.
Tind thin Oth 1 af 1900
F. W. BARKER,
Agent for the Applicant.