Alarm Clockwork Mechanism for Producing the Alarm at the Termination of a Predeterminable Space of Time.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Jan., 1899-Accepted, 15th July, 1899
Alarm Clockwork Mechanism for Producing the Alarm at the
Termination of a Predeterminable Space of Time.
I, LUDWIG SCHIFF, of No. 3, Binger Strasse, Wilmersdorf, near Berlin,
Germany, Chief Engineer, 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; —
:
The present invention consists of a clockwork-advantageously in the form of a
watch which is constructed to produce an alarm at the termination of a certain
predeterminable space of time, irrespective of the hour of the day. Thus for
instance, the bearer wishes to be reminded of a certain appointment to be ful-
filled or a duty to be performed an hour hence; it would only be necessary to set
the watch to give the alarm after the lapse of an hour. At the termination of
this period the alarm will be given and will be audible from the pocket, the
said alarm being set in operation and effected by the sudden release of the main
spring.
The present invention consists mainly in the construction and arrangement of
the operative parts so as to enable the employment of one and the same clockwork
both to move the timing hand and, after the lapse of the predetermined space
of time, to operate the alarm.
The invention further comprises means, as herein after set forth for returning
the hand or hands to their initial position, for winding up the clockwork and also
setting the alarm hand by means of one and the game button as employed for
keyless watches. The parts of the watch for this is the preferred form of
embodiment of the invention--are so organised that, when the time hand has
marked the predetermined space of time, the escapement is thrown out of gear
and the main spring in running down suddenly operates the alarm. An alarm
bell may be employed, but I have found it advantageous to employ a membrane
which is caused to vibrate when the main spring is released and emits a peculiar
aud penetratingly audible sound similar to a miniature fog horn.
In order to render the present specification more easily intelligible reference
is had to the accompanying drawings in which similar letters of reference denoto
similar parts throughout the several views:
Fig. 1 is a cross sectional elevation of the invention embodied in the form of a
watch.
Fig. 2 is a sectional front elevation with the hands and dial removed to
clearly show the means for disengaging the main spring or escapement.
Fig. 3 is a sectional plan to particularly illustrate the means for winding up
the watch and setting the hands of the same.
Fig. 4 is an elevation of the disc and sliding bolt for controlling the return
of the time hand to its initial position and
Fig. 5 a front elevation with part of the dial removed showing the mechanism:
for disengaging the intermediate gear between the main spring and escapement.
Figs. 6 and 7 show a modified form of the device according to which one hand

page_text: '
only is employed, the said hand being set to the required space of time on the
dial and then returning to its initial position during the said space of time, at
which position it releases the main spring and operates the alarm, so that one
hand serves both to mark the time and to cause the alarm.
Fig. 6 is a front elevation showing the hand but having the dial removed and
Fig. 7 is a sectional side elevation of the parts necessary to describe the said
modification.
Referring to Figures 1 to 5:-Mounted in the usual manner in the clock-
work framing is the spindle B having the main spring drum A mounted loosely
thereon and the time hand C as also a gear D and a disc E keyed thereto. The
wheel D is connected by suitable intermediate gearing D to the pinion D of
the cog G mounted on a spindle F in the lower part of the frame. The cog G
meshes with the pinion H of an escapement wheel y which is operated in the
well known manner by means of an anchor K and balance wheel L. Any class
of escapement may be employed, verge, anchor, cylinder or the like, this being
immaterial as far as the present invention is concerned. The pinion H and
escapement wheel y are not mounted in the frame plates as usual but in the
end of a swinging lever N pivotally mounted at MI and having a spring O which
tends to draw the upper end of the said lever in the direction of the arrow in
Fig. 2 and to pull the pinion H out of engagement with the cog G. Whilst the
clockwork is operating to indicate time the pinion H is held in engagement with
the wheel G by means of a flat spring P, which is held against the upper hori-
zontal arm of the lever N and prevents the latter from following the pull of the
spring O. This same spring P also presses a gear Q having a crown Q axially
against a radially arranged pin S on the shaft B. The gear Q is integral with
or attached to a sleeve Q3 which is axially moveable on the shaft B and carries
the alarm hand R¹ and the crown of the said sleeve or geur is provided with a
recess Q which is so situated that when the time hand C corresponds with the
alarm hand R¹ the pin S passes into the recess Q' and allows the gear to move
longitudinally on its shaft B and also the upper end of the spring P to pass
into the recess T (Fig. 3) of the lever N so that the latter can follow the pull of
the spring O and disengage the pinion H from the wheel G. This throws the
escapement out of gear with the main spring and allows the latter to run down
sharply and operate the alarm. in the manner herein after set forth.
The alarm consists of a membrane or diaphragm of thin sheet metal or other
suitable material V having rivetted thereto a spring 8. The spring 8 has its
lower end bent round at right angles and extending underneath a star or tooth
wheel mounted on the spindle F and the moment the lever N is pulled out-
wardly the spring end of the lever 8 is released and allowed to contact with
the teeth or spikes of the wheel F, which on rotating rapidly owing to the
release of the main spring, causes the membrane to vibrate and emit a peculiarly
audible sound as herein before explained.
The
After the alarm has been sounded it is necessary to arrest the time hand at
its initial position and this is effected by the following mechanism:-After the
release of the main spring, the time hand will rotate several times with the
spindle B as will be readily understood, since the whole clockwork runs down
suddenly and in order to arrest the said hand at its proper initial position a
disc E is rigidly connected with the said spindle B, said disc carrying on its face
a slide 3 (Fig. 4) radially guided by means of slots and lugs as shown.
upper end of this slide is provided with teeth 31 (Fig. 1) which engage the rim
of the main spring drum A. As will be clearly seen at Figure 4, the rim of the
said drum A is bent to form a tooth at 4 after the manner of a cam, so that
the drum will raise or lower or more properly speaking will move radially the
slide 3 the distance equal to one of its teeth at each revolution. When the main
spring runs down the slide will be moved outwardly a number of teeth corre
sponding to the number of revolutions of the shaft B and when the device is
wound up again it will be moved towards the centre of the disc E a corresponding

page_text: number of teeth. As soon as the slide has been moved towards the periphery
of the disc to a certain extent, its end will engage a pin 6 (merely indicated in
Figure 1, since the same does not lie behind the section line). This pin 6 may,
be stationary if desired and arrest the pointer or hand in the proper position, but
in order to avoid straining the parts of the mechanism it is advantageous to mount
the pin on a spring lever as at 5 (Fig. 2) said lever being pivotally connected to a
frame plate of the works and spring retained by means of a spring 6 so as to
receive and take off the blow of the recoil simultaneously stopping the wheel
by means of the pin 7. The end of the spring lever 8 is held out of contact with
the wheel F during the working of the time clockwork by means of the cam
like end of the lever N, which is bent round at N¹ and serves to keep the spring
lever end 8 out of the reach of the spikes of the star wheel F. It should be
mentioned here that, if a bell is employed a spring hammer may be used, and that
when the works are running the predetermined time the slow rate of movement of
the parts, of itself, will be sufficient to prevent contact of the hammer with the
bell, so that the disengaging end of the lever N might, in this case be dispensed
with.
For winding up the mechanism the following device is employed:--The
ordinary knob Zª, as in keyless watches, is connected by means of an universal
joint 7 to a rod Z, the lower end of which is mounted with sufficient play in
the end of a metal bow Y pivotally supported in lugs of the frame plate at Y and
carrying on its pivot a pinion Z which is prevented from free rotation on its pivot
by means of a bell-shaped or panshaped spring Z. The lower end of the rod 7*
carries a gear X which is in permanent engagement with the gear Z. The two
frame plates A' A² are provided with horizontal slots in the plane of movement of
the gears X and Z of the yoke or bow Y, through which the gear X may be
extended according to the direction of rotation of the knob 7. The said gear
may be extended far enough through either of the slots (indicated at Fig. 3) to
engage either the gear R, the pinion of which meshes with the wheel Q of the
alarm hand or with the gear A rivetted to the back of the main spring drum A.
From the previous description it will therefore he evident that if the knob Z³
is turned to the right (Fig. 3) the wheel Z being under the influence of its brake
spring, it will be thrown into engagement with the wheel A3 of the main spring
drum and after having wound the main spring up, on turning the knob to the
left the wheel X will run on the wheel Z until it engages the wheel R of the
alarm hand and thus, according to the direction of rotation of the knob or button
the clockwork may be wound up or the alarm hand adjusted to the required
position. The pawl A prevents the gear of the main spring drum A from being
turned backwards. When the knob is turned to the right to wind up the
main spring, the movement of the yoke Y with its cam shaped end (Fig. 3) will
push the upper end of the lever N back so that the spring 1' may again engage
and retain the lever against the action of the spring 0.
*
it
In the modification shown in Figures 6 and 7 the arrangement of the parts is
modified so that only one hand is necessary, which serves as time and alarm hand.
This hand is adjusted to the position indicating the required time on the dial,
returns to its initial position during this space of time and, as soon as it reaches
its initial position, releases the lever N and causes the alarm to operate. The
gear is keyed to the spindle a and one end of the main spring d is fixed to the
boss of this gear the other being fast to the frame plate e. The knob is spring
pressed upwardly by the spring 2 and the rod or stem of the said knob carries the
pinion which, when the knob is depressed against the action of its spring 2,
engages the gear and winds up the main spring. Loosely mounted on the
spindle a is a cog wheel h having a pawl i on its face, adapted to engage a ratohet
wheel g when the shaft is turned in one direction. The wheel y is fast on the
spindle a as also the pinion k. On the front end of the spindle a, a sleeve is
loosely mounted, which carries the hand and the pinion 7 meshing with a
wheel n. The pinion k meshes with a gear m, mounted concentrically with n. and

page_text: adapted to be periodically coupled thereto, by means of a pin pon the rear face
of and a lug 9 on the front face of m, the gear being spring actuated
by means of a spring o having one end fust to a frame plate of the works
and the other end fast on the wheel 11. The spring 0 tends to
turn the wheel in the direction of the arrow, shown by the dotted lines in
Fig. 6. When the clockwork is running to indicate time, as also after the
release of the main spring, the wheel his coupled to the wheel g and takes
a and with it, all the parts being slowed by the escapement, not shown, and
which corresponds to the arrangement of Figures 1 to 5, the shaft being, in the
present instance advantageously timed to make one revolution in an hour.
t
The wheels m and run independently of cach other, the wheel m being driven
from the shaft a by means of the pinion k whilst wheel n is coupled as soon as
the pin and lug come into contact, i.e. when the main spring has been
practically wound up; and the knob on being further turned serves to set the
hand, the lug q pressing against the pin and turning the wheel » in the
direction of the arrows drawn in full in Fig. 6 and with it the pinion and
hand r.
Whilst the works are indicating time and also after the predetermined
time has elapsed and the main spring has been released by the mechanism pre-
viously described, the wheel m returns in the direction of the arrow shown in
dotted lines in Fig. 6. During the time-indicating period the wheel n will
accompany it under the influence of the spring a part of the way .e. until the
hand has passed under the cam surface of the spring lever and been arrested
by the stop z. In passing the cam surface u the pin of the hand raises the
lever v, the rearwardly bent end of which engages, through an opening of the
frame plate, the upper end of the lever N and the movement of the said spring
lever causes the lever N to be released and the spring pushes the pinion H
(Fig. 2) out of engagement with G so that the main spring is released, running
down wholly or partially and sounding the alarm in the manner previously
described. The rod or bar of the knob is provided with a cone 7, which, when
the work is again wound up serves to push the lever N back (Fig. 6), whereupon
the spring lever engages behind it and retains it in the position to cause the
pinion H to mesh with the wheel G. On winding up the works the knob s must
first be pressed inwardly against the action of its spring so as to engage the
escapement before the main spring is wound up.
I wish it to be clearly understood that the present invention is not restricted
to the particular form of embodiment herein before set forth, since the mechanism
might be varied in many ways without departing from the spirit of the invention.
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 In an alarm device the combination of a clockwork and an alarm and
means for throwing the escapement of the clockwork out of gear with the main
spring and means in connection with the latter to operate the alarm after the
escapement has been thrown out of gear.
r
2: In an alarm device the combination of a clockwork, an acoustic signalling
device, and means in connection with the same for operating the latter by the
former, an escapement wheel mounted on a swinging lever and adapted to be
thrown out of gear with the main spring either directly or indirectly by the
movement of the alarm or time hand.
3: In an alarm device the combination of a clockwork and an alarm operated
thereby, a time hand operated by the same clockwork, and an alarm hand
adjusted from the exterior of the device and means in connection with the said
hands for throwing the escapement out of gear and releasing the main spring to
operate the alarm as soon as the two hand cover one with the other in their path
of movement.
.
4: In an alarm device the combination of an alarm signal consisting of a

page_text: membrane or disc having a spring lever fast thereon and a clockwork and means
in connection with the latter for vibrating the said membrane lever after the
lapse of a predetermined space of time by throwing the escapement of the clock-
work out of gear and allowing the main spring to run down.
5: In an alarm device in which the clockwork first indicates the predeter-
mined space of time and then actuates the alarm as specified, means for restoring
the time hand to its initial position which consist of a disc (E) on the spring
shaft having a radially sliding toothed bar or rack thereon and a stationary spring
drum having a tooth formed at the edge of its cup like rim to move the said bar
radially at each revolution and a stop mounted in the housing to arrest the said
disc by striking the bar when the main spring has practically run down.
G: In an alarm device of the class specified the combination of means for
winding the main spring up and for setting the alarm hand from one and the
same knob after the manner of a keyless watch, consisting of a swinging bar
connected to the said knob by means of an universal joint and a pivoted yoke (Y)
supporting a gear with brake spring, said gear serving to throw a gear on the end
of the swinging bar into and out of gear with the alarm hand adjusting gear and
the main spring winding gear according to the direction of rotation of the knob.
7: In the alarm device covered by Claim 6 the combination of a pivotally
mounted spring retained lever (5) to receive the recoil of the hand when returned
to its initial position and applying a brake to one of the intermediate gears.
8: A modified form of the device covered by Claim 1 which consists in
employing one hand for time and alarm and in the spring coupling of the
wheels m and n to allow the free run of the main spring after release, without
taking the hand round with the main spring spindle and in the modified form of
lever with cam surface (7) to enable the returning hand (r) to throw the escape-
ment out of gear.
9: In combination with the device covered by Claim 9 means for dis-
engaging the main spring from the clockwork, with the exception of the band
adjusting mechanism, whilst the said clockwork is being wound up.
10: In the alarm device covered by Claim 9 the combination of an axially
moveable spring pressed knob for winding up the main spring and a cone at the
lower end of the same to set back the escapement gear in operative position when
the knob is depressed to wind up the main spring.
11: In an alarm device in which one clockwork is employed to operate the
time indicating and the alarm mechanisms, the combination of means for wind-
ing up the clockwork and for adjusting the hands to the required position after
the main spring has been wound up from one and the same button or knob after
the manner of a keyless watch.
12: In the alarm device covered by Claim 11, the combination of means for
throwing the winding up gear out of engagement with the main spring gear when
the button or knob is not in action.
1900
Dated
OLL
T
January
1900
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents.