AN IMPROVED TIMEKEEPER DIAL, SHEWING THE EXACT TIME IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Armand le Comte de Fontainemoreau, of
London, Paris, and Brussels, Patent Solicitor, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED TIMEKEEPER DIAL, SHEWING THE EXACT TIME IN DIFFERENT
COUNTRIES."-A communication.
Sealed the 26th February 1858, and dated the 5th September 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Armand le Comte
de Fontainemoreau at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 5th September 1857.
I, PETER ARMAND le Comte DE FONTAINEMOREAU, of London, Paris, and
Brussels, Patent Solicitor, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention
of "AN IMPROVED TIMEKEEPER DIAL, SHEWING THE EXACT TIME IN DIFFERENT
COUNTRIES," to be as follows, that is to say:-
The Invention communicated to me consists in constructing a comparative
universal dial which will indicate instantaneously the hour of every country
in the world.
This dial is composed of as many concentric circles as the number of towns
of which the time is required. These circles are disposed according to the
difference of longitude existing between the localities, and as they are all
divided into twenty-four hours or fractions of hours, whatever be their diameter,
a single thread or needle, passing from the centre to any point of the prin-

page_text: cipal circle, indicates in its passage the corresponding hour in all the towns
represented.
If the circles be converted into horizontal lines, a table is composed
identical with this dial, that is to say, that all the lines are divided into
twenty-four hours and fractions, and are ranged one under the other, according
to the difference of longitude existing between the towns to which they apply,
and of which the time may be required, so that a plumb line sliding in a
groove on the breadth of the table will indicate the corresponding hour of all
the towns noted on it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Peter Armand le Comte de Fontainemoreau in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 3rd March 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
ARMAND le Comte DE FONTAINEMOREAU, of London, Paris, and Brussels,
Patent Solicitor, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of September in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Peter Armand le Comte de Fontainemoreau, Her special licence,
that I, the said Peter Armand le Comte de Fontainemoreau, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Peter Armand le
Comte de Fontainemoreau, 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 TIMEKEEPER DIAL, SHEWING THE EXACT TIME IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES,"
communicated to me by a foreigner residing abroad, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Peter Armand le Comte de Fontainemoreau,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument 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:

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that 1, the said Peter Armand le Comte de Fontaine-
moreau, do hereby declare the nature of the 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
Drawing hereto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that
is to say:-
The Invention communicated to me consists in forming a universal com-
parative dial, by making upon it as many concentric circles as there are
towns at which it is required to know the relative time.
The circles are divided into the same number of parts, without regard to
their diameter, and they are disposed according to the difference of longitude
between the towns. By these means a hand from the centre touching the
principal circle at any point will indicate in its passage the exact time at all
the towns marked on the dial (see Figure 1).
:
For the use of electric telegraph machines the dial representing the
corresponding stations must be formed of circles divided into twelve or into
twenty-four hours, if there is a difference of more than sixty minutes between
the time at these stations, or in case it is required to distinguish the hours of
the day from those of the night. The dial is provided with only one hand;
if there is another hand, it can only be employed for one locality.
For the use of railways the dial representing the corresponding stations
between which there is not more than an hour's difference should be formed
with several circles divided into twelve hours, or of one circle divided into
twelve hours, and the others into sixty minutes, and provided with two hands,
as usual, see Figure 2.;
It may happen in some cases that the successive diminution in the diameter
of the circles as they approach the centre renders the division into hours and
minutes difficult, rendering it necessary to restrict the number of towns.
To avoid increasing the size of the dial to a too great extent, when applied
for instance to clocks, I substitute for all the circles, with the exception of
the meridian circle, as many hands as there are towns; the circle then is
divided into twelve or twenty-four hours, as required, and the hand may be
replaced by a figure of the sun, the rays of which, bearing the names of the
towns, will form as many hands, which, being separated by spaces according
to the difference of longitude between the towns C, will shew by the circle the
exact time of the said towns. The sun may be fixed, and the circle or dial
moveable (see Figure 3).
This universal comparative dial is applicable to clocks in general.
If horizontal lines be substituted for circles, a table may be formed based

page_text: exactly on the same principle, videlicet, the lines will represent different towns,
and, being divided into as many parts as the circles, may be placed, according
to the difference of longitude between the towns which they represent, so that
if a plumb line be moved at the upper part of the table it will indicate on its
passage the corresponding time at each place (see Figure 4).
Having now described the nature of the Invention communicated to me,
and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would observe, in con-
clusion, that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein laid down,
as many modifications may be made without departing from the principle of
construction; but what I claim to be new and useful, and therefore desire to
be secured by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is, the forming
of a universal comparative dial, suitable for electric telegraphs, railways, and
clocks in general, by means of circles or horizontal lines divided into hours,
and arranged according to the difference of longitude, for shewing the com-
parative time of places or towns thereon, as herein-before described, and
shewn in the annexed Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Armand le Comte de Fontaine-
moreau, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Second day of
March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-eight.
L'DE FONTAINEMOREAU. (L.S.)