Improvements in Electric Tell-tales for Checking Watchmen and for other similar Purposes.
Year: 1888

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Tell-tales for Checking Watchmen and
for other similar Purposes.
I, HENRY BOARDMAN, of 21, Northfield Place, Manningham, in the County of
York, Drysalter, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in tell-tales in which an electric apparatus
is employed in combination with clock work, and its object is to provide an efficient
apparatus of comparatively simple construction not liable to become disarranged or
to be tampered with and adapted to clearly and concisely record when certain stations
have been inspected by the watchman or other person.
The invention consists of the general arrangement of the apparatus hereinafter
described in which a series of electro-magnets operated from various stations are
arranged to puncture or otherwise mark a travelling sheet provided with divisions
representing periods of time and operated by mechanism in connection with or part
of a suitable clock or clock work.
For this purpose I employ a number of electro-magnets preferably of similar
construction to the electro-magnets of single-stroke electric-call bells, each of the
armatures of which is provided with a needle. Each of the said electro-ibagnets
forms part of separate circuits extending to the various stations under the supervision
of the watchman or other person, and at each station à button or other device.for
completing the circuit is situated, so that the watchman when visiting such station
closes the circuit thereby exciting the electro-magnet in connection with it and
operating the armature punctures the paper lying beneath by means of the needle
attached thereto, thus recording such visit at the place where the apparatus is situated.
The electro-magnets are fixed in a case so as to prevent the recording apparatus being
tampered with.
In order to record periodical visits of the watchman to the various stations and the
time at which such visits are made I arrange a travelling sheet provided with
divisions representing periods of time, and operated by a suitable time piece.

page_text: The said divisions are so arranged that at the time they represent they are passing
beneath the said puncturing needles, so that when the armatures of the electro-
magnets are operated they make a record by puncturing divisions of said travelling
sheet representing the time at which such record is made.
The said travelling sheets are preferably in the form of an endless paper band or
pass from a roll having perforations dividing the space for each day and having
divisions representing each fifteen minutes or other convenient period of time.
When employ an endless paper band I suspend it from a measuring roller
connected to and operated by a time piece and pass it round a tension roller at the
bottom capable of a certain amount of vertical motion in suitable guides. A nip
roller may also be employed above the measuring roller to keep the sheet straight
and assist in accurately passing the same behind the said needles. The said measuring
roller may
be provided with pins or teeth to engage perforations or notches in the
band or sheet.
In a similar manner divided paper may be drawn from a roll in the form of a
more or less broad ribbon according to the number of stations, in which the tension
roller is dispensed with.
When the apparatus is used to check watchmen on night duty only and is
consequently not required say from six o'clock a.m. till six o'clock p.m. I employ
an automatic arrangement to throw the measuring roller out of operation during
these hours and thus economise paper. Or when an endless band is used I preferably
employ a band requiring at least thirty six hours to pass through the apparatus when
it is in continuous operation, and the spaces representing nights on which records
are to be made are so relatively marked thereon that during the daytime the night
but one previous or following is passing beneath the puncturing needles, in this
manner the band passes twice round before being filled. When the-watchman is
required to be on duty on Sunday the above arrangement is modified to allow this.
By employing a band of increased width and giving a lateral motion to the puncturing
apparatus after the band has passed twice round I am enabled to use the same band
for a longer period according to the extent the breadth is increased.
When broad bands are used, to prevent mistakes, by confusing the columns
already marked with those being used, I employ a slotted screen capable of lateral
motion with the puncturing apparatus and adapted to hide the whole of the band
with the exception of the columns disclosed by the said slots beneath the said
needles.
Dated this 25th day of No 1000
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Agents.

page_text: Electric Tell-tales for Checking Watchmen and
for other similar Purposes.
I, HENRY BOARDMAN, of 21, Northfield Place, Manningham in the County of
York, Drysalter, 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 improvements in tell-tales in which an electric apparatus
is employed in combination with clock work and its object is to provide an efficient
apparatus of comparatively simple construction not liable to become disarranged or
to be tampered with and adapted to clearly and concisely record when certain stations
have been inspected by the watchman or other person.
The invention consists of the general arrangement of the apparatus hereinafter
described in which a series of electro magnets operated from various stations are
arranged to puncture or otherwise mark a travelling sheet provided with divisions
representing periods of time and operated by mechanism in connection with or part
of a suitable clock or clockwork.
Reference is to be to the accompanying sheet of drawings in which similar lettors
of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the figures.
Figure 1, represents an elevation of the apparatus with the recording medium
consisting of an endless paper sheet. The front and top of the case are removed and
the clock or clockwork driving mechanism is also omitted with the exception of a
portion of the sleeve upon which the hour hand is mounted and is in this case
provided with a pinion or wheel operating the said travelling sheet.
Figure 2, is a vertical transverse section and figure 3 is a plan view of the same.
Figure 4, is a diagram illustrating the method in which the paper is preferably
narked out or divided to avoid waste when used in the above apparatus.
Figure 5 is an elevation of a modified arrangement adapted to impart an intermittent
notion to a roll of paper so as to make the records without waste. Figure 6, is a side
view of the same.
In a case A capable of being closed and secured on all sides so as to exclude dust
nd prevent the apparatus being.tampered with I mount a number of electro
agnets B preferably of similar construction to the electro-magnets of single stroke
lectric call bells each of the armatures of which is provided with an arm C carrying
needle D projecting at right angles. Euch magnet formis part of separate circuits
xtending to the various stations under the supervision of the watchinan or other
erson and at each station a button or other device for completing the circuit is
tuated, so that the watchman when visiting such stations closes the circuit thereby .
citing the electro-magnet in connection with it and operating the armature
rrying an arm C and needle D which punctures the paper lying beneath, thus
cording such visit at the place where the apparatus is situated.

page_text: In order to record periodical visits of the watchman to the various stations and the
time at which such visits are made I arrange a travelling sheet of
paper marked
with divisions in the manner hereinafter described representing periods of time and
operated by a suitable time piece.
The endless sheet H used in the apparatus represented by figures, 1, 2, and 3 is
suspended from a measuring roller E operated at an uniform surface speed by means
of the wheels F, shaft G, wheels and horizontal shaft J provided with wheel K
engaging a pinion L fixed upon the sleeve M of the hour hand of a suitable clock or
tine piece. The said gearing connecting the roller E to the said sleeve may be
dispensed with by placing the time piece at the side of the case and directly
connecting such sleeve and roller, or the connection may be modified in any convenient
manner. A pressure roller N is mounted in suitable bearings above E and a tension
roller is suspended below in the bottom of the sheet H.
The endless sheet H is divided vertically by thick lines a separating the records of
each station and is at least of sufficient length to require thirty six hours to pass
completely round before the puncturing needle.
This length of the paper permits the motion of the paper to be continued during
the day time from six a.m. to six p.m. when the watchman is off duty without waste
of paper as the spaces representing nights on which records are to be made are so
relatively arranged that the night but one previous or following is passing beneath
the puncturing needles during the day time and in this manner the bands passing
twice round before being filled and the weeks record completed. To allow the
puncturing apparatus to be moved from one column to another it is mounted upon a
board P capable of being laterally adjusted by means of the screw Rand-bandle S-
so as to move the needles D opposite a new column, and the electro magnets are
connected to the fixed terminals by flexible wires.
When the watchman is required to be on duty on Sunday the above arrangement
is modified to allow records to be made for that day, the papers being preferably
divided for each needle as shown in figure 4 which represents the band on a reduced.
scale before the ends are connected.
The beginning of the division marked is placed opposite the needle at six o'clock
on Saturday morning or arranged to reach that point at this hour, then the following
divisions successively traverse beneath the needle: Saturday, Saturday night,
Sunday, Sunday night, Monday (this latter division may be utilised for receiving
records in case of holiday time when the watchman is on duty). The needles are
then moved one column so as to bring them opposite division c on Monday night,
Thur. N. passes during the following day then comes Tuesday night Fri. N. passos
the next day and Wednesday night follows in proper order and position, during the
next day Mon. N. passes Thursday night immediately following. On Friday the
Tue. N. division passes during the day and Friday night is brought into position.
In this manner the weeks record is completed but two or more weeks may be
recorded upon one sheet by increasing the width of the sheet thus the c column is
finished on Saturday by the division for Wednesday night passing before the
needles then such needles are moved onto column d and the nights are arranged in
the manner before described and as shown so as to pass into position at the proper
.time.
Each night is preferably subdivided into hours and quarters as shown in figure 1
and the said subdivisions are so arranged that at the time they represent they are
passing beneath the needles D and when such needles are operated they make a
record by puncturing divisions of said travelling sheet marked with the time at which
the records are made.
The endless sheet is removed by slitting it across. A new sheet is then passed
over E the ends gummed together and it is adjusted to position.
When broad bands are used, to prevent mistakes by confusing the columns already
marked with those being used, I employ a slotted screen T capable of being laterally
adjusted by means of the screw U and handle V. The ribs W of said screen are
adapted to hide the whole of the sheet excepting the columns disclosed by said slots

page_text: beneath the needles. The said screen may be suspended from the board P and
consequently be moved in conjunction with it.
In the arrangement shown in figures 5 and 6 a roll of paper is employed with
the nights arranged consecutively including Saturday afternoons and Sunday in as
many columns as there are stations and electro magnets. The roll of paper h rests
upon the measuring roller E¹ and the ends of its arbor revolve in the guide slots e
formed in the brackets g carrying such roller. The said roll of paper may bo
perforated across so as to allow each nightly record to be readily separated from
the roll, or it may be rewound upon a take-up roller i resting upon h and operated by
contact therewith.
A wheel m with the teeth omitted at intervals is provided in the train connecting E'.
with L so as to allow the measuring roller to remain stationary during the day time.
Such wheel is arranged to revolve at an uniform speed and make a complete
revolution once a week and the intervals in the teeth are so relatively arranged that
the pinion during the whole of the day time when the watchman is off duty on
Monday to Friday inclusive is disengaged but at night the intermittent teeth
engaging said pinion operate the roller E so as to unwind the paper at an uniform
speed. The interval a without teeth provided for disconnecting the pinion j is
shorter so as to allow the motion of the roller E¹ to commence when the watchman
begins duty on Saturday and there is no interval for Sunday so that its motion is
continued all through that day.
In cases when the watchman is not required on duty on Saturday afternoon and
Sunday the wheel m is arranged to revolve once in twenty four hours with an
interval in the teeth allowing for the time the watchman is off duty.
The endless sheets before described may be marked and divided in a similar
manner to the said roll of paper and be operated by a similar intermittent
arrangement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The general arrangement and combination of the apparatus herein described in
reference to figures 1, 2, and 3 in which an endless sheet of paper marked with
divisions of time and operated by clockwork is employed to receive impressions from
one or more electro magnets operated from different stations the said inagnets being
capable of lateral adjustment substantially as herein described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawing.
2. The method or arrangement of the divisions of the said endless sheets adapted
to prevent waste of paper substantially as herein shown and described.
3. In an electric tell-tale having a roller or sheet of paper operated by clockwork,
the intermittent device adapted to arrest the motion of the paper when the watchman
is off duty, substantially as herein shown and described.
4. The combination with an electric tell-tale having recording paper divided in
columns, of the slotted screen arranged substantially as herein shown and described
and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 25th day of February 1889.
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Agents.