CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TIMEKEEPERS
Year: 1840

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, AUGUSTE
MOINAU, of Philpott Terrace, Edgware Road, Paddington, in the County of
Middlesex, Clock Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Ninth day of May, in the third year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Auguste Moinau, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Auguste Moinau, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
and such others as I, the said Auguste Moinau, my executors, adminis-
trators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times during the term of years therein mentioned, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and
the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TIMEKEEPERS;" in which said Letters Patent is con-
tained a proviso, obliging me, the said Auguste Moinau, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain
the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in
part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto.
had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Auguste Moinau, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon
(that is to say):-
These improvements in the construction of timekeepers consist in certain
novel modes of producing and communicating an impelling power for giving
motion to the works of clocks or other stationary machines, designed to
indicate mean time, by performing uniform rotary movements, in which
construction I entirely dispense with the use of impelling springs, and adopt,
instead thereof, a series of detached weights, which are raised and brought
into operation when required by means of the impelling apparatus.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of a table
clock, with a part of the motive apparatus connected thereto; Fig. 2 is a side
elevation of the same, a portion of the standards and framework being removed
to shew other parts of the construction more clearly; Fig. 3 is a front
elevation of the motive apparatus, the dial and works of the clock being
removed; and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the same. In the mechanism or
works of the clock, I do not intend to claim any novel features, as my
improvements apply solely to the means of impelling the works. a is the
main arbor, to which the impelling power is applied; upon this arbor the first
toothed wheel is affixed, and this wheel, by its connection with the train of
wheels and pinions constituting the works of the clock, communicates from
the axle a the impelling power. I give rotary motion to the arbor a, by
means of a large wheel c, fixed upon the arbor, which wheel c has a series of
arms d, d, d, attached to and extending radially from its periphery; at the end
of each arm d there is a cup c, formed to receive a ball f, and these balls being
severally deposited in the respective cups on one side of the wheel, produce by
their gravitation a preponderating power on that side of the wheel, which
causes it to revolve upon its axis, and consequently with it the arbor a, which
drives the mechanism of the clockwork. The balls f must be successively
sapplied to the cups e, at the upper part of the wheel, as it goes round, and
will be discharged from the cups as the arms d successively approach the
lower part of their rotation. It is therefore essential to the continued rotation
of the wheel, that a ball be deposited in the cup every time that an arm d
passes a certain point of its rotary course, and that the balls in like succession
be discharged from the cups as the arms of the wheel approach the lower part
of their rotation. The means of doing this by my improved apparatus I will

page_text: now describe. A cylindrical straight tube g, g, is fixed in a position slightly
inclined from the horizon at the upper part of the machine, as seen in Figs. 3
and 4, which tube is also shewn in horizontal section at Fig. 5; one end of
this straight tube is in connection with a bent tube h, which is shewn in the
last-mentioned Figure, and also in vertical section at Fig. 6. The tube g
receives and conducts the several gravitating balls f, and through which they
are enabled freely to roll by its inclined position; from this straight tube the
balls proceed into the bent tube h, whence they are successively delivered into
the cups e, as the arms d of the wheel pass round. Supposing that several
balls f have been introduced into the tube g, they will necessarily roll down to
the lowest part and rest in the bent tube h; in this bent tube there are
stops i, i, and k, which prevent the balls from passing out; these stops are
connected with a little piece of mechanism, shewn at Fig. 6, which is made to
operate at intervals for the purpose of discharging a ball when required into
one of the descending cups e, e, e, and afterward allow another ball to advance
into a situation ready to be discharged on the next occasion. In order to
effect the working of this little mechanism, it must, in the first place, be
understood that the wheel c has been put into a state of rotary action by the
gravitating force of the balls previously placed in the cups e, e, e, on one side
of the wheel, as at Fig. 3, for the working of the mechanism by which the
balls are successively discharged into the cups is effected by the rotation of the
large wheel c. The stop k, in the tube h, is a small rectangular piece (see
Fig. 6) affixed to and standing up from the end of the longer arm of a bent
lever 1, 1, 1, hanging upon a fulcrum joint in the bracket m, and which lever
being weighted at the end of its shorter arm, keeps the piece in its elevated
position, and thereby stops the ball, as shewn in Fig. 6.
As the wheel c goes
round, a lip n on the side of each cup e comes in contact with the top of the stop
piece k, (see Figs. 2, 3, 5, and 6), and depresses the stop sufficiently to allow the
ball to roll out of the tube, at which moment the ball is received into the cup e,
and by its gravitating force gives rotary motion to the wheel. Very soon after this
has taken place, the lip on the side of the descending cup e comes into contact
with the outer end of a double or jointed lever p, p, (see Figs. 2, 3 and 6), the
fulcrums of which levers p hang in brackets q, q. At the back end of this
double lever are attached the stops i, i, and by the depression of the outer end
of the levers p the stops i, i, are brought down, and the secon 1 ball allowed to
roll forward into the former position of the first ball, bearing against the stop k
ready to be discharged on the passing of the next cup e, and the lip of the cup
having passed, the stops will resume their position, as shewn at Fig. 6. It will
hence be perceived that so long as there are balls in the tubes g and h ready

page_text: to deposit themselves into the cups by the means described, so long will the
wheel c be made to continue its rotary action and to impel the clockwork. I
proceed therefore to shew the means by which the tubes g and h are replenished
with successive balls, supplying the places of those which have been discharged
from the tubes into the revolving cups. The troughs is placed below for the pur-
pose of receiving the balls as they descend, and conducting them into the tube
t, t, a horizontal view of which, partly in section, is shewn at Fig. 7. In the
troughs there is fixed a small bent piece v, which stands up, and in the front of
each of the cups e there is a small slit or opening cut for the purpose of allow-
ing the cups to pass through the trough without being impeded by the piece v.
As the cup carrying a ball proceeds through the troughs, the ball is brought
into contact with the piece v, which operates as a wiper and displaces the ball
from the cup, when on its falling into the trough s, the ball immediately rolls
into and through the tube t, t, and passes to a cylindrical box or receptacle u,
where it remains ready to be carried up and deposited in the tube g above,
which I effect by the following means:-The cylindrical box u is detached
from the tube t, and suspended by pivots from a long lever w, which is mounted
on a fulcrum pin in the standard a, see the elevation, Fig. 3; the shorter arm
of this lever w is attached to a rod y connected to a crank on the axle z below.
If by any convenient means the axles be turned at intervals one quarter round,
the crank rod y and lever w would be moved into the position shewn by the
red dotted Jines, and the box u containing the balls be raised into a situation
capable of discharging them into the upper tube g. I shall not for the present
state by what particular means I propose to work the axle at intervals, but
proceed to point out the operations of certain small parts of the mechanism
essential to the conducting of the balls from the lower tube t to the higher
tube g correctly. The balls which have been deposited in the tube t by the
means above described will necessarily roll down the inclined tube into the
box u and remain therein ready to be raised into the upper tube g. In order
therefore to prevent any greater number of balls which may have accumulated
in the tube t from falling out when the box u is raised, a small stop 1 is
affixed to the end of a weighted lever 2; this lever is kept down by the
pressure of the box u bearing upon a small block 3 at its end, but as soon
as the box u begins to rise, the weighted lever 2 will rise also and project
the stop 1 through a small opening into the tube t, and thereby prevents the
balls left in the tube t from falling out. As the box u containing the balls
is by the action of the long lever w raised, it must be made to assume an
inclined position, as shewn by dots, which is done by a tail piece 4, at the end
of the lever w, bearing against a ledge or bead on the outside of the box, the

page_text: intention of which is that when the box has been raised to the proper position,
its mouth may be brought into the orifice at the end of the tube g, and thereby
be enabled to discharge the balls with as little concussion as possible into the
tube g; this being done, which is the work of but a very small space of time,
and the crank on the axle z rising, again brings down the box u into its
former position to receive more balls ready for the next ascending movement
of the lever w; as however the box u must again be placed in its horizontal
position when it has descended, one arm of a small weighted lever 5 is made
to receive the lower part of the descending box, and to tip it over into the re-
quired position, so that it may meet the end of the tube t, when it will remain
and receive another supply of balls (if there any in the tube t), ready to be
carried up to the tube g, on the next occasion of moving the axle z and lever w.
I will now proceed to shew another mode of carrying up the balls by
means of an apparatus constructed like an archimedean screw pump. Fig. 8
is an elevation of the motive apparatus for impelling a striking clock, the
works of the clock which would stand in front being removed to shew the
other parts of the mechanism without obstruction; Fig. 9 is a side elevation
of part of this mechanism, with some of its appendages in section; and Fig. 10,
a horizontal view, as the mechanism would appear from above. In this as in
the former construction the main axle a on which the impelling wheel c is fixed
has a communication with the going part of the clockwork, so that by the
rotation of the axle a the clock is actuated. The wheel c has armis d, with
cups e as before, and into these cups balls f are at intervals deposited by the
action of the mechanism, as already described. The wheel c being by the
gravitating influence of the balls carried round as above said, the balls are
successively discharged from the several cups into the trough s, at bottom, but
in this instance, instead of the balls passing along a tube t into a box u, and
being raised by a lever w, and other mechanism, as shewn in Figs. 3 and 4,
I allow the balls to roll along the curved channel of the troughs (see Figures
8 and 10) into the lower part of an inclined cylinder A, A, which contains the
archimedean screw pump by which the balls are raised. The construction of
this archimedean screw as a means of raising any flowing matter is so well
understood as a piece of mechanism, that it is scarcely necessary to describe it.
In connection with the present mechanism, it consists of a worm within a
hollow inclined cylinder, which as it revolves causes a ball placed at bottom
to be gradually raised to the top by the continually increasing altitude of the
plane of the spiral surface of the worm upon which the ball is caused to roll as
the worm goes round. The position and use of the worm and cylinder being
seen in the Drawings, Figures 8 and 10, it remains only to shew the means by

page_text: which it is to receive rotary motion. In Fig. 8, B is a vertical shaft or spindle
below the clock, which is to receive a uniform rotary motion by any convenient
means or by the means which I shall hereafter describe. This spindle carries
a bevel wheel C, taking into a similar wheel D, (see also Fig. 10,) which is
fixed upon a horizontal axle E, and at the reverse end of this axle there is
fixed another bevel wheel F, taking into a similar wheel G; the axle of this
last-mentioned wheel carries also the wheel H, which takes into a pinion I,
and upon the axle of I there is another pinion J in connection with a bevel
wheel K fixed at the lower extremity of the cylinder A. Hence it will be
seen that rotary motion being given to the spindle B, the train of wheels and
pinions connected therewith will cause the cylinder with the archimedean
screw to revolve and to raise the balls successively conducted into it from the
trough s. The balls being thus carried to the top of the cylinder A, they are
then delivered from the cylinder through an aperture into a curved trough
or cylinder L, whence they roll forward into the tubes g and h, and remain
there ready to be discharged into the cups e, as before described. It will be
perceived that in Fig. 8 there is a striking apparatus attached to the clock.
This striking apparatus I wind up by means of an endless cord or band M,
passed over a pulley N, on the axle of the archimedean screw cylinder, and
which band goes over carrier pulleys O to the pulley P. This pulley P
connects itself with the striking works by means of clutches taking into the
pulley Q (see Fig. 9), and thereby winds up the striking works as the arcbi-
medean screw revolves, but when the weight R of the striking apparatus
which is connected by a cord to the pulley Q has been raised to its greatest
elevation, then a small stud S, above the weight R, comes in contact with the
end of a double lever T, T, and by raising that lever shifts the position of the
lever U, U, which is connected to the end of T. This shifting of the lever U
causes the pulley P and its clutches to be drawn back from connection with
the pulley Q, and thereby the overwinding of the striking part is prevented.
I will now describe the peculiar apparatus which I employ in connection
with the above-described machinery for the purpose of putting the impelling
apparatus into action. I have said above that by any convenient means the
axle z (Figures 2, 3, and 4,) is to be turned at intervals with the crank rod y,
one quarter round for the purpose of moving the lever w into the position
shewn the red dotted lines, in order that the box u containing the balls
may be raised as described. I therefore intend to claim as my Invention any
apparatus or means of effecting this movement of the axle z, in connection with
the clock. But I wish also to shew and particularly to claim the following
mechanism for effecting that object, Fig. 11 represents an apparatus by which

page_text: the above-described mechanism may be put in action. Let it be understood that
Z in this Figure is the same axle as z before described, and that from this axle
a crank V extends, which is by a joint attached to a rod W. The upper end of
this rod W is connected to a lever X, mounted upon a stationary fulcrum, and
the reverse end of which lever is weighted. This lever is suspended near its
middle by a hook and cord Y, Y, Y, passed over a series of supporting and
guiling pulleys, and is ultimately attached to a lever Z affixed to the bottom of
a door.
It will hence be perceived that every time that the door is opened
the lever Z will draw the cord Y, as in the Figure, and thereby raise the
crank V, and turn the axle zone quarter of a circle, which will work the
lever w (see Fig. 3), and cause the balls in the box u to be raised up, and
delivered into the tube g, as before described. Fig. 12 shews another modifi-
tion of the same contrivances for actuating the impelling apparatus by means
of the opening of a door. The lever Z, affixed to the bottom of the door, is
attached to a cord Y, Y, Y, passed under and over a series of guide pulleys,
and over a pulley 1 (as shewn more distinetly in the side view, Fig. 13).
This pulley 1 turns loosely upon a stationary axle 2, 2, and the cord Y haying
passed over it, is at the end attached by its hook to the weighted lever X,
mounted upon a fixed fulcrum pin. On the same stationary axle 2 there is
also turning loosely another pulley 3, which has a ratchet wheel 4 affixed to it.
This pulley 3 carries an endless cord 5, 5, 5, which proceeds over guide
pulleys for the purpose of supporting the suspended weight 6. This endless
cord 5 proceeds over other guide pullies, and returns to another loose pulley 7
on the axle 2, and from thence goes over a pulley 8, then descends and sup-
ports a counter-weight 9, and proceeding upwards over another pulley 10,
returns over the pulley 3, thereby having performed an endless circuit over
this series of pulleys. On the side of the pulley 1 a circular plate 11 is fixed,
which carries a spring click, shewn by dots at 12. It is now to be understood
that every time that the door is opened the cord Y will relax, and allow the
weighted lever X to fall a certain distance, in doing which the cord Y will
carry the loose pulley 1 round with it, and in so turning the pulley 1, the
click 12 taking into the ratchet wheel 4, will drive the ratchet wheel and its
pulley 3 through a portion of a rotation. This movement of the pulley 3 will
actuate the endless cord 5, and thereby raise the weight 6, which winds up the
power, and the ratchet is held and prevented from running back by a pull 13.
It is now to be observed that though the cord 5 passes over the pulley 7, that
pulley will not be actuated by the movement of the cord, because the counter-
weight 9 will descend in the same proportion as the weight 6 is raised. To
the weight 6 a cord 14 is attached, which passes under and over pulleys, and

page_text: is connected to the weighted lever X. The object of this cord is to keep up
the lever X when the weight 6 has been raised to its greatest altitude, thereby
preventing the lever from falling, and the relaxed cord Y from turning the
click pulley 1 when the door is opened. It is now to be understood that
the gravitating power of the weight, acting through the endless band on the
pulley 7, produces a continually acting tendency to turn it. The larger pulley
15 is attached to the pulley 7, and carries an endless cord 16, which passes
also round a pulley 17. This pulley 17 has an excentric pin in its side, con-
nected to a rod W, which communicates with the axle z, through the crank V,
for the purpose of raising the impelling balls, as described. But, as the object
of this machinery is to wind up the impelling apparatus for any indefinite
time, I connect to the axle za detant, which will allow the axle z to work
every two hours, as shewn in the auxiliary Figures 14 and 15, which being
well known, and not my Invention, needs no further description. In order
to wind up both by the opening and closing of the door, I have constructed
the apparatus shewn at Figures 16 and 17, in which the ropes are attached
to the lever at bottom of the door leading, in the way before described,
to the ratchet wheels carrying the pulleys, cords, and weights, as before
explained, with a click acting inside of the treble pulley, so that whichever
way they are turned, the click shall operate upon the ratchet weeel. Another
modification of my mode of winding up is shewn at Figures 18 and 19, in
which the action of a lever at the bottom of a door is to be connected to the
cord Y, as before, and the weight (a) is made to raise the lever (b); the said
lever having its fulcrum on the axle of a ratchet lever (c), which is driven
round by a click fixed to the side of the lever every time that the lever falls,
the movement being governed by a train of wheels and pinions with a fly (d).
Figures 20 and 21 exhibit merely the same contrivance, but in which the
weighted lever (b) is raised by an endless cord (e, e), and when raised to its
greatest altitude, a piece (f) on the top of the lever introduces itself between
the clutched wheels and separates them, as seen in Fig. 22. The contrivance
for winding up the striking clock, shewn at Fig. 8, is shewn in Figs. 23 and
24, in which the connection with the opening and shutting door is made
through the cord Y, for the purpose of winding up the weight, and the power
for actuating the impelling apparatus at the end of the train communicated
through the vertical shaft B, seen in Fig. 8; this last construction of apparatus
will give to the impelling machinery a continuous rotary action; but when I
desire to drive it at intervals, say, to give one revolution to the archimedean
screw every half hour, then I employ a detant, as shewn in Figs. 25, 26,
and 27. The wheel (g) is the hour wheel of the clock, with two escape-

page_text: ment pins acting at intervals upon the detant lever; and the snail wheel (h) is
supposed to be placed upon the axle A of the archimedean screw. Instead of
the lever attached to the bottom of a door, I sometimes work the machinery
by the rising and falling of a float on the surface of water contained in a vessel,
as shewn in Figs. 28 and 29. The cord attached to the float passes upwards
to the periphery of a barrel, which also carries a counter-weight. As the float
descends in the vessel it allows the counter-weight to turn the barrel and wind
on the cord; but as the float is raised in the vessel, the cords draw the barrel
round, and with it the ratchet wheel, which, by means of the spring click
attached to the driving pulley, moves the pulley round with it, and this pulley
carrying the cord Y actuates the apparatus instead of the lever under the door,
in the way already described. A contrivance may be applied to a smoke jack
employed in a chimney, from the rotation of the flyer of which, the actuating
power may be taken by the means shewn in Figs. 30, 31, 32, and 33. The
flyer of the smoke jack going round will communicate its rotary action
through the train of wheels to the axle and pulley (a); over this pulley an
endless cord, answering to Y, before described, is to be passed, which endless
cord also passes over a clutch pulley (b), shewn in Figs. 34, 35, and 37. As
this pulley goes round it winds up the endless cord 5 and weight 6, and when
this weight 6 rises to its greatest altitudo, a roller (c) presses against an
inclined plane (d), and pushes the lever e into the position shewn by dots, and
thereby unclutches the wheel (b), which allows the flyer of the smoke jack to
revolve, without operating upon the machinery. In some cases I apply my
improved winding apparatus to actuate a clock, without the intervention of
the wheel with the gravitating balls first described. Fig. 38 represents a
striking clock, shewn partly in section, to which a weight 6 is appended by an
endless cord, acting upon both the going and the striking movements;
Fig. 39 exhibits a side view of the striking parts, with the winding appa-
ratus; Fig. 40 represents the going parts of the clock; and Fig. 41 represents
the parts of the winding apparatus in detached pieces. The cord Y, leading
from the door or other first mover, passes over the winding pulley and draws
up the weight 6 by the means before set out. The click (a) is affixed to a
plate turning loosely on the axle of the ratchet wheel, which plate is locked
by a pin and slot to the winding pulley. The door or other actuating power
being allowed to remain quiescent, when the click, as the pulley revolves,
comes into contact with a stud (b) set in the framework, it is raised or drawn
out of the ratchet wheel, by which means the striking train is released and
allowed to act freely.
I have described these apparatus as actuating one clock; it is obvious, how-

page_text: ever, that by a suitable connection of gear I can communicate the going of this
one clock to detached motion wheels for exhibiting the time on several dials
simultaneously.
In witness whereof, I, the said Auguste Moinau, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of November, in the year of our Lord,
One thousand eight hundred and forty.